O’Sullivan reveals emotional connection with Ding Junhui ahead of World Championship showdown
CGTN
Ronnie O’Sullivan (L) shakes hands with Ding Junhui after the fourth round of the UK Championship at The Barbican, York, England, December 5, 2019.
“If Ding (Junhui) looks at his career, he’ll say he’s probably got a great balance – he’s been super successful on the table, but he hasn’t been a slave to the sport,” observed snooker great Ronnie O’Sullivan on Thursday ahead of their blockbuster tie in the second round of the World Championship.
The five-time champion, arguably the best player in the world, has a soft spot for the boyish Chinese star. The heartwarming scene of the English veteran and Ding wrapping in a tight embrace after a classic battle at the World Championship quarterfinal in 2017 still lingers in many fans’ memory. “I love him, he’s such a lovely guy,” said O’Sullivan, explaining that long hug.
It will be the third meeting between the pair at the championship, each having won one of their previous encounters. Facing a potentially explosive showdown, O’Sullivan is relishing the “tranquility” at the Crucible in northern England, amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
“My whole life has been about keeping it quiet and as simple as I can… I don’t go out to restaurants, takeaways are fantastic for me; it’s kind of how I’ve lived my life. Now I can go to snooker tournaments and still have that tranquility,” he told Eurosport.
Chinese star Ding Junhui sees world number 1 Ronnie O’Sullivan as his snooker idol. /VCG
“I’m a little bit in that bracket where I like to enjoy my life. There’s always a trade-off. I like to be healthy, live a good lifestyle and that means I can’t play in every tournament, otherwise my lifestyle wouldn’t be how I’d want it.
“Ding probably falls into that category as well. He gets really excited by the really big tournaments, but probably doesn’t want to be on the road 24/7. He drives his own car in many ways, and I respect that.”
Championship droughts weigh heavily on the 33-year-old Ding, a 14-time ranking event winner who is still searching for his first world title. During a brief interview with CGTN Sports Scene earlier this week, O’Sullivan predicted that Ding will eventually break his duck.
“I think Ding’s got a very good record and is a very, very reliable player. He’s delivered the goods for a good 15, 16, 17 years now,” he said.
“Obviously he would love to win the World Championship because as a player growing up and as a professional, you always get asked that question ‘Why haven’t you won the World Championships?’ That’s a horrible question to be asked when you are as good a player as Ding is.
“I had that for quite a while and when I won it for the first time it was a big relief. I think, for Ding, he’s more than capable of doing it, and I’m sure he will one day, I just hope it’s not this year, you know.”
Ding Junhui aims to break his duck at the World Championship. /VCG
On Thursday, O’Sullivan said that time may be running short for Ding if he wants to taste the glory.
“I’m sure he’d love to get his hands on the world title, but each year you get older, it gets harder,” he noted. “Some players can play well into their 40s like me and John Higgins and Mark Williams, but we’re exceptions to the rule.”
Yet Ding remains upbeat about his prospects at this year’s showpiece event.
“Sometimes I need to learn the new things to control the game,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the second round, to improving my game again. I’m looking forward to winning.”
…
This is a short video excerpt that was shared on social media.
Ronnie played very well in the last 32, and this may be the best opportunity he’ll get to win another World title. He hates the hassle that comes with his status in the game, particularly in this tournament. The huge demands of the media, not being able to take a walk without being asked for autographs of selfies every three steps he takes, the constant weight of expectations … all that is a huge burden and one he’s been carrying since 28 years now. There is very little of it this year because of the pandemics.
But then, the same can be said about Ding who has been propelled to stardom at just 18 and has been carrying the hopes of his nation, China, ever since. Having been in the media room at the Crucible for six years, I have seen by myself how much pressure and expectations the Chinese media are putting on the shoulders of this man. It’s crazy really. They aren’t there this time.
Those two are friends, almost “brothers’. This goes back to the 2007 Masters Final, where Ronnie showed a lot of empathy in comforting his very distraught young opponent. He brought him to his own dressing room, made tea for them both, and also brought in one of his close friends who happens to be Chinese, in order to be able to communicate with Ding – who at the time didn’t speak English – and help him through this difficult moment. Many fans believe that the then very young Ding was upset because he was heavily beaten, but I have been told by reliable sources that there was more than that. He was also badly abused by members of the audience, including Chinese spectators that were probably angered because they had hefty bets on him to win.
I hope that this will be a good match, and one they can enjoy. I want Ronnie to win this, of course, but if he loses to Ding, I will then be 100% supporting Ding in his quest for a maiden World title.
Only one last 16 match has concluded and we already have a surprise! I won’t say a “shock” because there are no “shocks” nowadays, as the level down the rankings is far better than it once was and because of the unusual circumstances. I hate the word “shock” anyway…
Kurt Maflin, the qualifier from Norway, has beaten John Higgins by 13-11 from 10-11 down, and he did so with breaks of 80, 75 and 63 in the last three frames. Earlier in the match John Higgins had scored a maximum break, his 10th, but his first at the Crucible.
John Higgins composed the tenth maximum 147 break of his career in his second round Betfred World Championship tie against Kurt Maflin.
The run came in the 12th frame this morning and puts the Scot in line for a £40,000 bonus for the maximum, as well as the £15,000 high break prize.
It’s the first time Higgins has made a 147 at the Crucible and he becomes the seventh player to achieve the feat. Higgins’ perfect break is the first to be made at the Crucible since Stephen Hendry’s contribution against Stuart Bingham in 2012. It’s the 11th in total to have been made at the Theatre of Dreams.
The 45-year-old becomes the oldest ever player to make an official maximum break, beating previous record holder Mark Davis.
Prior to the event Higgins predicted there would be a 147 and stated that this year’s tournament could be the best ever in terms of standard.
Higgins said: “This will probably surpass any tournament with the standard you will see. Everybody will be giving it everything for a month solid and put the tough hours in. Everybody will be hungry, there will be nobody tired or jaded. They will all be going in firing on all cylinders. I really think it could be the best tournament standard-wise. Even though we might not have the crowd, I think it could be the best.
