Month: September 2020

Detailed Schedule for the coming Championship League Snooker now available

Monique Professional snooker tournament

WST has now published the detailed schedule for the CLS starting on Sunday

The match schedule for the first stage of the Championship League is now available.

Click here for the fixtures

Judd Trump, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby, John Higgins and Neil Robertson are among the players contesting the world ranking event at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.

Stage one is played across two blocks of eight days: September 13-20 and September 28–October 5. This stage features 32 groups of four players, with two tables per day hosting one group each. The player who tops each group will progress to Stage Two.

Details of how to watch the event will be released shortly. For more details about the event CLICK HERE

 

Thoughts about a poll

Monique Snooker

Starting yesterday, I put a 24 hours poll on twitter. Here you see it, and its outcome:

Poll

Why did I do that? Well, because I wondered how “marketable” the young players are as it stands. The answer clearly is: not at all. To keep the game afloat, and the sponsors happy, WST has to maximise the viewing figures, and to get the sport in the paper. Promoting the young players isn’t high in that agenda.

What the above poll seems to reveal is that half of the viewers want to see the top players, even if they are involved in a one-sided, not very interesting match. The vast majority of the other half actually wants to see a “real” match, not caring about who is involved.

Very few would chose to watch a match because a young player is in it. There is no real interest in those who are, or should be, in effect, the future of the game, and this is worrying.

It is even more worrying because, unless my memory betrays me, it wasn’t that way when I started to get seriously interested in snooker. There was excitement and anticipation when the likes of Judd Trump and Michael White turned pro. People on forums were discussing the up-and-coming amateurs. It doesn’t feel like that nowadays.

There are surely many reasons for that. One that comes to my mind is that there were a lot more big pro-ams back then, The Paul Hunter Classic was huge for instance. Some were streamed. There was no need to have Worldsnooker’s sanction back then. Later came the PTCs. We got to see the young amateurs mixing with the pros in a much less “formal” environment. Quite often, there was a players’ party, where everyone was “mixing”, pros, amateurs and fans. There was a social side to it that I feel has disappeared, or, at least, partially disappeared.

One other reason I can see – and I thought long and hard before writing this – is that the majority of really young upcoming players, the under 25 ones, are no more British whilst snooker remains profoundly UK centric. All qualifiers are held in the UK, the Q-school is held in the UK.  As a result, most non UK players have no choice but to come and live in the UK. It’s also likely that the majority of people discussing snooker on social media – usually in English – are from the UK/Ireland, and most of the feedback WST gets comes from them. There is almost always a tribal side to sport. People – most of them anyway – will support sportspersons originated from their contry/nation/region …

Thoughts?

 

All the top 49 players have entered the 2020 European Masters

Monique Professional snooker tournament

This was posted by WST yesterday evening:

This month’s European Masters, the second ranking event of the 2020/21 season, will boast an outstanding field.

The top 49 players in the world rankings have all entered the event, with 50th-placed Marco Fu the highest ranked player not to have entered.

Neil Robertson will be defending the title, having beaten Zhou Yuelong 9-0 in the final in Austria last season. Other top stars in the field will include World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, world number one Judd Trump, Mark Selby, John Higgins, Mark Allen, Kyren Wilson and Shaun Murphy.

The tournament will run from September 21 to 27 at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes. All 128 players will start in round one. Matches will be best of nine frames up to and including the quarter-finals, best of 11 for the semi-finals and best of 17 for the final on September 27.

The draw and format will be announced shortly. The event will receive extensive coverage on Eurosport, with details of further broadcasters to be announced soon.

Prize money
Winner: £80,000
Runner-up: £35,000
Semi-finals: £17,500
Quarter-finals: £11,000
Last 16: £6,000
Last 32: £4,000
Last 64: £3,000
High break: £5,000
Total: £407,000

bold added by me.

So that’s very good news. The current covid-19 crisis has forced WST into a certain number of changes. Starting the World on a Friday and finishing on a Sunday was a very welcome one for all the snooker fans outside the UK. Now, this event will be played in one go, without “qualifiers”. In both cases, I hope it will stay that way in the future and that qualifiers will soon become a thing of the past for all “flat draw” tournaments.

As for Ronnie, he seemed to have changed his mind a bit about playing in everything after winning in Sheffield, but I still expect him to make the most of current circumstances. No qualifiers, events in the UK, and no or reduced media presence and crowd will suit him. It’s rarely playing that bothered him, it’s everything that comes “around it”: expectations, media duties, being constantly in the public eye… Of course, it’s because his status in the game, but it’s often been a real burden and one he’s been carrying it for over 28 years now.

