Northern Ireland Open 2016- Day 6 aboard the Titanic … a tale of the unexpected and late night drama

November 20, 2016October 11, 2019 Monique Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

It was Semi Finals day in Belfast, and here are the results:

Read the official reports by Worldsnooker: the Hawkins v Hamilton SF – Drama: and the King v Wilson SF – tale of the unexpected

Sunday 20 Nov 2016 01:12AM

Barry Hawkins emerged from the most dramatic of final frame deciders, to see off a dogged Anthony Hamilton in the last four of the Coral Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.

Hamilton had the balls at his mercy with the scores locked at 5-5, but unbelievably fouled by accidentally feathering the white ball whilst on the shot. The Hawk pounced and went on to move to the verge of victory with a contribution of 59, before breaking down on a green to the top pocket. He eventually got back to the table and deposited a magnificent long range red to get over the line. He punched both the air and the table with delight.

Hawkins had led for the majority of the match but just couldn’t shake off a resilient Hamilton. At 2-1 he looked set to move further ahead courtesy of a free ball, but missed a simple pot to the top left which allowed Hamilton to level the scores at the mid-session.

When they returned Hawkins gained a 4-2 advantage, only to be pegged back by a magnificent 138 clearance by the 45-year-old Hamilton. Further contributions of 74 and 97 ensured a decider, but it would ultimately prove to be a heart-breaking one for the Sheriff.

Afterwards Hawkins was understandably relieved to have been handed the lifeline by his opponent and gain a spot in tomorrow’s final alongside Mark King.

“I battled really well. I tried to keep calm and I just can’t believe that happened in the last frame. I’d imagine it has never happened before, but I managed to hold myself together in the end,” said Hawkins. “You have to take those bits of luck when they come along. They don’t happen very often so I’m just delighted to still be here.”

Despite the crushing manner of his defeat Hamilton stayed in the arena for some time after the conclusion of the match speaking to fans and signing autographs. He remained upbeat after what was a thrilling encounter.

Hamilton said: “I haven’t touched the white for years. It only happens when I start to feel good on the shot. It took me by surprise and he made a good break.

“It’s a bit of a film moment. Touching the white will be in the papers. But I can’t really be disappointed with the way I played. Especially from 5-3 and 4-2 down. I’m proud of it and I enjoyed it as well.”

———————————————————————-

Saturday 19 Nov 2016 06:01PM

Mark King is one match away from claiming his first ever ranking crown after a 6-2 victory against world number 15 Kyren Wilson at the Coral Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.

It was King’s first appearance on the semi-final stage since the 2011 Shanghai Masters. Wilson was looking to pick up his second piece of ranking silverware since his victory in Shanghai last season.

The 24-year-old Wilson’s aggressive style of play has featured prominently throughout the week, however it was King who hit the mark more accurately from long range in the opening exchanges. The Romford potter picked off several long pots to create opportunities with the balls in tight positions during the first two frames. He led 2-0 and increased his advantage in the third with a break of 55.

Wilson had the first opportunity in the fourth and with a number of reds situated nicely around the black spot, he looked set to come up with a frame winning contribution. He could only make 42 and King crucially punished him by countering with 71 to go to the mid-session 4-0 ahead.

King then extended his lead before Wilson started to show signs that a comeback may be on. Visits of 90 and 79 in back-to-back frames clawed the Warrior back into the game at 5-2. However, it proved to be too late as King fought from 41-0 down in the eighth frame to get himself over the line and book a first ranking final appearance since the 2004 Irish Masters.

“The main thing was to not panic. Even when it was 5-0 I was still prepared for 5-5,” said King. “Knowing that the worst case scenario was to win £20,000 this week made me relax a bit. It’s not like the pressure of the first round as if you keep doing that it isn’t going to pay the bills.”

A disappointed Wilson felt that the match was a missed opportunity to clinch some ranking silverware.

Wilson said: “I felt really good. I said to my coach I fancied it at 4-0. I even fancied it at 5-0. I’m devastated. I had a similar thing happen at the German Masters. You have to seize these opportunities. The tour is so hard these days and I felt like it was mine for the taking.”

Watch here the decider between Barry Hawkins and Anthony Hamilton:

2016 Northern Ireland Open: Barry Hawkins – Anthony Hamilton (final frame)

During his post match Mark King pounced on what Anthony Hamilton had said the previous day about how hard it is on the tour for most players; 95% of the tour players are skint he claimed.

