Hendry To Face White At Betfred World Championship
Stephen Hendry will face old adversary Jimmy White in the first qualifying round of the Betfred World Championship next month, a repeat of the four Crucible finals they played in the 1990s.
Hendry, age 52, retired from the pro tour in 2012 but has returned this season with an invitational tour card and will compete in snooker’s biggest tournament for the first time in nine years. White, age 58, also has an invitational card and is currently ranked 83rd in the world.
Hendry made his comeback at the recent Gibraltar Open, losing to Matthew Selt in the opening round
The draw for the first qualifying round pitched players ranked 81-112 at random against the 32 players either ranked lower or among the amateur invites. The qualifying rounds will run from April 5 to 14 at the English Institute of Sport – Sheffield.
Hendry beat White in the World Championship final in 1990, 1992, 1993 and 1994, giving him the first four of his seven titles. White made the final six times in all but is yet to lift the trophy.
This time, they will both need to win four matches just to reach the Crucible. Their first round tie, at 7.30pm on Tuesday April 6, will be the best of 11 frames, with the winner to meet China’s Xu Si in the second round.
Hendry v White: the Crucible Clashes 1988 second round: White 13-12 Hendry 1990 final: Hendry 18-12 White 1992 final: Hendry 18-14 White 1993 final: Hendry 18-5 White 1994 final: Hendry 18-17 White 1995 semi-final: Hendry 16-12 White 1998 first round: White 10-4 Hendry
Hendry was asked about the draw on ITV4 at the start of today’s Cazoo Tour Championship programme and said: “I can’t believe it. All those finals and now we will play each other in the very first round, it’s incredible. We have been practising together but that will end now!”
Women’s World Champion Reanne Evans will start her bid to make it to the Crucible against Andy Hicks – the same opponent she faced last year when she lost 6-3. Rebecca Kenna will make her debut in the event against Brandon Sargeant.
Ken Doherty, the 1997 World Champion, will face Lee Walker. Belgium’s Ben Mertens, who last year became the youngest player ever to win a match in the tournament, will be up against Lei Peifan.
The 16 players who make it through the qualifying rounds will go through to the Crucible, joining the top 16 seeds, for the final stages which run from April 17 to May 3.
All qualifying matches are best of 11 frames, up until the final round on April 13 and 14 which is best of 19. The round structure is:
Players seeded 81-144 contest the opening round. In round two, those 32 winners will face players seeded 49-80. In round three, those 32 winners will face players seeded 17-48. In round four, those 32 winners play each other, with the 16 winners going through to the Crucible.
All ten days of qualifying will be covered on the Eurosport App, with commentary throughout Europe, plus our partners in the People’s Republic of China – Youku, Zhibo.tv, Migu, Kuaishou and Huya – and Matchroom.Live throughout the rest of the world.
When informed about the draw, Hendry who is at Celtic Manor working as a pundit/commentator couldn’t believe it. I can’t quite either…
Provided no one above Jimmy in the rankings other than Marco Fu and Mei Xiwen withdrew, there was 3.1% chances for this to happen. And it’s such a big story, such a boost for the first round. It will delight the broadcasters and the press… there will be a big buid-up for sure. Was this really only left to chance? For the integrity of our sport, I want to believe it, but I can’t completely shut down the doubts in my mind TBH. Anyway…
Stephen Hendry hopes he can make it to the final stages of the Betfred World Championship – but admits his game may not be ready to get through the qualifiers this year.
The seven-time World Champion will be in the line-up when the draw for the qualifying rounds of snooker’s biggest tournament comes out this week. Starting in the first round, 52-year-old Hendry will have to win four matches to make it to the Crucible for the first time since 2012.
Hendry retired from the pro game nine years ago but is now back with an invitational tour card, and made his return to the baize at the recent BetVictor Gibraltar Open, losing 4-1 in the first round to Matthew Selt despite making a century break in the second frame.
“I don’t think my game is sharp enough to win four matches, to be honest,” Hendry told ITV, looking ahead to the trip to Sheffield. “It has come a little bit too soon. But if I win a couple of matches, you never know what confidence can do. Next year I’ll give it another go. That is the goal – to get back to the Crucible.
