Television coverage of the World Professional Billiards Championship held at the Fairmont Resort in the Blue Mountains last July has sparked off a revival of interest in the three-ball game in Australia, home of the great Walter Lindrum.
The New South Wales Minor Billiards Championship held at the Toongabbie Club, Seven Hills in October, resulted in a win for Zac Guja (Fairfield) over Elwyn Jones (Newcastle) by 17 points. Jones led by 40 with minutes remaining but Guja scored a 59 break to take the Title. Top breaks were 68 and 59 by Guja, and 68 by Vic Sacco.
The NSW Major Finals took place in November. Stan Smith (Caringham) defeated Don Taylor (Smithfield) taking the Championship for the second year running. Smith's best break was only 33, certainly not a true reflection of his ability. Smith was also involved in the deciding match of the NSW Club Billiards Team Handicap Championship conceding 140 points to Tom Humphries of Smithfield and losing 300 - 267, the Smithfield Club becoming 1989 NSW Club Champions.
Better breaks were reported from the Sydney Clubs Team and Individual Championships. Minor Champion Zac Guja had a 115, and Joe Millen (North Sydney) a 160. Millen won the individual Championship with a top break of 156 in an early round taking the Title by default as his opponent Joe Minici was unable to play. Minici had had a 148 in his Semi.
The inaugural Australian under 18 Billiards Championship was held in December at the Revesby Workers Club, Sydney, and is reported to have been inspired by the success of the World Professional Championship. There were 32 entries. Steve Mifsud (Victoria) took the Title by defeating Stuart Lawler (NSW) 943 - 623. During the tournament Mifsud had breaks of 126, 102, 97, 96, 79, 76, 60, 55 and 53, so he looks to be more than just a useful player. The trophy was presented by 79-year-old Bob Marshall, 21 times Australian Champion, and 4 times World Champion.(See below)
The Champion of Champions Tournament, played on a 'Round Robin' basis at Mt.Pritchard was won by R. Holder of Seven Hills. H. Younge and D. Taylor both made a break of 91 - the highest of the tournament.
Billiards Quarterly Review is grateful to Mr. Ray Balderstone for the above news taken from the magazine, "Small Chalk." Anyone interested in this magazine should contact Mr. Balderstone at 59, Abercrombie Street, Cambramatta West, NSW, 2166. Australia.
Bob Marshall Billiards Quarterly Review recently received a letter from Mr. Jack Smith of Perth. Mr Smith writes, "I am a personal friend of Bob Marshall - 23 times Australian Champion and 4 times World Champion who has just won at 80 years old the state championship (Western Australia) This I feel would be a world record for age - winning a major Billiard Title. I believe (being a career Billiard player at national level) that Bob is still capable of winning the national Australian title and still makes regular 300 breaks."
Mr. Smith writes, "3 times," I think he means 21 as Marshall certainly won the Australian title that many times, the first being in 1936 and the twenty-first in 1985. Marshall also won World Titles in 1936, 1938, 1951 and 1962, and astonished the Billiards World by competing in the 1985 World Championship in New Delhi finishing runner-up to Geet Sethi goodness knows how many years his junior. Maybe Marshall is still capable of taking the Australian Championship That he might do so and once again appear in a World Amateur Championship seems quite beyond the bounds of credibility. However, Bob Marshall remains one of the all-time great Billiard players, a fine man, and always a determined competitor, surely it couldn't happen could it?
Billiards Quarterly Review hopes eventually to bring news from all Countries where English Billiards is played.