All four quarter-final matches were played yesterday in Shanghai.
Ronnie beat John Higgins in a deciding frame, by 6-5, having trailed 2-5. He struggled for most of the match, battled hard and eventually found some form as he finished with two centuries. My report on that epic is here.
Selby will be full of confidence heading into the last four, after he earned his place courtesy of a 6-1 demolition of Judd Trump.
The win is Selby’s first over Trump since 2015, having lost their previous five encounters. Today’s result is a dramatic reversal of fortunes against Trump for the four-time Crucible king.
It was Trump who took the opening frame this afternoon with a break of 70, but from there it was Selby who took full control of the tie. Breaks of 63, 75, 87, 80 and 83 helped him to six on the bounce and a place in the last four.
“As it turned out, Judd didn’t perform anywhere near as well as he can. When people like Judd play like that you have to try and capitalise. It doesn’t come round very often. Normally he is very good and unplayable or he plays to a good level,” said four-time World Champion Selby.
“China is an important part of our calendar and to not have it for three or four years has been tough. To come back with no restrictions is great and I speak on behalf of all of the players that we are happy to come back here.”
Australia’s Neil Robertson confirmed his place in the last four with a comprehensive 6-1 demolition of China’s Fan Zhengyi.
Robertson looked in deep trouble in his opening match against Ding Junhui, trailing 5-3, but he rallied to take the final three frames and emerge a 6-5 victor. Things were more straightforward for the 23-time ranking event winner this evening.
Breaks of 77, 62 and 107 helped 23-time ranking event winner Robertson to victory in just over two hours. He’s just one match from sealing a maiden appearance in the Shanghai Masters final. Standing in his way is World Champion Luca Brecel.
Brecel overcame Welsh Open champion Robert Milkins to book his semi-final slot. The Belgian had trailed 2-0 and 3-2 in this evening’s clash, but strung together four frames on the bounce to ensure he progressed to Saturday’s second semi-final.
I can’t comment on the Selby v Trump and the Robertson v Fan matches as I saw nothing of them. One observation though: strangely, whilst Ronnie and John Higgins have played each other a zillion times, Selby and Trump have clashed relatively rarely, considering they both reach the latter stages of events regularly. In general Trump had had the upper hand. Yesterday, Selby appeared very happy after the match, so he must be playing well.
Ronnie and Mark will play the first semi-final over two sessions – best of 19 – in Shanghai today. They will ply 9 frames in the first session, and a possible 10 in the second session. Based on what they have shown so far this week, I have to make Mark Selby favourite. That said, Ronnie yesterday really showed an iron will to win, so I certainly don’t write him off.
Neil Robertson won easily – by 6-1 – but it’s not as if he made a century in every frame. Fan was the only Chinese player remaining in the draw and that added a lot of pressure on his young shoulders? Comments from those who watched that match are welcome…
Luca Brecel beat Robert Milkins by 6-3 and this was a strange one. Milkins looked by far the stronger player in the first half of the match. He lead 2-0 and 3-2. After that, he appeared to lose both his game and his confidence. Luca didn’t score particularly heavily, but he came up with a lot of creative and unconventional shots, and got most of them. That type of game is difficult to play against.
Neil and Luca will play their semi-final tomorrow.
Here are some images of yesterday matches, minus the Ronnie v Higgins one), shared on Weibo by Sina Billiards
And also some pictures shared by Neil Robertson on Weibo. He’s meeting the fans after his win over Ding Junhui.
Ronnie beat John Higgins by 6-5 this morning (in Europe) in an extraordinary quarter-final match.
Ronnie was nowhere near his best and struggled with the humid conditions. It was 2-2 at the MSI, but Higgins had been the better player. When they resumed, Higgins seemed to run away with the match: he won the next three frames. In the next, Higgins was first in again and looked a certain winner … Ronnie however didn’t give up. He won that frame from 58-0 down, and took the next as well. At that point his highest break was a mere 44 … and them he found something from nowhere. He forced the decider with a 100, then scored a 130 in the last frame to steal the match.
Ronnie’s form was poor, he made many mistakes, which maybe isn’t that surprising given that he hasn’t played competitively since last April, but his attitude and resilience were exemplary.
Defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan battled back from the brink at 5-2 down, to beat old adversary John Higgins 6-5 and clinch his place in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters.
Victory means O’Sullivan extends his unbeaten run in the event, which he won the three previous runnings of between 2017 and 2019. The Rocket has won his last 17 matches in Shanghai and was last beaten in the city by Michael Holt back in 2016.
This afternoon’s showdown was the latest instalment of one of snooker’s standout rivalries. With 70 ranking titles between them, O’Sullivan and Higgins have become accustomed to competing against one another on the sport’s grandest stage. Today’s result means 39-time ranking event winner O’Sullivan now leads the head-to-head standings 38-33.
Defeat will come as a bitter blow for 31-time ranking event winner Higgins, who has suffered a number of agonising losses in recent times. The Glaswegian hasn’t managed to pick up silverware in a knock out event since the 2021 Players Championship, having been runner-up in five events between now and then.
