The first round concluded yesterday with wins for Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy. The first had a very easy passage, the latter had to battle hard. Those results mean that only two of the qualifiers managed to get through the first round, Stuart Bingham and Jamie Jones, and Stuart of course is a bit of a “false” qualifier. As it currently stands he is provisionaal ranked 16th in the “end of season list”. Both David Gilbert and Jamie Jones could overtake him, but Gilbert would need the semi-finals and Jones would need the final. The two of them face each other in the last 16 round.
Mark Selby believes he is close to the form which gave him three Crucible crowns, and that was evident in a 10-1 rout of Kurt Maflin in the first round of the Betfred World Championship.
Selby’s margin of victory was the biggest at the Crucible so far this year, and his most one-sided first round triumph since he beat Jimmy Robertson by the same scoreline ten years ago. He outplayed Maflin from start to finish as he set up a intriguing second round clash with Mark Allen, which will be their first meeting at the Crucible.
Selby won snooker’s biggest title in 2014, 2016 and 2017
Leicester’s Selby suffered a painful 17-16 defeat against Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-finals last year but has bounced back strongly this season. He thrashed O’Sullivan 9-3 in the final of the Scottish Open and also won the European Masters as well as reaching the final of the Shoot Out and the semi-finals of three other ranking events.
“My game this season has been close to my best and I feel very good mentally as well,” said the world number four. “Beating Kurt 10-1 is up there with my best performances, especially as the first round here is always a difficult hurdle.”
Selby’s match was the last fixture of the opening round and he was the 14th of the top 16 seeds to progress to the second round. The only two to drop out were Stephen Maguire who lost to Jamie Jones, and Ding Junhui who was beaten by Stuart Bingham.
Selby dominated the first session, making breaks of 68, 54, 60, 50, 101, 142, 50 and 65 as he established an 8-1 lead. In the opening frame tonight he made runs of 42 and 40 to extend his advantage. In frame 11, Maflin had a chance to clear from 57-12 down, but missed a tricky final black to a baulk corner, leaving it over the pocket for Selby to seal the result.
“Kurt had a chance to win the third frame yesterday but missed the pink, that was a big moment early on,” said Selby. “After that I punished him almost every time I had a chance. The first round is always a bit nervy so it’s great to win comfortably.
“I am playing well in practice and, more often than not, bringing that game to the match table. I have been working with my coach Chris Henry and I owe a lot to him. Losing to Ronnie here last year hurt me but then Chris gave me the belief to come back and win my first tournament this season.”
Selby is in a brutally tough section of the draw – if he beats Allen, he will face either John Higgins or Mark Williams in the quarter-finals. “I prefer that because I know if I’m not on my game I’ll be going home,” added the 37-year-old. “Playing against a qualifier when you are a massive favourite brings another type of pressure. Mark Allen is a great player and a great lad.”
Shaun Murphy kept alive his hopes of rescuing a poor season at the Betfred World Championship as he came from 5-3 down to beat Mark Davis 10-7 in the opening round.
Murphy is yet to reach a ranking event final this season – the last time that happened over a whole campaign was in 2011/12. He admits he has struggled with his game for long periods, and has been affected by lockdown more than most as the pandemic has reduced his opportunities to practise at his base in Dublin.
Today’s victory for Murphy was only his third win at the Crucible since 2015
The 38-year-old has one more chance to turn his season around, and has proved in the past that he can produce his best at the Crucible, having lifted the trophy in 2005 and reached the final in 2009 and 2015. The world number seven faces Betfred Masters champion Yan Bingtao in the last 16, over a possible 25 frames on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The pair met in the first round in 2017, Murphy winning 10-8.
Veteran Davis, age 48, will be disappointed not to have snatched the opportunity to take a major scalp as he had chances in the early stages of the match to build a significant lead. Murphy felt the key part of the contest was the end of the first session on Wednesday when he came from 4-2 down to trail just 5-4 overnight.
The first two frames of the concluding session were shared, then Murphy won three in a row with top breaks of 56 and 93 to lead 8-6. In frame 15, Davis ran out of position on the final green when leading 55-41, but laid a snooker behind the brown which set up the chance for him to close to 8-7.
In the 16th, Murphy led 60-4 with four reds left when he missed a short-range pink to a centre pocket. Davis could have hurt him by clearing the table, but under-cut a tricky penultimate red to a centre pocket. That proved the crucial moment as Murphy sealed the frame for 9-7, then finished the match in style with a break of 131.
“There was a moment in the first session where I was all at sea and there for the taking,” said Murphy. “I stole the seventh frame from nowhere and that gave me the catalyst to get back into the match. I had a good night’s sleep and felt optimistic about today.”
Murphy failed to qualify for the last two events of the Cazoo Series but does not feel he has benefitted from extra rest ahead of the trip to Sheffield. “I watched those events devastated,” he said. “I was the first reserve at the Players Championship as the 17th seed so I had to spend four or five days at the hotel having to watch other players in a tournament I was in last year. I beat myself up about it, made myself watch every ball and would have been terrible company.”
Looking ahead to his match with Yan, he said: “When he came over as young man, we all thought he could win big events, and now he has one of the Triple Crowns. He has the Masters trophy at home and it’s fully deserved. He’s a very good, player and he will only go from strength to strength. Hopefully our match will be the best one we’ve had.”
