Ali Carter won the German Masters for the second time yesterday evening, ten years after his first triumph in Berlin, This victory brings in back in the top 16, secures his spot in the Players Championship and probably in the Tour Championship also and put him at the top of the European Series.
Ali Carter ended a seven-year wait for ranking silverware by thrashing Tom Ford 10-3 to win the BetVictor German Masters in Berlin.
Victory sees two-time Crucible finalist Carter notch up the fifth ranking title of his career. However, his most recent event win had dated all the way back to the 2016 World Open.
Carter is now a two-time German Masters champion. He first won the event in 2013, when he defeated Marco Fu 9-6 in the final. The Captain also made the title match in 2017, but was on the wrong end of a 9-6 scoreline against Anthony Hamilton.
It was an emotional moment this evening for Carter, who hoisted the Brandon Parker Trophy aloft in front of a rapturous capacity crowd of over 2,000 at the iconic Tempodrom. However, the win carries a raft of additional benefits.
The £80,000 top prize puts Carter into the top eight of the one-year list, which means he has qualified for the upcoming Players Championship and will almost certainly be in attendance at the Tour Championship. He’s also set for a return to the top 16 in the world rankings, putting him in position for an automatic place at the World Championship.
The Captain now leads the BetVictor Series standings, with just the BetVictor Welsh Open left to go. The player who accumulates the most prize money over the qualifying events will land a bumper £150,000 bonus.
Defeat will come as a disappointment for Ford, who falls short again in his second ranking final. The Leicester cueman was runner-up to Mark Selby in his only other ranking final appearance, at the 2016 Paul Hunter Classic.
However, Ford has the consolation of the £35,000 second prize and can reflect on another impressive week in an already strong season. He made the semi-finals of the UK Championship before Christmas and was also a quarter-finalist at the BetVictor Shoot Out.
The afternoon session saw Carter rally from 2-0 down to establish a healthy 6-3 lead. He would carry that momentum over when the evening’s play got underway.
The Essex potter took a scrappy opening frame to extend his advantage, before breaks of 75 and 41 in the 11th made it 8-3.
The 12th saw Carter move one from the win, after a tricky clearance of 39 allowed him to steal the frame on the black. He made no mistakes getting over the line, firing in 63 to secure the title.
“It is immense. My partner Lee is here with me and I was saying to her that the journey of getting to ten feels like a mile away. I just stayed in the moment and took it bit by bit. I heard a song earlier, which was Step by Step by Whitney Houston. I thought to take it step by step and day by day and I’ve got there,” said 43-year-old Carter.
“To be honest, over the last two or three months I’ve had dreams about winning a tournament. When I’ve woken up, I’ve been absolutely distraught. After Chris Wakelin beat my highest break in the Shoot Out, which I wasn’t happy about, I said to my friend that normally means something good is around the corner. It certainly was.
“My coach Chris Henry has been massive. He has transformed me. He is a great person to be around and has become a friend. He has given me so much confidence in my technique. I think I missed one ball in that match. I know Tom didn’t play as well as he can, but I put him under a lot of pressure.
“There are add-ons from winning the tournament and that is all going on in your head. You need to keep that quiet and stay in the here and now. All of that is in the future, but you need perspective on life. You have to live for the moment.”
Ford said: “I felt good in the first couple of frames, but Ali just played the game and kept it tight. I kept on making silly mistakes and he just punished me from there.
“It’s frustrating because I played really well in the semi-final. I’m sorry to everyone here that you’ve only seen four frames this evening and I couldn’t play a little bit better.”
I can’t say I’m overly surprised by that the match was one-sided. Ali has a very solid all-round game. That’s what got him twice in the final at the Crucible. He used to be temperamental and prone to anger but there has been nothing of that lately, probably thanks to Chris Henry’s help. Chris is a mental coach, as well as a snooker coach and is very good at both those roles.
I feel sorry for Tom that he felt the need to apologise to the crowd. Tom is very entertaining to watch when on his game but he’s pure attack and, currently, he hasn’t the weapons to counter the very strong all-rounders. Tom gave the German fans a lot to cheer on on all week. Yesterday it wasn’t to be, he lost heavily. It happens to the best of them.
