Barry Hawkins is one match away from securing an 18th consecutive Crucible appearance, after beating David Lilley 10-4 to reach Judgement Day at Cazoo World Championship Qualifying.
World number 20 Hawkins is competing at Crucible qualifying for the first time since 2012, after dropping out of the top 16. It’s a situation he wouldn’t have anticipated at the start of the campaign, having made the final of the European Masters early on. Hawkins suffered a heavy 9-3 defeat to Kyren Wilson in that match and has struggled to recapture his form since.
The Londoner is no stranger to performing at snooker’s biggest event. He made the final in 2013, where he lost out 18-12 to Ronnie O’Sullivan. Hawkins also made semi-finals in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. The three-time ranking event winner now faces Jak Jones to ensure he competes at the Theatre of Dreams this year. Jones earned his Judgement Day slot with a late night 10-9 win over Robbie Williams.
Hawkins struggled to produce his best form today, in a match where he failed to register a single break over 50. However, after leading 6-3 following the opening session, he took four of the five frames this evening to get over the line.
“I’m just pleased to get through. It was a brutal match and each frame felt like it was well over 30 minutes. It was a terrible standard and I didn’t expect to play as badly as that. I’m just delighted to get through the next round and I can improve,” said 43-year-old Hawkins. “Every frame was a pint of blood. David said in the interval it couldn’t get any worse and he was right really.
“I started the season well and didn’t capitalise on the good form. I’ve been winning matches but not going deep in tournaments. I haven’t earned enough ranking points and it is my own fault I am here. Other people have come here and had good runs at the Crucible, so who knows.
“Everybody wants to finish their season off at the Crucible, but it is all good and well qualifying, you want to go there and do well. Just winning one game here and getting bashed up at the Crucible is not what people want. I want to be part of it.”
Scotland’s Stephen Maguire is searching for a 20th straight trip to the final stages and he moved one match away thanks to a 10-4 win over Alfie Burden.
Maguire arrives here off the back of a poor season, which has seen him reach the last 16 on just one occasion at the Northern Ireland Open. However, he looked to be in good touch today and crafted breaks of 67, 72, 56, 52, 63, 58, 72 and 68 on his way to victory.
Next up Maguire faces China’s Fan Zhengyi, who beat the impressive Ukrainian 17-year-old Iulian Boiko 10-8.
Shoot Out champion Chris Wakelin thrashed Aaron Hill 10-2 to secure his place in the final round. His opponent will be Wu Yize who also won 10-2, beating Tian Pengfei.
Jordan Brown emerged a 10-7 victor against Dominic Dale and will play Si Jiahui on Judgment Day. Si scored a 10-5 win against Tom Ford.
Once again WST focus is on the British household names. It shows in their reports and in their choices when it comes to table allocation. It’s a shame.
Si Jiahui won a hard fought match against Tom Ford, although Si became stronger and more dominant as the match went on, but he’s “awarded” just one short sentence in the above report and wasn’t interviewed. That’s the match I watched and I guess it was on one of the stream table only because of Tom Ford.
I would have preferred to be able to watch Fan Zhengyi v Iulian Boiko but they were on an away table. Iulian won’t be at the Crucible but what he has shown this week is impressive. Other players who got a tour card at a very young age were destroyed by the experience, their confidence shattered, but Iulian comes across as a very strong character. He has matured a lot and the circumstances in his country inspire him to be more determined and stronger than ever. I hope that he gets back on tour soon.
Also, as we are now in the week before the Crucible, the media build-up has started
One piece that came out yesterday confirmed what I knew and said quite a few times in the past … that Ronnie’s pretence of “not caring” is a coping mechanism.
Going by this interview, Ronnie is in a positive frame of mind ahead of the Crucible and determined to try his best.
O’Sullivan makes admission about his attitude to snooker which enrages fans
O’Sullivan, a winner of 39 ranking titles and seven Masters crowns, has irritated some of his army of fans by regularly claiming snooker means little to him these days
By Hector Nunns
O’Sullivan says his attitude to snooker is all a front (Image Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan admits claiming he ‘doesn’t care’ and playing down his stellar achievements are all a front – and just a way of coping with pressure.
The Rocket is now widely recognised as the greatest snooker player ever to pick up a cue after equalling Stephen Hendry’s record of seven world titles last year.
And that means world No1 O’Sullivan, 47, can set a new record of eight at the Crucible Theatre this year if he lifts the famous trophy again in Sheffield.
O’Sullivan, a winner of 39 ranking titles and seven Masters crowns, has irritated some of his army of fans by regularly claiming snooker means little to him these days.
But there have been times in recent years when the mask has slipped, and real and raw emotion has poured out of O’Sullivan.
Beating Mark Allen in the final of the 2018 UK Championship saw O’Sullivan overtake Stephen Hendry’s record of 18 successes in snooker’s three ‘major’ tournaments.
That saw him celebrate wildly with his fans and support group – leaping onto the barrier surrounding the arena in York, then going walkabout in the fans with the trophy.
That was followed by a total release as a spent O’Sullivan, the sport’s box office No1 for more than 30 years, then sat in his chair and poured water all over his head.
Then when becoming the first player to make a 1,000 centuries at the 2019 Players Championship a beaming O’Sullivan milked the crowd reaction and potted the key red left-handed to a standing ovation.
And just 12 months ago O’Sullivan collapsed and sobbed in the arms of beaten World Championship final opponent Judd Trump after finally equalling Hendry’s mark of seven crowns.
O’Sullivan said: “I suppose playing it down is part of my coping mechanism. I have worked a lot with Steve Peters.
“I try to get a perspective on the game and on my life, and I think that is better now. I don’t want to be defined by snooker, a result, achievements. If they come, great
“But yeah, I probably play it down. I will be trying my hardest this year, obviously. And I think I have another four good genuine attempts at it.
