The 2021 Champion of Champions – Group 2

November 18, 2021November 19, 2021 Monique Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

This is what happened yesterday!

Needless to say, it was the big talking point on twitter last evening!

Yan Books Semi-Final Slot

Group 2 Scores

Group Semi-Finals

Mark Selby 4-3 David Gilbert

1-67, 0-122 (77), 74-61 (67), 22-73 (69), 79-9 (79), 131-0 (131), 73-32 (72)

Shaun Murphy 1-4 Yan Bingtao

5-103 (88), 0-86 (78), 77-14, 1-115 (96), 66-73

Group Final

Mark Selby 3-6 Yan Bingtao

20-74, 76-6, 39-84, 78-0 (78), 0-80 (76), 21-59, 132-0 (132), 0-140 (140), 11-120 (78)

Yan Bingtao is the third player into the 2021 Cazoo Champion of Champions semi-finals after defeating Mark Selby 6-3 in a dramatic Group 2 Final in Bolton.

World Champion Selby faced David Gilbert in his opening round tie and he had it all to do when he found himself trailing 3-1. The Jester from Leicester can never be counted out though and he took the fifth, before firing in a break of 131 to force the first decider of the week. He sealed victory in the final frame with a nerveless 72.

Yan came up against Shaun Murphy, who he met for the first time in this event six years ago. On that occasion it was Yan who secured victory and it was no different this time around. Masters champion Yan produced some heavy scoring, including breaks of 88, 78 and 96, to run out a 4-1 victor.

The evening began with Yan taking a scrappy opening frame, before Selby fired back in the second with a break of 68 to draw level at 1-1.

Selby was on the hunt for his first Cazoo Champion of Champions title and found himself behind again after the third with a clearance of 47 from Yan taking him into a 2-1 lead. However, the pair went into the mid-session all square after Selby fired in a fine run of 78 to make it 2-2.

When play resumed Yan edged in front by taking the fifth with a break of 76. He then put daylight between himself and Selby by winning the sixth to secure a two-frame cushion at 4-2.

A total clearance of 132 kept Selby firmly on Yan’s heels and closed the gap to a solitary frame, but it was the Chinese cueman who took control of the tie from then on. He produced a sublime break of 140 to move a frame from victory and got over the line with a contribution of 78.

“I was very surprised. Every time I play Mark Selby it is a very difficult match. He is very strong with safety and control. Every time I play Mark it is very difficult but tonight, I played well. I just enjoy being here, I enjoy the table and the people. I am happy for myself,” said Yan.

“I think it’s okay, I do not care, I just enjoy the match. I think I would like to play Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-final. Every time you play Ronnie, he is very different. You come here and you need to win by beating champions to win the title.” said Yan.

Tomorrow sees O’Sullivan, John Higgins, Ding Junhui and Stuart Bingham complete the group stage of the 2021 Cazoo Champion of Champions with O’Sullivan against Bingham getting things underway from 12:45 live on ITV4 followed by Higgins against Ding.

You can listen to Yan here:

Snooker fans AND pundits have really warmed to Yan now.

He has conquered his former critics. At the start of Yan’s first match yesterday, Phil Yates introduced him by these words: “You are watching the future of snooker” …

Yan’s performance was a very mature one. He has a very solid head on his young shoulders, he’s a very hard worker. Really though, he should have been facing David Gilbert in the Group final. Mark Selby produced a typical resilient performance to beat David Gilbert, but Hendry’s verdict was brutal: “He (Gilbert) threw that match away.” and I agree with that assessment, David didn’t deliberately throw the match away of course, but he had several very good chances to finish the job and repetedly failed to do so. His temperament let him down and his clarity of mind completely went.

Yan also comes across as a humble, no-nonsense young man. He also puts every effort in adapting to the life in the UK: his command of English has improved massively, he’s bought a house in Sheffield. He’s showing the other young Chinese that it can be done, that it’s not all about Ding. They can do it too.

Ronnie is in action today and I hope that Yan’s wish will come true and that Ronnie will make it to the semi-finals. He is in a very difficult group, with Stuart Bingham, Ding Junjui and John Higgins. It won’t be easy.

He’s been practicing, notably with On Yee:

And working on his fitness

And going by this interview with Eurosport, he’s in a good frame od mind:

‘MY LOVE FOR SNOOKER IS STRONGER THAN EVER’ – RONNIE O’SULLIVAN RELISHING CHANCE TO SET NEW RECORD

Ronnie O’Sullivan is in a positive mood as he begins his latest bid to claim a record fourth Champion of Champions title against Stuart Bingham on Thursday afternoon. The six-times world champion admits he is happy to be involved in the sport he loves whether playing, watching from his sofa or doing punditry work for Eurosport on the cusp of his 30th year as a professional.

BY
DESMOND KANE

Ronnie O’Sullivan will begin his bid to claim a record fourth Champion of Champions title against Stuart Bingham on Thursday afternoon with his passion and panache for potting balls showing no signs of wilting.

For a figure who has seen and done it all in snooker since turning professional in 1992, Rocket Ronnie’s love of the ancient old game sounds as strong as ever.

