Anthony Hamilton: “I want to apologise to my opponents at the qualifiers.”
The World Snooker Championship gets under way on Friday in Sheffield.
Anthony Hamilton has decided to withdraw from the Betfred World Championship for medical reasons.
Hamilton came through the qualifying rounds, winning two matches, but subsequently decided to pull out of the event as he suffers from chronic asthma.
He had been due to face Kyren Wilson in the last 32 at the Crucible on Friday afternoon, with the second session on Saturday evening. Wilson now receives a bye to the last 16.
“It has been a really difficult decision for me,” said 49-year-old Anthony Hamilton, from Nottingham.
“I was extremely impressed by the way that WST and their partners ran the qualifying rounds, they made the players feel totally safe.”
“And I realise they have followed all of the government guidelines and implemented extensive measures for the main event at the Crucible.
“However due to my health condition, after careful consideration I have decided not to play in the final stages.
“I want to apologise to my opponents at the qualifiers, Sam Craigie and Scott Donaldson, and assure them that I had every intention of playing at the Crucible.
“But it was only after I finished the qualifying rounds that I was able to do a full personal risk assessment based on the latest information and discussions with WST.
“I am absolutely gutted not to be playing because it is the best tournament and the Crucible is the home of snooker.
“I wish everyone the best and hope the event is a great success.”
World number 48 Hamilton will receive the £20,000 he earned by reaching the last 32 and that will count towards his world ranking.
Hamilton has reached the World Championship quarter-finals four times
Anthony Hamilton has withdrawn from the World Championship because of coronavirus health concerns, World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn says.
The tournament begins on Friday and will be the first indoor sporting event with crowds since lockdown, with around 300 people attending each session.
The 49-year-old Hamilton, who suffers from severe asthma, had been due to face Kyren Wilson in the first round.
“He is worried about his own health,” Hearn told Talksport.
“The question I pose is why did he not withdraw before the qualifying competition, because by getting through the qualifiers he has effectively stopped someone else from going and earning a living.
“He entered a competition knowing while he was in that competition, he knew there was going to be fans present.
“Why did he not withdraw then instead of knocking someone else out and stopping them earning a living, instead of withdrawing afterwards so that we’re a player short?
“He hasn’t had asthma that started yesterday. He’s had asthma and health issues for some time.”
Hamilton is expected to confirm his withdrawal in a statement later on Thursday.
Hamilton booked his place in the final stages of the tournament for the first time in 12 years with a 10-5 win against Scott Donaldson in the final qualifying round on Monday.
But the world number 48 called the decision to allow spectators at the Crucible “ridiculous” and said he would “definitely not” have played in the qualifiers had they been staged in similar circumstances.
Hamilton, who will still receive £20,000 for qualifying, withdrew from the Tour Championship – the first event that was played on the sport’s return – because of health concerns and called the decision to allow people to take off their masks in the auditorium “a mad thing”.
Honestly, Barry Hearn questions are a bit silly. Why did he enter? Because, as it stands it’s £20000 in his pocket. Players are self-employed, when not playing they earn nothing. They haven’t got many opportunities to play since March, but the bills still need paying and they need to eat. Anthony is 49 and probably hasn’t that many years left in him. Players in his situation can’t really pass on the opportunity to earn £20000. Add to that that until recently, it looked almost certain that there would be no crowd at the Crucible, and certainly not as much as 300+ of them. Anthony claims that had he known at the time of entering the qualifiers he would have given it a miss. So, that’s Kyren Wilson through to the last 16. He won’t complain I guess.
On the eve of the championship, the press is full of Ronnie’s “lab rats” quotes. A number of these articles not mentioning the full context in which Ronnie’s comments were made.
Ronnie has expressed concerns about having a crowd at the Crucible before. Now he has come in support of Anthony Hamilton, who has been shielding because he’s suffering from asthma and he does not feel comfortable playing at the Crucible with a crowd around, even if it’s not full capacity. The virus is airborne and the temperature within the Crucible will quickly become unbearable if the air conditioning is not used. I speak from experience. It failed in 2011 during one session in the first round and some people had to leave feeling unwell. It very quickly became horribly hot. That was in April … we are now in the middle of the summer.
Shamoom Hafez from BBC is one who is giving the full context.
