‘I DON’T HAVE TO WIN, YOU KNOW‘ – SNOOKER LEGEND RONNIE O’SULLIVAN ON HIS FUTURE IN SNOOKER AHEAD OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
BY ALEX LIVIE
The World Championship is looming into view and Ronnie O’Sullivan will arrive at the Crucible with an eighth title in his sights. The world No. 1 has had a superb season in terms of winning titles, but he is not happy with the state of his game but is ready to buckle down and fight to remain at the top end of the sport over the next 12 months and more.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has said he will dedicate the next 12 months to working hard on his game in a bid to extend his career at the top level.
O’ Sullivan has had some stellar results in the 2023/24 season, winning the UK Championship and Masters to add to his tally of Triple Crown events.
But despite the wins, the world No. 1 has been unhappy with the state of his game.
After beating Gary Wilson in the semi-finals of the Tour Championship, O’Sullivan spoke about battling the yips.
He has begun working closely with Steve Peters once again, and the revered Sports Psychiatrist will be in his corner at the World Championship and for the next 12 months.
“Steve’s gonna be there a lot,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport about his plans for a shot at an eighth World Championship, which gets underway on Eurosport and discovery+ at the weekend. “I told him, whenever you can make it, that’d be great.
“I’ve been speaking to him a lot on the phone recently.”
O’Sullivan is not happy with the state of his game, but has committed to working hard to feel comfortable at the table.
He continued: “I’m in that situation at the moment where I’ve just got to get myself in a frame of mind for maybe the next however long. I’ve given myself a year to the end of next year’s World Championship to work with Steve and hope, you know, to get back to where I feel it’s acceptable.
“I could do another year like this, I’ll commit to that playing how I’ve been playing and the struggles and what we all want to call it – the yips or the snatches, whatever you want to call it.
“I don’t consider that snooker, I’m butchering balls.
“Everyone’s got their own problems. But that ain’t fun for me.
“I’ve got two options. Like Steve said, you can learn to live with it. You can learn to live with anything and be happy or choose to be miserable.
“The task I’m gonna have to set myself is if I can’t get my game in the right place, and I really don’t wanna stop then I’ve got to get round my head round acceptance. Learn to live with it, play it.
“But if I can’t, then maybe do 18 months, two years, exhibitions, go see all the fans and really just go down that testimonial route and then hang my cue up. Would be, like 51, 52. No big deal.”
Should O’Sullivan triumph at the Crucible, it would give him an eighth world crown to go with his eight Masters and eight UK Championships.
Such an achievement would not be the trigger to consider retirement.
“I’ll only retire if I think I’m not playing well enough for long enough, which has been going on a while now,” he said. “That’s obviously something that distresses me enough to think. ‘I don’t want to keep doing that.’ But like I said, if I can learn to live with it.“
The lifestyle snooker has handed O’Sullivan is one of the reasons for him to keep playing.
He said: “I don’t have to win, you know, I just like travelling, I like the people I meet, I like the people I work with; I have a great time with all my sponsors and stuff like that. That’d be hard to give up.
“It’d be hard to give up all the exhibitions I do, the places I get to travel to. That’s why I don’t want to give it up.
“But you’ve got to enjoy the playing, you know, and it’s been a tough year.
“If I can get back to enjoy the playing, then I’ll be the happiest man in the world.”
Despite being unhappy with his game, O’Sullivan is pleased with how he has approached the mental side of snooker.
“I think I’ve mentally been really strong to just keep going at it,” he said. “But I thought I’ve won five tournaments, got to the finaI and I’m not enjoying it.
“I want to win and enjoy it. So that’s why I said to Steve, ‘come on, I need to work this out now.’
“I need to work something out where I can feel in a better place with it all.“
Provided his game is in shape, O’Sullivan does not feel this is his last shot at an eighth world crown.
“I think there are plenty of opportunities to win that World Championship,” the 48-year-old said. “It’s just if I’m not enjoying it. If I’m enjoying it and like I said when I’m playing snooker, I feel like my mind is young around that table.
“I think like a youngster, so age is not important.
“I feel agile. As long as I keep feeling that young when I’m out there, then it doesn’t matter if I’m 60 if I feel like I’m still performing well out there. And I’m making, you know, my opponent look sluggish to me. I’m like, ‘cool, we can still do this.'”
