Neil Robertson beat Wu Yize, the 19 years old debutant, by 13-3 and it wasn’t a case of Wu playing badly as he had two great centuries of his own. Neil though was scarily good and scored very heavily fron start to finish. Making a 146 is a rare feat, making two in one match … well I don’t think it ever happened before. This is, of course, the current HB of the tournament. Ryan Day, who has made a 146 in the qualifiers must feel sick! Neil is now the only player to have made 147, 146 and 145 at the Crucible. In his post-match interview he asked if he has now got the complete “140+ collection” and he was devastated to learn that the 144 is missing… I’m sure that he will try to put that right ASAP.
Neil’s 146 in frame 11, shared by Eurosport on their YouTube channel.
Stuart Bingham beat David Gilbert by 10-4 from 3-1 down. I didn’t watch the match but I didn’t expect it to be that one-sided, especially considering that Gilbert had breaks of 60, 90 and 121 to lead 3-1 at the first MSI. It seems though that Gilbert is going through very difficult times both on and off the table. This is what he had to say to “the Sportsman” after the match, and it’s pretty worrying:
“It is what I deserve really. I have to go and sort my life out, I have been far too big a mess for far too long. I will never be able to play snooker again the way I am. I need to go away and do a lot.
“Stuart probably thinks he played really well but it was like a club player versus a decent player, I was making it far too easy for him. Unless I get into my rhythm and get going, then I am alright. If I don’t, I haven’t got it in me to pot a tricky ball or play a safety. My confidence and belief isn’t there.
“I don’t know, I don’t know what is going to happen when I walk out of it, I have no idea. I miss being able to play snooker to go a good level and compete with the big boys, it is disappointing, but who knows.
“I don’t even know if I will bother again, I don’t know. I don’t mean that in a bad manner, or sound arsey, I have just got far too much going on.
“I don’t know when I will look at my cue again .Who knows? I might put everything back into it. I might never play again. No idea. A pivotal time in my career? No, my life. I have bigger things than snooker to think about.”
Luca Brecel beat Ricky Walden by 10-9. Luca, who in 2012 had become the youngest player to play at the Crucible, had played in the famous theatre 5 times in previous years and had never won a match. He put that right yesterday by beating Ricky Walden by 10-9 in a hard-fought contest. Ricky had trailed by 6-9 but came back to force a decider scoring breaks of 93 and 71 in the process. Luca took the match with one winning visit in the decider, a good 84. This was a difficult match for me to watch, as I know both of them personally. Luca, of course, is Belgian like me, and I want snooker to further develop in mainland Europe, but Ricky and his manager, Lee Gorton, have done a lot for me when I started taking pictures on the tour some 13 years ago.
Jak Jones beat Ali Carter by 10-6. Lewis had predicted that no debutant would win this year but Jak Jones had other ideas. Of course, Jak is not a kid, he’s 29. He’s a bit of a late developer but he’s a very, very solid player with a good temperament. This is what is needed at the Crucible. Still it’s a bit of a surprise given Ali’s experience – he’s reached the final at the Crucible twice before – and the kind of season he had, winning the German Masters and getting to the final of the Players Championship. Well done Jak!
A very honest interview here by Ronnie
This was shared by Sporting Life on their YouTube channel. Ronnie is speaking to Hector Nunns here. Hector is one of the good guys in the media room, a hard worker, a true snooker fan and someone Ronnie trusts.
In this interview, Ronnie speaks about the Netflix documentary that he should be able to watch today for the first time but will be different from what initially planned, about his life and snooker’s place in it , about his love for his sport, about his new book, Steve Peters and finding the right balance.
It’s truly endearing interview and one that didn’t and won’t get much publicity probably, unlike those given in moments when frustration and negativity took the better of him. We all have such moments, we should remember that. We all have those moments when, no matter how much we love our kids/partner/pet/job, we had enough and just want to forget about it all and flee to Mars.
Ronnie being the defending champion played his first round match to a finish on the first day of the World Championship. He beat Pang Junxu, who was making his Crucible debut, by 10-7.
Here are the scores:
It was a lengthy match, far from easy, and as you can see Pang was the heaviest scorer of the two. Ronnie didn’t make s century in the match, something that hadn’t happened at the Crucible since the SFs in 2023…
As it transpired, Ronnie was battling though illness and really struggling physically. He was also full of praise for his young opponent.
Defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan made a strong start to his Cazoo World Championship campaign, emerging from the opening session with a 6-3 lead over debutant Pang Junxu at the Crucible Theatre.
This morning’s tie saw O’Sullivan break the record for most appearances at the Crucible. It’s the Essex cueman’s 31st time competing at the Theatre of Dreams, surpassing Steve Davis’s previous record of 30.
O’Sullivan’s 18-13 win over Judd Trump in last year’s final earned him a record equalling seventh Crucible crown, drawing level with Stephen Hendry. The Rocket came out of the traps quickly this morning in his bid for an eighth world title.
China’s Pang, who reached a maiden final at the recent WST Classic, took some time to settle on the sport’s grandest stage and even walked out through the wrong entrance to the arena after he was introduced to the crowd. However, a strong rally at the end of the session saw Pang stay in touch.
The first chance of the morning went to Pang, who crafted a run of 50 to take control of the opener. O’Sullivan got himself back into the frame and a missed blue from Pang allowed him to deposit the last three balls and move 1-0 up.
Further breaks of 61, 53 and 71 helped 47-year-old O’Sullivan to secure a commanding 5-0 lead. However, those who were expecting 23-year-old Pang to wilt in the Crucible cauldron were mistaken.
A stunning run of 133 earned Pang his first frame. Despite O’Sullivan then moving 6-1 ahead, the momentum was with his opponent. Pang shut the 39-time ranking event winner out for the following two frames and made breaks of 83 and 44 to come out of the session just three behind at 6-3. The match will be played to a finish this evening at 7pm.
Ronnie O’Sullivan achieved a new record for appearances at the Crucible as he battled to a 10-7 success over Pang Junxu in the first round of the Cazoo World Championship in Sheffield.
