MARK Lloyd has taken an early lead on the Cuestars Championship Tour.
The 24-year-old from Gosport (pictured above) gained the opening leg of the brand new season at Chandlers Ford Snooker Membership.
He pocketed £250 in prize cash after beating Fareham cueist Dharminder Lilly 3-0 within the last.
Lloyd, the 2018/19 champion, recorded 9 breaks of fifty or extra in his 5 matches – together with the day’s highest of 105 in his first-round victory over Paul Davis.
Mike Trigg (East Wellow) and Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth) staked their claims as title contenders by reaching the last-four.
Reigning Seniors Tour champion Davis (Wareham) defeated Londoner Terry Burke 2-0 within the Plate last.
There have been 37 runners – a rise of three on the corresponding occasion final season – for the event that was sponsored by Chandlers Ford SC member David Stewart to boost consciousness of Sightsavers (www.sightsavers.org), a charity that works to get rid of avoidable blindness and promote the rights of individuals with disabilities.
Jesters Snooker Membership, Swindon, hosts the second leg of 9 on Sunday, October 13. The rankings winner on the finish of the season receives £600.
RESULTS (BREAKS)
PRELIMS: Neil Carroll 0-3 Will Forster, Steve Wheatland 0-3 (56) Dharminder Lilly, Rikki Moore 2-3 Grant Mason, Jack Dady 3-1 Frank Gumbrell, Alex Greenham 0-3 O’Shay Scott.
LAST-32: Will Forster 1-3 Dharminder Lilly, Grant Mason (74) 3-1 Jack Dady, O’Shay Scott (66, 58) 3-0 Andy Darken, Shane Hellyer 3-2 Paul Ives, Harry Wyatt 3-0 Asten Sahota, Mike Trigg 3-0 Steve Learn, Shane Hatfield 3-2 Ryan Spratt, John Buckley 0-3 (65) Ryan Hughes, Mason Wilson 0-3 (59) Marcos Dayao, Navraj Landa 0-3 Jake Baker, Bradley Cowdroy (51) 3-1 Riley Ellis, Matt Callow 3-0 Sean Reeves, Mark Lloyd (105, 56) 3-1 Paul Davis, Shaun Hayman 0-3 William Thomson, Adam Stacey 3-0 Jack Squires, Terry Burke 0-3 Evan Plummer.
LAST-16: Dharminder Lilly 3-0 Grant Mason, O’Shay Scott 3-0 Shane Hellyer, Harry Wyatt 1-3 Mike Trigg, Shane Hatfield 1-3 Ryan Hughes, Marcos Dayao 0-3 Jake Baker, Bradley Cowdroy (69) 3-0 Matt Callow, Mark Lloyd (67, 50) 3-1 (76) William Thomson, Adam Stacey 2-3 Evan Plummer.
QUARTER-FINALS: Dharminder Lilly (52) 3-1 O’Shay Scott, Mike Trigg 3-1 Ryan Hughes, Jake Baker 1-3 (50) Bradley Cowdroy, Mark Lloyd (69, 52) 3-0 Evan Plummer.
SEMI-FINALS (£60): Dharminder Lilly (51) 3-0 Mike Trigg, Bradley Cowdroy 1-3 (84, 59) Mark Lloyd.
FINAL (£250/£125): Mark Lloyd (75) 3-0 (59) Dharminder Lilly.
PLATE RESULTS (BREAKS)
LAST-16: Navraj Landa 2-0 Riley Ellis, Terry Burke 2-1 John Buckley, Alex Greenham 2-0 Jack Squires, Ryan Spratt 2-0 Asten Sahota, Rikki Moore 1-2 Sean Reeves, Andy Darken 2-0 Steve Learn, Neil Carroll 1-2 Steve Wheatland, Paul Davis 2-0 Shaun Hayman.
QUARTER-FINALS: Navraj Landa 0-2 Terry Burke, Alex Greenham 2-1 Ryan Spratt, Sean Reeves 2-1 Andy Darken, Steve Wheatland 0-2 Paul Davis.
SEMI-FINALS: Terry Burke 2-0 Alex Greenham, Sean Reeves 1-2 Paul Davis.
FINAL (£40/£20): Paul Davis 2-0 Terry Burke.