Kennedy pockets singles title

Mark Selby's win came just minutes after his beloved Leicester City won the English Premier League title, belying odds of 5000-1 given at the start of the season. Selby is pictured holding the Leicester flag after his victory over China’s Ding Junhui.

KEVIN Kennedy marvels at the skill of the best snooker players in the world. But he’s not a bad exponent with the cue himself.

It was not exactly the sort of performance Englishman Mark Selby turned on to win the world championship at snooker’s famous Crucible Theatre yesterday, but Kennedy still proved the best of Gisborne Cosmopolitan Club’s players in its annual handicap singles championship.

Kennedy, playing off a 7-handicap, defeated Tiny Thompson (off 28) 2-0 in the best-of-three-frames final.

Thompson, a relative newcomer to the sport, could not quite hold his own against his much more experienced opponent.

Twenty players chalked up for the tournament.

The eight who qualified from section play were Tom Tui, Mike Neil, Gordon Boyd, Thompson, Rex Kennedy, brother Kevin, John Warren and Neil Robinson.

Through to the semifinalsTui, Thompson, Kevin Kennedy and Robinson won through to the semifinals.

Thompson booked his place in the final with a 2-1 win against Tui while Kennedy eliminated Robinson also by 2-1.

The next club competition is the handicap pairs on Saturday, May 14. The closing date for entries is 5pm on Thursday, May 12.

In the UK, Selby had to work a little harder for his second world title, beating China’s Ding Junhui 18-14 in the final.

The win came just 13 minutes after his beloved football team Leicester City were confirmed as the English Premier League champions.

Known as “the Jester from Leicester”, Selby described it as the best night of his life.

“I don’t know what is more of a shock, me winning it a second time or Leicester becoming champions,” he said.

Selby, a close friend of Leicester star Jamie Vardy, draped himself in a Leicester flag after receiving the world championship trophy and cheque for $NZ694,000.

His celebrations included a karaoke version of Sweet Caroline.