Ronnie O’Sullivan: Snooker players treated like ‘lab rats’
By Shamoon Hafez BBC Sport
29 July 2020.
Snooker players are being treated like “lab rats” by allowing spectators into the Crucible Theatre for the World Championship, says Ronnie O’Sullivan.
The tournament, which begins on Friday, will be the first indoor sporting event with crowds, allowing around 300 supporters to attend each session.
Qualifier Anthony Hamilton, who suffers from severe asthma, says it is “ridiculous” and “too early” for fans.
Five-time world champion O’Sullivan said players “all run a bit of a risk”.
A number of sports have already returned behind closed doors but snooker will be the second government-backed pilot event after the Surrey v Middlesex friendly in cricket to be staged in front of fans.
Those that have booked tickets to attend the Sheffield venue will be placed in ‘bubbles’ of up to four people – limited to a maximum of two households – and will be socially distanced from others in the arena.
Temperature checks will not be in place and face masks must be worn around the venue but can be removed once seated inside.
World number 48 Hamilton pulled out of the Tour Championship – the first event that was played on the sport’s return – because of health concerns and called the decision to allow people to take off their masks in the auditorium “a mad thing”.
He added: “Let’s say one person gets ill and dies from the Crucible, that is one person who has died for no reason, just for entertainment.
“I won’t be comfortable in there personally, I don’t know why anybody would be comfortable, we all know it is airborne.”
World Snooker Tour said being designated as the first indoor event in the UK was a “fantastic triumph” and that health and safety was the “highest priority and protection for our fans, players and staff”.
Hamilton, nicknamed the Sheriff of Pottingham, has reached the World Championship quarter-finals on four occasions
O’Sullivan said: “I defy anybody if they have been keeping their distance from people for four months to say, oh right, now you’ve got to go into a room full of people – unless you have got a death wish, and some people have in many ways and they just don’t care.
“But if you are one of these people that happens to care about your health and are taking it seriously, I totally get how he feels.
“I would feel a bit strange walking in a room with 10 people I don’t know, and I have done. I didn’t feel comfortable.
“So I totally respect where Anthony is coming from, and where other people are coming from – they want crowds in there, they want things back to normal. We have a choice we don’t have to go and play. We all run a bit of a risk.
“I don’t think it’s a risk worth taking. I have the option not to play but I’ve decided to play. Maybe with 5,000 fans I could see it’s a bit of an income you’re going to lose, but 200 fans, is it really?
“Maybe they have to start doing a test on crowds at some point and I’ve heard people say they’re treating the snooker event a little bit like lab rats – you’ve got to start somewhere, start with snooker players.
“Less insurance to pay out for Anthony Hamilton than there is for Lewis Hamilton.”
O’Sullivan says he has had friends die from Covid-19 and has not been within 20ft of his mum who is in the “high risk” category as she had pneumonia last year.
“It’s not until you’ve had people close to you that have gone through it, and know someone who has died,” he said.
“And I’ve had nurses who I have spoken to and they say, ‘People have come in with Covid-19 and they think they are going to be alright and it’s not until they can’t breathe that they say “please don’t let me die”.’
“Grown men and women crying their eyes out because they can’t breathe. It’s only when something like that happens and you hear those stories that you go ‘hold on a minute, this is serious’.
“I don’t think it has been taken seriously enough.”
The opening matches begin at 10:00 BST live across the BBC, with defending champion Judd Trump in action against Tom Ford, while O’Sullivan starts his campaign against Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh on Sunday.
It’s also the first time that Ronnie mentions his mother poor health, and knowing someone who died.
Ronnie will play Thepchaiya Un-nooh, starting on Sunday. Theppy will be match sharp and he’s a very dangerous player. If it wasn’t for a bout of misfortune, he would probably have beaten Judd Trump in the first round last year. Nobody knows how Ronnie will play, probably not even him. All seeds will come at the Crucible lacking match sharpness. A lot, I guess, will depend on how Ronnie feels both in the “bubble” and in the arena. But it’s a match Ronnie would enjoy under normal circumstances. It will be an open and fast game, and he will probably get chances, they both will. He likes and respects Thepchaiya. Hopefully it’s a good match.
A few days ago I asked a question … and it ruffled a few feathers. To be honest, I don’t understand why. I did put both WST and WPBSA in the loop on twitter.
