Month: October 2023

News from the Snooker – 31.10.2023

Monique Professional snooker tournament, Tour News ,

A mixed bag of new today…

Dechawat Poomjaeng has decided to withdraw from the main tour

Dechawat Poomjaeng

Monday 30 Oct 2023 

Dechawat Poomjaeng’s WPBSA membership has lapsed therefore he is no longer a professional player on the World Snooker Tour and has been removed from the world rankings.

Dechawat last competed on the circuit at the 2023 Cazoo World Snooker Championship, reaching the second qualifying round in Sheffield. He has confirmed that he will not return to the Tour during his existing two-year tour card for personal reasons and we wish him all the best for the future.

All the best indeed Poomy!

Jonas Luz from Brazil will join the main tour next season

Jonas Wins Pan American Championship

Jonas Luz ousted fellow Brazilian Fabinho 5-4 in a gripping final to win the 2023 Pan American Snooker Championship held at the Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club.

Victory for the 37-year-old from Esteio-RS means he will be nominated for a two-year professional World Snooker Tour card. 

Organised by World Snooker Federation member the Pan American Billiards and Snooker Association (PABSA), this year’s event featured players from Canada, the United States of America, Mexico and the host nation Brazil. The entrants were drawn into eight round robin groups of five, with the top two from each pool qualifying for the concluding knockout rounds.

Luz finished second in Group 8 having won three of his four matches; his only defeat coming against former professional and table topper Itaro Santos (Brazil). 

The eventual champion survived a deciding frame finish as he came from behind to defeat recent Pan American Seniors Championship finalist Zico (Brazil) 3-2 in the last 16 before a more comfortable 3-0 success against Charlie Brown (Canada) in the quarter-finals. 

On Finals Day in the last four, Luz pipped Rafinha (Brazil) on the colours in the deciding frame for a 4-3 win. 

Emerging from the other side of the draw was 41-year-old Fabinho who didn’t drop a single frame as he came top of his group and then dispatched Ajeya Prabhakar (USA) 3-0 in the last 16. 

In the last eight, Fabinho produced a big upset as he eliminated pre-tournament favourite Igor Figueiredo (Brazil).

Ex-professional Figueiredo – winner of this tournament in 2019 – was going for a title double in Rio having won the Seniors category earlier in the week. Things were going according to plan for the 46-year-old as he compiled a 114 clearance in the opening frame of his quarter-final tie, but Fabinho claimed the next three frames – including a break of 88 in frame three – for a memorable 3-1 win. 

Fabinho then ended the hopes of Daniel Holoyda (USA) 4-0 in the semi-finals, top scoring with a 55. In the previous round, Holoyda – who has dual Polish-American citizenship – defeated Santos 3-0. 

In the best of nine frames title match, Fabinho took the opening two frames on the colours but Luz responded (48 break, frame three) as he levelled up at 2-2 heading into the mid-session interval. 

A 47 break from Fabinho in frame five looked like putting him back in front but Luz crafted a green to pink clearance to go ahead for the first time, although two efforts of 40 in frame six got the Paraná cueist back on level terms. 

Luz went one up with two to play before Fabinho sent the contest all the way with a break of 54 in frame eight as he left his opponent pointless. 

In a tense deciding frame for the title, whilst on a break of 43 Luz potted the third-to-last red – the ball that would leave his opponent needing a snooker – but went in-off at the same time. However, with that red ball now off the table, Fabinho needed penalty points, and his task was made even more difficult later on when he fluked a red that he didn’t want to pot. Luz later sank the final red to confirm the biggest accolade of his career to date and earn qualification to snooker’s professional circuit for the first time.

Results from the 2023 Pan American Snooker Championship

Welcome to the professional life Jonas!

And WST account on the first day at the 2023 Scottish Open Qualifiers

Lam Fightback Downs Fan

World number 68 Sanderson Lam came from 3-1 down to beat former European Masters winner Fan Zhengyi 4-3 and qualify for the final stages of the BetVictor Scottish Open.

Lam is in good form at the moment, having already qualified for next week’s International Championship. The Englishman also scored a fine win over 2010 World Champion Neil Robertson during a run to the last 32 of the BetVictor English Open.

Having battled back to force a decider, Lam got the better of an exchange on the final pink, depositing it and a tricky cut back black to book his place in Edinburgh.

China’s Si Jiahui came from 3-1 down to beat compatriot Tian Pengfei 4-3. (Tian) Si composed breaks of 71 and 50 in the last two frames to get over the line.

Zhou Yuelong put on a brilliant performance to beat Anthony Hamilton 4-0. Breaks of 75, 129 and 134 saw China’s Zhou storm to victory.

Former Scottish Open finalist Cao Yupeng scored a 4-2 win over David Lilley, while Noppon Saengkham whitewashed Rebecca Kenna 4-0.

Anthony McGill earned his place in the final stages of his home event with a 4-0 win over Australia’s Ryan Thomerson, while Matthew Selt beat Dylan Emery 4-1.

All the results are on snooker.org as always.