O’Sullivan made a fast start and went 5-0 ahead but as the day went on he struggled with the affects of illness and fatigue. He looked vulnerable in the closing stages when he was hauled back from 9-4 to 9-7, but eventually made it through to the second round for the 27th time.
“I am relieved it’s over,” the 47-year-old told Eurosport. “I’ve got a bug. Everything has gone, I was just hanging in there. In the end I was just desperate to get over the line, it was a horrible feeling. I can’t wait to get back to bed. At least I can have a few days of rest now.”
O’Sullivan first played at the Crucible in 1993 and has been ever present since; 31 appearances puts him one ahead of Steve Davis. He could have reached another landmark as a century today would have made him the first player to make 200 tons at the Crucible, but his highest break was just 82.
Having equalled Stephen Hendry’s record of seven world titles last year, today’s victory was the first step in his quest to win an eighth Crucible crown and he now faces another tough test in the last 16 against Ding Junhui or Hossein Vafaei.
China’s 23-year-old Pang, who was Rookie of the Year in 2021, impressed on his Crucible debut, showing his charisma around the table.
He led 6-3 after the first session then that 82 extended his advantage. Pang had a chance to snatch the next from 54-0 down but ran out of position with two reds left, and later played a loose safety which handed his opponent the chance to extend his lead to 8-3.
Frame 12 came down to the last red and Pang enjoyed a handy fluke, slotting it into a top corner when attempting safety, which allowed him to pull one back. O’Sullivan dominated the 13th for 9-4 but the tide turned after the interval as Pang reeled off three in a row with 78, 70 and 73. His hopes of an upset were ended in frame 17 by O’Sullivan’s 81.
“When you are feeling good, you are enjoying every moment,” added world number one O’Sullivan. “But tonight I felt as if I was sliding about. It feels like glandular fever, it saps the energy out of you. Sometimes you just have to get through those situations. You fight, that’s what you do. Tiger Woods won a tournament on one leg, Stephen Hendry won the world title with a broken arm.
“I believe in the snooker Gods, if I had lost tonight they would have determined that. I turn up and try my best, and if that’s not good enough I have to move on. I never get down or frustrated or worried.”
Asked about Pang, he added: “He’s a phenomenal player, a joy to watch. I was like him 30 years ago. It was lovely to see.”
WST shared the last frame on the YouTube channel
There were loads of pictures floating around as you would expect
A big big thanks to my friend Tai Chegzhe for these, much appreciated!
And more shared on social media by WST, Matt Huart and other various sources:
Ronnie doesn’t play before Friday so, hopefully he will get enough time to rest and recover.
Aside from the 2022 Hong Kong Masters which was an eight-player invitation event, these will be the first professional snooker events hosted in China for four years.
The tournaments are: Shanghai Masters – invitational with 24 players. September 11-17 Wuhan Open – world ranking event. October 9-15 International Championship – world ranking event. November 5-12. Host city to be confirmed
Total prize money for these three events combined will exceed £2 million. The provisional calendar for the 2023/24 season has now been released.
WST Chairman Steve Dawson said: “This is a momentous announcement for our sport as we ramp up our return to staging events in Asia. To have a minimum of two world ranking events, plus a major invitation tournament, in China later this year is fantastic for the players and fans.
“Throughout the pandemic we have maintained dialogue and relationships with the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association as well as our key partners and promoters across China. This has allowed us to make a fast return to staging key events now that travel restrictions have lifted.
“We promised our players that this was top of our agenda and we have delivered on that promise, adding more than £2 million in prize money to the tour. We will continue to explore opportunities to stage further events in China and beyond.
“We are excited to host a tournament for the first time in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province and a vibrant city of 11 million people. The Shanghai Masters has a long history and is renowned for its prestige.
“There is a vast appetite for snooker among fans in China and they will keenly anticipate the return of our star players. We look forward to working with our partners on building a bright future for snooker in the region.”
Marko Pietari, who is a snooker journalist of Finland, and a member of snooker.org, was invited to an international conference with Ronnie and here is his account of it (translated from Suomi)
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN: “I STILL LOVE SNOOKER”
14/04/2023 14:28
Photo: Monique Limbos
The highlight of the snooker season, the World Cup tournament at the legendary Crucible arena, starts on Saturday. Defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan enters the tournament in pursuit of a historic eighth title. FinnSnooker, together with a few other media, got to interview O’Sullivan during the tournament. The crowd favorite, known by the nickname The Rocket, is once again one of the champion candidates.
The Crucible still fires
The tough, no less than 17-day World Cup tournament is unparalleled, and the longer you participate in the tournament, the harder it becomes. However, according to O’Sullivan, the most difficult matches are the first two.
“The first match of the World Cup tournament is always the hardest, anyone can lose in the first round. The second match will be just as difficult”, O’Sullivan assessed. From the semifinals, the tournament changes: men are separated from boys. The interview was conducted before the drawing was made, and the lottery threw O’Sullivan against Pang Junxu . The winner of the match pair will face Ding Junhui or Hossein Vafaei in the second round , so the luck of the draw could have been better.
Even though O’Sullivan has played in the Crucible 30 times already, the tournament still manages to ignite. “Of course, it feels different than the first or second time. Then you can be too enthusiastic. I’m not as enthusiastic anymore, but I’m more prepared. I’m still excited, but I’m keeping my feet on the ground better,” O’Sullivan said.
Large audiences and a tough level inspire the 47-year-old Englishman. It is probably no coincidence that in the two tournaments he won this season – the Hong Kong Masters and the Champion of Champions – the number of players was limited and the audience was large.
“If I like the tournament, I usually try a little harder. Other tournaments don’t necessarily excite as much, and then it’s a little harder to play well. I don’t want to explain, but the explanation of winning is not always just playing, sometimes the environment also matters. The bigger the crowd and the bigger the tournament, the more likely it is that the best will play their best,” reflected O’Sullivan.
The eighth championship would be historic
This year, O’Sullivan has the first chance of an eighth world title, which would take him past Stephen Hendry as the player with the most titles in the Crucible era. O’Sullivan admits that he would like to win more, but the eighth championship would not be an important milestone according to the man’s own words.
