Drago lives the Dream but there is no Roy of the Rovers ending for Stolk
Tony Drago let out a roar of delight that could be heard all the way back in Malta as the match ball disappeared and the Tornado regained his place on the main professional Tour with victory in the 2009 EBSA European Play Offs.
Drago showed nerves of steel to clinch the deciding frame. But it nearly went awry when the match ball black hung on the lip of the pocket to end his run of 53, and there was one last chance for Stolk. But Drago snookered him on the yellow and, rarely for Drago, he potted the yellow with the rest, and let out a huge whoop of delight. As did the packed audience.Ever generous to an opponent, Drago immediately said of Stolk. "You know this guy, he may not big a big name, but he is a big player. He played very well and he has a brilliant temperament.
"Does this really mean I have my place back? After twenty-five years as a professional, I can't tell you how much I missed it."
"I couldn't have done any of this without Jimmy White. He gave me the keys to his club so I could go and practice and he reignited my love for the game. We practiced together a lot and I fell in love with the game again. He was always my hero and I want to thank him publicly.
"When you come to a tournament and you know you have to win it and finish number one (or nowhere) that is huge pressure. If anyone doubted before that I do have the bottle, then I have proved to them and me that I have a big heart and the bottle to stand up under the pressure."At the start of the best of nine match it was the Dutchman, Stolk, who was quicker out of the blocks. He edged the opener on the pink and followed it with 57 to take a 2-0 lead.
In typical Tornado style Drago whistled in breaks of 75 and 80 to level the match and gained a 3-2 lead with a colours success in the fifth.
Stolk totally dominated the next to level again and he regained the lead at 4-3 with a run of 62.
When Stolk sank the green in the eighth frame to leave Drago needing a snooker, it looked very much as if the Maltese dream was in tatters. However Drago played a series of superb safety shots and eventually got the telling snooker on the blue.
Drago's positional shot from blue to pink went sadly astray and he was left with a long pink to the green pocket. His cue arm didn't let him down and he sank the pink to land perfectly on the black to send the match into its thrilling final frame.
Kurt Maflin took the high break prize for his 123 made in the last 16.
Frame Scores
Tony Drago 5-4 Roy Stolk
21-61, 1-85(57), 75(75)-4, 80(80)-1, 61-35, 61-35, 4-84, 25-87(62), 70-66, 67(53)-31