The six-times world champion admits he loved his battle with time-honoured foe John Higgins in the semi-finals of the English Open in Milton Keynes last week despite losing 6-5, but is hopeful he can maintain his form in Bolton as he bids to end his 15-month wait for a trophy.

O’Sullivan could face Higgins for a semi-final spot in Group 3 on Thursday night and is feeling in fine fettle only two months before he enters his 30th year as a professional still at the summit of the sport.

It is perhaps fitting that the snooker GOAT enjoys a spot of green baize grazing when he is far from the madding crowd.

“I had a great week last week and really enjoyed the match with John. I loved being in Milton Keynes, loved running and of course I loved playing,” said O’Sullivan.

“I sometimes prefer the punditry side and sitting on the sofa watching snooker these days.

“Even when I’m not playing at a tournament, I’ll get my tea and sit on the sofa to watch it with my friends.

I’LL SAY TO THEM: ‘LISTEN, THE SNOOKER IS ON THIS WEEK SO WE’LL GET OUR FITNESS STUFF DONE, BUT AT 1PM THE SNOOKER IS ON AND AT 7PM THE EVENING SESSION STARTS. I WANT TO WATCH IT.

“We’ll do the gym and the running work in the morning, but I always love watching it. I love to see what the other guys are up to. It is great.”

O’Sullivan won the first of three Champion of Champion titles when he defeated Bingham 10-8 in the 2013 final, two years before Bingham usurped O’Sullivan 13-9 in the last eight on his way to claiming the world title in Sheffield.

O’Sullivan defeated Judd Trump 10-7 a year later before outlasting Kyren Wilson 10-9 in the 2018 final.

The record 37-times ranking event winner admits he would enjoy clasping a fourth trophy and the £150,000 first prize on Sunday night.

“If every event was like this, happy days..it would be amazing,” said O’Sullivan, who hit 11 centuries during his run to the title three years ago.
“Turn up, 16 or 32 players, beautiful venue and nice, relaxed environment.

“I have a very, very good record in this event and I’m happy to be playing in it.

I PROBABLY HAVEN’T DONE SO WELL THE PAST FEW YEARS, BUT WHO KNOWS? PERHAPS I CAN CATCH FIRE THIS WEEK AND GET THE JOB DONE.

O’Sullivan is delighted fans have been allowed to return after tournaments were played behind closed-doors last year with no spectators due to the global pandemic.

He was impressed by Bingham during his free-wheeling gallop to the World Championship semi-finals as a qualifier in May and an agonising 17-15 defeat to Mark Selby in the semi-finals.

“I beat Ball Run in the final in 2013. He’s an outstanding player,” added O’Sullivan. “He’s a real good professional who had an outstanding run at the World Championship this year.
“He played in an epic match in the semi-finals, but they are all tough. Everybody who plays in this tournament is proper quality and if I get through that it is Higgins again so it doesn’t get any easier.

“It is great to have the fans back and someone to play for. You need someone to inspire you to play and I think the fans do that for all sportspeople.“

Hopefully it all comes together today in this great arena

The 2021 Champion of Champions – Group 4

November 17, 2021November 18, 2021 Monique Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

This is what happened yesterday at the 2021 Champion of Champions

Wilson Sets Up Trump Semi-final

Group 4 Scores

Group Semi-Finals

Neil Robertson 4-2 Mark Williams

71-69 (69), 65-54 (65), 12-73, 106-7 (100), 0-114 (104), 76-40 (62)

Kyren Wilson 4-2 Jordan Brown

55-52, 92-10 (59), 21-82, 90-15 (86), 30-65, 95-41 (71)

Group Final

Neil Robertson 4-6 Kyren Wilson

74-29 (73), 0-77, 0-114 (114), 6-120 (112), 107-1 (107), 75-37 (63), 59-28, 40-98 (98), 44-81 (55), 0-113 (113)

Kyren Wilson won a high quality clash with two-time Cazoo Champion of Champions winner Neil Robertson 6-4, to book his place in the semi-finals against Judd Trump.

Robertson started the day against Mark Williams, who was competing in his first tournament since the Northern Ireland Open, having missed out on the English Open due to testing positive for COVID-19. Robertson became only the fourth player to make 800 centuries on his way to a 4-2 win. Wilson meanwhile fended off a late fightback from debutant Jordan Brown, to pull through 4-2.

Robertson started the better of the two in the group final, taking the opener with a break of 74. However, Wilson kicked into gear by winning the next three frames to lead 3-1 at the interval. The Warrior fired in breaks of 114 and 112 in the process.

After the interval, the momentum did turn in Robertson’s favour, as he made a break of 107 to pull within a frame at 3-2. There was a nine minute safety battle on the blue in the sixth, which eventually went the way of Robertson. That allowed him to restore parity at 3-3, before he added frame seven to take the lead at 4-3.

It was a classy contest between two heavy scorers and Wilson wasn’t going away, composing a steely clearance of 98 in the eighth to pull level once again. Wilson then continued his ascent towards the semi-finals by taking the ninth frame to move a frame victory. The world number five wasted little time in getting over the line, showing his class with a run of 113 to secure the victory.

