Oliver nabs 14th national billiards crown
Champion Canterbury cueist Gary Oliver has won a 14th national billiards crown but is not sure he will be back next year for a crack at equalling the all-time record.
The 57-year-old closed to within one title of Dave Meredith’s record of 15 championships after beating Wellington’s Zac Guya in the national final at Christchurch’s Woolston Club on Saturday.
But back pain caused by a car accident two years ago has Oliver seriously contemplating his playing future.
‘‘I said after the final, ‘in all honesty, I may not be back next year’. But I will give it a while before I make that decision,’’ he said on Sunday.
Oliver has suffered chronic lower back pain since he was hit by a car in 2015. He has since managed to win three consecutive national titles but said the threeday tournament in Christchurch had been ‘‘pretty tough, physically. It’s quite painful to play, but if I stop playing and practising it seizes up. It helps [to play] but too much hinders.’’
He said he would continue to play interclub snooker but also hoped to play in a billiards competition in Wellington in August before world ranking tournaments in Sydney and Christchurch.
Oliver won his first title in 2003 and won 11 in a row before his golden run ended with a semifinal defeat in 2014. But he has been back in the winner’s circle since 2015, meaning he has won 14 of the last 15 championships.
‘‘I never expected to win 14 New Zealand titles, ‘‘ he said. ‘‘I dreamed of winning one but I never thought I would have this sort of run.
‘‘I’ve probably got better over the years, but I’ve also probably picked up a couple I shouldn’t have.’’
The multiple champion was clearly the form player in Christchurch, consistently topping the breaks board.
He dropped just one game in section play, losing to Auckland’s former India international Adesh Shekatkar, 492-488 on the second day. ‘‘Adesh played very well, I got a 144 break against him, and I still got beaten,’’ Oliver said.
‘‘But he must have played his final against me because he got beaten in the quarterfinals by [Canterbury’s] Rob Evans, who played very well.’’
Oliver said he ‘‘struggled a bit in the quarterfinal’’ before beating Wellington’s Derek Gibb, but ‘‘did quite well in my semi against Wayne Carey, my old adversary’’.
Guya beat Evans 573-510 in the semfinals, but Oliver was too good in the final, racking up a 212 break to win 1006-553.
‘‘Zac had a great tournament and played very well in the final, but I just had a few more bullets than he did, if you like.’’
Carey, who won the last of his three titles in 2014, went through his section unbeaten before striking Oliver in top form. Meredith won his 15 titles consecutively and Oliver always admired his fellow Cantabrian’s ability to grind out consistent big breaks. The championships continue in Christchurch this week with the national elite grade snooker title.