Cope triumphs to keep his Premier League dream alive - 23/03/2010

WINNERS' GROUP LATEST SCORES (FIRST TO THREE)
TABLE ONE - JUDD TRUMP 3-0 JAMIE COPE
TABLE TWO - MARK ALLEN 3-0 MARCO FU

JAMIE COPE has kept alive his hopes of playing in the 2010 Premier League Snooker competition.

Cope, 24, triumphed in Group Seven of the qualifying tournament – Championship League Snooker – at the Crondon Park Golf Club, Essex. He defeated China’s Ding Junhui 3-1 in the final to advance into the Winners’ Group later this week where the overall champion will play in the Premier League.

Jamie Cope

A break of 36 helped Cope take the opening frame 71-34 before Ding equalised by winning a scrappy second. A foul from Cope gave Ding a chance and he moved 67-0 ahead before a miss on a straight-forward pink gave Cope an opportunity, although he could not take it. However, Cope, ranked 18th in the world, won the next frame with a break of 55 and clinched his victory by 65-39 in the fourth frame.

“It’s been a tough two days, especially losing my first two group matches but I haven’t lost since so I must’ve been doing something right,” said Cope. “I knew I had an uphill battle but it’s all worked out for me. I’ve played ok but haven’t done anything brilliantly and am just pleased to get through.

“Everyone in the Winners’ Group is playing well so I will just have to get a good night’s rest and come back fresh tomorrow.”

Played at Crondon Park Golf Club in rural Essex, Championship League Snooker is produced exclusively for live streaming on internet betting sites throughout the world. Players earn £100 per frame won and the top four players after the remainder of the group matches moving into the best of five semi-finals.

The money increases to £300 per frame won and the winner receives £3,000, the runner-up £2,000 and the beaten semi-finalists £1,000 each. The winner then goes through to the final group, which will be played on Wednesday and Thursday, where big money as well as a spot in the Sky Sports-televised Premier League Snooker is up for grabs.

The other six players through to the final group are Scotsmen Stephen Maguire and John Higgins who won through on Groups One and Two respectively. They were joined by defending champ Judd Trump and Marco Fu from Groups Three and Four. Neil Robertson won Group Five and Mark Allen came through Group Six.

DAY TWO RESULTS
Peter Ebdon 3-2 Steve Davis
94-7 (Ebdon 71), 86-39 (Ebdon 73), 0-84 (Davis 84), 0-72 (Davis 71), 66-46 (Ebdon 36, Davis 40)

Ding Junhui 3-1 Joe Swail
91-0 (Ding 91), 75-7 (Ding 56), 39-61 (Ding 38, Swail 54), 76-0 (Ding 75)

Jamie Cope 3-2 Michael Holt
56-32 (Cope 39), 9-66 (Holt 39), 9-56, 113-1 (Cope 113), 29-5 (Holt conceded frame)

Mark Williams 3-0 Steve Davis
71-29 (Williams 57), 69-26 (Williams 65), 67-0 (Williams 67)

Ding Junhui 1-3 Peter Ebdon
12-62 (Ebdon 61), 57-66 (Ding 57, Ebdon 38), 112-15 (Ebdon 112), 9-119 (Ebdon 101)

Joe Swail 3-0 Michael Holt
67-21 (Swail 44), 62-0 (Swail 62), 73-32 (Swail 73)

Ding Junhui 2-3 Mark Williams
80-0 (Ding 80), 44-55 (Williams 32), 87-48 (Ding 37), 0-126 (Williams 66), 8-70 (Williams 70)

Joe Swail 1-3 Steve Davis
18-64 (Davis 35), 55-21, 22-75 (Davis 56), 23-65 (Davis 58)

Peter Ebdon 1-3 Jamie Cope
47-72, 60-74 (Ebdon 60), 85-24 (Ebdon 30), 39-60 (Cope 39)

SEMI-FINALS
TABLE ONE - DING JUNHUI 3-0 MARK WILLIAMS
97-0 (Ding 97), 106-1 (Ding 37, 68), 104-23 (Ding 97)

TABLE TWO - PETER EBDON 2-3 JAMIE COPE
112-16 (Ebdon 101), 53-55 (Cope 47), 53-36 (Ebdon 49), 38-73 (Cope 49), 30-62 (Cope 50)

FINAL
TABLE ONE - DING JUNHUI 1-3 JAMIE COPE
34-71 (Cope 36), 71-33 (Ding 44), 1-66 (Cope 55), 39-65 (Ding 39, Cope 45)