“Everything involved adds up to that. Mentally people will be giving it extra, because the event could have been taken away from them. Everyone will be sharp as a tack. It could break all the records in terms of centuries. I definitely think there will be a maximum break. There are only a select few players that have made one at the Crucible before. I think the whole situation and the crowd gets on top of you normally at the Crucible. I’d be very surprised if there wasn’t one or maybe even two this year.”
John Higgins came from 7-4 down to level at 8-8 with Kurt Maflin going into the final session of their Betfred World Championship second round match.
A fabulous session at the Crucible saw Higgins become the first player to make a 147 at the Crucible since 2012, and set up a blockbuster conclusion to the last 16 tie tonight. Qualifier Maflin has been ahead for most of the match but can’t shake off a determined opponent. First to 13 frames goes through to the quarter-finals.
The first two frames today were shared, then Norway’s Maflin made a break of 97 to lead 7-4. Scotland’s Higgins made his perfect break in frame 12, potting 15 reds with blacks and clearing the colours to make it 7-5 at the interval.
In frame 13, Higgins made a trademark 55 clearance to pull within one frame, before Maflin gave himself daylight again with a run of 81 for 8-6. Four-time Crucible king Higgins, who has lost in the last three finals, made a 71 to take frame 15.
In the last frame of the session, Maflin led 66-8, but could only sit in his chair as Higgins knocked in a long red to initiate a brilliant 63 clearance, highlighted by a superb pot on the last red to a baulk corner. They resume at 7pm.
On the other table, Noppon Saengkham came from 3-1 down to lead Mark Selby 5-3 at the end of their first session. Thailand’s Saengkham knocked out Shaun Murphy in the first round and has his sights set on another major scalp.
After losing the first frame, three-time World Champion Selby knocked in breaks of 84, 70 and 201 to lead 3-1. But the tide turned after the interval as Saengkham fired 76, 122 and 64 to go 4-3 up. Selby led 48-11 in the last frame of the session, only for Saengkham to clear with 50. They resume at 7pm for eight more frames.
Kurt Maflin won a classic second round match 13-11 to make it a bittersweet day for John Higgins at the Betfred World Championship.
Earlier in the day, Higgins earned a piece of Crucible history as he became only the seventh player to make a 147 at the famous venue, and the first since 2012. But the Scot admitted afterwards he would have gladly swapped the maximum for a place in the quarter-finals, having suffered a surprise defeat to Norway’s Maflin.
Four-time champion Higgins has been in the final in each of the last three years, but this time faces an early trip home having been outplayed in the closing stages of a thrilling contest.
World number 43 Maflin had never won a match at the Crucible before this week, but has now knocked out David Gilbert and fifth seed Higgins to book a meeting with Anthony McGill or Jamie Clarke in the last eight. One of those three qualifiers will be in the semi-finals.
Maflin dominated the first two frames of tonight’s final session to go 10-8 ahead, and he led 43-0 in the next, only for Higgins to take it with an excellent 78 clearance. Wishaw’s Higgins won the next two to lead 11-10, but that sparked a Maflin revival as he knocked in runs of 80 and 75 to go 12-11 ahead.
In frame 24, Maflin made 63 before missing a tricky red to a centre pocket. Higgins had a chance to counter but made just 7 before rattling a red in the jaws of a top corner. A safety exchange ended with a Higgins error and Maflin added 29 points for victory.
“It was a really good, hard fought, entertaining game,” said 36-year-old Maflin. “I enjoyed it, it had everything and it was a high standard. It was great to be involved in.
“At the interval I spoke to my dad and he told me to speed up because I was taking too long over shots. He said I’m good enough and I should go for my shots and keep focused. John made it so tough, I gave it everything in the locker. I was running out of gas at 11-10 down but the reserve tank kicked in.
“It feels brilliant. My wife and kids will be proud of the fact that I’m in the quarter-finals. It makes it worth all the sacrifices. I’m ready to play again.”
Higgins said: “Kurt played amazing, to finish it the way he did. He bulldozed his way over the line. I’m disappointed because I had a chance at 11-10. When I come away from the tournament I will reflect on the 147, but at the moment I’d swap that for a place in the quarter-finals.”
Meanwhile, three-time champion Mark Selby came from 5-3 down to level at 8-8 against Noppon Saengkham in their second session. They play to a finish on Friday from 2.30pm.
Leicester’s Selby made a flying start to the session as breaks of 76, 55 and 120 gave him the first three frames and put him 6-5 up. But he didn’t pot a ball in the next two frames as Thailand’s Saengkham took them with runs of 74 and 43.
Selby levelled at 7-7 with an 81 before Saengkham regained the lead with a 105. The final frame of the session was settled when Selby knocked in a cracking long pot on the last red, to square the match overnight.
I highlighted the part above in bold because, quite often, when a player is struggling you read comments from fans “advising” them to play slower and more conservatively. Over all the years I’ve been watching snooker I’ve formed an opinion that this is NOT helpful in the vast majority of situations. I leads to overthinking, loss of rhythm and increased anxiety. Kurt’s dad advice was the right one.
Mark Selby and Noppon Saemgkham are locked at 8-8 after two sessions. Short accounts on this match are also included in the above WST accounts. Mark Williams and Stuart Bingham are also all square at 8-8. Neither is playing well.
Finally, Yan Bingtao leads Judd Trump by 5-3 after their first session and here is WST report:
Judd Trump will need a second round fight-back if he is to continue the defence of his Betfred World Championship crown as he is 5-3 down against Yan Bingtao after the first session of their best-of-25 tie.
Trump is aiming to break the Curse of the Crucible as no first-time winner has retained the title the following year, but he’ll have to win ten of the last 17 frames against Chinese ace Yan to reach the quarter-finals.
At the age of 20 years and six months, Yan would become the youngest ever World Champion if he goes all the way to the trophy, a record currently held by Stephen Hendry who was 21 years and four months when he won his first title in 1990.
A scrappy opening frame lasted 38 minutes and went Trump’s way, before Yan levelled with a superb break of 133. Trump regained the lead and made a 65 in the fourth, but his opponent clawed his way back into the frame and eventually won it by clearing from the last red for 2-2.
Yan reeled off three frames in a row after the interval with runs of 91, 42 and 93 to lead 5-2. In the last of the session, Yan had a chance to clear, but missed the brown off the last red when he trailed 67-37. A relieved Trump took advantage to reduce his arrears. They return at 10am on Friday for eight more frames.