“I played Neil last week at the English Open and it was another cracker there, but I was on the wrong side of that one. It was nice to put in a similar performance tonight and come out the winner,” said 29-year-old Wilson.

“I was a little bit unlucky at 3-3, I went into the pack off the blue and knocked in a red. Sometimes you can see potential plants and I couldn’t see anything, it was just sort of freak shot that the red went in. I knew I was starting to hit the ball pretty well and it was all about staying focused and waiting for my next chance.”

Wilson will now face off with world number two Trump on Friday night: “It doesn’t get much tougher. That’s what you expect in a showpiece semi-final. It’s going to get tougher and tougher. Everyone is a champion in this event. It’s very pleasing to be a part of it and I’m looking forward to that match.”

The Warrior reached the final in 2018 before missing out to Ronnie O’Sullivan and is looking to go one better this year: “You learn from those moments, and I certainly feel like I have. It’d be nice to get back in that position again and put it right.”

Day three of the 2021 Cazoo Champion of Champions sees world number one Mark Selby get things underway against 2021 Championship League Snooker Ranking Edition winner David Gilbert whilst World Championship runner-up Shaun Murphy will take on Masters Champion Yan Bingtao.

The Group Final was indeed an excellent match, as was also the first match of the day betweem Neil Robertson and Mark Williams. Mark Williams who has just recovered from a bad bout of covid-19 played better than I expected, which I was pleased to see.

The two remaining groups should be quality as well. It’s a shame that probably the three weakest players in the competition were all in the same group. Indeed, David Lilley, the Seniors’ World Champion who is currently an amateur, Stephen Maguire who hasn’t gone past the last 16 in any event since last season’s Welsh Open, and Ryan Day who qualified by winning the Shoot-out, did well in the “round-robin” events at the start of the season but had only won two matches after that coming into this tournament, were all in Group 1. Someone who is unlikely to complain though is Judd Trump …

The 2021 Champion of Champions – Group 1

November 16, 2021November 17, 2021 Monique Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

This is the report on what happened yesterday in Bolton (source: WST):

Trump Seals Semi-Final Spot

Group 1 Results

Group Semi-Finals

Judd Trump 4-1 David Lilley

33-54, 78-18, 72-18, 80-27 (72), 55-53

Stephen Maguire 2-4 Ryan Day

0-84 (80), 3-88 (73), 88-0 (88), 14-73, 72-19, 7-68

FINAL

Judd Trump 6-0 Ryan Day

116-1 (104), 67-18 (67), 79-0, 115-4 (68), 65-49, 61-9 (61)

Judd Trump is the first player into the semi-finals of the 2021 Cazoo Champion of Champions after beating Ryan Day in the Group 1 final 6-0 in Bolton.

Trump faced off against World Seniors Champion David Lilley in the opening encounter of the tournament, coming through a 4-1 victor.

The Ace in the Pack’s win set up an evening clash with Day, who had overcome Stephen Maguire 4-2 to book his place in the group final.

Day, the 2021 Snooker Shoot-Out champion, showed glimpses of magic against Maguire, but Trump never allowed a chance in their evening clash.

Trump opened the match with the first century of the tournament, delivering a clearance of 104. That lead was soon doubled after Trump composed a break of 67 to make it 2-0. Day never got going in the contest and it was Trump who continued to apply the heat going into the interval 4-0 up, after breaks of 68 and 47 in the fourth. Trump claimed the fifth when play resumed and then completed the whitewash with a break of 61

“You do not get many 6-0s against these top players. When I go 5-0 up, I always think this is too good to be true, something’s going to happen. To get through, it was very comfortable in the end. I will probably need to stay at that sort of level and standard if I am going to progress in the tournament,” said Trump.

“This is a really good event. You come here and know you play both games in one day. If you get through, you know you’re straight in the deep end. It’s nice to have a couple of days off, watch all the games and get some practice. It’ll be a special atmosphere for the semi-finals.

“You’re under a little pressure in the first game, you want to get through. It’s a short distance. You do not want to be going home early doors. It took me a little time to get used to the table conditions and once I got warmed up and tonight was a lot better.”

Trump will now play in the first semi-final on Friday against the winner of Group 4 which includes Neil Robertson, Mark Williams, Kyren Wilson, and Jordan Brown. He said: “This event is special. If you look down the winners, it’s always the big names and top players who have won this. Mark Allen produced an amazing standard in the last year. We’ve seen some great finals with Ronnie O’Sullivan and the one with me and Neil. It’s one to try and tick off the list. It would be a real special one for me.”

He was also pleased with this year’s Cazoo Champion of Champions attire with the exclusive performance fit polo shirts made by Onboard Sportswear: “I think that’s why I played so well tonight. I felt a lot more relaxed. I felt a lot freer. You’re not tied up in heavy clothing and stuff getting in the way and no bow tie getting in the way. This is more like the sort of thing we wear in practice. You’re a lot more relaxed and I think it comes out in the way I play.”

