Ronnie O’Sullivan extended his winning streak to 15 matches, with a narrow 5-3 defeat of Alfie Burden to earn his place in the final stages of the World Open.
The Rocket has been in imperious form of late, winning three consecutive titles at the UK Championship, Masters and the World Grand Prix. However, world number 98 Burden provided a stern test this evening.
With O’Sullivan leading 3-2, it was Burden who fired in a superb century run of 104 to restore parity at 3-3. However, the seven-time World Champion stepped up when he needed it and made breaks of 83 and 58 to take the next two and get himself through.
And the scores …
It wasn’t a great match by any means. Alfie is a very capable player – I wonder why he hasn’t done better each time I watch him play – and Ronnie, who was clearly in pain (foot injury), looked tired and uninspired. That was to be expected… qualifiers in Barnsley after winning three major titles, that’s not very enthralling to say the least. But he did enough and it’s all that matters.
Here is the last frame, shared by Eurosport on their YouTube channel
I will look at the results of those qualifiers tomorrow when all matches are done.
Anyway … Ronnie and Alfie go a lomg way and off the table they always had a good relationship. Alfie posted this on Twitter (yes X, I know) …
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN CONTINUES TO FLIRT WITH RETIREMENT BUT WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO LEAVE SNOOKER, ASKS DAVE HENDON
BY DAVE HENDON
Eurosport’s Dave Hendon looks at when Ronnie O’Sullivan could retire from snooker after his World Grand Prix win, and what ‘The Rocket’ might do next in life if he did step away from the sport. O’Sullivan beat Judd Trump in the final of the World Grand Prix to continue his fine form this season. However, The Rocket has hinted at stepping away from snooker in the near future.
When is the right time to leave the party? On a high and still having fun or well past the time it’s ceased to be enjoyable?
Ronnie O’Sullivan has long pondered this conundrum. It’s a harder question for him because for extended periods of his career, he has been on top of the world and still looking for the exit.
He has now won the last three tournaments he has entered: an eighth UK Championship, an eighth Masters and, last night, the World Grand Prix with a comeback from 4-0 down to beat Judd Trump 10-7.
At 48, some 32 years into his professional career, he is arguably at his most dominant. Yet suggestions of retirement continue to swirl around him, stemming from his own comments and the wider views of the snooker world.
Last week Ken Doherty posited the notion that the game’s greatest ever player could bow out after winning an eighth world title this coming May, an audacious exit at the very top.
Such a scenario could be tempting, but if he can win eight world titles, why not a ninth? Why not 10? He could enshrine a legacy which may remain unreachable for generations. And he may miss it as much as his vast legion of fans would miss him.
O’Sullivan’s retirement threats have been constant and at times comical. His first was after losing to Doherty in the 1994 UK Championship. He was 18.
Many of us have been surly teenagers, so this premature reaction to defeat could be forgiven. However, the threats continued and continued over three decades as he got older.
The downbeat statements left many fans bored, although the media kept reporting his vows to walk away with a straight face. Surely this time he means it, right?
In 2012, it seemed as if he had finally made good on his words, although he stated he would be taking a year off rather than departing the stage for good.
What to do with all that precious free time? O’Sullivan spent a few days working on a pig farm but inevitably ended up watching snooker on TV and by January 2013 was missing the circuit so much that he turned up at the Masters to watch two old foes, Mark Selby and Graeme Dott, doing battle.
He returned to competitive action a few months later and, with a style and nerve only he could summon, retained his world title. He has played a busy schedule ever since.
So what is the reason for the constant flirtation with retirement? You don’t need a degree in psychology to recognise that O’Sullivan has a love-hate relationship with snooker. At times it entrances him. On Saturday night in his semi-final demolition of Ding Junhui he found the perfection he has long searched for. At other times it leaves him in deep depression. He doesn’t feel comfortable and his form deserts him.
The other side of the sport, dealing with media and fans, the expectations of outsiders and demands on his time, the scrutiny and judgements, have always been something O’Sullivan has found hard to tolerate.
It was noticeable how freely he played at the 2020 World Championship, staged almost entirely behind closed doors because of Covid. With hardly anyone around wanting a piece of him, he won a first Crucible crown in seven years.
Two years later he secured a record-equalling seventh world title. His reaction was not one of joy but an outpouring of emotion after a mentally gruelling 17 days. Even after making history he was still left wondering why he was putting himself through this.
There is no playbook for when a snooker player retires. In physical sports, your body decides for you. The green baize game allows for longevity, although aches and pains are still common for players who have spent most of their lives bent over a table potting balls.
Many a snooker player has threatened retirement, usually in the aftermath of defeat. They invariably come to their senses, not least because most have little else to fall back on having been focused on nothing but the table since their childhood years.
Ali Carter is a qualified pilot so he could take to the skies, but the thrill of competition is too compelling to turn away from while he is still playing the sort of snooker that took him close to the Masters title earlier this month.
Hardly anyone actually walks away of their own volition. They are usually dragged off kicking and screaming, often ending up back in Q School trying to start all over again.
Terry Griffiths, the 1979 world champion, dropped out of the elite top 16 in 1996 and retired a year later at the age of 49, but he had a position lined up as head of coaching for snooker’s governing body.
Stephen Hendry, seven times the Crucible king, made the shock decision to retire in 2012 at 43. Like Griffiths, he had dropped out of the top 16 and was finding it hard to accept losing to players he would once have swatted away. But Hendry also had a lucrative job waiting for him, promoting pool in China.
More recently Alan McManus called it a day in 2021 but by then he had long established himself as a brilliant TV analyst. Fergal O’Brien, a professional since 1991, will retire at the end of this season with relegation from the circuit looming. He plans to coach and has joined the Eurosport commentary team.
