Aaron Hill won the European U21 Snooker Championship in Portugal on Saturday. The 18-year-old from Cork City defeated England's Hayden Staniland 5-2 in the final.
It is a significant win for Hill as it earns him professional status with a World Snooker Tour card secured for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.
The victory comes just days after Hill retained the European U18 Snooker Championship. He is the first player to win both junior titles in a single year.
He is the third player from the Republic of Ireland to win the title. Thomas Dowling claimed victory in 1997 and Josh Boileau in 2016. Northern Ireland's Mark Allen was also a previous winner.
"I'm absolutely over the moon," Hill said in an interview with Simon Cooke after the win.
"I can't describe it really. It's going to take a while to sink in.
"Seeing those last few balls go in the pocket, it just blew me away. My arm was gone, I lost all sensation in my arm in that last frame. I got a few chances to win it and I couldn't get over the line. I got a chance in the end and I took it."
During his last-32 game against Finland's Patrik Tiihonen, Hill suffered a scare when he went 2-0 down. He said was the best thing which could have happened to him during the tournament as it grounded him once again.
"I can't wait," he added about turning pro.
"Hopefully, I get a good start and I show the world what I can do."
Top photo credit: PJ Nolan