It was Higgins who made all of the running to gain a stranglehold on today’s encounter, with his opponent struggling to find his form. Higgins crafted breaks of 103, 115, 71 and 74 on his way to moving one from the win at 5-2.
At that point it appeared O’Sullivan had a mountain to climb, but Higgins began to falter with the finishing line in sight. He spurned chances to close out the tie in the eighth and ninth frames, with the battling O’Sullivan capitalising to close the gap to 5-4.
Englishman O’Sullivan found his best form at the crucial moment and made Higgins pay. A century break of exactly 100 forced the decider, where he deposited a sublime long red and conjured a total clearance of 130 to emerge a 6-5 victor. The result sets up a semi-final showdown with Mark Selby tomorrow.
O’Sullivan said: “He should have put me away really. He had enough chances. He was 5-2 up and in control of the game, uncharacteristically for John he didn’t finish it off. He looked a little bit disappointed with himself. I didn’t expect to do anything because I was really awful. I’ve been awful for about 18 months now and that is a long time to not find any form.
“When you’ve got a nice crowd and a nice venue it forces you to dig in, you don’t really want to lose. At this tournament you give it 100% all of the way. I have a good record here and it would be nice to get to the final.
“I don’t play to entertain, I just play the way I play. Judd is similar to me and Jimmy White was the same, we play an attacking game. Luca Brecel is amazing and I love watching him. He is my favourite player to watch. That is the way he plays the game. If you ask Judd and Luca if they play to entertain, they would just say they play their game. I think the crowd enjoy more attacking snooker though.”
Here is the pivotal frame 8, shared by Eurosport on their YouTube channel
And this is the decider, also shared by Eurosport on their YouTube channel
And this is Ronnie’s – rather downbeat – post-match interview, shared by WST on their YouTube channel
And a few images, shared by WST on social media
Ronnie’s reward for his efforts is to play Mark Selby tomorrow over best of 19 frames… 🤨
(minus the part already quoted about Ronnie’s win)
Higgins continued his good form this season with a 6-3 win over 2015 Shanghai Masters winner Kyren Wilson. The Glaswegian fired in breaks of 63, 53, 57, 100 and 52 on his way to this afternoon’s victory. The 31-time ranking event winner made the semi-finals at the recent European Masters and will head into his showdown with O’Sullivan full of confidence.
Judd Trump came through a nerve shredding encounter with close friend Jack Lisowski 6-5. Trailing 43-1 in the final frame, he stepped up with a brilliant break of 74 to secure victory.
The Ace in the Pack is seeking a maiden Shanghai Masters title this week, having lost in three previous finals. Next up Trump faces Mark Selby, who also required a deciding frame to beat Hossein Vafaei 6-5.
Mark Williams and Robert Milkins claimed their last 16 spots with respective 6-1 wins over Pang Junxu and Bai Yulu. Williams will now face World Champion Luca Brecel, while Milkins goes up against Shaun Murphy.
World Champion Luca Brecel scored a superb 6-5 win over Welshman Mark Williams to book his place in the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters.
Brecel is making just his second appearance since claiming a sensational maiden world title back in May, when he defeated Mark Selby 18-15 in the Crucible final. The Belgian narrowly missed out on becoming world number one for the first time at the recent European Masters. He needed to make the semis to achieve the feat, but a 5-4 loss at the hands of Barry Hawkins in the last 16 ended his chances.
Williams’ Crucible campaign last season was also ended at the hands of Brecel after a 13-11 defeat, meaning he has now lost their last two meetings. However, Williams still leads the head-to-head record, having won all four of their other encounters on the World Snooker Tour.
It was Williams who took the early initiative this afternoon, winning a truncated opening frame on the final black. He then crafted a break of 74 to take the second and lead 2-0.
Brecel came flying back into contention with the sort of snooker which saw him climb to the top of the sport earlier this year. Breaks of 77, 92 and 107 saw him surge in front at 3-2. Williams responded immediately though and a contribution 110 helped him to regain parity at 3-3.
The next two frames were shared, before Brecel moved one from victory at 5-4. He eventually potted a long range pink in the tenth to leave Williams needing the final red with a black and the colours, trailing by 35. However, the black was safe and he was unable to turn the frame around. Brecel progresses to face Robert Milkins in the quarters.
“He is very tough to face. There was one shot which was impossible and I knew he was going to knock it in. He did and that is typical Mark Williams. He is so tough,” admitted 28-year-old Brecel.
“I’ve not been practising yet this season. I have been practising in Shanghai, I always do at tournaments. I’m going to be practising, it isn’t going to be like this forever. I played well at the European Masters, that was unexpected. I have had some long travels and exhibitions in the USA. My time was all over the place and I did think I had a chance of winning the tournament in Germany. I’m not so confidence here but as long as you keep winning then you have a chance.”
Milkins sealed his progression thanks to a thrilling 6-5 defeat of 2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy.
The encounter was a repeat of their Welsh Open final showdown from earlier this year, when Milkins prevailed 9-7 in the best moment of his career thus far. The 47-year-old enjoyed another important win over Murphy this evening.