As for Ronnie, he continued his routine of running and doing punditry …

And, clearly he’s well looked after by Colin Murray, they certainly don’t want growling hungry stomachs interfering with the commentary:

various images source: twitter

Northern Ireland Open 2016 – Day 5 aboard the Titanic … no quarters given

Video November 19, 2016September 17, 2019 Monique Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

These are the results of the quarter finals day in Belfast, and here is Worldsnooker official report on the day’s action.

Saturday 19 Nov 2016 12:08AM

Kyren Wilson emerged from an epic battle with Mark Williams to book his place in tomorrow’s semi-finals at the Coral Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.

Both players secured huge wins in yesterday’s last 16. Williams ended the 11 game winning run of John Higgins and Wilson was victorious in his first ever meeting with 28-time ranking winner Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Today’s tie was played out to a tremendous standard. Between them the pair made a break over 50 in each of the first seven frames in the match.

There was never more than a solitary frame between the two players, however Wilson started best with a run of 58 to take the opener.

Williams then turned up the heat on the world number 15. The two-time World Champion made contributions of 44, 86 and 68 to move 2-1 ahead.

The barrage of high scoring persisted in the fourth and fifth frames with Wilson producing runs of 91 and 95 to go 3-2 up. They continued to trade frames but it was Wilson who found himself in position for the victory at 4-3 up. After a great recovery pot on the brown, he missed a blue to the top pocket and handed his opponent a lifeline. The ball came to rest over the middle and Williams duly forced a decider.

The 24-year-old Wilson didn’t let his missed opportunity in the previous frame deter him and forced himself over the line courtesy of a contribution of 47.

Wilson said: “That game was probably harder than the one with Ronnie. When you beat O’Sullivan some players get ahead of themselves and crumble in the next match. I felt I had to put a performance in to follow that up. Against Mark Williams that is never easy so I’m really pleased with the performance.”

Mark Allen’s hopes of a dream title on home soil were ended by Anthony Hamilton in a 5-2 defeat. The win for the Sheriff of Pottingham sealed his first semi-final appearance since the 2009 Welsh Open, but he showed no signs of big match nerves in the opening exchanges.

The 45-year-old started brilliantly with a run of 96. Playing against a strong home backing Hamilton managed to control the game throughout. A further run of 78 helped him to move 3-0 in front. The Pistol kept himself in touch with a break of 72 in the fourth only for Hamilton to re-establish his three frame lead in the next. With the scores at 4-2 the world number 76 Hamilton made a clutch counter clearance to claim frame and match on the black.

Mark King secured a semi-final place courtesy of a 5-3 victory in a fiery encounter with Iran’s Hossein Vafaei. Both players exchanged words throughout the match, however it was King who pulled through. The Romford potter clinched victory with a break of 63 in the last frame. He faces Kyren Wilson for a place in the final.

Barry Hawkins continued a terrific run of form to book his place in the last four. The Hawk has dropped just three frames throughout the event and proved to be too strong for world number 24 Michael White. He made breaks of 60, 59 and 70 during a 5-2 victory. Next up for Hawkins is a clash with Anthony Hamilton.

Ronnie also had very nice tongue-in-cheek words about Kyren Wilson before his excellent match against Mark Williams. Listen here. Clearly, he rates Kyren very high.

Listen here to Anthony Hamilton’s reaction after his win

One thing that isn’t in this interview, but that Anthony told to the Eurosport pundits in the studio, is how badly he struggles financially. Having suffered a neck injury last season, his results were bad and his earnings dropped so much that he had to borrow from his parents to keep playing on the main tour (Ronnie immediately offered to help him, he’s always liked and rated Anthony very high).