Notice that all these retired players have remained within snooker. It’s what they know and love. Steve Davis became a musician and DJ but still pitches up at tournaments for studio punditry, as if the link is too deep-seated to be broken.
Hendry of course came back eight years later, accepting a wildcard for the tour. His old rival Jimmy White, 61, has no thoughts whatsoever about packing it in.
O’Sullivan is the world No. 1. He has won four titles this season, losing only three matches the whole campaign. He is closing in on £1m in prize money for the current term and is clearly still feared by the majority of the tour. Given all of that, it would be a huge decision to quit any time soon.
Time catches up with us all in the end. There will come a moment when O’Sullivan actually will retire. Most likely it will only be from professional competition. He can write his own cheques for exhibition, media, and ambassadorial work. He will remain a huge figure in the sport long after he is still chasing titles.
Snooker is O’Sullivan’s anchor. It defines him, whether he likes that fact or not. It is his means of making a good living, of expressing himself, of feeling fulfilled.
Like any long-term relationship, it has its ups and downs but he keeps coming back to it because that first spark of love he experienced when young is still in him.
So even if he does walk away, he won’t be walking far.
The situation in 2012 was a bit more complex than just making good of retirement talk. Ronnie had gone through three extremely difficult years. After splitting with his former partner – Lilly and Ronnie Jr mother – he had got in trouble with the authorities for missing several tournaments, withdrawing last minute or just not showing up. His game had suffered, he had no form, he was in a bad place mentally. Just before the 2011 World Championship, on advice from his then manager, Django Fung, he had started working with Steve Peters, who has helped him enormously ever since. The thing is, his private situation, at the time, was difficult. His former partner was showing no flexibility when it came to visiting his children. He was assigned fixed dated, often at short notice, and it often clashed with his snooker commitments. When he missed a visit, his former partner used it in court against him and he didn’t want to lose his kids. When he missed tournaments, he got in trouble with the snooker authorities. Also, he found the new WST contract too restrictive. So he decided to step away… only to find out after a while that he missed it, and that being idle brought back some bad habits too. Snooker is the only thing he knows, he said that again recently. As David wrote at the end of the piece … he won’t go anywhere far.
Ronnie beat Judd Trump by 10-7 yesterday evening to become the 2024 World Grand Prix Champion. Ronnie came back from 0-4 and 3-6 behind! This is Ronnie’s 41st ranking title, his fourth professional title this season and his third World Grand Prix crown.
Frame one We’re all expecting a blockbuster final today, and what a start! Trump knocks in a long red and goes on to make 74 before missing a tricky red with the rest. There’s still 67 on the table, but O’Sullivan elects to stay in his chair. O’Sullivan 0-1 Trump
Frame two Worrying early signs for O’Sullivan? Trump leads 62-0 when he misses the frame-ball black to a top corner, then O’Sullivan has a chance to clear but pots just one red before a routine black to middle hits the far jaw. Trump adds 40 and he’s two frames up. O’Sullivan 0-2 Trump
Frame three Trump has two scoring chances and can only amass 40 points, then O’Sullivan counters before running out of position on the penultimate red, leading 52-40. A safety error from O’Sullivan sends the cue ball in-off, and Trump mops up to extend his advantage. A long way to go, but O’Sullivan needs a foothold soon. O’Sullivan 0-3 Trump
Frame four Last night, ITV commentator Phil Yates described O’Sullivan’s performance as the best in a single session he had ever seen, after the Rocket crushed Ding Junhui 6-1. That’s high praise from Yates, who has followed O’Sullivan’s career for over 30 years. But so far today, O’Sullivan’s touch has deserted him. Early in frame four he fails to escape from a snooker four times, eventually leaving a free ball, and Trump makes 69 to complete a clean sweep in the first mini session. O’Sullivan 0-4 Trump
Frame five O’Sullivan has first chance and makes 34 before an unwanted flick off a red sends the cue ball in-off. Trump’s opportunity to respond ends when he misses a difficult thin cut on a red to corner, and O’Sullivan adds 27 which proves enough to get him on the scoreboard. O’Sullivan 1-4 Trump
Frame six More like it from O’Sullivan – at least in terms of the scoreline. He makes 54 before missing a red to a top corner, and Trump has two chances to punish him, but misses a red then a pink. O’Sullivan adds 60 to close to within two frames. Two more to go in this session. O’Sullivan 2-4 Trump
Frame seven Given how good these two have been this season, this final is yet to catch fire in terms of the standard. O’Sullivan again misses red to corner on 28, then Trump’s reply of 40 ends when he loses position. Trump is handed another chance by a weak safety from his opponent, and this time he capitalises with 61 to guarantee a lead going into tonight’s conclusion. The last frame of the session is massive… O’Sullivan 2-5 Trump
Frame eight …and O’Sullivan takes it with a brilliant steal! Again he lets slip an early chance, under-cutting a black on 33, before Trump runs out of position on the same score. A clever doubled red gets O’Sullivan back in, followed by a superb slow-rolled black to keep position. He clears with 63, his highest break of the match so far, and that might be the spark he needs. Trump is still ahead but may feel he should have a bigger cushion. They return at 7pm for the conclusion. O’Sullivan 3-5 Trump
EVENING FRAMES
Frame nine Big moments at the start of the concluding session. O’Sullivan misses a red to corner leading 19-0 and Trump responds with 66 before losing position with three reds left and missing a tough long pot to a baulk corner. A long red sets up a chance to clear for O’Sullivan, but he can’t get on the awkward green. After a safety battle, O’Sullivan pots the green but then a difficult brown to centre hits the far jaw, and his opponent takes advantage to extend his lead. O’Sullivan 3-6 Trump
