Yesterday’s annoucements were received favourably by players and fans alike. The return of best of 19 at the World Championship qualifiers was unanimously applauded.
The fact that first round losers still get nothing though was a disappointment for many.
On the changes to the prize money structure and the lack of funds for first round losers, a WST spokesperson said: ‘We have made prize money increases to various events and we have made amendments which are aimed at creating a more balanced prize money ranking system. These changes are based on discussions and feedback from players and the WPBSA Players Board.
‘Our two biggest ranking events, the World Championship and UK Championship, now have tiered structures and all players inside the top 80 are guaranteed prize money in those events.
‘Our principal remains that we reward excellence and in most events players must win matches to earn prize money.
‘We are constantly aiming to provide as many tournaments and earning opportunities as possible for all players.’
…
I do understand and agree with the concept of rewarding excellence but not THIS way. If players do their job properly they should be able to earn from it whilst they are on the tour.
I’d rather look for a way to ensure that players who are underperforming badly can’t return on tour every two years mainly because they have experience with the surroundings and playing conditions whilst more talented/motivated amateurs fail purely because they are placed in a completely alien environment and, with short matches and a plain knock-out system, they get no real chance to adapt.
If a player can’t win a minimal number of matches – minimal to de defined – over two seasons, and have shown no or very little improvement in the second season, then, barring exceptional health or personnal circumstances, it means that either they aren’t good enough, and/or they didn’t put enough work and efforts into their snooker. I would be in favour to “ban” them from Q-school – or any other qualifying process – for two seasons. Time for them to reflect on their own situation and motivation. Time to look at the possible issues and address them.
Predictably, Hearn came back again with the “golf” comparison. Only to get this answer by Steve Feeney, Mr Sightright, who coaches snooker and golf players.
Hearn once scorned at me for saying that the comparison doesn’t hold. Well, it really doesn’t hold. In golf, you play your own ball. Where you find it is where you placed it, There is no interference from your opponent(s). It’s entirely in your hands. Same for darts, it’s entirely in your hands. That’s not the case in snooker. As Steve wrote, in snooker you can play great and lose, snooker is matchplay, it’s different.
Mark Williams also reacted in answer to Sean O’Sullivan’s tweets
It’s obvious that Willo harbours no hope whatsoever for a change regarding the prize money situation despite being convinced that no player would oppose it. The tiered system somehow “softens” the situation a bit as less players stay out of pocket and the lowest ranked ones get more winnable first round matches. But it has other drawbacks of course, notably in terms of exposure, television appearance and experience of the main venues. Exposure and television appearance or the lack of it impact their chances to find a personal sponsor as well.
All qualifying rounds of the Cazoo World Championship will be played over the best of 19 frames from 2023.
This is a change to the format of recent seasons, where the first three rounds were played over best of 11 frames.
Based on feedback from the WPBSA and players, WST has taken the decision to revert to best of 19 frames from next season’s qualifying event, to take place in April 2023.
Dates for the qualifying event will be announced in due course.
We are also pleased to announce prize money increases for several events for the coming 2022/23 season.
This is excellent news. I can only suppose that this will also mean a return of eight tables in operation, which is great for the fans who come to watch those qualifiers. It may nor have the glamour of the Crucible but it’s a very important, and very interesting event to attend.
What’s not so great is that there is still no money for the first round losers. That’s bad. It really is, especially in the current state of the economy. If some money was paid – only just enough to cover the basic expenses the players face for doing their job (travel, accomodation and some food) and doesn’t count towards ranking, it wouldn’t “protect” them in any way. Those not good enough wouldn’t be able to stay on tour. It also wouldn’t allow them to really earn a living out of it because that money would only just cover what it costs them to do their job. The “not rewarding mediocrity” argument doesn’t hold. I’ll say it once again: by playing to the best of their ability they bring value to the tournament, the sponsors, the venue and the broadcaster. They should not be out of pocket for doing their job properly. Giving them £250 would cost less than the prize money of one losing semi-finalist. Surely that’s not impossible? If a player blatantly doesn’t try, or doesn’t show up, that’s a different situation of course.
Belgium’s promising 19-year-old Julien Leclercq earned a place on the World Snooker Tour for the first time by beating Alex Clenshaw 5-2 in the final of the WPBSA Q Tour Playoff at the Q House Snooker Academy in Darlington.
The victory will see Leclercq join the World Snooker Tour for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons. He was competing in the two-day playoff tournament as one of 16 players qualified via the Q Tour Rankings.
Leclercq impressed from his opening match, scoring three century breaks against Alfie Lee in the last 16, before seeing off former professionals Michael Georgiou and Harvey Chandler to reach the final.
There he would face Englishman Alex Clenshaw, after the 20-year-old defeated Brandon Sargeant, Ryan Davies and Liam Davies – coming back from 0-3 down in the semi-finals – to reach the title match.
Clenshaw made the stronger start as breaks of 101 and 70 gave him a 2-0 lead. Leclercq claimed the third with a break of 55 to get himself up and running, before crucially adding a close fourth frame with a break of 51 to draw level at the mid-session interval.
On the resumption of play, Leclercq dominated. He made a top break of 80 and limited his opponent to just 27 points over the final three frames to complete a 5-2 victory and achieve a dream of becoming professional for the first time.
Runner-up at last year’s EBSA European Under-18 and Under-21 Championships, Leclercq also gained attention at the 2020 WSF Junior Open as he scored the highest two breaks of the competition, narrowly losing out to China’s Wu Yize in the knockout rounds.
He is now set to join Sean O’Sullivan, who claimed the automatic tour qualifying place via WPBSA Q Tour, as a professional from the start of the 2022/23 season and will look to follow in the footsteps of two-time ranking event winner and fellow Belgian Luca Brecel.
The WPBSA would like to thank the Q House Snooker Academy and all of the venues to have held tournaments during the inaugural WPBSA Q Tour season. A further announcement will follow as to plans for the 2022/23 Q Tour in due course.
