Ryan Rowlands is the Cardiff Open Singles champion after defeating defending champion Jason Hewett 4-3 in an entertaining match at Taff’s Well Ex-Serviceman’s Club to bring down the curtain on the 2021-22 CDSA season. A packed snooker room were joined by online viewers in the first live-streamed CDSA match and they weren’t disappointed as the contest went the distance with lots of close frames.
Hewett started confidently in the opening frame to build a solid lead that Rowlands worked hard to peg him back but Hewett did enough to win on the colours to go 1-0 up. The second frame was a tighter affair with both players showing why they were in the final with superb safety play and potting skills. Both had chances throughout the frame but it was Rowlands who sealed it on the colours to draw level at 1-1.
Neither player was able to take their chances in the next as Hewett won a close frame to go 2-1 up, before the pivotal moment of the match came in the next as he had chances to go 3-1 ahead, but wasn’t able to capitalise and after he went in-off on the colours, Rowlands cleared from green to pink to make it 2-2.
Hewett was looking to become the first player to defend the Cardiff Open Singles title since he achieved the feat in 2003 and he once again took the lead with some good safety play and a very good 40 break to move 3-2 ahead. It already looked like the match could be going the distance as another tight frame followed and the game became very nervy at times, but Rowlands showed his character in the next to make a crucial 30 break to clear to the pink and level things for the third time in the match.
The deciding frame saw Rowlands take an early lead before Hewett failed to maintain position on a 22 break after looking set to make a frame-winning contribution. With six frames left, Hewett laid a very good snooker to leave Rowlands in trouble but he managed to hit the reds at the third attempt and crucially leave it safe. Some safety play followed before an error from Hewett left a red for Rowlands, but after failing to land on a colour he played an excellent snooker to leave the defending champion in trouble. He had no problem in hitting a red but left a chance for Rowlands and he took full advantage with a match-winning 38 break to seal the frame and with it the title of Cardiff Open Singles champion for a third time. Congratulations to both players for their positive, attacking snooker in a match played in excellent spirit throughout.