“I do care, of course, I care. I just try to have a better perspective on it. It is a big part of my life, but not all of my life. I am not going to invest everything into it.
“If it happens, great. I don’t have to be fully focused 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Once I put my cue down, I try to forget about snooker and enjoy my life.
“But obviously you get excited at this time of year, it’s a big tournament. You want to get your game right, you want to be feeling going into the Crucible that you have a chance to have a go.
“I am definitely getting excited. Listen, I haven’t done much in the ranking tournaments either this year, so it would be nice to have a good run. You want to be in this one as long as you can.
“The only time I have been surprised when I won it was 2020 – but all the others, no real surprise.
“I thought ‘my game is good, I have a chance here’. Then the other years outside those I have gone there I have thought, ‘hmmm, I am probably going to get found out here’ – and I have been.
“I usually have a good idea before going into Sheffield or very early on in the tournament if it’s there.”
Ken Doherty is still in the hunt for a first Crucible appearance since 2014, after beating Hammad Miah 10-6 in Cazoo World Championship Qualifying at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
The Irishman is now two wins away from a return to the Theatre of Dreams. Doherty faces Chinese prospect Pang Junxu on Monday for a Judgement Day spot.
Doherty is in the middle of a two-year tour card, but has struggled to find his form this season. The 1997 World Champion has won just seven matches and is yet to make it beyond the last 64 of a tournament. In light of this, he has admitted retirement is a possibility at the end of next season.
However, the six-time ranking event winner showed a glimpse of his vintage form in yesterday’s opening session, compiling a stunning 137 on his way to emerging with a 5-4 advantage. Further breaks of 65 and 57 helped him to take five of the seven frames this afternoon and pull away for the win.
“There is more pressure on these qualifiers because it is the Crucible. I’ve had such a great affinity with Sheffield over the years that I’ve had some great memories,” said 53-year-old Doherty.
“It would be great to go there, not as a pundit, but as a player. It is the same with the other older lads, where the chances are getting few and far between, as the younger lads who are aspiring to do it for the first time.
“Time is running out and there is no doubt about that. Time waits for no man, but you have to reflect and look at what it has served me over the years. I am just so grateful and so happy. I’ve had a wonderful experience playing snooker and I’m still enjoying it. The fact that I once got my hands on that trophy and had one of the greatest years of my life is amazing. They are memories I will take to the grave.”
Perth’s Scott Donaldson recorded a 10-1 demolition of Welsh 16-year-old Liam Davies to emphatically book his third round slot.
Donaldson has come through these qualifiers and appeared at the Crucible on two previous occasions, in 2019 and 2022. His next opponent this time around is China’s Yuan Sijun.
Ben Mertens defeated fellow Belgian Julien Leclercq 10-6 and set up a third round meeting with Jimmy Robertson. Mertens began the session just 5-4 in front, but breaks of 71, 59, 73, 80 and 57 saw him pull away and clinch the tie.
James Cahill emerged a 10-6 winner against Lei Peifan and plays Zhou Yuelong next, while Elliot Slessor beat Ian Martin 10-3 to set up a clash with Liam Highfield.
Ben Mertens did indeed play very whilst his good friend Julien Leclercq couldn’t quite reproduce the form he had shown in the first session. Going by the reactions on social media, a lot of snooker fans appreciated that match: both players were praised for the way they play the game, and there was quality from start to finish. Thank you boys!
Graeme Dott admitted that the final round of Cazoo World Championship Qualifying is a “horrible” experience, after reaching Judgement Day with a 10-6 defeat of Andy Hicks at the English Institute of Sport.
Dott has missed out on the Crucible for the last three years, losing in the final round of qualifying on each occasion. That is the longest run since the beginning of his career, in 1994, that he hasn’t been present in the final stages.
The Scot now faces Matthew Selt on Tuesday, over the best of 19 frames, for a place at the Theatre of Dreams. Selt earned his Judgement Day slot with a late night 10-7 win over Peter Lines.
Dott made breaks of 62, 71 and 52 on his way to this evening’s victory and afterwards stated that watching the Crucible from afar in recent times has been difficult.
“It is horrific. It is really not good at all. I would rather just go on holiday for two weeks and not see it. Hopefully this year I can get back there,” said 2006 World Champion Dott.
“That last round is not nice. I don’t think anybody could enjoy it. They are horrible matches to play in. All you want to do is win, regardless of how you feel or how you play. Even the first match is pressured. I felt like I was twitching at 9-3 up today. You need to be able to stand up to it.
“I don’t think there is a lead big enough here that you actually feel relaxed. It doesn’t matter how far ahead you are. I was a little bit nervy there because I wasn’t playing well to go 9-3 up. If Andy got on a run I knew there was a chance he could have run frames off.”
World number 21 Anthony McGill summoned his best snooker at the crucial moment, to come from 9-7 down and beat John Astley 10-9.
The Glaswegian was left shell shocked when Astley fired in breaks of 108, 64 and 128 to lead 8-7, the first time he had been in front since the opening frame. Astley then took the 16th on a re-spotted black to move one from victory.
McGill rallied and crafted breaks of 136 and 98 to force a decider. He took it to get over the line and earn a Judgement Day meeting with Cao Yupeng, who beat Ben Woollaston 10-6.
Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh is through to the final round after a 10-5 win over Mark Joyce. He now faces an intriguing clash with Ricky Walden, who beat Ian Burns 10-6.