Frame ten We’re so used to seeing O’Sullivan reel off frames in a single visit, but so far today he has not been as clinical. He makes 58 before failing to pot a red to a centre pocket. This time he is not punished as Trump’s chance to clear ends prematurely with a missed red to a top corner on 12. O’Sullivan adds 56 to close the gap to two again. After ten frames, the highest break is just 74 – no one would have predicted that this morning. O’Sullivan 4-6 Trump
Frame 11 The highest break is still 74, but this time O’Sullivan does clinch the frame in a single visit. Trump’s attempted long red is well off target, and the red comes back up to baulk, gifting O’Sullivan an opening. He makes 74 and he has now won five of the last seven frames. Is this the change of gear that his fans have been hoping to see? O’Sullivan 5-6 Trump Frame 12 O’Sullivan leads 30-0 when he splits the pack off the black but a red drops in. Trump builds a 57-30 lead then plays safe on the last red, but it’s a loose one and he leaves his opponent the chance of a mid-range pot. O’Sullivan slots in the red and clears the table to square the match. Big momentum shift in the last 45 minutes and O’Sullivan has a spring in his step as he walks out of the arena for the interval. O’Sullivan 6-6 Trump
Frame 13 Just as he did in the Masters final against Ali Carter a week ago, O’Sullivan has grown into the contest after a slow start, and now leads for the first time. He runs out of position on 52, but gets back in with a delightful long red and adds 35. That’s four in a row for the veteran. O’Sullivan 7-6 Trump
Frame 14 Drama! O’Sullivan leads 51-0 when he misses a red to corner, and Trump is on the verge of an excellent clearance when he misses the final black. It was tricky as the black was on the top cushion and he was unlucky to finish nearly straight on the pink, before forcing it in to get close to the black. But he under-cut the pot and left it hanging over the corner for O’Sullivan to double his lead. Can Trump recover from that set-back? O’Sullivan 8-6 Trump
Frame 15 Snooker can be cruel sometimes, Trump must now be feeling. He misses pink to centre on 43, and the frame eventually comes down to the last red. O’Sullivan plays a good safety but Trump pulls off a tremendous pot on the red and looks set to clear, but a cut-back brown to a baulk corner rattles in the pocket and stays on the baize. O’Sullivan dishes up and he’s three ahead with four to play. O’Sullivan 9-6 Trump
Frame 16 Having lost six frames in a row, Trump pulls one back with a break of 73. He’s not done yet… O’Sullivan 9-7 Trump
Frame 17 A huge fluke on a red sets up O’Sullivan for a break of 52, though he misses a red to corner just a few pots from the winning line. Trump responds with 40 but runs out of position on the yellow and leaves it over a baulk corner. O’Sullivan wraps up and he is the 2024 Spreadex World Grand Prix champion! O’Sullivan 10-7 Trump
They also published more analytical accounts of the sessions
udd Trump, aiming to win his fourth ranking title this season, goes into the concluding session of the Spreadex World Grand Prix final with a 5-3 lead over Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Trump led 4-0 in the early stages and may feel he should have finished the session with a greater advantage, as so far O’Sullivan has made numerous errors and shown only glimpses of the form which gave him a 6-1 victory over Ding Junhui on Saturday night. The final resumes at 7pm on Sunday evening, and first to ten frames will take the trophy and £100,000 top prize.
A break of 74 gave Trump the opening frame, then he added the second in three scoring visits. In the third, O’Sullivan led 52-40 when he ran out of position on the penultimate red, then his attempted safety went in-off and Trump punished him for 3-0. A run of 69 saw 34-year-old Trump complete a clean sweep in the first mini session.
After the interval, O’Sullivan got the better of a scrappy fifth frame, then compiled breaks of 54 and 60 to close to 4-2. In the seventh he missed a routine red on 28, and Trump’s runs of 40 and 61 gave him a three-frame cushion. The scores were tied at 33-33 in the last of the session when O’Sullivan played a clever double on a red to a centre pocket, then converted a superb pot on the black, setting up a 63 clearance to leave the contest well poised.
These two kings of the baize have previously met 27 times, 48-year-old O’Sullivan holding a slender 14-13 lead in the head-to-head. This is their 13th final and the younger man has come up Trumps in seven of the previous 12, although O’Sullivan has won their last two finals – at the World Championship and Champion of Champions in 2022.
O’Sullivan is aiming to win this title for the third time having lifted the trophy in 2018 and 2021. He is playing in his 63rd ranking final and aiming for his 41st title, which would stretch his record to five ahead of Stephen Hendry’s tally of 36. The Rocket has already lifted the trophy this season at the Shanghai Masters, UK Championship and the Masters, and victory today would bring his streak of consecutive match wins to 14.
Already well clear at the top of the official world rankings, having held the number one status since April 2022, O’Sullivan could extend his lead over Trump tonight if he takes the first prize. On the one-year list, Trump is sure to stay on top, with O’Sullivan second, whatever the result today.
Bristol’s Trump is also aiming for his fourth trophy of the season, and he has appeared in the final of six of the 13 tournaments he has contested so far in 2023/24. The Ace in the Pack is playing in his 42nd ranking final and looking for his 27th title, which would leave him just one behind Steve Davis in fifth position on the all-time list. He is already the only player to have won the World Grand Prix three times, having lifted the trophy in 2015, 2019 and 2020.
O’SULLIVAN OVERTURNS TRUMP TO EXTEND TROPHY SEQUENCE
Ronnie O’Sullivan came from 4-0 down to beat Judd Trump 10-7 in the final of the Spreadex World Grand Prix, extending his marvellous run to 14 consecutive match wins and three straight titles.In a golden spell dating back to November, O’Sullivan has landed trophies at the UK Championship, the Masters and now this week’s event in Leicester.