“Everyone is talking about the eighth, but if I win the eighth championship, I want the ninth. If I win ninth, I want tenth. I don’t want to set a numerical goal for myself“, commented the champion.
As a modest man, O’Sullivan does not take a stand on whether he is already the best snooker player of all time, but singles out Hendry in particular. However, the comments warm the heart: “It’s great to be involved in these discussions. If a player is involved in discussions about the best of all time, then it must have gone well.”
The season went moderately well
In the fall, O’Sullivan won two invitational tournaments, the Hong Kong Masters and the Champion of Champions. It hasn’t gone as well in the ranking tournaments, but the best results are two places in the quarterfinals. The number one in the world ranking is only ranked 23rd in the one-year ranking before the World Cup tournament.
If you ask O’Sullivan, the season has been average. Ranking tournaments didn’t go as well as others, but on the other hand, there weren’t as many big tournaments as there used to be. “There were no tournaments in China, and many of the tournaments were played on a best-of-seven system. Anything can happen in sprint tournaments, anyone can win. That’s why it’s hard to say who has played well this season,” he stated.
According to O’Sullivan, it’s not so much the mood that matters in the World Cup tournament, it’s the ability to withstand the pressure that counts. “If I get to the quarterfinals, everything is fine. Then it doesn’t matter how the season has gone up to that point. I’ve got two games down, I’m in shape and it’s more about how to handle the pressure. I think I’m good at it,” O’Sullivan analyzed.
In the silence of the Crucible, the pressure is palpable, after all it is the sport’s most prestigious tournament. Although O’Sullivan’s championships have often come when he has not been the biggest favorite, according to the man, the public’s expectations do not matter. The seven-time champion always sets the bar high for himself, but he believes he can handle the pressure well.
The elbow is fine at the moment
O’Sullivan’s career has been overshadowed by an elbow injury, which forced him to leave the previous tournament. According to The Sun, the injury dates back two years, but the mild ailment worsened in May and June when O’Sullivan used heavier than normal weights in the gym.
At least at the time of the interview, the situation felt good. “The elbow was treated a couple of days ago, and it feels much better now,” said the seven-time world champion in an interview with FinnSnooker last week. However, the WC tournament is physically demanding in a completely different way than any other tournament, so it remains to be seen how the elbow will withstand it.
I enjoy playing, but there are other plans
O’Sullivan has often glimpsed retirement, once winning his fifth world title after playing just one competitive match all season before the World Cup. At the moment, however, termination is not in sight.
“I want to compete as long as I can, so I spend a lot of time on the training tables and in the gym. I want to eat well and stay in good shape physically and mentally,” O’Sullivan stated. Staying in good shape and enjoying playing are important goals for the coming years, winning big tournaments is just icing on the cake – if the word of a man known for being competitive is to be trusted.
“I’ve been playing snooker pretty much all my life, and not playing is a sad thought,” O’Sullivan says, comparing himself to players on the Tour Champions tour for golf legends who have nothing left to prove and just play because they love it: “I feel like today in the same group. I enjoy challenges, travel, competition and I love the game. I still love playing.”
However, there are other plans as well. In addition to autobiographical books, there is a snooker-related coaching course in the works, and at some point the mind also touches on designing snooker tables, sticks, clothes and other products. It is said that even they could be made better than the current ones. It seems that the beloved sport will stay involved in life even after the end of the racing career that sometimes inevitably comes.
And two special journalists grilled some of the top players
Announcements
Although there has been no announcement by WST about next season calendar, there are posters in Sheffield showing the provisional calendar for UK and European events in 2023/24. It’s quite disappointing. Only two events are scheduled in mainland Europe, both in Germany: the European Masters in Fürth and the German Masters in Berlin. The season will start with the lengthy ranking CLS again. All the usual events are in the calendar, but there has been a lot of “moving around” when it comes to the venue.
In a recent podcast, David Hendon – reacting to Ronnie’s concerns about the state of the game – had insisted that creating an identity for the events is important and that starts with a recognisable location and venue. He also admitted that the European market has not been developed as it should have been. It seems that WPBSA/WST aren’t listening …
Also this came out on social media today, a new event is scheduled in Hubei, China.
Given some of the things that happened in the past, fans may have their doubts about his participation, but my understanding is that his contract with his sponsor is such that he is committed to play in events held in China, Thailand and India.
But, but, but …
After Mark Williams wondered why this was announced on social media by Chinese accounts begore the players were informed Sinosports answered this: “A very good point. In fact both Shanghai Masters and Wuhan Open have only been announced by Chinese side and they have not been confirmed by WST yet.“
Baffling really!
CBSA News
Three tour card have been allocated to CBSA this time and they are offered to the players who emerged from the qualifying events. They are: Jiang Jun, Xing Zihao and Long Zehuang. Provided they accept their tour card, they will join Ma Hailong on the main Tour next season.
Should any of the 3 tour card winners choose to forfeit their card(s), the card(s) would be awarded to other player(s) based on combined performance in the two qualifying events. The current top-up order top 3 is: Liu Hongyu, He Guoqiang and Chen Feilong.
Remarkably, three of the WST debutants Ma Hailong, Jiang Jun, and Xing Zihao, are all based at Li Jianbing Academy in Dongguan, Guangdong Province. Bai Yulu, who was runner-up at the 2023 World Women Snooker Championship also practices there. She did well in those qualifying events, but not quite enough.
The draw for the 2023 World Championship at the Crucible has been made this morning live on BBC radio 5.