All detailed results are, of course, on snooker.org
I have to admit that I struggled to get really interested in the evening matches. I usually like to watch Theppy, although he can be frustrating at times, but I’m definitely not a fan of Mark Joyce’s type of game. That match brought back on social media the old joke about Joyce’s mum who allegedly isn’t happy when he wins. For those who wonder where that comes from, here is the origin of it: years ago, a young and quite outspoken Mark Allen wasn’t happy with his opponent’s alleged antics during the match and attitude when sat in his chair. Afterward, in his post-match, he declared that “Even his mother must be happy when he loses!”. That opponent was Mark Joyce.
From today on, we are really at the business end of those qualifiers. The match I really wanted to watch today is Fan Zhengyi v Iulian Boiko. Unfortunately it’s not one of the four shown on the ES app. In the afternoon, Gould v Page should be entertaining, especially if Martin finds some form, but I think that I will opt for Andrew Higginson v Joe O’Connor.
Here is WST report on what happened on day 5 at the 2023 World Snooker Championship Qualifiers yesterday:
Page Turns Over Muir
Welsh prospect Jackson Page stormed to an impressive 10-2 win over Ross Muir to reach the third round of Cazoo World Championship Qualifying at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
Page enjoyed a superb run at last year’s World Championship, coming through four rounds of qualifying to earn a Crucible debut. The 21-year-old scored a landmark 10-7 win over Barry Hawkins at the Theatre of Dreams. However, he was dealt a reality check by mentor Mark Williams in the last 16, as he exited by a 13-3 scoreline.
Despite his success here in Sheffield last year, Page hasn’t kicked on this season. His best showing thus far was a run to the last 16 of the recent WST Classic.
Muir will return to the professional ranks next season, after winning the European Amateur Championship earlier this year. However, he was unable to provide strong opposition against an impressive Page, who fired in runs of 78, 58, 54, 102, 84, 81 and 66 on his way to victory. Next up for Page is a third round meeting with Martin Gould.
Looking back on last year’s Crucible experience, Page admits it has left him hungry to get back there and have another chance to compete on snooker’s grandest stage.
“I knew it was going to happen, but to play there relatively early in my career was brilliant. I only want to do better from here on in and progress further,” said world number 56 Page.
“I’ve never felt anything like what I did at the Crucible. Nothing comes close. Against Hawkins it was just the best ever feeling when I won. The crowd was amazing. Losing to Mark was bittersweet. I hate losing, but I had a good tournament leading up to it. I am itching to get back there. That is what I want to do, so hopefully I have a good couple of weeks here in Sheffield.”
Former two-time Crucible finalist Matthew Stevens survived a late night thriller to defeat the charismatic Dechawat Poomjaeng 10-8.
Stevens had a comfortable 7-3 lead after taking the first frame of the evening with a break of 88. However, Thailand’s Poomjaeng mounted an excellent fightback to take the match to the brink of a decider at 9-8, crafting runs of 55, 55, 98 and 91.
The game had looked set for a final frame, with Poomjaeng leaving Stevens requiring two snookers in the 18th. However, he got them and cleared with 34 to steal on the black. Stevens now plays Welsh compatriot Jamie Clarke in round three.
Afterwards Stevens admitted Poomjaeng, who asked him for a selfie in the arena at the conclusion of the first session, is always an unpredictable opponent to face.
“I’m laughing one minute and nearly crying the next. It was such a long day. It was looking like 9-9 and if I’d lost that it would have been a tough one to take. I’ve got loads of scars from games like that so I would have been alright,” said former UK and Masters champion Stevens.
“He’s a character and a lovely guy. It is good to have characters like that in the game, although not at 36 seconds a shot like it was in the first session. He is a class player, knows his way around the snooker table and is a tough player to get rid of.”
Andrew Higginson beat Louis Heathcote 10-7 to book a third round meeting with Joe O’Connor. Defeat for Heathcote means he is relegated from the circuit and will require a trip to Q School if he wishes to return next season.
Mitchell Mann suffers the same fate as Heathcote, after a 10-5 loss at the hands of Sanderson Lam. Next up for Lam is a third round clash against 2022 Welsh Open champion Joe Perry.
I watched the Stevens v Poomjaeng match, and the first session of Ben Mertens v Julien Leclercq. The Belgian derby is currently still ongoing and the score is 5-4 in favour of Ben. Both are going for their shots and that’s a good match to watch.
However, all this means that I can’t comment on other results. That said the most surprising outcome for me was Sanderson Lam’s 10-5 win over Mitchell Mann. I didn’t expect that.
Sean O’Sullivan produced a quite remarkable break: he potted all reds with blacks and yet this wasn’t a maximum. The final score was 140… Can you guess what happened?
Amateur Martin O’Donnell ended six-time world finalist Jimmy White’s bid for a Crucible return, beating him 10-4 at Cazoo World Championship Qualifying at the English Institute of Sport.
O’Donnell will regain his professional status next season after topping the Q Tour standings this term. He’s now two more wins away from a Crucible debut, having beaten Marco Fu in the previous round. The former UK Championship quarter-finalist now faces Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham in round three.
White will leave devastated not to have made the Crucible and will have to wait at least another year to compete in the final stages for the first time since 2006. He looks to be in a healthy position to retain his tour card via the one-year list after a positive season.
The Whirlwind thrilled fans with a run to the final stages of the UK Championship before Christmas, but he couldn’t repeat the feat here in Sheffield.
O’Donnell came into this afternoon’s session with sizeable 7-2 advantage. White took the first two of the session to give himself hope, but the deficit proved to be too much. O’Donnell won three on the bounce and secured his third round berth.
“He was my hero growing up. It was really hard to play him. Everyone wants him to win and I want him to win. It is mixed emotions,” said 36-year-old O’Donnell.
“I haven’t played a game out in the spotlight for that for a good while. I was a bit rusty and lacked a bit of composure in parts, but I’m glad I held myself together at the right times. My focus kicked in and I’ll look forward to the next one.