With the score locked at 2-2, it was Murphy who made a significant move firing in runs of 95 and 134 to move 4-2 ahead. Milkins responded with three on the bounce, including a break of 120, to move just one from victory at 5-4. Although Murphy forced a decider, a decisive break of 64 from Milkins saw him make the quarters.
Australia’s Neil Robertson came from behind to behind to beat China’s home hero Ding Junhui 6-5.
The Thunder from Down Under endured a difficult campaign last season, failing to make it beyond the semi-finals of any individual event. However, this evening’s steely win will give Robertson a huge boost of confidence.
With Ding leading 5-3, 23-time ranking event winner Robertson hammered home contributions of 72, 71 and 65 to turn the match on its head and seal a significant deciding frame win. Next up he faces Fan Zhengyi in the last eight.
Fan scored a brilliant 6-3 defeat of world number three Mark Allen to earn his quarter-final berth.
Fan’s only other appearance in this prestigious tournament came back in 2018, when he was whitewashed 6-0 by Stuart Bingham. Since then the now 22-year-old’s reputation has risen greatly, having beaten Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final of the 2022 European Masters.
Northern Ireland’s Allen was Player of the Season in the previous campaign and he came out firing this afternoon, making a break of 135 on his way to a 2-0 advantage. Fan took the next two to restore parity and head into the mid-session all square and when they returned he made his move. Breaks of 88, 91 and 84 helped him four of the next five frames and an impressive victory.
And a gallery of pictures taken during that round (source Weibo – Shanghai Masters account)
The Luca Brecel v Mark Williams match and the Neil Robertson v Ding Junhui match were both excellent. I didn’t see the other matches (yet). The crowds have been good, knowledgeable and fair.
Ding’s attitude was much more positive than in his previous match. The above report by WST doesn’t tell the whole story. Neil Robertson was 3-1 at the MSI. Ding then won four frames on the bounce to lead 5-3 indeed. In those four frames he scored breaks of 117, 89, 87 and 59. In the last frame, Ding fought for snookers despite the situation looking almost desperate.
The Luca Brecel v Willo match started in high scoring mode: Willo lead by 2-0, then Luca won three on the bounce, only for Willo to equalise at 3-3. At that stage they had scored 6 breaks over 50 between them, including a 107 by Luca and a 110 by Willo. Then it became tactical and most would expect Willo to prevail under such circumstances but Luca showed that he can play that type of game as well as anyone.
It’s an elite event and it shows in all aspects: the arena, the media coverage and the quality of the matches. I know that WPBSA has to provide opportunities for all the players, and that young players need time to develop, but it’s really events like this one who sell the game to the general public.
… and, as a conclusion, this is how Mark Allen dealt with his disappointment 🙂
Ronnie beat Ali Carter by 6-3 in the second round at the 2023 Shanghai Masters. It was Ronnie’s first true competitive match of the season and I was not sure what to expect. He wasn’t at his very best, but he played well enough, especially after being pegged back to 3-3. Ali himself was playing well too. Both made some mistakes but that’s normal. Perfect performances in snooker are rare. It’s a difficult game and we should remember that.
Ronnie is clearly motivated to do well in this event.
Defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated Ali Carter 6-3 in the last 16 of the Shanghai Masters, to extend his winning streak in the event to 16 matches.
The Rocket won the previous three runnings of the tournament between 2017 and 2019 and hasn’t lost in Shanghai for seven years. His last defeat in the city came in 2016 against Michael Holt.
This evening’s match was O’Sullivan’s first appearance of his 32nd season on the professional circuit, against an opponent he has fared well against historically. Victory extend’s his winning head-to-head record against Carter to 16-1. O’Sullivan now faces a mouth watering quarter-final showdown with John Higgins.
O’Sullivan took the opening two frames in tonight’s last 16 encounter, before Carter got his first frame on the board. Frame four appeared to be in the balance, with a number of red in difficult positions, but seven-time World Champion O’Sullivan manoeuvred them into the open and cleared with a brilliant 99 to make it 3-1.
Carter, who won the Shanghai Masters back in 2010, refused to fade away and got back into contention with runs of 68 and 83 to restore parity at 3-3. However, 39-time ranking event winner O’Sullivan then produced his best snooker of the match and burst clear to the finish. Breaks of 101, 74 and 81 helped him to three on the bounce to secure a 6-3 win.
“I’d love to win this tournament and even when it was a ranking tournament, it was a fantastic event. It is a great city here in Shanghai and I really enjoy coming to this place. I love to do well in the really big tournaments and this is a very important one,” said 47-year-old O’Sullivan.
“I’ve already put him in my legends list, so everyone knows what I think about John as a player. He has been playing really well so far this season. He looked really good in Germany and has looked phenomenal in his matches here so far. It will be a tough game, but if I can give him a decent match then I will be happy with that.”
O’Sullivan, who has won the last three editions of the Shanghai Masters, was also asked about his opinion on young players in today’s game and who his all-time top five legends of the sport are
“I’d probably say Stephen Hendry number one, Steve Davis number two, Joe Davis number three, Ray Reardon number four, and maybe John Higgins as number five.”