Only two of the top 16 seeds have gone out so far in the first round and Murphy believes the presence of the crowd has been a factor. He added: “The top 16 are there because they are better at performing in front of a live audience. When you walk out here, we get excited and we’re stood backstage, it’s like watching people jump out of a plane. You’re thinking ‘it’s my turn next’ and you have to walk out. That sorts the men from the boys. I’m not surprised that the players who are more used to it have flourished so far.”
I didn’t watch any of it, so can’t comment on the matches.
I’m not so sure about Shaun’s explanation about the seeds’ first round dominance. Actually, I’m not sure there is an explanation other than the fact that top 16 players are in the top 16 for a reason: they are the 16 best at that point in time. Except for last year there always was a crowd at the Crucible and having 3 or 4 qualifiers through to the second round is what happens usually. It’s not much, but still more than this year. In 2012 though, with a full capacity crowd, no less than 8 qualifiers managed to get to the last 16. So?
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it … break it instead?
Yesterday in commentary, Anthony Hamilton mentioned that WBPSA had sent a mail to players asking them their opinion about the type of break-off Mark Williams has adopted recently: rolling the white into the back of the pack. Anthony’s opinion was that this clearly pointed at WPBSA’s intention to make this shot illegal and added that, no matter the outcome of the consultation, if this wasindeed their intention they would go forward with the idea.
Really? Yes, really. I’m gobsmacked, and I’m angry.
Is this the spirit?
Mark is playing a perfectly legal shot. His goal is to avoid leaving a long red from the break-off for his opponent, and it’s efficient at that in the vast majority of instances. Why shouldn’t he then?
Neal Foulds asked Judd Trump’s opinion in the studio. In short, Judd’s answer was : it’s a negative shot, we don’t want to waste five minutes at getting the situation back to normal because it’s not entertaining.
Yes, it’s a negative shot. So what? Will they also consider to make the following illegal?
rolling behind a colour
rolling into the pack
pushing a ball safe on a cushion
in general playing safe when a pot is available
That doesn’t make much sense does it? Unless you want to turn snooker in a pure potting game, scrapping off all the tactical side of it. Would that be interesting? Would that be entertaining? I don’t think so. If that’s what some fans want to see, they are watching the wrong sport, they should turn to pool.
I can think of a multiple World Champion who has done extremely well playing a lot of the above, consistently, and slowly, exhausting and frustrating his opponents – and many fans – with his tactics. I did often find it painful to watch and not one bit entertaining. He was praised for it.
Judd’s allegations about wasting time are frankly ridiculous. I watch most Williams’ games and since he’s been doing this, the situation on the table has always been back to “normal” pretty quick, it rarely took more than five shots … with the benefit that the black was usually in open play as well, instead of being tied up which seems to be the case most of the time with the “traditional” break-off nowadays.
There is absolutely ZERO reason in my views for this move by WPBSA.
Mark Williams defends controversial break-off after first-round win
Mark Williams; ‘Why don’t I just smash it into the pack and leave all the reds on for everyone – would they be happy with that?’ Photograph: George Wood/PA
PA Media
Mark Williams blasted a bid to ban his controversial break-off technique after cruising into the second round of the World Snooker Championship with a 10-4 victory over qualifier Sam Craigie.
The three-time former champion adopted the shot, with which he nudges the cue-ball into the back of the reds off the bottom cushion, at the Masters in January after growing frustrated at leaving frame-winning opportunities for opponent Shaun Murphy.
Williams revealed an email had been sent to some of the sport’s leading names by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association players’ association, canvassing opinion on whether the controversial tactic should be prohibited.
Williams said: “There’s a lot more going on in the world to worry about than my poxy break-off. Haven’t they got anything better to do than send emails out asking players if they like it and should it get banned?
“I’ll think of another break-off. Why don’t I just smash it into the pack and leave all the reds on for everyone – would they be happy with that?
“If they ban the break-off they’ve got to ban rolling up behind baulk colours and rolling up behind the black. It’s not an illegal shot and I don’t see the problem with it, it’s farcical.”
The WPBSA confirmed the existence of the email but indicated it was yet to reach the stage of being considered by the organisation’s rules committee.
Judd Trump completed a one-sided 10-4 victory over Liam Highfield to reach the last 16 of the Betfred World Championship – a result which guarantees that he will finish the season as world number one.
So dominant has the Bristol cueman been over the past two seasons – landing 11 ranking titles – that even if he were to lose in the second round and then Ronnie O’Sullivan were to win the Crucible crown for a second year in a row, that would not be enough to dislodge Trump from top spot.
Trump has already won five ranking titles this season, one short of the record of six he set last term
But 31-year-old Trump’s only focus now will be to take the £500,000 first prize himself and double his tally of world titles, having captured his first in 2019. He could face a difficult test against David Gilbert over 25 frames on Sunday and Monday.
The opening round at the Crucible has been a hazardous hunting ground for Trump in recent years; since 2016 he has had two wins by a 10-8 scoreline and two 10-9 victories as well as a 10-8 defeat against Rory McLeod. But this time he was always in control as Highfield never threatened an upset.
Trump led 7-2 after the first session with a top break of 116. A run of 51 in the first frame today helped him extend his lead. In frame 11, Trump could have cleared from 56-4 down but ran out of position from pink to black, then played a loose safety which allowed Highfield to pull one back.
