Month: June 2020

Championship League Snooker 2020 – Groups 16 and 7

Monique Professional snooker tournament

Yesterday produced another surprise winner, as Ashley Carty prevailed in Group 16, a group featuring the current number two in the rankings, Neil Robertson.

Here is report by WST:

World number 83 Ashley Carty beat Neil Robertson and got the better of a late-night thriller against Ken Doherty to win Group 16 of the Matchroom.Live Championship League.

Click here for Group Tables, Results and Fixtures and here for details of how to watch live.

Doherty and Carty faced each other in the crucial last match of the day – with world number two Robertson out of the running have won just one of his three fixtures.

Carty has never previously appeared in the last 16 of a pro tournament

And Rotherham’s Carty triumphed 3-1 to book a place in the Group Winners’ stage, where he will face Gary Wilson, Luca Brecel and Mark Joyce on Wednesday.

Carty earlier beat Robertson 3-1 and drew 2-2 with Kurt Maflin, to go into the deciding tie level on four points apiece with veteran Doherty. The first two frames went Carty’s way, then 50-year-old Doherty took the third with a run of 90 – eclipsing Carty’s top break of the day which meant that the fourth and last frame would determine who topped the group.

Former English under-21 champion Carty made 52 before missing the yellow, and Doherty replied with 22 then played safe on the last red. A cracking long pot on the red from Carty gave him the chance to go 28 points ahead on the green. Irishman Doherty battled bravely for snookers as the clock ticked to 12.15am, but when Carty converted a long double on the brown the day’s play was over.

On the other table, Barry Hawkins topped Group Seven by beating Hammad Miah 3-0 and Craig Steadman 3-0 then drawing 2-2 with Anthony McGill. He now faces Judd Trump, David Gilbert and Ryan Day in a difficult second-phase group.

World number 15 Hawkins, whose top break on the day was 96, said: “I didn’t know what to expect, after such a long break. I have only been practising for a week so I was pleased to play ok today and get through. It’s nice to get back into a routine.”

The first group stage concludes on Monday from 3pm, with Mark Allen and Ali Carter among the players in action.

Ashley Carty is the second young player, after Harvey Chandler last week, who nobody expected to win his group, played excellent stuff and sent the favourites packing. I really love this event, because it gives the likes of them the opportunity to show what they can do and how good they are.

How good they are comes to no surprise to me; I have watched them play in amateur events for years. They haven’t been able to bring that on the professional tour until now. Why? I have said this before and I’m saying it again: the current system is far too brutal, it doesn’t offer a path for development. The young players are set to play a top player in round 1, more often than not. With no money for first round losers they are put under extreme pressure. When playing on outside tables in qualifiers it’s hard to convince a sponsor to support you. This week, with £1000 guaranteed, and the certainty to get to play three matches on television, we have seen Ashley and Harvey blooming.

Young players should be seen as the future of the game – they are – and therefore worth investing into. Minimal prize money to first round losers should not be seen as rewarding mediocrity, it should be seen as an investment. Not all investments earn you a return, whatever your trade, but not investing is a sure path to decline.

The state of the amateur game is such that young players who qualify for the main tour aren’t ready. That’s plain for all to see. All very young players who had a modicum of success in the last years come from China, a country where there is a strong amateur scene, and where academies and structures are funded by the authorities in order to properly support the sport’s development.

I hope that snooker bosses will reflect on what happened this week, and consider going back to a tiered system, or a round-robin system, at least for some events. That would help the young players. I also hope that they come round the idea to pay minimal prize money to the first round losers. By playing they contribute to the tournament, win or lose they bring value to the events, the sponsors and the venue. It would only be fair and it would ease the pressure on them. Throwing people in a choppy sea and hope they learn to swim is bound to result in drowning for most, including many who had the potential to become champion swimmers.

It’s worth to remember that someone as good as Neil Robertson was relegated several times before finding his foot in the professional game. He wasn’t ready because, in his home country, the level of the amateur game was not as good at in the UK. For all his talent, it took him more than two years to get where he needed to be, and even in when he started to get the results, his game was still very raw. Those who watched him play back around 2007/2008 will remember. “If they are good enough, they will make it” simply isn’t true, every player is different and so are their circumstances.

And, as I’m at it anyway, I’d like to see a return of the points system, with events with similar formats being rewarded the same way. If there are no points available for losing a first match, whatever the round, there is no protection of the top players, quite the opposite as they are bound to face stronger opponents from the word go. It’s simple enough to understand. Players and fans would easily figure out what any player needs to do at any stage of the season to reach their goal. And, if sponsors want the big boys in their events, they will still need to put good money on the table.

I know that round-robins are not popular with some players, or with the bookies, because of “dead matches”, but that’s easy to avoid. With prize money depending on their place in the groups, players have an incentive to try their best even when they have no hope to progress anymore.

An interview with Hammad Miah and a post by Alfie Burden

Monique Interview, Live ,

I usually stay away from politics in this blog but today I feel that I must make an exception.