No surprise really. Judd Trump was always going to be a strong favourite in what is clearly the weakest of the four groups. David Lilley is the Seniors World Champion, but he’s an amateur currently, he has little experience of playing in prestigious events. He was visibly nervous and struggling with the conditions. Although he managed to win the first frame, overall he wasn’t able to take advantage of the opportunities he got, and there were many as Judd Trump didn’t play well early on.

The second match of the afternoon was strange: Ryan Day started well and played well enough. Ryan is an extremely gifted player. I have seen him play in exhibitions and he’s absolutely awsome. He isn’t the best under pressure though. A horrible miscue when he looked on his way to a 4-1 win appeared to strip him from any sort of confidence for a frame and a half. He got over the line though against an out of sorts opponent.

I didn’t watch the evening ma`tch as I expected it to be a one-way traffic affair despite Judd’s unconvincing performance in his first match. I was proved right. Going by the frames scores, Judd did play well.

The 2021 Champion of Champions begins today …

November 15, 2021 Monique Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

Judd Trump is in action on this first day in what is definitely the easiest group in the event by some margin…

As you would expect, he was interviewed by Phil Haigh ahead of the tournament … and, of course, had plenty to say and had to have a pop at Ronnie.

Judd Trump: Ronnie O’Sullivan has lost belief and no one is scared to play him

Phil Haigh Sunday 14 Nov 2021

Ronnie O’Sullivan will be looking to snap out of his trophy drought at the Champion of Champions (Picture: Getty Images)

Ronnie O’Sullivan is lacking belief and his rivals are no longer scared to play him, believes Judd Trump, as the Rocket’s trophy drought stretches past 18 months.

O’Sullivan has not picked up any silverware since he won his sixth World Championship title last year, remarkably losing five finals on the spin last season.

Trump, who has won five titles since the Rocket’s last, feels there is bound to be a lack of belief creeping in, despite being the most successful snooker player ever.

‘I just think he’s lost a little bit of the belief,’ said Trump. ‘When you don’t win you don’t have the same belief, people aren’t scared to beat you.

‘He’s still getting to finals, he’s always going to breeze through the first few games because he’s so good. But when he comes up against a top 16 player there’s just not that gulf in class anymore, I don’t think.

‘No one is that scared to play him, on their day anyone’s game is good enough to beat him and that’s what’s happened to him over the last year.’

Judd Trump reckons a lack of confidence can hit anyone (Picture: Getty Images)

Presented with this suggestion, O’Sullivan did not seem impressed, laughing at the assertion.

‘Who me?’ O’Sullivan said before breaking into a chuckle. ‘Yeah maybe, maybe I’m lacking belief. Yeah, I dunno, maybe he’s right, who knows? Who knows?’

Trump has been the most consistent winner of tournaments over the last two years, and puts that partly down to treating every event equally, preparing as diligently for the Gibraltar Open as he does the World Championship.

The Ace feels this is the only way to win regularly on the main tour, as O’Sullivan’s struggles have shown, reminding the Rocket that ‘he can’t win an event to save his life at the minute.’

‘They’re all the same to me nowadays,’ said Trump. ‘I think the only people that see the big events as the big events are the people that win the big events

‘If they won the little ones then they say the little ones are just as big. It’s whatever event you win, really. I’m just happy to win any event.

‘A lot of the top players, Ronnie included, he can’t win an event to save his life at the minute. It just shows how hard it is to win – what someone would call – a smaller event, with all the top players still in it.’

The Rocket has a very different view to Trump on many events on the calendar, describing the four Home Nations tournaments as ‘very minor’ and both ‘like pro-ams’ and ‘match practice’.

Some considered these – and many other O’Sullivan comments – as disrespectful towards snooker and Trump wishes the game’s GOAT would not put the sport down.

‘I just…it doesn’t wind me up because I’m so used to it, and there’s so many different sides to him,’ said Judd of Ronnie’s comments. ‘He can be the nicest person in the world, it’s just some of the comments are a bit derogatory towards snooker sometimes and there’s no need for it.

‘There’s no need to put it down, no one else puts their sport down. It’s just something he likes to do to try and pretend he doesn’t love snooker, but I think deep down it means so much to him and the records mean so much.

‘He’s an amazing guy, I love him, I’ve practiced with him, I’ve got no bad words to say. If you haven’t got anything good to say, there’s no need to say anything.

‘It’s just that one day it’s one thing and the next day it’s another thing. If he genuinely meant it I’d think, “Okay, I’ll listen.”

Ronnie hasn’t won a title since August 2020 … he’s about to turn 46. He still made it to 5 finals. I may not live long enough to see how Judd does at 46 – I’ll be 80 by then if I’m still around – but, somehow, I doubt that he will be doing better than the class of 92 is currently doing.

Judd … well OK, he has won a lot over the last 2 and 1/2 years BUT, since winning the German Masters last January, nearly 10 months ago, his only title came at the 2021 Gibraltar Open, a best-of-seven event from start to finish where he didn’t face a single top 8 player. Other that that, he didn’t go past the QFs in any event. Maybe he’s lacking a bit of belief himself then?