A run of 84 put Trump 9-3 ahead, then world number 49 Highfield had the consolation of making the highest break of the match and showing his talent with a 138 total clearance. But there would be no fight back as Trump won frame 14 with a top run of 52.
“Liam played some really good stuff and played with a lot of freedom,” said Trump, making his 11th consecutive Crucible appearance. “He missed the odd ball here and there. It was a really enjoyable game, free flowing, we both went for our shots.
“I have tried to approach this tournament as if I was 21, saving some excitement for it and trying to enjoy myself. I have spent a lot of time at home over the past year so I want to take it all in while I’m in Sheffield. There have been times this season when I have won a tournament, picked up a trophy, got in the car and driven home. The enjoyment of that couple of hours afterwards when you celebrate with your friends and family has not been there. I have got my brother with me backstage this time which brings back the chance to share it with someone.”
Trump was also asked about Barry Hearn who bowed out as WST Chairman on Tuesday. “He did everything he possibly could for snooker. It was his first love and his passion,” said Trump. “That rubs off on everyone who has worked hard to get us to this point. It’s up to the players and the other people behind the scenes now to make a few changes and take it to the next level. He can sit back now and be proud of putting us in that position.”
I freely admit that I didn’t watch anything of the second session but what I saw in the first session does not resemble Judd’s description of what happened at the table when I was watching. What I saw was Judd potting some great balls, but also missing a lot of seemingly routine shots, going for things he probably shouldn’t and in general playing as if his own victory was a certainty no matter what his opponent could possibly do. Liam Highfield during that session was missing all sorts and looked a bit overwhelmed. Being 7-2 down, he probably relaxed and played better yesterday.
Crucible specialist Barry Hawkins reached the second round in Sheffield for an 11th consecutive year as he hammered Matthew Selt 10-3 in the first round of the Betfred World Championship.
Hawkins was runner-up to Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2013 and also reached the semi-finals in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018
Hawkins has an outstanding record at snooker’s most famous venue, and has now won 23 matches at the Crucible since 2011. His super-smooth cue action and calm temperament are ideal attributes in the heat of battle. The 41-year-old Londoner can now look forward to a last-16 clash with Kyren Wilson on Friday and Saturday.
In recent months, world number 11 Hawkins has been close to the form which took him to the final here in 2013. He has reached the semi-finals of the German Masters, Cazoo Players Championship and Cazoo Tour Championship, nailing down a top-16 place which looked under threat at the start of the year. Always reluctant to talk up his chances, Hawkins will feel quietly confident of another deep run at the Theatre of Dreams.
Hawkins led 6-3 after the first session, making a top break of 137. The first frame of the concluding session came down to the last two reds, and a safety error from Selt gave Hawkins a chance at a mid-range pot, which he slotted in to set up a frame-winning break. That gave Hawkins the impetus to reel off the last three frames with breaks of 76, 126 and 82.
“Matt is a confident player so he wouldn’t have been worried about playing me,” said Hawkins. “The scoreline flattered me, in the first session I won a lot of frames from behind. I was over the moon to be 6-3 up because I could have been 5-4 down. I was determined to concentrate hard tonight and I didn’t give him many chances. I played Matt in the first round here in 2015 and he came from 9-4 down to 9-9 before I won 10-9, so I didn’t want to see that happen again.
“It’s all about confidence – if you have that behind you then you can get on a roll. And how you handle it out there is huge. It’s nice when you are playing well, but it’s the toughest place in the world when you are struggling. Then it’s all about damage limitation – if you are playing badly but you can share a session 4-4 then you are still in the match.”
Selt said: “I couldn’t control the cue ball in the most important parts of the match. I created a lot of chances but just didn’t score. I felt great but I can’t put my finger on why I didn’t take my chances. Next time I come back here I’ll be a better player.”
I didn’t see a ball of this match, so can’t comment other that this looks like Barry Hawkins being Barry Hawkins at the Crucible… solid and dangerous.
Mark Williams rattled off five frames on the bounce to see off Crucible debutant Sam Craigie 10-4 and set up a second round clash with familiar foe John Higgins at the Betfred World Championship.
The last time Williams and Higgins locked horns at the Crucible was one of the all-time great World Championship finals back in 2018, when Williams emerged an 18-16 victor in an epic encounter to claim his third world title. However, it’s four-time World Champion Higgins who leads the head-to-head between the pair, holding a 20-18 advantage.
They will take to the baize for the first session of their best of 25 showdown on Friday at 2:30pm. Speed demon Williams now heads into that match as the fastest player on the World Snooker Tour, averaging just 18.07 seconds per shot this season.
It was a disappointing evening for 27-year-old Craigie, who fell away from 5-4 down after the opening session. The Wallsend cueman will still be able to reflect on a memorable 10-9 Judgement Day win over Zhao Xintong in qualifying last week, which earned him his first appearance at the Theatre of Dreams.
Williams wasted little time in surging to victory this evening. Breaks of 53, 73 and 94 helped the Welshman to claim all of the first five frames and canter over the line for a comfortable 10-4 win.
“Tonight I played really well to be honest. Every part of my game was strong and I kept him under pressure. I don’t think he did much wrong tonight to be honest. The first session was a bit scrappy. For me to come out with a 5-4 lead, I was very happy. I thought I was really solid tonight,” said 46-year-old Williams.
