By ALFIE ROBINSON
POOL star Jimmy Carney is celebrating pocketing the IPA English Open Championships in Bradford.
The world number 11 was seeded through to the last 128, which consisted of 64 professionals and 64 amateurs.
Carney, who is from Basildon, went through to the final by winning seven matches and was thrilled to pick up one of the biggest titles in the sport.
“This is the biggest tournament I have ever won and apart from the World Championships there isn’t really a bigger tournament to win,” said Carney.
“But having won it I feel like a monkey is off my back and I can now concentrate on turning consistent performances into more tournament wins.
“I was very emotional in my victory too as I dedicated it to the support my family have given me, including my wife Kim, my daughter Emily, son Aaron and of course my mum.”
Carney produced a number of fine performances to taste glory and in the last 16 fought his way past Simon Fitzsimmons, who pegged him back in a game that was level all the way until Fitzsimmons broke dry in the deciding frame to allow Carney to clinch a 7-6 victory.
The quarter-final match was also closely contested as Carney had to battle hard to come back from 5-2 down against Ronan McCarthy before eventually winning 7-5.
But in the semi-final Carney began to get into his stride and secured a 7-3 win against former world number one Simon Ward before maintaining that high standard in the final to beat Clint I’Anson 7-1 in a near faultless display which was shown on the BBC.
And Carney - who has been playing since the age of 11 - was delighted to maintain his high level of form.
“I have been forever consistent in the last 18 months,” said Carney.
“I have reached three major finals - the Welsh Open, the Players Championships and the World Series in Holland - and reached the semi-finals of the Bi World and European Championships.
“I also won a Premier League qualifier tournament which then saw me compete on a weekly basis live on Freesports over a three month period, eventually losing in the semi-finals to the current world number one Neil Raybone.
“But it was great to get this win.”
Carney works as a pool and snooker coach at the Q Ball Sports Bar in Basildon and was keen to thank his sponsors RLS Upholstery, Scales Plastering, PL Interiors, AMG Ltd, Chas Coakley, Taylor Made Cues and Mehmet Hassan for their ongoing support.
The 39-year-old is back in action at the end of the month as he faces Ronan McCarthy live on Freesports in the last 16 of the Champions Cup.
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