This a quite remarkable victory in many ways.
Snooker is healthy in Belgium, but it’s mainly played in the Northern, flemish-speaking, part of the country. That’s were Luca Brecel and Ben Mertens are from. That’s also were former-pro, Bjorn Hanneveer is from. But Julien if from Crisnée, a small city – it has about 3000 inhabitants – near Liège in Wallonia. To hone his skills, and play against the best, Julien joined a flemish league.
Julien’s win is also a team victory. His father, Georges, is passionate about snooker and has invested a lot of time, effort and resources to help Julien achieve his dream. He’s a very proud father now, and he has every right to be proud as, without him, this would not have been possible. Julien had the talent, but like all talents it had to be supported and nurtured.
The management of the Q-House Academy was really impressed with Julien and have already expressed interest in welcoming him in their academy next season.
It’s all good … as long as Julien doesn’t pick on Mike Dunn’s atrocious sense of humour 😂
Jason Ferguson on Hong Kong, sponsorship, Ronnie O’Sullivan, prize money and the Crucible
Phil Haigh Wednesday 11 May 2022
Jason Ferguson ha offered updates on a number of issues in snooker (Picture: Getty Images)
WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson has offered the latest on various things going on in snooker at the minute, from new tournaments, to sponsorship deals to changes in prize money.
Ferguson’s work rarely stops as he promotes the game across the globe and the first piece of business is on the potential return to Hong Kong for an event this season.
A tournament in Hong Kong?
Marco Fu suggested that a tournament in his homeland is on the cards, tweeting: ‘Lots of happy moments in the last major tournament in Hong Kong. Looks like there will be one this summer! Hope it will happen!’
Ferguson told Metro.co.uk: ‘We are in talks in Hong Kong, we do have a broadcaster.
‘There’s a broadcaster in Hong Kong which takes all of the snooker coverage and we do know their viewing figures are huge.
‘We are in discussions over it, it’s not finalised as yet, but we’re very optimistic about it.
‘A lot of it is down to travel restrictions. Demand for us to put on events in Asia is huge, but it’s down to whether we can make it work from a travel perspective.
‘Of course we’d love to go back there. There’s a great following for the sport, the passion is there.’
On what kind of event it could be, he added: ‘At this stage I couldn’t really say how it’s going to pan out. It might be that we have to do a smaller field to try and comply with travel restrictions.
‘The idea is to try and put a marker down, push to get an event on in Asia, put those protocols in place and then push to expand on that.
‘We can’t be too ambitious at this stage, so I imagine it will be a fairly small field if we do it.
‘At the moment we’re looking at 21 days quarantine after travel, which means it’s impossible. At the moment we’re pushing to ease those travel restrictions or get some kind of exemption under sports travel, but it’s very tight at the moment and very difficult.’
On where else we could see new events, the chairman said: ‘We’re more likely to see things like Turkey. That’s been a fantastic addition to the calendar: new market, huge demand from fans and we’re more likely to see that kind of event pop up – around the Mediterranean, snooker is growing and those places are opening up.
‘In the new year, we have put dates aside for China events but if they don’t come off then we are working on things to fill those gaps. While those flights might not be long haul, we will have chance to put some nice events on.’
Cazoo sponsorship
As Cazoo extend their involvement with snooker by sponsoring the World Championship, Ferguson welcomed them further on board and thanked previous sponsors Betfred for their excellent work.
‘They’re proving to be a great partner,’ said Ferguson. ‘They’ve come back for more sponsorship rights, more exposure and we’re delighted to work with them. They’re a new brand, it’s clean, a great outlook for us.
‘But lets not forget what Betfred have done for his sport and the support they’ve given is, it’s been incredible. Fred Done is an incredible individual. He loves this sport, loves to see it develop and has loved being a part of it. I thanked Fred last week, not just for the sponsorship and high level stuff, but the percentage of investment he puts in that we use at grassroots to get kids off streets and into clubs, keep clubs open. We see that side of the investment on the ground and it’s been an incredible commitment.
It will no longer be the Betfred World Snooker Championship (Picture: Getty Images)
‘It’s a system that we’ve got that makes sure a percentage of what comes into the sport goes into projects and development and we’ll continue that work with the Cazoo support. We’re in good shape as a sport.’
The WPBSA chairman suggested there was more to the move than pre-empting a possible ban on sponsorship by bookmakers.
‘I don’t think that was necessarily the angle,’ he said. ‘All of our rights agreements come up for renewal on a regular basis and there’s always more than one runner in the race for those rights. That’s a pleasing position to be in.
‘You go back 15 years and you were wondering, post-tobacco, where the next sponsorship deal was coming from. We’re here today and we’ve actually sold out, we’ve got more bidders for events than we’ve got events, which is an amazing position to be in. It’s an ongoing position of renewing agreements and some things change. Maybe they’ll be back at the table at some point.’
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s disciplinary matters
The Rocket faced disciplinary action after making a lewd gesture during his first round match at the World Championship, with that process ongoing.
Ferguson explained: ‘There’s no outcome of it yet, but the matter was referred. It will all get wrapped up pretty quickly, there’s a process for these things.’
O’Sullivan’s clash with referee Olivier Marteel in the Crucible final, though, is not being dealt with by anyone else, with the matter wrapped up at the time.
‘It was dealt with within the match and that is the correct thing to do,’ said Ferguson. ‘The referee’s in charge, the referee deals with it and gives the warning. The referee is in charge of awarding frames and matches if he has to, if matters continue.
‘It was dealt with and I know that Ronnie was very decent about it afterwards, he spoke to Olivier and I think he apologised for how he spoke to him in the arena and that matter has gone away.’
The Crucible
Ambitious plans were revealed for a new ‘second Crucible’ attached to the current one by a bridge and Ferguson explains that discussions are ongoing with Sheffield City Council, although the idea remains just a concept at this point.
