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.
We now have quite a gap in the professional snooker calendar as the next event, the 2026 World Open, only starts on the 16th of March, i.e nearly two weeks from now. Such a big gaps was quite common in the 90th but now they are a rarity other than during the “spring/summer break” after the World Championship.
But there is plenty of snooker being played at amateur level, and some of these amateur events have already yielded results.
Jamie Clarke has secured a two-year World Snooker Tour (WST) tour card via the 2025/26 WPBSA Q Tour Europe ranking list.
The Welshman, who previously competed on the WST between 2018 and 2025, arrived at the Landywood Snooker Club in pole position to earn a return to the professional ranks and has confirmed his place with a run to Sunday’s quarter-final stage.
Clarke, a winner of Q Tour titles in both Leeds and Sofia, initially required reaching the final to guarantee his tour card, but an early exit for Peter Lines at the hands of Antony Parsons meant a last eight place would be enough for the 31-year-old.
Victories over Rory McLeod (4-0) and Jamie Wilson (4-1) saw Clarke through to the last 16 stage on Saturday afternoon.
There, he faced Belgium’s Sybren Sokolowski and the Welshman held his nerve under pressure to complete a 4-0 victory and earn a tour card for the next two seasons.
Following his victory over Sokolowski, Clarke said: “I’m relieved to be honest! I’ve found the Q Tour a really pleasant experience this year, but I’m pleased to get the job done sooner rather than later.
“Playing in the World Championship, UK Championship and all the big tournaments is brilliant but you’re already on a bit of prize money and ranking points so you can be a bit more relaxed. As strange as it sounds, at tournaments such as Q Tour or Q School it feels like ‘all or nothing’ and so in a way the pressure is even higher.”
Looking ahead to the next two seasons and beyond, Clarke added: “I’ve got two years on the Tour now and I’ve got a new outlook on the sport. I have my own academy now in Llanelli where I help out some of the youngsters, as well as having my own practice facility now, so I think think I will have a totally different approach this time around. I’ll just enjoy it, try my best and see how it goes.”
Jamie has always been well liked by the fans and I’m sure many will rejoice to see him back on tour.
The Englishman won the first Q Tour title of his career to secure his place at the Global Play-Offs on the same weekend that fellow former professional Jamie Clarke earned a two-year World Snooker Tour (WST) tour card by finishing at the summit of the series ranking list.
The leading narrative heading into the seventh and final Q Tour Europe event of the 2025/26 season was the race to finish in top spot on the ranking list to earn an automatic two-year WST tour card.
Clarke led the race prior to the event in Walsall and knew that a run to the title match would guarantee himself a return to the professional ranks after being relegated from the Tour at the end of last season.
Ultimately, an early exit for leading chaser Peter Lines meant that a 4-0 quarter-final victory for Clarke over Belgium’s Sybren Sokolowski, with contributions of 131 and 104, earned the Welshman the series title and tour card.
Hugill, whose best run this season prior to this weekend was semi-finals in both Vienna and Mons, was already out of the running for top spot before the event but made his way to the final day with wins over Yaron Bodor (4-1), Harvey Chandler (4-2) and Oliver Sykes (4-2).
Sunday began strongly for the 31-year-old as he whitewashed Luke Pinches before setting up a title match meeting with Davies by downing Thailand’s Nattanapong Chaikul, the victor over Clarke in the last eight, by a 4-2 scoreline.
It was the former professional who took the opening two frames of the final with breaks of 64 and 97, but Davies hit back to restore parity at 2-2 with help from a visit of 77 in the third.
Hugill remained undeterred, however, and took two tightly contested frames to get over the line as a 4-2 victor and lift his maiden Q Tour crown.
Reflecting on the victory, Hugill said: “I’m relieved – I was desperate to win one of these this season so I’m happy to have done it. I knew if I won my first game then I was guaranteed to be in the Play-Offs, so that was a bit nervy, but after that I went from strength to strength.”
Looking ahead to the Q Tour Global Play-Offs later this month, he added: “I’m really looking forward to the Play-Offs in Spain, it’s a nice part of the world to be in March!”
“It would be great to get back on the Tour – I’ve been away for two years away now but I know that I am more than good enough to be on the Tour and I think it’s time I was back on there.”
The WPBSA Q Tour Global Play-Offs will take place on 15-17 March in Gandia, Spain. Further information including the draw and schedule will be available in due course.
But there is much more happening in Gandia, Spain, before those playoffs. Indeed there is an under-16 event, an under-18 event, an under-21 event, and the main championship to follow. You can follow it all here. Some matches are shown live on Youtube.
As you can see Michal Szubarczyk is playing in both the under-16 and under-18 events and, so far has won all his matches without losing a single frame…
Hawkins Beats Lisowski To Land Fifth Ranking Title
Barry Hawkins reached the milestone of five ranking titles with a 9-5 victory over Jack Lisowski in the final of the BetVictor Welsh Open in Llandudno.
A pro since 1996, Hawkins has had a disappointing strike rate at the business end of ranking events over the years, losing eight of his 12 previous finals as well as 22 defeats in semi-finals. But this time the 46-year-old Londoner was clinical from the start, winning six frames in a row from 1-1 then fending off a late flurry from his opponent to clinch the result.
He becomes the 23rd player to reach the landmark of five ranking crowns, moving level with Zhao Xintong, Stephen Lee and Ray Reardon on the all-time list. The former World Championship finalist earns a first title since 2023, lifting the Ray Reardon Trophy for the first time and banking £100,000.