On the other table, former champions Mark Williams and Stuart Bingham finished tied 8-8 at the end of their second session. They are back on the baize at 10am on Friday to play to a finish.
Williams led 5-3 overnight and took the first frame today on the colours. Bingham won frame ten with a run of 115 the pinched the next two with late clearances, before making a 76 in the 13th to hit the front at 7-6.
In the 14th it was Williams’ turn to make an important clearance as he squared the match, and the Welshman took the next to lead 8-7. He could have stolen the 16th as well but missed a tricky final green. After a brief safety exchange, Bingham converted a thumping long pot on the brown and added blue and pink to leave the contest in the balance.
It’s fair to say that at 5-2 down Judd Trump looked very uneasy, slumped in his chair. The commentators seem to systematically under-rate Yan just because he’s not what they expect from a 20 years old and because they struggle to “categorise” him. They like to put players in “boxes”; A is fast and attacking, B is a methodical all-rounder, C is “the best with the rest”, etc… They struggle to find a fitting box for Yan and apparantly it annoys them big time! “I don’t know what he is” … in the words of Stephen Hendry. Well, he’s Yan, and he’s the best young prospect our sport has at this point in time.
Barry Hawkins eased to a 10-2 demolition of Switzerland’s Alexander Ursenbacher to reach the second round of the Betfred World Championship.
Hawkins holds a phenomenal Crucible record, today’s victory marks his 10th consecutive first round win at snooker’s Theatre of Dreams. He’s reached four World Championship semi-finals and a final and has now won 20 of his last 27 matches at the Sheffield event.
Next up Hawkins will face a mouth-watering clash against world number two Neil Robertson. They last met at the Crucible in 2015, when Hawkins edged a thrilling quarter-final meeting 13-12.
It was a steep learning curve for debutant Ursenbacher. However, he did make history by becoming the first Swiss player to reach the Crucible, after a narrow 10-8 win over Andrew Higginson in the final round of qualifying.
Hawkins came into this afternoon’s concluding session with a hefty 7-2 advantage. He made swift work of getting over the line this afternoon. Breaks of 84 and 53 helped him to three frames on the bounce, which sealed the 10-2 win.
Hawkins said: “I know he is a dangerous player and when he gets going, he goes for his shots. I felt like if I kept him tight, I would get my chances this way. A bit more experience under his belt he might develop his all-round game. It’s tough coming here first time. I lost 10-1 coming here first time. He did better than I did.
“The last few years I’ve managed to play some good stuff here. I’ve had some unbelievable matches along the way and I’d like to continue that nice form and that good record. But even getting to the quarters or the semis, you are still going home a loser and you are still not picking up the trophy. I’ll keep trying and see where it takes me.
“It is very strange out there. I found if very hard to concentrate yesterday. In spells I did, but in patches I felt quite flat. I would rather be here playing than not. You just have to remind yourself it is the World Championship, get your head down and give it your all.
“Neil has been in fantastic form this season and got himself back up to number two in the world. He is one of those players that can get on a roll and just steamroll you. HIs long potting is fantastic and his record shows that. It is a tough game, you can’t ask for much harder in the second round. If you have any aspirations of winning this tournament, you need to step up and beat them all. Especially players like Neil. I’m looking forward to seeing where my game is at.”
Martin Gould’s marvellous Betfred World Championship campaign continued as he crushed Stephen Maguire 10-3 to reach the last 16.
If Gould had lost his first qualifying match last month he would have been relegated from the pro tour and facing at least a year away from the circuit, as he had not entered Q School. But having scored three victories to make it to the Crucible, the talented 38-year-old is now on the crest of a wave. He made four centuries in a tremendous display against Maguire as he set up a second round match with Kyren Wilson.
Londoner Gould is through to the last 16 in Sheffield for the third time, having reached the same stage in 2010 and 2011. He won the German Masters in 2016 but subsequently suffered a slump in form which has seen him drop to 60th in the world. This is his first run to the last 16 of a ranking event for nearly two years.
Glasgow’s Maguire came into this event as one of the favourites having won the Tour Championship in June. But he couldn’t replicate that form and has now lost in the first round nine times in 17 Crucible appearances
Most of the damage was done by Gould in the first session, firing breaks of 103, 103, 100 and 103 as he built a 7-2 lead. He got the better of a scrappy opening frame tonight to extend his lead, then made a 54 in the next as he went 9-2 up.
Maguire set about a 147 attempt in frame 12 and got to 96 before losing position with three reds left. That made it 9-3 but Gould took frame 13 with a run of 51 to seal his sixth win in as many meetings with Maguire.
“I loved it out there,” said Gould. “I haven’t enjoyed snooker for the last couple of years but I did tonight. I played really well in the first session, it just felt like a practice match. My form has been there waiting to come out, and in the first session everything came together, it was one of the best matches I have played. Stephen brings the best out of me because I always know I have to play well to beat him.
“I don’t want the run to end here. Kyren will be a tough opponent and I’ll look forward to that challenge.”
This is so strange. Results in the 2020 CLS and the 2020 Tour Championship seem to mean nothing this week. Stephen Maguire won the Tour Championship, he played really great, and here he comes and gets outplayed by someone who was on the verge of relegation.
“I found it difficult at the start. It took someone realising I had a problem to come out and ask me.
“Once I felt comfortable speaking to that person, they helped me get to the next avenue of who I needed to speak to.
“It is very difficult for males to speak up, but there is nothing to be ashamed of really.”
…
Before the tournament, Gould said the coronavirus lockdown “saved” him from falling “completely out of love with the game”.
“It got to the point where you don’t enjoy what you are doing and you don’t want to do it,” he said.
“Nothing to do with social media or anything like that I have seen documented; nothing to do with the abuse on social media. It was my own personal [battle] and [my mind] had gone for a long walk. It was a long road to get it back.
“I spoke to World Snooker Tour and some family and close friends and they helped me out a huge amount.
“I am enjoying playing at the moment and long may that continue because the more I enjoy it the better I play.”
…
Two last 16 matches started yesterday as well. Those matches are played over three sessions. Here are the reports by WST.
Norway’s Kurt Maflin holds a 5-3 lead over four-time Crucible king John Higgins after the first session of their Betfred World Championship second round meeting.
