BILLIARDS TITLE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 151, 28 June 1945, Page 8

BILLIARDS TITLE

HOLDSWORTH AND WHITFORD With two breaks which totalled 100 (53 and 45 unfinished) made in the concluding stages, L. F. "W. Holdsworth scored a comfortable win over C. Mason in the semi-final of the Auckland provincial open billiards championship last night. Holdsworth won by 500 to 395; though the game was evenly contested in patches Holdsworth played the better billiards. Mason missed a number of openings and broke down when he appeared to have a chance of pulling the game out of the fire.

Mason had the run of the balls at the start and made the most of 'it to reach the first hundred 50 in the lead, his best breaks at that stage being 33 and 20. Holdsworth made good the leeway and drew into the lead at 187 to 154. It was even pegging to reach the 200 mark, with the scores 197 to 196 in Holdsworth's favour. With top of the table play and breaks of 35 and 25, Holdsworth was 76 in the lead with Mason's score 201. Adding a 26, Holdsworth passed the 300 mark, but Mason retaliated with a break of 44 and was only 26 behind. A 41 to Holdsworth put him well in front again, but it was only temporarily, as Mason made a 20, followed by his best effort of the night, 51, and the scores were then Holdsworth 368 and Mason 363. The complexion of the game changed again when Holdsworth made 55. mostly by red play, the white being in baulk. This brought his score to 423— 58 ahead. Finally Holdsworth, now playing freely, ran to points with an unfinished 45. The final will be played in two sessions of' 500 at Barton and McGill's showroom, commencing to-night. R. Whitford, who has played free and consistent billiards, with a big break in each game, is the other finalist.