Shamoon Hafez from BBC has interviewed Hamad Miah. Here is this interview:

George Floyd death: Hammad Miah on being called a ‘shoebomber’

By Shamoon Hafez
Hammad MiahHammad Miah grew up in Hertford and his family hail from Bangladesh

Warning: this piece contains offensive language

“A guy called me a shoebomber once. That was new to me and I was laughing about it because I didn’t know what he was going on about. It was only afterwards, when reading up on it, did it become an insult.” 

As Hammad Miah prepares to compete in the Championship League on Sunday, he speaks to BBC Sport about his own experience of racism following the death of George Floyd in the USA. 

Floyd, an unarmed black man who screamed “I can’t breathe” while his neck was pinned under an officer’s knee, has become a symbol for change with the #BlackLivesMatter movement that has sparked huge anti-racism protests across the country.

This week, sports stars including Serena Williams, Paul Pogba and Lewis Hamilton have added their voices. And there was a display of protest from snooker world number 75 Alfie Burden, who took a knee before his match against Ryan Day at the Championship League on Wednesday.

The concerns raised are all too familiar for Miah, who takes the 64th and final spot at the event in Milton Keynes, host to snooker’s first tournament since the season was halted because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I did have problems growing up; I faced a lot of racism,” Miah said. “But that has shaped me into the person I am today. 

“It is because of Islam that I have calmed down a little bit. That experience of being called a Paki or taking the piss out of me because I am Muslim was really tough.”

Judd TrumpMiah faced current world number one and world champion Judd Trump in the first round of the 2015 UK Championship

In a open and honest interview, Miah talks about:

  • Sympathising with those rioting in the USA to make their feelings known
  • How he would “100% be in a gang” if he still lived in London
  • Bare-knuckle fighting with a fellow snooker player
  • Being harassed by police when growing up

‘When I was growing up, the only way out was fighting’

Americans have defied curfews in cities and the threat of military action from President Donald Trump to take to the streets in their tens of thousands, with violence spreading in some parts.

“When I was growing up, the only way out was fighting,” Miah said. “Slowly people started to realise that what they [racists] were saying was wrong.

“The reason why people keep getting away with it is because they don’t get punished. Islam is not about violence – I understand that now as I have matured as an adult – but that was what we grew up with.

“Some people have no idea what we go through and that is why we can relate to this #BlackLivesMatter movement taking place at the moment. We get it because we feel discriminated against all the time.”

‘I feel I could have become a boxer’

Miah, whose family are from Bangladesh, was born in London and later moved to Hertford. It was his dad who first took him to a snooker club, spotting the talent after his son made a century break at 13 and won amateur tournaments at 16.

Now 26, he is one of only two British Asian players on the 128-man tour, the other being Welshman Kishan Hirani.

Looking back on those early days, going to the snooker club with his dad, Miah says he used to “enjoy it”. But while the sport brought him “contentment and peace, taking my mind off a lot of things”, he pin-points his early experiences as a reason why he has failed to fulfil his potential.

“What happened in my childhood plays a big part in my snooker and is probably the reason I get so angry when playing,” said Miah, who is ranked 96 in the world. “It is my character and I feel I could have become a boxer. 

“It is not good for my well-being because it plays a part in the house and those around me. If I was still living in London, I would have 100% been in a gang. 

“The boys that racially abused me growing up, I had a rage and anger towards them. I did not see them for a couple of years and then I got a bit bigger so if I bumped into them I was going to slap them hard.”

Hammad MiahMiah is ranked number 96 in the world

‘I was offered a bareknuckle fight for £20’

Miah explains how he once had a run-in with a fellow player at a tournament in a holiday park in Wales.

“A couple of other players were around too and he started acting up and offered me a bareknuckle fight for £20 – I took his money off him,” he said.

Miah also recalls suffering harassment from the police.

“Growing up, I remember the police would give me and my black friend more trouble than the rest of the group,” he said.

“Once I got pulled over in my car by two separate police officers in the space of five minutes. They asked what I was doing here in Hertford, I told them I live here and asked whether they pulled me over because I was Asian.

“People say it is worse in America but it is just as bad here. If our coppers carried guns, there would be so many deaths and I am thankful they don’t.”

So how do you solve the issue of racism?

“People that are silent, the people that are trying to justify other crimes or responding with #WhiteLivesMatter, they are the problem,” Miah said. “There is always someone out there trying to justify something inhumane.

“At school, we learn all sorts of stuff and no-one is born racist. If they taught us properly about race and religion, things could change.

“These protests will make a slight change but nothing major; the change starts from the beginning.

“Teach everyone how to love each other, how to care for each other no matter the colour of the skin. We all bleed the same.”

I have known Hammad for years, well before he turned pro. The man I know is kind and respectful to everyone around. He’s religious, yes, but nothing like the kind of person the clichés and prejudices describe muslims. I’m a woman, yet never felt like he treated me any differently for it. The same goes for Rory McLeod. A lot has been made about Rory not shaking hands with women. Rory has always been very polite, respectful and friendly with me. I have seen him around his children, boy and girl, they are the apple of his eyes, and they are ongoing happy, much loved kids.

Hammad is right. We are all the same, no matter our skin colour, our gender, our background or our faith. Fundamentally, we all want the same things: a peaceful life, being surrounded by people we love and who love us, providing for our families, and spending good time with those dear to us. It’s that simple really. And eventually, we all die, and take nothing with us, no money, no power, no fame.