“I’m looking forward to facing John Higgins. I’ve lost count of how many times we have played. We’ve had so many good games here. Close ones, I’ve beat him, he’s beat me. The final I played him was probably the best match of my life, just because of the standard, the atmosphere and the drama at the end. This one isn’t going to be as good, but I’m going to enjoy it, win or lose.
“I can guarantee you I won’t be frightened of the occasion. I will be going for some pots that if they go in, I will look a million Dollars. If they don’t, I will look like an absolute donkey. I’m happy with that. I don’t play the game to worry about what people say I should or shouldn’t go for. If I think it is the right shot, I will go for it.”
Mark Williams played well, even very well, Sam Craigie had no answer.
That’s it. That’s all.
It’s always entertaining to watch Willo on form and I enjoyed watching the match despite the one-sided second session. Mark Williams plays the game differently from everyone else on the tour. His shot selection is unconventional, his attitude is unconventional and, at 46 he still has the soul of a cheeky teenager. Long may it last!
Three more matches concluded yesterday with Jack Lisowski, Mark Allen and Stuart Bingham going through. Ding became only the second seed to lose in the first round.
Jack Lisowski played one of the best shots of the tournament so far at a crucial moment as he beat Ali Carter 10-9 in a superb match in the opening round of the Betfred World Championship.
Lisowski has reached three ranking finals this season but lost to Judd Trump all three times.
In the first match of the event so far to go to a 19th frame, Lisowski potted a fabulous long red early in the decider, judging position perfectly to finish on the black. That set him up for a break of 60 which proved enough to set up a fascinating second round clash with Neil Robertson.
It was a fitting conclusion to a high quality match, though Carter was annoyed to have missed important chances from 8-6 ahead.
Surprisingly it is only the second match Lisowski has won at the Crucible – he reached the second round in 2018 then lost in the first round to Carter in 2019 and suffered a cruel 10-9 defeat against Anthony McGill last year. Today’s victory is a huge boost to the 29-year-old’s self-belief.
Carter trailed 5-4 overnight but won the first two frames today to take the lead. Lisowski made it 6-6 and would have taken frame 13 if he had potted the final brown to a baulk corner, but missed a tricky pot and Carter punished him.
After the interval, Carter’s run of 72 put him 8-6 up, and he was on course to win frame 15 until he missed a red to a centre pocket on 52. Lisowski’s excellent 77 clearance turned the tide.
Another miss to centre, this time on the blue on 28, proved costly again for Carter in the 16th as Lisowski made 52 for 8-8. Frame 17 came down to a safety battle on the last red, and Carter, leading 56-30, executed a clever cross-double to a baulk corner which set him up to edge back in front at 9-8. Lisowski hit back with a run of 82 to set up the decider.
First chance went to Carter but he potted just one red before missing an awkward blue. Lisowski’s tremendous red gave him his opportunity and his run of 60 put him in control. Carter had one half-chance to counter but scored just 7 before failing on a tough pink, and the elbow-bump soon followed.
Carter is a two time Crucible finalist but had to qualify this time having dropped to 23rd in the world
“Ali was the one player out of the 16 qualifiers I didn’t want to face,” admitted world number 14 Lisowski. “When the draw came out I knew it would be tough. But you have to beat the best players to have a chance. We both missed a few balls. To win 10-9 after losing 10-9 last year is a big relief. I held myself together well from 8-6 and 9-8 down. It’s a game I would have lost a few years ago.
“I was losing it, my concentration was going a few times. But overall I’m more composed, my game is getting better, my safety is better. It wasn’t a great performance but I did what I had to do to win. I’ve been to three finals this season so I am doing something right in terms of consistency. I want to do better than the second round here and build my way into it
“Neil is playing as well as anyone, I will have to be on top of my game to have a chance.”
Carter said: “The turning point was the red I missed at 8-6, it lipped out of the middle pocket. Then early in the last frame I missed the blue but I was closer to the side cushion than I wanted to be. I have had a good second half of the season and I’m heading in the right direction.”
Stuart Bingham summoned a crucial break of 70 in the final frame to edge out Asian number one Ding Junhui 10-9 at the Betfred World Championship.
The pair played out a keenly contested afternoon session, which saw Ding peg 2015 World Champion Bingham back to 9-9 after trailing 9-8. It was at that point that they were pulled off to allow the evening session to get underway.
When play resumed it was Ding who had looked set to seal a huge victory. However, the 14-time ranking event winner broke down on a run of 45 after missing a cut back red. That allowed Essex cueman Bingham back to the table and he pounced with that break of 70 to cross the line and book a second round encounter with Jamie Jones.
Defeat for Ding sees his quest to become Asia’s first World Champion pushed back at least another year. The 34-year-old reached the final in 2016, but lost out to Mark Selby.
Bingham arrived at the Crucible battle hardened following last week’s qualifying event, where he beat Luca Brecel in the final round. That was the first time Bingham has required the qualifiers since 2011. He dropped out of the world’s top 16 this term after a difficult season, which has only seen him reach one ranking quarter-final.
“I’m over the moon to get through that game, it was a classic match. I was gutted to get pulled off at 9-9, but it probably did us both a favour to chill out for a few hours. The first eight or nine minutes of that deciding frame had some unbelievable safety. We weren’t giving each other a chance,” said 44-year-old Bingham. “Luckily for me, he missed after he got in and I produced one of my best 70 breaks and one of the best at the Crucible Theatre.
