Please note that this is NOT an official website. At this point in time Ronnie O’ Sullivan does not have an official website, nor does he wish to have one.
Twenty years on from his death at the age of just 27, three-time Masters champion Paul Hunter remains one of snooker’s most fondly remembered stars.
A charismatic personality and a fearless competitor, the Yorkshireman captivated audiences with his attacking style and remarkable ability to thrive under pressure.
To mark the anniversary of his passing, we look back on his extraordinary career and hear memories from some of the players he competed with.
Hunter’s wins in the Masters came in 2001, 2002 and 2004. His ice-cool ability under pressure is highlighted by the fact he won each of those finals by a 10-9 scoreline. Hunter trailed Fergal O’Brien 7-3 in the 2001 title match, was 5-0 down to Mark Williams in the 2002 final and 7-2 behind against Ronnie O’Sullivan in the 2004 showpiece.
He defeated his best friend Matthew Stevens on his way to victory in 2001, having previously not won a match in the event. The pair were inseparable on the circuit and for Stevens, his loss was felt especially strongly.
Stevens said: “It is so sad. You forget how young he was at 27. Not only the future he had in the game, we lost a special person. No doubt he would have been a World Champion many times. You look at John Higgins and Mark Williams still playing into their 50s and Paul was only 27. He had a massive future in front of him. It is really sad.
“We had one or two late nights. We were quite naughty. When we used to go to China we were pretending to be in bed by 11 but we were still out. It didn’t hold us back too much, but maybe we lost one or two matches we should have won by not going to bed until four or five in the morning. That was part of the fun of life though.
“Those Masters finals were Paul all over. He was a long way behind in a couple of them, but nothing bothered him and he took everything in his stride. From beating me in 2001, when he hated the venue, the tournament is his now and the trophy is named after him. It couldn’t be named after a better person.”
Reflecting on the 2001 final, O’Brien was disappointed not to win, but didn’t begrudge Hunter his moment in the sun and was pleased to have shared the baize with him on one of snooker’s grandest stages.
O’Brien said: “That just typified his character. We saw it again towards the end when he was playing at the Crucible during chemotherapy, it was really sad but he never gave up. It is one thing digging in during a snooker match and never giving up. To keep positive with what was happening to him and the circumstances he faced, you wouldn’t know any of that and it was testament to him.
“He had that bit of star quality and he was box office. That night was so noisy. I can actually remember when the last black went in, saying to myself to wait for the noise. It was thunderous. He was behind in the match, a very popular player and it was so noisy. Even afterwards we were still up talking to each other at six in the morning. They were lovely moments.
“At the time it was devastating. You can look back at pictures of me after the match with a blank look on my face, I was just devastated to lose. It is such a big tournament. It was really disappointing, but any of that has passed now. For me to think anything other than looking back fondly is pure self-indulgence. I’ve seen my daughter grow up, you can lose any tournament but what happened to him was terrible. It was the right result.”
Hunter edged out 1994 Masters champion Alan McManus 6-5 on his way to the 2002 final. Looking back, the Scot believes Hunter’s uncomplicated approach was central to his success on the biggest stages.
“The guy he reminds me of from the current game is Zhao Xintong. He sort of had this thing of being uncomplicated as a player. That is unusual and always has been. I think Paul was quite like that. It never looked like an effort for him to play. That struck me. He always looked like he was really enjoying it. I wish I could have taken a leaf out of that book because for most people it is a big effort. You couldn’t get him under pressure. Nothing seemed to have much of an effect on him,” said McManus.
“It was a massive loss. You never know what is going to happen, but he probably would have gone on to even still be winning now. He’d have looked after himself for sure and because his game was uncomplicated, it would have stood him well. From a snooker point of view, we will never know how much he would have won. It would have been plenty. It changes the history of the game, but he was already a big part of it. To win three Masters titles the way he did, at that age, was bonkers really.“
Hunter’s semi-final opponent in 2004 was the now four-time World Champion John Higgins. Looking back, Higgins believes Hunter reached a market far beyond that of a typical snooker fan.
Higgins said: “I think he was the next one coming after Ronnie. They were even copying hairstyles and different things, I would have loved to have tried that! He is a big miss. He was a good looking boy and he would have transcended the sport in the way O’Sullivan has as well. It is still a sad loss to our game and to a lot of the players that were close to him. I wasn’t necessarily that close to him, but you looked at him as a wee rogue. He was a guy coming in ready to take over your position in the game. He played the game with an attitude of taking the bull by the horns and going for shots.
“It was like having a tiger by the tail. He pulled different shots out and you couldn’t get on top of him. You would try to trap him in certain situations and he would have a clever enough brain to re-trap you. I also played him when he won his first tournament, the Welsh Open. He beat me in the final. He was trying to chap my room later on and get me to the party. I was obviously a bit gutted. He was that type of guy that lived life to the full.