I also feel the need to share this Facebook post by Alfie Burden:

See people talking some utter garbage on here currently, small minds and buried racism issues….
People putting statuses up almost justifying the murder of George Floyd because he had a rap sheet …. so that’s ok is it to publicly slaughter somebody is it because he’s got a criminal record, get a fucking grip….

People having a pop at people for taking the knee etc , I’d take the knee all day long to protest against racism ,to repeat it’s absolutely no place in our society, let’s remember the George Floyd situation shouldn’t be turned into how good or bad a person he was…. it’s about what the motive was to publicly kill a defenceless man who was handcuffed…
All rioting in London has no place in our society, we are not America, we don’t have as big a problem in regards our diabolical policing as they do in my opinion, the police in our country do a fantastic job and don’t deserved to be attacked it’s disgusting and anybody doing this needs to be locked up…. if you want to protest, protest peacefully….
Finally I took a knee in the snooker tournament against racism , the George Floyd public murder brought this to the forefront let’s not get it twisted and justify what the policeman done.
All lives matter clearly, hopefully society can start to all respect each other whatever their skin colour or religion is, after all we are all human beings.

I felt it necessary to post this after reading some real hate and garbage on here and also receiving some abuse for taking a knee on live tv against racism, although I must say in the main I’ve had positive feedback…

Take care of each other.

The end.

Alf X

Alfie also is right. Violence isn’t the answer. It only triggers more violence, more pain, more hate.

Yes, I’m from the flower power generation, I turned 15 in 1969. I’m 65 now and still “talking back my generation”. We wanted change, we wanted freedom … we failed. Crass populism, à la Hitler or Mussolini, is back in full force, and political correctness is the new way to gag people. When you can’t use certain words, alarm bells should ring, because it means that you are not allowed to acknowledge certain realities for what they truly are. Racism is on of those words.

Championship League Snooker 2020 – Groups 1 & 8

Monique Professional snooker tournament

Stuart Bingham and Ben Woollaston were the group winners yesterday:

Here is the report by WST:

Stuart Bingham edged to top spot in group one thanks to a 2-2 draw with Ricky Walden at the Matchroom.Live Championship League in Milton Keynes.

Click here for Group Tables, Results and Fixtures and here for details of how to watch live.

Masters champion Bingham won his opening match of the day with Welshman Jamie Clarke 3-0. He then crucially composed a break of 94 in the first frame against Jordan Brown, a match which he eventually drew 2-2 having led 2-0.

It came down to a winner takes all clash with Walden, who also sealed a 3-0 win over Clarke and a 2-2 draw with Brown. Breaks of 73 and 51 had put Bingham 2-1 ahead, but Walden stole the last frame to make it 2-2 and draw level on five points with Bingham. However, 2015 World Champion Bingham’s 94 break against Brown was the highest either player made in the day and acted as a tiebreaker.

Bingham said: “Watching it all week, the winners usually had at least seven points so the way it is worked out is mad but I’m over the moon to get through.

“I was happy with my game, considering we haven’t played a competitive match for three or four months. I was a bit twitchy in some of the frames but all-in-all it’s a good day’s work.”

Joining Bingham in the Group Winner’s phase is Leicester cueman Ben Woollaston, who progressed on the other table. He recorded 3-0 wins over Liam Highfield and Thor Chuan Leong, before a 2-2 draw with former European Masters winner Jimmy Robertson secured top spot in group eight.

Sunday’s action gets underway at 3pm and sees world number two Neil Robertson take on Ken Doherty, Kurt Maflin and Ashley Carty on table one.

The way group 1 went, Stuart Bingham couldn’t have been sure to be the group winner right after his last match. Indeed, a 3-0 win by Jordan Brown, with a break of 95 or more, would have made Jordan the winner. However, Jamie Clarke, who had not won a frame all day, beat Jordan by 3-0, making a 105 in process. I didn’t watch the match, and maybe I’m wrong, but this is only too familiar when it comes to Jamie. He’s a tremendous talent, but very vulnerable under pressure. In that last match, all pressure was off him, he was out of the tournament no matter what, it was all on Jordan, and that probably explains the outcome. If there ever was a player who would benefit from mental coaching, it’s probably Jamie.

I saw nothing of the other group. Rory Thor though got beaten by everyone else, not winning a single frame all day, whilst the other three had a right battle. It was very close between them. Rory has been suffering ill health and injuries in recent times, so this unfortunate outcome for him isn’t really surprising at all.

Championship League Snooker 2020 – Groups 10 & 15

Monique Professional snooker tournament

Ronnie won his three matches yesterday by 3-0, making a 50+ break in every frame bar one. He had two centuries and two breaks over 90.

Tom Ford dominated the other group winning all his matches as well.

This is the report by WST:

Ronnie O’Sullivan returned to snooker’s limelight after a four month absence and won nine frames without reply as he topped Group 10 of the Matchroom.Live Championship League.

Click here for Group Tables, Results and Fixtures and here for details of how to watch live.