‘We’ve met with the City Council,’ said the chairman. ‘[Architect] James Burland is someone I’ve worked with previously and we spoke a few months back about rekindling the concept and having another look at it.
The plans from James Burland are eye-catching to say the least (Picture: Burland Aura Planning)
‘We talked about the idea, and it’s just a concept at this moment in time. It will need a great deal of studying over feasibility and longevity, is it viable? You don’t want a white elephant stadium, it’s no good for anybody.
‘We’ve met with the council and of course they’re very warm to development and very warm to snooker because it brings millions and millions of pounds into the city year after year. I think the last independent study by Sheffield Hallam said the city had benefited by £100m over the years, but it’s significantly more than that in today’s terms.
‘It’s very much on the drawing board and a concept but it’s a project of interest.
‘Now’s the time to start talking about what the future looks like. We’re very loyal to Sheffield but now is the time to think about longer term, especially if there’s going to be a regeneration project, because these things take time.
‘We should never underestimate the size and scale of this sport, it’s only going to get bigger. It isn’t going to go backwards anymore.’
Prize money
There is set to be a restructuring of prize money distribution for the season ahead, with a bid to make the spread a bit fairer and for the rankings to more accurately reflect achievement.
‘We’re looking at prize money breakdowns, how that’s balancing the ranking system,’ said Ferguson. ‘Finer detail on that is being done now in terms of how it works.
‘We’re just trying to balance out what players win round-by-round to make a fairer ranking system.At the moment sometimes players get to the latter stages of one event that’s worth the same as one win in another event. There’s bigger and smaller events so we’ll always get some of that, but there’s a bit of work being done around all that.
‘We’re reviewing every event for this season coming. Comparing the winner’s prize to first round matches, and in conjunction with that, what’s the round structure like.
‘It’ll be available very quickly, we’re working very hard on that. I have to compliment the WPBSA players board, they’ve done a real good job in recent months identifying key areas that can be improved and getting the message across. I’m really pleased with that new structure with the player’s body, it’s really starting to work.’
I do hope that amongst the things “to be improved”, they will consider paying a fee, covering basic expenses, to the first round losers, not counting towards ranking. That’s no “rewarding mediocrity”, that’s simply making sure that doing their job, as professionals, doesn’t cost the players. I have said this countless times before, but I’ll say it again: you need two players to have a match. One will lose, but by playing they have brought value to the tournament, the venue, the sponsors and the broadcaster. That should be recognised. They shouldn’t be out of pocket for doing their job properly.
Ronnie O’Sullivan excited for snooker venture as he announces Singapore trip
Phil Haigh Tuesday 10 May 2022
Ronnie O’Sullivan has a busy summer ahead (Picture: Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan is heading to Singapore for his first ever exhibition in the country and to cast an eye over the work being done at his academy there.
The Ronnie O’Sullivan Snooker Academy opened at the end of 2021, with the Rocket speaking of his excitement about the venture earlier in the year.
He told the Sun a year ago: ‘We have already got the facilities. It’s a 16,000-square feet space.
‘We are putting tables in there. We will have some professional coaches. We hope to roll it out all over Asia. Ronnie O’Sullivan snooker academies with the long-term view to try and create an amateur scene.
‘Over there they are much more supportive of their amateurs and juniors and get excited over that. It is something I think will work. While snooker gives me the platform to do projects like that, sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture.’
(Picture: Ronnie O’Sullivan Snooker Academy)
Now he is heading over to Singapore next month to perform exhibitions from 11-18 June, while he also confirmed that he will be working on coaching in his academy as well.
‘Looking forward to going over to Singapore in June, it should be great. The academy looks fantastic out there,’ O’Sullivan said after lifting a seventh world title.
‘I’m excited to get out there and spend some time there, see what they’re up to. I’ll work out some coaching plans and developing snooker in Asia is going to be a really fun thing to do.’
Further explaining his plan for Asian expansion to the Sun, O’Sullivan said: ‘The idea is to get the first one right, get it successful and then once that is going well, it will be easier to roll out the rest of them.
‘China definitely is a massive part of the plan but the first one will start out in Singapore.
‘The good ones that come through the academy we would like to support them, to try and get their main Tour Card and become professional players.
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN EXCLUSIVE: WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPION ON HOW HE BEAT SELF-DOUBT TO LIFT SEVENTH TITLE
Ronnie O’Sullivan passed snooker’s ultimate test to claim a career-defining seventh Crucible title, but the world champion tells Desmond Kane why the journey to potting paradise remains one of the most mentally demanding and draining in professional sport. “I just wasn’t sure if it was possible,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport as he reflected on securing his legacy as the snooker GOAT.
BY DESMOND KANE
Who needs the Rovers Return when you have the Rocket’s return?
Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump’s very own epic kitchen-sink drama in Yorkshire last Monday evening proved more engaging for the great British public than Coronation Street or EastEnders on the other two main terrestrial TV channels.
Almost six million viewers piped themselves into O’Sullivan’s rousing 18-13 win over Trump that saw him battle to a magnificent seventh world title and equal Stephen Hendry’s historic haul from the 1990s.
Betty Turpin’s hot pots from Corrie were never as tasty as the hot pots Rocket Ronnie can serve up.
In discovering the level of snooker’s popularity from a breathless 17 days at the 46th World Championship, O’Sullivan said: “Oh really? Wow. Amazing. It is brilliant getting more viewers than Coronation Street.
IT IS REALLY GOOD THAT EVERYBODY IS EXCITED BY SNOOKER AGAIN. MAYBE IT HAS TAKEN A LITTLE TURN AND IS ON THE UP.
“It is a long time playing at the World Championship, a lot of stress and I’m just recovering. It is hard work, but it was job done, so worth it.”
With O’Sullivan installed as 7/2 favourite for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ahead of Tyson Fury – the world heavyweight boxing champion of all things and a genuine sporting goliath – it felt like a trip down memory lane to an era when snooker was the only show in town.