2020 Champion of Champions Qualifying List

Monique Professional snooker tournament

WST has recently published the following information regarding the 2020 Champion o Champions:

The qualifying list for the 2020 Champion of Champions has been confirmed, with defending champion Neil Robertson leading a field which also includes World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan and quadruple ranking event winner Judd Trump.

With the schedule for the start of the new WST season set out, there are three further events to be played prior to the Champion of Champions, which will take place at Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes from Monday, November 2 until Sunday, November 8, live on ITV4.

Robertson enters as defending champion having beaten Judd Trump in the deciding frame of last year’s final to claim the crown for a second time. Trump himself has qualified after adding the Northern Ireland Open, German Masters, Players Championship and Gibraltar Open titles to his CV over the last 12 months.

UK Championship winner Ding Junhui, Masters winner Stuart Bingham and World Championship runner-up Kyren Wilson have also qualified. Mark Selby enters as Scottish Open champion while Shaun Murphy returns to the event he won in 2017 as reigning Welsh Open title holder.

Also among the field is World Seniors Champion Jimmy White. The 2019/20 season Championship League Snooker winner Scott Donaldson, and June’s Championship League winner Luca Brecel are also in, and will be joined by the winner of the forthcoming Championship League Snooker.

The winners of the new season’s European Masters and English Open will also earn a spot at the Champion of Champions, where the winner will walk away with £150,000.

The 2020 Champion of Champions Qualifying List comprises 22 spots, which are split into six sections. Tournaments within each of the six sections are listed chronologically. As no more than 16 different players can now qualify through winning WST events, should the upcoming Championship League Snooker, European Masters or English Open by won by players already entered, the WST Ranking List will be used to complete the field.

The draw for the 2020 Champion of Champions will be made this autumn.

CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS QUALIFYING LIST 2020

Champions of Champions 2019: Neil Robertson (Nov-19)
UK Championship 2019: Ding Junhui (Dec-19)
The Masters 2020: Stuart Bingham (Jan-20)
World Championship 2020: Ronnie O’Sullivan (Aug-20)

European Masters 2020: Neil Robertson (Jan-20)
German Masters 2020: Judd Trump (Jan-20)
World Grand Prix 2020: Neil Robertson (Feb-20)
Players Championship 2020: Judd Trump (Mar-20)
Championship League Snooker 2019/20: Scott Donaldson (Mar-20)
Championship League 2020: Luca Brecel (Jun-20)
Tour Championship 2020: Stephen Maguire (Jun-20)
European Masters 2020 (2) (Sep-20)
Championship League Snooker 2020 (2) (Oct-20)

Northern Ireland Open 2019: Judd Trump (Nov-19)
Scottish Open 2019: Mark Selby (Dec-19)
Welsh Open 2020: Shaun Murphy (Feb-20)
English Open 2020 (Oct-20)

World Championship Runner-up 2020: Kyren Wilson (Aug-20)

Gibraltar Open 2020: Judd Trump (Mar-20)

Shoot Out 2020: Michael Holt (Feb-20)
World Seniors Championship 2020: Jimmy White (Aug-20)

I’ve always found it difficult to have players in there who aren’t champions. The World Championship runner-up was added to the field when Ding was that person, obviously for commercial reasons. I like Kyren Wilson, I’m happy for him, and getting to the World Final is not easy, but still, I don’t agree with the situation. Also, there might be as much as three players added based on the ranking list depending on who wins the remaining three “qualifying” events. As it currently stands those three would be Mark Allen, John Higgins and Mark Williams, in that order. I agree even less with this a a criterion.

If the World Seniors Champion is included, why not also invite the 2020 WSF Open Champions, Ashley Hugill and Gao Yang? Ashley is 25, and Gao is only 15. Surely it would be a good opportunity to showcase young deserving players?  Ashley was also the overall winner of last season Challenge Tour. The winner of the 2020 Women World Snooker Championship could also be invited, provided that the posponed tournament is held before the 2020 Champion of Champions.

More about Stephen Hendry’s return

Monique Interview, Snooker ,

The announcement yesterday that Stephen Hendry is returning to the professional game was of course a big, big talking point.