HE Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), has announced an agreement between Riyadh Season and WST to further expand and develop collaboration which will promise to bring the sport to more fans across the Middle East.
Ahead of this weekend’s World Snooker Championship, Riyadh Season has agreed to become an official partner for snooker’s most prestigious tournament, underlining the commitment to supporting the WST.
With the ambition to grow snooker throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond, HE Turki Alalshikh has also announced a new three-year ambassadorial agreement with world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan, who has won a record 23 Triple Crown titles. This agreement guarantees that O’Sullivan will play in all WST events in Saudi Arabia and will also make special trips to the Kingdom to coach and foster aspiring talent.
Saudi Arabia hosted its first-ever WST event last month –Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker – which was won by O’Sullivan. Such was its success, the tournament is confirmed to return as part of the calendar for Riyadh Season during the 2024/25 schedule and will feature the world’s top ten players in addition to two wild cards being invited.
The event will again feature the innovative golden ball, known as the Riyadh Season ball, which will give players a chance to score a world record break of 167 if they pot it at the end of a maximum 147, with HE Turki Alalshikh confirming that the prize for the ‘super maximum’ will be doubled to $1million should anyone succeed in achieving this milestone.
On this announcement, HE Turki Alalshikh stated that these initiatives will act to drive the development of snooker in Saudi Arabia, inspiring a new generation of young fans who idolise the sport’s biggest stars. This expansion of snooker is one of many sporting events offered by Riyadh Season, building a vibrant community of snooker fans that will increase the popularity of the game in Saudi Arabia, where all enthusiasts can thrive and pursue their passions.
HE Alalshikh added “Riyadh Season is delighted to be a partner of the World Snooker Championship, which will start next Saturday and continues until May 6th at Crucible in Sheffield.”
WST Chairman Steve Dawson said: “We are honoured to work with HE Turki Alalshikh on his visionary plans for progress. We share his ambition of bringing snooker to many more fans across the Middle East, and to foster new talent and develop grassroots structures. We share a dream that one day Saudi Arabia will produce a World Snooker Champion, and each of the three initiatives announced today are steps towards that dream. We are thrilled to be working with His Excellency and to deepen our relationship with Saudi Arabia.
“The inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker was a fabulous event and many of the players enjoyed the atmosphere created by the local fans. We look forward to returning to the Kingdom in the summer for the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, which will be the first ever world ranking event in the region. These tournaments grow the sport and provide fantastic opportunities for the players to compete for outstanding prize money.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan said: “Playing in Riyadh last month was an amazing experience, I love the atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the fans. We can make snooker huge in Saudi Arabia. So I am excited by this chance to work to grow the sport there and the opportunity to coach the best young talent and pass on my experience. I’m also relishing the chance to play in more big events in the Kingdom, and to work alongside HE Turki Alalshikh on his ambitions.”
As much as I disagree with the Saudi regime, developing snooker in new regions is not just good, it’s absolutely necessary. I wish such efforts could be made to get more and bigger tournaments in mainland Europe. Snooker faces serious challenges, we should not be deluded about it, notably because hey-ball has become the number one billiard sport in China, dethroning snooker. We have seen several British snooker platers being tempted by it this season, and they enjoyed the experience.
And maybe … only maybe … something good can come from this when it comes to the human rights situation. Further opening your country to visitors means being under more scrutiny. It also means more contacts between the local population and foreigners who grew in a different culture and have a completely different live style. No matter the regime efforts, this is unavoidable and it is bound to force some societal changes. At least I want to hope so…
Jack Lisowski made amends for dropping out of the elite top 16 as he raced through the final qualifying round of the Cazoo World Championship, beating Matthew Stevens 10-3 to earn a place at the Crucible.
After a disappointing season by his standards, reaching just one ranking semi-final, Lisowski still has the chance to finish the campaign on a high as he has handled the pressure of Crucible qualifying with typical panache, winning his two matches for the loss of just seven frames, making six centuries. Breaks of 137, 76, 80, 59, 73, 100 and 77 helped him turn a potentially tough tie against Stevens into a cakewalk.