MissingClip 2016 Northern Ireland Open: review of the Mark Allen – Anthony Hamilton match

Players need about £20000 just to pay their entry fees and their travel expenses. With no money if they lose their first match – which half of them do – and very little until the last 16 or QF, lots of them have a hard time to make ends meet. Barry Hearn always goes about “not rewarding mediocrity” and “it’s about ability”, but that’s incredibly arrogant and borderline stupid in my opinion. It’s a very, very difficult game and many top players needed several years before really finding their feet on the tour, especially if they are very young and need to cope with all that comes with being an expat. Just ask yourself: would Neil Robertson have been able to sustain himself in the current system? I very, very much doubt it: coming from Australia at 16, with £500 in his pocket, his game very raw because he never had top opposition to play against at home, he dropped off the tour twice and needed about 10 years before establishing himself firmly at the top. How would he haved lived meanwhile? Yet, nobody would say today that he is mediocre or lacks ability. What about investing in the future of the game, Barry, by making it easier for the rookies and the unfortunates who suffer temporary health issues to survive on the tour?

Also there was some controversy during the King-Ayouri match. People on social media accused King of bad sportsmanship and trying to put his young opponent off. I didn’t see the match, but one incident that was reported was this: King needed snookers and only the pink and black were on the table, he left the arena to go to the toilet, leaving his opponent and the referee waiting, and immediately conceeded when back. Ok, that sounds weird. However, Mark has been open in the past about struggling badly with bladder control after sustaining a surgery. So who are we to judge him there? Maybe he just couldn’t wait any longer and was concentrating so hard on keeping control that he wasn’t thinking clearly about how his conduct could be seen by others, including his opponent.

As for Ronnie, he had a busy day: supporting a charity, to help pancreatic cancer sufferers, getting himself some reading, working in the studio for Eurosport, with some nice tongue-incheek words about Kyren Wilson before his match versus Mark Williams.

some punditry

MissingClip 2016 Northern Ireland Open: MSI of the Barry Hawkins – Michael White match

some pictures

images posted on twitter by Ronnie and fans

And last but not least trying to teach Colin Murray the basics of snooker with some unconventional methods …

Northern Ireland Open 2016 – Day 4 aboard the Titanic … Ronnie hitting 3 tons and still sinking

November 18, 2016May 8, 2020 Monique Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

Day 4 in Belfast saw the last 32 and the last 16 played to their conclusion, and, as the quarter-finals are scheduled to be completed today, Mark Allen, ranked 10, is the highest-ranked player remaining in the tournament. I can’t remember the last time a quarter-final stage featured none of the top 8.

A lot of things happened on the day, so, where shall I start?

This proves to be a good tournament for the young and the rookies. Yan Bingtao (still only 16), Scott Donaldson, and Hossein Vafaei Ayouri all reached the last 16, and Hossein is in the quarters where he will face a veteran, Mark King. This means that all three have already put themselves in a good position to retain their professional status. Yan, in particular, has an impressive run this season: this was his 4th last 16 already.

Speaking of veterans, Mark King, Anthony Hamilton, and Mark Williams are also in the quarters. “Willo”, whose last title came in 2011, said that he feels that he can win again. I’d love that. Hamilton, one of the best breakbuilders on the tour, has never been in the top 16 and could lose his tour card at the end of the season, but this run gives him a very good chance to secure his professional status.

All detailed results are on Cuetracker as usual.

So, what happened to the favourites?

John Higgins’ impressive run came to an end at the hands of Mark Williams. In a way, despite the 147, I saw it coming already on Wednesday: he had made a few uncharacteristic mistakes that weren’t punished. It was confirmed yesterday. The 4-0 win over Zhou Youelong was a bit misleading, Zhou was totally off his game and never really challenged Higgins. But Mark Williams wasn’t going to be intimidated, they are the same class, the class of 92, and he duly inflicted an out-of-sorts John Higgins damning 4-1 beating

Ronnie went out as well, beaten by Kyren Wilson, but this was a completely different story altogether. Ronnie had played very well in the last 32, against Zhang Anda.

Here is the match:

And here is what he had to say to the pundits on Eurosport after that win. I had noticed how often he was checking his tip during the match and wondered if something was wrong; in fact, it’s a new one and he isn’t fully used to it yet.

In the last 16, he played Kyren Wilson, who he had interviewed on his show last season after Kyren won his first ranking title: the Shanghai Masters 2015. In short, Kyren ran to a 3-0 lead, aided by a deadly long potting and a solid breakbuilding. With his back against the wall, Ronnie went out all attack and knocked in 3 centuries in the next three frames to level the match. But it was Kyren who took the deciding frame, in one winning visit, after Ronnie missed a mid-long pot. I asked this question to the official “anorak”, Matt Huart: “Did anyone before lose a best of 7, whilst making 3 tons?”. Apparently not, so it seems it’s a new record, but surely not one that Ronnie wanted. Now, in a best of 9, Mark Williams made 4 centuries and a 53 and still lost a match in the China Open in 2011…

Here is the official report by Worldsnooker.