“It is an amazing tribute to have the Masters trophy named after him. I always get emotional when I watch the final and his dad Alan is often there as well. You feel for him every time you see him. I am a father myself now and what his family has had to go through. Each time I see Alan, I give him a big hug and ask him how he is keeping.”
Triple Crown winner Shaun Murphy remembers competing against Hunter while they were coming through the junior and amateur ranks. Reflecting on his career, the Magician is thankful of the contributions Hunter made and believes that he played a huge role in where snooker is today.
“I just remember he was a cut above. When he walked in the room, he had a presence and he carried that through to his professional career,” said two-time Masters winner Murphy.
“Paul became a figurehead. He was extremely handsome and appealed to a different audience than snooker had appealed to before. That never took away from the fact that he was a wonderfully talented professional snooker player. He was a talented junior trying to make it when I first saw him and make it he did. We were lucky to have him and it is right that the Masters trophy now carries his name. We will never forget the contribution he has made to the sport.”
The thoughts of everyone at WST are with Paul’s family and friends on the anniversary of his passing.
I didn’t want to write anything yesterday. The day belonged to those who actually knew and loved Paul 1 and who wanted to share some memories. I’m not one of them. I only started getting interested and involved in snooker in 2015. I only knew/know healthy Paul through press articles and conversations with fellow players.
What I do remember though, and remember vividly, is how well loved he was and how devastating his loss was for so many fellow players and fans. Paul had everything that makes a champion, he had the talent, the game, the temperament … and he had the good looks as a bonus. He was the ideal “poster Boy” for the sport. Many fans then, and still today, say that Paul would have become a World Champion. He certainly had the talent but, of course, there is no guarantee. Fans said the same about Jimmy White …
What I also remember is watching his last match on a very dodgy stream … even with the bad image quality, I could see that he was struggling, that he was in pain. It was heartbreaking and, although he made optimistic noises, I understood how ill he was and had little hope for his future.
Paul’s death hit Matthew Stevens very hard. He was his closest friend on tour, maybe his closest friend in life as well. I always wondered what would have happened, had Paul lived to grow old. I’m not sure he still does, but when I used to be on tour, I couldn’t help to notice how much Matthew drank. Was he like that before? I honestly don’t know. Matthew was a extremely talented player, but he never truly fulfilled his potential. Would he have if life had been kinder to Paul, and, by extension to himself? Possibly. We will never know for sure.
I also remember another young player taken by cancer that same year: Billy O’ Connor. Billy was only 19. He had fought the disease , with extreme courage, for four years. Billy was managed by Django Fung, he was part of the Grove team. Here is the piece written at the time on the Grove web site. Billy was Sean O’Sullivan’s best friend and Sean definitively never recovered from that loss.
And they were many … I don’t think anyone disliked Paul except maybe his beaten opponents and then only for about 5 minutes ↩︎
Wu Yize won his first tournament since becoming World Champion as he beat Yuan Sijun 10-5 in an all-Chinese final at the inaugural Shenzhen Open.
Wearing the crown of the Crucible king inevitably adds expectation and Wu – who beat Shaun Murphy 18-17 in a classic Sheffield final in May – had made a quiet start to the current season, failing to go beyond the last 16 of a ranking event before this week. But in the Guangdong province the 22-year-old has reminded fans of his marvellous potting, as well as an improved tactical game. Wu knocked out the likes of Murphy and Judd Trump to reach the final before a comfortable victory today against underdog Yuan.
Playing in his first ranking final, world number 33 Yuan looked competitive in the early stages and led 4-3, but passed up too many opportunities as the day went on and his opponent was far stronger in the concluding session. Wu becomes the third player from mainland China, after Ding Junhui and Zhao Xintong, to win a third ranking title, having landed the International Championship last season as well as the World Championship.
The £177,000 top prize lifts him from fourth to second in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, and when he heads to the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open later this month he will be within striking distance of world number one Zhao. For the first time, Chinese players occupy the top two positions, and it seems likely that Wu and Zhao will compete for the biggest titles for many years to come. Right-hander Wu, who comes from Lanzhou in the Gansu province, also jumps from 31st to third on the one-year list.
This week is a huge breakthrough for 26-year-old Yuan, who turned pro in 2017 and had never previously reached a ranking final. The runner-up cheque of £76,000 easily surpasses his previous best payday of £21,000 and he climbs seven places up the rankings to 26th, and leaps to seventh on the one-year list.
In the seventh ranking final in snooker history between two players from mainland China, Wu led 5-4 after the first session, and soon doubled his lead as the evening session got underway with a break of 74. Yuan’s run of 50 helped win frame 11 and he had a scoring chance in the 12th but ran out of position on 24 and missed a tough red to a centre pocket. Wu’s delightful long red to a baulk corner set up a break of 62 for 7-5.
