Magnificent Display of Mifsud Magic

Victoria’s James Mifsud has produced a magnificent performance in taking the 2022 Australian Masters Snooker Championship title at his very first attempt.  Dominant throughout, James went on to record an emphatic 4-0 Final win over elder brother Steve to claim a well-deserved victory.  

Full results can be accessed on the ABSC website at the following link: Result Detail — ABSC 

Mingara Recreation Club on the NSW Central Coast once again successfully hosted the event over four days (12th – 15th May) – continuing a tradition which commenced in 2008.  During this time, Mingara has become firmly established as one of the leading venues and supporters of snooker in Australia – reinforcing ABSC President Frank Dewens’ proud claim that the popular venue is the “Home of the Masters”. 

A record number of 70 entries was received for this year’s event, which included 12 from interstate.  This was a fantastic response and once again a very strong show of support for both the event and the venue.

Special mention must be made of Danny Townsend for the way in which all tables were presented and maintained for play.  As usual, his excellent table fitting skills ensured the Mingara tables continue to provide some of the best playing conditions in the country.  We cannot recommend Danny highly enough to anyone looking to have some billiard table work carried out.

With the tables playing superbly, the players delivered at a very high standard throughout as clearly evidenced by the impressive number of 40+ breaks recorded (69 in total).  The Mifsud brothers featured prominently in this list, recording 30 breaks between them, and finishing in the top two positions. 

The highest break overall was a magnificent 130 by James Mifsud in his very first game.  This was followed by two breaks of 113 as well as a 99 in the Final, and he was in fact the only player to post a century break.  James was cueing superbly all through the Championship, dropping just three frames during the entire event, and it was an extremely popular victory after being such a dominant force.

Both Steve and James are highly regarded as two of Australia’s best cueists and are a class act both on and off the table.  The enthusiastic spectators were very appreciative of their skill and Frank Dewens also acknowledged their special place in Australian snooker history by now becoming the first brothers to play in a National Championship Final.  

Both players are now eligible to represent Australia at the World Masters Snooker Championship later this year (subject to international travel restrictions) and we wish them well in their endeavours.

Congratulations to all involved in making this year’s Masters a success, including Tournament Director Ross Wyard and the referees who officiated throughout the 4 days of the Championship, but especially to all at Mingara – directors, management, staff, and members – whose support, assistance and fabulous facilities make this event possible. 

Gary Knight

Tournament Organiser