Brilliant Bulcsu Makes History For Hungary
02/02/2024 22:20
Bulcsu Revesz defeated Gong Chenzhi 5-3 in the final of the WSF Junior Championship to secure his status as Hungary’s first ever main tour professional.
Revesz becomes the fourth winner of the WSF Junior Championship, following Stan Moody’s victory last year in Sydney, Australia, and makes history for Hungarian snooker by becoming the first player from the country to earn a World Snooker Tour card.
He won the opening frame of the contest with a break of 60 before winning back-to-back frames, featuring a stunning 130 clearance, to move 3-1 ahead at the mid-session interval.
Gong battled back and drew level at 3-3 by taking a dramatic sixth frame on the black. The Hungarian held his nerve, however, to take the final two frames of the contest to win the WSF Junior title and earn a two-year World Snooker Tour card as a result.
Both players headed into the title match in fine form having dropped just four frames apiece in the knockout stages so far. The two had met in the group stages, however, in a match that saw Revesz win 3-1.
The Hungarian got off to a flying start with a break of 60 to take the opening frame and looked in command in frame two as he opened up a 44 point advantage. However, Gong was unphased and fired in a half-century of his own to level the game at 1-1.
A stunning break of 130, the highest of the tournament, followed from Revesz and he doubled his advantage by taking frame to lead 3-1 at the mid-session interval.
Gong took the first after the break to reduce the deficit before levelling the score in dramatic fashion in a seemingly pivotal sixth frame which came down to the colours.
Revesz was just a mid-range pink away from moving 4-2 ahead, but missed the pot and Gong calmly knocked in the two remaining balls to instead restore parity at 3-3.
The Hungarian refused the let the the disappointment of the previous frame effect him, however, as he took a hard-fought seventh frame to move one away from the title.
The drama reached its peak in frame eight as it once again went down to the colours, but this time Revesz made no mistake as potted the final few balls to secure victory before turning to the crowd with his arms aloft in delight.
The World Snooker Federation (WSF) Championships take place at the Grand Blue Fafa Resort in Golem, Albania between 29 January and 11 February 2024.
The winners of both the WSF Junior Championship and WSF Championship will earn two-year tour cards for the World Snooker Tour from the start of the 2024/25 season.
Also running at the same time is the Albanian Women’s Open 2024. Alongside the main competition, there will also be Under-21 and Seniors side-tournaments staged, as well as a Challenge Cup competition, for players already knocked out of the main competition prior to the quarter-finals.
Post-match Bulcsu reflected: “It's just amazing, I didn't expect anything before the tournament but I felt like I was getting better and better and before the final I just knew I was going to win.
“I missed the pink to go 4-2 up and so at 3-3 I was on the floor. I don't know how, but I won the seventh frame and then I was back in the saddle again.
“I think I am going to have so many messages because every Hungarian player was supporting me which is a brilliant feeling. I hope everyone is so happy and I hope this can inspire more players in Hungary. I have enjoyed playing since the age of eight and I still love it.
“To stay on tour after the first two years is my first goal. To be in the top 64 I will have to play even better than I have this week, but I know I can do it. I am looking forward to it.”
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