Judd Trump defeated Ali Carter by 10-7 in the final to win the 2023 Wuhan Open. This is Judd’s 25th ranking title, and the second in the space of two weeks.

Congratulations Judd Trump

Here is the report by WST:

Trump Scores Wonderful Wuhan Win

Judd Trump was crowned a ranking event winner for the 25th time, as he came from behind to beat Ali Carter 10-7 in the final of the inaugural Wuhan Open.

The victory is all the more remarkable given Trump was battling from 7-3 down to beat Zhang Anda 9-7 in the final of the English Open in Brentwood this time last week, when he claimed a first ranking title for 19 months. He arrived to begin competing in Wuhan two days late and made up for that with two match wins on Wednesday.

It’s the fourth time Trump has won back-to-back titles. He is only the third ever player to win successive tournaments in different countries, following in the footsteps of Stephen Hendry in 1990 and Mark Williams in 2002.

Trump now draws level on 25 with Williams in fifth position on the all-time ranking event winner’s list. Only Ronnie O’Sullivan (39), Hendry (36), John Higgins (31) and Steve Davis (28) have won more.

This week’s tournament marked a first ranking event in Asia since the 2019 World Open in Yushan, a tournament which Trump won. He has now been victorious in three of the last four ranking events to be staged in China. The Ace in the Pack scoops £140,000 for his victory this week, meaning he will move ahead of Mark Allen and become the world number three.

Carter will be disappointed to leave Wuhan without the trophy, but can be pleased to look back on a second final of 2023. He picked up the title at the German Masters back in February, when he defeated Tom Ford in the final in Berlin.

The Captain earns the £63,000 runner-up cheque for his showing this week. His run of 145 in the semi-finals means he shares the high break prize with Aaron Hill, they pocket £2,500 each.

The afternoon session saw Carter battle back from 4-1 down to earn a 5-4 lead heading into tonight. However, it was Trump who hit the ground running this evening to wrest control of this encounter.

Breaks of 116, 56 and 71 saw Trump take a quickfire three on the bounce to move 7-5 ahead. A gutsy contribution of 56 saw Carter close the gap to a single frame, but it was Trump who took the 14th to lead 8-6.

It had looked like Carter would again move within a single frame, but a spurned green to the middle allowed Trump to move to the verge of victory at 9-6. Both players missed final pinks in the next, but it was eventually Carter who deposited it to stay in the contest. However, the 17th frame proved to be the last of the evening with Trump hammering home a spectacular match winning run of 105 to secure the title.

“It was very good. From where I was at the start of the tournament, when I just turned up and hoped for the best. The first day surprised me because I did play pretty well. With that comes a little bit of expectation. The first few rounds did give me a bit of confidence,” said 34-year-old Trump.

“I didn’t give myself much of a chance, but I was so relieved to have won the title last week that this was a bit of a free hit. Nothing really mattered after getting that title. It isn’t until the semi-final stage that you really want to win again. When you get to the final you don’t want to be on the losing end. My record in finals over the last five to ten occasions hasn’t been as good as it was before, so it was nice to get the win.

“My confidence was extremely high at the start of the season. I felt like I was playing really well in practice. I knew the form was there. It was just about having that bit of luck at the right times, which I don’t think was happening. Your confidence then gets knocked and you don’t win. Every season is so different from the one before. This season has been completely different. I’ve got off to an extremely good start and it is probably as well as I’ve ever started a season.

“I think this could be the best venue in China. The way the arena was set up and the amount of people in there made it a very inspiring place to play snooker. Sometimes in the past the arena has been too big and felt empty, but there were a lot of people in there and it spurred me on. I’m definitely someone that likes to play in front of a big crowd.”

Carter said: “I just managed to hang in there today and hoped it would turn. In the end I didn’t have a lot left to be honest. I gave it my best go and it has been a successful week. The ranking points are important and there is lots to look forward to for the rest of the season. I’ve had a good start to the season so far. This is such a big event, to get 63,000 ranking points is almost like a tournament win. Onwards and upwards.”