Hawkins cements his place among the elite top 16, moving up from 14th to ninth, and also jumps from 15th to eighth on the Sportsbet.io One Year Rankings, almost certainly earning him a place in the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship in Manchester which starts in four weeks.
A week ago Hawkins arrived on the North Wales coast with minimal expectations, suffering from lower back pain after pulling a muscle during a gym session. He struggled through his opening match, a narrow 4-3 success against David Lilley, and then grew in confidence as the pain subsided and his renowned all-round game blossomed. The Englishman took scalps including Mark Williams, Neil Robertson and Wu Yize to reach the final before an excellent display to beat Lisowski, making two centuries and four more breaks over 50.
In beating John Higgins 6-5 in a thrilling semi-final last night, Lisowski won the £150,000 BetVictor Home Nations Series bonus, and was clearly elated after the match. Having climbed that mountain, the 34-year-old seemed low on energy today, and let the tie slip away from him in the first session. The Gloucestershire cueman missed the chance to double his tally of ranking titles having captured his first with a dramatic 9-8 success against Judd Trump at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in October, and has now lost seven of his eight finals. He climbs four places in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings from 22nd to 18th.
Trailing 7-1 after the first session, Lisowski swiftly cut the gap tonight with breaks of 112 and 102 to close to 7-3. Frame 11 lasted 47 minutes and Lisowski led 22-18 when a sizzling long red set him up for a run of 37 to draw within three frames. Early in the 12th, Hawkins enjoyed a fluked red when attempting safety and went on to make 68 to regain his momentum at 8-4.
After the interval, Hawkins missed a tricky red to centre and Lisowski’s run of 53 kept his hopes alive at 8-5. But in the 14th, Hawkins made 32 before running out of position, then got back in with a thundering long red and added 33 to cue the celebrations.
“It means the world, I came close last season to a couple of big titles, I feel I deserved this one because I have been knocking on the door for a while,” said Hawkins, who lost 9-7 in the final of this event against Higgins in 2018. “I am so relieved because playing Jack is scary, he pots balls from everywhere and when he gets going he’s a hard man to stop. At 7-1 it’s for you to lose, things start going through your head like it could be the biggest collapse of all time. People were getting excited but I know it’s never over until it’s over. I was feeling it out there. He came out all guns blazing tonight, I knew that might happen and I had to stay calm.
“It’s massive to climb the rankings, I knew I needed to have a run in something to qualify for Manchester but I didn’t expect to win this one. To be in that event with only 12 players, you know you are doing something right, to be involved in it will be amazing. I want to thank the crowd here, they have supported us so well all week and that brings the best out of the top players.
“My dad is going through a lot at the moment so hopefully this will give him a boost.”
Lisowski said: “I was gone in the first session, I was very poor. I was trying my best but maybe there was a bit of a hangover from last night because I went through a lot. Barry was by far the better player today. He’s a great guy and I’m happy for him. I couldn’t sleep last night. The semi-final was like a final for me, I was so relieved to win and the way I won, to beat John. But that takes nothing away from Barry today, there are no excuses and I gave it my best. “
Not much to add really. Jack was indeed very poor in the first session. His quotes about possible fatigue after the late evening semi-finals’ win are not “excuses”. This is the reality: players are human. And it’s not just the fatigue … after an important match, there is tension and adrenaline in the body. Even if they are tired they might struggle to fall asleep before their body, and mind, find some calm. He’s not the first, and won’t be the last to experience that “hangover” feeling. He made a match of it in the evening, but the deficit was too big.
As for Barry … he’s a very likeable character and I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t be happy for him … except probably a few who had a bet on Jack to win 😎.
Barry Hawkins and Jack Lisowski will face each other today in the final of the 2026 Welsh Open in Llandudno. Here is how we got there after yesterday’s semi-finals.
Barry Hawkins remained on course for a fifth ranking title as he survived a Wu Yize charge to win 6-4 and reach the final of the BetVictor Welsh Open in Llandudno.
Wu stormed back from 4-1 down to 4-4 and looked sure to go ahead but a missed black on a break of 59 proved the key moment of the contest, as Hawkins regained the initiative and took the last two frames. The 46-year-old Londoner is into a 13th ranking final and has the chance to win a first title since the 2023 European Masters. In Sunday’s best-of-17 final he will meet John Higgins or Jack Lisowski for the Ray Reardon Trophy and a top prize of £100,000.
Before this week it had been a season of few highlights for world number 14 Hawkins as he had failed to reach a semi-final. And his chances looked slim when he arrived in North Wales as a back injury left him on the brink of pulling out. He battled through the pain in an opening 4-3 win over David Lilley, and went on to knock out Mark Williams and Neil Robertson in a superb run. He is into the Welsh Open final for the second time, having lost the first 9-7 to Higgins in 2018.
Guaranteed £45,000, Hawkins has already moved from 15th to 13th on the Sportsbet.io One Year rankings, and victory tomorrow would almost certainly earn him a place in the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship in Manchester in four weeks time.
Former Crucible finalist Hawkins dominated a scrappy opening frame and he led 53-0 in the next when he went in-off attempting safety, and China’s 22-year-old Wu punished him with a fine 73 clearance. In frame three, Wu trailed 42-18 when he missed a tough black to a baulk corner, letting Hawkins in for a run of 42 to regain the lead. The Englishman went on to make breaks of 72 and 66 to stretch his lead to 4-1.
