Pietro Caperna from Rome won the first Italian National Snooker Championship last weekend, beating Gianmarco Tonini 6-4 in the final.

The tournament, staged at Sala Azzurra in Milan, was organized by the Federazione Italiana Biliardo Sportivo, alongside Ambrosian Snooker, the first Italian snooker academy.

There were 13 players contesting the title, each having qualified from regional tournaments in Lombardia, Veneto and Lazio.

Caperna won three matches to reach the final before an impressive display against Tonini , from Loreggia, clinching victory in the tenth frame with a break of 52.

Caperna, age 37, is the co-owner of a billiard hall in Ardea, near Rome, and he is also the top ranked player on the Italian Pool Tour.

Top break of the tournament was a 78 from Tonini.

Italian Eurosport commentator Andrea Campagna attended the event and said: “Snooker is still small in Italy but in the last few years our TV audience has grown a lot, and many billiards and pool players are eager to play the sport. I think that we will be able to have an international tournament in a few years, hopefully attracting some pro players. We’ve been late to the party, so to speak, but the future looks bright for Italian snooker.”

All pictures are courtesy of Ambrosian Snooker Archive