“In the 1980s when there were only four channels, everybody thought they knew you. It was like you were in EastEnders,” commented Jimmy ‘Whirlwind’ White, the six-time world finalist.
Some four decades on, O’Sullivan’s career-defining victory broadcast to millions across the BBC and Eurosport was as much of a cliff-hanger as Dirty Den divorcing Angie in the Queen Vic as the sport’s two brightest talents illuminated the final with their unique attacking colour.
O’Sullivan is the undisputed king of his domain after an awe-inspiring few weeks saw him reach seventh heaven with his inimitable élan, technical supremacy and swagger with cue in hand.
He stands alongside Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins and White as genuine crowd-pleasers who have changed the face of snooker since the Crucible first housed the World Championship in 1977, bringing a greater popularity to the green baize beyond working-class blokes potting balls in darkened halls set against the sweat of heavy industry.
When Higgins lifted his second world title in 1982, the Northern Irishman memorably cradled baby daughter Lauren, wife Lynn and the trophy as the tears flowed.
‘PROFESSIONAL JOB’
In a timely little slice of history repeating itself 40 years later, O’Sullivan – the natural successor to Higgins and White as ‘The People’s Champion’ – sobbed as the enormity of the achievement sunk in with dad Ronnie Sr and kids Lily and Ronnie Jr joining him to celebrate. Memories are made of his.
“I didn’t wake up last Tuesday feeling any different. I just thought that it was more about everybody else enjoying themselves,” he said.
“My dad was there for the whole three weeks of the tournament enjoying it, hanging out with a lot of snooker people that follow the game.
“Then I thought it would be great if the kids could be there if they wanted to. It was a good experience for everyone as it might never happen again.
THAT WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO ME. IT WAS NICE TO WIN IT, BUT IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE ELSE ENJOYED IT. IT WAS REALLY NICE.
“It was a relief to get the job done. It was a professional job. It’s a test. That is how I look at it every time I enter a tournament like that.
“You go there and prepare as well as you can. To win it is great. You don’t always win it, but it is nice to win it again at my stage in the game.”
O’Sullivan usurped the Welshman Ray Reardon – the tactical coach behind his 2004 triumph – to become the oldest world champion since the inception of the modern era.
O’Sullivan had 46 years and 148 days behind him when he held aloft the little silver lady on a priceless Bank Holiday Monday.
Reardon was 45 years and 203 days when he completed a 25-18 win over South Africa’s Perrie Mans in the 1978 final to carry off his sixth and final world title.
O’Sullivan concedes the level of play he reached suggests his career at the elite level can run for several more years after rolling in 15 century breaks and 46 knocks over 50.
It is perhaps fitting that O’Sullivan is planning to release a Netflix-style fly-on-the-wall documentary surrounding his rise to a seventh crown.
A camera crew apparently tailed his every move in a style similar to Michael Jordan’s last NBA season with the Chicago Bulls in 1998 titled The Last Dance.
For O’Sullivan, this was never going to be the last chance, but better to tie up legacy loose ends now.
A remorseless single-mindedness in such a cut-throat environment is a quality O’Sullivan shares with Jordan, Roger Federer, Lionel Messi and Tiger Woods in other fields of play.
He knows how and when to get the job done on the grandest stage of all. Like all the great champions, he also senses the right time to express his superior class.
With a record 39 ranking titles carried off and 1,169 centuries compiled, he is the sport’s undisputed GOAT, a seventh wonder of the sporting world since turning professional in 1992. To argue otherwise does not make sense.
There is only one Ronnie O’Sullivan, a figure who will remarkably start the 2022/23 campaign as the world No. 1 – 20 years after he first scaled the summit at the age of 26.
This is astonishing longevity in a solitary, mentally undulating game that can play tricks on the mind when you are stuck in a chair and the other guy is potting balls.
The World Championship is no place for weak or wilting spirit with Peter Ebdon, hardly resembling ‘Big’ Bill Werbeniuk, infamously shedding stones due to the nervous energy of winning the trophy in 2002 with a fraught 18-17 win over Hendry.
Not that O’Sullivan spends too much time isolated in his seat. When he is at the table, he plays like he owns it. He is enshrined by a youthfulness, vibrancy and expressiveness that bewitches millions across the globe.
“I’m 46 banging on 47 so to know I can still win it lets me know I could have another five decent years,” said O’Sullivan.
I DON’T THINK YOU CAN GO FROM WINNING THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TO FALLING OFF THE RADAR OVERNIGHT. IT IS JUST A NICE LITTLE CONFIDENCE BOOSTER REALLY.
“It is such a long tournament. It is a bit like the Grand Slams in tennis when they play five sets rather than just the three.
“It is more about lasting the event more than anything. A lot of players reach the quarter-finals and by then they think they’ve run their course.
“Whereas the top players are better conditioned, have been over the course and know how to pace themselves.
“The World Championship is similar to that. You make the semi-finals and once you get to that point you are still only halfway through so you want to leave a bit in the tank.
“That just comes with experience and knowing what it takes to get over the line.”
SHARPENED UP’
O’Sullivan felt his form was on an upward trajectory at the Gibraltar Open in March despite losing 4-3 to Ben Woollaston in the first round.
His optimism was further enhanced at the Tour Championship when he edged out Mark Williams – a marvellous competitor who only lost 17-16 by Trump in the Crucible last four – 10-9 in the quarter-finals in Llandudno before losing 10-9 to Neil Robertson in the semi-finals last month.
He weighed in with 10 tons and eight half centuries to hint at greater riches.
“The minute it switched on for me was when I went to Gibraltar,” he admitted.
“Even though I lost, I felt like I was playing well despite missing the odd few balls. A week before I went to Llandudno, I put some good practice in. I was scoring well.
“There were a couple of things that needed sharpening up in my game, but I played great in Llandudno and went away for two weeks before the worlds.
“I put in a lot of hard work before the tournament, sharpened up and by the time I got to Sheffield I thought: ‘My game is in good shape’.
“If it comes together great, but if it doesn’t what can you do. But I felt my game was alright.
I JUST WASN’T SURE IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO DO IT. SOMETIMES YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING RIGHT, BUT MAYBE YOU DON’T HAVE THE STAMINA OR THE CONSISTENCY OF A FEW YEARS AGO OR WHATEVER.
“Who knows? But yeah, I surprised myself there.”
Achieving immortality in the toughest of all cue sports does not come easy even for the green baize’s main protagonist. The tale of the table does not always reward the best man.
He trailed 3-0 to David Gilbert in his tournament opener, but was a figure of unrelenting focus in adversity, ending the first session 6-3 clear in a match from which he would run out a 10-5 winner. His unflustered play was a pivotal theme of the event. Almost like he knew the end destination was more likely than not if he refused to panic.
He overpowered Mark Allen 13-4 in the last 16 before shredding Stephen Maguire 13-5 in the quarter-finals.
A match with his fierce foe John Higgins – the player he defeated 18-14 to claim his first world title in 2001 – was always likely to prove the ultimate test of O’Sullivan’s technique in the three-day semi-final torture chamber. The talent has never been in doubt.
Two key moments of that contest summed up O’Sullivan’s commitment to the cause after he had trailed 3-0: his opportunism to force a re-spotted black in the 16th and final frame of the second session that gave him a 10-6 lead before the final day.
And the miraculous clearance of 82 he made leading 10-7 on the Saturday morning after a taut period of tough safety play with the Scotsman attempting to turn the match back in his favour.
That break was arguably the most memorable of the tournament, ranking alongside the 92 he produced in the seventh frame of the 2012 final against Ali Carter in an 18-11 win.
It provided O’Sullivan with the impetus to complete a comfortable 17-11 victory over Higgins, who was left proclaiming him as the greatest in history.
“It is a mammoth tournament,” O’Sullivan commented.
I DON’T THINK I’M THE BEST POTTER OR THE BEST IN ANY DEPARTMENT. I’M ABOUT EIGHT OR NINE OUT OF 10 IN EVERY DEPARTMENT AND IT WAS THAT CONSISTENCY OVER THE 17 DAYS THAT GOT ME THROUGH.
“I was just competing in every area and doing all things pretty well.
“I remember nicking a frame when I needed two blacks and won it on the re-spotted black against John. I also remember we had a long drawn out safety battle with me and Higgins then potting a long red before clearing up.
“Just lots of frames were big turning points. When you win the close ones against John, you know you’ve got a chance.
“It is alright winning frames with big breaks. That is nice, but at some point in these events you are going to face someone who is scoring as well as you and then it comes down to who can pinch the close ones.
“As I got into the match with John, I started to eke out a few of those close ones. That dented his confidence, gave me more confidence and probably changed the momentum of the match.
“John is more suited to winning the tactical frames and I’m probably more suited to the open scoring frames, but it was good to compete with him in the ones where he was probably favourite.”
‘VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE’
O’Sullivan’s impeccable rise to the title in the final was far from a coronation. He galloped 12-5 clear on the first day of the final only for Trump, the 2019 champion, to claw his way back to 14-11 behind before the conclusion loomed large with the destination of the title unclear.
Rather than look over his shoulder, O’Sullivan quickly disposed of the permutations with a composed air emanating from his cue, compiling unerring breaks of 82, 88, 75 and 85 to complete a stylish gallop to the game’s biggest prize.
One recalls speaking to Jimmy White during the 2012 Masters when the elite tournament was first staged at the Alexandra Palace.
O’Sullivan had lost 6-2 to Trump in the quarter-finals of the event, an encounter that was being described back then as a “changing of the guard”.
When asked if O’Sullivan could add to his three world titles, White responded:
“I know O’Sullivan and he will be out to put this all right by the World Championship.
“Ronnie has got five or six world titles left in him. He is too good. He is far too good.”
The Whirlwind has turned out to be a snooker soothsayer. O’Sullivan has lifted another four titles since that point. Who would bet against him reaching 10 before he pots his final ball? Certainly not Jimmy.
The work carried out with celebrated sports psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters to maintain a positive mindset and maintain mental equilibrium was a key element in his latest triumph.
AT TIMES I FELT LIKE THE CUE BALL WAS ON A PIECE OF STRING. I WAS PUTTING IT WHERE I WANTED. IN SOME WAYS, IT DIDN’T MATTER WHERE THE BALLS WERE.
“I just knew there were keys shots I had to get to and I was confident I was able to do it.
“It is a good feeling winning frames from virtually impossible positions.”
Car retailer Cazoo will replace bookmakers Betfred as sponsors of the 47th World Championship next year, but O’Sullivan hopes the viewing figures can entice greater interest in the sport.
“If you want a blue-chip company, you have to change the image of the sport in many ways,” he said.
“At the moment, it is dominated by betting companies, but other sponsors may not want to be associated with that. I don’t know.
“In Formula One you have betting companies and Rolex so maybe that isn’t right. It just depends on how they see snooker.
“It would be great if the game could kick on like the 1980s. Tobacco companies sponsored snooker and a lot of the big sporting events back then but who knows?
“The viewing figures are great so that is always a good thing to put in front of people.
THEY’RE LOOKING FOR EYEBALLS AND THERE ARE 4.5 MILLION EYEBALLS WATCHING THE FINAL SO ANY SPONSOR WANTING THEIR PRODUCT TO BE SEEN…THESE ARE IMPORTANT STATISTICS TO SHOW THEM.
O’Sullivan famously took a season off between his fourth and fifth victories at the event in 2012 and 2013 respectively, but plans to throw himself into the new campaign with new worlds to be conquered. A few more of them in Sheffield perhaps.