Other than that … the arena should be ready and great

There is also a specific dress code for the event:

Judd Trump’s pleas for snooker to be brought ‘out of the dark ages’ answered with rule change on player’s clothing

Hector Nunns

JUDD TRUMP has seen demands for a more modern dress code answered for next week’s Champion of Champions.

But the Juddernaut, who claimed in April snooker was “stuck in a rut”, will not be walking out in casual clobber at the Crucible any time soon.

Judd Trump has seen his demands for a more relaxed dress code in snooker getting answered Credit: Alamy

Judd Trump is set to compete with a more casual attire at the Champion of Champions

World No2 Trump, 32, lines up in Bolton in the elite 16-player field for an event bringing together the year’s winners.

And he will enter the arena wearing a new black personalised performance shirt – of the type seen in nine-ball pool.

This starkly contrasts with the traditional snooker get-up of waistcoats, suit trousers, shirts and bow ties.

But governing body World Snooker Tour insist this move will not be extended to events such as the UK Championship later this month, and the Betfred World Championship.

Former world champion Trump said: “It is about time, it’s nice to see them trying out new ideas and bringing snooker into the 21st century.

“And it will also be nice to be playing in a big tournament in attire that is a lot more comfortable – similar to what I would wear in practise.

So this is today’s line-up… Judd may be happy and look good in that polo shirt, but some of the players will definitely not. Maybe this is the real reason why Mark Allen withdrew? (only joking).

More seriously, I’m not a fan of seeing snooker looking more like 9-ball and I have the worrying feeling that matchroom priorities are definitely shifting towards pool now that Barry Hearn is no more at the elm. They are planning 6 pool events for next season.

About Valentino and Stephen

November 14, 2021November 15, 2021 Monique Other sports, Snooker Other sports, Snooker

Today, in Valencia, Valentino Rossi bid farewell to MotoGP. At 42, with 115 wins and 9 World Titles to his name, the famous nr 46 put an end to his extraordinary career. He finished 10th in the competition, and this season, his last, has been disappointing, but his very last lap was pure Valentino Rossi celebration. There was a lot of emotion … in the paddocks, in the “yellow” tribunes … and amongst his rivals who gathered around him at the end. He went out as a celebrated champion.

All the best for the future Vale, and thank you!

In stark contrast, Stephen Hendry’s farewell to snooker was very low key. On May 1, 2012, Stephen Hendry, aged 43, lost by 13-2 to Stephen Maguire, sat calmly in the media room and simply said “I have played my last professional match”, a sentence met by stunned silence in the room. Stephen had made a 147 in the first round, beaten the defending champion, John Higgins, in the second round, but this last match was an abdication. He went out with a session to spare. There was no fight, no panache at all. After a few errors early in the match, he gave up. This is not how a great champion should go out. There was a tribute at the Crucible on the next day, but Stephen looked quite shy out there, almost uneasy.

Since his return to the professional tour, Stephen Hendry hasn’t been pulling any trees. Most recently, he was beaten 4-0 by Chris Wakelin (who played very well).

After such heavy defeat, this is what Stephen had to say to Eurosport:

Hendry admits his ultimate dream is to return to the Crucible Theatre by qualifying for the World Championship, scene of his greatest victories in 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1999 – and will accept another World Snooker wildcard in future if he feels like there is room for improvement.

…

“I’m enjoying the process, my game is improving all the time on the practice table,” said the seven-times world champion, who is competing on the second year of a two-year invitational wildcard with White extending his golden 41-year career via similar playing privileges.

“I know that kind of means nothing, but when I first started with (my coach) Stephen Feeney, I wanted to get back to enjoying playing snooker again even if it was on the practice table.

THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO PLAY ONE MORE MATCH AT THE CRUCIBLE. TO QUALIFY FOR THAT WOULD BE INCREDIBLE. ALL THESE MATCHES ARE PART OF THE PROCESS, AND GETTING ME COMFORTABLE IN ARENAS AGAIN.

I know that many fans believe that there is no point to this, that he’s just embarrassing himself, that the focus should be on the young ones. I agree with this last part, but, I believe that there is room for both the young guns and the older legends.

I wasn’t into snooker when Stephen was winning everything, I wasn’t a fan of him, in the last 8 years of his career, but I sincerely wish him to fulfill his dream to play (at least) another match at the Crucible, that the last one is one he can be proud of, one he fights through to the last ball and comes out of with his head high, saluted by a standing ovation. He’s a great, great Champion, he deserves to take farewell of the Crucible on a high.

Interesting interview with Mark Williams by Phil Haigh

November 13, 2021November 15, 2021 Monique Interview Interview

Mark Williams is a character … and very much a no-nonsense down-to-earth guy.

He has been speaking to Phil Haigh:

Mark Williams talks changing the tour, break-offs, gout and the only matches that have ever annoyed him

Phil Haigh Friday 12 Nov 2021

Mark Williams is rarely flustered, but it can be done (Picture: Getty Images)

Famously relaxed about winning or losing snooker matches, Mark Williams can only think of two defeats in his entire career that have wound him up, although there are other things in the game that grind the Welshman’s gears.

At 46-years-old the three-time world champion is still competing at the top of the sport, winning the British Open this season and taking his ranking title tally to 24 in the process.

