John Higgins made the 13th maximum break of his career during the BetVictor Championship League Invitational on Saturday, leaving him just two short of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record of 15.
The Scot’s 147 came in the opening frame of his Group Five semi-final against Fan Zhengyi, which he went on to win 3-2. It’s Higgins’ first maximum since the 2021 British Open.
At the age of 48 and nine months, Higgins becomes the oldest player to make an official maximum, beating the record held by Mark Williams. It’s the ninth 147 of the season and 198th in snooker history.
Higgins went on to win the group, coming from 2-0 down to beat Ricky Walden 3-2 in the final to book a spot in March’s Winners’ Group.
“I played some good stuff earlier on in the week but felt like I was beginning to wilt in the last day,” admitted four-time World Champion Higgins. “It’s been a long six days, so I’m delighted to come through this group.
“I got very lucky at the end against Ricky. I got some big pieces of luck which is what you need in a best of five.”
Reflecting on the 147, Higgins said: “I felt good throughout the whole break and fancied getting it from the start. It’s always a good feeling when that happens.
“I’ve done well in this event before and it’s been good practice to get ready for the Welsh Open and hopefully the Players Championship.”
The competition resumes with Group Six on Monday 26th February. Ali Carter will re-enter the competition, with Hossein Vafaei and Jack Lisowski entering the fray. They’ll be joined by runner-up Walden, Kyren Wilson, Fan Zhengyi and Barry Hawkins.
Here is the maximum, shared on YouTube by WST. Unfortunately it was on table 2…
Ronnie has suffered from serious bouts of anxiety before. I have seen it with my own eyes … him being physically sick just minutes before he was due to play, notably at the Crucible. That said, he had hinted at his intention not to play in this event, already weeks ago. So this might not be the sole reason for his withdrawal. Whatever, it’s no surprise and there is no excuse for WST not to find a replacement.
The tournament will offer a great opportunity for the player who will be able to grab it as Judd Trump has also withdrawn as announced 4 days ago by WST:
TRUMP WITHDRAWS FROM WELSH OPEN
Judd Trump has pulled out of next week’s BetVictor Welsh Open in Llandudno and been replaced by Duane Jones.
Trump was due to play Liam Highfield at 7pm on the opening day of the event, Monday February 12. Instead, Welshman Jones will face Highfield.
Nevermind … Ronnie will be in beautiful Llandudno, and, no doubts, running up the hill … he loves a fell run, and it’s good for the mind. 😉
Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from next week’s BetVictor Welsh Open for medical reasons.
O’Sullivan was due to face Liam Graham in the first round on Monday at 12.30pm in Llandudno. Instead, Graham will be up against Alfie Davies.
David Grace has also pulled out for personal reasons. He was due to meet Shaun Murphy on Monday at 12.30pm, and Grace has been replaced by Barry Pinches.
Yesterday evening, Neil Robertson won the CLS Group 4 – Report by WST
Neil Robertson’s form continued to trend in the right direction, after claiming victory with a 3-2 defeat of Kyren Wilson in Group 4 final at the Championship League Snooker Invitational in Leicester.
Wilson, who had reached the play-offs by defeating Robertson earlier in the group, beat John Higgins 3-1 in the semi-final. Robertson earned his place in the final thanks to a 3-0 win over Barry Hawkins.
The Thunder from Down Under fired in a break of 54 in the decider against Wilson to secure victory and his place in the Winners’ Group.
After experiencing a dry spell of form across the year, group victory comes at the perfect time for Robertson heading into the business end of the season.
“I think with some of the matches I’ve played this week, I’ve been unplayable at times. The long balls have been absolutely fantastic and I’ve changed my approach a little as to how I’m playing them,” said Robertson.
“I’m going back to how I used to play many years ago. I’ve been backing myself to hit the centre of the white and my long potting has never been better, with my scoring fantastic as well.
“Barry (Hawkins) only had maybe five shots in the semi-final, while Kyren (Wilson) and I threw the kitchen sink at each other. The last frame was unbelievable, he just tried to do a bit too much with the safety shot and I could make a good 50 break.
“When you get to the final and you’ve already played a couple of groups, you want to advance to the Winners’ Group so it’s nice to head back to Cambridge and get a bit of practice in before the Welsh Open.”
Group 5 gets underway from 11am on Friday, with Joe Perry, Fan Zhengyi and David Gilbert joining the competition. Fans are able to view the action on Matchroom.live in the United Kingdom.