Friday 18 Nov 2016 01:01AM

A sublime display from Kyren Wilson saw him defeat tournament favourite Ronnie O’Sullivan in the match of the tournament so far at the Coral Northern Ireland Open.

It was their first meeting in professional competition and they produced a fantastic spectacle in front of an enthralled Titanic Exhibition Centre crowd in Belfast.

It was apparent from the off that the 2015 Shanghai Masters Champion Wilson was going to go for his shots. Despite not making any contributions over 40 in the opening frames, the Warrior sunk several fearless long reds to go 2-0 in front. A run of 63 in the third saw him speed into a surprise 3-0 lead and it looked like it was going to be a quick evening’s work before the Rocket hit back.

The five-time World Champion deposited a sublime long red with the white close to the top cushion in the fourth frame. That was the catalyst for a thunderous comeback. O’Sullivan went on to compile a run of 107 from it in just over six minutes. The Rocket wasted little time in restoring parity at 3-3 thanks to two further centuries, 108 and 117.

It looked as if the momentum lay with O’Sullivan, however it was Wilson who managed to hold himself together in the final frame. A steely break of 70 secured a 4-3 win and a quarter-final clash with Mark Williams.

“I’ve felt good all week really,” said Wilson. “I just thought that we brought out the best in each other there. I was pleased to come out the winner, even if he did make three centuries.”

Mark Williams earned his quarter-final spot by ending the 11 match winning streak of John Higgins. The two-time World Champion closed out the game from 2-1 in front courtesy of consecutive breaks of 67.

Williams said: “A couple of those matches in his 11 wins in a row were against me. I said before the game I was very unlucky not to win one of them if not both of them. I was pleased to get one back on him today.”

Mark Allen came through a tense late night battle with Gary Wilson. The home favourite came from 2-0 down to secure his place in the last eight with a narrow 4-3 victory.

His opponent in the last eight will be Anthony Hamilton who edged out Chinese 16-year-old Yan Bingtao 4-3

Hossein Vafaei Ayouri reached his first ever ranking event quarter-final with a 4-2 defeat of Scott Donaldson. Ayouri, a former World Under-21 Champion, is the first ever professional player from Iran and he sealed the biggest win of his career this evening in Belfast. He opened up a 2-0 lead thanks to contributions of 53 and 75. It was a lead which he wouldn’t relinquish, running out a 4-2 winner. He faces Mark King next who booked his first quarter-final appearance of the season courtesy of a 4-2 win over Norway’s Kurt Maflin.

Barry Hawkins progressed to the quarter-final stage thanks to a 4-0 whitewash of Jack Lisowski. From 2-0 up the Hawk ruthlessly dismissed his opponent thanks to runs of 79 and 117. He faces Michael White tomorrow who saw off fellow Welshman Dominic Dale 4-2.

And here is the match:

Ronnie was obviously disappointed to lose, and he could do with the ranking points too, but he now has a few days to prepare for the all-important UK Championship that starts next week.

How to keep busy and happy … Ronnie’s way

Video November 17, 2016May 8, 2020 Monique Live, Media

Ronnie has found himself a running club in or near Belfast and … he’s running.

As he explains to BBC here, it helps him managing his mood and creating his own happiness.

Of course, he’s not running all day … he’s also promoting his new book to his new friends

And having some good time with his snooker mates too

image posted by Hossein Vafaet Ayouri on Instagram

Add a bit of “badness” and life is great, according to this recent tweet …

Everyone needs a bit of badness now and again.. Just had a nice portions of chips .. Filled the spot

Meanwhile, he’s won his last 32 match today, beating Zhang Anda by 4-0 in less than an hour. He will face Kyren Wilson tonight in the last 16.

Northern Ireland Open 2016 – Day 3 aboard the Titanic, Ronnie survives a Whirlwind and John Higgins hits a maximum

November 17, 2016March 26, 2020 Monique Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

Here is Worldsnooker report on Ronnie’s match, John’s high feat, his 8th maximum and Mark Allen’s progress. Other noticeable results were the victories of Sanderson Lam over Marco Fu, by 4-0, and of Akani Songsermsawad over Mark Davis , by 4-3. Akani is one to watch for sure.

