Alfie Lee has been the most impressive player this week at the 900 and duly book his place in the winners week. Here is how it happened.

Alfie presents himself as a very confident young man

Of course, his father presence at the event has revived the debate about the adequacy of Stephen Lee’s punishment and comparisons with John Higgins. Those cases are NOT comparable.

John Higgins was caught agreeing to fix matches but he didn’t actually fix matches. He was set up, but didn’t know it, so that should not be taken into account. He had no previous, nobody knows for sure if he would have actually fixed those matches if they had been played, he expressed remorse, he paid his fines and his share of the costs in full and promptly. He behaved perfectly well since coming back.

Stephen Lee actually fixed matches, several matches, some at the Crucible. There had been multiple suspicions and even a police inquest before he was banned. He never expressed remorse, never paid what he owns the governing body. Since his ban he has been involved in at least one other “dishonest” incident: he sold a cue to an Asian customer, took the money and did not send the cue.

Anyway… as usual some more images

And next Monday line-up

I guess it’s Josuah Thomond … not Thomand.