Another outstanding weekend of snooker has concluded at Blacktown Workers Club, with the 2026 NSW State Masters Snooker Championship once again showcasing the exceptional standard of cue sports across New South Wales in a first-class venue.

A sincere thank you to Blacktown Workers Club, our host venue and major supporter, for its continued commitment to the growth of snooker in New South Wales. The Club's outstanding facilities, hospitality and ongoing support continue to establish it as one of Australia's premier venues for cue sports. We also extend our appreciation to the Workers Billiards & Snooker Club, particularly David Battensby, for their dedication and support in delivering another successful championship. We look forward to returning for a further four events later this year.

Congratulations to our finalists, Sebastian Zhang and Alan McCarthy, who produced a championship final of the highest quality. In a fitting conclusion to the tournament, Sebastian claimed his maiden NSW State Masters title with an outstanding display of attacking snooker, precision cueing and composure under pressure. After trailing 2–0, Alan mounted a superb comeback to force a deciding frame, providing spectators with a thrilling final worthy of the championship.

Sebastian booked his place in the final with an impressive semi-final victory over Hassan Kerde, while Alan continued his trademark fighting style by surviving several deciding-frame encounters throughout the event, including a hard-fought semi-final win over defending champion Roger Farebrother.

Roger Farebrother recorded the tournament's highest break of 92 in the opening frame of his semi-final, highlighting the consistently high standard of play and impressive break-building displayed across the championship.

Sebastian's victory marks his first NSW State Masters Snooker Championship, adding his name to an honour roll featuring some of the state's greatest Masters players, including:

Roger Farebrother – 7 titles
Joe Minici – 2 titles

The championship attracted a strong field of 62 competitors, with players travelling from across metropolitan Sydney and regional New South Wales. We thank every competitor for their continued support, sportsmanship and commitment to the game.

A special congratulations also goes to Gareth Hampson, who reached the quarter-finals of the State Masters Championship for the first time—a significant milestone in his competitive career.

Finally, our sincere thanks go to our referees, tournament officials and streaming team for their professionalism and dedication throughout the weekend. In particular, we acknowledge the outstanding contributions of Steve Fabian and Alan Coutie, whose efforts helped ensure another highly successful championship.

If you missed any of the action, be sure to subscribe to the SBNSW Streaming YouTube channel to watch current and future events. https://www.youtube.com/@sbnswstreaming

Tournament results are available via the ABSC website. https://absc.com.au/results

For the latest NSW snooker news, rankings and upcoming events, visit the Snooker & Billiards NSW website. https://www.snookernsw.com/

Congratulations once again to all competitors, and especially to Sebastian Zhang, the 2026 NSW State Masters Snooker Champion.