Today is Final’s Day in Berlin. Ali Carter is in the German Masters Final for the third time, having won the event in 2013. Tom Ford will attempt to win his first ranking title.
Ali Carter edged out Robert Milkins 6-5 in a pulsating semi-final encounter to reach the final of the BetVictor German Masters for the third time at Berlin’s iconic Tempodrom.
The Captain is hunting his first ranking silverware for almost seven years, with his most recent victory coming at the 2016 World Open. In all, he has four ranking titles to his name. Carter won the German Masters in 2013, when he beat Marco Fu in the final and he was runner-up to Anthony Hamilton in 2017.
Carter now faces either Jack Lisowski or Tom Ford in tomorrow’s final, where the Brandon Parker Trophy and a top prize of £80,000 will be up for grabs. The title match will be contested over the best of 19 frames.
It’s been a timely run this week for Carter, who has pushed himself comfortably inside top 16 on the one-year list. That puts him in position to qualify for the Players Championship, with just the BetVictor Welsh Open to go before the seeding cut off.
Defeat ends what has been a remarkable week for Milkins. He made a 147 break in yesterday evening’s quarter-final win over Chris Wakelin, having already made a 146 earlier in the week. That places Milkins in line for the £5,000 high break prize.
It was Milkins who started strongest this afternoon. The first two frames were shared, before the Gloucester cueman claimed a fiercely contested 32-minute tactical battle in the third to lead 2-1. He then clinched the fourth on the black to head into the mid-session with a 3-1 advantage.
When play resumed a break building blitz from Carter turned the match on its head. Runs of 72, 67, 133, and 83 saw him take four on the bounce and move one from the win at 5-3.
However, Milkins refused to wilt and kept himself alive with a century break of 109, before taking the tenth to force a decider at 5-5. It was a nervy final frame, but Carter amassed enough points across three separate breaks to get over the line and book his place in tomorrow’s final.
“It’s massive. There was so much riding on that game, possibly the Players Championship, winning another title and just everything. I’ve had a good week and I was disappointed with how I went out in the first half of the match. I played really well to go 5-3 up and didn’t do much wrong to go 5-5. It was nip and tuck in the final frame. It is an amazing arena out there and an amazing event. I am delighted to be in my third final,” said 43-year-old Carter.
“There are millions of thoughts that go through your head during a decider. You just have to try and keep your mind quiet. I just kept saying to myself that if I get a chance I am going to have to be peeled off the table. I wasn’t going to go until all of the balls were in the pocket. It was a massive win and I am pleased to be the victor today.
“It would mean everything to win tomorrow. It is all about winning. I am obviously delighted to get to the final but if I didn’t come out on top, I would be devastated. For the top boys like myself who have won before, coming second isn’t good enough. We come here to win tournaments, it doesn’t happen very often. You have to take it when it is your turn and I hope that tomorrow it is my turn.”
Tom Ford survived a nerve jangling final frame to beat Jack Lisowski 6-5 and reach the BetVictor German Masters final in Berlin.
A 2,000 strong Tempodrom crowd watched on as Lisowski rallied to force a decider from 5-3 down. He had the first opportunity to win and composed a break of 52 to give himself a healthy lead. That was made all the better by leaving Ford tight behind the brown ball at the end of his visit.
Ford threw his arm at it in the hope of some good fortune. He left Lisowski on a red, but the world number 12 spurned his opportunity and Leicester’s Ford stepped in with a nerveless match winning clearance of 63.
His reward is a best of 19 clash against Ali Carter in tomorrow’s final, with a top prize of £80,000 and the Brandon Parker Trophy up for grabs. After 20 seasons as a professional, Ford is hunting a maiden ranking crown. Essex’s four-time ranking event winner Carter is looking for his first victory since the 2016 World Open.
Tomorrow will only be Ford’s second ever appearance in a ranking event final. The first came at the 2016 Paul Hunter Classic, where he was pipped to the first prize by Mark Selby.
Defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow for Lisowski, who’s wait for a maiden ranking title goes on. The six-time ranking event finalist has been knocking on the door this season, having also made the semis at the UK Championship, as well as the invitational Masters. However, the 31-year-old leaves Berlin disappointed to not have claimed his first piece of silverware.