Here is how the first round pans out, with schedule (UK time)
Match 1. Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Pang Junxu Saturday, April 15th – 10am and 7pm
Match 2. Ding Junhui vs Hossein Vafaei Sunday, April 16th – 10am Monday, April 17th – 10am
Match 3. Luca Brecel vs Ricky Walden Saturday, April 15th – 2:30pm Sunday, April 16th – 7pm
Match 4. Mark Williams vs Jimmy Robertson Sunday, April 16th – 2:30pm Monday, April 17th – 2:30pm
Match 5. Judd Trump vs Anthony McGill Tuesday, April 18th – 2:30pm Wednesday, April 19th – 2:30pm
Match 6. Jack Lisowski vs Noppon Saengkham Tuesday, April 18th – 10am Wednesday, April 19th – 10am
Match 7. Robert Milkins vs Joe Perry Monday, April 17th – 7pm Tuesday, April 18th – 7pm
Match 8. Shaun Murphy vs Si Jiahui Wednesday, April 19th – 7pm Thursday, April 20th – 7pm
Match 9. Mark Allen vs Fan Zhengyi Monday, April 17th – 10am and 7pm
Match 10. Stuart Bingham vs David Gilbert Saturday, April 15th – 10am Sunday, April 16th – 10am
Match 11. Ali Carter vs Jak Jones Saturday, April 15th – 7pm Sunday, April 16th – 7pm
Match 12. Neil Robertson vs Wu Yize Saturday, April 15th – 2:30pm Sunday, April 16th – 2:30pm
Match 13. Kyren Wilson vs Ryan Day Wednesday, April 19th – 10am and 7pm
Match 14. John Higgins vs David Grace Monday, April 17th – 2:30pm Tuesday, April 18th – 2:30pm
Match 15. Gary Wilson vs Elliot Slessor Tuesday, April 18th – 10am and 7pm
Match 16. Mark Selby vs Matthew Selt Wednesday, April 19th – 2:30pm Thursday, April 20th – 1pm
Pang Junxu is a very, very good player but he’s a reasonably good draw for Ronnie in the first round. Pang attacks the game, he isn’t slow and, of course, he is a debutant. He’s not to be taken lightly at all but, if Ronnie isn’t suffering from his arm injury, this should be a winnable match. The second round however, should Ronnie get to that stage, will be mightily difficult, no matter who from Ding Junhui or Hossein Vafaei emerges the winner of their round 1 clash. That match, between Ding and Vafaei is the clash of the round.
That’s it… the 2023 World Snooker Championship qualifiers concluded yesterday evening and here is WST report on the last day:
Perry Edges Thriller To Relegate Davis
Joe Perry claimed a black ball decider against Mark Davis to win 10-9 and qualify for the Cazoo World Championship, ending his opponent and close friend’s 32 year run as a professional.
Davis needed to reach the final stages to retain his tour card and had looked set to do it, when he found himself on a match ball final pink. However, he agonisingly spurned his opportunity to the top left.
Perry stepped up and deposited pink and black to clinch a dramatic victory. After the final ball dropped, the Gentleman slumped his shoulders and looked visibly emotional at the table, with the mixed feelings provoked by what had just occurred.
Victory sees 2022 Welsh Open champion Perry earn a first trip to the final stages since 2019, having lost his first match in the previous three years. Davis will now require Q School if he wishes to regain his professional status.
Earlier in the tie, with Davis leading 7-6, Perry crucially took the 14th on the black to restore parity. He then also won the 15th on the final ball to move 8-7 ahead.
Runs of 104 and 75 saw Davis regain the lead at 9-8, before Perry crafted a contribution of 58 to take the tie to that nerve shredding final frame.
“I should be absolutely delighted, over the moon and celebrating. I am chuffed to bits to go to the Crucible, but the way it has happened. I just feel so sick for him,” said 48-year-old Perry.
“I came to the table (after Davis missed the pink) and I felt physically sick for him. It was a horrible feeling. He is one of my best friends and has been for a long time. I felt sick and I potted a great pink and black.
“It never bothered me the whole match, that he was going to drop off the tour if I win. It didn’t enter my head once, until that clearance. It must have hit him like a ton of bricks, because it hit me. It doesn’t matter to me, it matters to him so it must have been awful.”
China’s Pang Junxu secured a Crucible debut after beating compatriot Xu Si 10-5. Pang reached his maiden ranking final at the recent WST Classic, where he was beaten by Mark Selby in the title match. The 23-year-old has carried that form over to this week.
He led 5-4 coming into the evening session and blitzed to the win. Breaks of 85, 86, 102 and 67 helped Pang to five of the six frames played and saw him secure victory.
Pang said: “Before the match, I told myself many times, ‘don’t think about winning, playing at the Crucible and all the stuff comes with it’, so I was able to focus throughout. It is incredible and I’m over the moon, but to be honest both of my opponents offered me with a lot of chances.”
David Grace started the week knowing he needed to win his first match to remain on the circuit. He achieved that by defeating Sean O’Sullivan and followed it up with a win over Sam Craigie. Today, he beat amateur Andrew Higginson 10-5 to reach the final stages of the World Championship.
“If you’d offered me winning my first match I’d have taken it. Getting in the 64 and not being at Q School is everything,” said 37-year-old Grace.
“It is really special to get to the Crucible. It is right up there with the best achievements of my career. I’ve had a couple of semi-finals and got to the Crucible last time. It is brilliant to be back there.”
Iran’s Hossein Vafaei earned his second consecutive Crucible appearance with a 10-6 win over Welshman Jackson Page.
Vafaei came into this evening with a 6-3 advantage and managed his lead well to get over the line, crafting breaks of 84, 52 and 115 along the way.
“I don’t care who I play at the Crucible. At the end of the day it is a game of snooker and I am going to play my game. It is my job to play snooker and try my best to perform. I will be respectful of all my opponents and everyone is tough. There is no easy draw for anyone,” said 2022 Shoot Out winner Vafaei.
“It has been a hard journey for me. It is my life and I will take it. I am writing everything down, one day my story will come out and I think it will be good for snooker. I have some story to tell. Let’s see what I do at the Crucible. Hopefully my best comes out, like at the Masters. I can’t wait to play at the Crucible as well.”
World number 60 Elliot Slessor will appear at the Theatre of Dreams for a second time, after scoring an impressive 10-5 defeat of Zhou Yuelong.
The North East cueman made his Crucible debut in 2020, which unfortunately coincided with the coronavirus pandemic forcing proceedings behind closed doors. He was beaten 10-7 by Yan Bingtao on that occasion.
Slessor has recently started working with 2002 World Champion Peter Ebdon as his coach in a bid to improve his temperament, which he admits isn’t his strongest attribute.
