Aaron Busuttil has written his name into Maltese snooker history. In Sofia, Bulgaria, the 35-year-old swept England's Edward Jones 4-0 to win the second WPBSA Q Tour Europe event of the season. No Maltese player had ever lifted a Q Tour trophy before.
Busuttil's run was anything but easy. He came into the tournament never having gone past the last 16 on the Q Tour. This time, he won seven matches in a row, beating players from six different countries. He took down Bulgaria's George Petrunko 4-2, swept France's Niel Vincent 4-0, and beat former finalist Patrick Whelan 4-1, making a top break of 95. Independent Bulgarian reports confirm the Q Tour event took place at the Princess Hotel in Sofia from 21 to 24 September 2026. Busuttil's win over Petrunko set the tone for his strong start.
Busuttil also recorded a 4-1 win over Wayne Brown in the Sofia Q Tour bracket, further demonstrating his consistency throughout the event.
His momentum kept building. Busuttil beat Matvei Lagodzinschii, who had earlier made the tournament's high break of 137, to reach the final day. He then dropped just one frame in the quarters and semis, beating Riley Powell 4-1 and Sybren Sokolowski 4-0 to reach the final. Live draw reports show Busuttil made the last 16 and faced Lagodzinschii on 23 September, putting him deep into the Sofia event before the title match, as reported by Sport.ua.
On the other side, 17-year-old Edward Jones was making his own breakthrough. The English teenager had never gone past the last 64 on the Q Tour before. He stunned the field with wins over former pros Peter Devlin and Dean Young, earning his first shot at a title.
But the final was all Busuttil. He took control from the start, blanked Jones 4-0, and delivered a milestone for Maltese cue sports. After the win, Busuttil said, "I'm over the moon, I can't believe it to be honest. I was just playing one frame at a time from the very beginning and this happened!" He credited his earlier win at the European Six-Reds Championship for giving him confidence, adding, "I wasn't doing anything different specifically, I just kept going."
Busuttil was already active in Sofia during the same week, having helped Malta finish runner-up in the men's team final at the 2026 European Snooker Championships on 18 September. Alongside Chris Peplow, Busuttil narrowly missed out on gold after a deciding frame against Poland 1, with the outcome hinging on a missed pink. Malta's silver medal and a trophy for best break at the European Championships provided crucial momentum for Busuttil's Q Tour campaign.
Busuttil also praised Jones: "I think Edward (Jones) is unbelievable. I saw some of his matches before the final and he was hitting some big breaks. I think he started off better than me but the first frame was crucial."
The Sofia event brought together 109 players from 24 countries. It ran alongside the 2026 European Billiards & Snooker Association (EBSA) European Championships. The next Q Tour Europe stop is Oberhausen, Germany, set for 22-25 October, with entries open through WPBSA SnookerScores.
Busuttil's win is more than a personal milestone. It marks a new chapter for Maltese snooker in Europe. His rise from early exits to champion shows how deep and unpredictable the Q Tour field can be, and how new nations can break through. With the next event coming up, Busuttil's confidence and Malta's profile in European cue sports are at an all-time high.