“There are some great young players (these days). Everybody is about as good as each other, there’s no standout player.
“When Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis were around, they were so much better than everybody else, so it was easy to just pick one.
“But now, you have maybe five, ten, or 15 players who are maybe all as good as each other.
“I think the sport needs someone. I think the sport is always more exciting if one player can dominate, because everybody wants to see that player lose.
“At the moment, there isn’t really one player dominating. There are many, many good players, there’s a lot of very good young players.
“(There are) some good players from Belgium – Ben Mertens is good and obviously Luca winning the World Championship. China has many, many good players.
“Si Jiahui played fantastically in the World Championship – a great talent, a great player. It’d be nice to see one of them really dominate.
“Every sport needs one, like (Max) Verstappen. He’s winning everything, and people just want to see if he’s going to lose today.
“People want to watch the really dominant players to see if somebody can beat them, so snooker needs one of them.”
Ronnie will need to play better to beat John Higgins probably. john is certainly a lot match-sharper currently and is playing very well. But if Ronnie really wants it … we shall see.
Here are some more pictures shared on social media, by WST on twitter and various sources on weibo
Ronnie’s century, shared on YouTube by ES
The end of the match, shared on YouTube by ES
And Ronnie’s press conference, shared by WSY on their YouTube channel
The second round – last 16 round – will be played to a finish today. I will report and share my thoughts on that round tomorrow.
The first round at the 2023 Shanghai Masters concluded this morning. Of the nine Chinese players involved in the round, only Ding Junui and Fan Zhengyi went through the the second round (L16).
Chinese legend Ding Junhui defeated 21-year-old compatriot Si Jiahui 6-2 to make the last 16 of the Shanghai Masters.
The pair headlined day one in Shanghai, which was hosting professional snooker’s return to mainland China for the first time since 2019. Today’s action saw the first round of this prestigious 24-player invitational event get underway.
Ding is a two-time winner of the Shanghai Masters, but hasn’t won a professional title since the 2019 UK Championship. Si is in the early stages of his professional journey, but showcased his considerable talent with a run to the semi-finals of last season’s World Championship.
After taking the opener, a break of 70 helped Ding to move 2-0 ahead this evening. Si then looked to be in control of the third, crafting a break of 60, but Ding made 51 to come from behind and steal on the black. A contribution of 71 then saw Si get his first frame on the board and head in for the mid-session just two behind at 3-1.
When play resumed the pair exchanged frames, before Ding burst clear for the finish. The 36-year old took two in a row, including a 29-minute eighth, to emerge with a 6-2 win.
Next up, 14-time ranking event winner Ding faces a mouth watering meeting with Australia’s 2010 World Champion Neil Robertson in the last 16.
John Higgins achieved a landmark moment in his 6-0 whitewash defeat of Chinese wildcard Deng Haohui.
Scotland’s four-time Crucible king Higgins crafted the 950th century of his career with a run of 141 in the fourth frame. He is the only player other than Ronnie O’Sullivan to have reached that particular figure.
Higgins looked to be in fine touch and also crafted runs of 64, 102, 91 and 59 on his way to victory. The 48-year-old will now face 2015 Shanghai Masters winner Kyren Wilson in the last 16. Afterwards the Glaswegian discussed how happy he was to be back competing in China.
“It is a great arena to play in. It is brilliant and one of the nicest cities in the world, one of the nicest I’ve ever travelled to. It is obviously great to be back,” said 31-time ranking event winner Higgins. ” All the players have enjoyed it. There is everything, sightseeing and the older part of the city. There is lots of great shopping to do. It is brilliant to be back.
“I think I’m playing pretty decent stuff. That obviously helps to be a little bit more motivated. I’ve said in a few interviews that I am trying to preserve my place in the top 16 to be in these tournaments. You don’t want to miss out. I’ve got my work cut out for the whole year to make sure I am still in the top 16.”
Hossein Vafaei eased to a 6-1 win against wildcard Gong Chen. Vafaei made century breaks of 120, 117 and 108 during the win and now plays four-time World Champion Mark Selby. The Iranian will fancy his chances, having won his last three meetings with Selby.
Former Shanghai Masters winner Ali Carter defeated Dong Zi Hao by a 6-2 scoreline, while China’s Fan Zhengyi scored a 6-2 win over Scottish Open champion Gary Wilson.
Jack Lisowski made a fine contribution of 84 in the deciding frame to edge out Zhou Yuelong 6-5. He now faces an intriguing last 16 showdown with close friend Judd Trump.
At the start of one session there was the usual “opening ceremony” with officials gathering at the table and simultaneously playing a symbolic shot. Ronnie, as defending Champion joined them.