He also captured the Shanghai Masters title in September, and remarkably at the age of 48 he could be closing in on the best season of his career. He brings his tally of ranking titles to 41 – well clear of Stephen Hendry’s 36 in the all-time list – and his prize money for the season close to £900,000.
In terms of standard, this was not a match that lived up to its billing, as the best two players of the season so far went head to head. The highest break was just 74, while O’Sullivan won only one frame in a single visit – in contrast to his imperious display in a 6-1 defeat of Ding Junhui in Saturday’s semi-finals.
After a strong start, Trump failed to capitalise on his early advantage, making errors at key moments as he let slip a 6-3 lead, losing seven of the last eight frames. In an earlier stage of his career, O’Sullivan might have lacked the resilience to battle back without his A game, but these days his mental toughness is a huge asset, and just as he did against Ali Carter in the Masters final a week ago, he grew stronger as the night progressed.
The Rocket takes the World Grand Prix title for the third time, having won it in 2018 and 2021. He extends his lead at the top of the world rankings, and has now won his last three finals against Trump, having lost seven of their first ten.
Bristol’s 34-year-old Trump banks £40,00 as runner-up but missed out on a 27th career ranking title and fourth of the season having won three in a row in October during his own purple patch, which covered 22 consecutive match wins
Trump led 5-3 after the first session and extended his advantage in the first frame tonight, making a break of 66 then wrapping it up after O’Sullivan missed a tough pot on the final brown. Breaks of 58, 56 and 75 saw O’Sullivan start his comeback as he closed to 6-5. In frame 12, Trump led 57-30 when he played a weak safety on the last red, handing his opponent the chance to slot in a mid-range pot and clear to square the match.
After the interval, O’Sullivan’s run of 52 helped him take the lead for the first time. He led 51-0 in frame 14 when he missed a red to a top corner, and Trump was on the verge of an excellent clearance until he left a tricky pot on the final black in the jaws, allowing O’Sullivan to go 8-6 up. Again in the 15th Trump had a chance to clear, after an excellent pot on the last red, but a difficult cut on the brown rattled in a baulk corner pocket and stayed above the baize, and he was soon three down with four to play.
Having lost six frames in a row, Trump pulled one back with a 73 for 9-7. In frame 17, O’Sullivan made 52 before missing a red to corner with the winning line just a few pots away. Trump might have cleared but lost position on the yellow, then misjudged a safety and left it close to a baulk pocket. A full house at the Morningside Arena rose to applaud O’Sullivan as he potted the colours to secure the title.
“Judd started well, then I got back into it at 5-3 which gave me a bit of optimism. In the evening I tried to be strong mentally and kept my composure,” said O’Sullivan. “I enjoyed the battle. I have got a lot of experience having learned a lot about the game and I’m probably a better all round player than I have ever been. Judd is a warrior and for me he is favourite for Sheffield but I have three months to try to get some consistency in my game. It will be nice to go there and enjoy it.
“Last night against Ding was a one-off, I won’t get excited about one performance, I sometimes wonder why I don’t do that more often but it’s nice to know it’s still in there. There is a sense of achievement in winning, even though I didn’t flow like I know I can today.“
Trump added: “The standard wasn’t good, but Ronnie cleared up when he needed to and won the important frames. His safety was better than mine tonight and overall he deserved to win. I had a kick on the black to go 7-7, then missed the brown in the next frame. I always enjoy playing Ronnie and I hope we play in a lot more finals.“
ROCKET REACTS TO VICTORY
And these are the pictures they shared in the above articles1:
In the original articles they are presented as a slideshow, but I feel that the gallery is more adequate as all pictures are immediately visible. ↩︎
Ronnie beat Ding Junhui by 6-1 in the semi-finals of the 2024 World Grand Prix. It was snooker from the Gods. It was sport elevated to an Art form. It was simply marvellous.
Ronnie O’Sullivan admitted that his performance was “up there” with the best of his career as he made four centuries and two more breaks over 70 in a scintillating 6-1 win over Ding Junhui in the semi-finals of the Spreadex World Grand Prix.
Even by his own incredibly high standard, O’Sullivan was magnificent as he blew away an opponent who made no more than a handful of mistakes. World number one O’Sullivan has now won 13 consecutive matches, picking up titles at the UK Championship and the Masters, but without doubt this was his best display of the season so far.
And it sets up a fabulous final on Sunday in Leicester as he’ll face Judd Trump over 19 frames for the trophy and £100,000 top prize. Clearly the best two players of 2023/24 so far, they will both be aiming for a fourth title of the season. It will be their first meeting since 2022, when they clashed in the final of both the World Championship and Champion of Champions.
O’Sullivan will be playing in his 63rd ranking final, having won 40 of the previous 62. Victory would bring his prize money for the season close to £900,000, on target to beat Trump’s record of £1,094,000 set in 2019/20.
With legendary jockey AP McCoy among the packed crowd, O’Sullivan raced ahead with a 135 total clearance in the opening frame. Ding, who lost to O’Sullivan in the UK Championship final and first round of the Masters, responded with an 85, but the Chinese ace could not contain an opponent at the peak of his powers. Breaks of 128 and 79 put seven-time Crucible king O’Sullivan 3-1 up at the interval.
Ding had first chance in frame five but missed the pink to a baulk corner on 28 and his opponent punished him with 90. Back to back centuries, 128 and 124, saw O’Sullivan finish with a flourish in a contest that lasted just 72 minutes.
“I felt good tonight, I was comfortable,” O’Sullivan told ITV. “I wasn’t bothered about big breaks but I felt as if I could get the ball where I wanted it to go. I take satisfaction from feeling good over the shot. I was relaxed and confident because I felt that if I got chances I would do something, which hasn’t been the case in the last two years.”