It was of course all over the press, so here are a few links you may want to follow

BBC: Stephen Hendry: Seven-time world champion says Crucible return would be ‘incredible’

Eurosport: Stephen Hendry wants to temper expectations, but believes he can compete

And this excellent interview for “A Bola” by my very good friend Antonio Barroso.

The original is in Portuguese, but you can probably get a reasonable translation using google.

In short…

  • Stephen had been working with Steve Feeney before the lockdown and was starting both to enjoy playing again and hitting the ball well. Their work was interrupted by the lockdown, but he went back to practice just ahead of the Seniors 2020 World Snooker Championship, where he reached the semi-finals. Stephen is never satisfied with his game, but recognised that he was playing better and missing the buzz of competing.
  • His return to competition was discussed during a round of golf with Barry Hearn and Mark Williams. BH of course wanted an swift decision … and Stephen is still not sure he understands all the implications of what he has agreed to.
  • He will definitely pick and choose. It’s not a full time return, and he won’t be practising 8 hours/day. Also, he does not want to go to qualifiers. But Barry Hearn warned him that he has to play otherwise he won’t get another chance.
  • Stephen is determined to prepare seriously for the events he decides to enter. He believes that he can still compete, and that, except for Ronnie and Judd Trump, there is nobody on the tour playing at a higher level than the one he had in his prime. He knows that he will be an underdog, and he doesn’t want to put pressure on himself, by entertaining high expectations. But he dreams to be able to play at the Crucible again, to walk down the stairs, and fell the buzz emanating from the place and the crowd.
  • For the immediate future he just wants to be able to play well, enjoy it and see where it takes him. He admits that if he plays badly and embarasses himself, it will be hard to take.
  • His first event will probably be the UK championship. Being at the bottom of the rankings, he’s likely to play one of the very top players on the TV table in the first round. He relishes the challenge, but is not sure how it will go.
  • He insists that the comeback has nothing to do with Ronnie taking his records away from him.

Now, there were too many reactions on social media to mention them all . But I can’t resist to share Mike Dunn’s take on Hendry’s return

MikeDunnWhiteShark

There were fans arguing that those spots should go to deserving young players instead of returning “past glories”. But of course, there is a commercial side to it: Stephen will put bums on seats, he will get lines in the media. He still has many fans. On thing that is often overlooked is that it’s those players who attract sponsors and audience who make it possible to offer decent prize money for all. Every player on the tour benefits from what they bring.

The return of the old King

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Or should I write “Senior” rather than old? Because at 51, he is certainly not old.

Stephen Hendry has accepted a two years invitational tour card. The “King of the Crucible” is back playing on the main tour.

Here is WST announcement:

Legendary seven-time World Champion Stephen Hendry will take up an invitational tour card to compete on the World Snooker Tour for at least the next two seasons.

Hendry had appeared to have ended his time on the professional circuit, when he retired after the 2012 World Championship. That came at the end of a run to the Crucible quarter-finals, which saw him compile the 11th maximum break of his career along the way.

However, after eight years away, 51-year-old Hendry has taken the decision to return to snooker’s top table. He joins fellow icons Jimmy White, Ken Doherty and James Wattana in being awarded an invitational tour card. It will last a minimum of two seasons and he will accrue ranking prize money in the same way as all other players on the circuit.

Hendry has amassed a phenomenal 36 ranking titles over his career. Only Ronnie O’Sullivan, who claimed his 37th ranking crown at the World Championship last month, has won more. Hendry’s seven Crucible titles are unparalleled in the sport.

The Scot achieved dominance of snooker during the 1990s. He topped the world rankings for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998. Hendry also secured all of his World Championship wins during the decade, the most recent coming in 1999.

Hendry last claimed ranking silverware at the 2005 Malta Cup, when he defeated compatriot Graeme Dott in the final. He most recently topped the world rankings during the 2006/2007 season. Hendry displayed glimpses of what fans can expect upon his return in a run to the semi-finals of the recent World Seniors Championship.

With the Championship League draw having already been made, the first tournament Hendry will be eligible to play in will be the European Masters, which runs from 21st to 27thSeptember.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to enter some tournaments over the coming two seasons,” said 18-time Triple Crown event winner Hendry.

“I’ve really enjoyed picking up my cue again recently at the World Seniors and after some SightRight coaching I feel a little more confident in my game. I’ve always missed the buzz of competing and although I have no expectations in terms of performance, this felt like a good time to explore getting back to the table.”

WST Chairman Barry Hearn said: “I am thrilled that Stephen has decided to return to the tour. He is a giant of the sport and I know that all eyes will be on him every time he takes to the table in the coming months.