Early in frame six, Hawkins miscued in trying to pot a red with the rest, and Wu’s run of 83 gave him a foothold. Just 18 minutes later the tie was in the balance as Wu fired breaks of 74 and 122 for 4-4. Frame nine was reracked after a long stalemate, then Wu converted a long red and looked in full control until his surprising miss on a routine black on 59. Hawkins ran out of position on 37, but later converted a long pot on the yellow and cleared for 5-4. The next was a fragmented affair but Wu failed to pot a ball and runs of 24 and 25 helped Hawkins crawl over the winning line.
“Wu threw everything at me from 4-1,” said Hawkins, who was runner-up in the UK Championship and German Masters last season. “I played well up to 4-1, then when I miscued with the rest, that sparked him into life. I was just sitting in my seat, he was potting unbelievable balls and didn’t look like missing. He looks amazing when he starts doing that, the way he hits the ball.
“To get the chance at 4-4 when he missed the black from nowhere, that was a relief, and winning that frame settled me down. I felt good today, it would be nice to knock a few centuries in, hopefully I can do that in the final. It would be brilliant to win, that’s what we are all trying to do from the start of the season. If you get the chance you have to try to grab it with both hands. I have been trying hard and knocking on the door for a while, I came so close last year.”
Wu, who won his first ranking title at the International Championship earlier this season, said: “It doesn’t feel great because I had a clear chance to go 5–4 up. In the frames I won, I played very well and scored heavily, my scoring was really strong. It was just in the ninth frame, there was a black ball where I lost my concentration for a moment and made a mistake, which gave my opponent the chance to come back to the table.
“Maybe it was down to some small details and certain key shots. Sometimes I didn’t fully think things through before getting down on the shot, so that’s something I’ll need to adjust and improve going forward. Overall I performed pretty well this week. Today there are some regrets, of course, but that’s sport – when you make mistakes, you have to pay the price.“
Jack Lisowski made one of the best breaks of his career in the deciding frame to beat John Higgins 6-5 and reach the final of the BetVictor Welsh Open – a result which also earned him a huge £150,000 bonus.
The bonus goes to the player earning the most money across the four BetVictor Home Nations Series events and Mark Allen had been in pole position since winning the BetVictor English Open last September. Lisowski had to reach the final this week in Llandudno to overtake Allen and he did so tonight in the most dramatic fashion, capping off a tremendous contest with a match-winning visit reminiscent of Alex Higgins’ famous semi-final break at the 1982 World Championship.
It’s the biggest pay-day of Lisowski’s career, eclipsing the £100,000 he banked by capturing his first ranking crown at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in October. And he has another crucial fixture to look forward to on Sunday as he faces Barry Hawkins over 17 frames for the Ray Reardon Trophy and the chance to double his tally of titles in a breakthrough season.
BetVictor Series Bonus Winners 2020 Judd Trump 2021 Judd Trump 2022 John Higgins 2023 Robert Milkins 2024 Judd Trump 2025 Neil Robertson 2026 Jack Lisowski
Gloucestershire’s 34-year-old Lisowski is into his eighth ranking final and victory tomorrow would have significant spin offs as it could potentially earn him places at the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship in Manchester and the World Championship at the Crucible.
Higgins – who misses another chance to become the oldest ever ranking event winner – dominated the opening frame, then Lisowski got the better of a 30-minute second, resolving a battle on the colours with an excellent long pot on the blue. A break of 73 saw Higgins regain the lead and in the fourth he trailed 45-32 when he trapped his opponent in a snooker on the final yellow, and from the chance that followed he cleared for 3-1.
After the interval, Lisowski moved up a gear with rapid breaks of 95, 79 and 138, winning three frames in just 30 minutes to lead 4-3. Back came Higgins with a run of 82 and he led 21-0 in the next when he ran out of position and missed a risky long blue, and Lisowski capitalised with 58 which proved enough for 5-4. A run of 49 helped give Higgins the tenth for 5-5.
In the decider, Lisowski converted a red to a centre pocket to earn a scoring chance, then executed a series of difficult pots to keep the break going, the cue ball roving around the table. Eventually he found position and went on to make a fabulous 78 before receiving the BetVictor Series trophy.
“It feels amazing, what a match and what a frame,” said world number 22 Lisowski. “That’s probably as much pressure as I am ever going to experience, and to make a break like that – it’s the most satisfying frame I have ever played. I am proud of myself and looking forward to tomorrow now. I just kept potting and going for my shots. I have been so tense all day, thinking about the bonus. Now that is all released.
“I whacked my tip at the interval and tried to make it harder. I had no rhythm and the balls were going messy. I knew I had to attack, that’s the only way I can play, then they all started going in. It was an incredible game to be a part of, I really enjoyed it. It’s very special for me because John Higgins was my idol, I’ll never forget this match.
“It’s going to be hard to reset for tomorrow. I’ll have to calm down and get to sleep, otherwise I won’t be the same player. It would mean everything to win another title. I have been very poor in the last few tournaments, I lost some confidence and then the intensity wasn’t there in practice. I have learned that and it could be a big lesson for me.“
Again, with only one match by session to report on, WST’s pieces are exhaustive enough. I haven’t much to add regarding the matches themselves.
Barry Hawkins’ maturity and experience made the difference in the first match, as both players acknowledged. I’m certain that Wu will learn from this and that we will see a lot more of him for many years to come. Meanwhile. I’m happy for Barry. He’s a very very good player, one that would certainly have won more titles in any other era: he had to cope with that “infernal trio” – Ronnie, John Higgins and Willo – through his entire career so far. He’s also a kind and lovely man who is, maybe, too humble for his own good at times.
