Snooker Shoot Out: Chris Wakelin beats Julien Leclercq to win first ranking title
- Published
Wakelin's triumph almost quadrupled his earnings for the season
Chris Wakelin claimed his first ranking title as he beat Belgian teenager Julien Leclercq to win the Snooker Shoot Out.
The 30-year-old Englishman compiled a break of 119 in the final - the highest of the week in Leicester.
World number 47 Wakelin, who had won £14,500 in prize money this season, picked up £50,000 for the victory and £5,000 for the top break.
"It's everything I could have dreamed of," he said.
"You work day in, day out, 10 years now of not achieving anything spectacular - but today it all came together."
The ranking event features one-frame matches in each round, lasting a maximum of 10 minutes with a shot clock to speed up play.
Fourteen-year-old Vladislav Gradinari's run ended after winning two games earlier in the week when he became the youngest player to win a televised ranking-event match.
The Moldovan teenager was beaten by Tom Ford, who made a 91 break in the third round.
Three-time world champion Mark Williams went out at the same stage.
The Welshman lost 53-12 to crowd favourite Dechawat Poomjaeng, the popular Thailand player who joined spectators in the front row of a boisterous crowd to watch some of Friday night's action.
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