Again in the 13th, Yuan looked favourite when he was among the balls leading 37-0 but another red to centre hit the low jaw. The frame came down to the last red and yet another miss to a centre pocket from Yuan, sending the cue ball in-off, gifted his opponent the chance to extend his lead.
A loose positional shot from Yuan in frame 14, when he trailed 44-18, led to an undercut black to a top corner, and Wu punished him with a run of 56 to move to the brink of victory at 9-5. Trailing 35-33 in the next, Wu blasted a trademark long red into a top corner to set up a break of 41 which proved enough to secure the trophy.
“This time I was able to be a little more composed than I was in winning my previous two titles,” said Wu. “I’ve grown both physically and mentally compared with before. I just hope I can continue to get better from here and keep pushing myself to break through. Maybe the pressure at the World Championship had become so great that I forgot how to enjoy it, I was completely immersed in the competition. Perhaps the happiness was still there, but I had already buried it somewhere deep inside.
“I wanted to prove myself again. There have definitely been a lot of voices around me recently, and I felt that I needed to keep improving, win another title and keep pushing myself towards my peak. So this is another breakthrough for me.
“Today Yuan put me under a lot of pressure in the first session. The turning point was probably the eighth frame, I had already prepared myself for being 5-3 behind. In the second session, he was probably under a little bit of pressure as well.
“I believe Yuan will definitely win a title in the future. He just needs to go through a few more of these experiences. I’m really happy for him. I think every breakthrough in a player’s career brings a huge amount of happiness. That feeling is something nothing else can give you.
“I’m so happy to be in Shenzhen. I really enjoy playing in front of a big crowd. I love that feeling of being able to completely immerse myself in the atmosphere of the arena. That’s why I really like this city, and I hope there will be even more tournaments held here in the future.“
Yuan said: “Overall, I think it was a pretty good performance. I played quite well in the first half of the tournament, but over the final two days I didn’t perform at the level I know I’m capable of, so hopefully I can do better next time. I just didn’t play very well tonight and I wasn’t able to put him under enough pressure.
“I really wasn’t nervous at all today. I just felt like my whole body was completely out of sorts. I felt really uncomfortable, and no matter how I tried to aim or strike the ball, it just didn’t feel right. So the whole day was actually quite frustrating for me.
“Hopefully, this run will give me a little more confidence for my future matches going forward, so that I can play my own game better.”
It isn’t a rare feature for a first time World Champions to struggle to perform at their best during the next season, and in this tournament Wu wasn’t always on his best game, but his mentality was certainly excellent throughout the competition. Today he found something extra. I’m very happy for him. Yuan Sijun, I’m sure, will learn from the experience. This was his first ever ranking final and he acquitted himself quite well overall.
Both players deserve respect and praise for their performance today. I enjoyed watching their match.
Yuan Sijun edged out Jimmy Robertson 6-5 in a tense last four clash to make his maiden ranking event final at the inaugural Shenzhen Open.
China’s 26-year-old Yuan was competing in only his third ranking semi-final and the £34,500 he’d guaranteed ahead of today was already a career-high payday.
He now progresses to face either compatriot and World Champion Wu Yize or 2019 Crucible king Judd Trump in tomorrow’s final. A top prize of £177,000 will be on the line, with the first to ten frames taking home the title.
Defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow for Robertson. He misses out on the opportunity to add a second ranking title to the European Masters crown he won in 2018.
However, this event has heralded a marked improvement in the Englishman’s form. He’s won five matches in the tournament, as opposed to three in the rest of the campaign put together.
It was Yuan who looked more comfortable in a fragmented opening to the game. Trailing 2-0, Robertson had a chance to get off the mark, but spurned a frame-ball brown. Yuan punished and cleared to steal on the black to lead 3-0.
Crucially for Robertson, he stopped the rot by taking a 41-minute fourth and went into the mid-session just two behind at 3-1.
When play resumed, the standard moved up a level. Robertson pulled another back, before back-to-back century runs of 100 and 102 made it four on the bounce and saw him lead for the first time at 4-3.
Yuan rallied and made breaks of 64 and 62 to claim the following two frames and move one from the win, leading 5-4. However, Robertson dug deep to make 62 in the tenth and force a decider.
The final frame was more in keeping with the opening half of the match and lasted a nerve-shredding 50 minutes.
It all came down to the last red. With Yuan in control of the frame, Robertson laid a difficult snooker. He amassed 41 penalty points and turned the frame in his favour.
The ascendancy was to be short-lived when Yuan found a snooker of his own, Robertson failed to hit and left the balls at his opponent’s mercy. Yuan cleared to the pink to seal victory.
World number 33 Yuan said: “The pressure was huge throughout the whole match, right from the moment I came out to play. I could feel that I was playing completely differently compared with the previous few matches. Although I kept telling myself not to think about it, sometimes your brain just instinctively and subconsciously goes back to those thoughts.