Judd Trump is the 2023 NI Open Champion

Monique Professional snooker tournament

Here is the report by WST:

Three The Magic Number For Magnificent Trump

Judd Trump became the fifth player in snooker history – and first for a decade – to win three consecutive ranking titles as he crushed Chris Wakelin 9-3 in the final of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.

…

From 2-1 down, Trump confirmed his status as the best player on the planet on current form as he won eight of the last nine frames with three centuries and four more breaks over 50 to take the £80,000 top prize and the Alex Higgins Trophy.

In an extraordinary October, Trump has also captured the BetVictor English Open and Wuhan Open titles, a winning streak of 20 consecutive matches which has earned him £300,000. The only other players to have landed three ranking titles on the spin are Ray Reardon, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and most recently in 2013, Ding Junhui. It’s his fourth Northern Ireland Open crown having taken the top prize in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and he extends the sequence of exclusively left-handed winners since this event was first staged in 2016.

Bristol’s 34-year-old Trump moves on to 26 career ranking titles, ahead of Mark Williams and behind only Ronnie O’Sullivan (39), Hendry (36), John Higgins (31) and Davis (28). He extends his lead at the top of the one-year rankings and BetVictor Series list, and though he remains third in the official rankings, he closes the gap on leader O’Sullivan to just £10,000. He will go to the International Championship in China in early November with his sights on the top spot, and the chance to become the second player to win four straight ranking titles, chasing Hendry’s record of five in a row set in 1990.

Wakelin, playing the biggest match of his life, started strongly and led 2-1, but then could do little to stop an outstanding opponent at the top of his game. Nuneaton’s Wakelin missed the chance to double his tally of ranking titles having landed the BetVictor Shoot Out in January. Still, the 31-year-old has made huge strides forward in his career this year and the £35,000 runner-up cheque lifts him to 21st in the world rankings.

Trump did most of the damage in the opening session, taking a 6-2 lead. A packed house at the Waterfront Hall may have hoped for a Wakelin fight back, but instead they were treated to a Trump potting masterclass as he fired runs of 101 and 125 to extend the advantage to 8-2.

He had first chance in frame 11 but ran out of position at 31-0. Wakelin responded with 52, then got the better of a safety exchange and added the points he needed for 8-3. But the underdog couldn’t bring the contest to a mid-session interval as Trump stroked in a long red to initiate a match-winning 129, bringing cheers from the crowd as he finished with a series of exhibition shots.

“Things have happened so fast over the last three weeks, it feels surreal now and it has not sunk in,” said 2019 World Champion Trump. “The last session tonight was the best I have felt in the whole 20-match run, I felt really sharp. Once I get in front I can relax, play my best and over-power my opponents. When you are playing well, people miss at the right times, you scrape through in deciders and live to fight another day. Mentally I have been in a good place when the chances come up.

“You have to remember how many tight games I have won. I could have lost all of them, they are often a 50-50 shoot out. The margins are so fine in snooker and when it’s your time you have to take advantage.

“I’ve had a lot of tournament wins within the last five years. There have still been people saying I have not been playing well, maybe because they expect more from me. It’s the same with Jack Lisowski, I suppose we make the game look easy sometimes that people expect even more. But it’s not that easy.

“Chris has improved a lot and scores heavily, he looks more confident on the shot. He works on his weaknesses, which a lot of players don’t. That has really helped him and it’s nice to see someone out there with a smile on his face in such a great arena.”

Wakelin said: “It has been magical for me. Winning the Shoot Out was phenomenal, but to get to the final of an event like this, with such a great crowd was amazing. If I could pick anyone to play in the final it would be Judd. One day I’ve got to beat him, I think he has paid off his mortgage just from matches against me.

“When I was 2-1 up I thought ‘here we go, I’ve got this in the bag!’ But Judd has won the last three tournaments, he is one of the best players ever to play the game and I hope he keeps that going for the rest of the season. This time last year I was in a bad place but the last 12 months have been great for me, on and off the table. To have the privilege to play in this arena tonight was fantastic.”

Congratulations Judd Trump!

There is no doubts that Judd Trump is the best player – and the form player – at this moment in time. Such success can only come through hard work and the right attitude, on top of natural talent. Judd will be the first to tell you how much his brother Jack has contributed to his current success, by his presence and the positive influence he’s had when it comes to Judd’s attitude and mental state.

The “statisticians”1 are out in force speculating on if and when Judd will beat “the records”, a number of which belong to Ronnie. If he can keep this form into his late 40th, he will almost certainly beat most, maybe all, of those records. Judd however said a few interesting things in the studio this week. Notably he said that he had/has nobody in his generation able to challenge him. Actually, he could have had Ding as a fierce challenger but somehow Ding fizzled out, which is sad to see. Asked who his biggest rival is, he nodded to Ronnie and added that the “Class of 92” remained his biggest challengers. Not Mark Allen, who is not that much older than him, not Mark Selby or Neil Robertson … no … he named three players who are 13 or 14 years older than him, three players whose combined statistics are absolutely extraordinary and who are still competitive. That’s the biggest compliment anyone could give to the “Class of 92”.