I’m delighted that Jack managed to beat John Higgins. Based on talent only, Jack has “underperformed” in his career so far. There were a number of reasons for that. He suffered serious health issues as we all know. Also, somehow, he was always in Judd Trump’s shadow as they “grew up” in the sports together. John Higgins may not be 100% the player he once was, he is still a very top player, and still has the nous and the will to win that makes him so hard to beat.
I like both finalists, and will be happy for the winner and sorry for the loser, no matter who wins today.
Also, I’m glad that this stupid bonus story is over and we won’t be told about it at every occasion … until next year. I’m glad it went to Jack … it had to go to someone anyway.
Yesterday was “quarter-finals day ” in Llandudno, and it yielded and interesting semi-finals line-up:
Wu Yixe v Barry Hawkins in the afternoon
John Higgins v Jack Lisowski in the evening
Both matches feature opponents with contrasting styles. Wu and Jack are attacking players who like an open game. On form they are deadly potters. Barry and John are more all-rounders , both with a very strong tactical nous and loads of experience. It should be interesting.
I hope that both matches will be close and I would love a Wu Yize v Jack Lisowski final although I’m far for optimistic about getting that “outcome”. Both John Higgins and Barry Hawkins are very hard to beat when they get to this stage of tournaments.
Jack Lisowski is just one win away from earning a massive £150,000 bonus as he beat Stuart Bingham 5-2 to reach the semi-finals of the BetVictor Welsh Open.
This is the fourth and final event in the 2025/26 BetVictor Home Nations Series, and the leading money winner across the series earns the huge bonus. Mark Allen started this week in pole position but lost to David Grace in the first round, which has opened the door to those giving chase.
Lisowski, who won his first ranking title at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in October, will meet Zhou Yuelong or John Higgins on Saturday in Llandudno for a place in the final. If 34-year-old Lisowski wins that match he is certain of the bonus, while Zhou also has a chance but must win the tournament. Otherwise, the windfall will go to Allen.
Breaks of 70 and 118 gave Lisowski a 4-0 lead today, and he eventually got over the line in frame seven after Bingham had pulled two back.
“I knew I just had to concentrate on the match today, keep the bonus out of my mind and get on with it,” said world number 22 Lisowski after reaching his 14th ranking semi-final. “At 4-0 I was waiting for Stuart to come back at me, then once it got to 4-2 I really didn’t want it to go 4-3, so I was glad to get over the line and live to fight another day.
“A couple of weeks ago my cueing was bad, my arm wasn’t going straight through the ball. I have changed my tip to a softer one and I have played a lot of snooker in the last week. Hopefully things can click now. I had been losing a lot of matches recently so I needed to steady the ship. I didn’t have enough intensity in practice, I was still trying my best in matches but I just felt a bit out of sorts. I have put myself back on the right path this week. Having won in Belfast I can see the winning line, I know what comes with it and I am desperate to win another one.“
Barry Hawkins reached his first semi-final of the season as he beat a former World Champion for a second consecutive day, seeing off Neil Robertson 5-3.
Hawkins followed up yesterday’s victory over Mark Williams with another huge scalp to reach his 35th ranking event semi-final. The world number 14 made only one break over 40 today but won several scrappy frames as he remained in the hunt for a fifth ranking title and first since the 2023 European Masters. Hawkins will face Jiang Jun or Wu Yize over 11 frames on Saturday with the chance to reach a 13th ranking final.
Robertson was on 53 in the opening frame when he missed an awkward pot on the last red to a centre pocket, allowing Hawkins to slot in the red and clear for 1-0. A run of 102 from Robertson levelled the tie, then Hawkins got the better of a safety tussle on the final brown in frame three and regained the lead. The Englishman added a scrappy fourth to lead 3-1 at the interval despite a highest break of just 28.
Breaks of 61 and 132 got Robertson back to 3-3. Frame seven came down to the colours and Hawkins, leading 52-30, cross-doubled the green into a centre pocket which proved enough to edge him ahead. And after laying a tough snooker behind the green early in the eighth, Hawkins earned a match winning chance and seized it with a run of 93.
“I don’t know how I am still standing here,” admitted 46-year-old Hawkins, who almost pulled out of the event at the start of the week with back pain but ironically was talked into playing on by Robertson. “I battled hard all the way through. My scoring wasn’t there, though I potted some good balls towards the end of the frames and played some good safety.
“I was over the moon to be 3-1 up at the interval. Neil was the better player, I just managed to nick some close frames and then finishing from 4-3 in one visit gives me a bit of a boost. It’s great to be at a tournament going into the weekend and to have given myself a chance. I had no expectation at the start of the week but now there are only four players left and I need to up my game again.”
Robertson said: “There were a few pieces of luck which went against me, otherwise I could have won 5-1 or 5-2. But I can take a lot of positives from this tournament, I have found a brand of tip which is the best I have had in at least ten years. That gives me a lot of confidence particularly looking ahead to the World Championship.“
Wu Yize came from 4-1 down to beat Jiang Jun 5-4 to reach the semi-finals of the BetVictor Welsh Open, boosting his hopes of another title in his breakthrough season.
Jiang had looked set to reach the last four of a ranking event for the first time but missed several chances in the last four frames and Wu took advantage. China’s 22-year-old Wu will meet Barry Hawkins at 1pm on Saturday, with the winner to face Jack Lisowski or John Higgins in Sunday’s final in Llandudno.
In recent months, Wu has made giant strides forward in his career, beating Higgins in the final of the International Championship in November, reaching the semi-finals of the Masters last month and he is now set to jump into the world’s top ten for the first time. The popular young potter with a fluent attacking style is into a sixth ranking semi-final.