The 2005 world champion was in the Algarve for the funeral of his former manager Brandon Parker last week.
The World Snooker Tour has cleared up some recent confusion about the circumstances surrounding the visit of Shaun Murphy to Portugal this month.
It had been made apparent that Murphy had flown to the Iberian Peninsula a week ago to mourn the loss of his close friend and former manager, Brandon Parker.
Questions were raised as to how this would impact his position in the upcoming 2020 World Snooker Championship, with potential self-isolation and quarantine rules to follow as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Englishman lives in Ireland, which imposes a 14-day isolation period, so there was speculation about whether or not he’d be able to compete in Sheffield.
But the WST has confirmed that the “Magician” has been in constant contact with them, and that he is following all the guidelines required in order to safely participate in this year’s delayed competition.
A spokesperson for the WST told SnookerHQ: “We are aware that Shaun Murphy visited Portugal last week to attend the funeral of his close friend and former manager, Brandon Parker.”
“He visited the Algarve, where the Covid-19 infection rate is very low. We have been in close contact with Shaun in recent days, and on arrival in the UK he travelled directly to Sheffield to enter the event bubble we had in place there for the Betfred World Championship qualifiers.
“The World Snooker Tour has strict measures in place regarding the travel of its elite competitors.
“Shaun had a COVID-19 test upon entering the event bubble which returned a negative result.
“He will remain in Sheffield within the event environment for the next week until his opening match at the Crucible on August 3rd. Prior to this, he will have another COVID-19 test.
“The Betfred World Championship is on the UK Government’s approved events list, and as a result, the elite players can travel under strict policies and guidelines.”
World number ten Murphy was drawn against Noppon Saengham in the first round of the World Championship on Wednesday morning.
So that clears things up. But why not explain this from the on?
This is the draw for the first round at the Crucible
It’s not an easy draw for Ronnie by any means, but at least Theppy is a player who plays fast and open. It won’t drag them and us in a quagmire of negative shots and it should be entertaining.
Un-Nooh overcame Liam Highfield in qualifying, and his reward is a second meeting with five-time world champion O’Sullivan, six years after he won their encounter at the German Masters.
The 44-year-old O’Sullivan has given his reaction to facing Un-Nooh in the opening round, and he is certainly not feeling an edge around the match given the good nature of his opponent.
“He’s a guy I like playing and one of the few I don’t actually mind losing to as he’s such a nice guy,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport after the draw.
Everyone on the circuit would love to see him do well and win tournaments as he’s a very humble and respected by everyone.
That doesn’t mean that Ronnie won’t try his best, but it’s a match he should be able to enjoy and I prefer it this way.
Have you got tickets for the Betfred World Championship or are you thinking of buying some? If you need more information, hopefully this answers your questions…
Are tickets still available?
Yes, limited numbers are still on sale for certain sessions – for details see www.cruciblesnooker.com
I had tickets for the original dates and I decided to keep them but I have not had confirmation yet, what should I do?
You will receive an email from the Crucible confirming the details of your E-tickets. It is a huge administration task for the Crucible to process every booking but rest assured if you opted to attend the 2020 event, you will have tickets. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Can I book tickets with people from a different household?
Tickets are available in fixed group sizes (bubbles) where one, two, three or four tickets are seated together and each group is distanced from the other groups in the auditorium. Each bubble can be purchased by only one booker, and as per government guidelines each booking is strictly limited to a maximum of two households.
Please select seats based on your group size. If you select a bubble of more seats than you intend to purchase, you will not be able to complete your purchase. For example if you want two tickets you will not be able to purchase within a bubble of four. If a bubble is not available for your group size, you are unable to purchase for that session. Click here to see an example of the seating plan in line with guidance provided by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority.
What happens when I arrive at the venue?
There will be socially-distanced queuing systems in Tudor Square before the doors open, which will be open 45 minutes before the session starts. As you enter the venue, your bags will be checked. You will be given a face mask which must be worn while moving around the venue. Please head into the arena and find your seat, being very careful to turn your back if you are moving along rows past other fans. Once seated you can remove your face mask, then remember to put it back on whenever you leave your seat.
Will there be food and drink?
No, for hygiene reasons there will be no food and drink inside the venue. You can buy commentary radios, using contactless payment on Tudor Square.