Asked if this was among his best performances, O’Sullivan replied: “I have had other sessions where I have played good stuff, scored well and played good safety. But it’s up there.
“I know earlier this week I said I’m not bothered if I win or lose, but I just meant that sometimes I find it hard to keep the focus and the will to win, because I get so frustrated it gets tiring. But I know people pay good money to come and watch so I always try to put in a professional display, mentally. Whether I play well or not is out of my control. I don’t want people to think I’m not trying, because I am trying my hardest. Tonight I enjoyed it and the crowd enjoyed it, and that’s what keeps me coming back.”
As for the final, he added: “I am looking forward to it, best of 19 against Judd who is playing fantastically well. I will need to play like that to have a chance. If I can feel comfortable over the shot then I’ll enjoy it.”
It’s been a long time since Ronnie looked happy around the table and after a match and that was for me the best bit about yesterday evening. I hope it lasts.
Judd Trump reached the Final of the 2024 World Grand Prix by beating Cao Yupeng by 6-2 in the first semi-final yesterday evening. Here is the report by WST:
TRUMP BEATS CAO TO REACH FINAL
udd Trump reached his sixth final of the season – and remained on track for a fourth ranking title – as he beat Cao Yupeng 6-2 in the semi-finals of the Spreadex World Grand Prix in Leicester.
World number two Trump can look forward to a blockbuster final on Sunday, against Ronnie O’Sullivan or Ding Junhui, where he will be aiming for the 27th ranking title of his career. The 34-year-old has been prolific this season, reaching five other finals and collecting ranking titles at the English Open, Wuhan Open and Northern Ireland Open during a golden spell in October.
After a fast start tonight, Trump was made to work hard by China’s Cao, who is still waiting to win his first title. But Bristol’s Trump got the job done as he booked a 42nd career ranking final and remained on course to win this event for the fourth time.
Trump dominated the first three frames with breaks of 70, 106 and 61, his opponent failing to pot a ball. Cao also trailed 55-5 in frame four, but made an excellent clearance to force a respotted black, then converted a cracking long pot to a baulk corner to gain some momentum. After the interval, he controlled frame five to close to 3-2.
Frames six and seven were scrappy affairs and Trump got the better of them both for 5-2. In the eighth, he looked to be cruising past the winning post until he missed a tricky black on 60. World number 43 Cao had a chance to clear but also missed the black on 24 with two reds remaining, and that ended his hopes of a fight-back.
“I started really well and should have gone 4-0 up,” said 2019 World Champion Trump. “He nicked the frame to go 3-1 and that slowed the game down, it went tight and the balls were awkward. I tried to keep going for shots to keep the game flowing and in the end I managed to get over the line. I felt really relaxed and I felt I would score if I got chances, even when things got slow and didn’t go my way.
“It’s nice to be the first player through to the final, I’ll watch the other game and look forward to the challenge ahead. They are both amazing players. I would love to go up against Ronnie when he’s in great form. Ding beat me at the UK Championship so it would be good to get revenge over him.“
Cao got up to a terrible start but showed resilience in the way he tried to fight back. It was however too late and too much to do. He’s not the strongest player under pressure although he has improved significantly in that regard in recent years.
Other than that, the Saudi Arabia announcement hasn’t been that well received by the fans which pleased me to be honest. I do know that China isn’t the best either when it comes to human rights and some ethnic groups in particular are very badly treated but at least China has a real, authentic interest in the sport of snooker with millions playing it. It’s not sports-washing.
The concept of the golden ball has divided opinions, most of those who actually commented being negative about it. I don’t mind. It’s a glorified exhibition, nothing more, no matter how much money is put in it.
There was also reactions by a person I know to be from Graeme Dott’s close family. They said that once again this is for the top players and the lower ranked players are “screwed”. There is truth in it but if you want to sell a sport into new territories, you can’t start with 128 players and you have to go there with your most marketable assets. Also, I want to hope that if WST is making more money, some of it at least will trickle down to the WPBSA and the lower ranked players. All the current stars started at the bottom when they were young. WST, at the very least should understand that supporting the young players, starting at the bottom, is important for the future … 1 and that those who served the sport for most of their adult life also deserve to make a decent living out of their sport.
Tonight, Ronnie and Ding will face each other again. Hopefully it will be a good match and although I always want Ronnie to win, I wouldn’t be too disappointed if Ding prevails. Whoever wins tonight will have my support tomorrow 🙂
although… sometimes, too often actually, I wonder how much WST really cares for snooker’s future. ↩︎
Today, Ronnie played better and looked better physically and mentally. He beat Gary Wilson by 5-1 in a fast and entertaining match. To be fair to Gary, he didn’t have much run and the score could have been closer. But, anyway, this was a massive improvement from yesterday on all accounts, and, well I was quite happy and relieved to see Ronnie in a much better place mentally, physically and in the balls. He will meet Ding – again – in the semi-finals, tomorrow.
Ding beat Zhang Anda by 5-2. I can’t comment on Ding’s match as I haven’t watched it (yet).
Ronnie O’Sullivan continued his quest to win a fourth title of the season as he beat Gary Wilson 5-1 to reach the semi-finals of the Spreadex World Grand Prix, setting up a clash with Ding Junhui.
In a repeat of last month’s UK Championship final, which the Rocket won 10-7, O’Sullivan and Ding will go head to head in Leicester at 7pm on Saturday evening. The winner will meet Judd Trump or Cao Yupeng in Sunday’s final.
World number one O’Sullivan is in one of his best ever streaks, having won 12 consecutive matches, landing that UK title in York as well as last week’s Masters in London. He also claimed the silverware at the Shanghai Masters in September, so if he takes the top prize on Sunday it will be four trophies within as many months for the 48-year-old.