Missing from this report are today’s morning matches. Robert Milkins beat Bai Yulu by 6-1. Bai however showed some real quality. She made a big break, a 75, in the only frame she won. Before the MSI, Robert Milkins scored heavily: he made breaks of 52, 72, 56 and 66 pouncing on every mistake of his young opponent. The match became more tactical after the MSI. Bai, like the other Asian women players lacks a bit of power. On several occasions her attempts at splitting the pack didn’t yield much. She is very slim, but taller than Mink and Baipat. After the game, Bai came on Weibo and posted this: ”
The first trip to the Shanghai Masters is over. I also saw the gap with the world’s top players. It was a very good tournament experience. See you in the next game, the British Women’s Championship # extraordinary September # #我与SNooker有
The match between Jack Lisowski and Zhou Yuelong was the only close match of the round. It was actually pulled off at 4-4, and resumed when a table became available after the last session of the day. Interestingly, Sinosports on twitter reported that, because the spectators sat at that table were not able to see the conclusion of the match, they would get a full refund.
Ding got a lot of criticism by the ES commentators (Alan McManus and Fergal O’Brien). It is true that his game isn’t currently at the level it was some years ago, and it is true that he looked dispirited and disinterested at times, slumped in his chair. But he won the match quite convincingly anyway, despite not playing competitively at all since the World Championship last April. Of course he wasn’t sharp but he still won by 6-2 beating Si Jiahui who reached the semi-finals at the Crucible.
And some images shared on social media, mainly on Weibo by WST and the tournament dedicated account
We are just days away from the 14th running of snooker’s Shanghai Masters, as the professional circuit prepares to return to mainland China for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.
The event has played host to surprise champions, as well as title match battles between all-time greats of the sport. We’ve decided to rewind to 2007 and take you through all of the Shanghai Masters finals from past to present…
2007 – Dominic Dale 10-6 Ryan Day
The Spaceman soared in Shanghai as he landed the second and most recent ranking title of his career. On the table Dominic Dale underlined his ability with a momentous week of snooker, beating the likes of Ken Doherty and Mark Selby on his way to the title match. Away from the baize he highlighted why he is one of the most colourful characters on tour, sporting peroxide blonde hair and treating the Chinese media to a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s My Way. The final saw Dale trail Ryan Day 6-2, before a superb sprint saw him claim eight frames in a row to secure the title by a 10-6 scoreline.
2008 – Ricky Walden 10-8 Ronnie O’Sullivan
One of the toughest draws imaginable stood between Ricky Walden and his first ever ranking title. However, the Chester cueman defeated Stephen Hendry, Neil Robertson, Steve Davis, Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan to capture silverware in Shanghai. Walden closed out the final in style, firing in a superb break of 105 in the 18th frame to secure the title. He has since added two further ranking event successes to take his title tally to three.
Walden said: “My personality has never been one to have amazing belief before I’ve ever done anything. I’ve always felt I had to achieve stuff before I could allow myself to be like that. I suppose I was just rolling with it in that event, I wasn’t overly confident before that, but once I achieved it I then knew I could win. The two tournament victories I have had since then are down to that day and getting the first one.”
2009 – Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-5 Liang Wenbo
Ronnie O’Sullivan made up for his defeat to Ricky Walden by claiming the title a year later. The Rocket dispatched the likes of Marco Fu and Ding Junhui on his way to the semi-finals, where he beat old adversary John Higgins 6-1. His opponent Liang Wenbo was competing in his first ranking final, but O’Sullivan was able to dominate the opening exchanges and lead 6-2 after the first session. The Englishman maintained his advantage in the evening and ran out a 10-5 victor. It was the 22nd of his 39 ranking event wins to date. “I was only able to play flamboyant snooker in two or three frames. The rest of it was steady, hard, match snooker and I needed patience,” said the Rocket.
2010 – Ali Carter 10-7 Jamie Burnett
Victory for Ali Carter saw him secure the second ranking title of his career. The Captain beat the likes of Stuart Bingham and Mark Selby to set up a dramatic quarter-final with Matthew Stevens. He clinched victory by depositing a daring black down the side cushion to win 5-4. Jamie Burnett was competing in his first ever ranking final and it showed in what proved to be a nervy encounter. Carter never led by more than two frames until he pulled clear at 8-7 to win 10-7.
“I just want to win as many titles as I can in my career,” said Carter. “If you keep getting to the business end of tournaments then you will have chances to win them and that’s what I’ve done. It wasn’t the best match, but those are the ones where winning is what matters.”
Since then the Essex cueman has added a further three ranking event wins to his resume, taking his total to five.
2011 – Mark Selby 10-9 Mark Williams
A thrilling final, perhaps best remembered for a controversial incident in the 17th frame, when Mark Williams led 9-7. The Welshman felt that Mark Selby had hit the pink when escaping from a snooker, but after studying a video replay, referee Eirian Williams judged that he had hit a red first, a decision which was later proved correct. Uncharacteristically Williams lost his cool and Selby pounced, taking the final two frames to run out a 10-9 victor. It was only the second of his 22 ranking event victories. The result also came alongside Selby becoming world number one for the first time in his career. Selby said: “It’s a great feeling to be World number one, all I wanted to do was to get to the top of the sport. But I have to keep up the hard work because others will want to get ahead of me.”
