Incredible in Italy; Florian Nuessle wins the 2024 Italian Snooker Masters

Florian Nuessle defeated Peter Devlin 4-2 in the final win the 2024 Italian Snooker Masters in Turin.

Contested at the Torino Snooker Club, this unique 16-player weekend tournament featured several of the world’s top amateur players lining up alongside their Italian counterparts.

placeholder image — Photo credit: Sorin Popovici

Held last year for the first time - Italy’s maiden international invitational snooker event - this second edition carried representation from nine different nations: Australia, Austria, England, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Northern Ireland and the host country.

Before the competitive action got underway, history was made on the Friday when 23-year-old Nuessle compiled a maximum 147 break during a practice match. This is believed to be the first 147 ever made in Italy in a frame of snooker.

Austrian cueist Nuessle - a recent quarter-finalist at the Snooker Shoot Out - made breaks of 89 and 96 as he began his campaign with a 4-0 victory over Geremia Orsi (Italy).

In the quarter-finals, Nuessle eliminated multiple-time Maltese national champion Brian Cini 4-1 before dispatching Australia’s Ryan Thomerson 4-2 in the last four along with runs of 52, 70 and 79. Thomerson has been in brilliant form on the amateur circuit this season having reached two European Q Tour event finals.

Emerging through the other side of the draw was former Q School graduate Peter Devlin, who didn’t drop a single frame en route to the final.

The 28-year-old Englishman defeated Domenico Bonfiglio (Italy), Barry Pinches (England) and Brian Ochoiski (France) all 4-0. Against Ochoiski, Devlin top scored with an effort of 105.

Nuessle deposited the opening frame of the final with the aid of an 84 break, and then doubled his lead with frame two.

Devlin took the next two frames to level up, but reigning seven-time Austrian national national champion Nuessle hit a 61 as he went back in front before finishing in style by securing the Italian Masters title with a break of 101.