Moustachioed O’Sullivan bristled with confidence as he beat Kishan Hirani 3-0, Michael Georgiou 3-0 and Chris Wakelin 3-0, making breaks of 112, 52, 65, 116, 82, 80, 97 and 93 during the day’s action in Milton Keynes. He goes through to the Group Winners’ phase and will be back on the baize next Tuesday, in a quartet with Harvey Chandler and the winners of Groups 1 and 6.

“It was good fun,” said five-time World Champion O’Sullivan. “I have hardly played since the Welsh Open in February – you can’t really count the Shoot Out because that was only a couple of frames. Then I did a couple of exhibitions, but other than that I only played for about four or five hours last week. It just shows you probably don’t need the practice, I should spend my time doing something else.”

Asked about the moustache, O’Sullivan said: “I set myself a challenge. As soon as we were in lockdown I was going to grow a beard but that got itchy so my partner said, ‘why not grow a moustache?’ It was a bit of a giggle really. A few people have said I look like a Mexican drug lord, like ‘El Chapo’. Someone even said Freddie Mercury.”

On the other table, Tom Ford was almost as impressive as O’Sullivan, losing just one frame in his three matches in Group 15. The Leicester cueman saw off Ian Burns 3-0, Mike Dunn 3-0 and Robert Milkins 3-1, making a 130 and four more breaks over 50.

Saturday’s top stars will include Stuart Bingham, Ricky Walden and Jimmy Robertson; play gets underway at 3pm.

Also Ronnie spoke to BBC about the moustache and how he struggled with being locked up in his room.

Ronnie O’Sullivan has ‘struggled’ in ‘bubble’ of Championship League

By Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport

Ronnie O’Sullivan says he has “struggled” in the “bubble” surrounding the Championship League tournament, which is being played behind closed doors and in a closed environment.

O’Sullivan, 44, returned to action sporting a new moustache and progressed as group winner without losing a frame.

“If every tournament was to be like this then I am not sure I would be able to do it,” said O’Sullivan.

Snooker was the first sport to return to live action on free-to-air TV.

It followed the government’s ‘phase three’ coronavirus pandemic guidance, which paved the way for competition to make a comeback from Monday.

The non-ranking event is taking place without fans at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, which has an on-site hotel, allowing players and staff to be contained on the complex without having to leave.

However, all personnel have had to have strict Covid-19 testing a day before they are scheduled to feature and are made to isolate in their rooms – world champion Judd Trump said he had to wait 18 hours before the result of his test was known and O’Sullivan even longer.

Although a catering service is provided, O’Sullivan – who last played competitively at the Shootout in February – only entered the event if he was allowed to bring his own food as he does not “trust people” cooking for him.

But being in his room for such a long period meant he had “run out of food” and so was left “eating cornflakes for the rest of the day”.

World number six O’Sullivan added: “I have struggled. I was in the room for 24 hours so I have had a bit of a headache and started to get a bit of a cough and can’t even get the window open.

“You want to be in good health at the moment so this bubble is not ideal. If the facilities do [improve] and if you have to stay on site at the hotel and [are able to] use the gym, then it would be better.

“At the moment there is none of that so it is tough. I like my own company but it is tough being cooped up. It is not easy for me, I must admit.

“It is just about having the freedom to go out for a walk, get a bit of fresh air and a coffee.”

Much of the talk on social media was not about O’Sullivan breezing through with a 100% record from three matches, but the addition of a handlebar moustache.

Asked how it came about, O’Sullivan said: “I set myself a challenge. As soon as we were in lockdown I was going to grow a beard but that got itchy so my partner said, ‘why not grow a moustache?’ It was a bit of a giggle really.

“A few people have said I look like a Mexican drug lord, like ‘El Chapo’. Someone even said Freddie Mercury.”

Meanwhile, the rescheduled Tour Championship – originally due to take place in March in Llandudno – will take place at the Marshall Arena from 20-26 June.

Regarding the latter here is the announcement by WST:

Friday 5 Jun 2020 03:30PM
Snooker’s return to live action will continue later this month with the Coral Tour Championship from June 20th to 26th at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.

Judd Trump leads the race to win the 2020 Coral Cup
The event was originally due to take place on March 17th to 22nd in Llandudno and then rescheduled for July 21st to 26th. But new dates in Milton Keynes have now been confirmed. The tournament will be behind closed doors with extensive live television coverage from ITV4.

This follows the success of this week’s Matchroom.Live Championship League, one of the first sporting events to be staged in the UK since March.

Following weeks of detailed liaison with the UK government, strict health and safety regulations, including Covid-19 testing for all players, officials and staff, have been put into place. These regulations have been followed meticulously this week, allowing the tournament to run smoothly.

The same procedures will be followed during the Coral Tour Championship, and the venue in Milton Keynes has again been selected as it has a hotel on site which means that all personnel can isolate without needing to leave the venue.

One day has been added to the original schedule which means that the whole event can be played on a single televised table, with one match on each day including the final on June 26th.

WST Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are delighted to confirm dates for this event, coming hot on the heels of the Matchroom.Live Championship League. The feedback we have had this week from the players at the venue in Milton Keynes has been excellent. Any concerns they may have had about their own welfare have been laid to rest – in fact one player described it as ‘probably the safest place on Earth.’