Neil seems to be back, close to his best. His confidence certainly is back. 😂
It was obvious that Mark Selby was struggling badly at times during the last month. Now, he has opened up about the difficulties his family is facing (report by WST).
SELBY REVEALS WIFE VIKKI’S CANCER SCARE
Mark Selby admits he was “completely blown apart” when wife Vikki was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, though thankfully she is now recovering.
In an interview with the Metro, four-time World Champion Selby reveals that the couple found out in January 2023 that Vikki had cancer. She had a course of radiotherapy, and the results of recent tests have given them optimism.
“She had a mammogram and ultrasound a few weeks ago and that all looked good,” said 40-year-old Selby. “They gave her an MRI as well and we’re waiting on the results of that. Fingers crossed that comes back ok and then it’s another year until we get a scan again.
“‘She’s been stronger than me throughout it, for sure. When it was first announced I was completely blown apart. Obviously with how my mental health was before anyway, that multiplied it. She’s been the one supporting me! It should be the other way round, but people say that, it always seems to be the person going through it that’s the strongest.
“Vikki was going through radiotherapy while I was playing at the Crucible so in a way it did take my focus off the tournament. I was playing and thinking, ‘If I get beat, so what?’ I said to Vikki that I wanted to be with her going through the radiotherapy but she was saying, ‘Look it’s only 20 minutes every day.’ I wanted to be there to support her, going through it, but she wanted me to play.”
It has been an awful time for the family as Vikki’s best friend Nina Webb passed away from the same disease last month at the age of just 44. Inevitably these circumstances have tested Selby’s own mental health, which he bravely spoke about two years ago.
The world number five said this week: “I’m always going to get lapses. When I was working with the doctor, who’s helped me no end, he said it will never go away, you will get moments when it comes back, it’s just about dealing with them. I know how to deal with them better now. I used to switch myself off, lock myself away and not do anything. I thought that was the right thing, but I actually needed to do the opposite.
“Playing does help because it gives me a purpose, I’m doing it for Vikki and [daughter] Sofia, to put food on the table, so I’ve got a drive to keep going for them.”
I’m wishing Vikki and the whole family the best possible outcome and a long future together. I have met Vikki several times, she’s a kind but very strong lady. She’s the pilar of the family.
Sometimes when a player underperforms, fans are quick to accuse them of laziness, or worse, of cheating. We do not know what they live through privately, we should remember that. And, because they are kind of “public figures” doesn’t give us a right to know everything private happening to them. We should always respect their privacy and refrain from judging.
I have just learned that one of my snooker friends, John Mc Bride, is terminally ill. He’s suffering from pancreatic cancer. He has got months to live, at best. He too has a family, a wife, Cathy, and two young sons. One of their friends has set up a fundraising to help the family facing the medical costs.
Finally, the 2024 WSF Championship continues today, with the round of 64. You can follow the event here. There is also one table streamed on the WPBSA Youtube channel.
Also, starting today, is the 2024 CLS Group 5. I’m not sure why the above article states that you can watch it on Matchroom.live “in the UK”. I can watch it in Greece as well … with a subscription of course.
The 2024 WSF Championship is currently underway in Golem, Albania. In fact it has been underway for several days. There were 211 players in the draw, spread over 43 groups. Two players from each group were due to progress to the knock-out stage. The last group matches were played earlier today. The knock-out stage starts this evening. You will, as always, find all the detailed information on snooker.org.
This is a mammoth tournament and it yields only one tour card but it has a much more international field than the Q-school, probably because it’s organised differently. Most players will reside at the hotel where the tournament happens, it’s a more compact tournament, with 13 tables in operation, and everyone entering was guaranteed to play minimum three matches.
I won’t even try to give you a summary of what happened earlier this week. It’s impossible. There were probably around 500 matches played… instead here come some “personal interest” inspired thoughts
There were only four female players in the draw: On Yee Ng and So Man Yan from Hong Kong, Narantuya Bayarsaikhan from Mongolia, and Corina Maracine from Romania. From those four, only Narantuya Bayarsaikhan qualified. She came second in a group dominated by Barry Pinches. Unfortunately she has withdrawn from the knockout stage and… well I find that quite puzzling. Why??? On Yee won two of her four matches in a group dominated by Paul Deaville, one of the favourites in this tournament. She came third in her group of five. So Man Yan won only one match. She’s a capable player, tactically sound but she doesn’t score heavily enough when at the table. Corina won nothing and that came as no surprise to me. She’s a nice girl and was a regular in the PTCs but I can’t remember her winning a match ever. I always wondered why she actually entered but then maybe she just loves to be there, to be part of it and to meet the other players. Why not, if she can afford it?