He could return at the European Masters in August, but the British Open in late September is likelier.
His appearance as world champion in Brentwood for the English Open in December should be one to savour before a raucous home crowd.
“The season starts again in August so I’m pretty much going to play in most things,” he said. “I won’t practise much. I’ve got a few exhibitions and a few holidays with the family.
“Come September/October time, I’ll start getting my head down again to practise. I’m just going to play in virtually every tournament.
IT DOESN’T MATTER IF I WIN OR LOSE. AS LONG AS I KEEP THE RUSTINESS OFF SO WHEN I DO START PRACTISING IT WILL ONLY TAKE A WEEK TO GET BACK IN FULL FLOW.
“I haven’t looked at the calendar properly, but I’ll take a look and decide from there.”
O’Sullivan’s opportunism is perhaps only rivalled by the launch of his own ‘7 Collection’ the day after the final that included the amusing “You saw nothing” response to referee Olivier Marteel after he had been accused of an inappropriate gesture.
Clothing and cups are all the rage these days in sport, but what was the plan if he had not reached seven?
“Keep them for next year mate.”
Judging by this latest astonishing triumph for O’Sullivan’s timeless vitality, the merch could be out of date by then.
Desmond Kane
What surprised me most here is what he says about his feelings about his game in Gibraltar, although it’s not the first time I hear/read about a player assessing their game seemingly at odds with their recent results. The thing is: we can only watch, they know how they feel.
On the topic of distancing themselves from betting companies, I’m not sure I entirely believe that the move to Cazoo is unrelated to the recent developments when it comes to raising awareness and tackling gambling addictions – in youth in particular – as well as what happened at the 2021 Scottish Open. Remember? It had to be moved to Llandudno after the venue’s management took the decision to no more host events sponsored by bookies.
Note that many parts in bold are my “highligths” and were not in bold in the original text.
It seems that World Snooker is increasingly distancing itself from the betting industry, which certainly pleases me. Indeed Cazoo will sponsor the World Championship in until at least 2027.
Cazoo To Become Title Sponsor Of World Snooker Championship
Cazoo, Europe’s leading online car retailer, which makes buying and selling a car as simple as ordering any other product online today, has become the title sponsor of snooker’s biggest tournament and one of the most prestigious events on the sporting calendar, the World Snooker Championship.
Under a new multi-year agreement, the Cazoo World Snooker Championship will see prominent Cazoo branding on the main set, players’ waistcoats and interview and media conference backdrops and will have extensive live coverage on BBC, Eurosport and a range of broadcasters across the globe.
The Cazoo World Snooker Championship is the sport’s most celebrated event with a history dating back to 1927. Since 1977 it has been staged at the iconic Crucible in Sheffield, where it will remain until at least 2027. Running for 17 days, the 2023 event will take place from April 15 to May 1.
Ronnie O’Sullivan won this year’s tournament, beating Judd Trump in the final to conquer the Crucible for a seventh time, equalling the record set by Stephen Hendry. Cazoo is now the title sponsor of all three of snooker’s Triple Crown Series: the Cazoo UK Championship, Cazoo Masters and Cazoo World Championship. Plus, the Cazoo World Grand Prix, Cazoo Players Championship, Cazoo Tour Championship and Cazoo Champion of Champions.
Cazoo was founded in 2018 by renowned British entrepreneur Alex Chesterman and has already sold over 65,000 cars in the UK since its launch just over two years ago as consumers have embraced the selection, value, transparency and convenience of buying and selling used cars fully online. Cazoo has also launched in France and Germany and now has a team of over 5,000 across the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal.
Alex Chesterman OBE, Founder & CEO of Cazoo said: “We’re excited to be expanding our partnership with WST and Matchroom to include the World Snooker Championship, the third and final triple crown event. This deal will help to further grow our audience as we continue to build Cazoo and deliver the best car buying and selling experience across the UK and Europe.”
Steve Dawson, Chairman of WST said: “This is a fantastic announcement for our sport as we welcome Cazoo as the title sponsor of our greatest tournament, the World Snooker Championship, for the first time. This is an event which generates a massive amount of interest and excitement on a global scale. A worldwide audience of 500 million watches the action from the Crucible on television, while in the UK it is among the best loved fortnights of the sporting year. We are now working with Cazoo on a wide range of our biggest tournaments throughout the season and we look forward to continuing to build this successful partnership for years to come.”
Golden Turkey awards are the ones you don’t really want to get, but, hey! Here they come anyway …
Permanent fixture: the Shoot Out being a ranking event.
No need for an explanation.
Matchroom Golden Turkey: the terrible quality of the streaming
For long periods this season, those who watched the streaming were “treated” to a psychedelic “trip”, interpersed with brief spells of normality and episodes of blackout. That’s when the “service” was actually available … It seems that the cause of this nightmare was the poor quality of service “offered” by the company Matchroom was working with. The problems seem to have been addressed now but it was a really bad “trip” …
Media Golden Turkeys: yes they get two…
Before I deliver the media Golden Turkeys, I want to stress that we had a lot of really excellent media coverage all season, be it in the written press or in the form of podcasts. Special mentions here for Dave Hendon, Hector Nunns, Phil Haigh and Nick Metcalfe. So, thank you for that guys. Nevertheless here come the Turkeys:
For the constant use of the word “shock” whenever a top player loses. Those who watch snooker for many years will know that the standard of the lower ranked players is much higher than it used to be. There may still be a few weak players on the tour, but not that many. Top players are human. They have bad days. We all do. They may struggle for motivation at times. We all do. At times, the very demanding schedule takes its toll on them. All that is NORMAL, it’s not a “SHOCK”.
The “Should or stay or should I go” Crucible saga oveshadowing the World Championship at times. This has been a theme since the 2022 Masters. Yes, the Crucible theatre has shortcomings: it’s too small, it’s cramped, it’s not particularly adequate when it comes to hospitality. We know that. But when the World Championship is on, the focus should be on the action, not on the venue. And my feelings of frustration are amplified by the fact that I suspect that all this fuss was somehow artificial, that it was orchestrated with the help of some top players, for a purpose: preparing this announcement.
