Mark Allen believes he is building towards his best form, and could be the player to challenge the dominance of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump this season, as he beat Si Jiahui 4-1 to reach the last 16 of the BetVictor Welsh Open.
O’Sullivan and Trump have won four titles apiece this term but they are both absent from Llandudno this week. Allen is the only other player with more than one, having landed the Champion of Champions and BetVictor Shoot Out, and looks determined to add to that tally. The Northern Irishman compiled breaks of 63, 76, 110 and 52 in a fine display against Si.
“I played well, I only missed one ball,” said Allen, who now meets Robbie Williams. “Si can scare you a bit because he looks like he fancies potting everything. You could see his confidence and he takes on some very aggressive shots, which is great to see because that’s the way to beat the top players. He is very talented.
“I am still nowhere near my best but I am slowly growing into the tournament, I’m getting closer. Judd and Ronnie have played much better than me this season, but I do feel I’m the one closest on their heels.”
Robert Milkins has clearly been inspired this week by memories of last year’s title success and he thrashed David Gilbert 4-0 with top breaks of 77 and 91, setting up a tie with Gary Wilson.
John Higgins looked sharp in a 4-1 win over Ryan Day, with a high break of 124. Home favourite Mark Williams suffered a 4-1 reverse against Anthony McGill, while Matthew Selt made a 135 in a 4-1 win over Duane Jones.
Si is now out of the running to qualify for next week’s Johnstone’s Paint Players Championship, as is Neil Robertson whose recent resurgence was dented by a 4-2 reverse against Ricky Walden. From 2-0 down, Walden won four frames in a row with breaks of 96, 68, 69 and 65. The Merseysider later paid tribute to Dave Higginson, father of Andrew, who passed away this morning.
“Everyone is thinking of Andrew, we’re all devastated, ” said Walden. “Dave was a brilliant guy, I had known him a long time. It’s a tough day for everyone.”
Earlier in the last 64, Luca Brecel showed glimpses of the form which won him the world title last May as he raced to a 4-0 success against Joe O’Connor, knocking in breaks of 83, 119, 62 and 75.
Aaron Hill has beaten both Trump and O’Sullivan in previous seasons and he can now add Mark Selby to his list of scalps having seen off the four-time World Champion 4-2. “Mark is one of the greats and one of the players I look up to,” said 21-year-old Irishman Hill, who reached his first ranking quarter-final at the Wuhan Open earlier this season. “I’m absolutely delighted. I thrive in that kind of atmosphere, I love been out there especially when I’m playing well. I know my game is good enough to be beating them.”
Anthony Hamilton scored a 4-1 victory over Kyren Wilson while Jak Jones saw off Zhang Anda by the same scoreline. In a Welsh derby between experience and youth, veteran Dominic Dale came from 3-1 down to beat amateur Alfie Davies 4-3. Rookie Stan Moody top scored with 103 in an impressive 4-3 victory over Jordan Brown.
As you will have understood reading the above it was a strange day, full of upsets but before I kook further into yesterday’s result, my thoughts and heart go out to Andrew Higginson and his family in these incredibly difficult moments. I got to know Andrew quite well when I was a regular at events. He’s a great person, a kind heart, loved by everyone and so was his father. 💔 Rest in peace Dave Higginson.
As for the report above… well … there are strange omissions.
No report whatsoever – again – on the only match that didn’t feature a British or Irish player. Hossein Vafaei beat Julien Leclercq by 4-1. Hossein played really well but that wasn’t the whole story. After five frames it could and probably should have been 3-2 for Julien… if only he could cut out the unexpected misses. I’m not sure why they happen, wether it’s lapses of concentration, taking shots for granted or something else, but it’s a shame because Julien is very talented and very good to watch, as is Hossein of course.
No report either on Marco Fu’s 4-3 win over Zak Surety. I didn’t watch that match but it’s an important and very good win given Marco’s eyes issues.
