Warrnambool's Justin Allen wins masters doubles section at 2022 Australian Eight-Ball Championships

Justin Allen, teaming with Melbourne-based Brian Daly, won the masters doubles crown at the 10-day Australian Eight-Ball Championships in Albury.

Allen, 50, said high-concentration was paramount in the knockout section.

Thirty-two teams started the doubles campaign with the matches increasing from best-of-five to best-of-seven in the semi-finals and best-of-nine in the grand final.

The Victorian pairing defeated a Western Australian duo in the grand final, five games to three.

"It was incredibly intense; it was probably the most intense tournament I've played and I have played at two world championships overseas for Australia," he said.

Allen, playing in the competition for the first time, said there was more pressure on the teams event - the showcase piece of the competition - while the doubles was more relaxed.

Team work was crucial to the Allen-Daly combination's success.

"While you're playing doubles you've still got the same margins, you're playing really good players, but the fact there's two of you, you need to be able to get on really well with your partner," Allen said.

"You also need to take the other person's point of view a lot.

"There's no point one of us saying 'yeah, I'm always right, we're doing it my way' and the other one saying 'oh god, I can't play that'.

"It is quite strategic when you're playing at that level and if there's half a slip up, it's over."

English-born Allen has represented Australia in blackball tournaments, including in France earlier this year.

He said the he had to trial for the Victorian team for the Australian Eight-Ball Championships.

"It's predominantly a teams event but they have singles and doubles tournaments where you're playing for a title," Allen said.

Allen, who had to attend trials to qualify for the state team, made the final 16 in the singles section while Victoria placed third in the highly-sought after teams' section.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: