News

Aged 17, the U21 european snooker champion and Men’s runner-up at the 2022 EBSA European Snooker Championships that will end this Sunday June 18^th in Albania is this year’s event’ Marathon Man’, with a record of 30 matches and 133 frames played since June 7^th out of 4 of the 9 events at Shengjin’s Delfin Resort.

Ben overcome his good friend and fellow countryman’s Julien Leclercq [pictured together with Mertens on topo] record at the 2021 EBSA edition of the Championships in Albufeira (Portugal), where Leclercq was runner-up of the U18 and U21 events and European champion in Men’s Teams playing aside Kevin Hanssens.

The previous year, Julien played the same 30 matches as Ben… but 130 frames – less three than now Mertens did in Albania.

The aged 11 Ukraine’s Matvei Lagodzinschii also deserves total credit: he has played 19 matches and 53 frames in Albania at 5 events (U16 uncluded), while the U18 european Champion, Welshman Liam Davies, aged 15, gets silver in endurance: 73 frames and 21 matches played also in the same 5 events than Matvei (U16, U18, U21, Men and Men’s Teams).

In figures, the 19 tables were stage for a total of 847 matches in just 13 days – 15 of the U16 event, 135 at U18 competition, 153 at the U21 event, 423 among Men, Women and Seniors singles… plus 121 matches referring to the three Teams events.

Still, 149 matches less than with also nine events at Albufeira’s EBSA 2021 European Championships: 996 were played in Portugal, but without U16 competition… and with a Six Reds event instead.