Will there be toilets?
Yes the toilets will be available but ideally please use them before or after the session rather than moving in and out of the arena while play is in progress. There will also be toilets available on Tudor Square.
Will I be temperature checked?
No. But if you or any of your party have any Covid-19 symptoms please do not travel to the event
More information on ticket purchasing and the fans Code of Conduct is available here.
Above all, please stay safe and follow these guidelines but ENJOY the event – it is one of the world’s great sporting events and you will be among the few watching it live under unique circumstances.
Not everyone though is convinced that it’s safe. Anthony Hamilton isn’t, that’s a certainty:
Marcel Eckardt will become the youngest referee to take charge of the Crucible final at this year’s Betfred World Championship.
The 30-year-old from Gera in Germany will officiate the final in Sheffield on August 15 and 16. Paul Collier currently holds the record as the youngest to referee the final; he was 33 in 2004.
Eckardt first worked on the World Snooker Tour in 2010 and refereed his first final at the German Masters in 2015. In 2018 he took charge of his first Triple Crown final at the UK Championship. He made his Crucible debut in 2015 and last year he officiated one of the semi-finals for the first time.
“It’s will be a massive moment for me, it is the match you want to do as a professional referee. I can’t wait for it,” said Eckardt. “To be the youngest to take charge of the final is great because I have worked very hard to get this far. It will be very special. The semi-final last year was incredible and that has given me the right experience.”
Northern Ireland’s Jordan Brown and Welshman Jamie Clarke earned Crucible debuts by coming through the final qualifying round of the Betfred World Championship on Tuesday night in Sheffield.
The draw takes place at 11am on Wednesday, for details of how to watch click here.
In all there will be five debutants at the Theatre of Dreams this year as Brown and Clarke join last night’s winners Alexander Ursenbacher, Ashley Carty and Elliot Slessor.
Antrim’s Brown came from 4-2 down to beat Ryan Day 10-6, taking eight of the last ten frames with top breaks of 50, 65, 73, 70, 92 and 52.
“It’s not going to sink in for a couple of days,” said the 32-year-old. “I just kept telling myself all day not to let the nerves get to me and to focus on being positive. This is what I have wanted since I was a kid. I have been watching people playing at the Crucible on TV since I was five years old so to be going there myself is really something.”
The world number 73, a close friend and practice partner of Mark Allen, added: “It was a nice feeling to bring my practice game to the match table today. I got in first in a lot of frames and made some big breaks. People from Antrim all get behind each other, so to have two players from the same club at the Crucible is so good for all of the boys back home watching. It’s unreal.”
World number 89 Clarke will be the lowest ranked player in the field at the Crucible, and tonight’s 10-7 win over Sunny Akani also earned him a new two-year tour card.
“It’s a dream come true,” said 25-year-old Clarke. “I just completely broke down at the end. It means everything, like all my Christmases have come at once. I’m going to love the experience at the Crucible, I never thought I would get to play there.”
Martin Gould came into the qualifying rounds with his professional status in doubt, but after knocking out Amine Amiri and Chris Wakelin, he beat Graeme Dott 10-6 to earn his tenth trip to the Crucible. A top break of 127 helped Gould to a fine win over 2006 World Champion Dott.
“I came here with a retirement speech ready because I didn’t expect to stay on the tour,” admitted former German Masters champion Gould. “I just took all the pressure off myself and went out and played. After the first match I felt my game was coming into shape. I put in a lot of work over lockdown and it has paid off.
“I didn’t enter Q School because I decided if I dropped off the tour I would take at least a year off and get myself healthy. Now I can go and enjoy it at the Crucible and when I’m enjoying it I usually play well. The only way I will retire now is if I pick the trophy up.”
Anthony McGill, who reached the quarter-finals on his debut in 2015, secured his sixth consecutive Crucible appearance by beating Sam Baird 10-1 with a top break of 108. Glasgow’s McGill has not been at his best this season, reaching just one ranking event quarter-final, but his game has clicked in Sheffield – he lost just two frames in his two qualifying matches.
“I’m not as terrible as I was!” said the two-time ranking event winner. “I’m still making mistakes but it’s a hard game. Things are going in the right direction and I’m practising hard. There are a lot of good players around, it’s not easy to climb the rankings and stay there. I’ve beaten some good players at the Crucible so I’ve got history there.”