2012 – John Higgins 10-9 Judd Trump Another showpiece clash between two greats of the sport, which came down to a final frame decider. It hadn’t looked that way when Trump made a blistering start, which saw him establish a 5-0 advantage. Higgins responded with a magical 147 break, but still trailed 7-2 after the opening session. However, the tide shifted entirely when play got back underway, with Scotland’s Higgins storming to six consecutive frames and an 8-7 advantage. Trump recovered to 9-9 and had first chance in the decider but could only make 36, and had to sit in his chair as Higgins crashed in a do-or-die long red to initiate a match-winning 61. “To beat Judd from 7-2 down is unbelievable, I can’t explain how it feels because I’m shell-shocked,” said Higgins. “To beat Judd when he was playing that well must be one of my best wins ever.”
2013 – Ding Junhui 10-6 Xiao Guodong.
A historic final lineup for the sport, highlighting the globalisation of snooker, with the first ever ranking final to be contested between two Chinese players. Ding Junhui took home the title to kickstart a remarkable run which saw him win three consecutive ranking events, adding further silverware at the Indian Open and International Championship. Xiao Guodong was playing in his first ever ranking final, but fell short and is still seeking a maiden professional win currently. “I had to let my emotions go after winning the tournament. This showed how much I wanted this title, I wanted it more than anybody,” said Ding. “There will be many more chances for the players from China. The young generation is growing up quickly so their days will come soon.”
2014 – Stuart Bingham 10-3 Mark Allen
Shanghai success for Stuart Bingham saw him secure the second ranking title of his career with an emphatic defeat of Mark Allen in the final. He scored a narrow 6-4 win over home hero Ding Junhui in the semi-finals, before mounting a more one-sided defeat of Allen. Bingham said: “Knowing that you can win a title brings different pressures and I have knocked on the door a few times since. It’s very tough to win a tournament these days but after I beat Dominic Dale here in the second round, and played really well, I thought it could be my week.”
The Basildon potter, now aged 47, had to wait until his mid-to-late 30s to regularly find the winning knack. Following his victory in Shanghai he would go on to end the season by securing snooker’s ultimate glory, becoming World Champion at the Crucible.
2015 – Kyren Wilson 10-9 Judd Trump
After a rocky first spell on the tour, which lasted just one season in 10/11, Wilson went away and did what was required to make his game more adaptable to the top level of the sport. Having completely rebuilt his cue action, the Warrior returned a different player and it all fell into place out in Shanghai. Wilson defeated Ding Junhui and Mark Allen on his way to the final, where he held off a Judd Trump fightback to secure the first ranking title of his career. He admits that it wouldn’t have been possible without the changes he made to his technique.
“I’d have flopped under the pressure, 100%. My cue action was too long. It wouldn’t have worked under that sort of pressure. Rebuilding it was a tough thing to do at first, but it has done me good in the long run,” said the now 31-year-old Wilson.
2016 – Ding Junhui 10-6 Mark Selby
Ding Junhui came out on top to become the first player to win the Shanghai Masters more than once. On the tenth staging of the tournament in China, fittingly it was the home favourite who lifted the trophy as he gained a measure of revenge against Mark Selby, who defeated him in the World Championship final earlier that year.
“I felt so strong in the last frame. Mark was coming back at me and he is so strong in safety so he was trying to get snookers. He made every shot so difficult for me, I was just trying to hit the red, that’s it,” said Ding.
“This is a special tournament in Shanghai, it was been going since 2007 and I have learned a lot from it. I’m always very happy to win anywhere in China.”
2017 – Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-3 Judd Trump
The Rocket landed his 30th ranking event win by thumping Judd Trump in the Shanghai Masters final. It was his second ranking title within a month having won the English Open in October, and he also reached the final of the Champion of Champions where he lost to Shaun Murphy. Defeat for the Ace in the Pack meant he had now appeared in the final of the event three times and failed to register victory an any of them. O’Sullivan did the bulk of the damage in the first session by going 7-0 ahead, and he shared the next six frames to secure the trophy and £150,000 top prize. “I have had a fantastic last four weeks. I feel a bit tired but I don’t mind that if it means winning tournaments. I’ve got my titles in the bank and I can build on that,” said O’Sullivan.
2018 – Ronnie O’Sullivan 11-9 Barry Hawkins
The Shanghai Masters transitioned into one of the most prestigious invitational events on the World Snooker Tour calendar, but the new format yielded a familiar champion in Ronnie O’Sullivan. The final was a repeat of the 2013 World Championship title match, with the Rocket being pitted against Barry Hawkins. The afternoon session saw Hawkins seize the advantage, emerging with a 6-4 lead. However, O’Sullivan surged ahead when the evening play got underway. He took the first four of the session to turn the match on its head and move 8-6 up. They traded frames from there as the match came down to the wire. With O’Sullivan leading 10-9, he closed out the win in style with a break of 122. “It is a very major and prestigious tournament,” O’Sullivan said: “There are a few like that now though. You have the Champion of Champions, which is a great tournament. This and the Masters are great tournaments, just because every player in it is very, very good.”