“There were so many different feelings mixed together. There is happiness, but also the sense of how difficult it has been and all the struggles over the years. I suppose, in a way, this is a little bit of an answer to myself after all these years. So many emotions came together, and in the end, I probably just couldn’t quite control them.
“Of course, the crowd were very supportive of me throughout the match today. Whether I was behind or had made a break to go beyond my opponent’s total, they gave me very warm applause. So I’d also like to thank them very much.
“I feel that my first ranking final has come a little bit late. Since the pandemic in 2020, the years in between have been quite difficult, and I feel it hasn’t been easy. So after all these years, I just hope I can give myself something to show for it.”
World Champion Wu Yize swept to six frames in a row to beat Judd Trump 6-1 and book his place in the final of the inaugural Shenzhen Open.
Wu is chasing his third ranking crown and will face Chinese compatriot Yuan Sijun over the best of 19 frames, with a top prize of £177,000 on the line.
The 22-year-old claimed snooker’s top prize back in May, beating Shaun Murphy 18-17 in a classic Crucible final. That saw him follow in the footsteps of Zhao Xintong the year before and become his country’s second World Champion.
Having failed to go beyond the last 16 of a ranking event so far this season, Wu is now gunning for his first silverware since claiming glory in Sheffield.
31-time ranking event winner Trump was remarkably competing in his 77th ranking semi-final.
However, the world number two will have to wait to add to his silverware collection as he bids to regain top spot in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, having been surpassed this season by Zhao.
Trump took the opener this evening with a break of 77, but Wu quickly shifted the momentum and gained a stranglehold on proceedings.
A tight second went the way of the Crucible king, before a run of 81 gave him the lead at 2-1.
The fourth came down to the final red, with Trump missing two opportunities before affording Wu his chance. He pounced and cleared to the pink to lead 3-1 at the mid-session.
When play resumed, it was Wu who made a charge for the line. Breaks of 53 and 51 helped him take tight fifth and sixth frames to move one from the win. A century contribution of 110 took him over the line and booked a place in his fifth ranking final.
World number four Wu said: “This was the best safety performance of my professional career. It would have been nice if I could have been a little more fluent in scoring. This match was also very important for my career. To be able to perform at this level in terms of safety play is very satisfying.
“Playing Judd is always very straightforward in one sense. Even though I won six frames in a row, he put me under a huge amount of pressure in every frame. I needed to perform well in every aspect because it’s very difficult to get easy chances from him.
“When I was preparing for the evening match, I saw that Yuan had shed some tears. I believe it is his first ranking final. Hopefully we can put on a great match for everyone. Of course, I hope I can take the trophy home, but we will both give it everything we have.
“Even when there isn’t a tournament here in Shenzhen, I come here quite often, so having the chance to play here for the first time made me even more excited. I’ve felt very energetic this time, and I hope I can finish the tournament on a high and give it everything I have.”
There isn’t much to add to the above reports.
Jimmy Robertson is a fantastic player when it his best, but he’s not always dealing that well under huge pressure. I felt like it showed a bit again at the very end of the match today, but, maybe, I’m wrong and I’m being too harsh on him. Him and Yuan Sijun served us a thrilling match and, from me, it’s “thank you” to both of them for the great entertainment !
Wu played like you expect from a World Champion, which isn’t always easy as it comes with huge pressure, precisely because of those “expectations”, not to mention that Judd Trump is always a formidable opponent. But today Judd had no answer to Wu’s excellent safety game and scoring power.
Shaun Murphy suffered a painful flashback to last season’s Crucible final as he was beaten yet again by Wu Yize in a deciding frame, this time by a 5-4 scoreline as the World Champion progressed to the semi-finals of the Shenzhen Open in China.
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There must have been a sense of déjà vu for Murphy as – just as he did in Sheffield in May – he had an early chance in the last frame but couldn’t take it, and had to sit in his chair as talented 22-year-old Wu made a superb break. England’s Murphy also lost 6-5 against his new bogey player Wu in the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters in July.
This time, world number four Wu goes through to an intriguing clash with Judd Trump on Saturday, for a place in the final against either Yuan Sijun or Jimmy Robertson. It has been a quiet start to the season for Wu – this is his first run beyond the last 16 of a ranking event – but he is now into his ninth career ranking semi-final and can look forward to a potentially epic fixture with Trump.
Murphy led 3-2 with breaks of 104, 98 and 68, then Wu took the next two frames with 94 and 121 to edge 4-3 ahead. The Chinese ace had a clear chance for victory in the eighth but missed match-ball brown to a baulk corner and his opponent cleared for 4-4. Early in the decider, Murphy potted red and blue, but then overcut an awkward red to a top corner, bridging over other balls. Wu knocked in a mid-range red to set up a fabulous 117.