“We have proved that despite the many challenges associated with running events in the current conditions, it can be done. There is no sport which can meet the required regulations on isolation, sanitisation and social distancing as rigorously as snooker can, and that is why we have set an example for other sports to follow.

“This is a huge tournament with a stellar line up and massive prize money on offer. We are thrilled to be working with the Coral team as we come to the final chapter in the series with the Coral Cup still up for grabs for all eight players in the field. It’s another major event for the fans and players, ahead of the World Championship.

“And we appreciate the fantastic coverage from ITV and their commitment to working with us to provide many millions of fans with top class live sport.”

The Coral Tour Championship world ranking event is the third and last event in the Coral Series. It features the top eight players on this season’s money list, battling for a top prize of £150,000. The leading money winner across the three events will also receive the Coral Cup and a bonus of £100,000.

The draw for the event is:

Judd Trump v John Higgins
Neil Robertson v Ding Junhui
Mark Selby v Yan Bingtao
Shaun Murphy v Mark Allen

Coral Cup standings after the Coral World Grand Prix and Coral Players Championship:

Judd Trump £132,500
Neil Robertson £100,000
Yan Bingtao £50,000
Shaun Murphy £30,000
John Higgins £27,500
Mark Allen £15,000
Mark Selby £15,000
Ding Junhui £0

Fans who had tickets for the original dates at Venue Cymru in Llandudno will have the option of transferring them to next year or receiving a refund. Next year’s event at the same venue will start on either March 15th or 16th and run until March 21st. With both the venue and ticket agents working with very limited staff, we kindly ask that you refrain from contacting them directly, they will be in touch with all ticket holders as soon as possible.

Here are the matches:

Championship League Snooker 2020 – Groups 5 & 14

Monique Professional snooker tournament

It’s always difficult to predict what you will get from Liang Wenbo. Yesterday, we got the best. When playing like this, he’s very entertaining, he goes for his shots and I like the fact that he shows his emotions all the time. Whatever he feels, you can read it on his face.

I won’t lie, I was expecting Mark Selby to top this group, even with such short format. But he didn’t, he came third. He was overtaken, not only by Liang who won the group, but also by Joe O’Connor, who managed to get a draw against the three times World Champion and score a 143 against him for good measure. This is, for now, the tournament highest break, and, for Joe, a new personal best in professional competition. Joe is very good to watch, very composed, without being slow, and very mature in his shot selection without being negative. One of the best features about this competition is that we get to see players on the main table that we very rarely see in “normal” competitions.

I got a bit upset with the ES commentator during the Selby v O’Connor match. I think that it was Philip Studd. Every odd shot he was going about what Joe O’Connor needed to do to secure his “third” place in the group table, seemingly never even considering that, with a 143 to his name, a draw with Mark Selby would put him in a good position to actually finish second.  True, this depended on Mark Selby’s result against Liang Wenbo, but anything  but a win from Selby was going to put O’Connor ahead of him, and, given Liang’s performances in his first two matches, that was far from impossible. Eventually, it’s exactly what happened.

I didn’t see anything from the other group, but that one went exactly as I expected. With Matthew Stevens withdrawing, I couldn’t see anybody in this group able to challenge Gary Wilson. Gary is a very talented player, and one, I feel, who can produce a very decent level even when short of practice.

Here is the report by WST:

Former English Open champion Liang Wenbo produced a superb showing, as he stormed to top spot in group five at the Matchroom.Live Championship League in Milton Keynes.

Click here for Group Tables, Results and Fixtures and here for details of how to watch live.

Liang now moves on to the Group Winner’s phase next week, where he will form part of group D on Tuesday. He secured his progression with a fine 3-0 defeat of three-time World Champion Mark Selby in the last tie of the day.

World number 34 Liang had already emphatically made his mark on the group with a 3-1 win over Joe O’Connor and a 3-0 defeat of Lee Walker. Throughout the day he compiled century runs of 100, 103 and 117.

“I enjoyed today,” said Liang. “Sometimes you have to enjoy the game and your game will come, snooker is like this, when you’re happy you play well. If I play like this, I will have a chance to win the tournament. I practised for seven or eight days before coming here, after two and a half months off.”

In the end former Welsh Open semi-finalist O’Connor finished second in the group. He defeated Walker 3-1 and made the highest break of the tournament and his career so far, a run of 143, in a 2-2 draw with Selby.

Elsewhere, Gary Wilson punctuated a day of heavy scoring by firing in four century breaks, as he swept to top spot in group 14.

Wilson, who reached the semi-finals of the 2019 World Championship, defeated Mitchell Mann and Gerard Greene 3-0 and secured a 3-1 win over John Astley. He made breaks of 100, 107, 125 and 134 in the process.

“I played okay, a few sloppy shots here and there but that’s to be expected when we’ve had a bit of time off,” said Wilson. “I think we have all come here not really knowing how we are going to play, so I was pleasantly surprised and played alright.

“Like everybody has expressed already, it has been really well organised, I don’t think there is anything you can fault. It has been really good to know it can go ahead like this.”