2019 – Ronnie O’Sullivan 11-9 Shaun Murphy
Ronnie O’Sullivan secured his fourth Shanghai Masters crown and won the event for a third straight year. That means he heads into this year’s event unbeaten in his last 15 matches in the city. It was O’Sullivan’s first appearance of the 19/20 season, which was heavily interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, but ended with him winning the World Championship at the Crucible. After the first session of the Shanghai showpiece saw O’Sullivan and Shaun Murphy locked together at 5-5, it was the Magician who took the first of the evening to move 6-5 up. O’Sullivan then made a charge for the finish line and moved 10-7 ahead. While Murphy kept the pressure on and pulled within a frame it was O’Sullivan who got over the line with a break of 86.
“I always just try to hang in there. It is a bit like Seve Ballesteros or Tiger Woods with how they play golf. They are never out of it because every now and then they can produce a little bit of magic. That is the hallmark of my game really,” said Shanghai Masters champion O’Sullivan.
Ronnie has arrived in Shanghai yesterday.
The tournament has been promoted on weibo via a video and a series of “posters” …
Least we can say is that the defending champion looks scary in those!
Indeed Ronnie is the defending champion. It’s a tournament he loves. He’s been in the final 5 times, winning it 4 times., more than anyone else. That said, he hasn’t played competitively since his defeat to Luca Brecel at the Crucible and I’m really not sure what to expect.
Santino is wrong to think that Ronnie doesn’t genuinely love China. He does. He loves the food, he loves the people who are more “natural” and spontaneous than most Europeans. Also, of course, he’s a hero over there, especially after the way he helped Ding during the 2007 Masters final. He’s very close to Ding and his family. What he doesn’t like is the long flight. He’s scared of flying, believe it or not.
Ronnie was interviewed and here is the report I found on weibo:
[Preparation] Most players started the new season very early, and most of the top sixteen have participated in two to three games, so My first game (game on the 12th) is very critical. The first game is always the most difficult. I hope I can perform better.
[How confident are you in the fifth Shanghai Masters title?] All players are in the top 16. No matter what the draw is, every opponent is difficult to beat. Only by winning the first game will you feel more confident, and then talk about defending the title. In addition, there are many wild card players. Although they are not ranked high, they are young, motivated and have the strength to challenge the top 16 players. I look forward to seeing the outstanding performance of the young players and looking forward to a close competition with the Chinese players.
[Teacher in career] I think Davis is my teacher. At the beginning of my career, I grew up watching Davis play. He became my idol. I hope to be like Davis. champion. I will also set my sights on other sports, such as Schumacher in F1 and Tiger Woods in golf. We can learn from other athletes about diligence, how to adjust the state at all times, don’t drink, and go to bed early. get up early. I hope to learn more about the shining points of outstanding athletes.
[Participation plan] The three-year epidemic has not allowed players from all over the world to play games around the world. This time I can meet the fans again. I hope that all Chinese ranking tournaments can come and participate. I feel that I can still reach 6-6 in my career. 8 years, until over 55 years old. In the coming time, I will participate in more Asian competitions and will continue to participate in Chinese competitions.
[Favorite Shanghai Food] I really like Asian food, especially hot pot, which is hard to find in Europe and not authentic. I always eat hot pot when I come to China, and I also like Cantonese morning tea.
I went to the 2012 Shanghai Masters and I was made to feel very welcome. The Chinese media “colleagues” were very friendly, we went out to visit the Bund, and ate together in the evenings. I have fantastic memories from the event. Also, I realised that there are far more people in the arena that the TV shows. Indeed, seats more “up” in the arena are cheaper and most Chinese are not really wealthy. So, quite often, especially in the early rounds, the seats closest to the players were not very “populated” and it looked poor on TV, but most seats upper in the arena were occupied. One Chinese fan told me at the time that two “normal” seats – for himself and his wife – had cost him half of his monthly wages. The guy was an IT engineer, so surely getting a good salary for the time and place.
Meanwhile another event – a WDBS event – started today in Shanghai
Good luck to all involved!
Addendum …
the draw for the wildcards has been made during the opening ceremony (source weibo)
Ali Carter vs Dong Zihao
Robert Milkins vs Bai Yulu
John Higgins vs Deng Haohui
Hossein Vafei vs Gong Chenzhi
Some more images from the opening ceremony… the sponsors aren’t a bookies. One a company, Tango, is producing/selling fitness and gym appliances. Another one is called Lumeniser and sells lighting appliances.
The welcome ceremony of the 2023 World Snooker Shanghai Masters was held grandly
On the evening of September Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trmp, Mark Selby, John Higgins and other top 16 players in the world, as well as Zhou Yuelong, Si Jiahui, led by “China’s No. 1 Brother” Ding Junhui, Fan Zhengyi, Pang Junxu and other powerful young players were all present to kick off tomorrow’s event.