Also nothing about Jak Jones’ win over Zhang Anda, one of the players on the early season, nor about young Dylan Emery’s victory over Noppon Saengkham. It’s all the more bizarre because both are Welsh and this is the Welsh Open… but hey, they were playing Asian players …
I’m sorry if I “sound” like a broken record, but it seems to me that WST reports tend to focus more on British and Irish players than on “foreign” players, highlighting once again how “UK centric” the whole “management” of the sport actually is, including in its reporting.
A Colourful Future! WST Announces New Long-Term Partnership With Johnstone’s Paint
World Snooker Tour is delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with Johnstone’s Paint, a brand of PPG Architectural Coatings, UK & Ireland.
The journey will begin this season with Johnstone’s Paint becoming the Lead Partner of the Players Championship and Tour Championship, the second and third events of the 2024 Players Series. The long-term partnership will evolve further on snooker’s global tour, with additional announcements in the pipeline ahead of next season.
PPG Architectural Coatings, UK & Ireland is headquartered just outside of Leeds in Birstall, West Yorkshire. PPG’s portfolio boasts a distinguished array of brands within the coatings industry including the prestigious Johnstone’s and Leyland Brands. From a global perspective PPG was originally founded and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and currently operates in over 70 countries worldwide.
The Johnstone’s Paint Players Championship commences February 19th for seven days, and takes place at the Telford International Centre with an elite field of 16 players from the one-year ranking list. The Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship will run from April 1st to 7th at the outstanding Manchester Central venue, culminating in the best 12 players of the season so far to compete for one of the sport’s most prestigious trophies.
Snooker fans can look forward to a variety of engaging Johnstone’s Paint themed activations and initiatives. As we anticipate the sponsorship’s growth over 2024, we aim to enhance the experience for both spectators and viewers. Keep an eye out for the exciting developments!
WST’s Chief Commercial Officer Peter Wright said: “We are excited to join forces with PPG on a long-term partnership. The natural alignment between our organisations presents exciting opportunities for collaboration as we work together to achieve our respective goals.
“The Tour Championship is an elite field of the world’s best players and that matches Johnstone’s Paint’s status as a respected, high performance paint brand. We look forward to working with PPG and to developing this partnership with further announcements to come.”
PPG’s Marketing Director, UK & Ireland Megan Esmond said: “I am thrilled about our new partnership with the World Snooker Tour. This collaboration represents an exciting new chapter for Johnstone’s and gives us a great platform to continue to build the awareness for our flagship brand.
“The synergy between the World Snooker Tour’s elite players and Johnstone’s Paint’s high performance products aligns perfectly with our brand goals. The vibrant colours associated with snooker create a dynamic connection, and we eagerly anticipate the positive impact this sponsorship will bring.”
Coming back to the Saudi announcements … WST has eagerly shared the positive reactions of a number of players, mainly top players. I wonder how many of them know what happens in Saudi Arabia, be it with women, migrant workers or everyone who doesn’t abide by the views of the government and the strict islamist leaders … unless they bring money? I didn’t read any Ronnie quotes to that effect, so far, which pleased me. He will almost certainly play in it though. With so much money at stakes, it’s not just about the purse… it’s the ranking as well that will suffer badly if players miss this event. Another reason to scrap the money list!
Ronnie is in the ES studio, usually with Allan Mc Manus. He expressed his sympathy for Anthony McGill who currently hates his own (slow) game, despite winning, he praised Aaron Hill’s performance and attitude and when Alan downplayed Mark Selby’s chances at the Crucible, Ronnie came to his rival defence warning Alan not to write him off…. but he also harshly criticised John Astley after a bad miss. Too harshly actually.
Stephen Hendry has been guilty of that as well … being overly harsh towards players when he’s in commentary or in the studio. It’s not great, these guys try very hard but, on the other hand, that’s how they see it from their personal perspective, a perspective of great champions, serial winners, not really in touch with the lower ranked players reality and daily struggles.
That’s why having people like Fergal O’Brian, Dominic Dale , Joe Perry and Steven Hallworth in commentary is important as well and all of them are great at it.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
we talk about John Higgins
its no surprise
by the by, i think that this week their bad race in the ranking tittles will be breaked
If what Higgins said is correct, no hope for any principled stand:
“As a snooker player it’s all about maximising your earning potential.”
A a human being it could also be about other things., but… : (