Statistics are only meaningful when kept in context. Here are a few examples to illustrate what I mean.

  • Steve Davis has won 28 ranking titles. He’s won the UK Championship 6 times, but only 4 of these UK titles were “ranking”. For a long period of time, only the World championship was ranking.
  • When the “Class of 92” were Judd’s age, at the start of the millennium, there were only about 6 or 7 ranking events each season. in the years pre-Covid there were about 18 -20 of them. This years we have 16 ranking events. You can only play in and win what is available to you.
  • Tournament statuses change over time. As mentioned above, the UK Championship wasn’t ranking for the first seven years of its existence. The Shanghai Masters used to be ranking, but isn’t anymore.
  • Or this stats, kept on snooker.org. Ronnie has the same win % as Hawkins and Selby BUT Hawkins has played 27 matches, Selby 18, Ronnie only 9.

I’m not trying to belittle anyone’s achievements, let alone Judd Trump’s achievements. He’s currently the best out there. It’s just that I’m a mathematician and as such I can’t help to cringe at the way some – including pundits and commentators – read and use statistics.

  1. Yes David Hendon… you and a few others 😉 ↩︎

Snooker Catch-up 29.10.2023 – The 900 week 6 and Q-Tour going to America

Monique Amateur, Snooker ,

The 900 Week 6 – in pictures and a few words

On day 1 …

This was the program for the week

Nigel Bond was the winner on Monday, beating Tony Drago in the final

On day 2 …

This was the program for the day

Brendan O’ Donohue was the winner on Tuesday, beating Steven Hallworth in the final

On day 3 …

The 900 had the visit of the Reading Mayor

This was the program on the day…

Dharminder Lilly was the week 6 winner. He beat Brendan O’Donohue in the final

… and more pictures shared by Jason Francis

Great to see Emma Parker make it to the final day of the week.

There were a lot of very positive comments on social by the players involved. This format clearly gets their juices flowing!

As always, if you missed it, or want to watch it again, it’s all available on SportyStuffTV YouTube channel.

The Q-Tour goes to America

Here is WPBSA announcement

Americas Region to Join Q Tour Global

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) and the Pan American Billiards and Snooker Association (PABSA) are excited to announce the launch of the new Q Tour Americas Series as part of the WPBSA Q Tour Global during the 2023/24 season.

Following the launch of the Asia-Pacific region last month, the Americas region is the second to join the newly expanded WPBSA Q Tour Global, which will culminate in a 24-player playoff, with three places on the professional World Snooker Tour to be won from the start of the 2024/25 season.

As in previous seasons, the playoff will feature a minimum of 16 players from the UK/Europe rankings, who will now be joined by up to eight international qualifiers which will now include two players from the Americas region.

Americas Series

The WPBSA Q Tour Americas Series will initially include three recognised tournaments across the region.

There will be an America Q Tour ranking list where the top ranked player from North America and the top ranked player from South America and will operate its own ranking list with the top ranked player from North and South America will qualify for the Global Playoff next spring.

The events will be held in both North and South America and will finish before the end of March 2024 with dates and venues to be confirmed shortly.

Events will be open to players born in, or resident in the Pan American region for a minimum of six months.

“A key growth area”

Jason Ferguson, WPBSA Chairman said: “The Americas region represents a huge growth area for snooker.

“There are players with the dreams and aspirations all over the world, but often vast distance and expense stands in their way. Some players like Neil Robertson have overcome this hurdle, but we must learn from the huge challenges players have often faced. I am therefore delighted with today’s announcement, a clear demonstration of our intent to provide greater opportunities for all players around the world. The localisation of Q Tours is creating a life changing opportunity for talented players, and we are full of excitement as plans unfold.

“I would like to thank Ajeya Prabhakar and his team for their cooperation on this project and their support of our great sport. Through embracing these prestigious events as part of the WPBSA Q Tour Global, it can only help to further the development of snooker in the Pan American region.

Ajeya Prabhakar, PABSA President said: “On behalf of PABSA I am happy to announce this new agreement which will see some of our most prestigious tournaments recognised by the WPBSA for the first time.

“It is hugely exciting that more regions from around the globe are now taking their place within the WPBSA Q Tour Global structure and through the hard work of our team at PABSA and our member countries, we are proud to be a part of this development. We can see this week at The Pan American Snooker Championships, hosted by our friends and colleagues at the CBBS, that standards are rising, more countries want to participate, and more players want the opportunities to progress.

“I have no doubt that our players will lend their backing to this series and look forward to congratulating the overall winners who will travel to compete in the Global Playoff alongside some of the best amateur players in the world next year.”

Full tournament information and results will be available via WPBSA SnookerScores in due course, with the first tournament set to be held next January.

The 2023 NI Open – Semi-finals Day

Monique Snooker

The 2023 NI Open Final today will see Judd Trump, a multiple ranking titles winner and former World Champion, face Chris Wakelin whose only ranking title so far is the 2023 Shoot-out. On paper, Judd has to be a strong favourite but we shall see.