“There probably isn’t a tougher draw out there than the one I’ve had this year. They probably don’t want me either though. I’ll look forward to playing Noppon, I hope it is a good game and the best player will come out on top.”
Ukrainian 17-year-old Iulian Boiko scored a superb 10-5 win over Stuart Carrington to move within two victories of a dream Crucible debut.
Boiko’s first trip to world qualifying occurred in 2020, when he became the youngest ever player to compete in the event, aged 14. Months later he joined the professional circuit and was snooker’s youngest professional. However, Boiko’s time on the tour ended in relegation last season.
If he were to win his next two matches and reach the Theatre of Dreams, he would also receive a two-year tour card to return to the professional ranks next season. Boiko’s third round opponent is former European Masters winner Fan Zhengyi.
Dominic Dale took a huge step towards tour survival with a 10-6 win over Asjad Iqbal. However, the Welshman was unaware so much was riding on the tie
Dale came into the match provisionally ranked 64th, but today’s victory gives the two-time ranking event winner clear breathing space in the battle to stay on the circuit. Next up he faces former Welsh Open champion Jordan Brown.
Dale said: “Coming here I thought I was absolutely dead safe (for tour survival). That was why I didn’t even bother checking whether I needed to win that match. I suppose I am safe now. I don’t know but we will see.
“Playing at the Crucible is the Mecca of the game. I’d love to play there again in front of an audience. It has been too long and it has been so long now it might be a bit of a problem. The memories of the atmosphere and the feelings that are evoked are a bit distant now really.”
Si Jiahui averted what would have been the greatest ever comeback in a best of 19, holding off Austrian Florian Nuessle to win 10-7. China’s Si had led 9-1, but Nuessle roared back to within two frames. In the end Si got over the line and will play Tom Ford in the third round.
Ireland’s Aaron Hill scored an impressive 10-3 win over Michael White to set up a third round meeting with Chris Wakelin, while Halifax 16-year-old Stan Moody’s run was ended by Zhang Anda in a 10-3 loss. Zhang faces Chinese compatriot Xiao Guodong next.
The Jimmy White v Martin O’Donnell match was hard to watch. It was plain for all to see how badly Jimmy wanted this, and how frustrated he was at his own poor performance. The truth is quite simply that he put far too much pressure on himself. He looked nervous, anxious and devastated by his own failure to perform in the event that matters most to him. His love for the game can’t be questioned and he will always be loved by the fans for that. Martin said that it was hard for him as well, I totally believe him. It must have been horrible out there for both of them.
I was very pleased by Iulian Boiko’s victory. Iulian got on the tour far too young, and didn’t succeed. That was to be expected. Other players who got on tour very young also failed. Some suffered badly from the experience, and never fulfilled their potential. Iulian appears to be a very strong character who is able to bounce back. He play an attractive brand of snooker. I’m firmly in favour of restoring a minimum age to be eligible to play on the Tour and I would put it at 18, the same age that is accepted in International instances as the start of adulthood. It is not true that if you are good enough, you are old enough. The age limit used to be 16. That may be OK for the players who have their family around them to support them, but not for those who are forced to live on their own in the UK as expats. That is hard even for the adult players, never mind children.
These are the players who, so far, face relegation, barring Q-School: Marco Fu, Michael Judge, Dean Young, Craig Steadman, Stuart Carrington, Jamie O’Neil, Gerard Greene, Alexander Ursenbacher, Reanne Evans and Ng On-Yee.
On Yee or Reanne will be “redeemed” via the tour card allocated to the WWS number one player. Currently, it’s Reanne holding that number one position. There is one more event to be played on the Women’s tour though and On Yee still has a chance to become number one. I hope she does, first because she did significantly better than Reanne on the main Tour, but also because the loss of both Marco Fu and On Yee Ng could be a huge blow for snooker in Hong Kong as it could lose its “Elite Sport” status, and with it, it’s funding by the Hong Kong government.
In other news … Brendan Moore will referee the 2023 World Championship final and it will be his last match as a snooker referee
Brendan Moore will retire from refereeing on the World Snooker Tour at the conclusion of this season and he is set to bow out by taking charge of the 2023 Cazoo World Championship final.
The Sheffield referee has enjoyed a career as one of the top officials on the circuit since he started in 2004, officiating in seven Triple Crown finals so far. This year’s Crucible showpiece will be his third time refereeing snooker’s biggest match. Moore will then transition from snooker to pool, becoming the Tournament Director for Matchroom Pool.
Having already refereed the 2014 and 2018 world finals, this year’s title match will be Moore’s last ever professional game. It will also be the first Crucible final he has taken charge of since the passing of his father Derek Moore. Those two factors mean it is set to be an emotional occasion.
“I’m quite an emotional person anyway and I’m not afraid to put my heart on my sleeve. It will be bittersweet moment. What a way to finish, you can’t go out on a higher match than the world final and it will be my third,” said 51-year-old Moore.
“I am getting emotional now even thinking about it. Walking out for the very last time will be a surreal experience, especially with my dad not being there. I won’t let the situation get the better of me though, I will do the job and then whatever comes after comes. I’m looking forward to a new chapter and a new challenge.”
WST would like to thank Brendan for his 19 years of dedicated service to snooker and wish him all the best for his new role at Matchroom.
The “bold” highlight in the text above is my doing. I’m afraid this is one more piece of evidence that Matchroom’s main focus, when it comes to cue sports, is shifting from snooker to pool. That said …
Congratulations Brendan and all the best for the future!
James Cahill added another big name scalp to his resume, beating legendary seven-time World Champion Stephen Hendry 10-4 in the first round of Cazoo World Championship Qualifying at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
Cahill is no stranger to knocking snooker’s biggest stars out of the marquee events. He defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan on his Crucible debut back in 2019 and has beaten the likes of Ding Junhui and Mark Selby at the UK Championship.