Maflin’s thrilling 10-8 victory over David Gilbert in the opening round was his first ever win at the Crucible. His only other trip to snooker’s Theatre of Dreams ended in a 10-9 defeat against Mark Selby in 2015.
Scotland’s Higgins is bidding for a fifth world title and a fourth consecutive appearance in the Crucible final. He booked his place in the second round with a 10-5 win over Matthew Stevens.
Higgins took control in the early exchanges this afternoon, claiming the opening two frames with breaks of 53 and 69. Maflin responded with a contribution of 79, before claiming the fourth frame to draw level at 2-2.
The Norwegian then made it four frames on the bounce, to lead 4-2. Higgins replied with a fine century run of 101 to pull within a frame. However, Maflin re-established his two-frame cushion with a break of 81 to lead 5-3.
They will return for the second of three sessions tomorrow morning at 10am.
After a slow start, Kurt played really well. It’s a strange thing about John Higgins for me. Although I can see and appreciate his considerable skills, i get bored watching him pretty quickly. I’m not sure why.
Mark Williams took a 5-3 lead over Stuart Bingham in the first session of their Betfred World Championship second round meeting.
There is an abundance of experience between the pair as they have four world titles and 36 Crucible appearances between them, though this is the first time they have met in this event.
The first four frames were shared, neither player making a break over 50. Williams, the 2000, 2003 and 2018 champion, then stepped up a gear with breaks of 97 and 90 to lead 4-2. The Welshman also took frame seven, getting the better of a safety battle on the penultimate red, to extend his lead.
Basildon’s Bingham, who took the trophy in 2015, made a 57 in the last frame of the session to stay in touch. They play eight more frames on Thursday from 2.30pm, with the concluding session on Friday morning.
I won’t go as far as to say that those two played like club players with no eyes yesterday evening, but the standard was surprisingly poor, especially before the MSI. This is a second round match between two former World Champions at the Crucible and for the best part of it they both struggled to build any telling break and were missing all sorts. Then Willo seemed to find a bit of something but was still far from his best.
Both Mark Williams and Martin Gould expressed reservations regarding the “canned applause”. I can see why. It must be very weird to hear applause whilst in an empty arena, It’s not that bad on televion because, most of the time, the camera focussed on the table. Panning through empty seats whilst applause are heard would feel very, very strange indeed.
This is the menu for today …
Judd Trump, speaking to Eurosport, has apparently been piling praise on his young opponent despite the fact that he has beaten him five times out of five matches they played.
‘He’s certainly doing much better than anyone else for his age, he’s probably five or 10 years ahead of anyone,’ said Trump earlier this season.
‘If he can keep progressing the way he is, he looks like he wants to learn, he’s taking everything in, enjoying himself out there and he looks like he practices very hard so I think over the next couple of years he’ll really break through and win some big events.’
“he (Yan) is very mature for his age and he doesn’t go for anything stupid. He takes his time and he has certainly got a chance of being world champion in the future.”
…
“It’s also good to have young players coming through. It keeps you on your toes and it’s nice to have the 40-plus players not winning everything all the time.”
…
“The future of the game is in really good hands with these Chinese players, and in the future there will certainly be a more even ratio of players from China and the UK.”
Yesterday was the most dramatic day at the Crucible this year so far, with Shaun Murphy and Mark Allen departing, and Stephen Maguire in serious danger to follow them out of the Championship.
Shaun Murphy became the biggest shock casualty of the first round of the Betfred World Championship so far as he lost 10-4 to world number 42 Noppon Saengkham.
Defeat extends Murphy’s poor run of results at the Crucible in recent years as he has now lost in the opening round in three of his last five appearances, and in the second round on the other two occasions.
Overall it has been a fine season for the world number ten – he has won two ranking events in a single campaign for the first time in his career – but the enforced break caused by lockdown ended his momentum and he lacked sharpness throughout this contest.
Thailand’s Saengkham was a semi-finalist at two ranking events in 2018, but to beat a former World Champion at the Crucible is undoubtedly the best win of his career. The 28-year-old from Samut Prakan goes through to the last 16 to face Mark Selby or Jordan Brown.
It may have been a best-of-19 but a turning point came as early as the second frame when Murphy, leading 1-0, missed a straight-forward red on a break of 67 and his opponent punished him with a fine clearance. That set the tone for the match as former world under-21 champion Saengkham pounced on Murphy’s errors.
The Thai led 6-3 overnight and took the first two frames today with breaks of 53 and 63. He had a chance in the next as well but missed a tricky red to centre on 52 and Murphy made a 46 clearance for 8-4.
But that did not spark a fight-back, as Saengkham recovered to take frame 13 with a run of 60 to lead 9-4 at the interval, and he soon wrapped up victory with a run of 76 in frame 14.
“The is the biggest win of my life, it is my dream,” said Saengkham, the third Thai player after James Wattana and Dechawat Poomjaeng to win a match at the Crucible. “I am surprised. I couldn’t sleep last night because I was 6-3 up. I went to sleep at 1am and woke up at 5am. I still can’t believe I beat him. I just tried to concentrate on every shot, just focusing on the table.
“I thought about the people in Thailand watching me, I hope they are happy and proud of me. I would like to play Mark Selby next, I will try my best.”
Murphy said: “That performance did come as a surprise to me as much as anyone, I didn’t see it coming. My preparation has been very good, I have put a lot of time in on the practice table. My form has been good this season with two titles and other finals, so this was a shock to me. But we are all human.
“I was very much below par across the whole match. Probably the worst two days of my snooker year came together at the worst possible time. But that aside, Noppon played very well, I can only heap praise on him. I made mistakes but that was because he put pressure on me and had me under it right from the word go.”
Murphy’s former manager and close friend Brandon Parker passed away last month but he refused to use that as an excuse for defeat. “I came here wanting to honour Brandon’s memory as well as I could,” added the 37-year-old. “You dream of winning the title and dedicating it to him. But I would never dishonour him by saying that has caused me a problem. This is just a snooker tournament. I tried my absolute best, and I lost.”