“I definitely feel huge pressure every time I play against him, I think we both put a lot of pressure on each other,” said Wu. “I felt that both of us really wanted to beat the other, which led to us making some mistakes. But I managed to hold my nerve at the crucial moment once again, so I’m really looking forward to the next match and facing Judd. The most important thing in the last frame is your mentality.
“It will be difficult against Trump, and that’s what makes it exciting. He’s obviously been one of the best players in the world over the years, without question. So I really enjoy playing against him. I’m always happy to play against and learn from any great player.“
Meanwhile, China’s Yuan reached the third ranking semi-final of his career with a 5-2 defeat of Michael Holt. He is now guaranteed a career high payday of £34,500, surpassing the £21,000 he earned from the 2025 German Masters semi-finals. Victory over Robertson would earn the 26-year-old a first ranking final.
World number 33 Yuan took the opening frame with a break of 69 then Holt levelled with a run of 89 before going 2-1 ahead. Yuan then dominated, reeling off the next four frames with top breaks of 116 and 139.
“I didn’t feel completely comfortable at the start, but I slowly adapted as the match went on,” said Yuan, who first turned pro in 2017 after winning the Asian Under-21 Championship. “Hopefully I can play my own game well in the semi-final against Jimmy Robertson. We’re quite close in the rankings, so it could be a good opportunity for me. I’ll try to put in an even better performance.
“Since coming to Shenzhen, I’ve been having great food every day, which definitely puts me in a better mood. I like claypot congee and seafood, and I tend to eat lighter food during the tournament. Once my matches are finished and I have some free time, I’ll go out and explore the city a bit.”
I have to say the Wu vs Murphy match was an absolute cracker and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you Shaun and Wu, it was great entertainment, and wonderful skills on display. I’m pleased with the result as well as I really like to watch Wu Yize in full flow and he showed great character after squandering that big chance in frame 8. It wasn’t the hardest ball he missed there. He probably had a small lapse in concentration, precisely because it wasn’t that hard a ball. Likely, he relaxed too early.
The semi-finals day has two very different matches in store for us.
In the afternoon session (morning for us in Europe), Yuan Sijun, seeded 30th, faces Jimmy Robertson seeded 33d. In the evening session (afternoon in Europe), Judd Trump seeded 3rd will face Wu Yize seeded 2d as reigning World Champion.
Both Judd and Wu have won the World Championship, and Wu is the reigning World Champion, so this is really a “first class “clash.
The other two semi-finalists have more modest CVs. That said, Jimmy Robertson is a former ranking event winner: in October 2018, he won the 2018 European Masters, played in Lommel, Belgium. I was there during the whole tournament and Jimmy played awesome from start to finish. As for Yuan Sijun, he won the Dongjiu Cup 2023 CBSA Haining Snooker Open … beating no other than Wu Yize by 5-1 in the final to capture his second CBSA national title. WST report on that event can be found here.
David Grace scored what he described as the best win of his career as he beat John Higgins 5-4 to reach the last 32 of the Shenzhen Open.
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Grace, who first turned pro back in 2008, had lost all of his five previous meetings with Higgins but this time the Englishman turned the tables on his legendary opponent to set up a match with Stephen Maguire on Wednesday at the £850,000 event in the Guangdong province of southern China. If world number 75 Grace wins that tie it will be only the second time he has reached the last 16 of a ranking event in China and first since the 2015 Shanghai Masters.
The result extends a slow start to the season for four-time World Champion Higgins, who has won just four matches in ranking events so far this term, and he joins fellow ‘Class of 92’ members Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Williams as opening-round losers this week.
Higgins opened with a break of 116 and soon led 2-0, but Grace then took four frames in a row with runs of 60, 64, 93 and 68. Another century, 101, helped Higgins back to 4-4, but a break of 60 put Grace in charge of the decider and he eventually won it on the pink after his opponent had battled for snookers on the colours.
“It’s probably my best ever win, John is the hardest player of all time to play against,” said Grace. “He has bashed me up so many times, he never gives you anything. I had chances to win 5-3, then John did what he always does and cleared up. At 4-4 I thought I’d had it but fortunately he gave me one more chance and I made a good break.“
Ricky Walden sprang another surprise as he beat Chinese favourite Ding Junhui 5-4, coming from 2-0 down to win with top breaks of 115 and 133. It’s a much-needed victory for three-time ranking event winner Walden as he is 63rd in the projected end of season rankings so the threat of relegation is looming.
“I’m buzzing, it was a good match to be involved in,” said Walden, who now meets English Open champion Ali Carter. “I showed some courage and grit in the end. I have a long way to go to get back to the ranking position that I want, but I have been working hard, my game is good. It’s not easy out there, you run into players in better form than me with more confidence. I have been stuck in the qualifiers which is tough to say the least. I feel I am rebuilding. I feel incredibly low when I’m playing badly and incredibly high when I’m playing well. Results will give me a boost and hopefully things can turn for me.”