He’s back in action next week at the Champion of Champions as he looks to add that title to his collection, but he will be trying to see-off both Covid and gout when he does so.

Missing the English Open and European Masters due to a positive test, Williams has been struggling with the virus, and although he’s on the mend, his old foe gout is threatening to strike again.

‘I’m a bit better now,’ Williams told Metro.co.uk of his Covid struggles. ‘Taste is coming back slowly. I was in bed for five or six days shivering.

‘Hopefully I’ll be alright by Tuesday [when he takes on Neil Robertson], fingers crossed. If it was last week I’d have had it.

‘I think the gout is coming back! I’m taking these tablets again. Normally you get it, can’t walk and take these tablets for two or three days and it’s gone then. I’ve just felt my ankle going again so I’ve started taking the tablets just in case.

‘They say to try to eat healthier, but I went vegetarian for two or three weeks before I got it, so that’s weird. I’m back on the meat now. They said don’t drink too much alcohol but I don’t really drink that much now. I don’t want it again because it kills.’

Illness and injury have struck at an irritating time for the Welsh Potting Machine after some impressive early-season form, having also been in good nick at the back end of the last campaign as he won the WST Pro Series and made the Crucible quarter-finals.

‘I won one [title] last year, one this year, I’m playing really good as well,’ he said. ‘I’ve been unlucky to get gout and Covid at the time when I’m playing some really good stuff.

‘Even with gout I was one ball away from beating John Higgins 4-0 [at the Northern Ireland Open], which I should have won to go into the quarters and then who knows?

‘I’ve missed two tournaments because of Covid when I had some good momentum and now I’ve got to start from scratch and get that momentum back. It’s a weird one.’

Williams reached a 10th World Championship quarter-final this year (Picture: Getty Images)

Williams always says that losing doesn’t bother him in the slightest and even being 3-0 up on his old rival Higgins in Belfast before losing 4-3 didn’t fluster him.

‘Honestly, I missed a straight red to win 4-0,’ he said. ‘Red and black, it was easy. Lost, shook his hand.

‘I don’t know why people don’t believe me, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. The commentators going, “Oh that’ll hurt for a while.” Hurt what? How can you hurt? You’ve just lost a snooker game, man, for goodness’ sake.’

Having turned professional in 1992 it seems unconceivable that Williams can have literally never been annoyed by a defeat and when pushed he could recall one or two examples of being ‘cheesed off’.

‘The only one that sticks in my mind, I lost to Ali Carter in the UK, I think it was in Telford [2008 quarter-final]. It was 8-8, I was in the balls and I had the biggest kick on a red to win 9-8 and missed it,’ Williams explained.

‘That was the only match that I can remember driving home and I don’t think I spoke to my mate Matthew all the way home. I drove home at ridiculous speeds.

Williams is fifth on the all-time list or ranking title winners (Picture: Getty Images)

‘The next morning I was still pissed off. That’s the only match I can really remember in 30 years that I’ve been cheesed off.

‘Maybe there were one or two more, but I can’t remember them. Wait, one has come to me, playing Paul Davison, 4-4, to qualify for one event last season [German Masters].

‘He fouled the yellow, I was sat behind him and it was blatant. I told the ref he’d hit the yellow there. She said, “how do you know?” Well I was sat right behind it. I asked if they could check and they said no. I was a bit cheesed off on that one, but just because of the way it happened.

‘He come up to me probably weeks after and apologised, said it was a foul but he didn’t see it at the time because he was swerving, something like that. It’s long gone by then. If he’d have said straight afterwards I’d have, you know, said something. Losing makes no difference to me, but it was blatant.

‘I couldn’t argue much because if the referee hadn’t seen it, they hadn’t seen it. That was a rare occasion though, it’s not many games over a 30-year career to get upset about.’

Asked if this is the experience of a grizzled veteran coming into play or just his natural persona, Williams said: ‘I’ve always had that attitude.

‘There’s no one that will try any harder than me when I’m playing. But as soon as it’s over I’ll shake hands and that’s it.’

It’s difficult to bother Mark on the snooker table, but he would like to see changes off the baize, suggesting a cut to the number of professional players on tour and ideally some prize money for first round losers.

With amateur top-up players competing in every event and first rounds losers walking away with nothing but bills, Williams would prefer a smaller, more sustainable pro tour.

‘Don’t get me started on the top-ups,’ he said. ‘If you lose in the last round of Q School you’ve got the best of both worlds. Every pro event, every amateur, if you’re over 40 all of the Seniors as well. How is that fair?

‘I think it would be better, if you need top-ups, go off the Q School list but they only get one event. You can’t have people coming in as top-ups at every event, knocking professionals out who are trying to earn a living. In my opinion they shouldn’t be in it if they don’t get through Q School. They can have one event. It might just be me but I don’t think that’s fair.

‘There must be well over half the tour who are skint. You’ve got to get to the latter stages to earn good money and there’s not many players that do that. It’s normally the same ones every time, so it’s very difficult to earn a living.

‘You never get 128 players at an event anyway, so I’d cut the tour because it’s too big, not sure to what number. Once you get on the tour hopefully everyone would be able to earn a living, including paying the first round losers.