“I’m not trying to get back to competing with the top guys because they are on a different level. I’m just want to play a few matches, get some enjoyment, maybe get two or three victories and see where that takes me.”
Jimmy has beaten Hendry the last time they played at the Crucible, last year in the Seniors World Championship, and he has also got some good wins in recent weeks, notably at the 2021 Gibraltar Open where he reached the last 16. Psychologically. it’s a hard draw for both. They will play on April, 6, in the evening session.
Except for the last round, there will be only four tables in use, meaning that we may be able to watch half of the matches, which is good. I do hope that they will show four tables during the last round. It would be a pity if that isn’t the case.
Other than the “main match”, here are the first round matches I’m hoping to be able to watch:
Soheil Vahedi v Julien Leclercq. Soheil has all my respect, he’s had it the hard way and showed a lot of courage by playing Eden Sharav recently, defying the Iranian authorities. Julien is Belgian and one of the rare native French speakers amongst the young Belgians in the sport. I will hope for Soheil to go through, mainly because I would love to see him stay on the tour, but I also hope that Julien can give a good account of himself and enjoy the occasion.
Zhao Jianbo v Ross Muir. Two young players. Zhao looks like a real prospect, Ross was unlucky to suffer ill health in his last season on tour.
Jamie Clarke v Iulian Boiko.
Rory McLeod v Brian Ochoiski. Serious clash of style, there. Brian could learn a lot from this match.
Mark Selby beat Kyren Wilson for the seventh time in seven attempts and beat him heavily. Mark played really well, Kyren didn’t. From a snooker fan’s point of view it was a bit of a let down, especially in this tournament featuring the best 8 of the season.
Mark Selby established a commanding 6-2 lead over Kyren Wilson after the first session of their Cazoo Tour Championship quarter-final.
World number three Selby has picked up two pieces of silverware so far this season, at the European Masters and the Scottish Open. The Jester from Leicester will be hoping he can secure a third this week and build momentum ahead of next month’s World Championship.
Wilson, who was Crucible runner-up last year, faces an uphill task in overturning the deficit this evening. The Warrior trails 19-time ranking event winner Selby 6-0 in head to head meetings.
Wilson claimed the opener this afternoon, before Selby hit the front with breaks of 109, 81 and 54 to lead 3-1 at the mid-session.
When play resumed Wilson pulled within a frame thanks to a break of 83. However, Selby added two on the bounce to move 5-2 ahead.
The final frame of the session looked to be going the way of Wilson, before he missed a thin black with the rest on 49. Selby ruthlessly stepped up and cleared with 67 to emerge with a 6-2 advantage.
The pair will return at 7pm to play the best of 19 encounter to a conclusion.
World number three Mark Selby thrashed Kyren Wilson 10-3 to set up a semi-final showdown with Neil Robertson at the Cazoo Tour Championship.
The Jester from Leicester has dominated Kettering’s Wilson in meetings between the pair and holds a 7-0 lead in their head to head record after this evening.
Selby’s semi-final meeting with Robertson is a repeat of a last eight clash at the 2019 Tour Championship, where Robertson won on the final black in an epic encounter 9-8. Their most recent match came at the UK Championship earlier this season, when Robertson won 6-2 on his way to claiming the title.
Wilson will now compete in the Championship League Winners’ Group at the start of next month, before turning his attention to the upcoming World Championship, where he was runner-up last season.
Selby secured a 6-2 advantage in this afternoon’s opening session. He picked up where he left off this evening, firing in a break of 84 to extend his lead to five.
Wilson responded by taking the tenth frame, but further runs of 54 and 88 saw Selby head into the mid-session one from victory at 9-3.
He wasted little time wrapping up the win when play resumed, clinching 13thwith a break of 54 to book his place in the semis.
Selby said: “I felt good during the match from start to finish. I’ve been working hard and practising hard. I feel like it’s coming good at the right time and hopefully it showed in patches during that match.
“I feel better in my technique. Before the start of the season I was questioning it, but working with my coach Chris Henry has put my mind at ease. I just go out there and not worry about how I’m cueing, how far I’m pulling it back and things like that. The game is hard enough without all of that.
“If I can maintain the form I have played there is no reason why I can’t go to Sheffield and win the World Championship. I’ve done it before so there is no reason why I can’t again. I’m just concentrating on this tournament first though.”