Wednesday 16 Nov 2016 11:41PM

Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated Jimmy White in a clash between two of snooker’s greats at the Coral Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.

The illustrious pair hadn’t met in ranking competition since the 2010 World Open and there was a fantastic atmosphere for their much anticipated encounter, the Titanic Exhibition Centre packed to the rafters.

The ten-time ranking event winner White was a big underdog going into the match, but he took the lead after producing the better safety in a tight opener. It didn’t take long for O’Sullivan to settle into the game. He produced a magnificent clearance of 141 to level at 1-1. A fragmented third frame went the way of O’Sullivan and he pushed on to clinch a 4-1 victory courtesy of breaks of 68 and 95.

“It was hard because I know Jimmy’s game so well and he knows mine so well. You think you know what to expect but he was playing a bit slower than he normally would tonight,” said O’Sullivan. “There were some decent spells in there and made some good breaks. 141 is great but equally winning the frame with two or three 30s is fine.”

John Higgins continued his indomitable streak of form with by making the eighth 147 maximum of his career in a 4-1 win over Sam Craigie.

The four-time World Champion landed perfectly on the 15th black after a sublime back double to the left middle. He went on to deposit the remaining colours and put himself in line for a potential £10,000 prize.

Mark Allen ground out a 4-2 victory against world number 106 Michael Georgiou to keep his hopes alive of lifting the Alex Higgins Trophy on home soil. Neither player produced their best, but it was Allen who managed to get over the line with a 109 break to seal the win.

Allen said: “To win in front of my home fans would mean everything. This is like a second World Championship to me,” said Allen. “This is what snooker in Northern Ireland deserves and it would be great if I could give them something to celebrate on Sunday night.”

Liang Wenbo’s hopes of claiming the £1 million bonus attached to winning all four Home Nations events were ended with a defeat to Mark King. The English Open Champion had led 2-1, but three frames in a row from King were enough to ensure he got over the line with a 4-2 victory.

Worldsnooker put the link to Ronnie’s postmatch inteview on twitter, you can listen to it there.

Ronnie looked and sounded a bit flat and tired yesterday, I hope he will be better today because it’s potentially two matches for him, and everyone else, on day 4. I very much doubt he enjoyed that match against Jimmy, a close friend who is in huge danger to lose his professional status at the end of this season. Also I have my reservations about the venue and conditions. It’s extremely noisy inside the arena. Yesterday one of the commentators said that the noise was coming from the wind rattling the roof! Also, it seemed that Ronnie, and Mark Williams after him on the same table, had to hit the balls harder than usual to get desired position, and splits didn’t really work as usual; only too often the white stayed stuck. During the Ronnie match, the commentator said that the table was playing heavy, during the MJW match, his colleague spoke of “sticky conditions”. It was probably humid in there with a full house. Anyway …

Watch Ronnie v Jimmy here:

MissingClip 2016 Northern Ireland Open: Ronnie O’Sullivan – Jimmy White teaser 1

MissingClip 2016 Northern Ireland Open: Ronnie O’Sullivan – Jimmy White teaser 2

MissingClip 2016 Northern Ireland Open: preview of the Ronnie O’Sullivan – Jimmy White match

2016 Northern Ireland Open: Ronnie O’Sullivan – Jimmy White

The 141.

2016 Northern Ireland Open: Ronnie O’Sullivan 141 – Jimmy White

And John Higgins 8th maximum here:

2016 Northern Ireland Open: John Higgins 147 – Sam Craigie

All detailed results are on Cuetracker as usual.

Northern Ireland Open 2016 – Day 2 aboard the Titanic and a heated affair …

November 16, 2016October 11, 2019 Monique Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

Day 2 in Belfast saw a few more top players leave the scene, with Ding Junhui losing to Yu Delu and Stephen Maguire being beaten by Alan McManus. Liang Wenbo, however, remains on course for the one million bonus … and Kyren Wilson missed the 15th red en route to a maximum

Local heroes Joe Swail and Mark Allen had mixed fortunes. Joe went out to Dominic Dale, whilst Mark Allem overcame his “best enemy” and bogey player Mark Joyce.

