THE Tasmanian billiards championship to be played at the Claremont RSL Club at the weekend is shaping up as the most hotly contested event on the state calendar for several years.

The finalists from last year, champion Les Higgins, of Hobart, and runner-up, Graeme Pickett, are seeded number 1 and 2, and between them have won the championship 23 times. Higgins 19 and Pickett 4.

However this year David Bates, who recently beat Pickett in the Northern billiards championship will add another dimension.

Bates is drawn in group A, with Higgins, both are expected to win through to the semi-finals, with one of them expected to play Pickett to get through to Sunday's final.

Pickett has in his group, North- West champion Geoff Lehman and Southerners Luke Webb and Wayne Stokes as well as North No. 3 Peter Donati who is a good chance of qualifying for the semi-finals.

Play starts at 9.40am Saturday with the final, over three hours starting at 10.45am on Sunday.

Interclub snooker

WORKS Black and the Flaming Devils were this week's A grade winners, defeating Works Gold and Blue respectively, 3-1 in close matches.

David Bates, Bruce Lockley and Rodney Martin winning for the Black team, Steve Leary was Gold's only winner.

Devils' Scott Kopriva continued his unbeaten run, winning in straight frames, Shane Franklin and Andrew Rainbow winning 2-1. John Stevenson won 2-1 for Blue.

Exeter and Launceston RSL teams played a draw, although two matches were decided on the black in the third frame. Gary Bakker and Rex Swain won for Exeter, Terry Adams won for Launceston, Robin McEnnulty received a forfeit.

In A reserve, the Green Horns thrashed Navy 9-3, to continue their climb up the ladder, Works Green and Launceston RSL White both won 7-5 beating Amber and Exeter RSL.

Green Horns players Zane Brown, Peter Donati and Shane Franklin won both frames.

For RSL White, Greg Williams and Adrian White were winners, Derek Peart won both for Exeter RSL.

Works Green player David Thomas was the only two-frame winner against Amber.

State open eightball

THE first round of State open eightball team qualifiers was played at the Launceston Workers Club and the Hobart Workers Club on May 28-29.

The North had 28 entries and the South had 15 entries.

At the completion of round 1 for the North, Callan Bissett leads the way followed by newcomer Gerrad Wicks and young gun Cale Barrett in third position.

The South has played part of its third round and the 2011 State open singles runner-up Marcus Jackson leads the way with 28 wins and eight losses, followed by former Northern Territory play Sam Thurgood on 28 wins and nine losses.

The final rounds for both areas will be played on June 25-26 with the top 23 players then going through to the final for State team qualifying to be played on July 16-17 at the Launceston Workers Club.

For more information go to the cue sport website, www.nteba.com.au or call the secretary on 0487171966.