Hull Wins Shoot Out

Finland’s Robin Hull won his first professional title by beating Luca Brecel in the final of the Coral Shoot Out in Reading.

Playing in the Shoot Out for the first time, world number 56 Hull snatched victory in dramatic fashion after Belgium’s Brecel missed the last red at a crucial moment of the final.

Hull, age 41, claimed his career-high pay day of £32,000 after winning six matches at snooker’s fast and furious one frame knock-out event.

He opened the final with a break of 29 and led by 43 points to 7 with less than two minutes to go. Brecel had a chance to clear, and made 29 before failing to pot the red to a top corner with just 30 seconds left. Hull took advantage to win the frame 50-36.

World number 28 Brecel, age 20, was denied a title for the second time in a week having lost to Martin Gould in the final of the German Masters.

Hull, Finland’s best ever player, has never been past the quarter-finals of a ranking event. His career was interrupted by a life-threatening virus and he was forced to quit the sport in 2008, though he returned in 2013 after winning the European amateur title.

“I thought my chance had gone in the last frame,” admitted Hull after becoming the sixth consecutive player ranked outside the world’s top 16 to win the Shoot Out. “Each match is just a coin flip and I got very lucky.

“The money helps because it allows me to keep playing and I enjoy competing, especially in an atmosphere like this. To get paid for it is a privilege. I was twitching here for two days but I’ve ended up winning and this will give me a lot of confidence.”

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