Snooker has had a difficult time of it because of the pandemic, but signs are there that the sport is about to take off after a series of recent good achievements.

The Bermuda Open capped a sequence of events at home and abroad that cast snooker in a good light, and gives hope that league action will resume in October with bumper activity.

John Orr emerged as the singles champion in his battle with Spanish Point Boat Club colleague Todd Dziak. It is the first major title for Orr, who as a member of the SPBC second team, could be viewed to have pulled off an upset in the final.

The first frame in the best-of-seven affair started very cagily with neither player wanting to make the first big mistake. However, it was Orr who prevailed, closing out Dziak on the pink.

The underdog went into a two-frame lead after winning on the black ball, but Dziak fought back to go into the midsession interval 2-1 down when he potted the blue and pink to claim the third frame.

On the resumption of play, Orr got off to a flyer and left Dziak needing snookers on the brown, such was his unassailable lead.

Two frames down with no more margin for error, Dziak bounced back in the fifth by overcoming Orr on the blue, but the older man proved it was meant to be by making light of an early 20-point deficit in the sixth frame to reduce Dziak to needing snookers at the green.

The Bermuda Open came on the heels of the island sending a two-man team to Dublin, Ireland, to compete in the International Snooker League from May 4 to 9.

Paul Fedden, of Sandys Boat Club, and Tyler Moniz, of Spanish Point Boat Club, were joined by loan player Paul Sammin, from host venue Stephen’s Green Club, to make up a complement of three players.

The Bermuda performed impressively in reaching the final, only to be beaten 2-1 by the Irish team from the Hibernian Club.

Fedden was not done yet, though, as he became the first Bermudian player in the 50-year history of the singles scratch event to come away victorious.

The Bermudian came two frames down to beat Ian O’Mahony, from New York, 3-2.

In April, Moniz and Keino Zuill contested the final of Tony DeSilva Memorial Cup at Spanish Point Boat Club.

Moniz opened the scoring in the best-of-seven contest, with a thrilling black-ball finish to take the first frame 54-46, but the rest of the final belonged to the man from Watford Sports Club.

Zuill drew level with black-ball finish, winning 63-52 before becoming progressively dominant in winning the next three frames 57-33, 62-29 and 65-21 to take the championship 4-1.