Today we have the last quarter-final as Judd Trump plays Barry Hawkins. Judd didn’t like the conditions at Celtic Manor during the Welsh Open, complaining that the table played “heavy”. It seems to be the same this time. That will not bother Barry Hawkins who is a very strong match player. It could be interesting.
Coming into this tournament, Neil Robertson had won only one match since his 2020 UK Championship victory. He admitted that, after that massive win, he felt a bit flat and lacked motivation, but insisted that he was now refeshed and fully up for the last part of the season. Yesterday’s match certainly confirmed that Neil is back to form and highly motivated.
World number four Neil Robertson established a 6-2 lead over Jack Lisowski after the first session of their Cazoo Tour Championship quarter-final.
Robertson holds the upper hand in meetings with six-time ranking event finalist Lisowski. The Australian has won every time the pair have faced each other, holding a 4-0 lead in the head-to-head.
Lisowski is on the hunt for a maiden ranking title, having lost all three of his final appearances this season. The Gloucestershire cueman was runner-up to Judd Trump at the World Grand Prix, German Masters and Gibraltar Open.
It was Robertson who edged to an early lead, making breaks of 91 and 51 in establishing a 2-0 advantage. However, Lisowski ensured they went into the mid-session level with a run of 80.
When they returned Robertson assumed full control of proceedings. The Australian fired in breaks of 73, 112 and 116 on his way to four on the bounce to lead 6-2 heading into tonight.
Neil Robertson blitzed to a 10-5 defeat of Jack Lisowski to book his place in the semi-finals of the Cazoo Tour Championship at the Celtic Manor Resort.
The Thunder from Down remains undefeated against six-time ranking event finalist Lisowski and now leads 5-0 in the head-to-head record between the pair.
This evening’s victory is a welcome one for 19-time ranking event winner Robertson. The Australian had a fine first half of the season, capturing the UK Championship title in December. However, he had been victorious in just one game since then before this evening, having pulled out of the Scottish Open and Welsh Open and decided against entering the WST Pro Series.
Lisowski will now turn his attention to next month’s World Championship. The Gloucestershire cueman has enjoyed a strong season, but has lost all three of his final appearances during the campaign. Lisowski has runner-up to world number one Judd Trump at the World Grand Prix, German Masters and Gibraltar Open.
Robertson carried a 6-2 advantage into tonight after an impressive end to the afternoon session, which saw him claim four frames on the bounce from 2-2.
It was Lisowski who started strongest this evening, after taking the opener, he fired in a break of 95 to pull within two at 6-4.
Robertson then stopped the Lisowski charge in its tracks with a break of 56 and added the following frame to head into the mid-session 8-4 ahead.
When they returned Robertson moved one from victory with a century run of 121. Lisowski then responded with a superb total clearance of 129. However, Robertson wasn’t to be denied and captured the 15th frame to run out a 10-5 victor. He now faces either Mark Selby or Kyren Wilson in the last four.
Robertson said: “I thought the way I finished off the first session was excellent. I knew Jack would have some kind of response, he maybe thought he was out of the match until he got a few more frames on the board.
“I was prepared to pounce on any kind of mistake he made. That is probably the next thing he has to do with his game, find that killer instinct. He can fly in matches against lesser opponents. It can take for him to go far behind against top players, before he relaxes and starts taking his chances.
“I feel really good. Some of the events I didn’t enter I felt as though I wasn’t going to give them 100%. I played really well in that, but ran into Kyren playing fantastically. I had no complaints and it was back on the practice table to prepare for this one and it was good to see my preparation paid off.”
It’s interesting that Neil thinks its the “killer instinct” Jack is lacking. In the past, I had often the feeling that Jack lacked “intensity” and I wondered if his battle against cancer as a teenager and surviving it could explain that. It must be hard to see a sport, any sport, as a “death or life” thing when you have gone through that. And maybe, he hasn’t quite the stamina either.
Csilla commented yesterday that Ronnie had won none of the important matches this season. I disagreed, but didn’t answer. Although he had lost in all finals he had played, I thought that some matches he had won were important: notably the wins over Ding Junhui and over Ali Carter after they had beaten him in the World Championship in recent times, those over Ali in particular given the circumstances of their last Crucible match. Of course, it’s debatable whether this psychological aspect of certain matches is equally or more important than the “status” of the match itself.