Ford looked impressive in taking the opening two frames this evening to open up an early 2-0 advantage. Lisowski responded emphatically and breaks of 102 and 84 helped him to restore parity heading into the mid-session interval.
When play resumed it was Ford who surged in front. Contributions of 70, 104 and 89 helped him to take three of the next four frames and move one from the win at 5-3. Lisowski showed great character to stay in contention by taking the next two frames to force a decider. However, it was Ford who prevailed to earn his place in tomorrow’s title match.
Ford said: “I was lucky in the last, because when I was behind the brown I just had to have a hit and hope. I couldn’t land on a red. I left him one and he missed it, so he is going to be kicking himself. I felt good towards the end. Normally when the matches go longer you don’t feel as good. I actually fancied clearing up when I got in.
“It is a brilliant atmosphere out there. I think I had about four people wanting me to win though. They were all Jack Lisowski fans! The crowd was really good. When we both walked out we had a really good applause.
“It would be great to win tomorrow. I didn’t start the season, well then I managed to get to the UK Championship semi-finals. I gave Ding a 5-0 start and started playing. Hopefully I can get off to a good start tomorrow and take the trophy home for my little one.”
In both matches, the player with the strongest mental won, and if that proves to be the case today again, I definitely have to make Ali the favourite although I would love to see Tom Ford win his first ranking title. I met Jack many times, I like him as a person but as a player I find him very frustrating to watch.
We are delighted to announce that the final stages of the 2024 German Masters will be extended from five to seven days, with the event running from January 29th to February 4th at the iconic Tempodrom in Berlin.
With record crowds at this year’s event, the decision has been taken to add an extra two days of action in 2024. The format and qualification criteria are still under consideration and will be released in due course.
Tickets go on sale next week from Friday February 10th and certain sessions are expected to reach capacity quickly, so don’t miss out. Look out for purchase details at www.snookerstars.de.
The German Masters is already one of the highlights on the snooker calendar and these changes are set to enhance the reputation of the tournament even further.
With crowds of over 2,000, the Tempodrom boasts an incredible atmosphere and the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Williams, Ding Junhui and Mark Selby have all lifted the trophy there. Fans from Germany and around the world are encouraged to make the trip to Berlin to witness this unique event.
This is extremely good news. Every year, a lot of top players are missing the television stages and this year was particularly bad in that regard. I used to think that having the qualifiers as the last event before Christmas was the reason for it, but that didn’t happen this year and the outcome was just the same. The truth probably is that the uninspiring atmosphere of the qualifiers is a leveller. Many top players probably fail to find the motivation and inspiration that they need to play at their best. It’s a shame for the German fans and the event. I hope that next year there will be only one round of qualifiers, and it would be even better if those qualifiers were held in Germany right before the main event.
We have reached the semi-finals stage in Berlin, we are down to one table and the line-up is somewhat unexpected. This afternoon Robert Milkis will face Ali Carter, and tonight Jack Lisowski will do battle with Tom Ford.
Here are the reports by WST reporting on what happened yesterday
Chris Wakelin continued a red hot streak of form, winning his 16th consecutive match on the circuit and beating Neil Robertson 5-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the BetVictor German Masters in Berlin.
The Nuneaton cueman claimed an emotional first ranking event win with victory at the BetVictor Shoot Out last Saturday. This afternoon’s result puts him in a strong position to qualify for the upcoming Players Championship and solidifies his position in the top 16 on the one-year list. Robertson has been left with work to do if he is to be in Wolverhampton to defend his title.
It is a quick turnaround for Wakelin, who now faces Robert Milkins in the quarter-finals this evening. Last season’s BetVictor Gibraltar Open winner Milkins came through with an impressive 5-3 defeat of Luca Brecel.
Robertson seized the early initiative this afternoon, moving 3-1 ahead at the mid-session interval. However, Wakelin appears to have been buoyed by last week’s landmark victory and displayed great resolve to force his way back into contention.
Breaks of 102 and 50 helped him to take the next three frames and move one from the win at 4-3. Australia’s 23-time ranking event winner Robertson showed his class to fire in a 133 and force a decider. It was Wakelin who again showed his steel under pressure and runs of 46 and 20 helped him over the line for a huge win.