It was indeed a good tournament. All the players’ reactions I saw on social media were extremely positive. They were very well looked after and felt very welcome. we also saw quite a number of young players, mainly young Chinese players, reaching the latter stages of the event and giving a very good account of themselves.

Wu Yize who only turned 20 yesterday in particular impressed me, as he reached the semi-finals. Losing the match wasn’t the best birthday gift of course but … a nice attention awaited him in the media room after his efforts. Happy belated birthday Wu!

Both semi-finals today saw an experienced English top player face a young Chinese player, and we will have an all English final as Ali Carter and Judd Trump will do battle over a best of 19 frames.

Ali Carter beat Lyu Haotian by 6-2 (Afternoon session – WST report)

Captain Cruises To Wuhan Final

Ali Carter is through to the 12th ranking final of his career, after scoring a straightforward 6-2 defeat of China’s Lyu Haotian in their last four clash this afternoon.

Carter is aiming for a third ranking title on Chinese soil, having previously won the 2010 Shanghai Masters and the 2016 World Open. The five-time ranking event winner ended a seven-year title drought back in February when he won the German Masters in Berlin, beating Tom Ford in the final.

The Captain now faces a final with either last week’s English Open champion Judd Trump or world number 49 Wu Yize. It will be contested over the best of 19 frames, with the winner pocketing £140,000.

Lyu will have to wait longer for his maiden ranking title and second appearance in a final. The 25-year-old has now suffered defeat in four of his five semi-final appearances.

Breaks of 64 and 81 gave Carter the opening frame this afternoon. Lyu levelled, before Carter took the third to regain the lead. A truncated 46-minute fourth went the way of Lyu and they headed in for the mid-session locked level at 2-2.

When play resumed, Carter stepped up a gear and ruthlessly charged for the line. Breaks of 96, 122, 91 and 70 saw him rack up four frames on the bounce to run out a 6-2 victor.

“I felt like I missed a bit of a trick in the first half. In the second half all I could do was take my chances. He gave me four chances and I made four frame winning breaks. I was particularly pleased to win the last frame in one hit. Anyone will tell you that it is never easy to get over the line and reach a big final. To clear up and make it a relatively easy day’s work was pleasing,” said 44-year-old Carter.

“It was a massive occasion for him. You could see that. The pressure he would have been under in a one-table setup and the semi-final of a big ranking event. After beating Ronnie yesterday all eyes would have been on him. He’ll come again and lives to fight another day.

“We all had preconceptions of what Wuhan was like, but we’ve all been pleasantly surprised. It is a massive city. I think the players that stayed at home and decided not to play have missed a trick. I think this is one of the best China events without a doubt.”

https://youtube.com/watch?v=GBb-Q-CCqjI%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26enablejsapi%3D1%26origin%3Dhttps%3A

Judd Trump beat Wu Yize by 6-1 (evening session)

Trump Makes Inaugural Wuhan Final

Last week’s English Open champion Judd Trump is through to his second consecutive final after storming to a 6-1 win over Wu Yize in the semis at the Wuhan Open.

Trump now faces Ali Carter in the title match, where they will be battling it out to become the inaugural winner of the Wuhan Open. This week marks the first ranking event to take place in Asia since 2019, when Trump took home the title at the World Open.

The Ace in the Pack has battled against the odds to make the final after his exertions in winning the English Open final last Sunday, when he came from 7-3 down to beat Zhang Anda 9-7. Trump arrived in China on Tuesday and had to play two matches on Wednesday to catch up, but so far he has shown no signs of tiredness.

Wu’s week ends in defeat but he can reflect on a tournament which has seen him make the semi-final of a ranking event for the first time in his career. The Chinese cueman, who celebrated his 20th birthday today, defeated Marco Fu, Ryan Day, Stephen Maguire and Aaron Hill on his way to the last four.