I do believe however that yesterday’s win is a very important one, even if it’s “only” a quarter-final. Just consider this: although Ronnie has 38 professional wins over John whilst John has 31 over him, in ranking events John leads him 19-12. Before yesterday night, Ronnie had not beaten John Higgins in a multi-session match since the 2005 Masters Final, and he had not beaten him in a ranking multi-session match since the 2003 Irish Masters Final. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that Ronnie feels like the underdog each time they play.
To make it worse for Ronnie, he was playing with a damaged cue. It felt so bad that he actually wanted to withdraw and leave his spot to Jordan Brown, but wasn’t allowed to. That said, it might have been a blessing in disguise. Indeed, it may have taken the pessure off Ronnie to an extent. He wasn’t expected to win under the circumstances.
Despite not playing at his very best Ronnie had a 94% pots success in this match, John Higgins at 91% as well. Here are the scores and stats:
World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan opened up a 5-3 advantage over John Higgins in their Cazoo Tour Championship quarter-final at the Celtic Manor Resort.
The pair met in the final of the Cazoo Players Championship earlier this month, where Higgins produced a vintage display to blitz to a 10-3 victory. That was Higgins’ first ranking event win for three years since the 2018 Welsh Open.
O’Sullivan, a winner of 37 career ranking titles, has appeared in four finals so far this season, at the Northern Ireland Open, Scottish Open, Welsh Open and Players Championship, but has lost on each occasion. He’ll be hoping he can clinch his first silverware of the campaign this week ahead of next month’s trip to the Crucible, where he will be looking to defend his title.
It was 31-time ranking event winner Higgins who took the opener this afternoon, firing in a run of 72 to move a frame ahead. Breaks of 93 and 72 then saw O’Sullivan wrest the advantage and move 2-1 up. However, a fine century break of 101 by Higgins restored parity at the mid-session.
When they returned they traded frames, before O’Sullivan surged to take the final two of the afternoon to lead 5-3 heading into this evening’s conclusion.
World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated John Higgins in a multi-session match for the first time since 2005, winning 10-8 in their Cazoo Tour Championship quarter-final.
The last time O’Sullivan defeated Higgins in a clash stretching over more than one session was in the 2005 Masters final. Today’s victory ends that 16-year run.
The result avenges their last meeting in the Cazoo Players Championship final earlier this month, where Higgins stormed to a 10-3 victory. That saw Higgins secure his first ranking title in three years since the 2018 Welsh Open.
O’Sullivan will now face either world number one Judd Trump or Barry Hawkins in the second semi-final on Saturday.
The Rocket is aiming to pick up his first silverware of the season, having lost all four of the finals he has appeared in this season. O’Sullivan has been runner-up at the Northern Ireland Open, Scottish Open, Welsh Open and Players Championship so far this campaign.
It was O’Sullivan who established a 5-3 advantage after this afternoon’s opening session and he started quickest this evening as well, firing in a break of 72 to lead 6-3.
Higgins responded immediately with a run of 73 to pull within two, before they traded the following two frames to head into the mid-session with O’Sullivan leading 7-5.
When play resumed, O’Sullivan composed a fine century run of 112 to re-establish a three frame gap. However, Higgins claimed two on the bounce to ensure an intriguing finish at 8-7.
O’Sullivan moved a frame from victory with his 1,100th career century break, a run of 101. Higgins clawed one back, before a tense 18th frame. Higgins required and got a snooker on the last red. However, O’Sullivan eventually potted the yellow and cleared to the pink to run out a 10-8 victor.
“I just tried to enjoy the occasion, enjoy the game and not get too involved with winning or losing,” said 45-year-old O’Sullivan. “I just turn up and play, if you play well one week then great. If you don’t then no big deal, there is one next week. It is good when you play in quite a few tournaments, as you don’t care if you win or lose.”
Higgins said: “I’m disappointed, Ronnie struggled a bit as well. It must have been good to watch, but the quality wasn’t the best.
“This was a massive tournament to play in, I lost in the first round last year and I’ve done the same again. I just have to dust myself down now.”
TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP SNOOKER 2021 – RONNIE O’SULLIVAN LEADS JOHN HIGGINS IN QUARTER-FINAL
O’Sullivan is in pole position to reach the Tour Championship semi-finals after building a two-frame lead in the first session of his match with Higgins. The event runs from March 22-28 and features the top eight players from the one-year ranking list: O’Sullivan, Higgins, Neil Robertson, Jack Lisowski, Mark Selby, Kyren Wilson, Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins.
Ronnie O’Sullivan will take a 5-3 lead into the evening session of his quarter-final with John Higgins at the Tour Championship.
O’Sullivan is bidding to banish memories of his last outing against Higgins, when he was turned over 10-3 in the Players Championship final in February.
Higgins was first on the scoreboard with a 72 break before the Rocket pegged him back with knocks of 92 and a 72 of his own.
The session’s only century saw Higgins draw level before the pair traded the fifth and sixth frames to leave the match delicately poised at 3-3.
But O’Sullivan seized the initiative by taking the final two frames of the first session – including a 69 knock in the seventh – to leave him five from victory in the best-of-19 contest.
TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP 2021: ‘SIGH OF RELIEF’ – RONNIE O’SULLIVAN CONQUERS CUE CRISIS AND JOHN HIGGINS
Ronnie O’Sullivan overcame a cue crisis and old foe John Higgins to complete a rousing 10-8 victory in the Tour Championship quarter-finals. The six-times defending world champion considered withdrawing from the elite event due to his unhappiness with the condition of his cue before producing a gritty display to edge out Higgins, who filleted him 10-3 in the Players Championship final last month.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has admitted he breathed a “sigh of relief” after overcoming his cue crisis to complete a 10-8 win over old foe John Higgins in the Tour Championship quarter-finals at Celtic Manor in Wales.
The world champion revealed before his meeting with Higgins that he considered withdrawing from the elite event involving the top eight on the World Snooker Tour one-year ranking list because he was unhappy with the condition of his cue.
“I’ve had a nightmare with my cue,” said O’Sullivan before the match after encountering issues during the WST Pro Series event last week. “I put it in the menders and I got it back. It was no good, but sending it back has made it worse. It’s kind of irretrievable now so I need to get myself a new cue.
IF I HAD BEEN GIVEN THE OPTION TO PULL OUT, TAKE MY PRIZE MONEY AND GIVEN (WELSH OPEN WINNER) JORDAN BROWN MY PLACE, I WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TAKEN THAT OPTION BECAUSE IT IS BETTER TO GO TO SOMEONE WHO HAS A GOOD CHANCE OF WINNING.
“As for today, I don’t expect too much from my game. I’ve just got to come here, collect my prize money and try to do something today.”
Despite his concerns, O’Sullivan produced a gritty and gallant display laced with moments of his trademark brilliance to reach the last four and a best-of-19 frame semi-final showdown with world number one Judd Trump or Barry Hawkins on Saturday in the chase for a £150,000 first prize.
O’Sullivan’s break of 101 in the 16th frame was the 1100th century of his golden 29-year career. He also enjoyed knocks of 112, 69, 56, 72, 69, 72 and 93 and a pot success of 94 percent with his much-maligned cue.
“It was a lot more playable than I thought it was going to be,” said O’Sullivan, who enjoyed his first win over Higgins in a two-session match since the 2005 Masters final that he won 10-3. “That was a sigh of relief if you like. I felt I could at least do something in the balls. “After this tournament is done, I’ll have to send it back and see if I can get it back to how it felt if I can.
IT WAS PLAYABLE, BUT ITS STILL NOT RIGHT. IT WEIGHS A TON, IT FEELS OUT OF BALANCE, BUT THE NOISE AND STRIKING WAS ALRIGHT SO I COULD PLAY MOST OF THE IMPORTANT SHOTS.
Higgins won the first frame with a 72, but was never ahead again in the match despite keeping in touch with runs of 101, 74, 73 and 70.
The Scotsman closed to 9-8 behind having lost the first session 5-3, but could not replicate the pristine level of form that saw him thrash O’Sullivan 10-3 in the Players Championship final.