CLS2020 - Groups 5&14

Ronnie is in action today, with Kishan Hirani, Michael Georgiou and Chris Wakelin in Group 10. It’s hard to know what to expect. Speaking to Hector Nunns, Ronnie said that he hadn’t practice at all since March, except for a few hours. That’s probaly true. When he did his first chat with Hendry on Instagram, he mentioned that they were moving to a new house, with lot of work still to be done in the new one (he explicitely mentioned the kitchen 😉). More recently, he also said to Hector that he had been running quite a lot. At the start of the lockdown he had been piling in the pounds and he wanted to get fit again.

Because of all that, my expectations aren’t high unlike those of Stephen Hendry and others who, on social media, said that they are impatient to see him play. Even in an event like this one, and despite the circumstances, there are a lot of expectations on Ronnie.

The other group today features Tom Ford, Robert Milkins, Mike Dunn and Ian Burns. On paper it’s a very open group. Both Tom Ford and Robert Milkins are very heavy scorers on their day, and this format will suit them.

Championship League Snooker 2020 – Groups 12 & 4

Monique Snooker

I’ll be honest, I struggled to stay interested in the action yesterday, in part because of factors that have nothing to do with the snooker. I probably wasn’t in the right frame of mind, but the action in the afternoon failed to get me hooked.

Here is the report by WST:

Ryan Day made a superb break in the crucial last frame to beat Kyren Wilson 3-1 and top Group 12 at the Matchroom.Live Championship League.

Click here for Group Tables, Results and Fixtures and here for details of how to watch live.

Welshman Day goes through to the Group Winners’ phase next week. It has been a disappointing season for world number 36 Day by his standards – he has played in 13 ranking events and reached the last 32 of just one of those. But he still has time to turn it around.

Wilson, sporting a grey hairstyle, and Day came into the final match in the group with identical records, both having beaten Alfie Burden 3-0 and drawn 2-2 with Chen Feilong.

Breaks of 91 and 55 put Day 2-0 ahead, before Wilson pulled one back, and his 111 in the third frame was the highest break made in the group, which meant he would have topped the table if he had drawn 2-2 with Day.

And world number eight Wilson had an early scoring chance in frame four, but made just 16 before running out of position. Day knocked in a long red and went on to make 86 to book his place in the second phase, when the 16 group winners will return to Milton Keynes.

“It looked like it was going to come down to that last match all day long,” said Day. “When we were both focused and wanting to win the group, you saw the best match of the day. In the end it was basically a deciding frame and I held myself together.

“I think I can speak on behalf of all the players who have played so far by saying there has been a tremendous amount of work and effort gone into putting the event on and it is very professionally run.”

The action continues on Thursday with Mark Selby, Liang Wenbo and Gary Wilson among those on the baize.

 

CLS2020 - Groups 12&4

I was a bit of a shock to see Kyren Wilson, who is only 28, completely grey. Kyren has a table at home, but his form and his tan suggest that he hasn’t practiced much. I don’t blame him. He has a young family, he’s more often away traveling than at home when the snooker season is on. We are going through difficult times and giving his children and partner priority is totally the right thing to do in my eyes. Kyren has also taken time to support the various actions organised by Jason Francis in support of the NHS and other health systems. Good on him.

Ryan Day is a tremendous player when on form, but he’s not been showing much form in recent months, or indeed for the better part of yesterday. I didn’t see the last match. Being in Greece, I’m two hours later than in the UK., so I probably missed the best of the action.

One player who acquitted himself well was Chen Feilong, who got a draw against both Wilson and Day. He still finished last of the group, which honestly doesn’t feel right. Chen lost one match, Alfie Burden lost two matches, Chen won four frames whilst Alfie won three and yet, Alfie finished ahead of Chen.

Also, it’s disappointing that the WST report completely ignores what happened in the other group. Indeed, the lowest-ranked player in the group, and the youngest as well, Harvey Chandler, won it. This wasn’t an easy group either with Joe Perry, currently n°17, and the vastly experienced Mark King in it. Harvey, who is 25 years old, turned professional in 2018 and came runner-up in the Pink Ribbon that year. He’s an attractive player to watch but has struggled on the main tour.  I’m glad to see him doing well in this one.

these are the highlights on the day in 1min47 seconds

Today we have Mark Selby, Liang Wenbo, Lee Walker and Joe O’Connor battling it out in group 5 whilst Gary Wilson, Gerard Greene, Mitchel Mann, and John Astley will be competing in group 14. Gerard Greene replaces Matthew Stevens who has withdrawn.

WST has also published an interesting piece, gathering feedback from the players:

This week we are enjoying the return of live snooker to our screens with the Matchroom.Live Championship League. We’re looking behind the scenes at one of the first sporting events to take place, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

First up, we find out what it has been like to start edging towards a ‘new normal’ from a player’s perspective…

World Champion and world number one Judd Trump was appropriately at centre stage for the sport’s long awaited return, with his opening group fixture on Monday being broadcast to every single nation in the world. It was the first match on the World Snooker Tour since Trump’s Gibraltar Open final victory against Kyren Wilson on March 15th.

Yorkshire cueman David Grace was tasked with tackling Trump in what was a historic opening day tie. However, his first hurdle was to undergo the extensive Covid-19 testing procedure, required for entry to the venue.

World number 85 Grace arrived for the behind-closed-doors event in Milton Keynes a day prior to action commencing, to be tested and then quarantined overnight while he waited for his results. He admits it is a process which will take some getting used to.