“It’s going to be tough against Jamie Jones. It’s his first season back on and he is probably playing the best snooker of his life. After what he went through and coming through Q School straight away, at the end of the year he is in the last 16 of the World Championship. He is going to be one hell of a tough player.”
This was an excellent match and it’s a shame that one of them had to go out of the tournament. It’s clear that in many ways Bingham is a “false qualifier” if that makes sense. He clearly is a top 16 level player. For Ding it’s another disappointing World Championship campaign.
Mark Allen won a match at the Crucible for the first time in three years, and did so in emphatic style as he fired three centuries in a 10-2 victory over Lyu Haotian at the Betfred World Championship.
Northern Ireland’s Allen lost to Zhou Yuelong in the first round in 2019 and to Jamie Clarke in 2020. He avoided a hat-trick of first round upsets with a comfortable win over China’s Lyu but will surely face a far tougher test when he faces Mark Selby or Kurt Maflin in the second round. Allen is looking to improve his Sheffield record as he has reached the semi-finals just once – back in 2009 when he lost to John Higgins.
Allen’s 10-2 win was his most one-sided first round victory at the Crucible
The Pistol needed just 55 minutes in the second session tonight to end the challenge of Lyu. He did most of the damage in the first session as he surged 7-2 ahead, making breaks of 139, 102 and 116. And he added the three frames he needed with a top run of 64.
It has been a mixed season for 35-year-old Allen so far – he won one of the biggest titles of his career so far at the invitational Champion of Champions in November. But in ranking events he has rarely produced his best, and currently lies 28th on the one-year list.
“It was a steady performance all day, I didn’t miss much in the first session,” said the world number 13 from Antrim. “It was a bit scrappier tonight but I was just happy to win. It’s good to conserve some energy, because when you win 10-7 or 10-8 they are gruelling matches. I can have an early night now, a few days off and plenty of practice.
“I have had no form since the Champion of Champions. It has been a very poor season. I lost early in the UK Championship and the Masters and haven’t gone deep in any ranking events. I have been working hard on the practice table, working on the right things and it hasn’t clicked so far, so hopefully it can click here. I love playing here, it’s great to have fans and the crowd will grow through the event.”
Allen was also asked about Barry Hearn, who has stepped aside as WST Chairman. “Barry will be sadly missed because he has transformed snooker,” said Allen. “Before he took over it was dark times, with six or seven tournaments a year, now we’ll have 25 once we get back to normal. He has added a lot of big events to the calendar. He is a workaholic and I’m sure he won’t stop working behind the scenes.”
I saw very little of this match. Right from the start it was clear how it was going to unfold and I didn’t fancy watching it after the first couple of frames. As for Allen, his problem in such a long demanding tournament is neither about ability, nor form, it’s about stamina and, unless he sorts himself out and gets fitter, he will always struggle to win it.
BARRY HEARN OBE STEPS ASIDE AS EDDIE HEARN BECOMES MATCHROOM SPORT GROUP CHAIRMAN
Eddie Hearn will become Chairman of the Matchroom Sport Group of Companies as Barry Hearn OBE steps aside after almost 40 years to become President of the Group in an advisory role, dealing primarily with event strategy and global development.
Barry and Eddie Hearn with Steve Davis
Eddie will become Chairman of the Group of Companies and Chairman of Matchroom Sport, Professional Darts Corporation, Matchroom Boxing, Matchroom Boxing USA, Matchroom Media and the PGA EuroPro Tour.
Also, in the group, Steve Dawson will take over from Barry as Chairman of the World Snooker Tour after this year’s World Snooker Championship. Matthew Porter will become Chairman of Matchroom Multi Sport and Katie Hearn CEO of Matchroom Media.
Hearn founded the sports promotions company back in 1982, enjoying huge success with Snooker before moving into Boxing, Darts, Pool and Tenpin Bowling amongst more than a dozen different sports.
Through the 1990s Hearn turned several niche sports into major TV attractions with a succession of innovative ideas. His acquisition of a majority shareholding in the PDC in 2001 and the World Snooker Tour in 2010 saw him appointed Chairman as both companies went from strength to strength.
Matchroom supplies a wide range of sports programming to broadcasters worldwide, producing over 3,000 hours of action annually across over 600 event days in addition to original documentaries and shoulder programming for all platforms.
Following several years in the sponsorship and event management industry, Eddie Hearn joined Matchroom Sport in 2004, he assumed the role of Chief Executive of the PGA EuroPro Tour and subsequently headed up Matchroom Sport’s rapidly expanding poker and online gaming operations. With the swift growth of the company in recent years Eddie has assumed the role of Group Managing Director and will now become Group Chairman.
Eddie’s most notable public face is as the head of Matchroom’s Boxing division, promoting a stable he has grown, and which is littered with World Champions and Olympic gold medallists.
Under Eddie’s leadership, Matchroom Boxing has returned to the forefront of the sport around the world. In 2018 he agreed a historic $1billion deal with live streaming platform DAZN to stage 16 fights a year across America under Matchroom Boxing USA.
Barry Hearn OBE said: “It has been a huge honour to have worked with some of the greatest sports people on the planet across the last 40 years and enjoyed so many wonderful experiences across our spectrum of events in that time, from snooker’s glory days of the 1980s to record-breaking boxing shows and the incredible growth of professional darts, as we have created opportunities for thousands of sportsmen and women during that time.