I only watched the first semi-final and it actually went as I expected … to an extend. By that I mean that having watched Chris in recent weeks, I was expecting him to win, but I wasn’t expecting that scoreline. Chris played even better than in his previous matches this week. He will need to sustain that level, or better today if he is to win.

I wish people stopped “bigging” Jack Lisowski as I think that it’s not helping him at all. I like Jack, I like his game, but he’s not performing well on the big stages and I believe that the huge expectations he’s had to cope with from a young age aren’t helping him. I’m also wondering if Peter Ebdon really is the type of coach Jack needs. As persons they are completely different. Peter was quite bold and attacking in his youth but that was some 30 years ago … when he wore a ponytail.

Like him or not, there is no doubt that Judd is the best player on Tour at the moment. Should he win tonight, it would be his third ranking title in a row. That said in those events, quite extraordinarily, he only played 4 matches against top 16 opposition: John Higgins (10), Ali Carter (11) and 2 times Barry Hawkins (14).

All the same, his confidence must be sky high and, at 34, stamina is not an issue for a fit young man. Unlike Chris, he’s been there and done it many times. He will be hard to beat today.

Here are WST reports on the semi-finals:

Wakelin Stuns Lisowski To Reach Final

Chris Wakelin said he had “never played that well on such a big occasion” as he thrashed Jack Lisowski 6-1 to reach the final of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.

Wakelin won the BetVictor Shoot Out in January this year but otherwise had never previously appeared in a ranking event semi-final. But against the more experienced Lisowski, he produced a dominant performance and looked composed and full of self-belief. World number 25 Wakelin will face Judd Trump or Barry Hawkins at the Waterfront Hall on Sunday. First to nine frames will lift the Alex Higgins Trophy and bank £80,000.

A former Asda delivery driver, Wakelin turned pro in 2013, and while he scored some fine results in the early years of his career, notably reaching the Crucible three times, he had never gone beyond the quarter-finals of a ranking event before 2023. He has made significant changes to his life since taking up ballroom dancing in 2021, and his renewed confidence helped him win the Shoot Out nine months ago. He now has the chance to make another leap forward and double his tally of titles.

The 31-year-old is also now guaranteed a place in the Champion of Champions next month, and victory tomorrow would make him the first right-handed player to lift the trophy in Belfast as the previous winners have all been left-handers: Mark King, Mark Williams, Trump and Mark Allen.

Wakelin took the opening frame with a break of 57, before Lisowski levelled with a run of 61. Frame three went Wakelin’s way, and he made a 57 to take control of the fourth. Lisowski had a chance to counter, but missed a difficult black when he trailed 57-20, and his opponent took advantage to lead 3-1 at the interval.

Nuneaton’s Wakelin continued to build momentum as a run of 71 put him 4-1 ahead. In frame six, Wakelin made 66 before missing a tricky red to centre, but Lisowski couldn’t punish him as a tough red along the top cushion wobbled in the pocket. Wakelin added 62 to go four up with five to play. A missed red on 34 in the seventh didn’t prove expensive for Wakelin as he soon got another chance and made a match-winning 34.

“I’ve never experience an atmosphere like that, not even playing at the Crucible,” said Wakelin. “It’s a stunning venue, looking up at the crowd takes your breath away. To play like that in that arena is what dreams are made of. I got a frame on the board at the start, settled down and my confidence grew.

“I’ve never played that well on such a big occasion, especially given how talented and dangerous Jack is. I’ve put a lot of work in and I’ve got a great team around me. My best mate Jason has been here all week, his wife Kate keeps ringing him and asking when he’s coming home!

“To be in the Champion of Champions is a great bonus because it’s such a big tournament. I used to go and watch my friend Mark Selby in that event every year and thought there was fat chance of me ever getting in it. That shows where I was at the time. If I get into it having won two ranking titles that would really validate my place in it.”

Asked about ballroom dancing, Wakelin added: “When I first signed up for it a couple of years ago to help a local charity, I was thinking the glitter and spray tans wasn’t for me. You could never even get me on the dancefloor in a nightclub. I turned up and was blown away by everyone involved. There were no egos, we were just there to learn new things, make new friends and raise money for Zoe’s Place which is a baby hospice. I fell in love with it and I have met some of my best friends through it. I got asked back the year afterwards to represent the team, and I have been asked back again this year although it’s the same week as the Scottish Open.

“It’s a huge part of my life now and it makes me feel good to be doing something for charity. I have worked on my fitness, out running three or four times a week. I am in a much better place mentally and that makes me more comfortable when I’m playing because I’m happy in myself. When I went out there today, if I lost 6-0 my life was still good. I love who I am now. Snooker means everything and I’m here to win. In the past, when I lost I’d be in the Doldrums and in the pub for three days, but now if I lose I can handle it.”

Trump On Brink Of Momentous Treble

Judd Trump recovered a 4-1 deficit to beat Barry Hawkins 6-4 in the semi-finals of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open and is now just one win away from becoming the first player in a decade to capture three consecutive ranking titles.