Grace said: “It is a different world we are living in at the moment and it was just something we will need to go through for a while. We all arrived at the venue and were sat outside, at a social distance, waiting to be called inside. Nobody knew what to expect, it was a bit like being in an outdoor doctor’s waiting room. My name was eventually called and I went inside. The test only lasts a minute but that was enough. It wasn’t very pleasant at all. I had no idea it was possible to get something that far up your nose!

“It was really professionally done. We all went in one by one. We had masks on and had to sanitise our hands. Once you had been through the testing room you are escorted by security, at a social distance, to your hotel room and you don’t come across anyone on the way. The hotel is attached to the venue, so you don’t go outside at all. I had to take everything in with me, as soon as you enter the building you are past the point of no return and we were told that we wouldn’t be allowed outside again. I instantly regretted not taking more snacks, but they do provide you with three meals throughout the day and it is a waiting game for the results. The hotel room was lovely, but it is amazing being stuck in one place knowing you can’t get out. It is an odd sensation knowing you aren’t allowed to go anywhere.”

The following morning Grace received the all-clear and prepared to do battle with the World Champion. It was a match that didn’t go Grace’s way, with rustiness playing a factor in a 3-0 defeat. Despite having reached the UK Championship semi-finals in 2015, where he lost out to Liang Wenbo, Grace concedes that the surreal circumstances of the match made it one of biggest stages he has competed on.

“It probably was one of the highest profile matches I have ever played in, even though it isn’t the biggest tournament. People have been crying out for live sport and wanting snooker to come back. All eyes were going to be on the TV with Judd bringing back the sport as World Champion and I was the opponent. I had a few chances to clear up from behind and if you don’t take those chances you will get punished against Judd Trump.

“You miss the tournaments and it is nice to be back playing. It isn’t just a question of missing playing, you miss the whole process. The tournaments work backwards in many ways, all of the build up, practising and sorting travel arrangements. I enjoy the whole thing. I have just had ten weeks without hitting a ball. I first picked up a cue at the age of ten and I’ve never gone that long without playing since then. You just don’t have that sort of period without snooker.”

It was fellow group member Elliot Slessor, who provided Trump’s sternest challenge. The world number 70 recorded 3-1 wins over Grace and Daniel Wells, but crucially lost out 3-1 to Trump. Finishing second in the group saw Slessor pocket £2,000. He says that the extensive safety procedures put him at ease and welcomed the opportunity to continue plying his trade

“It is probably the safest place on planet Earth. Eight players who have all tested negative and all the staff doing the same. You are probably more at risk going to the shops. If you go to the supermarket there are lots of people you have never met before that could have it. The way I thought of it was that it was probably the safest place to be,” said 25-year-old Slessor.

He added: “I really fancied winning against Judd, as I felt he would be rusty as well. It was probably the best time to catch him. I just thought if I could take my chances I could win. I missed a few sloppy balls and played some loose shots, you can’t do that against players of his class.

“I am delighted to have something to play in and something to get my arm going. Having not played a shot in two months I felt pretty rusty in the first few games and started to find my feet towards the end. The mortgage always needs to be paid and the car always needs diesel. I’ve got a little girl that eats everything and grows out of clothes like they are going out of fashion. I don’t care if you are high up in the game or lower in the sport, everybody needs to keep going to keep the financial side under control.”

Slessor celebrated becoming a father in February with the birth of daughter Hallie. The recent lockdown and halting of everyday life across the globe has produced harsh difficulties for many. However, it has provided an opportunity for Slessor to be with his daughter in her first months on the planet and has also refreshed his passion for snooker.

He said: “I’ve been very lucky. I’ve seen her laugh for the first time and smile for the first time. I may well not have had that if I was away playing. I think those experiences are priceless. It is a horrible time for everybody, but I have been lucky from the aspect that I’ve seen a bit more of her than I would if tournaments were on.

“For a while I found being on the tour was getting very monotonous. I would go to every tournament, hopefully pick some wages up and then just go home. I didn’t really want to be there if I am truthful. I just wanted to get home as quickly as possible. After a while of lockdown I was wanting to play. I got a bit of enthusiasm back for playing and this event gave me something to work for.”

There is no doubt that a lot of efforts have been put in by WST to get this event running. I’m still not convinced that such drastic measures can be realistically applied to the World Championship qualifiers. Mentally, those qualifiers are the most demanding event on the players at the best of time. Without even considering the practicalities, the constraints and isolation generated by the current situation are bound to take a huge mental toll on players. Some will cynically reflect that it will add to the drama. I’m not one of them. I don’t care about the “drama” if it comes at the expense of players’ mental health and caused bu huge suffering.

The reason I put the last paragraph in blue, is because Elliot Slessor is only 25 and already admits “fatigue” from being on the road and playing week in, week out. Overplaying is not doing anyone any good. Snooker is extremely demanding mentally. Yes, they have a choice to play or not. But do they really with the current ranking system? I don’t think so. It’s time to work on a system that really gives the players a choice. I know that Lewis has his ideas about it, but I doubt that WST would be ready to go that way, nor that it would be easy to understand for the players and the fans. As an alternative, I would welcome a return to a point system, where tournaments requiring similar efforts would “earn” the players the same amount of ranking points,  no matter the prize money, with the “x” best results over two seasons counting towards rankings, x to be agreed, on a seasonal basis, depending on how many events are available on the calendar. It could even be “x”, “y” and “z” if there are different categories of events. If sponsors want the top guys in their events, they will need to put money of offer anyway, no matter the ranking system.