I was pleased to see Luo Honghao in the draw. He was the inaugural WSF champion. He dropped off the main tour and later found himself in some difficulties with the Chinese authorities. I wondered if we would see him ever again. He didn’t qualify though. This morning he was first in his group, but he lost his last match today, by 3-0, and that meant that he finished third in his group. It’s a shame.
I was also pleased to see Wang Yuchen in the draw. When I went to Yixing in 2012 for the APTC Event 2, he was one of the young Chinese players involved. He was 14 years old at the time and quite different from the other Chinese “snooker kids”. He was well educated and fluent in English, a one off in that group in fact. He was playing for China at the time but he had told me that his father is from Hong Kong and insisted that he should get a good formal education in addition to his snooker training. He’s now playing for Hong Kong. He won his group.
You can watch a lot of the action on Youtube, on the WPBSA channel.
Mark Selby secured his passage into the Championship League Snooker Invitational Winners’ Group in Leicester, defeating defending champion John Higgins in the Group Three final.
Four-time world champion Selby ran out a 3-0 winner against the Wizard of Wishaw to book a place in March’s Winner’s Group alongside Stuart Bingham and Chris Wakelin.
Higgins topped the group table with four victories in six matches, then beat Neil Robertson 3-0 in the semi-finals. Earlier in the day, Kyren Wilson made the fifth 147 of his career during his group match against Tom Ford. Wilson eventually finished third in the table, before losing 3-0 to a determined Selby, who went on to dominate the final against Higgins with breaks of 123, 99 and 72.
“I felt like over the two days I played well and scored heavily,” said Selby. “The Championship League is great practice – I feel I’ve been struggling lately to get results. To have a lot of matches, even though it’s a short format, keeps you on your toes.
“Even if I hadn’t won the group, I wouldn’t have been too disappointed as I’d have had another couple of days of matches. But it’s great to be sure of a place in the Winners’ Group.”
Group Four gets underway from 11am on Wednesday, with Barry Hawkins, Ricky Walden and Jimmy Robertson joining the competition. Fans are able to view the action on Matchroom.live in the United Kingdom.
WST Adds New China Event To 2024-25 Calendar With Inaugural Xi’an Grand Prix
The World Snooker Tour’s successful return to China will be strengthened during the 2024/25 season with the new Xi’an Grand Prix world ranking event.
Staged under a new multi-year agreement with the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association and Shaanxi Sports Industry Group Limited, the tournament will be the first ever WST event in the historic city of Xi’an in China’s Shaanxi Province.
Running from August 19-25 in its inaugural year, the Xi’an Grand Prix will have total prize money of £850,000 and a top prize of £177,000, with the prize money to increase in subsequent years to £875,000 and then £900,000.
Xi’an, which has a population of 13 million, is the capital of the Shaanxi Province in central China. It is renowned as the furthest eastern point of the Silk Road trade route which dates back over 2,000 years. Xi’an was also the capital of a series of ancient dynasties and is home to the world-famous Terracotta Warriors. These days, Xi’an is celebrated as the cultural, financial and educational centre of the region.
“This is fantastic news for our players and fans as we continue our global development and particularly our presence in China. During the 2023/24 season we have been able to stage events in mainland China for the first time since 2019 and this return has been a great success, with three world ranking events as well as one invitation tournament, and a fabulous reception from our friends and partners in the cities we have visited.”
Steve Dawson
WST Chairman
Dawson added: “We are thrilled and excited to announce a new event and to be heading for the first time to the fascinating location of Xi’an, with its remarkable history and culture. The local fans will have the chance to see their heroes play live. And for the players this is another opportunity to experience a new location, while competing and earning a high level of prize money.
“Our particular thanks go to the CBSA for their long term dedication to growing our sport throughout China, and to Shaanxi Sports Industry Group Limited. We look forward to working with them closely on the first Xi’an Grand Prix and to a successful long term partnership.”
WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “The WPBSA is delighted to see this new event added to the World Snooker Tour. This is a stunning destination and a significant major ranking event which will benefit our full playing membership. On behalf of our players and officials, I must express our thanks to all our partners, both at WST and in China.”