Here is the report on Worldsnooker:

Tuesday 15 Nov 2016 11:45PM

Mark Allen enjoyed victory amidst a raucous atmosphere at the packed Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast, seeing off his bogey player Mark Joyce at the Coral Northern Ireland Open.

The Antrim potter had struggled in the past against the Englishman, who had won four of their five meetings prior to this evening. There’s no love lost between the pair and Allen added fuel to the fire ahead of their Belfast showdown by making comments in the press about his dislike of Joyce.

The tense atmosphere between the players was apparent from the start. Allen took the opening frame courtesy of a fluked blue to the middle, but then appeared to be unhappy with his opponent chalking his cue.

Allen trailed 52-17 in the third, before snatching the frame on the black with a clearance of 49. The 30-year-old was embracing the tempestuous atmosphere and punched the air after depositing the final ball. It proved to be a killer blow for Joyce with Allen running out a 4-1 winner.

“I’m happy with the win but not the performance,” said Allen. “There was a lot on the line in that match. I was at a home venue in front of family and friends. There was a lot of pressure and I’m happy with the way I handled that and got over the line.”

Joyce admitted that the better man won on the evening but felt the animosity from Allen stemmed from previous victories against him.

Joyce said: “It’s because I’ve got under his skin. I’ve played some good stuff against him. I played well at the German Masters when I played him. I’m not quite sure where it has all come from.”

World number four Ding Junhui suffered a shock defeat at the hands of fellow countryman Yu Delu. The Shanghai Masters Champion looked to be comfortable early on, as he established a 2-0 lead. However, Yu hit back to claim four frames on the bounce, making a century contribution of 104 on his way to a shock 4-2 win.

Liang is the only man who can win the £1 million bonus after his win in Manchester

Liang Wenbo continued his quest for the £1 million bonus attached to victory at all four Home Nations events thanks to a 4-1 defeat of Nigel Bond.

The English Open Champion struggled to find his feet early on in what was a drawn out affair. With the scores at 1-1 Liang eventually claimed a third frame which lasted nearly an hour. He eventually accelerated to the finish, making runs of 89 and 102.

Alan McManus came back from 3-2 down to win a final frame decider with fellow Scot Stephen Maguire.

The World Championship semi-finalist has yet to produce his best form this campaign. However, he looked to be in good touch this afternoon, making breaks of 64, 118, 68 and 60 on his way to the 4-3 win.

Kyren Wilson missed out on a guilt edged chance for his first professional maximum during a 4-2 defeat of Hammad Miah.

The Warrior made 14 reds and blacks before missing a straightforward pot with the remaining balls at his mercy. Despite suffering the disappointment on missing out on a potential £10 thousand he remained professional and booked his place in tomorrow’s last 64.

For full results click here.

Ronnie, who was apparently doing (much appreciated) commentary on Quest, was unimpressed by Allen’s attitude if fans posts on twitter are to be trusted.

Ronnie commented on this match

2016 Northern Ireland Open: Ding Junhui – Yu Delu

and then was part of the review

MissingClip 2016 Northern Ireland Open: review of the Ding Junhui – Yu Delu match

Today, of course, we have Ronnie vs Jimmy in the evening session. Jimmy is well up for it!

Ronnie in the media today …

November 15, 2016 Monique Media Media

Ronnie isn’t playing today, but he’s very much present in the media …

He was on BBC5 radio and you can listen to this snippet about how it was to grow up with both parents in jail.

Desmond Kane, from Eurosport, wrote about Ronnie and John Higgins 24 years old rivalry

Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins and a magical 24-year rivalry unique to sport

John Higgins completed a 10-7 win over Ronnie O’Sullivan in a Champion of Champions final that provided a reminder why both men are true giants of their sport, writes Desmond Kane.

It is probably fitting to be evergreen on the green baize even if professional snooker has no room for sentiment.

When it is your time, it is your time. The aging process, terminal loss of form and the rise of younger, hungrier foes tend to drag you kicking and screaming from the sport when you are on the decline. Whether you like it or not.

It is a fact of life that has already bamboozled sadly retired icons such as Stephen Hendry, who lifted the last of his seven world championships in Sheffield aged 30, and Steve Davis, who had to grapple with an obvious loss of consistency in his 30s after winning a sixth and final world title in 1989.

