THE five-day International Professional Pool Association's (IPA) World Championship at the Bradford Hotel is being called the most astonishing the sport has seen.

Almost 200 players took part in what proved to be fierce competition, and kicking the finals off was the senior event, with holder Jason Twist facing Jeremy Hooper.

Twist triumphed 7-5 to become the first player to retain a title, and is certain to be seeking a hat-trick next year.

The ladies' final was a repeat of last year but champion Deb Burchell showed her class to triumph 6-2, leaving Shona Lucas a bridesmaid again in what was a record number of views on live streaming.

Next up on a busy Sunday was the doubles, with French duo Christophe Lambert and Roger Dumortier taking on English pair Gareth Hibbott and Dean Shields to a deciding frame and a black-ball shoot-out.

In pool's equivalent of penalties, each pairing had five attempts to pot the black off its spot with the white anywhere behind the line.

However, with each scoring all five, it went to sudden death, where, to make things more difficult. the white has to be in the centre of the baulk line.

Nevertheless, the potting continued until Lambert missed, with Hibbott landing the crucial reply to clinch victory.

Bringing up the rear was the open singles, which again involved Hibbott, this time against Welshman Craig Marsh.

In much the same manner as the doubles, the contest went to a decider, with Hibbott taking the first 5-2 and Marsh the second 5-3.

At 4-4, there was just one frame left, and Hibbott had the break.

A tactical battle was expected but, despite the enormous pressure, the latter cleared the table in one visit to add the singles crown to his doubles title, thus capping off a fantastic weekend of black-ball pool.

Keighley's Arfan Dad reached the last 16 of the main singles before losing 2-1 to Alex O'Donoghue but only lost 7-6 in the quarter-finals of the doubles with Twist to the eventual winners.