‘The incentive is to get on tour and once you’re on the world professional tour you should be guaranteed a living. You don’t have to worry about losing. It’ll be harder to get on but it could be possible for everyone to be on a living then.’

Williams wants fewer pro players on the main tour (Picture: Getty Images)

Even with the full 128 players the current tour holds, Williams can’t see why a slight restructure couldn’t be made to offer prize money in the first round.

‘Would there be any harm in, say, first round of the UK Championship, it’s £6,500, change it to £5,000 and the loser gets £1,500? I’d prefer it that way. It takes a lot of pressure off the lower-ranked boys.

‘I don’t understand why they don’t do it, it seems easy. World Championship it’s £10,000 or nothing. What’s the harm in £7,000 and £,3000 or £8,000 and £2000, there must be a reason or they’d have done it.

‘I don’t see how it’s a reward to someone just helping them pay the bills. But I do think the tour is too big, when was the last time we didn’t have top-ups in an event?’

One thing Williams has changed himself in recent years is the way he breaks-off in frames, choosing to roll into the pack of reds off the top cushion rather than the traditional break.

There were calls to ban the defensive shot at first, and even an email to players asking if it should be allowed, before a number of those players saw the benefit of it and copied the move, which entertained the Welshman.

‘I was [laughing] because I thought it was pathetic we had an email about banning it,’ said Mark. ‘I ain’t done nothing wrong.

‘Then John Higgins done it, Ronnie O’Sullivan done it, 10 or more of them were doing it. You’ll soon get sick of leaving a long red!

‘I don’t do it as much now, but if the table’s playing so you can’t get behind the green, I go back to rolling into the bunch. It’s just a break-off, you know, pfft. Ban the break-off!

‘Who was it? I broke off like that and he had the hump, you could tell on his face. I can’t remember who it was but I beat him 4-0. If it annoys people it makes you want to do it more. The more people talked about banning it the more I was doing it.

‘You can’t tell Ronnie not to smash the pack. They were trying to ban my break off, I haven’t had an email off World Snooker yet about smashing the pack. They must be happy with that one.’

Williams is certainly open to change in the game, backing Judd Trump’s calls to modernise the dress code and look at the possibility of staging the World Championship somewhere other than the Crucible.

‘I always thought one day they’d move from there, that it would outgrow the Crucible,’ said Mark.

‘I can see why people think it’s good with the tradition, which it is. But I just think it’s that big a tournament it could generate more money if you spread it around, like the [FIFA] World Cup.

‘Even if it did go from there, the Crucible would have to have a tournament because when it gets down to one table it’s one of the best venues you can play in.’

Most want the World Championship to stay in Sheffield but there are some calls for a move (Picture: Getty Images )

On snooker’s dress code, the veteran is happy for change to come to try and attract a younger generation, although admits that players should not be left up to their own devices.

‘I read what Judd said and I think he’s pretty much spot on,’ said Williams. ‘Look, I’m coming to the end of my career, whether you play in t-shirts, Dickie Bows or a pair of shorts, it doesn’t really make any difference to me, I couldn’t care less. But what he’s saying to get younger people involved, he’s got a fair point.

‘The younger players, they don’t want to see Judd Trump wearing a Dickie Bow, they’d rather see him wear his own clothes or whatever. It gives you your own identity I suppose. We’ve got to attract youngsters very quick because what I’m seeing, the amateur game, it’s not in a great state at the moment.

‘We get a few kids in [at my club] but nothing compared to when I used to go in when I was a kid. The Welsh junior tournaments, oh my God, you’d have loads of entries, now I’m hearing it’s five and six entries for junior tournaments. That’s worrying. But it’s hard to get people in snooker clubs now, playing X-boxes and outside playing football, it’s difficult.

‘I don’t think the Shoot Out t-shirts look bad, I think they look quite smart. I suppose it’s dodgy telling people they can wear their own clothes, I’m not the smartest I’d probably turn up in a pair of tracksuits.’

It will come to no surprise to those who read this blog regularly that I completely agree with Mark about the size of the tour, the top-ups and and money for the first-round losers. I know that I’m in a minority, but I’d rather have walk-overs for the top seeds than top-ups.

The break-off saga was pathetic indeed. It’s a perfectly legal shot, one that I have seen played by Steve Davis several times years ago in the Premier League, of all events. What I find interesting is the bit about conditions and not being able to get behind the green. Every single time, Mark or Ronnie play that shot, if Joe Johnson and/or John Virgo are in the commentary box they go: “He wanted to be glued on the cushion there, but he got second prize there …”. Nope…

Regarding the dress code, Mark has enough common sense to know that we need a dress code of sorts. Enough players manage to look scruffy even in a waistcoat and bow-tie… I don’t want to know how some would look if left on their own devices entirely.