Shaun Murphy doesn’t want to make excuses – he rarely does, if ever – but it’s likely that what happened in recent weeks has affected him. He said ” we are all human” and he wouldn’t be human if he was immune to the loss of a dear friend and mentor as well as to the complicate circumstances around Brandon’s funerals. That’s taking nothing away from Noppon’s merit. He played very well and stayed composed all along. He should be proud, and I’m certain that they are very proud of him at home as well.
World number four Mark Allen holds a narrow 5-4 lead over Jamie Clarke after a scintillating session of snooker in their Betfred World Championship first round clash.
Allen fired a barrage of four centuries and is now just one away from equalling Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record for most in a best of 19 match at the Crucible. The Rocket made five in his first round clash with David Gray in 2000.
The Pistol came into this year’s event already in good form, having reached the final of the recent Tour Championship, where he was runner-up to Stephen Maguire.
World number 89 Clarke has more than held his own on his Crucible debut, having negotiated the qualifying stages to save his place on the circuit. He needed to come through three rounds at the English Institute of Sport to avoid relegation from the tour and reach the Theatre of Dreams.
This morning’s encounter got off to a blistering start. Northern Irishman Allen piled the pressure on Clarke, composing breaks of 136 and 105 to move into a 2-0 lead.
Welshman Clarke was undaunted and crafted a century run of his own with a superb 136 to cut his arrears in half. Clarke then needed three snookers in the fourth frame, but got them and clinched it on the black to make it 2-2 at the mid-session.
When they returned, Clarke pinched a second consecutive frame on the black to move ahead for the first time at 3-2. Allen responded swiftly and took to the front once more with back-to-back century breaks of 122 and 104. He then claimed the eighth frame on a re-spotted black to lead 5-3.
However, Clarke crucially clinched the final frame of the session to trail by just one heading into tonight’s conclusion. They return at 7pm.
Jamie Clarke made an astonishing Crucible debut by knocking out world number four Mark Allen, winning 10-8 in the first round of the Betfred World Championship.
Allen made five centuries, tying the record for a first round match at the Crucible, set 20 years ago by Ronnie O’Sullivan. But he couldn’t shake off a determined opponent and it was Clarke who finished the match strongly to book a second round meeting with Anthony McGill.
It’s a remarkable turnaround for Clarke, who lost his first nine matches this season and came into the last tournament needing to make it to the Crucible just to keep his professional status. The world number 89 won three matches to make it through the qualifying rounds and has now scored a career-best result against former Masters champion Allen. The 25-year-old from Llanelli is guaranteed £30,000, by far his biggest pay day.
Before the qualifiers started he spent a week practising with Noppon Saengkham in Sheffield and that has clearly paid dividends as both players scored shock victories today – Saengkham knocking out Shaun Murphy.
For Northern Ireland’s Allen it’s a desperately disappointing end to a season in which he has reached seven semi-finals but failed to add to his tally of titles. He has reached just one Crucible quarter-final in his last nine appearances.
Allen led 5-4 after the first session this morning and started strongly tonight with a break of 105. Clarke pinched the next by clearing from yellow to black, then compiled runs of 53 and 80 to lead 7-6 at the interval. Frame 14 came down to the colours and Clarke enjoyed a huge stroke of good fortune as he fluked the brown and added blue and pink for 8-6.
A run of 59 gave Allen frame 15 and he led 44-0 in the next, only for Clarke to make a superb 74 clearance. Five-time ranking event winner Allen made a 76 to close to 9-8, but couldn’t gain a foothold in frame 18. Clarke’s run of 48 put him in control, and when he converted a long plant with five reds left, he was able to add 12 points which proved enough.
“Never in a million years could I have dreamed of this,” said the Welshman. “I went into the qualifiers without a lot of confidence, just hoping to win one match. After that I got on a roll. I am in shock at the moment. I went out there today to enjoy every minute and I was loving the experience.
“Mark was playing well and I was just trying to hang on to him, until the end when I had a chance to win. I will keep the same attitude in the next round and my belief is growing.”
Allen said: “For a debutant, Jamie played out of his skin. With no crowd there it was difficult to put him under pressure. I made too many mistakes on the safety side.”
This match was reminiscent of the Ronnie O’Sullivan defeat to David Gray in the first round at the Crucible in 2000. Ronnie made five centuries in that match and three more 50+ breaks, but was still beaten by 10-9 by David Gray who did’nt score a century all match. Ronnie has spoken about this match a few times, and said that this match was a real shock to the system because it was the first time that he was beaten whilst knowing that he had played really well. Allen won’t say that he played really well despite the 5 centuriesthis year . He looked very nervous towards the end, and made too many mistakes. Many saw him as a real contender for the title and I think this weighted him down. He’s not the best under the pressure of others’ expectations. His record in the Northern Ireland Open is indicative of that.
As for Jamie Clarke, what a performance! He struggled for the best part of his two years as a rookie professional. As David Grace put it on Facebook “Jamie Clarke lost the final match to turn pro 5 or 6 times before he finally got his Tour card, now he’s in the Last 16 at the Crucible!”. Take a bow Jamie. Stephen Hendry was in the commentary box for the second session and I can’t remember him getting so “involved” in a match he was commenting on before. You could sense that he was “living” it with Jamie. Not that he ever “took side”, he remained neutral but he was clearly excited by what he was witnessing.
Martin Gould rattled in four centuries as he took a 7-2 lead over Stephen Maguire in the first session of their Betfred World Championship clash.
The pair came into this tournament with contrasting fortunes so far this season, as Gould was in danger of tour relegation while Maguire was on a high having won the Tour Championship. But Gould came through the qualifying rounds to secure his pro status and is now playing with freedom and confidence.
After sharing the first two frames, the former German Masters champion reeled off five in a row with breaks of 103, 77, 103, 100 and 83. Maguire took frame eight on the colours but Gould finished the session on top with another run of 103.
He became the second player today – after Mark Allen – to make four centuries in a session. Both are within one of equalling Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record of five tons in a best-of-19 match at the Crucible, set in 2000 against David Gray.
Londoner Gould needs three more frames when they resume on Wednesday evening to reach the last 16 in Sheffield for the third time.
Three-time World Champion Mark Selby saw off Crucible debutant Jordan Brown 10-6 to book his place in the second round of the Betfred World Championship.
World number seven Selby has picked up two ranking titles this season, winning both the English and Scottish Opens to become the first player to win two Home Nations Series titles in a single campaign.