Breaks of 68, 64 and 55 helped put Jiang 4-1 ahead before Wu made a 71 to pull one back then got the better of a scrappy seventh frame. In the eighth, Jiang was on 43 when he missed a red to a top corner and Wu punished him with 89 for 4-4. Again in the decider Jiang had first clear chance, but on 37 he overcut a tricky black to a top corner, playing with the rest. And once again he could only watch as Wu remained calm in a winning 65.
“In the first half I wasn’t very focused and made some mistakes,” said Wu, who comes from Lanzhou in North West China. “My opponent played well in that session. Those four frames felt like I had played ten frames – I really had no rhythm at all. During the interval I practised a bit and managed to find some of my form again in the second half, and that helped me finish the match. As for Jiang, I’m not sure whether it was his habit or maybe pressure. I can’t really understand it from his side, but I hope he will keep improving in the future.
“This season I’ve now reached two ranking semi-finals. Last time I went on to win the title, and on that run I also beat Barry Hawkins (6-0 in the quarter-finals). I hope this time I can focus on myself again and try to make another breakthrough. Some of the matches I lost this season were due to carelessness and sometimes it’s hard to summarise clearly. You can only learn through experience, and when you face a similar situation next time, you try to make a better decision. I’ve made big progress this year, experienced the later stages of tournaments a few times now and learned a lot of lessons from before. I hope I can do better this time.“
Higgins moved a step closer to a first title of the season as he thrashed Zhou Yuelong 5-0. The Scot took three scrappy frames before winning the last two with breaks of 75 and 67.
World number six Higgins has already won this title a record five times and is now just two wins away from another Ray Reardon Trophy. Runner-up in the Masters and the Players Championship within the past six weeks, the 50-year-old has another chance to take Mark Williams’ record as the oldest ever ranking event winner. Higgins is into his 92nd ranking event semi-final and is targeting a 34th title.
The result ends Zhou’s hopes of winning the £150,000 BetVictor Home Nations Series bonus as he had to go all the way to the title this week. However Higgins’ next opponent, Lisowski, will land that windfall if he comes out on top on Saturday evening.
Asked about that subplot by TNT Sports, Higgins said: “It will be Jack’s biggest money match he has ever played. But I think he could be totally fine, it might give him that spark just go out there and go for it. Like Rob Milkins a few years ago, he played amazingly to beat Shaun Murphy in the final, when the bonus was in the background.”
Most matches yesterday went to the highest seed . There were only three “exceptions”.
None of those “exceptions” is a big surprise really. Fatigue probably caught up with Zhao Xintong, and Stuart Bingham who beat him is a top player himself. Barry Hawkins beating Mark Williams is no shock, Barry on form is very, very efficient and he tends to do well on the bigger stages. Jian Jun has been in good form in this event, he beat Mark Selby in round 1. He’s probably already exceeded his own expectations and therefore playing with some freedom. Him getting the better of Robbie Williams is certainly no shock either.
Neil Robertson played what he described as one of the best shots of his career in the deciding frame as he beat Jak Jones 4-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the BetVictor Welsh Open in Llandudno.
A tense decider came down to the last four colours, and Welshman Jones narrowly over-cut his attempted long brown to a top corner. Playing with deep screw, Robertson drilled in the brown and gained position on the blue which was close to the baulk cushion. He was also faced with a tricky pink but rolled it home for victory.
He is into the 90th ranking event quarter-final of his career and is seeking a 27th title. The Australian, who made breaks of 122 and 73 today, will be up against Barry Hawkins in the first match on Friday at 12pm.
“In terms of the way the shot on the brown was executed, I would definitely say it was one of the best of my career,” said world number three Robertson. “It wasn’t as if I threw my whole arm at it, it was really well controlled and greatly timed. The pink was also difficult because I couldn’t inject much pace into it so if I had missed it might have stayed over the pocket. Thankfully I got through because in the decider we both missed chances.
“I have had to keep my composure for the last few months because things haven’t quite gone my way. I have put myself in positions to win tournaments but lost a few times to the eventual champion. Hopefully I can still add some more silverware this season. After I won the title in Saudi at the start of the season, along with Joe (Perry) and (psychologist) Helen we agreed I needed to stay focussed and try to add more. I feel fresh and I’m looking forward to the last few tournaments.
“These home nations events are like a marathon, there are so many people at the start, then once you get to the quarter-finals it’s like coming into the last bend. Now it’s go-for-it mode, I will be aggressive and hope that’s enough to win.”
Hawkins was on the verge of pulling out of this event before his opening match on Monday, suffering with back pain, but he is now into the last eight thanks to a 4-2 win over home favourite Mark Williams.
After sharing the first two frames, Williams made a break of 115 to lead 2-1 before Hawkins levelled with a run of 69. The key moment of the tie came in frame five when Williams, on a break of 57, potted a difficult red with the rest to a top corner, only for the cue ball to drop into a centre pocket. His opponent converted a long red and cleared with 62, then went on to seal the result in frame six with an 84.
“Sometimes when you have an injury it takes your mind off everything, you just go out there and play,” said Hawkins, who is into a 55th ranking event quarter-final and has four titles to his name. “I was so close to pulling out because my back was really sore. A few people persuaded me to play, I took some pain killers and as my first match went on it loosened up a bit.
“I don’t know how I hurt it. I might have tweaked it in the gym, and then went to practise and it got worse. It happened to me once before, it was a muscle strain – a lot of snooker players end up with bad backs and bad necks. Hopefully mine is slowly getting better.”