World Snooker Championship consider plans to build a new 3,000 capacity ‘Crucible 2’
World Snooker Championship organisers are looking into a proposal to build a new 3,000-seat arena to stage the tournament alongside the Crucible.
Jason Ferguson, the chair of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, is in talks with architect James Burland, who has designed a purpose-built venue with a bridge linking it to the event’s existing and iconic home.
Burland’s idea is for the new development to act as a ‘Crucible 2’, with matches spread across there and the old theatre like Wimbledon’s Centre Court and No1 Court.
Plans are being considered for a new Crucible to built alongside the original venue
The plan comes amid recent criticism from a number of high-profile players about the limited capacity and facilities of the 980-seat Crucible, which has hosted the World Championship since 1977 and has a contract until 2027.
‘This is a concept and an idea to try and grow this event in some way,’ Ferguson told Sportsmail.
‘We have no intention of moving from Sheffield. It is our home. But we know we really need to be looking at around 3,000 seats for the World Championship now.
‘Events like the Masters are growing so much and the danger is that the World Championship starts to look smaller, which it really can’t because it’s the crown jewels of what we do.
‘This is not the only route but it is an initial concept that James has come up with. Can the Crucible be a dual site?’
Burland, along with entrepreneur Peter Bainbridge, first proposed a ‘Billiardrome’ almost 20 years ago when Sheffield was fighting off bids to host snooker’s premier event from rival cities.
It is those plans that have been revived and reworked after Ferguson recently renewed contact with Burland, who he invited as a guest to last weekend’s world final.
A bridge will connect the two buildings, allowing matches to be played at both venues
‘He and I had a discussion a few months ago and we have rekindled the relationship and started discussing what it could look like,’ said Ferguson.
‘He has been up here for a few days and speaking to people, building up a picture of what the perfect outcome looks like. His initial sketch has got some great ideas in it.’
Burland, who designed Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium with a team at Arup, said: ‘When we looked at it years ago, we were thinking it would be the new venue, but this is different now – this is working with the Crucible.
‘The second venue doesn’t have to be a replacement, it can be an adjunct. It makes the whole event easier to run, with more facilities.’
Burland’s proposed site for the building is Sheffield’s old Roxy Disco, which is now the O2 Academy, with a bridge to the Crucible over Arundel Gate.
The main auditorium would be round and divided into three tiers – upper and lower spectator levels, with corporate and media seating in the middle.
Burland’s concept includes a snooker museum at the spiral entrance, a giant screen wrapping round the outside of the building and TV studios on the roof.
The ground floor would be the practice area and could also stage the World Championship qualifiers.
The new Crucible building is planned to hold up to three times as many fans at 3,000
‘I quite like the idea you are scrapping it out to get a position in the colosseum above,’ said Burland. ‘Then the Holy of Holies is to win and go across the bridge to play.’
The 3,000-seat arena could convert to 1,500 seats with folding tables for conferences. The venue could also host music concerts and other sports, such as boxing and table tennis.
During his recent visit to Sheffield, Burland conducted a study of the Crucible atmosphere, speaking to legends including Steve Davis and John Parrott, to feed into his design.
‘These guys have 40 years of experience in the game,’ said Burland. ‘Who am I to say I know what you need because I’m an architect?
‘History is hugely important. You don’t want to lose what the Crucible has got, just make it better.
‘That is why I am looking at it from the point of view of the atmosphere first. I know I have to do my research on atmosphere to get this right.
‘In a pilot study I did, there are three descriptors that come out – drama, history and conviviality. A mixture of these need to be in every part of how this thing works.’
…
Former World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn also revealed last month that initial talks had been held with Sheffield City Council about building a new Crucible. But Burland is the only architect to have so far come up with a design solution.
‘At this stage, it’s very early discussions but we are coming up with a concept of what would be a huge benefit for the city and a true international destination,’ added Ferguson.
‘There is a huge road to go down with this. That would involve what is possible from a planning perspective, how can it be financed, who are the partners in it.
‘We will have a meeting to try and move the discussion on with Sheffield City Council. They are very open-minded about what could be done.
‘I think a feasibility study will throw up the answers and I think that would be the next phase.
‘We are not panicking about moving. We are fixed for the next five years. But the question is, within that period, can we come up with what the future looks like?’
Don’t get me wrong, the idea is interesting and it’s an important topic. It’s the timing that annoys me, and the way it was brought forward.
WST/WPBSA Golden Turkey: the structure of the season’s calendar
This season started with a procession of “low key”, short format events. The Championship League and a number of qualifying events. It really dragged for far too long before it felt like the “proper” season actually started, and then it became hectic for those at the top. The whole feeling was amplified by two factors:
Only four tables were used. There was a positive side to this: they were all streamed, and provided the streaming was actually working, fans were able to watch all matches. But it meant that the action was “diluted”. There was no intensity and it was quite uninspiring at times.
The Home Nations were split into “qualifiers” – without the top 16 players – and event proper. This decision surely pleased the broadcasters but it’s not great for the lower ranked players, and in particular the younger ones. For them it means weeks on of qualifying matches, in front of a spare crowd, if any, follwed, for most, by weeks of inactivity. They don’t meet the top guys, they don’t play in a “proper” arena, there is not much of an atmosphere. It’s not giving them the experience of a “proper” event, with cameras on the floor, a big crowd, the media around. It’s not helping their developement. Stuart Pettman, in his book (*), explained how playing most of their matches in cubicles was putting lower ranked players at a huge disavantage whenever they managed to get to the main venue. In a way, we are heading back to that now. Surely this is going backwards?