The 17-time ranking event winner will now face Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham in the second round. Saengkham recorded a shock 10-4 win over Shaun Murphy to reach the last 16. Selby will be hoping to progress and reach the quarter-finals for the first time since he last won the world title in 2017.
World number 73 Brown gave an impressive account of himself on his first trip to snooker’s Theatre of Dreams. Despite eventually succumbing to defeat, he can leave Sheffield in the knowledge that he has secured his professional status, which was under threat prior to last month’s qualifying event.
The tie was finely poised coming into this afternoon’s concluding session, with Selby holding a slender 5-4 advantage. Breaks of 50 and 65 saw Selby move 7-4 ahead in the early stages, but Antrim’s Brown refused to fade away. He claimed the next two frames to trail 7-6 at the mid-session.
When they returned, Selby claimed the next three on the bounce to clinch his 10-6 victory and a place in the second round.
“The first round is always the hardest to win. You are always really edgy and you don’t feel you are a part of the tournament until you get that out of the way,” said 37-year-old Selby. “It is very different this year. I still felt nervous at the start. That is just what the Crucible does to you. Whether there is a crowd or not, it is such a prestigious tournament, everyone wants to do well in it. You try that little bit harder than anywhere else.
“I suppose I was a little bit surprised that Noppon beat Shaun. There are no easy games anymore though. I’ve played Noppon a few times and he was fantastic. For the players, I don’t think it was that much of a shock. The viewers watching will obviously put it as a bigger one. Knowing how he can play, it doesn’t surprise me that much.
“I’ve been a bit in and out this season. I’ve had events back-to-back when I’ve not performed at all or looked like winning a tournament. I won two in quick succession and then I went back to not playing great again. That is down to how tough the standard is. Sometimes I haven’t played badly, I’ve just been beaten by the better player.”
For the little I saw, Mark Selby was well below his best, but of course, even then he’s always hard to beat.
Barry Hawkins opened up a dominant 7-2 lead over Alexander Ursenbacher after the first session of their Betfred World Championship opening round clash.
Hawkins boasts one of the most impressive Crucible records in the sport over recent years. Since 2013, he’s reached a final, four semi-finals and a quarter-final at snooker’s Theatre of Dreams.
Ursenbacher came through qualifying with a thrilling 10-8 win over Andrew Higginson to become the first Swiss player to reach the final stages of the World Championship.
With his very first shot at the Crucible, Ursenbacher fired in a tremendous long red and made 54 from it, as he claimed the opening frame.
However, from there Hawkins took complete control of the tie. Breaks of 70, 56, 57, 62 and 65 saw the world number 15 pull clear of his opponent and establish a 7-2 advantage.
They will return to play to a conclusion on Wednesday afternoon from 1pm.
Today we have only two sessions as the tables are recovered ahead of the second round.
Anthony McGill secured a 5-4 lead over Jack Lisowski after the first session of their opening round Betfred World Championship meeting.
McGill is making his sixth consecutive Crucible appearance, dating back to his run to the quarter-finals whilst making his debut in 2015.
Having dropped out of the world’s top 16 in recent times, he needed to come through last week’s qualifying event at the English Institute of Sport. McGill showed tremendous form, dropping just two frames in beating Jak Jones and Sam Baird, 6-1 and 10-1 respectively.
Lisowski is competing at the Crucible as a member of the world’s top 16 for the second consecutive year, having climbed the rankings after a string of impressive runs. He reached the final of the Scottish Open earlier this season, but was denied a maiden ranking title by Mark Selby.
The pair shared the opening four frames this afternoon to head into the mid-session at 2-2. When they returned, breaks of 64 and 87 helped McGill on his way to three frames on the bounce to lead 5-2.
However, Lisowski ended the morning strongly. The Gloucestershire cueman fired in a century run of 107 and followed it up by taking the ninth frame to set up an intriguing final session. They will return to play to a conclusion at 7pm.
Anthony McGill’s sensational pot on the final blue in the deciding frame gave him a 10-9 victory over Jack Lisowski in an enthralling first round clash at the Betfred World Championship.
It was classic late night drama at the Crucible as the deciding frame came down to a long battle on the colours. Faced with a death-or-glory long blue, McGill drilled it into a top corner, though it rattled in the jaws for a split second before dropping. He added a simple pink to book a second round match with Mark Allen or Jamie Clarke.
“When I was standing behind the blue, it was horrible,” said world number 39 McGill. “I didn’t have a safety shot. I had to strike it nice and pure and hope it went in. I hit it sweet as a nut but then I wasn’t sure it it was going to drop, and when it did I was so happy.”
Earlier in the evening it was high quality snooker as the pair traded blows. Glasgow’s McGill made breaks of 65, 70, 67 and 51 as he extended his 5-4 overnight lead to 9-6, while Lisowski fired 90 and 84 in the two frames he won.
Gloucestershire’s Lisowski then rose to the challenge as he won three frames in 36 minutes with top runs of 65 and 102 to draw level at 9-9. Both players had chances in the decider and when they came to the blue there was just a point between them, McGill trailing 55-54 when he grasped his chance.
“I enjoyed the battle,” said the Scot. “It’s good to be in that arena in a tight match, pitting your wits against one of the top 16. I felt Jack was always on top when we were on the blue, I was just trying not to leave him a pot. I love it here. I was just praying I didn’t lose in the qualifiers because I feel when I get to the Crucible I have a chance of playing well.”
McGill reached the quarter-finals on his Crucible debut in 2015 and went on to win ranking titles in 2016 and 2017. He then had a dip in form and has slipped down the rankings, but the 29-year-old believes he is back on an upward trajectory.
“I took about five steps back a couple of years ago, my standard was really poor,” he added. “I’m getting a little bit better now, it takes time. Wins like tonight give me a big boost because I know I can come through a tight match if it happens again. It’s good for the belief.”
On the other table, three-time Crucible king Mark Selby came from 3-2 down to lead debutant Jordan Brown 5-4. Northern Ireland’s Brown had the better of the early stages and made a top break of 76 in taking three of the first five frames.
Selby made 50 and 119 to go 4-3 ahead. The eighth went Brown’s way but it was Selby who got the better of a scrappy last frame of the session to secure a slender overnight lead. They resume at 2.30pm on Tuesday.