Scottish Open champion Wilson started strongly today as a 44 clearance – including a clever shot on the final pink to dislodge the black from a side cushion – gave him the opening frame. But the Wallsend cueman scored just two points in the next three frames as O’Sullivan rattled in breaks of 68, 129 and 78. Wilson led by 36 points on the last red in frame five, but failed to escape from a difficult snooker, and O’Sullivan later cleared the colours for 4-1. The seven-time Crucible king wrapped it up in the sixth with runs of 54 and 58.
“Gary didn’t get any run of the ball today, all the little nudges and kisses went my way,” O’Sullivan told ITV. “I haven’t played well since I won the world title in 2022, it is worrying because since I had my arm injury I have not cued well. Technically I must be one of the worst players on the tour, but it’s not just down to technical ability, otherwise Neil Robertson would win every tournament.
“There are other parts of the game I am blessed with that I don’t even recognise I am good at. I think I’m a good all-round player, my bad game is still a high standard – it must be because I have won tournaments without being at my best. That’s probably my greatest asset. I play the right shot at the right time, get aggressive when I need to, and defensive when I have to.“
Ding secured his progress with a 5-2 success against Zhang Anda. World number 11 Ding didn’t appear in a single ranking semi-final in 2020 or 2021, but has now reached five in the last 22 months having enjoyed an upturn in form over that period. The 36-year-old from China is showing signs of the game that has won him 14 ranking titles, most recently the 2019 UK Championship.
After losing the opening frame today, he took four in a row with top breaks of 102, 51 and 73. Zhang, who beat Ding in the quarter-finals on his way to winning the International Championship in November, pulled one back with a 101, before his opponent sealed victory in frame seven with a break of 74.
Ding said: “I watched Zhang’s game with Mark Allen and I didn’t think he was playing as well as he was two months ago. I tried to control the game today, played good safety and scored points when I got chances. I was happy for Zhang to win a title and to bring life into his snooker career.
“When I was young I wanted to win every tournament once! So it would be a dream to win this one, and the others I have never won. I will need to play well against Ronnie and to concentrate. He has a lot of experience. I have to be strong.”
Ronnie with breaks of 68, 129, 78 and 58 to set up a semi-final with Ding Junhui or Zhang Anda on Saturday night. Ding is 4-1 up on Zhang in the remaining quarter-final.
Ding with breaks of 102, 51 and 73 to leave himself one frame short of another meeting with O’Sullivan, who defeated him in the UK final and the Masters first round in recent weeks.
O’SULLIVAN 4-1 WILSON (122-6)
So Gary won the first frame, but will probably prefer to forget about the next five out there. O’Sullivan just too good really. Not only for Wilson, but the rest of the circuit. A closing knock of 58 from Ronnie and he continues along his merry way.
O’SULLIVAN 4-1 WILSON (75-6)
A 54 break from Ronnie before he runs out of position. Short of the pink on the roll up. But hits it the second time. Leaves a tough cut on red for Ronnie, but he drops it in with ease. Still not over the line though as O’Sullivan can’t split the remaining reds. Wilson then sees a white hit a red before racing down the green pocket. Just about sums it up for him today. O’Sullivan heading for a 91st ranking event semi-final.
O’SULLIVAN 4-1 WILSON (46-0)
This has been brilliant from O’Sullivan today. No matter what he is saying off the table, his body language is really good. Wilson looking forlorn as he misses a long red by miles, and gives it the thumbs up when the double kiss arrived off red. Could be a big break for Ronnie to finish.
O’SULLIVAN 3-1 WILSON (57-55)
Well, that is some steal for Ronnie. As cool as you like. Looked in the bag for Gary, but he is punished for a poor shot after moving 52 clear with 51 left up. O’Sullivan got the snooker, and the rest is history.
O’SULLIVAN 3-1 WILSON (39-55)
Ronnie needing a snooker in this frame, so continues the fight after slotting two reds and black. Incredibly, Wilson misses the red as white somehow goes around it in baulk. Didn’t seem possible. And O’Sullivan plays another nasty snooker. Escapes, but leaves the yellow. 25 points in it, 27 points left up. And in goes the yellow for Ronnie. Needs the remaining colours.
O’SULLIVAN 3-1 WILSON (3-40)
Wilson going along nicely in this frame. Two fine recovery pots on red and yellow. Really should see out the frame from this position. Nothing overly tricky to negotiate.
O’SULLIVAN 3-1 WILSON (3-16)
Safety blunder by O’Sullivan trying to arrow the white back to the baulk end. Opportunity then for Wilson to get hand on table and piece together a few points.
O’SULLIVAN 3-1 WILSON (3-3)
Another fluke for Ronnie, but can’t land on a red from a fine pot on a yellow along the baulk cushion. No damage done yet in this frame.
O’SULLIVAN 3-1 WILSON (0-2)
Boys back on the baize then. O’Sullivan two frames short of the semi-final in this contest. Wilson leaves a cut on a red to right middle off the break-off shot, but was thin and red doesn’t drop. Gary drops in the red, but just safety to follow.
O’SULLIVAN 2-1 WILSON (86-1)
A break of 78 from O’Sullivan, and he moves 3-1 clear. Two more needed to reach the last four. Two good so far.
O’SULLIVAN 2-1 WILSON (70-1)
Well, this is another exceptional display by O’Sullivan, who is really warming to the occasion in freezing January. Every chance of back-to-back centuries coming up.
O’SULLIVAN 2-1 WILSON (47-1)
Wilson probably can’t believe the bad running he has had so far, but must put that out of his mind here. With O’Sullivan right in the mood to pile on the points. Every chance of moving 3-1 ahead in next to no time. Winner of this match faces Ding Junhui or Zhang Anda in the last four. That match level at 1-1.