You know my views: there should be NO qualifiers, the early round should be played at or near the “main” venue for ALL events. It’s absurd that someone like Simon Lichtenberg – who is from Berlin – had to try to win two matches in England for the right to play at the Tempodrom. He din’t manage. Yet, surely, his presence would have boosted local interest. Whenever this question comes to the fore the answer is that it’s cheaper this way for most of the players … understand: the UK players. This is plain UK bias by WORLD snooker. OK, I won’t start on that again (for now).
This season the calendar looks quite similar, although there are “noises” about a possible event in Hong Kong this summer (the source is Marco Fu, hence reliable). The ongoing absence of the Chinese events is of course problematic and can’t be helped. That’s nobody’s fault. But surely, there is room for some improvements.
(*) IF you can find that book BUY IT, READ IT. It’s one of the best books ever written about snooker. It’s not a self-serving biography, it’s the down-to-earth reality of a snooker journeyman described with a good pinc of bittersweet humour.
Neil Robertson has been named WST’s Player of the Year for the first time, after winning four tournaments during the 2021/22 season.
Australia’s Robertson lifted the trophy at the English Open, the Masters, Players Championship and the Tour Championship during the most prolific season of his career. He was knocked out in the second round of the World Championship but had the consolation of making a 147 at the Crucible.
Ronnie O’Sullivan won the Snooker Journalists’ Player of the Year award, voted by media around the world who cover snooker. O’Sullivan won the World Championship as well as the World Grand Prix, and finished the season on top of the world rankings.
O’Sullivan also won the Performance of the Year award for winning the World Championship for the seventh time, beating Judd Trump 18-13 in the final to equal the record of Crucible crowns set by Stephen Hendry.
The Fans’ Player of the Year award, voted by fans on the WST App and on social media platforms in China, went to Zhao Xintong. The Chinese ace landed his first ranking title at the UK Championship and went on to win the German Masters, climbing to number six in the world.
Magic Moment of the Year went to Robertson for his fantastic 147 during his World Championship match against Jack Lisowski as he became only the eighth player to make a maximum at the Crucible.
China’s 18-year-old Wu Yize won Rookie of the Year following a promising debut season which included runs to the last 32 of three ranking events.
There are two new entries to the Snooker Hall of Fame, for the great players and administrators who have had a significant impact on our sport. They are:
Reanne Evans, the most successful ever player on the women’s tour, having won the World Championship a record 12 times.
Alison Fisher, who won the Women’s World Championship seven times in the 1980s and 1990s and played regularly in televised professional tournaments in that era.
Both Reanne and Alison have made outstanding contributions to the growth of snooker and we are delighted to welcome them into the Hall of Fame.
WST Awards: 2021/22 winners
WST Player of the Year – Neil Robertson
Fans’ Player of the Year – Zhao Xintong
Snooker Journalists’ Player of the Year – Ronnie O’Sullivan
Performance of the Year – Ronnie O’Sullivan
Rookie of the Year – Wu Yize
Magic Moment of the Year – Neil Robertson
Hall of Fame: Reanne Evans, Alison Fisher
Player of the Year – former winners
2011: John Higgins
2012: Ronnie O’Sullivan
2013: Mark Selby
2014: Ronnie O’Sullivan
2015: Stuart Bingham
2016: John Higgins
2017: Mark Selby
2018: Ronnie O’Sullivan
2019: Judd Trump
2020: Judd Trump
2021: Judd Trump
2022: Neil Robertson
Congratulations to all laureates.
All in all, I agree with those awards.
I’m particularly happy to see Zhao getting the “Fans’ Player of the Year” accolade. Of course, this particular vote is held before the World Championship, but it’s a recognition of Zhao’s achievements and bright personality. He’s young, he’s a breath of fresh air, he’s good looking, talented and dedicated. He plays attacking snooker. What’s not to like?
I’d like to add a few more to this list though…
The “Class of 92” certainly deserves a collective award of sorts. I’m not sure how to name it. “Longevity award”? Not sure. Think about this though: all three were born in 1975, all three turned pro 30 years ago, all three won at least one event this season, all three are still in the top 8 of the rankings and all three reached the semi-finals of the World Championship. If this isn’t extraordinary, I don’t know what is.
The “Best match of the season” goes to the World Championship semi-final between Judd Trump and Mark Williams. Do I need to explain? It had everything. Mark’s calamitous start followed by a heroic but vain come-back, a tense decider, high scoring from both, a clash of styles, a gap in generations…
The “Frame of the season” has to frame 22 in the Yan Bingtao v Mark Selby last 16 match at the Crucible. It was a fascinating 84 min 41 seconds affair – the longest frame ever at the Crucible so far. Yan Bingtao won it by 63-49, truly “out-selbying” Mark Selby himself. And then he finished the match off with a 112 in the next frame!
Mark Selby for the brave and honest way he spoke about his mental health issues, came to defend his World title despite not feeling great and truly gave it his all.
Fan Zhengyi who arrived on the tour at 17 in 2018, the youngest professional at the time, who struggled terribly but decided to stay in the UK when covid-19 hit. He wanted to give himself a chance to earn another two years card via the Q-School, succeeded in that endeavour, and this year won his first ranking title, beating Ronnie in the final of the European Masters
Victoria Shi whose academy is home to so many promising young player. She is a manager, a supporting presence, an advisor and, at times a mother figure. The successes of Zhao Xintong, Yan Bingtao, Fan Zhengyi, Ashley Huggil and more are testimony of the excellence of her academy.
Belgium’s promising 19-year-old Julien Leclercq earned a place on the World Snooker Tour for the first time by beating Alex Clenshaw 5-2 in the final of the WPBSA Q Tour Playoff at the Q House Snooker Academy in Darlington.
Clenshaw made the stronger start as breaks of 101 and 70 gave him a 2-0 lead. Leclercq claimed the third with a break of 55 to get himself up and running, before crucially adding a close fourth frame with a break of 51 to draw level at the mid-session interval.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 