 

 

An interview with Ronnie ahead of the Championship League Snooker 2020

Monique Interview, Professional snooker tournament ,

Ronnie spoke to Hector Nunns ahead of his probable return to action on Friday.

Ronnie O’Sullivan’s return to snooker rests on food rules and Covid-19 protocols

Snooker restarts this week with the 64-player Championship League, but Ronnie O’Sullivan has coronavirus concerns despite player tests and unprecedented measures being in place

By Hector Nunns

Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed he could still pull out of snooker ’s big return – if barred from bringing his own food.

The Rocket will head for Milton Keynes’s Marshall Arena later this week after accepting a place in the 64-player Championship League tournament.

Unprecedented measures are in place including mandatory throat and nose Covid-19 tests, isolation in the on-site hotel, an empty arena, hand sanitiser and gloves to be worn when not at the table.

But five-time world champion O’Sullivan, 44, has taken his food preparation very seriously during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

O’Sullivan has not allowed anyone else to touch or prepare his food for months – and expects to be able to bring his own chickpea curry, chicken, salad and vegetables.

Ronnie
Ronnie O’Sullivan has spent less time at the table this year

Other players are having foil-covered meals left outside their hotel room door.

But O’Sullivan said: “So as long as my desire to stay healthy was respected and I could take my own food, once I heard of the other measures being taken I was happy to play.

“I don’t trust people cooking my own food at the hotel during these times. I have been told that will be okay, but you never know until you arrive there and see what happens.

“If I feel the food situation is not right and I am not allowed to bring in my own pre-prepared stuff, I will feel my health is the most important.

“I don’t mind cold food so I’ll bring some chickpea curry along, or some chicken and make some salad and vegetables.

Ronnie's food

“Until there is a vaccine you are going to be anxious and have worries, and not take risks.

“So when I get there, hopefully I feel safe, and if I don’t and I’m not happy, then my health has to come first and I could leave.

“I asked about the food before I agreed to play. I explained that I have had no one touch my food for the last 10 weeks. I haven’t had takeaways, or let anyone else cook for me.

“I wouldn’t trust anyone else doing it right now. I will cook it at home, take it there, there’s a fridge in the room, and it’s only a day and a half.

“That would be a deal-breaker for me, I am funny about it. They said it would be fine, but let’s wait and see on the day.

“I was the first person to stop shaking hands anyway well before the outbreak, and I’ll do that until the end of my career now. I’ll use the elbow when we can, that’s a good one.

“I have been careful about not touching certain things, like door handles, for three or four years.

“I haven’t had a Covid-19 test up to now, so that will happen I think on Thursday. And if I fail, then it’s straight back home and isolation somewhere else, and back running where I can.

“I have been very careful anyway who I have seen over the last two or three months, maybe two people other than who I am living with.

“I have taken social distancing very seriously, I really don’t want to get ill. That message got through to me.”

Ronnie
Ronnie O’Sullivan won last year’s Tour Championship but may not compete at the Champions League tournament this week (Image: GETTY)

O’Sullivan will be hoping to join world No1 and reigning world champion Judd Trump in next week’s last 16 by winning his group on Friday.

But he admits it will be a shot in the dark – having hardly played or practiced since February.

O’Sullivan added: “I have been keeping my spirits up, and to be honest I have enjoyed some aspects of the lockdown. I have been running a lot and I haven’t missed not playing snooker one bit.

“I have done no practice whatsoever. Literally a couple of hours last week, and I’ll maybe do two or three hours before I play on Friday.

Ronnie social distancing
Ronnie O’Sullivan will have to social distance from others at the tournament (Image: EUROSPORT)

“I last had a decent practice game just before lockdown in March, and before that there were a couple of games in the Shootout.

“So my last proper match was mid-February at the Welsh. I played two exhibitions, the Shootout, and apart from that didn’t pick up my cue.

“I think it will be fine having no crowd for a change, there is a whole circus that goes with snooker for me. Maybe this will be better – a bit of peace and quiet!

“I love the fans, but when I say tournaments can be a circus I don’t think people realise sometimes what is asked of me – probably more than any other player.

“And I just don’t want to do that anymore. I know at this event not a lot will be asked of me, which is fine by me.”

Blue colouring has been added by me.

That Ronnie is an anxious person is nothing new, and he can become quite obsessive about things. He’s obviously very worried about the whole situation. I still believe that there is a good chance for him to play on Friday.

The last bit is revealing as well and is the reason why I think that a World Championship played with no crowd, and minimal media presence, could help him. I have seen it close-up. It is a circus. In a previous interview, Ronnie had revealed that on the evening before the 2019 Masters Final, he had been detained by the media for three hours, and this had been part of his decision not to play in the 2020 Masters. Sportspersons may have a duty to promote their sport, but, first of all, they also are there to try to win, and that should be the priority.