O’SULLIVAN 2-1 WILSON (26-1)
So unlucky for Gary as he pots a tricky cut on a pink to the left centre, but sees a red drop down a top bag at the same time. And he has left Ronnie right bang in the heart of the action. Which is probably not advisable.
O’SULLIVAN 2-1 WILSON (0-0)
Ronnie with the break-off shot for the fourth frame of a possible nine. One more frame before the mid-session interval.
O’SULLIVAN 1-1 WILSON (129-0)
A classy break from O’Sullivan with a supreme knock of 129, and he moves 2-1 ahead in the race to five.
O’SULLIVAN 1-1 WILSON (103-0)
And in goes the century. 103. His third ton of the week. A quite magical piece of shot-making. Really is. The crowd loving every second of it.
O’SULLIVAN 1-1 WILSON (68-0)
This a joyful piece of break-building. At one with the table as he chases a 12th straight match win.
O’SULLIVAN 1-1 WILSON (52-0)
O’Sullivan looking right at the peak of his powers here as he opens up the reds via the black. What another great shot that is. Looking very, very good at close range. Average shot time is 15 seconds.
O’SULLIVAN 1-1 WILSON (19-0)
Great long red by Ronnie at the outset of the third frame, and he holds for the black. No thought about hedging his bets. Heavy contact on red, but in goes a terrific recovery pot on the yellow. What a brilliant pot.
O’SULLIVAN 0-1 WILSON (98-1)
A rapid break of 68 from Ronnie, and this match is level at 1-1. Battle is joined at the World Grand Prix.
O’SULLIVAN 0-1 WILSON (82-1)
Break heads over 50. Nice stuff this from Rocket Ronnie. Really is. No matter what he might think.
O’SULLIVAN 0-1 WILSON (68-1)
Well, would you believe that. A huge fluke for Ronnie on a red trying to play safe, and he has landed right in among the reds. Glorious chance to level up this match at 1-1. Wilson with a rueful smile in his chair. “Just need to park it and move on,” says 1994 Masters champion Alan McManus.
O’SULLIVAN 0-1 WILSON (30-0)
Excellent long red by O’Sullivan to get himself moving early in the second frame. Brilliant shot by Ronnie to crack open the pack of reds off the blue before he tucks home a neat black to keep break going. But he then misses a cut on red from the yellow as break ends on 30. And he isn’t happy with that effort as he heads back to his seat.
O’SULLIVAN 0-0 WILSON (57-67)
A real scrappy frame, but a brilliant 44 closing break by Gary is good enough to get the job done. A quite stunning shot from Wilson to spring the black from the side cushion near the baulk line after slotting pink off the spot. Black rolls up over the green bag, and that is easy pot to see out the frame. He leads 1-0.
O’SULLIVAN 0-0 WILSON (57-36)
Some of the safety has been top drawer from both men. Another superb safety by Ronnie brings about the error from Wilson, and this is chance to win the first frame for the Masters winner. But he can’t slot a tough red along top cushion. And on we go with Wilson trying to claw back this deficit.
O’SULLIVAN 0-0 WILSON (50-23)
O’Sullivan not making the most of that chance, and a fine safety shot by Wilson prompts the error from Ronnie. But he can’t cash in as a red fails to drop with awkward cueing. What is O’Sullivan going to make here? Plenty of points to go at. But he then misses a red using the rest. Reprieve for Wilson. Four reds left up.
O’SULLIVAN 0-0 WILSON (26-9)
Interesting safety joust between the players. Nobody pushing the boat out before Ronnie comes up with a stunning shot to rest behind the green on baulk cushion Gary responds with the containing safety. Decent shot too. But O’Sullivan breaks the deadlock with a brilliant pot on red to right middle. And in goes the mid-range pink to follow.
O’SULLIVAN 0-0 WILSON (13-9)
Ronnie with a couple of attempts to escape from a snooker nominating green before getting there the third time. O’Sullivan just failing to land on black from a longish red. Wilson then nails his own long red before rolling up behind the brown.
O’SULLIVAN 0-0 WILSON (6-0)
Wilson breaks off the first frame of a possible nine. First man to five frames will take their place in the last four. O’Sullivan slots a long red from distance straight off the bat. What a way to set your stall out.
Wallsend’s Wilson compiled breaks of 121, 75 and 68 as he got the better of Ford. It’s an important result for Wilson in terms of his position on the one-year ranking list as he currently lies tenth, and if he’s still in the top 12 after March’s World Open then he’ll qualify for the Tour Championship for the first time.
“I am happier technically now than I was this time last year,” said Wilson. “If I can get my cue action right then something clicks for me. If I can keep winning and playing as many matches as I can then that builds confidence. Last season I just missed out on the Tour Championship and I was gutted, but I’m not looking at rankings now because that just creates extra pressure. I don’t mind playing Ronnie next because I always just play the table rather than worrying about my opponent.”
…
UK Championship runner-up Ding Junhui eased to a 4-1 win over Noppon Saengkham with a top break of 101. He now faces a Chinese derby against Zhang Anda, a repeat of their International Championship quarter-final which Zhang won 6-3.
Today, Zhang kept his best-ever season going with a 4-2 defeat of Mark Allen. A break of 95 helped give Zhang a 3-0 lead, and he wrapped up the match in frame six after Allen had pulled two back. The result leaves Allen with work to do over the next two events to guarantee a place at February’s Players Championship.
The remaining quarter-finals, Ronnie v Gary Wilson and Ding Junhui v Zhang Anda, will be played this afternoon. Given Ronnie exhaustion and poor mental state, I’m not sure what to wish for.
In the evening Judd Trump beat Mark Selby by 5-1 and Cao Yupeng came from behind to beat Mark Williams by 5-4.