“It’s great to know that Stephen’s competitive fires are still burning and given his extraordinary achievements, it was a no brainer to offer him the opportunity to come back. I wish Stephen all the very best for the two seasons ahead.”

I’m certain that his recent run at the Seniors World Championship, the form he was able to show at the Crucible during the event, and the support he got from the fans have contributed to Stephen’s decision. Another factor is that, playing on the Main Tour will no more prevent him to play on the Seniors Tour as well. And maybe, seeing Mark Williams and Ronnie winning the World Championship, at 43 and 44 respectively, has prompted him to reconsider. He was only 42 when he retired.

Stephen mentioned the improvement in his game thanks to his work with Sightright as a factor, as well as the enjoyment he got back when playing on the Seniors Tour and the latter is proof that this Seniors Tours is important and necessary. Sportspersons who have entertained us for years deserve better than to be “disregarded” as soon as they are no more deemed “good enough”. And that’s not just about the great champions, it’s about all of them, because no sport lives on its “top exponents” only.

Many, many fans will be thrilled and I’m happy for Stephen. The competitive animal never dies in great champions.

Interesting article and great interview with Ronnie talking life, pressure, expectations and the younger generation.

Monique Interview, Snooker ,

The Independent published this nice article today 

It covers only a  very small part of a fantastic and fascinating interview published by the Blank Podcast. The link to the full interview can be found in the article and it’s well worth the listen.

Ronnie O’Sullivan: Snooker’s younger generation needed a ‘kick up the a***’

Reigning world champion provoked controversy when he claimed that snooker’s younger players ‘are not that good’

Tom Kershaw

Ronnie O’Sullivan insists he wasn’t trying to offend snooker’s younger generation but give them a “kick up the a***” when he claimed they “are not very good” during last month’s World Championships.

O’Sullivan clinched his sixth title at the Crucible, becoming the tournament’s second-oldest winner at 44, and stirred controversy en route to victory when he claimed: “If you look at the younger players coming through, they are not that good really. Most of them would do well as half-decent amateurs, not even amateurs. They are so bad.”

However, speaking on at The Blank Podcast, O’Sullivan said his comments had been overblown and were in fact an attempt to “inspire” the younger players and provoke them to “prove him wrong”.

“They’re not good enough…whatever I said. I think it’s okay to say stuff like that, I wasn’t slagging anyone off,” he said. “In fact, I was hoping that in some ways it would inspire a lot of the younger generation to kind of go ‘you know what I’m going to prove him wrong’. Because that’s all I’ve done all my life when I was a kid growing up, I’d get knocks and every time I got a knock that just made me more and more determined to what to become better and a better player so for me a knock was fantastic.

“So yeah, I’m knocking them, but I’m also hoping that it gives them a nudge to go you know what I’m going to go and watch a Tiger Woods documentary, I’m going to go and watch a Michael Jordan documentary and see what it takes to be the best and then once I’ve studied them I’m going to take that into my world and I’m going to become the next snooker player I can possibly be. And that’s what I’m saying.”

O’Sullivan singled out Kyren Wilson – who he thrashed 18-8 in the final in Sheffield – for praise but admitted he believes the calibre and quantity of players coming into the game are still in decline.

“Every player on this tour is capable of beating anyone on their day but it’s not good enough to just have a good day, you’ve got to have good months, good years, good decades,” he continued. “We’re not talking about being good enough on the day, we’re talking about having a good career really and days aren’t enough. You have to have good months and years to hang around long enough and that’s what I’m hoping by saying what I said in a way is going to give these youngsters a kick up the a***.

“There are a couple on the circuit; Kyren Wilson is definitely one of them and another guy is Louis Heathcote, I spot that they have what it takes to hang around and get the most out of their career. I just wish there was more players like me, John Higgins, Mark Williams, Steven Maguire, Barry Hawkins that generation of players, I just wish there was an influx of those players coming in but I just don’t see it.”

The story about Ebdon made me laugh.

The whole interview is excellent. Every young aspiring sportsperson should listen to it and most of the advice applies to life in general, not just sports.

Ronnie seems to be in a very good place.

And I’m happy because he pretty much perceives the reasons for the young professionals’ level relative “weakness” the same way I do. It’s not all their fault, and frankly it’s just common sense: to improve the situation invest in the junior amateur scene and go back to a tiered system in most if not all tournaments. Allow for progressive improvement.