Slessor said: “I don’t think I’m ever going to be blessed with the best temperament. That is just not my personality and not the way I go about life. I’m trying to reign it in as best as I can. I know I’m not perfect and I don’t claim to be, but I am trying. That is all I can do.”
Former European Masters winner Jimmy Robertson booked his place in the final stages thanks to a comprehensive 10-2 defeat of Anthony Hamilton.
World number 27 Robertson will be hoping to fare better than he has in his four trips to the Theatre of Dreams. He is yet to win a game in the final stages and last made a Crucible appearance back in 2018.
Former Crucible semi-finalist David Gilbert beat two-time runner-up Matthew Stevens 10-7 to qualify. The other game saw Ryan Day receive a 10-0 win over Scott Donaldson, who had to withdraw at 4-0 down due to medical reasons.
What happened to Scott Donaldson is horrible of course and Ryan Day must have very mixed feelings about his Crucible qualification. That tremor is one of the known side effects of the covid vaccine and it goes away after a while. It had disappeared in Scott’s case and the fact that it came back at such a crucial moment hints at a strong psychosomatic component in it. Never mind the reasons, I’m deeply sorry for Scott.
Mark Davis was one ball away from qualifying for the Crucible and extending his 32 professional career. He has been a solid professional for 32 years, he has dedicated his life to snooker. I totally get why Joe Perry found it so hard to pot those two balls and, potentially, end his good friend’s career. To be honest I felt gutted as well. Immediately, there were voices on social media calling for Mark to be given a wildcard. Of course, he shouldn’t get one. That would be a very pernicious route for WST to take. But what IS needed, for the sake of those men (and women) who have dedicated their lives to snooker and hugely contributed to the tour, mainly away from the spotlights, is a proper, promoted and funded Seniors tour. They deserve it.
The draw will be made this morning on BBC radio5. This will probably not be available to the majority of fans outside the UK/Ireland and that’s further evidence that the “World” tour remains actually very UK-centric.
This HAS to change, and quick, if they have serious ambitions to develop the game worldwide. But do they?
Matchroom already have plenty of experience in pool and have ambitious plans for the future (Picture: Matchroom)
Matchroom Pool has created the World Nineball Tour, which Barry Hearn hopes will become the dominant force in the sport and replicate the success of the Professional Darts Corporation in marching to the forefront of the chosen sport.
There will be at least 40 ranking events played across the world, with a minimum prize fund of $3m and guaranteed 1,000 hours of live television.
The progression of pool as a major sport has been hampered by a range of organisations running the game and Matchroom hope that this venture will blow much of the competition out of the water and centralise the interest thanks to the financial backing and a new era of professionalism.
The size and scope of nineball pool is vast and the Matchroom team, which has a lot of experience in the sport, are primed to capitalise on it.
‘We know there are more nineball pool players in the world than snooker, and yet nine-ball pool is a fraction of the size,’ President of Matchroom Hearn told Metro.co.uk.
‘Someone like me sees that and thinks it doesn’t work. There’s 32 million once-a-month players in the United States alone. So we dwarf any other cue sport. But that’s just the number, how do you commercialise that?
‘It comes through television, streaming, sponsorship, betting right, IP values, endorsements. It’s a complicated business, which is why there are only a few companies in the world that do what we do.
‘Sport must change people’s lives for it to be successful. This is the beginning of changing the biggest cue sport in the world and the lives of the people that play it. Where it is going to go I have no idea, but I know it will be a humungous success, as always.
‘As sports promoters, we’re not saying we’re the best in the world but we know we’re in a group of one. By getting it out there, concentrating on data, establishing links with governments rather than local associations who have failed miserably to expand the game. It’s gone nowhere, it’s not being cruel, it’s a fact. There’s not half a dozen players making a living out of it unless they’re playing money matches in seedy pool halls and that’s not the image that’s required today. We need to refresh it.
‘Our track record, without being immodest, is second to none. I don’t see us being beat on this because I think it’s got our handwriting all over it.’
Barry Hearn has not lost any of his confidence or enthusiasm at 74 years old (Picture: Matchroom Multi Sport)
The new venture will certainly ruffle some feathers in the pool organisations that have been doing their thing for many years, but Hearn likens it to the emergence of the PDC and the huge growth in darts as they left the BDO behind.
‘The journey we’re going on now, it’s going to be a lot quicker than the darts, but it’s got the same handwriting on it,’ he said. ‘It’s similar to the PDC breakaway.
‘Common sense says it should have happened years ago, but no one grasped the opportunity. With the darts it was the BDO and PDC until we shredded everything and made the PDC the dominant force. Well, our nineball circuit will be the dominant force of pool globally within two or three years, simply because it makes commercial sense.’
Emily Frazer, Managing Director of Matchroom Multi Sport, is a driving force behind the expansion of pool in the company and she says she has felt a responsibility to create better opportunities for players.
‘Our team is mulit-sport and we were only doing there events a year but we’ve all fallen in love with the sport and the players,’ she said.
‘We’ve all seen how hard the players work, how far they travel for such a small amount of money. We feel we have a responsibility to the players to create this tour for them.’
Emily Frazer is aiming big in the pool world (Picture: Matchroom)
As for Hearn’s motivation, he is semi-retired after stepping down as Matchroom Sport chairman in 2021, but he is not a fan of relaxation and has been looking for a new project, which has presented itself in nineball pool.
‘For me it’s personal,’ he said. ‘Everyone’s trying to get me to retire, but I’m not sure I’m ready to. But if I don’t have a project I might as well.
‘Emily’s got an amazing enthusiasm and work ethic, she’s too young to be my daughter, but she’s got some Hearn genes in her somewhere. We play to win.
‘We’re going to create this huge global circuit, we’ve got amazing support from broadcasters because they know our reputation, we’ve got amazing support from players because they’re suddenly going to make some decent money and have the chance to call themselves a real profession.’