That blue by McGill is probaby the one of the very best pot under pressure I’ve ever seen. It was a horrible shot, it would have been extremely difficult even in practice, without pressure. Under the circumstances it was extraordinary. Take a bow Ants! For Jack Lisowski and his fans it’s another heartbreak. Sure, he wasn’t outplayed this time, and he showed resilience coming back from 5-2 to 5-5 and from 9-6 to 9-9. But, truth to be said, he should never have been in those positions to start with. As usual, Jack potted a lot of incredible balls, but he also made some silly mistakes, missed some apparently routine balls. The day he cuts those mistakes out, he will be formidable. But will that day ever come?
The afternoon session saw Elliot Slessor coming back at Yan Bingtao. From 8-1 down, he managed to get back to 9-7. It was a brave display after yesterday’s disaster. But he left himself too much to do and, eventually, Yan got over the line.
World number 16 Yan Bingtao staved off a brave Elliot Slessor fightback to win 10-7 in a tense first round clash at the Betfred World Championship.
It had looked set to be a straightforward afternoon for China’s 20-year-old Yan, who held a hefty 7-1 advantage after yesterday’s first session. However, Crucible debutant Slessor came charging back this afternoon and exerted heavy pressure on the Asian number two.
Yan eventually got over the line and is through to the last 16 of snooker’s biggest tournament for the first time, where he will meet defending champion Judd Trump.
Yan fired a break of 67 in today’s opener to extend his lead to 8-1. The next two were shared then Gateshead’s Slessor reduced his arrears to 9-3 at the interval with a sublime break of 123.
From that point world number 69 Slessor began work his way back towards contention. A gritty clearance of 40 helped him steal the first frame after the interval on the black. In a dramatic finish to the 14th frame, Yan inadvertently knocked the black in after potting what would have been a match ball green. Slessor cleared from green to pink to pull within four frames at 9-5. He then cranked up the heat further by taking the 15th frame to make it 9-6.
A break of 57 saw Slessor make it 9-7 and spark genuine hopes of a remarkable fightback. However, a relieved Yan hauled himself over the line by taking a tightly contested 36-minute frame to win 10-7.
“I was getting a bit nervous near the end and I was very glad to win when I did,” said Riga Masters champion Yan. “If I had lost the last frame we would have had to come off at 9-8 and I did not want to come back later in the evening.”
Yan was asked about an incident in the 14th frame when he accidentally smashed a glass by knocking it to the floor. “It was a tight space with the chairs and the table,” he said. I was trying to step back and get out of Elliot’s way but I knocked the glass with my leg. After that I bumped into the table again so it’s lucky they hadn’t replaced the glass or I would have broken two.”
Meanwhile, tenth seed Shaun Murphy is in danger of a surprise defeat as he trails Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham 6-3.
In the last four years, Murphy has lost twice in the first round and twice in the second round, and if he is to avoid another early exit he’ll need to win seven of the last ten frames when they return on Tuesday morning.
Murphy, the 2005 World Champion, took the opening frame and looked set to add the second until he missed a red to a top corner on a break of 67. That proved a turning point as Saengkham cleared with 64 then took the next three frames with top runs of 67 and 59 to lead 4-1.
Breaks of 75 and 101 brought Murphy back to 4-3 but he then lost a 42-minute eighth frame as world number 42 Saengkham got the better of a safety exchange on the blue. And the last frame of the session went Saengkham’s way too, giving him a handy overnight advantage.
At the time of writing, things look ever more ominous for Murphy as he is now 3-8 down…
Also the Q-school got underway.
The way it’s done, it certainly offers no guarantee that the best players will get through. To illustrate that fact, here is what happened yesterday in the first round: Wu Yize who managed to beat Ashley Hugill and Robbie Williams during the World Qualifiers in July, was beaten by Julien Leclercq from Belgium. Not many of you will know Julien, but, believe me, he’s a very good player. Wu had breaks of 98 and 92, Julien had breaks of 71, 81 and 78. Both are young players with a real potential, one of them is out, whislt some others will get byes to round 3…
The World Snooker Tour continues to lead the way to the return of regular live sport with the announcement of a packed calendar for the first half of the 2020/21 season, with nine tournaments between September and December.
Snooker has set the pace in recent months with a pioneering approach towards the return of live events. The Betfred World Championship was selected as the first indoor sporting event in the UK with a crowd, then following a revision of Government guidelines it reverted to being behind closed doors at this stage.
And despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the tour continues to thrive, with a packed pre-Christmas calendar.
As China has announced that international sporting events will not take place in the country until 2021, WST’s intention has been to reschedule certain UK tournaments into the slots usually taken by events in China.
The 2020/21 season will begin with the Matchroom Multi Sport promoted Championship League. Previously an invitation event, this has now been expanded into a full ranking event for all players on the tour.
This follows the ground-breaking success of this tournament when it was staged at the beginning of June, becoming the UK’s first major post-lockdown sporting event.
The Championship League will take place over three legs: the first from September 13-20, the second from September 28 to October 5 and the third from October 23-27.
The second ranking event of the season will be the European Masters to be played from September 21-27.
As usual, three of the Home Nations series tournaments will take place before Christmas: the English Open (October 12-18), Northern Ireland Open (November 16 to 22) and Scottish Open (December 7 to 13).
The quick-fire Shoot Out takes place from October 29 to November 1, followed by the Champion of Champions from November 2 to 8.
The first Triple Crown event of the campaign, the UK Championship at the York Barbican, runs from November 24 to December 6. And the first event of the Coral Series, the World Grand Prix, has been brought forward to December 14 to 20.
All venues for these events will be confirmed in due course, with decisions pending as to whether tournaments will be played with a live crowd or behind closed doors, depending on Government guidelines.
WST Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are delighted to announce a full calendar. In recent months there has been uncertainty for all sports in terms of future events but we have worked alongside all of our partners to find solutions. Our players and fans will be thrilled to see that we have a packed schedule for the first half of 2020/21.
“For the players there are plenty of opportunities to compete and I am delighted to confirm that there will be no reductions in prize money for the above events, despite the current Covid-19 crisis.
