Third time lucky for Borg
Fine first-session showing paves way for 7-2 victory
Malta snooker champion Alex Borg yesterday made up for last year's agonising 7-6 loss in the final of the European Champion-ship by claiming the title at his third attempt after beating Iceland's Kristjan Helgason 7-2.
A record 133 players from 28 countries took part in this week's championships in Ostrow Wielkpolski, Poland.
However, all eyes were on the Mellieha-born cueist yesterday as he was in devastating form to become the first Maltese player to win the European Billiards and Snooker Association title.
Besides losing to Northern Ireland's Mark Allen in Austria last year, 36-year-old Borg also made an appearance in the final of the 1998 championship in Finland.
On that occasion he went down 7-2 to Helgason who was twice beaten finalist in 1996 and 1997 before clinching his first championship by beating Borg.
The Maltese no.1 player quickly stamped his authority on yesterday's final after winning all four frames in the opening session. The two finalists shared the first four frames of the evening session before Borg tucked in the required win in the ninth frame to secure the title.
An added incentive for the winner this year was an automatic place in the 2005/06 World Snooker Main Tour.
This is surely a season to remember for Borg who earlier this year lifted the Mediterranean Cup after trouncing Scotland's Robert Stephen 5-1 in the final.
He also helped the national team to secure the European Team Championship for the second year running after Malta beat Ireland 11-6 in the decisive match.
The only other Maltese player to have reached the final of the EBSA snooker championship was veteran ace Paul Mifsud.
In 1988, in Holland, he lost to home player Stefan Mazrocis 11-7.
Mifsud was twice world amateur champion in 1985 and 1986.