Two Wellington snooker players fought out the final of the 2006 DB Draught Club Southland Snooker Classic late on Sunday afternoon. Harry Haenga won the final comfortably by four frames to one, over Jack Lemon. Haenga who recently was beaten in the New Zealand Championship final by Chris McBreen, was too good after Lemon had earlier levelled the score at 1-1. He compiled breaks of 49, 43 and wrapped up the fifth frame with a fine break of 63 to clinch the title.

Haenga had earlier eliminated start attraction Dene O’Kane in the semi-finals in unusual circumstances before a big crowd of stunned snooker enthusiasts. Haenga had just levelled the best of five frame match at 2-2 and was 21 points ahead when O’Kane attempted to “deadweight” a safety shot on the brown ball to put Haenga in a difficult snooker. He, however, came up short and the resulting foul meant he had to play out of the difficult situation himself.

After six unsuccessful attempts he lost his patience and hit the”pack” with power and spread the reds letting Haenga have many choices. With his lead now in excess of 50 points Haenga then proceeded to compile a break of more than 25 before O’Kane surprisingly conceded with more than 8 reds still on the table.

Mark Canovan (Christchurch) was the other star player eliminated in the semi-finals. Canovan, a two-time NZ Champion, struggled to find form all through the tournament and he was eliminated by Lemon who had been steady without being brilliant in all his matches.

O’Kane had earlier compiled a brilliant clearance break of 141 and was expected to be too good for all of the opposition on show, but was undone by a delighted Haenga who only two months ago beat him in Napier at the Heretaunga Classic.

O’Kane and Haenga now head to the USA (San Jose) for the World Senior Team Snooker with Gary Gilliard (Christchurch). O’Kane will then be off to the United Kingdom for another stint on the rich pro-Snooker tour which starts in October. O’Kane is hopeful to regain some of the form that saw him ranked as high as number 11 in the world during the late 1980’s and the early 1990’s.

Article submitted by Ron G Wilson