“Great challenges have been met, but none more so than the Covid pandemic. I have been determined to stay in charge until this disaster passed and now there is light at the end of the tunnel and I believe it is the right time to pass control of Matchroom to my son Eddie and the brilliant teams we have assembled across all our activities.
“I shall continue to be available to all Matchroom companies as non-executive President, an advisory role concentrating on group strategy and global expansion, but Eddie will be elevated to Group Chairman with overall responsibility for the entire group.
“I could not be prouder of the Matchroom Group of Companies and the outstanding teams that operate in a highly competitive marketplace. Matchroom has grown from two employees operating in an office under a snooker hall in Romford in 1982, to the global powerhouse it is today due to the efforts and performances of all our staff, contractors, broadcasters, and partners.
“I know the company is in good hands with Eddie at the helm and with my daughter Katie heading up Matchroom Media, Matt Porter at the PDC, Frank Smith at Matchroom Boxing, Emily Frazer at Matchroom Multi Sport, Steve Dawson my Chief Executive for over 30 years and Dan Godding at the PGA EuroPro Tour, along with all their teams.
“Now is the time to give all Matchroom employees the opportunity to take this great British company to the next level and beyond”.
Eddie Hearn commented: “Anyone that knows me is well aware of what Matchroom means to me and our family. It has a legacy that spans 40 years from a small office under a snooker hall in Romford to a global powerhouse of sports entertainment. My father has dedicated his life to the company and since I joined in 2004 I have done the same. Now a greater responsibility falls on my shoulders and I am very proud to continue his great work and lead the business and the incredible team that we have built at Matchroom. We have seen astounding growth in the last ten years but we have only just begun. I look forward to continuously evolving and continuing the global growth of this astonishing family business.”
It was always going to happen of course, but I didn’t expect it to happen now.
I’m not sure it’s good news for snooker at all. Eddie Hearn’s focus until now has never been snooker, it’s mainly been boxing. Time will tell of course but I’m not too optimistic.
Last year’s beaten semi-finalist Anthony McGill pulled away from 4-4 to beat Ricky Walden 10-5 in the first round of the Betfred World Championship, setting up a match with Crucible king Ronnie O’Sullivan.
McGill seems to thrive on the Sheffield atmosphere and has a fine record at the venue, having reached the quarter-finals on his debut in 2015, and the semis last year, where he was narrowly beaten 17-16 by Kyren Wilson. After a quiet season, in which he has not gone beyond the last 16 of a ranking event, the Scot hopes for a strong finish on the big stage.
He will face O’Sullivan on Thursday and Friday, in their first meeting at the Crucible. McGill has lost all six of their previous matches, but has the all-round game and temperament to give his illustrious opponent a real test.
World number 16 McGill had a slender 5-4 lead after the first session against Walden then pulled away tonight with breaks of 83 and 130 to go 7-4 ahead. Walden pulled one back with a 98, but McGill took the next two with a top run of 69 for 9-5.
In frame 15, Walden had a chance to clear from 59-0 down, but ran out of position on the last red. McGill eventually potted green and brown to seal victory.
“I feel really good about myself when I play good snooker, and I did that today,” said McGill. “It might be the best I have played here. I have not been getting results this season, though my performances have been better than my results. That’s the way it goes sometimes, then you just have to stick with it and be patient and hopefully it will turn. That was a cracking win because Ricky is quality, I rate him so highly. To beat him 10-5, I’m delighted.
“I love it here, I grew up watching it. Even now at 30 years old, I’m a grown up man, but there is part of me that still feels like a kid out there. It’s the best place ever. There are not that many players who get the chance to play here.
“Each World Championship from now on, my sights will be set on at least making the one-table set up now that I have done it before. Playing Ronnie at the Crucible, how could you not be excited about that? I’ll try my best.”
This is not the result I wanted. I like Ricky – who I got to know personally – and I don’t like Anthony. There is little if any rational reason for the latter, I’m aware of that. Anthony runs an “academy” in in Scotland, where he welcomes children with learning disabilities. He certainly deserves high praise for that. I disagree with his vegan views although I’m also convinced that most people eat far too much meat, and that certainly is neither an explanation nor justification for the dislike I feel, but I still feel it. So, yesterday, whilst I could only admire Anthony’s skills at the table, I also hated every minute of that second session. I do hope that Ronnie can find his game in the coming round.
Kyren Wilson’s composure at the table proved vital as he recovered a 5-1 deficit to beat Gary Wilson 10-8 in the first round of the Betfred World Championship.
Wilson lost 18-8 to Ronnie O’Sullivan in last year’s final
Last year’s Crucible runner-up Kyren looked in danger of a shock early exit when he trailed his namesake by four frames in the early stages. “At 5-1 it was looking grim,” he admitted. “My years of experience got me through. In the past I would have panicked. I know how important momentum can be, and once I had it I held on to it.”
The world number six from Kettering goes through to a last 16 clash with Barry Hawkins or Matthew Selt and will look to extend his impressive recent record at the Crucible, having won 14 matches at the Sheffield venue over the past five years.
Wilson has shown a high level of consistency this season, reaching at least the quarter-finals of eight rankings events, and winning the Championship League title twice. No player is more determined than the 29-year-old as he pursues his biggest ambition of lifting snooker’s most famous trophy.