There were no birthday signs of cheer for Wu this evening, as Trump ruthlessly established an early lead. The Englishman compiled breaks of 110, 53, 77 and 52 on his way to moving 4-0 up at the mid-session.

After the break Wu did get on the scoreboard thanks to a contribution of 68 in the fifth. However, Trump quickly extinguished any hopes of a fightback with runs of 127 and 63. He delighted the capacity crowd in the final frame by clearing the colours whilst barely moving his feet.

Trump said: “It was nice to play in front of a big crowd in China. It’s been a while and that was probably one of the biggest crowds we will get to play in front of. It was a packed house and I didn’t expect a lot this week, so every game is a bonus. I am just going out, trying to enjoy it and take it all in. The crowds have been good all week, but that was a different arena and it was nice to be involved. I’m happy I got through.

“I know a few players have tried potting the colours without moving their feet in practice. It is a different kettle of fish when it is out in a tournament. It is nice to show what I can do. I know that the crowd enjoy that kind of stuff more than anyone. Whenever I get a chance to play a difficult shot I always do here.

“Ali will probably make it a lot more difficult than some of the younger players have done. I think he is similar to Barry Hawkins, in that you have to earn everything. For me, honestly, I don’t care. I won the tournament last week and I’m in the final. I have zero pressure on me. I can go out, enjoy it and see what happens. I’m just happy to play in front of another amazing crowd.”

Those results were to be expected. Wu and Lyu did very well this week, and, hopefully, the experience gained will help them to reach the next step. Despite Ronnie’s QF defeat, I enjoyed the week and I’m looking forward to the final. Recently Ronnie expressed nostalgia about the way events were run during the “tobacco” years. He felt valued, something he rarely now experiences in ranking events in the UK, but something that players do get in China, with the hospitality, the opening ceremony and banquet, and the enthusiast crowd in attendance. I think that WST would benefit from reintroducing some of that at all their home events. It has a cost, but I believe that it would pay back very quickly in terms of quality and atmosphere. Players spend countless hours in practice, it’s a very solitary sport. They deserve their time in the spotlights, and to be treated well. It would only increase their motivation and ultimately that would translate in a better experience for the paying fans and an increased interest in the “live” WST events. Aspects that needs improving in UK events in general is the quality of the food on offer and the overall comfort.

Here is the report by WST:

Lyu Downs Rocket But O’Sullivan Stays At Summit

China’s Lyu Haotian stunned seven-time World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan with a surprise 5-1 victory at the inaugural Wuhan Open, but results elsewhere mean the Rocket is set to remain world number one for now.

O’Sullivan knew if Mark Allen won this week’s event he would be usurped at the summit of the world rankings. However, Allen bowed out this evening against Ali Carter.

It’s the first time in four years that O’Sullivan has lost a match on Chinese soil. His last defeat came at the hands of Dominic Dale in the first round of the 2019 World Open in Yushan. Lyu is now through to the semis of a ranking event for the fifth time in his career, where he will face Carter, but he is still searching for a maiden title.

Lyu took a tight first two frames this evening on the colours, before breaks of 76 and 66 saw him head into the mid-session with a 4-0 advantage. When they returned, a stunning break of 101 from O’Sullivan kept him in contention. However, Lyu took the sixth to run out a 5-1 victor.

Afterwards O’Sullivan admitted that he wasn’t too worried by the prospect of Allen overtaking him at the top of the world rankings, even though the Pistol’s eventual loss did mean he’d stay on top.

“When I first got to number one I couldn’t believe it. When you’ve held it for a few years, you don’t get seduced by victories, World Championships or being the world number one. When I was younger I wanted it. When you get it you become used to it and it is normal. It is a shame really, because you lose that hunger and desire. There is nothing left for me to achieve in snooker. I wish there was something for me to go for. I’ve achieved more than I could ever imagine and more than any other snooker player on the planet,” said 39-time ranking event winner O’Sullivan.

“Lyu played very well. He didn’t miss much, scored well, played good safety and potted some good pressure balls. Credit where it is due. I could have played a bit better, but I didn’t do a lot wrong.”