Hendry’s quest for a first trip to the Crucible since 2012 ends at the first hurdle. The 36-time ranking event winer still has a year left to run on his current invitational tour card and vowed to play on when speaking to press after the match.
This morning session saw Hendry make the 777th century of his career, but it was Cahill who emerged with a healthy 7-2 advantage. When play got underway this evening he soon extended his lead when he fired in a run of 70 to make it 8-2.
Hendry refused to wilt and provided resistance by taking the next two frames to stay in touch at 8-4. However, Cahill then returned the favour by capturing the following two frames to get over the line a 10-4 victor.
“I just tried to treat it as another game. I got out there and I couldn’t pot a ball, but it wasn’t because I was playing Stephen or it was the first round of the worlds. Eventually it clicked and I went from there. I’d never played Stephen before, so I suppose I can tick it off now,” said 27-year-old Cahill.
“I need to improve on that. There is no doubt about it. I got a lot of chances and Stephen was nowhere near his best. My long game needs to improve and my safety needs to be a bit better. In general, I think my game is there but it just hasn’t come out properly today. I’ll take one match at a time and see how it goes.”
An upbeat Hendry said: “I definitely want to play on. As I always stress it isn’t a comeback. I’m not going to play three or four hours a day and enter every event. I will play in the events that I can, with my other commitments. I love to play and in a perverse way it is fun!
“I just played too many bad shots and when you follow one bad shot with another it snowballs a bit. I started off great, two doubles in a century is good because I am the worst doubler in the world! There were little bits and pieces here and there, but generally there were too many unforced errors. That is something I criticise players for when I am commentating.
“It is still a very distant dream in the future that one day I’ll walk out at the Crucible again. It is very doubtful and huge odds against, but that is the dream.”
Welsh 16-year-old Liam Davies secured an impressive 10-8 win over Fergal O’Brien. It was a repeat of a second round victory for Davies against the Irishman in last year’s event, where a round earlier he had become the youngest match winner in World Championship history.
Davies won an important 16th frame on a re-spotted black, having previously required snookers, to move 9-7 ahead. After losing the 17th, he then got himself over the line to book a second round tie with Scotland’s Scott Donaldson.
Hong Kong’s three-time Women’s World Champion Ng On Yee put up an impressive fight against former Shoot Out winner Michael Holt, before succumbing to a 10-8 defeat.
On Yee’s break of 115 in the first session is the highest ever made by a female player in the World Championship. However, Holt crafted runs of 75, 56, 80, 51, 98, 56, 54 and 61 on his way to this evening’s win and now plays Oliver Lines in the second round.
Ireland’s 1997 Crucible king Ken Doherty battled to a 10-5 win over 12-time Women’s World Champion Reanne Evans. Doherty top scored with 81 and will face Hammad Miah up next.
Twelve amateurs progressed to the second round. Of course, with 11 players suspended, there are more amateurs in the draw than ever before. Still, I stand by my opinion that there should be no amateurs in this event, and I’m in agreement with Lewis that they should also not be allowed to qualify through the one year list. The purpose of the “one year list” qualifying route was originally to reward players who, after suffering a bad first year on tour, showed outstanding improvement on the second year.
Of course, you will tell me that the alternative to having amateurs in the draw would be walkovers and that this is deemed worse. Personally, I would chose walkovers over unfair pressure but I know I’m in a tiny minority. At least IF we must have amateurs in the draw, let’s showcase young talents, instead of having experienced former pros in there, with little to lose, facing players fighting for their professional survival.
The Michael Holt v On Yee Ng match was a cracker. On Yee showed real quality in there. She was fighting for her tour survival, Michael wasn’t although I know that he’s desperate to get back on it. As it stands, Reanne Evans and On Yee be relegated. One of them will be back on Tour though, as one spot will be given to the number one player in the Women’s tour rankings. They have still one event to play this season but currently, Reanne is ahead as she did better on the Women’s tour. On Yee though did significantly better than Reanne on the main tour, and, considering what both showed yesterday, I think On Yee deserves it more.
Ukrainian 18-year-old Iulian Boiko thrashed Pakistan’s Muhammad Asif 10-2 to make the second round of Cazoo World Championship qualifying at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
Boiko’s World Championship qualifying debut came back in 2020, when he became the youngest ever player to compete in the event, aged 14. Months later he joined the professional circuit and was snooker’s youngest professional. However, Boiko’s time on the tour ended in relegation last season.
Competing as an amateur, Boiko looked assured against Asif, firing in breaks of 55, 100, 126 and 86 during the tie. Today’s impressive victory sees Boiko earn a meeting with Stuart Carrington in the second round.
Given the ongoing war in his home country, Boiko feels especially motivated to try and earn a place at the Crucible and fly the flag for Ukraine.
Boiko said: “I’m dreaming big. I really want to make it to the Crucible and since I am now an amateur I don’t feel like I have that much pressure. My next opponent needs points to stay on tour and that will make a difference.
“I am so proud to represent my country, Ukraine, everywhere. I want to raise the Ukrainian flag in the Crucible. Getting there would be a dream and I really hope play to my best standard.”
Austria’s Florian Nuessle stormed to the second round with a 10-2 win over Irishman Michael Judge. The win sees Nuessle progress to face Si Jiahui in the next round, while Judge is relegated from the circuit.
Sheffield’s Adam Duffy earned a narrow 10-8 win over Billy Castle to progress and will now face a tricky assignment against Welshman Jak Jones in the second round.
Cypriot Michael Georgiou beat China’s Peng Yisong 10-4, while Pakistan’s Asjad Iqbal beat Jenson Kendrick 10-3.