Trailing 5-4 after the first session, Kyren won the first three frames tonight with top breaks of 61 and 60 to lead 7-5. Gary made 71 and 54 as he recovered to 7-7, only for Kyren to respond with 58 and 119 for 9-7. Gary pulled one back with a 56 but Kyren was unflustered and finished in style with a run of 73. Over the match he made three centuries and six more breaks over 50.
“In the early stages I felt a bit loose,” said four-time ranking event winner Wilson. “The tables are very fast so I had to get more compact with my action and control the cue ball better. I scored like a demon from 5-1 down. It was nice to have a crowd, especially when the partition went up. The fans add the feeling of butterflies in your stomach.
“I have adapted to the conditions now and I can look forward to round two. I learned a lot from my run to the final last year and how to look after my body to avoid burning out. The hotel I am staying in has prepared a meal plan for me to make sure I get enough protein. I am eating well and trying to make sure I practise at the right times.”
This was a really good match. Gary Wilson played well, really well, and it wasn’t enough. Kyren Wilson was scary in the second session. He played some incredible snooker.
John Higgins said he was “struggling to breathe” due to the pressure during his first round clash with Tian Pengfei, but ultimately rallied from 7-4 down to win 10-7 at the Betfred World Championship.
The Scot admitted that despite being a four-time winner at the Theatre of Dreams, he isn’t immune to feeling the heat inside Sheffield’s Crucible.
Higgins came into this week having shown signs of his best form this season. The 31-time ranking event winner was runner-up to Yan Bingtao at the Betfred Masters and produced scintillating snooker to win the Cazoo Players Championship, beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final.
However, that form didn’t translate into his first round showing here. An edgy opening session was pulled off early with China’s Tian leading 4-3.
When they returned this afternoon it was Tian who continued to set the pace. The 33-year-old made breaks of 55, 61 and 57 on his way to opening up a 7-4 advantage.
Higgins began his fightback by securing a 32-minute 12th frame to gain a foothold in the tie. A break of 61 helped him to pull within one, before he restored parity and made it 7-7.
A colours clearance of 27 saw Higgins dramatically claim the 15th frame on the black to lead 8-7 and he compounded Tian’s misery with a break of 127 to move to the verge of victory at 9-7. At that point the players were pulled off to allow the evening session to get underway.
Higgins made light work of finishing off the win when play got back underway, firing in a sublime run of 135 to earn a second round clash with either Mark Williams or Sam Craigie.
“That was a whole range of what I’ve been through over 27 years here. Some good, some bad, some embarrassing. I’m delighted to get through, I dodged a big bullet there,” said 45-year-old Higgins. “The first round is always the most pressurised game each year. That is what I always feel. When you get that out of the way, you can relax into the tournament.
“I was actually struggling to breathe at one point. I don’t know what happened, that’s just what this theatre does to you. I think I stopped breathing for a few frames, but it was good to get through.
“When you are struggling mentally it is tough. I’ll take the positives. I finished it off pretty decently with a couple of 100 breaks. I’ll try to grasp on to that and get a couple of days practising in.”
This is a match that Tian should never have lost. John Higgins was there for the taking for most of it. He was terrible at times. Most of the first session was no better than “club level” snooker. But Tian struggled to finish frames, and lost many where he had been well in front. Inevitably, John Higgins found some fluency eventually, and finished strongly.
WST has published information, and the entry pack, for the 2021 Q-School with 14 spots available for the 2021/22 season.
Q School 2021
Snooker players dreaming of earning a place on the World Snooker Tour will have their chance at Q School 2021, starting on May 27th at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield.
Entry for Q School is open now and the deadline is Thursday May 6th at 12 noon. Entry into our events is via the tournament online entry system, and by logging on using your unique username and password.
Q School has been running since 2011 and gives all amateur players the chance to qualify for the professional tour.
David Gilbert came through Q School and is now a top 16 star
This year there will be 14 places available, in the tournament scheduled to run from May 27th to June 13th. Three tournaments will be staged consecutively, each lasting six days (subject to entries). The four semi-finalists in each event will all earn a two-year tour card for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons. Plus the next two highest players on the Order of Merit will also earn a card. All matches will be best of seven frames.
For the first time, a seeding system will be used. Players relegated from the Tour at the end of the 2020/21 season, along with leading players from the 2020 Q School Order of Merit, will make up 64 seeded players in each Q School event. These players will be seeded apart from one another in the opening rounds of the event so that they do not meet before the Last-64 round.
Q School is open to all players from around the world, regardless of nationality, age or gender, providing they are in good standing with their national federation. The entry fee is £1,000.
The event will follow Government guidance on Covid-19 and players who enter will be provided with further information in line with that guidance.
WST Chairman Barry Hearn OBE said: “We are delighted to go ahead with Q School and to give so many aspiring players the chance to win the ultimate golden ticket: a place on the World Snooker Tour. For anyone with the talent and ambition, this is the opportunity to chase your dream.
“This time there are 14 places up for grabs, so everyone in the field has three bites at the cherry, plus the goal to finish as high up the Order of Merit as possible. And it’s a fantastic innovation to introduce a seeding system for the first time, to reward those who were successful last year.
“Despite the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic, we have a tremendous record of successfully and safely staging many events over the past year, working closely with our Government advisors. All players can feel confident that we will follow all required health and safety measures.
