Xavier Rizzo Reaches Last 16 at Junior World Snooker Championship

Xavier Rizzo continued his impressive run at the Junior World Snooker Championship in Sofia, Bulgaria, by advancing to the last 16 after a determined 4–2 victory over Romanian player Iustin Ilie Scripei.

Rizzo, who had already topped his group earlier in the day, opened the match with confidence, producing a 50‑point break—his best of the tournament so far. Despite this strong start, Scripei claimed the first frame. The Maltese youngster responded superbly, taking the next two frames with commanding scores. Scripei fought back to level the match at 2–2, but Rizzo showed maturity and composure beyond his years, dominating the final two frames to seal the win. The frame scores were 53-65, 77-27, 81-1, 21-70, 65-33, and 55-33.

Rizzo now faces a formidable challenge, when he meets Thailand’s Prin Ratmukda in the last 16. The 16‑year‑old Thai talent has been flawless so far, winning all sixteen frames across his five matches. In the previous round, he swept aside Scotland’s Jack Borwick, a former European Under‑16 champion.

#MaltaDaily