World Champion Wu Yize beat Jamie Clarke 5-4 with top breaks of 67, 143, 88 and 123. “I played very well in this match,” he said. “After going 3-0 up, I made two mistakes in the fourth frame and didn’t really react to what was happening, so before I knew it, I was behind. I was a little worried that the situation might affect my confidence, but overall I think I handled it pretty well.”
Kyren Wilson top scored with 100 and 122 in a 5-1 defeat of Sam Craigie while Shaun Murphy saw off Marco Fu by the same scoreline with a top break of 111. Michael Holt edged out Xiao Guodong 5-4 while China Open champion Mark Selby enjoyed a 5-3 success against Andrew Higginson.
The last-32 round got underway in Tuesday’s evening session and Neil Robertson was among those to progress to the last 16 as he beat Lei Peifan 5-1 with a top break of 94. Jiang Jun couldn’t capitalise on yesterday’s win over Ronnie O’Sullivan as he lost 5-3 to Zak Surety, who made breaks of 83 and 118 in the last two frames.
Scott Donaldson knocked out Zhao Xintong on Monday and he followed up with a 5-4 win over Pang Junxu, taking the decider by clearing from the last green to black. Jimmy Robertson was in fine form in a 5-1 defeat of Ben Mertens, compiling runs of 121, 55, 62, 117 and 82.
Chris Wakelin has learned to embrace the opportunity to compete in tournaments in China and his positive attitude was reflected in a 5-0 win over Stuart Bingham to reach the last 16 of the Shenzhen Open.
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World number 12 Wakelin fired breaks of 77, 64, 72 and 65 in a one-sided victory as he set up a meeting with Neil Robertson on Thursday. Another win would give the Englishman a first quarter-final of the season.
Wakelin spent a month in the Far East in July and August, during the ‘China Swing’ of events in Shanghai, Taiyuan and Wuhan. Before the last of those, he visited the city of Cixi and made a new group of friends who even took him on a mountain cycling excursion. “I was probably the heaviest person there by about 40 kilos so you imagine me trying to get to the top!” the 34-year-old joked. “But they really made me feel at home, I met some amazing people and great friends and they are here with me this week.
“It helps me feel a lot more settled. We can go out, make plans and go for nice meals. When I first came to China my diet was Pringles and McDonald’s. It’s still difficult being away from my family but when I am here I want to feel as comfortable as possible and make the most of the opportunities that come my way. There will be a time in a few years when I’ll be begging to be able to come back out here and play snooker in front of all these fantastic people.”
China Open champion Mark Selby boosted his hopes of another title as he made three centuries – 132, 77, 135 and 138 – in a 5-1 win over Jackson Page. “It’s amazing what confidence does, I feel I am going to take chances when I get them, and you have to do that to win tournaments,” said Selby, whose next opponent is Stephen Maguire, a 5-1 winner over David Grace.
Shaun Murphy showed his break-building quality in a 5-1 defeat of Hossein Vafaei, knocking in runs of 132, 76, 64, 78 and 112 as he set up a match with Elliot Slessor.
Michael Holt lost qualifying matches for the International Championship and Scottish Open last week, but has hit back in Shenzhen with wins over Xiao Guodong and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, beating the latter 5-0 with breaks of 60, 67, 62 and 54. He now meets Kyren Wilson who saw off David Gilbert 5-2.
Holt said: “I had a bad run of results which drained my confidence, so I came here thinking I will have a swing at it and luckily I’m still going. I have qualified for a lot of events this season but have not kicked on at the venues which has been frustrating.“
World Champion Wu Yize came from 2-0 down to beat Xu Si 5-3 with breaks of 132, 126, 87 and 66. Wu is yet to reach a ranking quarter-final this season but will progress to that stage if he beats Ricky Walden. Wu said: “Overall we both played pretty well. Matches like this are enjoyable for both players. I have to say, I’m quite impressed by how difficult snooker is to play at the moment. I feel I’ve played well in both of my matches so far, but both opponents have put me under a lot of pressure. Hopefully I can keep this momentum going in the matches ahead. When I get back into that rhythm of playing regularly, I feel very confident out there.
“Guangdong probably has the best snooker atmosphere of any province in China, so hopefully there will be more tournaments here. The spectators here have made a particularly good impression on me. I personally really enjoy a lively atmosphere, and I really enjoy having lots of people watching me play. Hopefully I can give them a few more matches to watch and perform even better.“
Walden is into the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time since the 2025 English Open. He edged out current English Open champion Ali Carter 5-4 thanks to a break of 61 in the deciding frame. Slessor enjoyed a 5-2 victory over Barry Hawkins, while Yuan Sijun won a Chinese derby against Fan Zhengyi by a 5-1 scoreline to set up a tie with Zak Surety.