Thailand’s Mink Nutcharut became the first female player to craft a century break in the Cazoo World Championship for 21 years, but succumbed to a narrow 10-7 defeat against compatriot Dechawat Poomjaeng at qualifying in Sheffield.
Poomjaeng earned a return to the professional circuit through Asia-Oceania Q School last year. One of his career highlights saw him make the last 16 of the 2013 World Championship. He faces Matthew Stevens in the second round of this year’s event.
Mink is currently competing in her debut season on the World Snooker Tour, having won the Women’s World Championship in 2022. She enjoyed a golden moment by capturing the maiden World Mixed Doubles title alongside Neil Robertson earlier in the campaign.
Poomjaeng had led 7-3 this evening, but breaks of 73 and 100 helped Mink to claw her way back to 8-7 behind. The last century run made by a woman in the World Championship was composed by Kelly Fisher in 2002.
Despite that rally, Poomjaeng regained his control of proceedings and took the next two frames to emerge a 10-7 victor.
Elsewhere, current Women’s World Champion Baipat Siripaporn succumbed to a 10-3 defeat against Ireland’s Aaron Hill and women’s world number four Rebecca Kenna went out 10-3 to Alfie Burden.
Hill will now face a tough assignment against Michael White in round two, while Burden plays Swiss number one Alexander Ursenbacher.
I chose to watch the women’s games.
Mink trailed by by 6-2 and 7-3, but put a really good fight on to get back to 8-7. She couldn’t finish the job, but earned huge praise from Neal Foulds who was commentating.
Mink Nutcharut didn’t want Thai derby with Dechawat Poomjaeng but would love Crucible spotlight
Phil Haigh Tuesday 4 Apr 2023 6:55 am
Mink Nutcharut is in one of the ties of the first round of World Championship qualification (Picture: Getty Images)
One of the most eye-catching contests in the opening round of World Championship qualifying sees Mink Nutcharut take on her compatriot Dechawat Poomjaeng in an all-Thai affair that she would rather have avoided.
The former women’s world champion and the man known for his unpredictable showmanship practice together at Victoria’s Academy in Sheffield so know each other well from their time in England.
Their ties run deeper than that, though, as they are both from the Saraburi in Thailand, making their clash in Sheffield a genuine derby which will have plenty of people watching back home.
Mink would rather see all the Thai players do well, so would have preferred a different draw, but is still looking forward to a meeting with the outlandish fan favourite.
‘I didn’t want to play with a Thai player because I want us all to win,’ Mink told Metro.co.uk. ‘He’s from the same home town as me but I think this will be a good experience for me.
‘We have been practicing together. He is a good player, very good player. I went to watch him at the Shoot Out, I was like, “Oh my God, he has so many fans in the crowd!” He was very funny.
‘When we practice I try my best. If I can do anything I want to do it when I play in tournaments. I just try my best for myself.’
Dechawat Poomjaeng is one of the great showmen of snooker (Picture: Zhai Zheng)
Mink is coming off something of a disappointing return to Thailand where she relinquished her women’s world title, defeated in the semi-finals by eventual champion Baipat Siripaporn.
‘It was nice to go back home but there was a lot of pressure because last year I was women’s champion and this year we go to play at Hi-End Snooker Club, my sponsor, Thailand is my country so I felt the pressure,’ she said.
‘I felt sad when I lost because I wanted to defend my championship and when I lost, the next day I realised it was gone and I couldn’t get it back. But I can move on and learn what I did wrong.’
One plus for Mink, though, is that Baipat earned a place on the main tour and will be another Thai player joining her for much of the season in England, something the 23-year-old is looking forward to after coming over alone from Thailand for the majority of this campaign.
‘She’s coming to play the World Championship qualifiers but she’ll stay in Q House in Darlington,’ said Mink. ‘But it’s good, I want more Thai players to come. I want snooker to be more popular in Thailand.
‘I’m excited for her, when she comes on the main tour it will be a nice experience, and for me, she’s is my best friend.
‘I think she can win, she is a good player, she can compete with the men.’
Baipat Siripaporn is also playing World Championship qualifying this week, facing Ireland’s Aaron Hill (Picture: Matt Huart/World Women’s Snooker)
Mink’s first season on the professional tour has seen her win the first edition of the World Mixed Doubles alongside Neil Robertson and pick up a first win in a ranking event against Mitchell Mann at the Northern Ireland Open.
Needing to win four matches to reach the Crucible this month is an enormous ask, but she would love to return to the iconic venue having played there once before.
The Women’s Tour Championship was played at the Crucible in 2019, which featured Mink, Reanne Evans, Ng On Yee and Rebecca Kenna, and it was an experience that the Thai star absolutely loved.
‘I want to play at the Crucible again. I felt when I played there before like I’m world champion and everyone is watching me,’ she said.
‘I like that feeling of a big tournament, like the Mixed Doubles, I like the big crowds. First time I was nervous but the more times I do it, the better I can be.’
Neil Robertson and Mink Nutcharut memorably won the first World Mixed Doubles (Picture: Getty Images)
Mink has another year to come on her current two-year tour card, which means another few stints in Sheffield, which she has become fond of, but not for the reason you might expect.
‘When I come back here I like it, I like the weather here, in Thailand it’s too hot,’ she said, in a stunning revelation that South Yorkshire weather could be better than Bangkok.
‘It’s not the same as Thailand, sometimes I miss home but I feel a little bit at home here now. I like Sheffield, I think it’s a good city. When I miss home sometimes I can just eat Thai food or go and eat with Noppon [Saengkham].’
