Causier Claims World Open Win

David Causier enjoyed a perfect start to his Australian adventure as he defended the Reed Furniture World Open title, thus continuing his impressive winning streak on the World Billiards circuit.

Co-hosted by Melbourne venues the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria and the Yarraville Club, this two-day level 3 ranking event acted as a curtain raiser to the 2019 Endeavour Life Care World Billiards Championship taking place later this week.

Two-time world champion Causier had no issues qualifying from his group where he made his intentions clear by compiling an imposing break of 655; this would stand as the competition’s highest. In the early knockout rounds the Englishman eliminated Gary Norman 682-135 and Joe Minici 810-175. A top run of 327 was the standout highlight during Causier’s 695-293 victory over Ryan Mears in the quarter-finals, and he made a trio of tons while denying current Australian national champion Matthew Bolton 725-233 in the last four.

Causier’s opponent in the championship decider was 25-year-old Dhvaj Haria from India who had dispatched world number one Peter Gilchrist and 12-time world champion Mike Russell in the previous rounds. An entertaining ninety-minute final ensued in which the balance of power shifted between the players in the first half before an ultimately decisive break of 266 saw Causier take control. Haria gallantly rallied in the closing stages but time expired when sat on a break of 101, just seven short of his rival’s 501 points tally.

For Teesside star Causier this latest triumph represents his eighth World Billiards trophy inside the past twelve months. He last tasted defeat on tour in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Championship in Leeds, England where he lost to eventual winner Sourav Kothari.

The star-studded 2019 Endeavour Life Care World Billiards Championship takes place across the next five days at the RACV Club in Melbourne.

Image supplied by @jonmossphotos

2019 Reed Furniture World Open

Results (from the quarter-finals onwards)

David Causier 695-293 Ryan Mears

Robert Hall 224-615 Matthew Bolton

Dhvaj Haria 593-391 Peter Gilchrist

Robby Foldvari 139-734 Mike Russell

Semi-finals

Causier 725-233 Bolton

Haria 665-336 Russell

Final

Causier 501-494 Haria