Shaun Murphy scored a third consecutive 5-1 victory at the Shenzhen Open, beating Elliot Slessor to set up a quarter-final meeting with Wu Yize – a repeat of their epic Crucible clash five months ago.
Having beaten Marco Fu and Hossein Vafaei 5-1 earlier in the week, Murphy continued the pattern as he comfortably saw off Slessor with a top break of 139. China’s Wu, meanwhile, battled past Ricky Walden 5-3 with a top run of 91 to earn his first ranking quarter-final of the season, giving his home fans a huge fixture to look forward to on Friday at 7.30pm local time.
Back in May, 22-year-old Wu edged out Murphy 18-17 in one of the best World Championship finals of all time. The pair met again in the quarter-finals of the invitational Shanghai Masters at the start of this season, Wu coming out on top again 6-5.
Asked after today’s match to look back on their Crucible clash, Murphy said: “Obviously my over-riding memory of the final is disappointment. I have said many times that I will never get over it. I have to live with it and move on. Whatever happens tomorrow, hopefully the best man comes out on top.
“All matches and tournaments are important, but the World Championship and particularly the final stands above all the others. I’m very grateful to have won it back in 2005, my name is on the trophy. I have lost in four other finals so I could be stood here as a three, four or five time champion – but I’m not. So every time I play one of the players who beat me in a final, of course I’ll remember.”
Wu, reflecting on his tie with Walden, said: “I tried a few things that I haven’t really dared to try much in matches before, such as adding certain side spin to my safety play. I’ve been working on my safety game recently, and in this match I managed to play one or two safety shots that I was really pleased with. I don’t think I was quite strong enough in terms of scoring today, so I want to do better tomorrow.
“I’ve always really enjoyed playing against Murphy. He’s one of the best players in the game at the moment, so I’ll just try to enjoy it and hopefully give the spectators something to enjoy as well.“
Judd Trump enjoyed a 5-2 success against Si Jiahui and he’ll meet Mark Selby in another blockbuster quarter-final. Breaks of 80, 71, 53 and 54 helped world number two Trump to reach the last eight of a ranking event for the 113th time in his career – the same tally as Selby.
“I have been to a few quarters and semis this season and been knocked out so it’s important to try to kick on this time,” said Trump. “At this stage there’s always a crucial ball or crucial frame. So far this season and maybe last season I have not been winning those. But that can change at any point, you have just got to keep putting yourself in those positions. When I was winning a lot of titles it was going my way, then there have been periods when I have done the same things but just rattled a ball instead of potting it. You have to keep putting the work in and wait for your turn.”
Selby beat Stephen Maguire 5-3 with a top break of 99. “It was a horrible match, I felt I brought Stephen down a bit. It was just a scrap really,” admitted the China Open champion, looking for a second title in the Far East within seven weeks. “I am always out there fighting, I would love to play one-visit snooker but it doesn’t always happen like that.”
Michael Holt reached his first ranking quarter-final since the 2024 UK Championship as he kept nerves at bay to beat Kyren Wilson 5-2. World number 46 Holt admits that anxiety during matches has held him back during his career, but this time the 48-year-old remained composed to knock out 2024 Crucible King Wilson. Nottingham’s Holt is already guaranteed a payday of £22,350 and if he can beat Yuan Sijun on Friday he’ll be into his first ranking semi-final since he won the Shoot Out in 2020.
“When you play someone at the top they are probably calmer than you at the start, if they miss you have to take your chances, you’ve got to show you are ready for it,” said Holt, who compiled breaks of 126 and 54 in taking a 3-0 lead, then later added two runs of 84 in the last two frames. “If you can get on top of them you have to keep potting. I did that today, I was pretty good.
“Towards the end he came back at me but I stood up to it. If he senses weakness then he can roll over you. I have said it for years but I can play the game properly, it’s just about doing it more consistently. I felt calm and my attitude was good. I just tell myself to be calm in the moment because ultimately that’s what the best players are better at. When they get the chance they can stay in that moment and pot the balls. There are loads of players who can pot the balls, but staying calm in that situation is the key.“
Wilson remains in danger of failing to qualify automatically for the Crucible in the Spring as he is currently 23rd in that race, so may need to win a title over the coming months to climb into the top 16.
Jimmy Robertson enjoyed a 5-0 success against Scott Donaldson to reach the ninth ranking quarter-final of his career. Donaldson had knocked out world number one Zhao Xintong as well as Pang Junxu, but he was no match for Robertson who fired runs of 68, 100, 63 and 75.
“From 2-0 I felt in control, it’s very pleasing to win 5-0,” said world number 45 Robertson. “I rate Scott very highly. We are in similar boats, we are more than capable of beating anyone and having deep runs, but then we can go missing for a while, it’s hard to get the results. At the qualifiers everyone is so strong, if you get on a losing run it’s difficult. But then you get a few wins and you are a danger for anyone. It’s nice to still be in and feeling good.