“If he plays well, he beats me every time,” said the world number two, who turned professional alongside Higgins in 1992. “I’d have to play out of my skin to stay with him, but if he’s below par I’ve got a chance of beating him.
FOR ME, HE’S THE BEST ALL-ROUND PLAYER. HE HAD A STINKER TODAY AND THAT’S WHY I GOT THROUGH REALLY. I’LL TAKE THAT ANYWAY ESPECIALLY AFTER THE DRUBBING HE GAVE ME A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
Higgins will turn his attention to preparing himself for the World Championship as he chases a fifth Crucible title over four decades.
“It was a strange game to play in, but the best man won,” said Higgins, world champion in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011. “I was bashing the ball, I wasn’t stroking it.
THAT’S THE WAY I FELT THROUGHOUT THE GAME. RONNIE GOT A MONSTROUS KICK FOR ME TO MAKE IT 9-8, BUT THE CONDITIONS WERE HEAVY. IT WAS A WEIRD GAME.
“It would have been great if I could have replicated the form at the Players, but I think sometimes you have to focus on the positives. I don’t think I played that badly. “I’ve got a few weeks practice before the worlds and hopefully I can give it a good go there.”
Ronnie made his 1100th Century during the match:
Here are a couple of images of the setup and the studio
and of the players entering the arena and in action
The tournament starts today. However because the draw could still change yesterday, it’s only yesterday evening that WST made this available:
Cazoo Tour Championship Draw And Format
The draw and match schedule for the Cazoo Tour Championship is now available, following the conclusion of the WST Pro Series.
The top eight players on the one-year ranking list head to the Celtic Manor Resort for the world ranking event which runs from March 22 to 28.
The first round schedule is:
QF1 Judd Trump (1) v Barry Hawkins (8): Thursday March 25 QF2 John Higgins (4) v Ronnie O’Sullivan (5): Monday March 22 QF3 Neil Robertson (3) v Jack Lisowski (6): Tuesday March 23 QF4 Mark Selby (2) v Kyren Wilson (7): Wednesday March 24
There will be one match every day of the week, with 8 frames played in the afternoon and a possible 11 in the evening.
Today’s match is Ronnie vs John Higgins. Do I look forward to it? If I’m honest, no, I don’t. If John Higgins plays like he did in the Players Championship, it will probably be another heavy defeat for Ronnie, and I won’t enjoy that one bit.
Mark Williams won six out of seven of his matches yesterday to win the 2021 WST Pro Series. That’s some way to celebrate his 46th birthday! It might be a very short format, it’s a lot of matches and it requires a high level of consistency to win such event.
Mark Williams won his first title in three years by topping the final group in the WST Pro Series, then admitted he could be a “dangerous” contender at the Crucible.
Williams beat Judd Trump 2-0, Sam Craigie 2-0, Kyren Wilson 2-1, Ali Carter 2-1, Jack Lisowski 2-0 and Xiao Guodong 2-1 to make sure of victory with one round of matches in the final group still to be played. A 2-1 defeat in his final group game against Stuart Bingham was academic.
It’s his first ranking title since the 2018 World Open and 23rd of his career, moving him ahead of Trump into fifth place on his own on the all-time list. On his 46th birthday, Williams becomes the oldest ranking event winner since fellow Welshman Doug Mountjoy won the Classic at the same age in 1989.
And it’s a welcome return to form for three-time Crucible king Williams, with the trip to Sheffield less than a month away.
The world number 13 finishes the tournament with prize money of £31,500 and the added bonus of a place in the Champion of Champions event later this year.
During his first six matches today, Williams fired breaks of 67, 101, 58, 75, 54, 72 and 70, playing with a rapid and fluent style.
“It’s unbelievable to win the title, a nice birthday present,” said the Cwm cueman, who had shown impressive form recently in runs to the semi-finals of the Shoot Out and the Welsh Open. “With the big names in the group today I was sure it would go down to last few frames with four or five players in the mix. But I managed to win all of my games and now I can enjoy the victory.
“I’m glad I played Judd first, I didn’t want to face him at the end when I was trying to win it. Even if I had lost to him this morning I could have come back from that. After beating him I got on a good run, I made some good breaks and clearances. I am loving it, going out there and playing as fast as I can. If there’s a shot I’m going for it. I have been playing good stuff for a few months. My average frame time can’t be more than ten or 12 minutes.”