Snooker’s shot clock remains unforgiving. Yet there are those who seem to be strangely protected by some sort of time-reversing emollient, a magical elixir that means age will not wither them.

The sight of Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins contesting a major snooker final does not sound like anything out of the blue amid their addiction to potting blacks

With nine world titles, eight UK Championships and eight Masters between them, it might sound a bit like the norm for two figures who have become public faces and multi-millionaires on the back of mastering the curious art of potting balls with a wooden stick.

Then you consider their longevity, and you begin to appreciate such greatness is far from standard fare. A bit like the exceptional tariff they place on their somewhat peculiar calling in lives.

Both men turned professional in 1992, have a combined age of 81 and contested their first and last World Championship 15 years ago which O’Sullivan won 18-14 for the first of his five world titles.

Not only are they rolling back the years, they also continue to roll in the balls with no signs of decline or decrepitness normally associated with their third decade in the sport.

They were sent to Coventry over the past few days to illustrate why they both remain very special.

The invitational Champion of Champions final at the Ricoh Area was won 10-7 on Saturday by an imperious Higgins, who catapulted Shaun Murphy, Judd Trump and Ding Junhui, three of the finest in the sport, on his way to lifting his second title in successive weekends.

Six days earlier, the man from Wishaw in Scotland carried off the China Championship with a 10-7 victory over Stuart Bingham where he made three successive centuries in the final three frames.

The reward for back-to-back successes in such a cut-throat environment, snags Higgins £300,000. He shows no signs of going under before the next stop on the tour takes him to the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast today for this week’s Northern Ireland Open.

When O’Sullivan and Higgins decided to pursue snooker all those years ago, Bill Clinton was on the cusp of becoming president of the USA, Prince Charles and Di were about to split, Czechoslovakia was still a country and Windsor Castle went up in flames in a year the Queen described as an “annus horribilis”.

There are not many figures in professional sport who continue to burn brightly at a point in their sporting lives when they are supposed to be on the wane.

O’Sullivan and Higgins first met in a final at the 1995 Masters at Wembely which O’Sullivan won 9-3. Little did they know back then that they would be as sharp as ever 21 years on.

Little did they know in 2012, they would be back at this level. Higgins has admitted himself that he entered the doldrums when his confidence deserted him a year after he lost his dad John Senior to cancer.

O’Sullivan somehow managed to go three years without winning a ranking event after the Shanghai Masters in 2009, but lifting the German Masters in 2012 provided him with the impetus to win two more world titles, two Masters, the UK Championship and two Champion of Champions.

In Saturday’s final, Higgins made breaks of 75, 74, 79, 65, 60, 63 and 83 before pushing over the line with closing runs of 76, 86 and 58.

O’Sullivan, the greatest player snooker has produced, continues to flower on such occasions with a technique as formidable as granite. He lost despite knocking in 68, 88, 90, 61, 74 and 130. It is the second final he has appeared In successive months having lost 9-8 to Trump in the European Masters final in Romania.

It is only a matter of when his next title comes along after he demolished Mark Allen in the last four with a 6-2 win that included three sparkling 100 plus knocks.

The levels they reached at the Ricoh Arena were as immaculate as they have ever struck the ball so well with fast break-building, long potting and intricate tactical play the bedrock of a truly absorbing public tete-a-tete.

You can get 20/1 on Higgins winning a fifth world title next May while O’Sullivan is favourite at 9/2.

There are no other players in any professional sport playing as well over such a quarter of a century. The lesson to be learned is valuable: if you are old enough, you are good enough.

When O’Sullivan and Higgins are on it, they simply remain a breed apart. They remain unique sportsmen who are measured in decades rather than years.

Desmond Kane

Ronnie tipped the Northern Irish to star in their home tournament according to The Belfast Telegraph

Ronnie O’Sullivan has lift-off and tips Mark Allen to thrill Belfast

By Adam McKendry

Five-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has said home favourite Mark Allen would be a “worthy winner” of the Northern Ireland Open, should he himself not go on to win it.

RW: 34248856 k: reference-default-34248856-sec-sport_othersports_snooker-art e: 20m d:

‘The Rocket’ eased through his opening match against Welshman David John, 4-1, at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast last night, setting up a clash with the legendary Jimmy White.