Bristol’s Trump has won 19 matches in a row, many of those from losing positions including tonight’s contest as he was outplayed by Hawkins in the early stages but yet again stormed back to sprint past the winning line. The 34-year-old will meet Chris Wakelin on Sunday in Belfast and first to nine frames will lift the Alex Higgins Trophy and bank £80,000. Trump has won all 11 of his previous meetings with Wakelin and will start a heavy favourite to complete the historic hat-trick.

The only other players to win three ranking titles in a row are Ray Reardon, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and most recently Ding Junhui in 2013. Trump is also looking to win his fourth Northern Ireland Open title having worn the crown in 2018, 2019 and 2020. And the world number three is certain to extend his lead over Hawkins at the top of the BetVictor Series rankings, with a £150,000 bonus up for grabs later in the season.

Trump is into his 41st ranking event final, equalling the tally of Davis and behind only Ronnie O’Sullivan (61), Stephen Hendry (57) and John Higgins (55).

Hawkins, who beat Trump in the BetVictor European Masters final in August, took the first two frames tonight with a top break of 58. In the third, a poor safety from Trump on the final yellow handed his opponent the chance to go 3-0 ahead. Trump pulled one back with a run of 90, only for Hawkins to make it 4-1 with a 75.

Back came Trump with two breaks of 70 to close to 4-3, and he dominated a scrappy eighth frame to square the contest. Frame nine came down to the colours and Trump missed a risky double on the brown, but Hawkins then failed on a difficult pink to a top corner, and fell behind for the first time. That proved the crucial moment, as Trump went on to close out the match in perfect fashion with a 128 total clearance, his fifth century of the tournament.

“Barry was in total control at 4-1,” admitted Trump. “I felt I needed to make things happen. The momentum turned and I started getting in first every frame. The big turning point was 4-4 when we both had a few chances in that frame. Having won so many matches in a row, I felt I was going to take my chance in the last frame. When I get on a roll I am able to go a few frames without missing many balls and maybe at the moment that’s the difference between me and everyone else.

“I have watched a few of Chris Wakelin’s games and he has improved a hell of a lot. I don’t think this will be a one-off, like a few players who you feel might not reach another final. He blew Jack (Lisowski) away today and played some incredible snooker. He could do that against me tomorrow, though to do it in a final is a different kettle of fish. I definitely won’t be taking him lightly.”

The 2023 NI Open – Quarter-finals Day

Monique Professional snooker tournament

Here are WST reports on quarter-finals day in Belfast

Afternoon session

Lisowski And Hawkins Into Semis

Jack Lisowski, yet to concede more than a single frame in a match this week in Belfast, reached his first ranking event semi-final in eight months with an emphatic 5-1 defeat of Ricky Walden at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open. Barry Hawkins is also into the last four, edging out David Gllbert 5-4.

…

World number 13 Lisowski won each of his first four matches by a 4-1 scoreline at the Waterfront Hall, and again cruised to victory in his quarter-final against Walden, making a century and two more breaks over 70.

The 32-year-old from Gloucestershire is into his 12th ranking semi-final and first since the German Masters in February. He will meet Chris Wakelin or Yuan Sijun on Saturday at 1pm, and victory would put Lisowski into his seventh ranking final and first since the 2021 Gibraltar Open. He is just two wins away from his first professional title.

Walden might have won the opening frame but missed the penultimate red to a top corner, playing with the rest, when he led 68-27. Lisowski cleared with 42, before Walden levelled with a superb break of 132. A scrappy third frame went Lisowski’s way, then he stepped up a gear with a 128 to lead 3-1 at the interval.

In the fifth, Walden led 37-0 when he missed a straight-forward pink to a centre pocket, and his opponent punished him with an 81 clearance. And the left-hander wrapped up the result in frame six with a 73.

Lisowski said: “Ricky is an amazing player, the break he made in the second frame was the best I have seen all week. I thought I was really in for a game. But he missed a few balls at key points and I made some nice clearances. Maybe the scoreline flatters me a bit. I felt good all game, I’m in a good place and enjoying my snooker. The venue is great and when it gets busy it’s a brilliant place to play snooker in front of an Irish crowd.

“It’s unusual for me to win all my matches comfortably because I’m usually quite reckless and open. I am trying to play better safety. I am trying to think more, to do the simple things better, not rush around the table. That goes against my natural tendencies, which feels a bit weird.”

Lisowski has former World Champion Peter Ebdon in his corner and they have regular phone conversations. He added: “I always speak to him. Hopefully if I get to the final he’ll come out. I love working with him and I think he’s happy so far this week.”

A high-quality battle between Hawkins and Gilbert included three centuries and five more breaks over 50. BetVictor European Masters champion Hawkins came out on top and continued his quest for a second ranking title of the season. The 44-year-old Londoner is into his 31st ranking event semi-final and will meet Judd Trump or Stephen Maguire on Saturday at 7pm.

Hawkins is second, behind Trump, in the BetVictor Series Rankings, so victory this week would leave him on target to win the £150,000 bonus which will be awarded after the eighth and final counting event – the BetVictor Welsh Open in February.

