Alex Borg, the Mellieha-born cueist of Melita Band Club, Msida, retained the title of Malta champion on Friday evening when he beat Simon Zammit of Jesmond Sports Club of Hamrun 7-4 in the final.

It is the fifth time - and the third consecutive - that Borg has won the title.

Played in front of a good number of spectators at the Peace Band Club of Naxxar, the final was controlled by Emeric Ellul.

Zammit had a good start on Friday as he won the opening two frames, but Borg won the next four frames in a row to go into the break with a 4-2 lead. Zammit again came back in contention as he won the seventh frame, but Borg won the next to go 5-3 up. Again Zammit closed the gap to just one frame: 5-4, but from then on, there was no stopping Borg who won two consecutive frames to win the match 7-4.

The highest break of these championships, organised by the Malta Billiards and Snooker Association, was a 118 by the same Alex Borg, though he compiled it during the qualifying stages of the tournament.

Frame scores (Borg first): 24-66, 26-62, 63-42, 59-38, 59-45, 97-0, 14-74, 61-52, 43-65, 65-52, 82-54.

Borg is passing through a great season. Apart from this national title, he won the Mediterranean Cup and then also helped the national team to lift the European Snooker Teams title together with Simon Zammit and Guzi Grech. Borg also finished on top of the MBSA ranking list for the fourth consecutive season.

On his part, Zammit, finished second in the ranking list, and was followed in third place by Guzi Grech. Arthur Cachia was fourth and Duncan Bezzina fifth.

In the beginning of June, Borg and Zammit will be representing Malta in the European Championships in Ostrow, Poland.