After watching her yesterday, I believe that she will have a good second season on tour. Whether it will be enough to stay on tour, I’m not sure. She has a lot to do for sure and lack of cue power remains an issue of course. She is petite. But I think that she will get some good results and she’s good to watch.
Baipat was beaten by 10-3, but up to 6-3 she was actually competing well with Aaron Hill: six of those nine frames were extremely close. Towards the end of the match, she lost her way a bit and looked frustrated. Of course, she never competed in those conditions, she probably never played a multi session match before, so it’s all new to her.
About multi session matches … I really wish we would return to best of 17 as the format for the UK Championship. Having to pounder about the state of a match between sessions, maybe even having to sleep over it, is a challenge that most players never experience before the World Championship theses days. It puts them at a disadvantage. The psychology of a multi session match is different to a that of a single session match, players have to learn how to deal with it.
Today is a bit “Legends Day” at the EIS …
Ken Doherty will face Reanne Evans over two sessions today. Those two have met only once, in 2015. It was in the first round of the World Championship qualifiers that time as well. Ken prevailed but only by 10-8. He will be well aware of Reanne’s capability.
Jimmy White takes on Martin O’Donnell. They haven’t played for a while and Jimmy won only one of their four previous encounters. But this is a long format, it’s a different match and we have a different Jimmy this year. I’m not getting carried away but I’m not writing Jimmy off either. He will have the crowd on his side.
Stephen Hendry will play James Cahill. Stephen has won only one frame this season. He has missed several events while appearing in the “Masked Singer”. Some fans believe that he shouldn’t get an invitational tour card. Usually their reason for it is that Hendry takes a spot that could be given to a young player. Actually, that’s not really the case: the invitational cards come in addition to the 128 regular spots. Ronnie certainly believes that he has earned the right to play as long as he wants to, as he explained to Hector Nunns:
Snooker Legends Bringing Stardust To Wednesday’s World Championship Qualifiers
Legends Stephen Hendry, Jimmy White and Ken Doherty are bringing a bucket-load of stardust to Wednesday’s World Championship qualifiers.
The illustrious trio, with eight world titles and 18 Crucible finals between them, will be battling it out in front of a mere handful of spectators at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport.
The challenging goal – to try and make it back just one more time to the greatest stage in snooker. Hendry and Doherty need four wins – and the Whirlwind three.
Hendry is the joint-record seven-times winner, and has an intriguing and awkward clash with nephew James Cahill, the son of the sister of the Scot’s ex-wife.
Hendry’s comeback in 2020 after eight years retired has been underwhelming. He has played little with his wildcards, won three matches in three years, and only a single frame this season.
But his incredible achievements in the game have seen rival, world No1 and defending world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan insist Hendry’s status puts him beyond criticism.
The Rocket said: “Listen, Stephen does what Stephen wants. He is a seven-time world champion. If he wants to turn up and play, then great.
“If he doesn’t then he has won it all. He is an absolute legend of the sport. He can come in here and play in his underpants if he likes. We should all bow to him. He is a hero of mine.
“Others probably see him as just another player, but I don’t. I see him as one of the greatest sportsmen I have ever known. He is like Tiger Woods.
“He puts them all to shame. He has got balls, as we say. Big trousers. It is highly unlikely he will win four best-of-19 matches – but never write Stephen off.
“And no-one should criticise him. Even if he got beaten 10-0 and the highest break was 12, no-one has the right to criticise Stephen Hendry.”
seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry
The evergreen White, now 60, never won the World Championship but lost six finals at the Crucible – four of them to Hendry.
And the Whirlwind has been blowing a bit harder this season, showing some good form and picking up excellent wins over the likes of Judd Trump and Stephen Maguire.
Ahead of a clash with fellow Londoner Martin O’Donnell, White said: “My main thing is to carry into this some of the form I have shown this season.
“My tour card is on the line, I need a win or wins to try and make sure of that. If I do miss out there I might have a chance of a wild-card tour place. But I would much rather do it on my own merit.
“You can get in the habit of losing and the habit of winning, and at the moment because I am playing well I am getting through matches and the confidence is growing.”
Doherty has arguably the tie of the first round against record 12-times women’s world champion Reanne Evans – though he may have lost the battle for table one and the main TV cameras to Hendry.
The 53-year-old from Dublin, and 1997 world champion, only just edged past Evans at the same stage in the world qualifiers 10-8 eight years ago and knows he is in for another very tough test.
He said: “It feels like a very special day, with the three of us all in action. Both for the fans who do come along, and also for us out there.
“It feels unusual for the three of us to be there on the same day in this tournament trying to get to the Crucible.
“I have been having a lot of banter with Stephen in the past few days about which of us would be on the main table – him against James, or myself against Reanne.
“They are both really attractive games. I was winding him up something terrible that he would be relegated to table two, and I’d be ahead of the seven-times world champion!
“Let’s call it eight world championships between us out there…a festival of snooker, anyway. Let’s hope that we can give them a 50 break or two.”
‘In practice this man can still play shots I haven’t seen others play and that includes Ronnie.’ That’s the verdict of Steve Feeney on Stephen Hendry as the legendary Scot bids to return to the Crucible for the first time since 2012.
…
‘First thing was to get Stephen enjoying playing again,’ Feeney told Metro.co.uk. ‘He didn’t retire the happiest of players [in 2012]. Get him enjoying practicing and playing.
‘You can see everything he’s doing in snooker he’s enjoying. His commentary, his YouTube channel and he really enjoys the practice sessions. The second goal was, God-willing and fair wind, a return to the Crucible, because he didn’t enjoy the way he got beat his last time there.’
…
In practice this man can still play shots I haven’t seen others play and that includes Ronnie [O’Sullivan],’ said the man behind SightRight. ‘His sat nav around the table, his positional play, even though his long-potting was phenomenal back in his hey day, the strongest part of his game really was his positional play, everything was always so easy.