Hawkins made breaks of 138 and 134 in taking a 3-1 lead. Gilbert pulled one back with a run of 58, before Hawkins won frame six with a 66 to lead 4-2. The heavy scoring continued as Gilbert fired runs of 65 and 106 to level at 4-4.

A mid-range red set up a chance for Hawkins in the decider, albeit with pink and black out of commission. He played a series of superb positional shots, using the blue and baulk colours, to craft a run of 57 which proved enough.

“It was a fantastic match,” said Hawkins. “There were very few balls missed. David looked like he fancied the job, even at 4-2. I’m delighted to come through especially with a good break in the last frame. I kept coming awkward on the reds and having to pot long blues, those shots can be easily missed.”

Evening session

Trump Overturns Maguire In Belfast Thriller

Judd Trump came from 3-1 down to beat Stephen Maguire 5-4 in the quarter-finals of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open and is now just two wins away from joining the elite group of players to land three consecutive ranking titles.

Trump has won a remarkable 18 matches in a row, a golden run that has seen him lift the trophy at both the BetVictor English Open and Wuhan Open within the past three weeks. If he can complete the hat-trick on Sunday he will join Ray Reardon, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ding Junhui as the only players to capture three ranking titles in a row. His next opponent on Saturday evening will be Barry Hawkins, who beat Trump in the final of the BetVictor European Masters in August.

Chris Wakelin is also into the last four in Belfast after seeing off Yuan Sijun 5-2, and he’ll meet Jack Lisowski in the first semi-final on Saturday from 1pm.

Scotland’s Maguire won a scrappy opening frame tonight before Trump levelled with a break of 78. Maguire, playing in his first ranking quarter-final since the 2022 World Championship, regained the lead with a 74, then got the better of a safety battle on the brown in frame four and took advantage for 3-1.

World number three Trump stormed back after the interval with 109 and 81 for 3-3. Frame seven came down to the last red, and a safety error from Trump gifted his opponent the chance to edge ahead. But Trump’s 71 made it 4-4, and early in the decider he stroked in a long red to set up a break of 54. After a safety exchange, the Bristol cueman added 24 to keep his winning streak going.

Trump, though to his 57th ranking semi-final, said: “I made two really good breaks in the last two frames to get over the line. At 3-1 down I felt I hadn’t done much wrong and I would get my chances, I was never worried. When I got a chance in the decider I really felt I would take it. This arena comes alive when we go down to one table so it will be great to experience that tomorrow. Barry is in great form, he is more consistent than he has been for a long time. He’ll fancy his chances, just as I will.”

Wakelin won the BetVictor Shoot Out last season but had otherwise never previously reached the semi-finals of a ranking event. The Nuneaton cueman made breaks of 62 and 76 in taking a 2-1 lead before China’s Yuan levelled at 2-2. After the interval, world number 25 Wakelin made a vital 34 clearance to win frame five, took the next with a 54 and then ground through frame seven to complete the scoreline.

“It was a scrappy match and trying to get over the line felt like climbing Mount Everest,” admitted the 31-year-old. “If it had gone 4-3 then the pressure would have grown so I was pleased to get it done. To get to the semi-finals feels like a big step in my career thought I don’t feel I have played my best. I have battled well and I have not shown that in recent years. I’ve had a tendency to go into my shell and be scared of losing. This week I have battled from the heart, I have put everything into it.

“Tomorrow will be a big challenge, Jack is a phenomenal player. But he is yet to win silverware and that’s a monkey on his back. That’s something he’ll be looking to cross off and he might fancy his chances against me. But I wouldn’t want to play me at the moment. My game is as good as ever and I’m filled with confidence and belief that I belong in the later stages of these tournaments.”

Chris Wakelin is a completely different player since he won the Shoot Out. Maybe winning an event – any event – was what he needed to be able to unleash his full potential, or, maybe, it’s the added financial security that “freed” him. Whatever it is, it worked wonders. Prior to that win, Chris had to battle mental health issues. He didn’t withdraw, lonely, in a corner. He took on ballroom dancing and it helped him massively: he lost weight, got fitter and made new friends. He deserves everything good coming his way. He’s played his QF match on table 2 and that may put him at a disadvantage. We shall see. His opponent, Jack Lisowski, also seems to finally mature. This week, he’s been able to “control” his attacking instincts better and to play more of a percentage game, without being negative. I look forward to their match.

Judd and Barry have met many times over the last 15 years. Each of them has got significant wins over the other. They have contrasting styles. This match is hard to predict but I would be very surprised if it was one-sided. With the time difference, I may not be able watch it to its conclusion… 😴 … not out of boredom, just that I’m not a night owl …

Ronnie was in the studio yesterday. He looked well and happy. Asked about his arm injury he said that he hopes to be fully fit for the International Championship. Fingers crossed.

Finally some news about the “Documentary”

Monique Film, Interview ,

This was published today …

Ronnie O’Sullivan documentary finally gets release date on Amazon Prime Video

Phil Haigh – Friday 27 Oct 2023

Ronnie O’Sullivan won his record-equalling seventh world title in 2022 (Picture: PA)

The film documenting Ronnie O’Sullivan’s seventh World Snooker Championship win is finally set for release, hitting cinemas on 21 November, before launching on Prime Video two days later.