But, speaking after his win, O’Sullivan earmarked Allen – who plays tonight – as well as fellow Ulsterman Joe Swail, as a potential winner this week.

“I think they’ll be inspired by the crowd,” the former world number one said.

“I think Mark Allen is a really, really good player and I think he’s playing very well at the moment so he’s going to have a lot of belief.

“If I didn’t go on to win the tournament I think he would be a worthy winner, and I think it would be great if a home player, someone like him, could win.

“Joe Swail is a fantastic talent and is a dangerous opponent for anyone, and if he gets on a run he’s capable of beating anybody.

“But I’d love to win here in Belfast. I’ve won here before in the Waterfront so it’d be nice to win it again, but the main thing is to enjoy it.

“Keep competing and enjoy playing.”

O’Sullivan, playing competitively in Belfast for the first time since his 2008 victory at the Northern Ireland Trophy, also commented on how impressed he was by the crowd at the £366,000 event.

“I love this city, I think it’s great that there’s a tournament here now and it’s really good to be here and playing,” he enthused.

“They’re a great crowd, they know their snooker here. It’s always good to come to places where they have a real good idea of what good snooker is.

“They appreciate it, so it’s good to play in front of fans like that.”

O’Sullivan put on a masterclass as he rattled off the first two frames with breaks of 131 and 86, before following it up by taking the third frame in fine style as well.

John fought back to take frame four, but O’Sullivan showed his class with the biggest break of the match, 133, to seal victory in the fifth frame.

The World No.8 admitted that he was pleased with how he performed, and that he felt like he was coming back into form after some indifferent recent performances.

“I was happy with that, that was one of my better performances of the season,” the 40-year-old said. “I’m pleased with that, yeah.

“I’ve got a great belief in myself and my game, I just have to find some form.

“Once the form comes then I have the chance of competing in most events I play in.”

O’Sullivan who will now take on veteran of the game Whirlwwind White in round two, after the 54-year old made it past another Welshman, Gareth Allen, winning 4-2.

“Every match is hard now. It doesn’t matter who you play, you have to play well to win,” O’Sullivan said, looking ahead to the rest of the tournament.

Elsewhere, Antrim amateur Jordan Brown is into the second round after he overcame England’s Ben Woollaston 4-2 last night.

Brown picked up the only century of the match in the second frame as he raced into a 2-0 lead, before Woollaston took the next two to level proceedings.

But Brown struck back to win the final two frames to secure his place in tomorrow’s second round.

World No.5 Shaun Murphy was the shock casualty on day one after he was whitewashed 4-0 by 21-year-old Luca Brecel.

Four-time world champion John Higgins beat Paul Davison 4-0 to extend the Scot’s winning run to nine matches.

Belfast Telegraph

And finally, in this interview with the BBC, and reported by The42 he jokingly compared himself to J.K. Rowling whilst promoting his new book

FIVE-TIME WORLD snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has joked he could be the “new JK Rowling” after turning his hand to novel writing.

O’Sullivan has penned the fittingly titled crime story Framed, which takes inspiration from his own life story.

The ‘Rocket’ has previously released two autobiographies and seems to have caught the writing bug.

Put to him by BBC Radio Five Live that he could have a great literary career ahead of him, O’Sullivan boldly compared himself to the author of the Harry Potter series, replying: “That’d be great, wouldn’t it? [The] new JK Rowling!”

“Obviously I’d done a couple of autobiographies and there are certain things that you do that you enjoy, and I really enjoyed being involved in the whole process of doing my autobiographies.

I think they [the publishers] sensed that and they approached me and said would you be interested in doing a novel?”

Despite his success, O’Sullivan has long had a love-hate relationship with snooker and says his new-found love of writing will help him cope when he eventually walks away from the game for good.

I’ve started to look for things that I enjoy and I’ve found two or three things now that I really enjoy,” he said. ”I know now that if I never played snooker I’d be fine.

“I’m now playing snooker because I want to, not because I have to.

Everybody needs a purpose in their life and snooker has been that purpose, but at some point I’d like to find another purpose.”

He did not rule out a sixth World Championship triumph, adding: “Anything is possible with me. I’ve stopped trying to predict what I’m capable of or not capable of.”