‘Times have moved on, conditions have moved on, things you can do with the cue ball have moved on. We’re enjoying the practice, but has he enjoyed his matches? Not really. I don’t think he’d mind me saying that. ‘
…
We’ll just wait and see how the World Championship unfolds. Is the pressure on Stephen or is it on James? They’ve got their own pressures in their own ways,’ he said.
‘James is seen as a giant-killer, I did some work with James, he’s a really nice lad, a vibrant lad. I don’t think he’s meant anything in terms of what he’s said and how it’s been portrayed. It’s family of sorts, it’s not the ideal draw, but maybe it will focus Stephen’s mind even more.
‘The job is to get the win, there’s already people out there saying James is going to slaughter him, but Stephen didn’t enter not to play, there’s a good game in there in practice, we’ve just got to unlock the key for matches.’
…
‘His game is developing,’ said the coach. ‘The problem we have is we went through Covid, Stephen didn’t come back to play behind closed doors, he wanted to experience the crowd, the entertainment, to play in front of people, Covid really upset that.
‘There was good practice going on behind the scenes, but behind closed doors, when you’re used to full arenas, it’s a different kettle of fish being in a cubicle in a back room.
‘You could even see it at the Tour Championship with Ali [Carter] and Shaun [Murphy] struggling at times in front of a small audience. When you put superstars in a cubicle, I don’t think you can really expect to get the best out of them. ‘
…
‘It would be special getting Stephen back there because it would be so special to him. He wouldn’t deny that,’ said Feeney. ‘But we’ve got to get the fire in the belly in the matches, that’s what we’ve got to get going.
‘Suddenly you can flick a switch with these guys and it’s just there. We’ve been working towards that end for some time now.
‘You never know what could cause that. A good result? Someone firing him up by saying the wrong thing? I’m sure the fire in the belly is still there and ready to relight.’
…
Also in action today are On Yee Ng who plays Michael Holt and Ben Mertens who plays Victor Sarkis. I have very little hope that the latter match will be shown on the ES/Discovery platform.
And so it begins… The World Championship started yesterday!
Eight matches concluded yesterday evening and here is WST report on day 1 at the EIS in Sheffield
Moody Wins Maiden World Qualifier
English 16-year-old Stan Moody claimed his first ever match victory at the Cazoo World Championship, beating Estonia’s Andres Petrov 10-7 in the qualifying stages at the English Institute of Sport.
Moody has been in the spotlight in recent times, having earned a professional tourcard with his victory at the WSF Junior Open. That was featured in a recent CBBC documentary called Taking My Shot. Part of the programme highlighted Moody’s relationship with 2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy, who has been acting as a mentor for him.
The considerable talents of the Halifax cueist were first displayed on the professional circuit at last season’s Shoot Out, when he made the last 64. He is now just three wins away from competing at the Crucible.
Moody produced an impressive display on day one in Sheffield, crafting breaks of 59, 110, 54, 86, 90 and 72. Next up he faces China’s Zhang Anda in the second round.
“I’m very proud of myself. There was such relief at potting the winning balls. I couldn’t stop shaking, I couldn’t breathe. I just tried to hold myself together and it worked,” said debutant Moody.
“It means everything. All of the practice has paid off. I came here not expecting anything and just thought I’d enjoy it. When you get to nine that all goes out of the window and you are desperate to get over the line.
“We first met Shaun a few years ago in Hull and he said he wanted to help me. It has gone on from there. In certain parts of games, he has told me what to do. It pays off in matches like this. It looked good in the documentary, it is like father and son.”
Martin O’Donnell earned a second round clash with the legendary Jimmy White, after an impressive 10-5 win over Hong Kong’s three-time ranking event winner Marco Fu.
O’Donnell recently topped the Q Tour standings to earn a two-year tour card, which starts next season. However, for now the Englishman is competing as an amateur.
Defeat for Fu means he is set to fall off the circuit. However, coronavirus travel restrictions meant his first and only match of last season was here at World Championship qualifying, limiting his ability to move up the rankings.
Having first come onto the tour in 2012, O’Donnell has never appeared at the Crucible. He is relishing a second round encounter with six-time world finalist White, who himself is bidding for a first trip to the Theatre of Dreams since 2006.
O’Donnell said: “Jimmy was my idol growing up, so it is a bit of a dream come true to play him at the World Championship. I never thought that would happen and he is inspirational to be doing what he is at the age of 60. To see him still digging after all of these years is very inspirational.
“It would mean everything to qualify, but I’m still miles away so it is not worth thinking about at the moment. It would mean the world to me, as in all honesty you don’t feel like a proper snooker player if you’ve never been there.”
Ukraine’s 18-year-old Anton Kazakov earned his first ever win in the event with a 10-6 win over Egyptian Mohamed Ibrahim. Next up he faces Mark Joyce.
Dean Young is set to fall off the tour after a 10-5 loss against Haydon Pinhey, while Jamie O’Neil kept his chances of tour survival alive with a 10-5 win over Bulcsú Révész.
Stan Moody was indeed impressive and the 25 minutes+ last frame was extremely tense
That said, if Stan was tense, what about Andres whose career was at stake? It must have been much harder for him surely? As much as I enjoyed watching a young player displaying outstanding talent and composure, I stay by the opinion that no amateur should play in this event. What is at stake for those who fight for their survival is far too big.
Unfortunately the link above gets you to a documentary that is only available in the UK.
I was really sad to see Marco struggle so much. Given the restrictions he had to face, it would be logical to extend his tour card by a year. It has been done before.
Other than that, Steven Hallworth deserves a mention. Having trailed by 3-7, he forced a decider … but eventually lost.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 