Brian Cini has once again etched his name into the history books of Maltese snooker, clinching his fifth national title after a commanding 6–1 victory over rival Aaron Busuttil in the 2025 Snooker Championship final.
This final marked the fifth showdown between Cini and Busuttil in a national final, underlining their dominance in the sport in recent years. While Busuttil had triumphed in the previous two editions — both times against Cini — this time it was Cini who rose to the occasion in emphatic fashion.
The match got off to a flying start with high-quality play from both cueists. Busuttil opened the first frame with a 55-point break, but Cini responded brilliantly with a 70-point clearance to take the lead. He then followed up with another frame win to go 2–0 ahead.
Busuttil bounced back in the third frame, producing the highest break of the match — an impressive 107 points — to cut the deficit. He continued that momentum into the fourth frame, stringing together a break that included eight reds and a 55-point tally. However, his failure to convert positional play allowed Cini to seize the opportunity and restore his two-frame advantage.
From that point onward, Cini maintained control. Despite Busuttil keeping the scorelines close in each frame, the reigning champion was unable to mount a comeback. Cini sealed the next three frames with composed and clinical play to secure a 6–1 victory, with frame scores as follows: 82–55, 66–52, 26–107, 79–66, 78–33, 79–43, 71–26.
Following the match, Malta Billiards & Snooker Association President Ivan Brincat presented the championship trophy to a jubilant Brian Cini, who reaffirmed his status as one of the island’s greatest snooker talents.
