Four Maltese players advance to Knockout Stage at European Seniors Snooker Championship

Ciantar qualifies directly to Last 32 as Mintoff and Borg head into preliminary round in Golem, Albania

The group stage of the European Individual Seniors Snooker Championship 2025 in Golem, Albania concluded on Sunday, confirming the 40 players who progressed to the knockout phase. Out of the six Maltese competitors, four have qualified for the next round after completing their final group matches.

Ciantar tops Group M

Philip Ciantar enjoyed an excellent day, winning both of his matches to top Group M and secure direct qualification to the Last 32. In the morning session, Ciantar defeated Jean-Christophe Margontier (France) 3–1, before easing past Tony Morgan (Wales) 3–0 in the afternoon.

Mintoff and Borg head to preliminary round

Frans Mintoff and Alex Borg both finished second in their respective groups, which means they will compete in the preliminary knockout round to reach the last 32.
Mintoff edged Sergej Korolkov (Lithuania) 3–2 in his opening match but then lost 3–2 to Marcin Nitschke (Poland). Borg also produced mixed results — defeating Darius Bublys (Lithuania) 3–0 in the morning but losing to Allan Morgan (Wales) by the same scoreline later in the day.

Cachia qualifies despite final defeat

Arthur Cachia, who had already sealed his place in the knockout round a day earlier, lost his final group match 3–2 to Stuart Watson (England). Watson topped the group, while Cachia’s second-place finish still earned him direct entry into the Last 32.

Mifsud and Attard end on a high

Although Tony Mifsud and Ivan Attard had been mathematically eliminated following earlier defeats, both players ended their tournament on a positive note. Mifsud beat Bekim Aliu (Albania) 3–0, while Attard recorded an identical 3–0 win against Andrius Ščerbakovasn (Lithuania).

Knockout phase schedule

The championship enters its decisive stage on Monday, starting with eight preliminary matches before the Last 32, Last 16, and quarter-finals. The semi-finals and final are set for Tuesday.

Maltese commitments in the knockout stage:

• 10:00 – Preliminary Round

  • Frans Mintoff vs Olivier Pechenart

  • Alex Borg vs Dennis Van Der Zee

• 13:30 – Last 32

  • Arthur Cachia vs Māris Volajs

  • Philip Ciantar vs Krzysztof Drążkiewicz

Gerald Fenech

Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist