Gareth Potts & Mark Selby became the third and penultimate team to qualify for the Ultimate Pool Pairs Cup Finals Night after they went undefeated and won the latest last 16 group in the unique doubles event.
Labelled ‘The Dream Team’ by many, four-time world 8-ball pool champion Potts and four-time world snooker champion Selby – who claimed the 2006 WEPF 8-Ball Pool Championship before those victories at the Crucible Theatre – once again lived up to expectations, but they were made to work hard in order to progress.
Despite losing the opening frame, they started their evening with a 3-2 win over dangerous Scottish duo Scott Gillespie & Jamie Burnett; Selby registering a break clearance in frame two and the pair making a scotch doubles break clearance in frame four.
In a pivotal fourth match of the night, the group favourites had to make do with a point as Neil Raybone & Andy Blurton – fellow opening session winners after a 3-1 success over Dylan Leary & Matt Cooke – dramatically came back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 and share the spoils. A classic match which featured several fantastic clearances from the break, all four cueists played to a very high standard.
Going into the final session at the Players Pool & Snooker Lounge in Newcastle-under-Lyme, three teams could still qualify, but Potts & Selby changed that equation to just two as they moved onto five points with a 4-1 triumph over the already eliminated Leary & Cooke. Selby hit a break and a reverse clearance; Potts, a reverse clearance.
That result meant that locals Raybone & Blurton needed to win against the now eliminated Gillespie & Burnett to force a 6-red shootout tiebreaker with Potts & Selby. And they looked on course to do that as they led twice early on, but unexpected misses from Raybone in frames four and five under pressure meant that the Scots won 3-2 and ultimately took second place in the group whilst also sending Potts & Selby into the last four.
Held on Monday 19th December, Potts & Selby will play number two ranked Ultimate Pool professional Shaun Storry and recent WEPF World Championship finalist Chris Day in the semi-finals. Defending champions Shaun Chipperfield & Karl Sutton will face the winners of next week’s final last 16 group.