The Rocket granted cameras extensive access to his Crucible campaign last year, which helpfully ended with him lifting the world title for a seventh time, equalling Stephen Hendry’s record.

O’Sullivan was followed everywhere in the build-up to the event and throughout the tournament, even wearing a microphone during matches, so ‘Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything’ is set to be an incredible insight into the world of the greatest player the sport has ever had.

David Beckham’s Studio 99 has produced the documentary, with the Manchester United icon involved in live Q&A with O’Sullivan when the film is exclusively released in cinemas, before landing on Prime Video on 23 November.

On his motivation for the documentary, O’Sullivan said: ‘My highs and lows have been well-documented by the media but I felt like now was the right time to do something more definitive – something that I can look back and reflect on as I contemplate retirement. 

‘Going into my 7th World Championship I wasn’t sure I had it in me but allowing the cameras in ended up driving me on in many ways and gave me a different perspective.’

The Rocket gave some clues on what to expect during the 2022 World Championships, which eventually saw him beat Judd Trump in the final.

‘I’ve given complete access to the point where if you put a fly on the wall and followed me for 17 days, that’s basically what happened,’ O’Sullivan said.

‘They’ve been in my dressing room, they’ve been in my hotel room before and after matches and sessions. I embraced it because whatever I get involved in, let’s just make it the best I could possibly do.’

He also said before the 2022 tournament got underway: ‘If I’m going to get bombed out in the first round, I couldn’t give a monkeys.

‘The documentary isn’t about me trying to win a world title. If it happens, great. If not they’ll have to put up with a first-round exit. They’re the business guys behind it, I’m just an actor.

‘The reason I’m doing it is because of everything I’ve done in my past. It’s a chance for people to watch someone they’ve followed for years.

‘Let them see the pressure, the stress, the good and the not-so-good

Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything is available exclusively in cinemas across UK & Ireland on November 21 and launches on Prime Video on November 23. Theatrical release includes LIVE Q&A featuring Ronnie and very special guests.

2023 Northern Ireland Open Day 5

Monique Professional snooker tournament

Here are WST reports on what happened yesterday in Belfast:

Morning and afternoon sessions

Moody Dream Ended By Yuan

Teenager Stan Moody saw his hopes of extending his run at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open end as he lost 4-2 to China’s Yuan Sijun in the last 16, while former Crucible king Shaun Murphy was knocked out 4-2 by Chris Wakelin.

…

Tour rookie Moody, who turned 17 last month, won three matches in this event to raise his hopes of a quarter-final clash with mentor Murphy, but both were knocked out in Belfast a round early. Two more wins would have made Moody the youngest ever ranking event semi-finalist, beating the record set by Paul Hunter at the 1996 Welsh Open, but the WSF Junior Champion will have to wait for another chance.

World number 45 Yuan is through to the sixth ranking quarter-final of his career and the 23-year-old will hope to reach his second semi-final – the other coming at the 2019 Gibraltar Open.

Yorkshire’s Moody looked in charge when he fired a break of 88 to lead 2-1, but Yuan hit back to take the next three frames with a top break of 57.

Meanwhile, Murphy was looking to continue his bid to win a fourth ranking title of 2023, but he was outplayed by BetVictor Shoot Out champion Wakelin. World number seven Murphy has been bringing two cues into the arena this week and today, for the first time, he swapped cues before the fourth frame. But it made no difference as world number 25 Wakelin progressed to his seventh career ranking quarter-final.

After sharing the first two frames, Murphy made a yellow-to-black clearance to lead 2-1. But he scored just two points in the last three frames as Wakelin took them all with top breaks of 55, 41 and 49.

“I felt I controlled the match well and put pressure on Shaun,” said 31-year-old Wakelin. “I haven’t been past the quarter-finals of a ranking event other than the Shoot Out in my career so far, but I won’t be going into tomorrow scared of getting to a semi or a final or lifting more silverware. I genuinely feel I should be in the later stages of tournaments and I think performances like today show that.”

Asked about Murphy’s decision to change cue, Wakelin replied: “I have nothing but admiration for Shaun and for the fact he is trying to pioneer something new in the sport – hats off to him. But I don’t think changing cue is the solution if you are struggling out there. There are other factors you can change. As soon as I saw him dipping into his case to get a different cue out, I was thinking that he hadn’t missed many balls, and it would take him a few shots to adjust to a new cue.

“It’s like putting Max Verstappen in Lewis Hamilton’s car and expecting it all to fit perfectly and drive the same. A cue is so personal, I don’t think swapping half way through a match is the solution now, though it could be in the future.”

Ricky Walden reached his first ranking quarter-final since the 2022 Scottish Open by beating Xing Zihao 4-1 with a top break of 134. “It has been a long time coming after a tough season for me,” said Walden, who will meet Jack Lisowski or Aaron Hill on Friday. “In the last few months I have gone back to my previous cue and I have got settled down with that now and it feels good. When I’m happy with my game I just enjoy the challenge of competing.”