World Nineball No.1 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz certainly agrees, saying: ‘The World Nineball Tour gives us all more motivation to succeed. Nineball is the future with the rankings, previously we only had three tournaments now we have so many. Now you can be a professional by playing this game, it’s perfect. The World Nineball Tour means you can qualify for the biggest events and that includes the Mosconi Cup.’
The full World Nineball Tour schedule is available here.
People can bury their heads in the sand all they like, all the signs are there that Matchroom main focus, when it comes to cue sports in now on pool, and if anything, Barry Hearn’s personal involvement is definite proof of it.
Matchroom is the majority shareholder in snooker. If their priority goes elsewhere, especially if it shifts towards another cue sport. it’s definitely very worrying news for the future of the sport we love.
Jak Jones earned a Crucible debut with a 10-8 success in the last qualifying round of the Cazoo World Championship, beating former finalist Barry Hawkins who had been ever-present at snooker’s most famous venue since 2006.
Stephen Maguire had been on an even longer run of consecutive appearances, stretching back to 2004, but he was beaten 10-6 by Fan Zhengyi. Maguire and Hawkins have dropped out of the world’s top 16 and were unable to negotiate the difficult path through the qualifying rounds in Sheffield.
Jones, age 29 from Cwmbran in South Wales, was a semi-finalist at the Gibraltar Open last season but when he steps out at the Theatre of Dreams it will be the biggest moment of his career so far. From 8-8 against 2013 runner-up Hawkins, he made an excellent 69 clearance in frame 17 to go 9-8 ahead, then won the 18th by laying a snooker on the final yellow and dishing up from the chance that followed.
“It means a lot,” said the former European Amateur Champion, who made two breaks of 101 in the first session. “I didn’t play well today but Barry wasn’t at his best. My arm felt like jelly towards the end but I scraped over the line. In the last clearance, every pot was a twitch. It’s not easy to qualify, everyone is under so much pressure, it’s totally different to any other tournament.”
In the most dramatic finish of the day, Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham edged out China’s Zhang Anda 10-9 after a battle on the final black. A loose safety from Zhang handed a Saengkham a chance at a mid-range black, and he slammed it into a baulk corner.
Ricky Walden came through an exciting conclusion to beat Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 10-9 in a superb match which featured four centuries and ten more breaks over 50. Walden, a Crucible semi-finalist ten years ago, had leads of 4-1, 7-5 and 9-8 but could not shake off his opponent, who forced a decider. Un-Nooh then led 32-0 at 9-9 but missed a tough red to centre, and Walden punished him with an excellent 69. His attempted double on the penultimate red when he led by 29 points missed its target, but bounced into the opposite centre pocket, and he added the black which proved enough for victory.
“I’m not sure how I managed to win,” admitted three-time ranking event winner Walden. “Thepchaiya played so well from 4-1 down. His safety was better too. I was just hanging in, I wasn’t happy with how I felt, it was nerve-racking. I made some good breaks, especially the one in the last frame. I just went one ball at a time, and to make 70, I have to be proud of myself. The Crucible is the home of snooker, I’ve had some great moments there and some terrible moments. To go there and be in the mix is so exciting.”
Graeme Dott, the 2006 champion, suffered a 10-6 reverse against Matthew Selt, who is through to the Crucible for the fourth time and will be looking for his first win at the venue.
Selt, whose top break was 61, said: “Graeme knows how to win but I could tell he wasn’t fully fit today. I asked if he was ok and he said he had a shoulder injury. I felt bad for him but I still had job to do. I had copious amounts of luck, it’s been a while since I had that much good fortune and it definitely played a big part in that match.
“I haven’t played particularly well here this week but hopefully I can play better at the Crucible. I’ll be able to enjoy it and it will be a proud moment when I walk out. I need to settle, and if I do that I can play really well. I’ll be listening to the draw – there’s a couple of people I want to avoid, and 14 I want to play!”
Anthony McGill earned his ninth consecutive appearance as he beat Cao Yupeng 10-6 with a top break of 106. Glasgow’s McGill, who narrowly lost 17-16 to Kyren Wilson in the semi-finals in 2020, said: “At 3-0 down I tried to just enjoy the match and being here. These are the days you look back on, it’s an occasion. It’s a privilege to play at the Crucible, the historical venue in our sport. It’s an achievement to get through the qualifying rounds, it’s extremely difficult. I’ll have my sights set on doing some damage.”
Wu Yize
Three up-and-coming Chinese players all booked Crucible debuts: Fan Zhengyi, Wu Yize and Si Jiahui. Former European Masters Fan saw off Maguire 10-6 with a top break of 102. Si, who won the World Snooker Federation Open last year, beat Jordan Brown 10-7 with a top run of 115. And Wu, Rookie of the Year last season, came from 5-1 and 7-4 down to beat beat Shoot Out champion Chris Wakelin 10-8 with top breaks of 140 and 100.
Now WST, really, why is the focus in this piece on Hawkins and Maguire failure to qualify, instead the four debutants? Why focus on “end of an era” rather than focus on “rising new stars”? And why are the three youngest qualifiers getting just one paragraph, the last in the text? Is it because they are Chinese? Those kids are the future you know. Also, British match winners were interviewed by Rob Walker, but not the Chinese lads. For me those things are further evidence that, despite branding themselves “World Snooker”, the powers in charge still have a very UK centric, and a very “nostalgia cult” attitude towards the sport.
I have known Jak Jones since he was a teenager, playing at the SWSA. He comes from a humble background but was always supported by a caring family, as well as encouraged by Paul Mount and Janie Watkins. What surprises me the most is that he took him that long to get where he is today.
I’m also very pleased for Ricky Walden, who seems to be finally be over his health issues. Ricky and his manager, Lee Gorton, were the ones who first invited me to the World Qualifiers and I’m forever grateful to them as, for me, it all started in earnest from there. I had first met them at a pro-am tournament organised in Belgium. Lee was also the man behind the organisation of the first ever PTC in Belgium.
Big Shout to Fan Zhengyi, Wu Yize and Si Jiahui as well as to Victoria Shi, the women behind the Vic Snooker academy. It can’t have been easy times for them all with the current “match fixing cloud” over their heads. All three youngsters are former students of coach Roger Leighton.