Group photo of players
Chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association Fukuze Sheng, Acting Secretary-General of the Chinese Billiards Association Gao Kunpeng, China Eastern Airlines Group Co., Ltd. Deputy Director of the Publicity Department and Deputy General Manager of the Brand Department Ye Kewen, Shanghai Jiushi Sports Industry Development (Group) Co., Ltd. Chairman and General Manager Yang Yibin, General Manager Li Yi of Five Star Sports Media Co., Ltd., Deputy General Manager Wang Shuwei of Shanghai Jiushi Sports Industry Development (Group) Co., Ltd., Huang Ming, General Manager of Shanghai Jiushi Sports Event Operation Management Co., Ltd., Shanghai Zhou Weifang, general manager of the Government and Group Customer Department of the Bank’s Puxi Branch, and representatives of sponsors and other guests attended the ceremony.
This year, the Shanghai Masters still adopts the format of a 24-person invitational tournament. According to the previous relevant regulations of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, and according to the CBSA Snooker Youth Ranking (as of the latest ranking of the China Youth Championship Dongguan Open), the wild card players for this event are Bai Yulu, Gong Chenzhi, Deng Haohui and Dong Zihao. At the ceremony, the first-round matches of the four wild card players were also announced. Dong Zihao will face Ali Carter, Bai Yulu will face Robert Milkins, Deng Haohui will face John Higgins, and Gong Chenzhi will face Hussein Wafi. They will stand on the Masters stage where experts gather, take steps to compete in international competitions, and achieve their life dreams.
In addition, “Rocket” O’Sullivan also interacted cordially with the lucky fans at the scene, took photos, signed autographs, and showed his masterly style. While everyone was enthralled, it also pushed the warm atmosphere of snooker’s top feast to a climax.
From September 11th to September 17th, let’s go to Shanghai together to witness the return of the World Snooker Shanghai Masters to the brand-new Shanghai Stadium, and enjoy the endless charm brought by this gentleman’s sport. Published in Shanghai
Also some images of the venue. The general view picture shows you what I meant when writing about the size of the arena. Only the lowest rows of seats are visible on television.
Yesterday was the third and last day at the 2023 English Open qualifiers, and, just like the two previous days, it yielded some unexpected results. Here is the report shared by WST:
Jenson On The Button
World number 116 Jenson Kendrick scored a surprise 4-1 victory over former Crucible king Stuart Bingham to reach the final stages of the BetVictor English Open.
Kendrick came through Q School in 2022 and has found the jump to the pro circuit tough, failing to win a match before today. But the 21-year-old is now off the mark thanks to a fine result against 2015 World Champion Bingham. A break of 67 helped the Stoke cueman to a 3-0 lead and he made a 52 in frame five on his way to the finish line. Kendrick goes through to the last 64 in Brentwood next month.
World Women’s Champion Baipat Siripaporn came close to her first win on the pro tour, but let slip a 3-1 lead and lost 4-3 to Muhammad Asif. A break of 63 helped Siripaporn surge ahead and she had chances for victory in frames five and six, but Asif battled back to 3-3 then dominated the decider.
Dylan Emery scored an impressive 4-2 win over Noppon Saengkham, making breaks of 62, 88 and 70. Ricky Walden top scored with 121 in a 4-0 whitewash of Jordan Brown, while James Cahill’s 4-2 win over Manasawin Phetmalaikul was highlighted by runs of 140, 55 and 111. Joe O’Connor pulled away from 2-2 to beat Jimmy White 4-2.
All winners now go through to the final stages which run from October 2nd to 8th in Brentwood. All matches involving the top 16 seeds have been held over to the Essex venue and the match schedule for the opening day is available here.
It’s a horrible pun by WST but a seriously good result for Jenson Kendrick who had, so far, got a pretty miserable time on the professional tour. I didn’t see the match but, of all yesterday’s matches outcomes, this is certainly the most unexpected to me. Hopefully, Jenson can build on that, get something out of his professional tour experience, and, who knows, maybe keep his tour card via the one year list.
I watched the Baipat v Asif match. Baipat is a very good player: she’s a good potter and a good break-builder. But, like Mink, she is petite. She lacks cue power and needs the rest more often than the majority of other players. I think that, seeing the finish line, she became nervous. Hopefully she will learn from this experience. Asif on the other hand is vastly experienced, not on the main tour but from years playing in IBSF events: he has been IBSF amateur World Champion twice – he beat Gary Wilson by 10-8 in the final in 2012 – and has been Pakistan Snooker Champion three times. Obviously he knows how to handle the pressure.
Dylan Emery is not the most talked-about of the young British players – obviously he doesn’t look anything like Shaun Murphy 😉 – but IMO he’s one of the best. He was a bit unfortunate to face John Higgins twice already this season.
I watched part of the Jo O’Connor v Jimmy White match. I missed the last frame, it was late where I am and I had no doubts about the outcome. Jo is a very fine player. But you have to admire Jimmy. He still loves the gane, he still can play all the shots, he still attacks, he still takes pride in entertaining the fans. He also takes care of his appearance, he’s always impeccably dressed for his matches.
World Champion Luca Brecel scored a superb 6-5 win over Welshman Mark Williams to book his place in the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters.
Australia’s Neil Robertson came from behind to behind to beat China’s home hero Ding Junhui 6-5.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 