Reflecting on the match, Hawkins added: “Mark was so unlucky to go in-off (in the fifth frame), you couldn’t do that if you tried. I cued in the long red nicely and made a good clearance – those are the kind of frames that give you confidence.”
China’s 20-year-old Jiang Jun reached his second ranking event quarter-final – having got that far at the BetVictor Scottish Open in December – as he beat Robbie Williams 4-1 with a top break of 69. He now meets in-form Wu Yize, who crushed David Grace 4-0 with breaks of 78, 71, 104 and 70.
Stuart Bingham ended Zhao Xintong’s hopes of winning three consecutive ranking titles with a 4-2 victory in the last 16 of the BetVictor Welsh Open.
Crucible king Zhao had won his previous 11 matches, landing the World Grand Prix and Players Championship this month, but his dreams of becoming only the sixth player in snooker history to win a hat-trick of ranking titles in a row were smashed by Bingham, who goes into the quarter-finals in Llandudno to meet Jack Lisowski on Friday afternoon.
World number 17 Bingham, who turns 50 in May, hasn’t won a ranking title in seven years but has high hopes of landing a second Welsh Open crown having lifted the trophy in 2017. Top breaks of 75 and 64 helped him to an impressive win tonight.
“In the first frame my hand was shaking like a leaf, it was just adrenaline,” said the Essex cueman. “From the second frame I settled down and took most of my chances. If I can have a good run here it could get me into the top 16 for the World Championship so there’s a lot riding on it.
“I have great memories of winning this in 2017, it was Ray Reardon presenting me with the trophy and that was a special moment. I was actually watching a video of the final against Judd Trump the other day which gave me a bit of inspiration. I have had three finals in this event so it has been good to me.
“I have put more effort into practice recently. Before that I was going into my snooker room, doing an hour and then sitting with a cup of tea and looking at my phone. I realised that wasn’t enough so I have been working harder and hopefully I’m now reaping the rewards.“
Lisowski beat Jackson Page 4-2 in a fast and thrilling contest, the six frames taking just 66 minutes. Breaks of 67, 84, 99 and 54 helped Lisowski continue his best run since he won the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in October. Two more wins this week would earn him the massive £150,000 bonus for the leading money-winner across the BetVictor Home Nations series.
Page had been the last Welshman standing which means that the wait for a home winner goes on; Mark Williams was the last to lift the trophy back in 1999.
China’s Zhou Yuelong is also in the BetVictor bonus race and will land that windfall if he goes all the way to the title. He beat Sam Craigie 4-1 tonight with runs of 58, 74 and 54.
Zhou now plays John Higgins, who continued his superb start to 2026 by beating Zhang Anda 4-2 to reach a record-extending 156th ranking quarter-final. Scotland’s Higgins, runner-up in the Masters and Players Championship, knocked in runs of 95, 78 and 60 before rounding off the match with a 144 total clearance, the new target for the £5,000 high break prize
Jackson Page remains determined to win a first title and he moved a step closer at the BetVictor Welsh Open with a 4-3 victory over in-form Chang Bingyu to reach the last 16.
Welshman Page, age 24 and rated among the best young British talent, admitted before this event that he is a long way from achieving his goals and wants to “be the best.” Last season he made significant progress, notably becoming the first player to make two 147s in the same match, but the current campaign has had fewer highlights.
Page whitewashed Luca Brecel 4-0 yesterday and followed up with an equally impressive win over Chang, who made four consecutive centuries in beating Shaun Murphy. From 3-2 down today, Page made a break of 101 to set up the decider. He missed a black to top corner early in the last frame, but China’s Chang then failed to pot an awkward red, bridging over other balls, and Page went on to make a crucial 48 to earn a tie with Jack Lisowski on Thursday in Llandudno.
“I played well, the missed black in the decider was probably my only real mistake in the whole match,” said Page, from Ebbw Vale. “I knew there was no way Chang could play as well as he did yesterday again. He is a hell of a player but I managed to get over the line today. I am putting a lot of work in. This season has been a bit frustrating, it hasn’t been great. I have had a kick up the bum recently from (manager) Simon to put an extra 10% in and hopefully that will pay off.“
Home favourite Mark Williams reached the last 16 of this event for the first time since a semi-final run in 2021 as he beat Martin O’Donnell 4-1 with top breaks of 60, 58 and 57. He now meets Barry Hawkins who enjoyed a 4-2 victory over Pang Junxu with a top run of 72.
Neil Robertson finished with back-to-back centuries, 100 and 118, as he beat Hossein Vafaei 4-1. Jak Jones, Crucible finalist in 2024, saw off Anthony McGill 4-2 with a top break of 63. He then headed for a birthday lunch with wife Inna and son Harri, who turns one today.
Jack Lisowski stayed in the race for the £150,000 BetVictor bonus – albeit still needing to reach the final to land that windfall – as he came from 3-1 down to beat Xiao Guodong 4-3 with a top break of 83. Rising star Wu Yize top scored with 82 in a 4-2 win over Joe O’Connor.
John Higgins edged a 4-3 win over Bulcsu Revesz in the last 32 of the BetVictor Welsh Open, before paying tribute to Jim Donnelly, the first Scottish player to compete at the Crucible, who sadly passed away this week.
Donnelly played at the Crucible in 1982 and achieved a highest ranking of 29th, before going on to become a coach. The Scot, who died at the age of 79, was also an influence on the early part of Higgins’ career.