Judd Trump is still on target to become the first player in a decade to win three consecutive ranking titles as he beat Ian Burns 4-2. Bristol’s Trump, who has already lifted the BetVictor English Open and Wuhan Open trophies this month, was out of sorts against Burns and his highest break was just 36, but he did enough to earn a last 16 tie with Noppon Saengkham on Thursday evening.

Joe Perry came from 3-1 down to beat Hossein Vafaei 4-3, making a break of 122 in each of the last two frames, setting up a match with Stephen Maguire. David Gilbert top scored with 127 in a 4-1 win over Lyu Hoatian and he now meets Rory McLeod. Barry Hawkins beat Jimmy Robertson 4-1 and he’ll now face Robbie Williams who saw off Zhang Anda by the same scoreline. All of these last 16 ties will be on Thursday night.

Evening sessions

Heaven 17 For History-Chasing Trump

Despite battling fatigue, Judd Trump won his 17th consecutive match with a 4-3 defeat of Noppon Saengkham at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open as he continued his quest to become the first player in a decade to win three consecutive ranking events.

Trump is through to the quarter-finals in Belfast and will face Stephen Maguire on Friday at 7pm. Having already won the BetVictor English Open and Wuhan Open this month, he is looking to become the fifth player in snooker history, and first since Ding Junhui in 2013, to win three ranking titles on the bounce.

After sharing the first two frames, Thailand’s Saengkham made a break of 85 to lead 2-1, before Trump levelled with a 124. World number 23 Saengkham regained the lead with a run of 109 and he had match-winning chances in a fragmented sixth frame. It came down to a long safety battle on the colours, resolved when Trump double the brown to a centre pocket and added the blue for 3-3.

Saengkham had one more chance but missed a red to a top corner on 6 early in the decider, and his opponent punished him with 92.

“It’s very tough off the back of a couple of long weeks, I don’t know how I’m still going,” said world number three Trump, who won this title in 2018, 2019 and 2020. “It’s so draining playing this many games. Every day I wake up hoping I’m not flat and I’m still excited. I go out there hoping the crowd will help and I’m trying to do it for my family who have always supported me. There is not a lot left in the tank but I am trying to see out the week and then have a break.

“This might be the only time I get the chance to win three in a row because it’s hard enough to win one, let along two and then be in another quarter-final.

“I had to dig in tonight and luckily Noppon missed a couple of crucial balls and I got my chance in the end. When you’re in the winning habit it’s easier to make those breaks in the last frame.”

Jack Lisowski eased into his 27th ranking quarter-final, and ended Irish hopes, with a 4-1 win over Aaron Hill. World number 13 Lisowski, who has won all four matches so far this week by a 4-1 scoreline, rattled in runs of 116, 60, 61 and 83 to set up a match with Ricky Walden

“There was a good atmosphere tonight, it was great to play Aaron, he’s going to have a big future in the game,” said Lisowski. “The best of sevens are tricky because they can change so quickly so it’s good to be into the best of nines with an interval. Ricky Walden hits the ball so cleanly and I always enjoy playing him. Hopefully I can keep up my standard. The dream would be to win my first title against Judd in the final.”

Stephen Maguire earned his first ranking event quarter-final appearance since the 2022 World Championship by edging out Joe Perry 4-3. From 3-1 down, Perry battled back to 3-3 with a top run of 123, and he had a chance to snatch the decider from 40-0 down but missed the black to a top corner on 26. Maguire replied with 30 which proved enough.

David Gilbert, whose last ranking quarter-final came exactly a year ago, beat Rory McLeod 4-0 with a top break of 61. He’ll now meet BetVictor European Masters champion Barry Hawkins, who beat Robbie Williams 4-0.

Friday’s quarter-finals:

12pm
Jack Lisowski v Ricky Walden

Not before 2pm
Barry Hawkins v David Gilbert

Not before 7pm
Judd Trump v Stephen Maguire
Chris Wakelin v Yuan Sijun

Although Stan Moody rightly deserves praise for his run to the last 16 in this event and it’s a good thing that WST promotes young talents, the focus on him, whilst, at the same time, completely ignoring Xing Zihao who is also a rookie, only 18, and who reached the same round as Stan, once again shows how UK centric the whole WST is, and that its reporting focusses mainly on the UK/Irish players and readers. Xing lost by 4-1 to Ricky Walden in the last 16 and the match isn’t even mentioned in the above reports.

Judd Trump is fatigued and it’s only normal. The whole schedule in the last weeks is extremely demanding. Judd is 34, probably at the power of his strengths. He’s mature, experienced but still very young. Most older players will struggle with such a schedule as they need more time to “recover” after a massive effort. Snooker may not be the most physical sport, but sustaining ones concentration for long periods is mentally draining.

The typical schedule of the QFs means that Chris Wakelin and Yuan Sijun will be the only ones playing on table 2 today. As the semi-finals and final will be on table 1, this may put them at a slight disadvantage. Why not start at 10 pm, and have all QFs played under the same conditions?