Finally, it’s not mentioned above but the finish of the Si v Brown match was very special. Only pink and black were still on the table. Si, who was ahead in the frame and in the match, had managed to push the black right over a top corner pocket, with the pink right on top of it. Knocking the black in would have meant end of match for Brown. There was a long phase of cat and mouse play where Brown was trying to take the pink away from the black, whilst Si was systematically putting it back on top of the black, trying to force the mistake. Both showed tremendous skills.There were talks of “re-rack” in commentary – it has happened before with only pink and black on the table – but eventually Brown succeeded to separate the two balls. It was in vain though as Si won the ensuing safety battle and won the frame and the match.
And here we are at the “Judgement Days” … at the end of today, we will know the names of eight of the Crucible qualifiers. Hereafter, you will find the reports by WST on what happened yesterday.
Joe Perry won his first Cazoo World Championship match in four years, after edging to a 10-8 victory against world number 102 Sanderson Lam to make Judgement Day at Crucible qualifying.
The last time Perry appeared at the Theatre of Dreams was at the 2019 World Championship. In the years that followed he has been forced to watch from the sidelines, working as a pundit and commentator for the BBC, after losing at the first qualifying hurdle on three successive occasions.
The former Crucible semi-finalist now faces close friend Mark Davis for a place in the final stages. Davis earned his place with a 10-8 victory against Lyu Haotian. It will be an emotionally charged affair, with Perry knowing his opponent needs to qualify in order to retain his professional status.
Perry came into this afternoon’s session facing a 5-4 deficit. He turned the match on its head, with breaks of 68, 90, 132 and 72 on his way to establishing a 9-5 advantage. Lam dug in to keep in contention by taking three on the bounce to make it 9-8, but Perry got over the line to seal victory.
“It’s the first game I’ve won at the World Championship for quite a few years. It is important to win your first round at this event as we all know, with so many ranking points on the line. I thought I played well all match and stepped it up today. Sanderson gave a really good account of himself,” said 48-year-old Perry.
“I think the punditry has made it less of a pressurised thing for me to get back there. I really enjoy the work in the media side of the World Championship. I don’t feel that I’ve missed out on the Crucible if I lose.
“The best thing about playing Mark is that if I lose, even though I would be disappointed, I would be delighted for him. I will give everything and try to beat him 10-0 if we play. It would be horrible to be the one to push him off tour though.
“It won’t seep into my mentality, although it could with Mark if it could be his last ever match on tour. He is so good he can get back through Q School no problem I think, but it will be a different match for Mark than it is for me. It is another snooker match for me and it will be a tough one.”
World number 23 Hossein Vafaei scored a comfortable 10-4 win over Welshman Andrew Higginson to earn his place in the final round.
Vafaei made his Crucible debut 12 months ago, but exited at the first round with a 10-4 loss at the hands of Judd Trump. If he is to return there this year he must win an intriguing final round clash with Jackson Page, who also made his debut last year and beat Barry Hawkins in the first round. Page beat Martin Gould 10-6 today.
Iran’s Vafaei crafted breaks of 64 and 95 on his way to wrapping up the win this afternoon. He is in a confident mood, but isn’t looking beyond his next assignment against Page.
Vafaei said: “I have to qualify first. You see so many players say they will do this or that and they disappear all of a sudden. If I qualify for the Crucible then I will try my best to go far and make my people happy.
“It was a tough match against Judd Trump last year. It was my first time and I didn’t handle the situation very well. This year is completely different and I think I would play better if I qualified.”
David Gilbert booked his progression thanks to a comfortable 10-3 win over Barry Pinches. He now faces Matthew Stevens, who beat Jamie Clarke by the same scoreline.
I don’t know who writes those report for WST but only too often there are mistakes in them and bad ones at that. Vafaei didn’t beat Higginson, he beat Andrew Pagett. And Andrew Higginson who plays here as an amateur, is English, not Welsh and actually won his match, beating Joe O’Connor by 10-8.
Ryan Day cut a frustrated figure, despite battling to a 10-8 win over Ashley Hugill at Cazoo World Championship Qualifying, raising the possibility of retirement in the near future.
The Welshman arrived in Sheffield as the 17th seed, missing out on automatic qualification to the Crucible by just one place. He was narrowly edged out of the top 16 by Ding Junhui following the recent Tour Championship.
It was only this season that Day scored the biggest title win of his career, beating Mark Allen in the final of the British Open last October.
However, he was left infuriated by his performance this evening and over the course of recent tournaments. Day has suffered seven first round exits since the turn of the year.
Day had led this encounter 8-4, before world number 89 Hugill pegged him back to 8-7. The next two frames were traded to leave the tie in the balance at 9-8, but it was Day who crucially claimed the 18th frame in 30 minutes to get over the line.
Next up for 43-year-old Day is a final round clash with Scott Donaldson, where a Crucible spot will be on the line. Donaldson defeated Yuan Sijun 10-7, with the clock approaching 12:30am.
“I’ve been saying it for a long time. I don’t know how much more I’ve got left. I’m fed up of playing like that. The odd good match, or tournament, is few and far between. I’m probably 30 or 40 points worse than when I felt like I could compete on a regular basis,” said a despondent Day.
“This season is nearly done and dusted. Next year, with my ranking, I would probably be in a couple of events that would be worth my while turning up. If it was to carry on like that it could be my last season.
“The Crucible is the kind of place you either thrive and get amongst it or crumble. That is a long way off at the moment. I will focus on Wednesday and take it from there.”
China’s Pang Junxu kept his hopes of a Crucible debut alive thanks to a 10-6 win over 1997 Crucible king Ken Doherty.
Irishman Doherty was aiming for a first trip to the Theatre of Dreams since 2014 and had led 4-0. He has at least one more year left on his invitational tour card, so will return next year for another attempt to qualify for snooker’s showpiece event.
Pang turned the tie around and will now face compatriot Xu Si, who beat Jamie Jones 10-7. That means whoever wins there will be a Chinese debutant in the final stages.
Anthony Hamilton scored a thrilling 10-9 win Oliver Lines to make the final round. He now faces Jimmy Robertson, who beat Ben Mertens 10-6.
