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Draft:Vladislav Gradinari

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Vladislav Gradinari (born 2008) is a snooker player from Moldova. In 2023 he became the youngest person to ever win a televised snooker match.

Early life

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Gradinari started playing pool when he was six years-old before moving on to snooker. His mother Natalia is a qualified snooker referee. He competed in the World Under-16 Snooker Championship at eight years-old, and reached the quarter-finals of the Moldova Amateur Championship at ten years-old. They moved to Leeds in England in 2021, and he won the English under-16 Championship in 2022, only dropping one frame in the tournament.[1][2]

Career

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In January 2023, Gradinari became the youngest person to ever win a televised snooker match when he defeated Ng On Yee at the 2023 Snooker Shoot Out.[3][4] He then reached the last-32 with a win over Victor Sarkis.[5]

In March 2024, he became the 2024 European Under 16 Champion with a 4-1 win over Riley Powell.[6] In the first round of qualifying for the 2024 World Snooker Championship he lost to Allan Taylor 10-6.[7] That month, he reached the final of the European U18 champions hip where he was defeated by Bulcsú Révész of Hungary.[8]

In April 2024, he won the English under-16 title in Walsall.[9]

He entered Q School in May 2024 and lost in the first event to veteran Barry Pinches.[10] In the second event he secured a win over Englishman Patrick Whealen before facing Chris Totten.[11]

In December 2024 he reached the last-32 of the 2024 Snooker Shoot Out with a win over Long Zehuang before losing to Poland's Antoni Kowalski.[12][13][14]

References

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  1. ^ Alderman, Elgan (26 January 2023). "Vladislav Gradinari, 14, makes snooker history – then Riley Powell, 49 days older, wins too". The Times. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  2. ^ Mehta, Amar (27 January 2023). "Teenage snooker sensation, Vladislav Gradinari, talks beating pros and moving to Leeds from Moldova". Sky Sports. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  3. ^ Walker-Roberts, James (26 January 2023). "RILEY POWELL, 14, SHOCKS KYREN WILSON IN ANOTHER SNOOKER SHOOT OUT UPSET AFTER VLADISLAV GRADINARI WIN". Eurosport.
  4. ^ Mehtar, Amar (26 January 2023). "Riley Powell becomes second 14-year-old to win at Snooker Shoot Out after Vladislav Gradinari becomes youngest player to win a TV snooker match". Sky Sports. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Snooker Shoot Out: Vladislav Gradinari, 14, into last 32 after beating Victor Sarkis". BBC Sport. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  6. ^ Kiely, Derek (13 March 2024). "Vladislav Gradinari is the 2024 European Under 16 Champion". ebsa.tv. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  7. ^ "WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP: FERGAL O'BRIEN BRINGS CURTAIN DOWN ON 33-YEAR CAREER AFTER DEFEAT IN CRUCIBLE QUALIFIER". Eurosport. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Snooker: Bulcsú Révész defended his U18 European championship title". utanpotlassport.hu. 16 March 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  9. ^ "GLORY FOR GRADINARI AT ENGLISH UNDER-16 CHAMPIONSHIP". epsb.co.uk. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  10. ^ "NG ON YEE AND JAMES CAHILL SUFFER DEFEATS AT SNOOKER Q SCHOOL, BUT BARRY PINCHES AND MARK JOYCE PROGRESS". Eurosport. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  11. ^ "GRADINARI SETS UP TOTTEN SHOWDOWN". wst.tv. 30 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  12. ^ "SNOOKER SHOOT OUT 2024: BAI YULU BEATEN BY ZHANG ANDA, DEFENDING CHAMPION MARK ALLEN AND SHAUN MURPHY CRASH OUT". Eurosport. 6 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  13. ^ "WPBSA NOMINATIONS FOR SHOOT OUT". wst.tv. 23 October 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Graham stuns Carter to reach last 16". wst.tv. 7 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.