Ali Carter eased to a 5-1 win over Louis Heathcote to book his place in the last eight. He now faces Pang Junxu, who beat Ricky Walden 5-1.
Robert Milkins has enjoyed a firework laden path to his first Tempodrom semi-final at the BetVictor German Masters in Berlin, making 146 and 147 breaks along the way, capped off by clinching a 5-2 victory over Chris Wakelin this evening.
The 147 break came in the second frame of tonight’s tie and solidified Milkins’ grip on the high £5,000 high break prize. It’s the third maximum in his career and first since 2012.
Milkins, 46, enjoyed a landmark maiden ranking crown last season when he won the Gibraltar Open. It was a moment which was 27 years in the making, having initially turned professional all the way back in 1995. He will be hoping to draw on those memories tomorrow when he faces Ali Carter in the famous single table setup at the Tempodrom.
Defeat for Wakelin ends a 16 match winning streak, which included capturing his maiden ranking title at last week’s BetVictor Shoot Out. He scored an impressive 5-4 win over 2010 World Champion Neil Robertson this afternoon, but defeating Milkins this evening proved to be a bridge too far.
The 147 break drew things level at 1-1 and from there Milkins took control. Runs of 60 and 65 helped him to a further three frames on the bounce to make it 4-1. Wakelin responded commendably with a superb break of 116 to make it 4-2. However, Gloucester’s Milkins got himself over the line with 86 in the seventh to emerge a 5-2 victor.
“It is unbelievable. I am shocked myself, because I haven’t been scoring all season. My safety has been so good and it has been winning me matches. The 146 came from nowhere and I went out tonight and hit a 147,” said world number 31 Milkins. “I was so nervous through the break. It wasn’t really on. There were a lot of reds congested and it just worked out really well.
“Any break over 140 is brilliant. Now I’m in the semi-finals. If I’d have come off having lost the game, I wouldn’t have had the same buzz. Being in the tournament is more important than making breaks. It is just the icing on the cake. It has been a really good week for me and I hope it continues.
“The crowd in there are incredible. When the maximum went in, I’ve never felt anything like that. It was so good and you’ve got to give the fans credit.”
Essex cueman Carter earned his last four spot with a hard fought 5-3 win over China’s Pang Junxu.
The Captain is a former finalist in Berlin, having made the title match in 2017. On that occasion he lost out to Anthony Hamilton, but he will be hoping to claim victory this time around and secure a first ranking event win since the 2016 World Open.
Carter hammered home breaks of 61, 122, 111, 50 and 80 on his way to this evening’s win and now faces Milkins in tomorrow’s first semi-final at 2pm.
Tom Ford is through to the eighth ranking semi-final of his career after an impressive 5-2 defeat of 2019 German Masters winner Kyren Wilson.
Ford is yet to win his first ranking title, but has shown signs of strong form so far this season, having made the last four at the UK Championship before Christmas.
The Leicester potter closed out this evening’s victory with a break of 99 in the seventh frame and now faces Jack Lisowski in the semis tomorrow evening at 8pm.
Lisowski is also in hot pursuit of a dream maiden title and beat Xiao Guodong 5-3 to seal his semi-final berth.
The 31-year-old has already made the semi-finals at the UK Championship and the Masters this season. Breaks of 98, 54 and 78 helped him on his way to tonight’s win.
Here is Milkins’s 147, shared by WST on their YouTube channel … in short form unfortunately
Both Jack Lisowski and Tom Ford will try to win their first ranking title this week-end. One of them will reach the final. Twice before this tournament (in its present form) has seen players win their maiden title: Martin Gould won it in 2016 and Anthony Hamilton in 2017.
The round of 32 of the 2023 German Masters was played at the Tempodrom in Berlin on Wednesday and yesterday morning and afternoon. All the results are available on snooker.org. The round of 16 started yesterday evening.
Four players got a bye to the round of 16, because their Chinese opponents are suspended.
Jimmy White thrashed Peng Yisong 5-1 to make the last 16 of the BetVictor German Masters in Berlin and set up a mouth-watering clash with Jack Lisowski.