Elliot Slessor edged a final frame decider with Liam Highfield to win 10-9 and make Judgement Day. His final round opponent will be Zhou Yuelong, who beat James Cahill 10-4.
I watched the Jimmy Robertson v Ben Mertens match. It was very close up to the last MSI. After that, Jimmy ran away with the match. Ben, I feel, ran out of gas. He’s still young and he had never played a professional multi-session match until last week. He did well really to get this far in this event.
Media build- up into the Crucible …
Mark mentioned that he had read some news about Ronnie’s injury. I did some digging, and I can’t be sure that it’s the same article but I found this one:
Ronnie O’Sullivan reduced to tears after going to hospital over recurring injury ahead of World Snooker Championship
Ronnie O’Sullivan admits he is struggling with an old elbow injury ahead of his Crucible return.
The reigning world snooker champion – whose title defence begins next Saturday – tore a muscle in his right arm lifting weights in the gym two years ago.
O’Sullivan is a seven time snooker world champion Credit: Jamie McPhilimey
The old issue flamed up again last month and it meant he had to pull out of the WST Classic in Leicester.
O’Sullivan, who has not played since March 17, said: “It was a lot worse last weekend. I didn’t think I was going to be able to play at Sheffield as it swelled up.
“I had an injection (on March 30) and I literally had tears in my eyes.
“That’s how much pain I was in.
“The next day, I couldn’t move my arm, I literally had to pick this hand up to put it on the table.
“It started swelling up. I had a bad reaction. So I went back to the hospital, they gave me some antibiotics, in case there was an infection.
“I’ve iced it. It has calmed down. It still feels a bit sore but it’s playable.
“It’s a repetitive strain issue. I got it about two years ago and I tore a muscle. It just wouldn’t go away.
“It’s quite funny because up until the last world championship, it was fine, but it was a bit sore. I could play a shot and I wouldn’t wince.
“After the world champs, I was doing exhibitions in Wales, around the end of May or June. I was in the gym and normally I’d go for a 10kg weight and it’d be alright.
“The other guy was using them and I thought I’ll use the 12kg weight instead. I went like that and it was heavy.
“I went to get a cup of tea afterwards and I could only get my arm up here.
“That’s when the problem started again.
“So, it has been about a year now where I’ve had a really bad problem with it.”
I have to admit that I find this pretty worrying. Of course, it probably explains a lot about this season. But the Crucible is an endurance test. Ronnie might be alright during the first week, but from the QFs on, if he gets that far, it’s pretty much playing every day, and more often than not, two sessions in a day. It would be pretty terrible, for him and for the tournament, if he made it that far only to be forced to withdraw.
There is however some good news too, and a clear sign that Ronnie is preparing the best he can for his title defence as he is back working with Steve Feeney:
Steve Feeney explains Ronnie O’Sullivan reunion ahead of World Championship: ‘His game was not where he wanted it to be’
Ronnie O’Sullivan has been putting the work in ahead of the World Championship (Picture: Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan has been working with coach Steve Feeney again ahead of the World Snooker Championship, with the man behind SightRight saying: ‘His game was not where he wanted it to be.’
O’Sullivan first worked with Feeney in 2018 but the pair drifted apart during the pandemic, but the Rocket got back in touch earlier this season.
The world champion and world number one has won the Champion of Champions and Hong Kong Masters this season, but has had a very forgettable campaign when it comes to ranking events, not going beyond a quarter-final.
Feeney says the 47-year-old is highly motivated to get to eight World Championship titles, moving past the record of seven he shares with Stephen Hendry, and the target is to achieve that either this year or next.
‘I’ve seen him several times,’ Feeney told Metro.co.uk on linking up with the Rocket again. ‘With Ronnie, we put a plan together when we first started and he’s now won two of the three World Championships he needs to break Stephen’s record, so to connect up again really just continues that process.
‘We worked together from 2018-20, then there was the break with Covid and everything. I’ve grown as a coach, there’s more that I know and can deliver and I think Ronnie’s enjoying that too. He’s enjoying being introduced to shots that even he wouldn’t have thought about before.
‘We’ve got to continue pushing boundaries. For him to win an eighth we’ve got to continue to improve. Some people think he can just walk away with it, but you’ve only got to look at the tour this season, there are far more accurate players than there used to be. He’s got to go and perform.
‘In the last season he’s not had the results he would have liked, so I think this is timely, but there is a bit to do. His game was not where he wanted it to be.
‘I also think he continued to be inspired by Mark [Williams] continuing to get good results.’
Feeney coached Williams to his remarkable 2018 World Championship title, with the Welshman still turning in superb performances, including beating O’Sullivan at the Masters this season.
The coach reckons there was naturally going to be a drop off for the Rocket after his immense campaign at the Crucible last year, but now he is refocused he can achieve great things again.
‘When he won his seventh I was there at the Crucible. His father made me quite emotional by giving me a real big thanks for what I’ve done with Ronnie, so that was quite special,’ he said.
‘It’s quite an intense process going through the Crucible. Ronnie took a natural break in different ways. He got in touch with me again just before Christmas, just to say there’s things we need to do.
‘I’d like to see him pick up the eighth either this year or next year. If he puts the work in then he can accomplish that, but at the same time Ronnie won’t allow things to overtake him. It will be at his pace and in a way that he can manage it.
‘People don’t realise sometimes that for years and years and years he’s had microphones and cameras stuck in his face, he’s lifted all these trophies, any human being would find that difficult at times.
‘Ronnie takes it in his own stride, some people say he’ll win when he wants, maybe that’s right, but I think he focuses when he wants. He eases off the pedal when he needs to and can put it down again when he needs to concentrate. If it happens this year then great, if it doesn’t then I’d like to think we’ll be in a better position next year to do it.
‘As much as Ronnie would like to keep everything calm and in balance in his life and the way snooker affects his life, you can tell there’s also that inner desire to get the eighth. But he knows he’s got to work for it, people think he can just turn up and take the title, but he’s got to work for it.’
Ronnie O'Sullivan 