Williams won the world title in 2000, 2003 and most recently in 2018 when he beat John Higgins in the final. Asked whether he is a genuine contender this year, he replied: “If I’m honest, I don’t think so. I can give people a game and beat them, but whether I can carry that form for the whole 17 days, I don’t know. I’ll try 100% in every game and I’ll be dangerous.
“To do what I did in 2018, the work I put in…I’m not prepared to do six or seven hours a day, even though there could be a world title at the end of it. I’m not prepared to sacrifice the time to win tournaments, I have accepted that. I will practise two or three hours a day, play as much golf as a I can, keep ticking over and enjoy it.
“I have nothing to prove to anyone. In 2018 I proved all the doubters wrong, and now I’m just playing for enjoyment and to see how long I can stay in the top 16 for, and when I drop out, how long I can stay on the tour. No one tries any harder than me, I try my guts out when I’m out there. But if I lose it’s no problem, I go home and turn up at the next one.”
This is Willo’s interview:
The similarities between Mark’s attitude and Ronnie’s attitude are obvious. After being pros for nearly 30 years, and playing as amateurs since their early teens, they have to find ways to keep enjoying what they do because it’s the key to longevity.
As for this tournament, despite obvious flaws, and some dead matches, it has been an opportunity to watch players, notably young players, we almost never get to see in “normal” events. Also, because everyone is guaranteed seven matches, it’s good match practice if you embrace it, and an earning opportunity. Some players have indeed embraced it and gathered some very valuable ranking points. Good on them.
Here’s the prize money breakdown for the 2021 Betfred World Championship:
Winner: £500,000
Runner-up: £200,000
Semi-finals: £100,000
Quarter-finals: £50,000
Last 16: £30,000
Last 32: £20,000
Last 48: £15,000
Last 80: £10,000
Last 112: £5,000
High break: £15,000
Total: £2,395,000
The qualifying rounds will run April 5th to 14th at the English Institute of Sport – Sheffield, followed by the final stages at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from April 17th to May 3rd.
The draw for the qualifying rounds will be made in the coming days. The format will be:
Players seeded 81-144 contest the opening round.
In round two, those 32 winners will face players seeded 49-80.
In round three, those 32 winners will face players seeded 17-48.
In round four, those 32 winners play each other, with the 16 winners going through to the Crucible.
All qualifying matches are best of 11 frames, up until the final round on April 13 and 14 which is best of 19. All ten days of qualifying will be covered on the Eurosport App, with commentary throughout Europe, plus our partners in the People’s Republic of China – Youku, Zhibo.tv, Migu, Kuaishou and Huya – and Matchroom.Live throughout the rest of the world.
I do hope that once the covid crisis is over, this event will revert to best of 19 from start to finish.
The tiered system might look to de doing the highest seeded players a favour because they need to win less matches, but I’m not so sure. Indeed, they come cold into the competition, against opponents who have already won (at least) one match, with the prospect of earning no ranking points at all should they lose. That certainly increases the pressure. This applies to the 80-49 group in particular as for many of those players the first match will be crucial in the context of their tour survival.
Women’s World Champion Reanne Evans will start her bid to make it to the Crucible against Andy Hicks – the same opponent she faced last year when she lost 6-3. Rebecca Kenna will make her debut in the event against Brandon Sargeant.
The seven-time World Champion will be in the line-up when the draw for the qualifying rounds of snooker’s biggest tournament comes out this week. Starting in the first round, 52-year-old Hendry will have to win four matches to make it to the Crucible for the first time since 2012.
Mark Selby established a commanding 6-2 lead over Kyren Wilson after the first session of their Cazoo Tour Championship quarter-final.
World number three Mark Selby thrashed Kyren Wilson 10-3 to set up a semi-final showdown with Neil Robertson at the Cazoo Tour Championship.
World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan opened up a 5-3 advantage over John Higgins in their Cazoo Tour Championship quarter-final at the Celtic Manor Resort.
World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated John Higgins in a multi-session match for the first time since 2005, winning 10-8 in their Cazoo Tour Championship quarter-final.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 