London’s legendary 10-time ranking event winner White is enjoying a strong season, having come through four rounds of qualifying to make the final stages of the UK Championship before Christmas. He’s also already earned a spot in the final stages of the upcoming BetVictor Welsh Open.
Victory sees 60-year old White become the first player of his age to reach the last 16 of a ranking event since Eddie Charlton at the 1992 British Open, an event which White won.
White composed breaks of 55, 82, 63, 50 and 70 on his way to victory and is relishing tomorrow evening’s meeting with Lisowski.
“I’m really looking forward to it. I love Jack’s style of play. He is fantastic to watch. This is the perfect arena for me to face a young gun like Jack,” said world number 88 White.
“I’ve got my son working with me full time now. He is enthusiastic like me, so the table is brushed and ironed and I make sure I’m doing my two to four hours of practice. I’m practising different parts of the game, including safety play. I didn’t previously do too much of that. I’m really enjoying playing and I’m really enjoying competing.”
World number 12 Lisowski wasted little time in securing his last 16 berth, after storming to a 5-0 whitewash win over China’s Zhang Anda.
Lisowski, 31, is still searching for his maiden major silverware, but has been pushing hard for the breakthrough this season. The six-time ranking event finalist made the semis at the UK Championship and the Masters, but was beaten by Mark Allen and Mark Williams respectively. He also narrowly lost out to Allen 5-4 in the quarters at the recent World Grand Prix.
The Englishman composed breaks of 61, 117 and 87 this afternoon on his way to a quickfire victory, which lasted just one hour and 19 minutes.
Lisowski said: “Jimmy is one of the biggest legends of the game. It is so good to see him doing well. There are a lot of people who watch him that don’t even like snooker, they are just Jimmy White fans. He is great for the game and it will be a special occasion to play him out there.”
Kyren Wilson kept his hopes of moving to the top of the BetVictor Series rankings alive, with a 5-2 win over Sam Craigie.
Whoever earns the most prize money across the qualifying events will pick up a bumper £150,000 bonus and there is just this week and the BetVictor Welsh Open left to play. Wilson is currently in third place behind Mark Selby and Mark Allen, who didn’t qualify for Berlin.
The Warrior top scored with 82 in today’s win and now faces Jimmy Robertson for a place in the quarter-finals.
Elliot Slessor defeated Joe O’Connor 5-2 to earn his last 16 spot, his next opponent is Xiao Guodong who defeated Fan Zhengyi 5-4.
It would be easy to downplay Jimmy White’s win over Peng Ysong, who is a 21 years old rookie, but that would be unfair to both. Peng started the season slowly: his first win came at the 2022 UK Championship but since he has won 6 of the 9 matches he has played, and he was the one who denied Mark Selby as he beat him by 5-4 in the first round of qualifiers for the 2023 German Masters. The truth is that Jimmy played really well in this match.
Neil Robertson battled from 3-1 down to beat close friend Joe Perry 5-3 and keep his hopes of lifting the Brandon Parker Trophy for the first time alive at the BetVictor German Masters in Berlin.
It’s the third time this season that Australia’s Robertson has faced his Cambridge based practice partner Perry. He fell short at the UK Championship in a surprise 6-2 reverse. However, the 23-time ranking event winner had his revenge at the Scottish Open, when he won 4-1.
Robertson made the final here at the Tempodrom back in 2020, where he was up against Judd Trump. The pair contested a fiercely fought clash, but it was Trump who prevailed by a 9-6 scoreline. Robertson is yet to go all the way and capture the title.
The Thunder from Down Under also has work to do if he is to earn a place to defend his title at the upcoming Players Championship. Robertson came into this week in 18th spot on the one-year list, but must move into the top 16 to qualify for the elite event. He now faces qualification rival Chris Wakelin in the last 16. Wakelin won the BetVictor Shoot Out on Saturday and defeated Si Jiahui 5-4 earlier today.
It was BetVictor Welsh Open champion Perry who made the early running this afternoon. Breaks of 67, 54 and 65 helped him into a 3-1 lead at the mid-session interval.
