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Queenstown 8-ball pool player Simon Singleton is a record-breaker.
Last month he became the first player to win 20 Clubs New Zealand titles when he beat arch-rival Adam Lilley 5-0 to take out the South Island singles for a record fourth time in a row.
Of the 43-year-old’s 20 titles, 10 have been in singles and 10 in pairs, be they South Island, North Island or NZ titles.
He has overtaken the legendary Phyllip Wilkinson who won 19 titles.
Having won his first title 10 years ago, seven of Singleton’s first eight titles came in pairs events, which became a big motivator for him to right the balance.
Last year he also became the first NZ 8-ball player to hold the South Island, North Island and NZ singles titles at the same time — winning the first two, as they were held at the same time, was also a logistical feat.
He has won his NZ and North Island pairs titles with the same player, Bayden Jackson, and his South Island pairs titles with different players.
Singleton admits his dominance psychs out some players, "so they miss balls against you they wouldn’t miss against others, so I definitely get away with murder quite a lot at times".
"It becomes easier to win once you’ve won, I think."
In September, he will represent NZ for the third year in a row at the World Eightball Pool Federation champs that will be in Marrakesh, Morocco.
As in his first worlds — NZ’s first worlds in 25 years — he will captain the team who will comprise 27 players, including men, women and juniors.
"I’m going back to the UK six weeks before to train, see family and play a couple of pro events."
In October, Singleton will be back defending his NZ singles title which he has won for the past two years.
"I’m going to get 30 now," he says.
"I’ve got to set a bigger target for these young ones coming through.
"A lot of players get to the top or they win big titles, they stop doing the hard work because they think they’re there.
"But I’m always trying looking for little one percenters to get better."