I think that this is a very honest assessment by Ronnie. He hasn’t got past the QFs in any ranking event since winning his 7th World Title, but he has won three prestigious invitational events. He finds it hard to motivate himself for “normal” events, as he admits in this interview. He’s going to turn 48 in a few weeks, he has won everything, he has nothing to prove, but he still loves playing and competing.

Csilla on facebook branded Ronnie’s display today “disgusting”. I disagree, he wasn’t at his best but as himself stated, he didn’t do a lot wrong either and, believe me, Ronnie tends to be quite harsh on himself. Today, he wasn’t at his best, obviously. He didn’t have much run either except at the start of the only frame he won. But he tried, he came back at the table at the end of the fourth frame, without hope to win it but in an attempt to find some feel of the table and some rhythm. That’s not the attitude of someone who doesn’t care and throws the match.

Here are the scores:

As you can see most frames were close. Not much worked for Ronnie before the MSI. In general, he wasn’t playing as well as he can when on form, and Lyu took advantage, as he should.

Lyu actually played very well. I hope he goes on to win a tournament, this one or another in the future. He was an exceptional junior but his debuts in the main tour were extremely traumatic. He actually quit snooker for a while. He’s a very talented player, with limitations because of his physique: he is frail and rather short. His break-building skills are excellent, and his temperament is good. He’s clever and positive in his approach to the game. I always liked him since I first saw him play close up in Yixing some 11 years ago.

Here are the videos shared by ES on their YouTube channel:

Ranking wise, this week has improved Ronnie’s position significantly. He will stay number one, because Mark Allen also lost today. In the provisional snooker.org end of season rankings he’s currently 19th, but would climb to 17th if he wins his opening match at the International Championship. Similarly, he’s currently 36th in the race to the World Grand Prix, but a win in the first round of the International Championship would see him climb to 24th, well inside the qualifying bracket. The most important factor here is for him to avoid further injuries.

Ronnie has reached the quarter final stage yesterday in Wuhan by beating Yuan Sijun by 5-1. He will play Lyu Haotian today. That is as far as he got in any ranking event last season. Hopefully he will be able to better that today.

Here is the report by WST:

O’Sullivan secured his passage to the last eight thanks to an entertaining 5-1 defeat of China’s Yuan Sijun.

The Rocket is aiming to win a third consecutive event in China, having scored big invitational wins at the 2022 Hong Kong Masters and the recent Shanghai Masters.

The seven-time World Champion dominated this evening’s tie, making breaks of 130, 64 and 82 on his way to a 4-1 advantage. The last frame saw him trail 63-5 and require all blacks with the reds in difficult positions. O’Sullivan found away to get the blacks he required and finish off the match. Afterwards he admitted he savours the test of winning frames from tough spots.

“I quite like that sort of challenge sometimes. I didn’t expect to win it, but you know what you have to do and know you need to go red, black, red, black to have a chance. There is nothing to lose in a frame like that,” said 39-time ranking event winner O’Sullivan.

“I think these conditions (in China) suit me and Judd more than anyone else. I liken it a bit to Nadal playing on clay. It forces you to play certain shots. You can be in perfect position one minute and then out of position the next. You need to be a bit of a shotmaker. The ball runs on and you can’t screw it as much. The white tends to go near the side cushion if you don’t play it correctly. Methodical players don’t like that. Me and Judd make it up as we go along.”

And the scores

As usual ES shared some videos on their YouTube channel:

WST shared Ronnie’s post-match on YouTube

There weren’t many pictures shared on social media yesterday for some reason…

This the quarter-finals line-up and schedule:

Afternoon (in China) session:

Wu Yize v Aaron Hill and Judd Trump v Tom Ford

Evening (in China) session:

Mark Allen v Ali Carter and Lyu Haotian v Ronnie O’Sullivan

Wu Yize beat Stephen Maguire on a re-spotted black in the decider yesterday.