Aaron Busuttil Shines with a Semi-Final Finish in Six Reds

Malta’s snooker contingent delivered a strong showing at the European Snooker Championships 2025, currently taking place in Golem, Albania. Several Maltese players competed across three major individual events: the Q Tour, Shoot-Out, and Six Reds — with Aaron Busuttil emerging as the standout performer after reaching the semi-finals of the Six Reds competition.

Q Tour

In Event 3 of the Q Tour, held under the auspices of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), Maltese players experienced a challenging start:

• Alex Borg and Philip Ciantar were eliminated in the opening round.
• Joseph Casha exited in the last 64.
• Aaron Busuttil produced the best Maltese performance of this event, advancing to the Last 32 before being defeated by England’s George Pragnell.

Shoot-Out

The Shoot-Out event, organized by the European Billiards & Snooker Association (EBSA), also featured five Maltese players:

• Alex Borg, Chris Peplow, and Philip Ciantar were eliminated in the first round.
• Aaron Busuttil and Joseph Casha both won their opening matches but fell just short of the Last 32 after losing in the following round.

Six Reds – Busuttil’s Breakthrough

The Six Reds event proved to be Malta’s strongest showing of the championship so far. Four out of five Maltese players advanced from the group stages to the knockout rounds, with Alex Borg being the only one who missed out.

• In the Last 32, Joseph Casha and Philip Ciantar were eliminated.
• Chris Peplow reached the Last 16, where he was defeated by Estonia’s Andres Petrov, who had earlier knocked out Casha.
• Aaron Busuttil, however, powered through to the semi-finals, defeating Krzysztof Czapnik (Poland) and Mykhailo Larkov (Ukraine) along the way.

In the semi-final, Busuttil was eventually stopped by England’s Craig Steadman, who went on to win the Six Reds title. Busuttil shared third place with Gregory Kopec of France, both receiving bronze medals for their outstanding performances.

A Consistent Performer

Busuttil, a two-time Maltese national champion (2022/23 & 2023/24), continues to demonstrate impressive consistency on the international stage. His run in Golem confirms his growing stature in European snooker and his determination to achieve top-level results abroad.

Malta’s solid performances in the Six Reds and strong representation across all three competitions highlight the island’s ever-growing snooker pedigree on the continental stage.