“I have still got a lot to prove and a lot to learn. If you don’t think you can win tournaments you shouldn’t really be playing. I have had 20 years on the tour now and I used to always look at draws, but I have realised you can’t do that because everyone is tough. If you get to a quarter-final then the chances are you will be up against a top player. I am trying to learn just to play my game rather than worrying about my opponent.”
He will now face Chris Wakelin, who enjoyed a 5-2 victory over Neil Robertson with runs of 86, 80, 72, 77 and 75. Wakelin, ranked 12th, is into his first quarter-final of the season and remains full of self-belief as he chases what would be the biggest title of his career.
“I’m really proud of that performance, especially playing Neil in front of a big crowd on table one,” said the current Scottish Open champion. “I felt I dominated from early on and made the most of my chances. I’ve had a new cue for the past two weeks which was a big change for me because I had used the previous one for 11 years and I really trusted it. But I feel very comfortable with the new one. It’s a big opportunity over the next few days but the only thing I am focussed on is being ready for my next opponent.“
I haven’t watched much at all, so can’t really comment.
The quarter-finals tomorrow will be interesting. We have two “heavy-weigths” matches as Mark Selby faces Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy faces Wu Yize.
The other two matches feature two players who are lower down the rankings. Jimmy Robertson will play Chris Wakelin. Of course, Chris is a top 16 player, but Jimmy Robertson on form is extremely dangerous. Yuan Sijun will play Michael Holt, who, currently ranked 51st, is the lowest ranked player left in the draw. However, everyone knows how good Michael is when at his best … and when he stays calm and focused 😉
Snooker champion Graeme Dott jailed for seven years for child sex abuse
by Jonathan Geddes, Glasgow and west reporter and Paul O’Hare,at the High Court in Edinburgh
Graeme Dott was sentenced to seven years in jail at the High Court in Edinburgh
Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been jailed for seven years after being convicted of child sexual abuse.
Judge Lord Harrower said Dott robbed his victims of “a significant part of their childhood” and said his behaviour bore the hallmarks of grooming.
Dott had denied two charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour towards a girl and a boy between 1993 and 2010 but was found guilty following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
The 49-year-old Scot, who won the world snooker title in 2006, showed no emotion as he was sentenced, only nodding to someone in the public gallery as he was led away.
Lord Harrower told the High Court in Edinburgh that each of Dott’s victims were vulnerable for reasons beyond their age.
He said Dott rewarded the victims with treats and disguised his abuse as being part of a game.
The former snooker champion was 16 or 17 when he abused the girl, who was about nine when her ordeal began.
There is nothing to add really, only that my thoughts are with Dott’s (ex?)wife and children. There will be very unpleasant consequences for them as well, no doubts, and they have done nothing to deserve it. They will almost certainly face questions from the neighbourhood and/or schoolmates, they maybe be “ostracised”. Where they aware of what Graeme was doing? I hope not. I hope he didn’t abuse his own children as well, something that, alas, can’t be completely excluded, I’m afraid.
A total of 67 cueists, just one less than the record entries for a WSS Tour event, competed in the three-day competition and it was the former world number six and current World Snooker Tour (WST) player who earned the title in Berkshire.
Day began with back-to-back whitewash wins against Kevin Willsher and Matthew Day before a 4-1 defeat of former World Seniors champion Aaron Canavan put him into Sunday’s quarter-finals against Stuart Watson.
A break of 76 from former WSS world number one Watson put him 2-0 ahead of Day in a race to four but the WST player was able to rally and ran out a 4-2 victor. He would then defeat former professional Mark Davis by the same scoreline despite Davis making two century breaks in their semi-final match.
The title match pitched Day against 51-year-old Lavin, who had reached his first WSS Tour event final with a memorable run that saw him defeat former Crucible Theatre qualifiers Wayne Townsend and Daniel Ward before whitewashing Karl Ashmore in the last four.
Lavin made a break of 68 in the second frame to restore parity but, from there, Day hit a break of 91 to regain the advantage and later took the title with a magnificent contribution of 127.
SEMBI IS THE SUPER SENIOR
Bal Sembi beat John Hunter 2-1 to win the first Super Seniors title of his career at The Crucible Club in Reading, England.
The 57-year-old won through a field of 35 cueists on Sunday before overcoming the current Super Seniors world number one Hunter in the title match.
Open to players aged 55 and over, the one-day event saw Semby defeat Andrew Barrett (2-1) and Brian Sharpe (2-0) to reach the quarter-finals where he then whitewashed event one winner Wayne Martin.
A deciding frame victory over Andy Milliard saw Sembi set up a final meeting with Hunter where breaks of 62, 32 and 59 saw him earn a 2-1 victory to take home the title.
Event three of the World Seniors Tour takes place at The Crucible Club in Reading, England on 9-11 October. Enter now via WPBSA SnookerScores.