“Jim was the part owner of the club in Wishaw, the Masters, when I first started playing,” four-time World Champion Higgins recalls. “My dad took me and my brother down. Jim ran coaching classes for 20 or 30 boys, he showed us how to hold a cue, how to play from the cushions, different little things like that. It’s a really sad loss and my thoughts go out to his family and friends.“
On the baize, Higgins has had a fine start to 2026, reaching the final of the Masters and the Players Championship, though he was denied the trophy both times. The 50-year-old is building towards another deep run this week and now meets Zhang Anda in the last 16 on Thursday evening.
From 2-1 down tonight, Higgins took the next two frames with breaks of 74 and 83. Promising Hungarian teenager Revesz won frame six with a fine run of 76, only for Higgins to dominate a scrappy decider.
“I was really impressed by Bulcsu, he played a good game,” Higgins added. “He has probably the best swagger there is in snooker and he is great for the game because we need more players from mainland Europe to follow Luca Brecel. Bulcsu is really improving and he’s certainly one to follow. I am trying to ride the bit of confidence I have for as long as I can.”
World number 2 Kyren Wilson is yet to reach a ranking event semi-final this season and that sequence continued as he lost 4-1 to China’s Zhou Yuelong. Wilson has won the invitational Masters and Shanghai Masters this term but remains outside the top 20 in the Sportsbet.io One Year Rankings. Zhou was runner-up in the BetVictor English Open earlier this season and if he can go all the way to the top prize this week he will also win the £150,000 series bonus.
Zhou now faces Sam Craigie, who reached the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time since the 2024 German Masters as he continued his recovery from a neck injury which could have ended his career. The former world number 33 was forced to miss the whole of last season after disc replacement surgery, but now hopes to work his way back up the rankings. After knocking out Elliot Slessor yesterday, he won another North East derby against Gary Wilson 4-1 with top breaks of 84, 72 and 111.
“Every win and all the ranking points are really important now,” said Craigie. “I am trying my best to get back to where I was. The injury is fine now, I only get aches and pains when I do too much practice. When I came back to playing, I was practising eight to ten hours a day and it was hurting. So I have to limit it now to three or four.
“I am grateful to have this chance. For the first six months after surgery there was no sign of being able to play snooker. I remember being in the kitchen, getting down over the bench with my cue and I just couldn’t do it. That was frustrating because I had expected the recovery to be quicker. By the end of next season I want to be in the top 32, because I was just about there before the injury. I feel that’s a realistic goal, but it is tough. I had a year off and the standard has gone up even in that time, it’s crazy.”
World Champion Zhao Xintong remained on course for three consecutive ranking titles – having already won the World Grand Prix and Players Championship this month – as he beat Stan Moody 4-2 with top breaks of 83 and 122. Stuart Bingham beat David Gilbert 4-2 and has now won all 13 meetings between the pair. Zhang Anda earned a 4-2 success against Liam Pullen.
Before I comment on anything else, there is this, that really, really annoys1 me: why can’t World Snooker have some basic courtesy, and make the effort to spell the non British players’ names correctly, at least for those in languages that use the latin alphabet. It’s BulcsúRévész not Bulcsu Revesz. Is it really that hard?
I have known for a long time that Bulcsú is a special talent. I saw him play in exhibitions in Budapest first as a young kid2, later a a teenager. Even as a kid, he had that swagger about him. He wasn’t intimidated at all, he relished being “on stage”.
He was beaten yesterday, only just, by John Higgins who, as you read, was full of praise. John also said that the sport needs more players from mainland Europe. He’s right, but for that to happen, snooker has to move away from its deeply UK centric structure/organisation. There has to be no more than 3 events in the UK, and the “World” championship has to “travel” around the World … Most global sports have their flagship event traveling, why can’t snooker do the same? One aspect that prevents snooker to develop as a global sport is its culture of “nostalgia”. This HAS to change. Nostalgia keeps you from evolving, and growing. The history of the sport is important, but its evolution is even more important, the future depends on it. And preserving history isn’t the same thing as cultivating nostalgia, the first is important as I said, the second leads to slow death.
Chang Bingyu became the ninth player in snooker history to make four consecutive century breaks during a 4-0 thrashing of Shaun Murphy in round one of the BetVictor Welsh Open.
Chang had a 100% pot success rate and conceded just a single point in an extraordinary display, described by Reanne Evans on BBC Wales as “the best performance ever on a snooker table”.
It’s the 11th occasion that a player has made four tons in a row in a professional match; only Neil Robertson and Mark Allen have done so twice. And only Robertson and Allen had previously achieved this feat in a best-of-seven frame contest.
Four in a row
Players to make four consecutive centuries
John Higgins, 2005 Grand Prix Shaun Murphy, 2007 Welsh Open Neil Robertson, 2013 Ruhr Open Gary Wilson, 2019 UK Championship Stephen Maguire, 2020 Tour Championship Mark Allen, 2020 European Masters Lu Ning, 2020 UK Championship Neil Robertson, 2022 European Masters Jack Lisowski, 2022 UK Championship Mark Allen, 2023 English Open Chang Bingyu, 2026 Welsh Open
China’s 23-year-old Chang, who was runner-up to Chris Wakelin at the BetVictor Scottish Open in December, opened with total clearances of 130 and 136 to lead 2-0. Former World Champion Murphy potted his solitary red in frame three, but Chang’s 119 made it 3-0. And the talented potter continued the barrage in frame four with another 130 total clearance. He will now face Jackson Page or Luca Brecel in the last 32 in Llandudno.
Chang said: “I honestly didn’t expect to play that well today. Before the match, my mindset was more about learning from him. After finishing the match, I felt really happy. It was probably the first time I’ve played at this level in a best-of-seven. Earlier this season I had quite a few matches where I played well and made some good breaks, but making four centuries in a best-of-seven is definitely a first for me.
