Cue sport: Rub of green does trick

Hawke's Bay cue sport king Bayden Jackson won his second trophy within a week yesterday. Photo / Warren Buckland

Sometimes collecting silverware has a lot to do with who has the luck and who doesn't ... just ask Hawke's Bay cue sport king Bayden Jackson.

"Luck got me through this weekend. My cue action and technique weren't as good as they should have been but I had a lot of luck," Jackson said, after winning the Hawke's Bay Open snooker title for the second time at the Havelock North Club yesterday.

"I only had a short time to get familiar with the full-size table again but we managed it."

Taradale Club's Jackson, 41, was referring to his campaign the previous week which saw him win the third annual national world two-shot rule, eight-ball tournament in Christchurch.

Yesterday Jackson, the top seed in the open, which attracted 20 of the country's top players, beat Tauranga's Steve Addison 3-2 in the final.

"It was my second title from four finals in the open. More importantly, it was my first win in a national snooker ranking tournament for almost a year," Jackson said.

The New Zealand No2 beat second seed and Kiwi No5 Steve Robertson 3-0 in his semifinal. Robertson and Wellington's multiple national champion Harry Haenga beat Jackson in his previous finals.

Addison beat fellow Tauranga player and good mate Dean Latus 3-2 in the other semifinal. Jackson beat Otago's Dale Kwok 3-2 in his quarterfinal, although Kwok recorded the highest break of the tournament with an 84.

"I know I can't rely on having as much luck with my next tournament. I'm going to have put plenty of training in on the big table," Jackson said.

He will tackle the New Zealand Open in Wellington next month. A top two finish there will enhance his chances of selection for the world masters tournament in South Africa during November.

The Ladz & Dads Barber Shop barber in Havelock North has been Hawke's Bay-based since 2009 after moving from England where he represented his country in eight ball for six years.

His list of Kiwi highlights includes becoming the first player to win the New Zealand Open and national snooker titles in the same year in 2011 and winning the Clubs New Zealand national eight-ball championship in 2013.

Napier's Paul Temple, who has a national ranking of 20, was the next best of the Hawke's Bay players. He was beaten by Latus in the quarterfinals.

Hawke's Bay's Mikey Stewart, the country's No8, was beaten in the plate final and Hawke's Bay's David Judd, who has a national ranking of 13, reached the plate semifinals.