Matthew Stevens, runner-up in 2000 and 2005, earned his 17th Crucible appearance with a 10-5 win over Ricky Walden. “I didn’t expect anything because I’d had five months off and only picked my cue up two or three days before I came here,” said Welshman Stevens. “I’d only had about nine hours of practice. I had no expectations and didn’t think I would win my first match, but managed to play ok.
“When it looked like there would be no crowd at the Crucible I felt it wouldn’t be the same, there would be no buzz. Whoever I play I will be second favourite, but I don’t care that much whether I win or lose so I could be dangerous.”
Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh fired breaks of 56, 75, 117, 90, 56, 82, 85, 106 and 72 as he saw off Liam Highfield 10-7. In the opening round last year, Un-Nooh narrowly lost 10-9 to eventual champion Judd Trump, and this time hopes to go further. “I just hope I don’t draw Trump again,” joked the former Shoot Out champion.
Mark King has rescued a disappointing 2019/20 campaign with a strong run in the qualifiers – he has been beyond the last 32 of just one ranking event this season but he will finish it at the perfect place thanks to a 10-6 win over Ian Burns. King lost six consecutive frames to trail 6-3 after the first session but turned the tide tonight to take seven in a row.
“My head was not in a good place before lockdown,” said King, who last played at the Crucible in 2013. “The break actually sorted me out, I did a lot of exercise and played a lot of golf. I’m not taking snooker as seriously now.”
Tom Ford got the better of a tough battle against Stuart Carrington, winning 10-8. “I have always been my own worst enemy in the past, getting down on myself,” said Ford. “This season I have worked on the psychological side to dig myself out of a hole and feel good. That really helped me tonight.”
The 16 Crucible qualifiers with world ranking
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 20
Tom Ford 26
Matthew Stevens 31
Liang Wenbo 34
Anthony McGill 39
Noppon Saengkham 42
Kurt Maflin 43
Mark King 46
Anthony Hamilton 48
Alan McManus 53
Martin Gould 60
Elliot Slessor 69
Jordan Brown 73
Ashley Carty 82
Alexander Ursenbacher 86
Jamie Clarke 89
So, we have five debutants this year, four of wich are under-26. We have five players in the draw who are ranked out of the top 64: Jordan Brown will stay on tour thanks to the one-year list, Alex Ursenbacher is in the first year of his two years tour card, Elliott Slessor is now provisinally ranked 60 after the qualifiers, Ashley Carty and Jamie Clarke will get a new two years card as a reward for reaching the Crucible. On a normal year, the last two would have needed the semi-finals at the Crucible to avoid relegation and would need to go to Q-school to stay on the main tour.
None of the expert pundits predicted more than five of the qualifiers correctly. I did even worse with only two, which is funny in a way because I predicted a lot of shocks, just couldn’t guess who the “victims” would be …
Everyone will have an opinion as to why there were so many unexpected qualifiers. Of course, the lockdown and the lack of match sharpness played their role, but it was the same for all. The format was shorter than orther years, in the first three rounds, but best of 11 isn’t THAT short. For me the main factor was the tiered system, giving the lowest ranked players a more winnable match to start with, and putting the highest seeds under more pressure as they got the play a more difficult opponent in their first match, being cold, whilst their opponent had already played at least one match and amassed some ranking points coming into it.
All things considered, the qualifiers were at least as interesting this way, if not more, than in previous years. I definitely wish that they keep the tiered system for this event. However, the last two rounds at least should go back to best of 19.
In a few hours WST will make the draw and we will know the Crucible full line-up and format. Bring it on.
Hamilton, nicknamed the Sheriff of Pottingham, has reached the World Championship quarter-finals on four occasions
The 30-year-old from Gera in Germany will officiate the final in Sheffield on August 15 and 16. Paul Collier currently holds the record as the youngest to referee the final; he was 33 in 2004.
Matthew Stevens, runner-up in 2000 and 2005, earned his 17th Crucible appearance with a 10-5 win over Ricky Walden. “I didn’t expect anything because I’d had five months off and only picked my cue up two or three days before I came here,” said Welshman Stevens. “I’d only had about nine hours of practice. I had no expectations and didn’t think I would win my first match, but managed to play ok.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 