Robertson took the first two when play resumed to restore parity and then embarked on a 147 attempt in the seventh. His run ended on 96 but it moved him a frame from victory at 4-3. The Melbourne cueman charged over the line with a fine break of 118.
Robertson said: “You’d think it would give you a good advantage playing against a friend, but in the first frame I left him a long red he never normally goes for. He absolutely nailed it and I thought he never usually goes for for that! In seriousness, you are generally competing against top players all the time anyway and the secrets aren’t there like they used to be 20 years ago when we didn’t play in many events. It was a really good match.
“It is an event I’ve not won and the motivation is always high when I’m here. It is hard to qualify for this, coming through two games straight after the UK Championship. It is tough to get here, but once you are it is a brilliant venue and amazing to play in. Hopefully I can have a good run and give myself a chance of winning.”
World number 12 Jack Lisowski came through a tense encounter with boyhood hero Jimmy White 5-2.
At 60-years old , White has become the first player of his age to appear in the last 16 of a ranking event since 1992. However, 31-year-old Lisowski wasn’t in a sentimental mood this evening.The six-time ranking event finalist is hunting down maiden professional silverware and now faces Xiao Guodong in the quarters.
Lisowski said: “I can’t really celebrate beating him. I think he put me under a lot of pressure at the start. He could have gone 3-1 up at the interval, but getting out at 2-2 kept me in the game and I was lucky to survive that fourth frame.”
Louis Heathcote came from 3-0 down to score a huge 5-4 win over Cao Yupeng. World number 84 Heathcote is battling for his tour survival and made breaks of 51, 83, 114, 71, 57 and 53 en route to the victory. He plays Ali Carter in the last 16 tomorrow.
Kyren Wilson strengthened his position in the BetVictor Series with a 5-2 win over Jimmy Robertson. Wilson is taking advantage of Mark Allen and Mark Selby’s failure to qualify. There is just the BetVictor Welsh Open to play after this week, with the player who accumulates the most prize money over the qualifying events scooping a bumper £150,000 bonus.
Wilson plays Tom Ford in the last eight, after the Leicester cueman defeated Tian Pengfei 5-3.
Jack probably can’t celebrate because he knows how remarkable the recent achievements of his 60 years old opponent are. Towards the end of the match, Jimmy lost his concentration a bit and looked tired. Despite the defeat, the Tempodrom crowd gave him a warm ovation as he was leaving the arena.
2023 Asia-Pacific Women Snooker Championship
“Ploy” won an all Thai final to seal her first WSS title yesterday in Sidney.Congratulations!
Ploychompoo Laokiatphong has defeated Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan 4-1 to win her first ranking event title at the Asia-Pacific Women’s Snooker Championship at the Mounties Club in Sydney, Australia.
The 20-year-old Thai player enjoyed her breakthrough weekend at the tournament as she improved upon three previous semi-final appearances to become the latest first-time champion on the World Women’s Snooker (WWS) Tour.
The victory will see Laokiatphong equal her career-best world ranking of number seven and she also becomes the first player ever to win both a main ranking tournament and the Under-21 tournament at the same ranking event, after she claimed her latest junior title later in the day.
She was presented with the trophy by The Hon. Dai Le, Federal MP for Fowler who was visiting the final of the tournament, and Frank Dewens of the Asia-Pacific Snooker and Billiards Federation.
Competing in Australia for the first time, Laokiatphong came through her group in second place following a narrow defeat to Man Yan So of Hong Kong, before she recorded a 3-0 success against India’s Natasha Chethan to reach the last eight stage.
There she would face reigning world champion and incoming world number one Mink Nutcharut and it was Laokiatphong who pot a tricky pink to middle pocket to emerge from a dramatic deciding-frame to secure a career-best match win. Victory against 14-year-old Australian prodigy Lilly Meldrum – who herself had scored a notable success against compatriot Jessica Woods in the previous round – would take Laokiatphong into her maiden ranking event final.
Awaiting her would be fellow Thai player Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan – also known as Baipat – who had similarly enjoyed a standout victory against three-time world champion Ng On Yee in the quarter-finals, before she defeated a spirited Ho Yee Ki in the last four to also reach her first final.