“Since finishing runner-up (in Scotland) earlier in the season, I’ve become a bit more relaxed when I play against the top players now. Before, I sometimes felt like I couldn’t beat them, but that feeling isn’t as strong anymore. It’s never easy, of course. But I’ve always wanted to play attacking snooker and bring my scoring game to its best level. I don’t know how far I can go this week. I just want to focus on playing well in each match.”
Murphy said: “That’s the best performance in a best-of-seven match I’ve ever seen. If that were Ronnie O’Sullivan or Judd Trump it would be on the news.”
Feeling “more excited and more confident”, Zhao Xintong kept alive his chances of winning three consecutive ranking events by beating Fan Zhengyi 4-3 in the first round of the BetVictor Welsh Open.
February has been a marvellous month for Crucible king Zhao as he has won the World Grand Prix and Players Championship back-to-back, earning £330,000 and climbing to a career-high fifth place in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings. Shrugging off any fatigue, the 28-year-old from China is determined to ride the wave and has the opportunity to become the sixth player to win three consecutive ranking titles, after Ray Reardon, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Ding Junhui and Judd Trump.
Zhao took a 3-1 lead today with top breaks of 65, 132 and 111, bringing his tally of centuries for the season to 61. Fan battled back to 3-3 with a top run of 115 and had first chance in the decider but could only make 19, and Zhao took advantage with a winning 71, earning a last-32 tie with Jimmy Robertson or Stan Moody. So far this season Zhao has played 22 deciding frames and won 16.
He said: “Fan and I both played very well today. After I went 3-1 up, there was one frame I probably should have taken, but I made one or two small mistakes in shot selection and he punished me. In the next two frames I didn’t really get many chances, so it went to a decider. I believed that as long as I got one chance, I could take it and win the match.
“After winning the title in Telford, I went back to Sheffield that same night. The next day I had a lie-in, packed my bags, had a nice Chinese meal, and then travelled here in the afternoon. So there wasn’t much rest, maybe half a day. But for me, playing more matches is a great experience. While I’m still young, winning more matches will be very beneficial for my future.
“At first, I did feel some mental and physical fatigue after those two tournaments. But coming here this time, I actually feel more excited and more confident than before. I really want to win more matches.“
Earlier in the day, Chang Bingyu’s astonishing display of break-building earned him a 4-0 win over Shaun Murphy.
Gary Wilson, who won this title two years ago, almost matched Chang’s performance as he saw off Amir Sarkhosh 4-0 with 93, 135, 118 and 119.
Welshman Jackson Page was in superb form in a 4-0 thrashing of 2023 World Champion Luca Brecel, knocking in breaks of 86 and 64, while Stan Moody was another 4-0 winner, beating Jimmy Robertson with a top run of 107.
Jack Lisowski and Zhou Yuelong both stayed in hunt for the £150,000 BetVictor bonus, the former beating Louis Heathcote 4-2 while the latter saw off Alexander Ursenbacher 4-0. Hungary’s Bulcsu Revesz scored one of his best wins as a pro as he edged out Ryan Day 4-3.
Kyren Wilson hopes he is building towards a strong finish to the season as he cruised into the last 32 of the BetVictor Welsh Open with 4-1 win over Liu Hongyu in Llandudno.
It has been a season of highs and lows for Wilson as he has won two huge invitation events, the Shanghai Masters and the Masters, but has struggled for results in ranking events and failed to qualify for last week’s Players Championship, where he would have been defending champion. He needs a giant leap up the one-year list, from 22nd into the top 12, to earn a place in the Tour Championship next month. Tonight the Kettering cueman fired breaks of 65, 65, 100 and 75 as he set up a tie with Zhou Yuelong on Wednesday evening.
“I was really disappointed not to be in Telford last week,” said Wilson. “But it has been well documented that I have had issues to deal with away from the table this season and I think I have done well to win two tournaments. And this is another opportunity this week. I would love to qualify for the Tour Championship although if I miss out that does give me the chance to take a break before the Crucible.“
John Higgins narrowly missed out on the Players Championship title, losing 10-7 in the final to Zhao Xintong, and the veteran Scot was straight back on the winning trail with a 4-1 defeat of Liu Wenwei. Higgins has captured the Welsh Open crown a record five times and this time he’ll meet Hungary’s Bulcsu Revesz in the last 32 on Wednesday night. In a scrappy encounter against Liu, Higgins managed top breaks of 56, 51 and 59.
Liam Pullen, who beat Higgins earlier in the season at the Xi’an Grand Prix, took another top-16 scalp by knocking out Chris Wakelin. York’s 20-year-old Pullen made breaks of 100 and 107 in taking a 3-2 lead before Wakelin recovered to 3-3.
In a tense decider, Pullen led by 37 points with one red left when he missed a routine black, and his opponent got the snooker he needed then potted the final red, only to miss a tough brown to a centre pocket. A relieved Pullen added the points he needed to set up a tie with Zhang Anda.
“I played some really nice stuff in parts,” said Pullen. “I have lost quite a few deciders this season but I know I just have to keep at it and play better snooker. I am learning a lot about myself and improving a lot.”
The result ends Wakelin’s hopes of landing the £150,000 BetVictor bonus, with Mark Allen the front runner-up for that prize and only Jack Lisowski, Zhou Yuelong and Chang Bingyu in the chasing pack.
Sam Craigie top scored with 99 and 110 as he got the better of a North-East derby against Elliot Slessor by a 4-3 scoreline, and he now meets another Tynesider, Gary Wilson.