Provisional dates for further events in China during the 2024/25 season are:
Shanghai Masters: July (dates TBC) Xi’an Grand Prix qualifiers: July 25-28 Xi’an Grand Prix: August 19-25 Wuhan Open qualifiers: August 26–28 International Championship qualifiers: October 1–4 Wuhan Open: October 7-13 International Championship: November 3-10 World Open qualifiers: December 16–19 World Open: March 3-9
Judd Trump landed his fourth title of an already sparkling season, beating Si Jiahui 10-5 to win the BetVictor German Masters at the Tempodrom in Berlin.
The Ace in the Pack has now won the German Masters a record three times, moving him ahead of Mark Williams and Ali Carter, who have both won the event twice.
Trump defeated Neil Robertson here at the Tempodrom in the 2020 final and beat Jack Lisowski in Milton Keynes back in 2021, when the tournament was displaced due to the pandemic.
Englishman Trump now has 27 career ranking titles to his name, with this evening’s victory moving him just one behind Steve Davis on 28 and four shy of John Higgins on 31.
Trump’s performance this week has seen him storm to an early triumph in the BetVictor Series, for which he pockets a £150,000 bonus. That is in addition to the £80,000 he earns for claiming the title this week. This is all with an event to spare ahead of this month’s BetVictor Welsh Open.
Talented Chinese 21-year-old Si can reflect on a week which has seen him reach his maiden ranking event final, having already reached the semi-finals of last season’s World Championship. Si is the 13th player from mainland China to reach a ranking final.
The afternoon’s session saw Trump establish a 5-3 lead. When play got underway this evening, both players treated the 2,000 strong crowd to a scintillating standard.
It was Si who took the first with a sublime 123 to close the gap to a single frame, before consecutive century contributions of 113 and 108 from Trump saw him regain a stranglehold on proceedings at 7-4. He then made it three on the bounce with 74 in the 12th to move 8-4 ahead at the mid-session.
When play resumed, Si pulled another back to stay in contention at 7-5. However, his resistance wouldn’t last long and runs of 66 and 81 saw Trump over the line for yet another title and secured him the Brandon Parker Trophy.
“It is a special event to me. I think the crowd make it that extra bit special. It is certainly one of the best arenas on the tour. It is an event I look forward to coming to and it seems to bring out the best in me.”
Judd Trump
Three-time German Masters Champion
“It was a tough challenge, because you never know what he is going to do next. You are always on the edge of your seat. He takes on absolutely everything. It can be a little bit tricky and you are never able to really settle. I produced my best snooker when I needed to and I didn’t miss much in the second session,” added 34-year-old Trump.
“I think he is very promising. The form he showed in the World Championship and this event, he is certainly the most talented player out there and the most likely to get to the top of the game. Shot selection is the key for him, the same as when I was young. As soon as he realises that and knuckles down he will challenge for a lot of titles.
“After the last couple of seasons, where I haven’t been winning four, five or six titles, people have been very quick to point that out. It is nice to do it again this season. Maybe hearing what some people say off the table pushes me to the level where I am able to produce it week in and week out. I have always been very dedicated. When you come to venues like this it just ignites something.”
Si said: “I had an incredible run to the final. After all my opponent was Judd, he is an amazing player and I have a lot to learn from him. I enjoyed this week.
“The German crowd is very passionate which is fantastic. This is a brilliant venue. It was very enjoyable.”
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Congratulations Judd Trump
Photo shared by WST on their website.
I was “Team Si” but I can’t be too disappointed. Judd Trump played brilliant snooker and spoke very well after his win. Si is only young, he is still learning and he will be back stronger.
Judd praised the fans, and the venue. Rightly so. Continental Europe deserves more events. There is a huge fan base there, and players as well. We have other venues that could be suitable for events too.
I can only speak for Belgium but here goes. In Antwerp, the Lotto Arena is huge. It can accommodate 10-12 tables easily, with seats on three sides. PTCs were played there in the past. In 2013, the 3-cushions World Championship was played in that arena. They got sponsored by Antwerp’s diamond industry. If a “niche” sport like 3-cushions can get such a sponsor, why doesn’t snooker manage it? Of course 3-cushions is our traditional billiard game in Belgium and we have history BUT the current snooker World Champion is Belgian, and we have a couple of brilliant youngsters in Julien and Ben. So? In Brussels, we have circular arena with huge capacity: Forêt National (pictured below), and a smaller one, a bit similar to Goffs, the “Cirque Royal”.
I have said this before, I’ll say it again, if snooker has real ambitions to become a major sport it has to break the “UK Centric” mentality and invest outside the UK and China. Continental Europe should be the first target. Fans there are hungry and we have promising young players. Bulcsú Révész from Hungary has just won the WSF junior event last week … just saying.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 