“We are excited to be working with our broadcasters including BBC, Eurosport, ITV, Discovery, DAZN, Matchroom Live and many other television companies, bringing top class sporting action to many millions of fans across the globe.
“Developing the Championship League into a full ranking event underlines the success of that tournament in terms of its viewing figures and its popularity among the players.
“We are working towards confirming plans for the second half of the 2020/21 season, with full details to be announced later this year.”
World Snooker Tour dates for remainder of 2020
September 13-20 Championship League
September 21-27 European Masters
September 28 to October 5 Championship League
October 12-18 English Open
October 23-27 Championship League
October 29 to November 1 Shoot Out
November 2-8 Champion of Champions
November 10-14 German Masters qualifiers
November 16-22 Northern Ireland Open
November 24 to December 6 UK Championship
December 7-13 Scottish Open
December 14-20 World Grand Prix
It’s a busy schedule but one that won’t imply traveling back and forth between continents and timezones. Much better this way.
Also the Q-school started today although nothing has transpired so far in terms of results.
World Snooker Tour in consultation with the WPBSA can today announce that any player provisionally in a tour qualification position following the Betfred World Championship qualifiers, will be guaranteed to remain on tour next season.
This is an exceptional decision that will apply for this season only, due to the circumstances which will see the final stages of the World Championship completed alongside this season’s Q School over the coming two weeks.
This means that even if the provisional tour qualifying positions for next season were to change following results at the Crucible, players currently set to qualify have certainty of their tour card for next season. This avoids players having to unnecessarily play at Q School while their position is otherwise unclear.
This applies to players currently in position to qualify through either the provisional two-year or one-year list.
We can also confirm that any player who is able to retain their tour position through the one-year list and has qualified for the final stages of the World Championship, will earn their new card based upon their ranking position, not their Crucible qualification.
The draws and format for 2020 Q School are now available. The event will take place at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, starting on August 3rd.
Sixteen players have withdrawn from Q School 2020, therefore the updated draws and format are below.
Please note that the draws still include players that have qualified for the Tour, and that all players who qualify will be removed in one process. The updated draws will then be re-issued.
Ronnie booked his place in the last 16 at the Crucible, wit a 10-1 win over Thepchaiya Un-nooh. He will now face Ding over three sessions. It will be his 100th match at the Crucible.
Here are the numbers …
He also set a new record in the process … and he did beat the previous one by some margin!
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 10-1 demolition of Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the first round of the Betfred World Championship smashed the record for the fastest ever match at the Crucible.
O’Sullivan averaged just 14 seconds a shot as he swept to victory, compiling two centuries and six more breaks over 60. The contest lasted just 108 minutes, easily beating the previous record of 149 minutes which was set last year when Shaun Murphy beat Luo Honghao 10-0.
Five-time Crucible king O’Sullivan goes through to the last 16 for a potentially epic meeting with UK Champion Ding Junhui. Any doubts as to whether O’Sullivan has the form and motivation to compete for the title in Sheffield have been answered by a magnificent display.
World number six O’Sullivan took an 8-1 lead in Sunday’s first session with top breaks of 101, 85, 115, 74, 88, 76 and 65. He took the opening frame this morning with a run of 93, and soon sealed the result in frame 11 with breaks of 41 and 48.
“Thepchaiya didn’t perform and that made it easier for me,” said 44-year-old O’Sullivan, who hasn’t reached the semi-finals at the Crucible since 2014. “For the last two weeks I have had plenty of practice on a proper match table. In the past I have done a lot of exhibitions on different tables and then when I come to a tournament it’s hard to adapt. So it has been good to replicate the right conditions on a proper table.
“Usually this tournament is very intense but it is more relaxed this year. At this stage in my career I would rather win less and play for longer than win a lot in a short space of time. So I just pick the events that I enjoy.
“Having no crowd here makes it more like a practice session, there is less tension. But it will be weird for whoever wins the final if there are no fans there. That would be a strange experience.”
Rocket’s Crucible Speed Records
Fastest 147: five minutes and eight seconds (1997 World Championship)
Fastest best-of-19 match: 108 minutes (v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, 2020)
Fastest best-of-25 match: 167 minutes (v Tony Drago, 1996)
There were more quotes in the press:
“I prefer it (without crowds).
“I do not have to deal with the pressure and expectation of the crowd, getting in and out of the venue, and so much less is put on my shoulders.
“It feels like a holiday buzz and I can stay in a hotel close to the venue. Previously it has been difficult for me to get any peace and quiet.
“I am very private, and I don’t socialise much. Everybody is welcome to my world now, it suits my life.”
He made me look good really, he missed a few balls that he wouldn’t normally miss,’ the Rocket told the BBC.
‘It just goes to show, you don’t need a crowd at the Crucible for it to get to you, it’s something about the venue.
‘I actually prefer it, so much less is put on my shoulders.
‘It’s how I live my life, I’m very private, I don’t socialise much, this suits my way of life in many ways.
‘It’s all I wanted to do, win my first match, I didn’t have any expectations other than that, so I’m just pleased to get through.’
…
Ronnie was beaten by Ding in this season’s UK Championship and, despite the Chinese lacking form for much of this campaign, the Rocket is expecting a stern challenge.
‘Form is temporary and class is permanent and Ding is class,’ said the Rocket. ‘It’s probably one of the hardest matches you can get in this year’s World Championship.’
Ronnie likes Ding as a person, often saying that he is his Chinese brother, and he likes to play him too as they play a similar game. It should be a good match.
Ronnie O’Sullivan (L) shakes hands with Ding Junhui after the fourth round of the UK Championship at The Barbican, York, England, December 5, 2019.
John Higgins composed the tenth maximum 147 break of his career in his second round Betfred World Championship tie against Kurt Maflin.
Barry Hawkins eased to a 10-2 demolition of Switzerland’s Alexander Ursenbacher to reach the second round of the Betfred World Championship.
Three-time World Champion Mark Selby saw off Crucible debutant Jordan Brown 10-6 to book his place in the second round of the Betfred World Championship.
Barry Hawkins opened up a dominant 7-2 lead over Alexander Ursenbacher after the first session of their Betfred World Championship opening round clash.
World number 16 Yan Bingtao staved off a brave Elliot Slessor fightback to win 10-7 in a tense first round clash at the Betfred World Championship.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 