It’s also no surprise to hear that Mark is open to a move from the Crucible. He was fined in 2012 for making “derogatory” comments about the venue. I was in the media room that year at the World Championship and Mark’s first post-match was eagerly anticipated. Actually most of the media had a lot of sympathy for Mark … and booed him jokingly when he entered the press room. Back then, Mark explained why, despite the refurbishments, he thought that the Crucible is an inadequate venue. There isn’t much space in there, and it’s not just the arena. The BBC studio was right next the practice area, with just curtains separating them. The dressing rooms are small and only a few are on the same floor as the tournament office and have a shower in them. When a session over-runs or if a player is detained by the BBC or the media after their match, they may not be able to vacate the dressing room in time for the next occupant. There is not much space for the sponsors either.

And finally, of course, he’s concerned about the state of the game. Numbers matter and if snooker fails to attract more youngsters, it’s doomed. That said, I’m far from certain that just a change of the dress code will do the trick. The truth is that snooker is a difficult game, it takes a long time, hard work and dedication to learn it properly. This goes against the current cultural/societal trends and no gimmick will make it easy.

2022 German and European Masters – Draws and Formats

November 12, 2021 Monique Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

WST has published those two pieces yesterday:

German Masters Draw and Format

BetVictor German Masters Draw

The draw and format for the final stages of the 2022 BetVictor German Masters in Berlin in January is now available.

Click here for the draw

Click here for the format

The tournament will run from January 26 to 30 at the famous Tempodrom venue in the German capital.

…

Top stars including Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Mark Williams, Kyren Wilson, Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen and Neil Robertson have booked a place in the final stages.

In all there will be 32 players heading to Berlin for the £400,000 world ranking event. All players had to win two qualifying matches in Cannock, England, to earn a place in the final stages, and ten of the world’s top 16 made it through.

World number one Trump is aiming for his third consecutive title in this event having lifted the trophy in 2020 and 2021, but will face tough competition from the likes of World Champion Selby and former Crucible kings Williams, Murphy and Robertson.

Tickets are now on sale for the tournament at a venue widely recognised as one of the best on snooker’s global circuit, in the heart of one of the world’s most fascinating cities.

Trump won the 2021 BetVictor German Masters with a 9-2 thrashing of Jack Lisowski in the final, becoming the first player to win the title in consecutive years.

Trump won the tournament for the first time in 2020, beating Neil Robertson 9-6 in the final.

Snooker’s popularity in Germany has grown massively since the sport was first televised by Eurosport in 2003, and this tournament has been described as the ‘Woodstock of Snooker’ – drawing fans from all over the country to see the best players in the world.

Former winners include Ronnie O’Sullivan, Ding Junhui, Mark Williams and Mark Selby. In 2017, Anthony Hamilton won his first ranking title by beating Ali Carter in the final. Mark Williams won the title in 2018, beating Graeme Dott 9-1 in the final, then in 2019 Kyren Wilson scored a 9-7 final win over David Gilbert.

Well… I’m not sure who writes those pieces, but I spot so many mistakes over the last months that I can’t be bothered anymore to point them out to the media officer. This time, it’s about Judd Trump… who isn’t World number one right now as Selby nicked back the spot.

My “picks” for the first round proper are:

Anthony McGill v Zhou Yuelong
Ricky Walden v Neil Robertson
Kurt Maflin v Shaun Murphy
David Gilbert v Yan Bingtao

European Masters Draw and Format

BetVictor European Masters Draw

The draw and format for the final stages of the 2022 BetVictor European Masters is now available.

Click here for the draw

Click here for the format

This season’s BetVictor European Masters will take place at the Stadthalle in Fürth from 22nd to 27th February 2022.

The qualifying round has already taken place and there will be a fantastic field of the world’s top stars heading to Germany for the final stages.

Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins will both be in Fürth

World Champion Mark Selby, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and Neil Robertson all had their first round matches held over so they will be among the line-up in Fürth. And many more top names came through the qualifying round including John Higgins, Shaun Murphy, Kyren Wilson and Jack Lisowski.

The popular Stadthalle venue, in the beautiful city of Fürth, close to Nuremberg, has welcomed thousands of snooker fans over the years and hosted the Paul Hunter Classic from 2007 to 2019, when Barry Hawkins won the final edition of the tournament.

The European Masters will form part of the eight-event BetVictor Snooker Series, from which the player earning the most prize money will snap up a huge £150,000 bonus.

Last year saw World Champion Mark Selby lift the trophy aloft after beating Martin Gould 9-8 in a thrilling final. More of the same is expected in 2022, when the finest players on the planet head to Fürth.

All matches in Fürth up to and including the quarter-finals will be played over the best of nine frames, with best of 11 frame semi-finals and a best of 17 frame final.

I don’t expect any of the held-over matches to throw an upset.

Once again Judd Trump seems to be in the easiest quarter of the draw, the highest ranked player in that quarter is Zhou Yuelong, with Luca Brecel a potential danger IF on form.

By contrast, Kyren Wilson, Yan Bingtao, Barry Hawkins and David Gilbert are all in Neil Robertson’s quarter.

Ronnie has Jack Lisowski, Ali Carter and the small matter of John Higgins in his quarter. Easy then…

Mark Selby could meet Shaun Murphy in the QFs. Those two must be sick and tired to play each other in a “rematch” of the last World final … Shaun in particular must be over the moon.