Judd Trump looked close to the form which won him a hat-trick of ranking titles in October as he trounced Mark Selby 5-1 to reach the semi-finals of the Spreadex World Grand Prix.
Playing on home turf in Leicester, Selby suffered a resounding defeat as Trump stormed through to a meeting on Friday evening with Cao Yupeng, who came from 4-2 down to beat Mark Williams 5-4.
After the match, Bristol’s Trump reacted to the announcement of the first ever WST event in Saudi Arabia, describing it as “amazing for snooker.”
Trump has lost just three frames in three matches so far this week and is two wins away from a fourth trophy of the season, having landed the English Open, Wuhan Open and Northern Ireland Open. The 34-year-old is through to his 59th ranking event semi-final.
A break of 59 helped Trump win the opening frame, then Selby had a chance to level, but missed the final yellow to a baulk corner in frame two and his opponent took advantage. Trump also dominated the third then made a 119 for 4-0. After the interval, Selby at least avoided the whitewash thanks to a run of 100, but Trump soon wrapped up the contest with a 68 in frame six.
“Mark struggled bit, but any time you beat him you have to be happy,” said Trump, who is the only player to win this event three times. “I have had a good record against him recently and I feel comfortable against him. I tried to attack so that the game didn’t get bogged down.
“My results this week have been good although I still don’t feel I have played that well. When I have missed, my opponents haven’t punished me. I’m really happy to be in another semi-final and the tournament really starts now for me. I had a great first half of the season, it would be really hard to keep that going for the whole season, so to win the event this week would be important.“
Asked about the new Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker, to take place in March, the world number two added: “It’s amazing for snooker to be going to different places. We got back to China this season and felt appreciated. We are expanding and going to new territories. It’s amazing that Saudi Arabia want to get involved.”
China’s Cao is through to the fifth ranking event semi-final of his career, and second of the season having finished runner-up to Mark Allen at the Shoot Out last month. The 33-year-old scored one of his best ever wins against Williams tonight to keep alive his hopes of a first title.
Three-time Crucible king Williams eased into a 3-0 lead with top breaks of 92 and 60, and later led 4-2 before world number 43 Cao hit back with 74 and 55 for 4-4. In the decider, Williams was among the balls and leading 33-5 when he suffered a cruel slice of misfortune, going into the pack of reds only to stick to the apex ball, leaving him without a pot. He later botched a safety, gifting Cao the opportunity to make an excellent 74 clearance.
“I felt quite calm when behind and during the last frame, like I didn’t really mind losing the match,” said Cao. “I did show some resilience today. I wasn’t playing well at the beginning, especially in the first three frames. I had easy opportunities in all three but didn’t manage to make a break. I just did my best to make sure of the potting later on in the match.”
Mark Selby was truly terrible yesterday. It happens to all of them occasionally. Cao impressed me. In the past I have seen him crumble under pressure but there was none of that yesterday. Willo’s game disintegrated as the match went on. Matk has been open about his eyesight issues and I couldn’t help but wonder if ocular fatigue was a factor yesterday evening.
Alalshikh Announces Agreement with World Snooker to Host First-Ever Invitational Event
Saudi Arabia, January 18, 2024
Riyadh Season has added another exciting event to its roster of activity this year after HE Advisor Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), confirmed the staging of the inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker.
In a first for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the invitational event is due to take place between 4-6 March at Boulevard Arena in Boulevard City, Riyadh, and will feature some of the world’s top snooker players including the record seven-time World Snooker Championship winner Ronnie O’Sullivan, 2019 World Champion Judd Trump and current holder Luca Brecel.
Each game will be played under World Snooker rules and regulations but with the introduction of an innovative new concept, a 23rd ball known as the Riyadh Season ball. This gold ball will be worth 20 points and can only be potted once all other balls have been successfully cleared from the table if a player is on a maximum break to make it 167.
The agreement for this tournament was signed between Eng. Faisal Bafarat, CEO of GEA, and Steve Dawson, Chairman of World Snooker Tour, in the presence of HE Advisor Turki Alalshikh, as well as sports promoters Eddie Hearn and Barry Hearn.
HE Advisor Turki Alalshikh said: “We are thrilled to be hosting our first-ever professional snooker tournament in the Kingdom. Snooker is watched and played by millions around the world and we look forward to welcoming some of the greatest players and snooker fans to our country and showing them what Saudi Arabia and Riyadh Season has to offer.”
Steve Dawson said: “It is a great privilege for the World Snooker Tour to work in partnership with HE Advisor Turki Alalshikh to stage an event in Saudi Arabia for the first time.
“This is a huge breakthrough for snooker into a new territory, and we see this as the beginning of a new adventure for our sport in the region.
“We are looking forward to being a part of Riyadh Season on this fantastic new event featuring the world’s best players. We will be honored to bring our sport to the amazing city of Riyadh, and for the local fans this will be their first chance to see some of snooker’s all-time greats.”
Confirmation on all ten participants and schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
Me … I’m NOT thrilled. I know there might be a lot of money to be taken there, and snooker certainly can do with more resources. But … BUT … This is a country that has a terrible record when it comes to human rights, to women’s rights, a country were people can be executed – are executed – for the crime of just disagreeing with the totalitarian regime in place. I know that there are many sports events going there, the money on offer is huge, the athletes are well looked after … but this is sports-washing of the highest order going on in that country. I do know that the players will go. Most of them will not have a clue about what sports-washing is, probably most don’t even know the word never-mind the reality behind it. Most of them genuinely won’t know what is going on in the country behind the wealthy facade. I have been around enough snooker players to know that, for most, their universe is quite “limited”: their family, their mates, their sport and their career, that’s it. But surely the people at the top must know ???
Ronnie O'Sullivan 