“This is the ten-year anniversary of Q School and we have seen so many great players come through the system, not least David Gilbert who is now a top 16 star. Plans for the 2021/22 season are still developing but without doubt, the 128 tour players will have a packed calendar and outstanding levels of prize money to compete for.
“We are thrilled to be working with the team at Ponds Forge as it is a superb venue which has hosted many of our events in the past.”
A separate ranking list will be compiled during Q School with players earning one point for every frame won. During the 2021/2022 season, should the number of entries in any WST event fall below the required number of entrants, subject to wildcards and commercial agreements, the highest ranked players from the Q School ranking list will be used to top up to the required number of entrants.
Further opportunities may become available for the top 32 players on the Order of Merit who do not qualify for the Tour, on the WPBSA Q Tour. This remains subject to the easing of travel and Covid restrictions.
I have put the parts that I see as important in bold.
The seeding system is long overdue. In previous years, only too often players in with a good chance collided in the early rounds, whilst others, with little hope got multiple byes. Such system did not help selecting the best players. The seeding will also help beginners who will – in theory – get a more winnable opening match.
Concerning the “Order of merit” list, I have highlighted the part about wilcards and commercial agreements. This is nothing new. However the amount of moaning and anger coming from Q-school players about the wildcards in this World Championship qualifiers has shown that it isn’t understood: in short wildcards – at WST/WPBSA discretion – and sponsors requirements have priority over Q-School top-ups.
The scheduling of the event means that this season professional players will have a rather long break. I’m 100% in favour of it. The season is long and intense as it is.
Wu Yize, Zhang Jiankang, Cao Yupeng and Zhang Anda earned places on the World Snooker Tour from the start of next season by coming through the qualification events held this week at the CBSA-WPBSA Academy in Beijing.
The quartet booked two-year professional tour cards for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons by coming through the competitions organised by the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association.
Zhang Jiankang earned his place following a 4-0 victory against Deng Haohui and will return to the World Snooker Tour a year after he was relegated at the end of the 2019/20 season. The 22-year-old previously reached the last 16 of the 2019 Scottish Open and achieved a highest ranking of 85th position.
Talented youngster Wu Yize will join turn professional for the first time following a 4-1 win against Pa Ruke. Aged just 17, Yu reached the semi-finals of the WSF Junior Open in January 2020, narrowly losing 4-3 to eventual champion Gao Yang.
In 2019, he competed as a wildcard at the International Championship, narrowly losing 6-5 to four-time world champion John Higgins. He made his debut at the Betfred World Championship as a WPBSA qualifier and defeated professionals Ashley Hugill and Robbie Williams, before losing to former Masters champion Alan McManus.
Cao Yupeng withstood a comeback from 17-year-old Liu Hingyu to claim a 4-3 victory and reclaim a place on the professional circuit. Liu recovered from 3-1 down to force a deciding frame, but it was the more experienced Cao who would win the decider to prevail.
Cao is a two-time ranking event finalist, narrowly losing out to Neil Robertson at the 2017 Scottish Open, and subsequently the 2018 Gibraltar Open. He reached a career-high world ranking of 38 in April 2018. He returns to the tour following suspension which ended on 24 November 2020 after he pleaded guilty to breaches of the WPBSA Members Rules.
Zhang Anda returns to the World Snooker Tour for his third spell as a professional after he defeated Zhang Zhijie 4-0 in the final round.
The 29-year-old first turned professional in 2009 and has twice reached the quarter-finals of ranking events at the 2017 Indian Open and 2018 Paul Hunter Classic. He has qualified for the televised stages of the World Championship on three occasions, coming within a frame of defeating seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry on his Crucible debut in 2010.
Two young players, and two experienced players there. Wu Yize is extremely talented and great to watch. Zhang Jiankang, only 22, has been on tour but had a particularly hard time with the covid-19 restrictions and quarantines. Zhang Anda had put his young family ahead of his career in those difficult times. Cao Yupeng’s ban ended last November. I’m sure that there will be voices claiming that he shouldn’t be allowed back. I disagree. He served his time, and certainly worked hard to qualfy again. Good luck to all four.
Selby won snooker’s biggest title in 2014, 2016 and 2017
Selby dominated the first session, making breaks of 68, 54, 60, 50, 101, 142, 50 and 65 as he established an 8-1 lead. In the opening frame tonight he made runs of 42 and 40 to extend his advantage. In frame 11, Maflin had a chance to clear from 57-12 down, but missed a tricky final black to a baulk corner, leaving it over the pocket for Selby to seal the result.
Today’s victory for Murphy was only his third win at the Crucible since 2015
Mark Williams rattled off five frames on the bounce to see off Crucible debutant Sam Craigie 10-4 and set up a second round clash with familiar foe John Higgins at the Betfred World Championship.
Williams wasted little time in surging to victory this evening. Breaks of 53, 73 and 94 helped the Welshman to claim all of the first five frames and canter over the line for a comfortable 10-4 win.
Stuart Bingham summoned a crucial break of 70 in the final frame to edge out Asian number one Ding Junhui 10-9 at the Betfred World Championship.
John Higgins said he was “struggling to breathe” due to the pressure during his first round clash with Tian Pengfei, but ultimately rallied from 7-4 down to win 10-7 at the Betfred World Championship.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 