It would be Laokiatphong who would make the stronger start as she dominated the opening frame, before adding the second on the black to move halfway to victory. The following two frames were shared as Nuanthakhamjan briefly threatened to fight back, only for Laokiatphong to control frame five and secure glory in Australia.
The victory represents a defining victory for a player who made her WWS Tour debut at the 2018 UK Championship, where she showcased her potential to the world as a 16-year-old with victory against world number four Rebecca Kenna. She has since established herself as the dominant Under-21 player on the circuit, winning eight junior tournaments including two Under-21 titles and has now added her name to an illustrious list of active players to lift ranking titles on the Tour.
The highest break of the tournament was a run of 114 compiled by Mink Nutcharut during the round robin group stage against Australia’s Linda Larrea.
Side-Tournaments
It was a double success for the 20-year-old after she defeated Indian debutant Natasha Chethan and Australian starlet Lilly Meldrum to win her latest Under-21 title in Australia. Set to turn 21 this summer, the Under-21 number one has just two more tournaments remaining as she bids to end her title as a junior on an unbeaten run since the start of 2022.
There was, however, success for Chethan in the Challenge Cup competition for players who did not qualify for the quarter-finals, after the 14-year-old defeated Yee Ting Cheung of Hong Kong 2-1 to claim silverware on her first Tour outing.
As always, World Women’s Snooker would like to thank everyone who has supported the tournament, including our host venue Mounties and the Asia-Pacific Snooker and Billiards Federation, who have successfully hosted another major event in Australia.
Mink and On Yee were the two “top”players in the draw but had traveled “last minute” from the the UK and I guess jet-lag tiredness “caught” them eventually.
Two 14 years old girls merit a special mention: in addition to competing in the main WSS event, and in the WSS Junior event, Natasha Chethan (India) and Lilly Meldrum (Australian) also competed in the 2023 WSF Junior Championship and both of them reached the knock-out stage in that event.
There is no doubt that Women Snooker is growing, it’s attracting more girls to the sport and the level is improving with every event.
2023 WSF Junior Championship
The event was won by Stan Moody who beat Liam Pullen by 5-1 in the final. Congratulations Stan Moody!
Stan Moody claimed the WSF Junior Championship in Sydney (Picture: Matt Huart/WSF)
16-year-old Stan Moody has booked his place on the World Snooker Tour for the next two seasons after winning the WSF Junior Championship in Sydney.
Moody beat fellow Yorkshire teenager Liam Pullen 5-1 in the final in Australia, claiming the trophy and the coveted spot on the professional circuit, which he will join next season.
It was a pretty comfortable win in the final thanks to a fine performance from Moody, after he had been pushed hard in the semi-finals.
The English youngster came through a deciding frame to beat Ukrainian star Iulian Boiko 4-3, thanks to a break of 68 in the final frame.
Boiko, still only 17, has already spent two years on the professional circuit and is pushing for a return.
Pullen enjoyed a great run to the final, beating something of a surprise package in Latvia’s Filips Kalnins in the semi-finals, but couldn’t find his best stuff against Moody.
There were also runs to the quarters for bright prospects Liam Davies, Nattanapong Chaikul, Jake Crofts and Zac Cosker.
In the open event, there was encouragingly also two girls in the last 16, with 14-year-olds Natasha Chethan and Lilly Meldrum impressing to reach that stage
But it was Moody who triumphed and will get a crack at the professional circuit from next season, and most likely a shot at World Championship qualifying at the end of the current campaign.
While the amateur picks for World Championship qualifying have not been announced yet, the four semi-finalists in the WSF Junior Championship last year got a shot at the big one in Sheffield, so it would be a surprise not to see at least Moody and Pullen there this time around.
Liam Davies made it to Sheffield thanks to a semi-final run last year and then became the youngest player ever to win a match in the World Championship, beating Aaron Hill, then following that up by downing Fergal O’Brien before narrowly losing to Jordan Brown.
Moody has already won a match on the professional circuit as well, memorably beating Lu Ning on his debut in the Shoot Out last year and we will see plenty more of him in the months to come.
The youngster has already been garnering plenty of help from professionals, with former world champion Shaun Murphy helping to mentor him, while he practices with pros at Levels in Huddersfield, including former Welsh Open champion Jordan Brown.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 