Walker shows a masterful touch

Masterton snooker player Dave Walker let his cue do the talking when taking out the Masterton Masters Snooker Tournament last weekend.
The three-day event, hosted by the Masterton Cosmopolitan Club and the Wairarapa Services and Citizens Club, attracted 48 contestants from all over the lower North Island, including other Masterton players John Birchall, Peter Allan and Goff Moorcock.
Walker came up against Birchall in the semifinal and won through to the final by defeating Birchall three frames to nil.
This pitted Walker against Donald Faiumu, from the Petone Workingmen's Club, in the best of five frame final, a battle which went right down to the wire.
"I took an early two frames lead but Faiumu came back strongly to level at 2-all," Walker said. "So it was all down to the final frame. I managed to squeak home by potting the final ball, the black." Walker adds this triumph to the one he achieved when the tournament was last held in 2008.
"I didn't go in with any great expectations despite being defending champion," Walker said, "but on the day the rub of the green went my way. It could easily been the other way round."