Mark Avery won the Newport Open Weekend

[<<] [>>] by Andrew Gregory at Newport
20th May (AC)

The tournament was played as a Draw and Process, with a Swiz for those wanting extra games.

The draw was unseeded, but the two favourites David Maugham and Mark Avery were in opposite halves in both Draw and Process.

In the Process Avery lost to Debbie Lines.

In the Process final v Maugham, Debbie started on a TP but broke down with half a peel done. Maugham was forced to rush-peel oppo in the first stroke of the turn, and decided to complete a TPO. He shortly finished with a three-ball break.

The Draw was a bit behind schedule, so the first round Lines v Lines clash did not start til after 6pm on Saturday. Ian Lines completed the three peels of a TP, but then missed a 4-yarder, much to his (and the Mangler's) disappointment.

On Sunday morning they resumed. Debbie tried a TP, but when the straight rover peel didn't work out, pegged out Ian's ball and (to my surprise) her own.

Ian was in front of penult when Debbie ran rover. Not exactly sure whether Debbie could see the peg, but in the event she hit Ian's ball to win.

Debbie then had to play Avery again. There were chances for her to win but an error or two let Avery win with a TP.

Thus there was a de facto best-of-2 final.

Playing under superAdvanced rules, Avery got the first break. Maugham had a TPO. He was then inching round til Avery hit a long shot and finished.

In the decider, again Avery had first break, again Maugham had a TPO. Avery hit three long shots, the last of which proved fatal.

Draw Final: Mark Avery beat David Maugham +11otp

Process Final: David Maugham beat Debbie Lines +8tpo

Play-off: Mark Avery beat David Maugham +14otp