Lisowski has been ever present at the Crucible since 2018 – reaching the quarter-finals in 2022 – and none of the 16 seeds will relish being pitted against the world number 17 when the draw is made on Thursday morning.
“This is the best I have played all season, I have practised really hard for it and it’s a relief to get through,” said Lisowski. “It’s a ‘no win’ really because I was expected to get through and I could only lose. I have been to the Crucible for six years in a row and I want to do well this time.
“I feel sharper than I have done all season. I know Ding got to the final (in 2016) having come through the qualifiers. My plan was to turn a negative into a positive. I have two matches under my belt now. I nicked an important frame at the end of the first session today to go 6-3 instead of 5-4. When I got chances I was scoring and so was Matthew, it was a really good game.“
Veteran Dominic Dale is back at the Crucible after a ten-year absence thanks to a 10-8 victory over He Guoqiang. At 52, Dale is the oldest qualifier since Steve Davis in 2010.
“I couldn’t dream at my age that I could play well enough to get to the Crucible,” admitted Dale, who has reached two ranking quarter-finals this season. “I am astonished. It has been so long since I played a match of that magnitude. My new girlfriend Anne has made a big difference to my life because her dad Jean, who lives in France, loves watching snooker on Eurosport. Before she met me, Anne wouldn’t have known what a snooker ball was but now she knows all about it. Between them they have convinced me to practise harder and I have done that this season, and had more focus in matches.“
Ricky Walden was never ahead of Mark Davis until he took a tense decider to win 10-9. “I’m not sure how I got through because I was second best all the way through but I stuck in there,” said Walden, a semi-finalist in 2013. “When the pressure is on it’s easy to roll over. But I kept rolling up my sleeves and trying. I am looking to get my game where I want it to me, the main thing for me is to go to the Crucible and play well.”
Stephen Maguire is back at the Crucible having missed out last year, and is now set for his 20th appearance at the Theatre of Dreams as he was ever-present from 2004 to 2022. The Glaswegian top scored with 106, 104 and 100 as he pulled away from 5-5 to beat Yuan Sijun 10-6.
Stuart Bingham, Crucible king in 2015, has been ever-present since 2011 and kept that run going with a 10-8 victory over Louis Heathcote. Bingham hadn’t won a knockout match in a ranking event in 2024 before heading to Sheffield, but came from 7-3 down to beat Stuart Carrington 10-9 then scored another gritty victory over Heathcote, firing runs of 60, 135 and 71 to take the last three frames.
Jak Jones reached the quarter-finals on his debut last year, and he booked his return with a 10-4 defeat of Zhou Yuelong, his top break 126. Lyu Haotian will join the Chinese contingent at the Crucible thanks to a 10-7 success against Jenson Kendrick. Breaks of 121 and 117 helped Lyu to book a fourth appearance. Robbie Williams made an excellent break of 78 in the decider to beat Chris Wakelin 10-9.
JUDGEMENT DAY HIGHLIGHTS
There is not much to add about the action. Judgement Days coverage on ES and social media is great, as you keep up with all matches, but you can’t really follow how a match unfolds.
He Guoqiang’s defeat means that Ben Mertens will now definitely get a new tour card through the one year list unless Jiang Jun reaches the semi-finals at the Crucible. It’s not impossible of course but it’s very unlikely and it would be the story of the decade for sure! This is the provisional “end of season” ranking list by snooker.org. As you can see, the lowest ranked player still competing in the 2024 World Championship, the last event of the season, other that Jiang Jun, is Scott Donaldson, provisionally ranked 51st, which means that whatever happens from now on for those players, will not impact those ranked below him.
I’m really sorry for Jason Kendrick. It was a colossal effort. It took him too long to make an impact on the main tour, maybe because of his private situation1. He will have to go to Q-School if he wants to be a professional snooker players and I’m wishing him the best in his future endeavours, whatever that will be.
Today is the last day of the 2024 World championship Qualifiers. Five Chinese players will be in action, four of them young lads. The draw is such that at least two Chinese players will come through today. They will join Ding and Zhang Ada in the main draw, meaning that there will be at least four Chinese players at the Crucible this season.
Jenson is a “young” father. A new and first baby means happiness of course but also sleepless nights and additional responsibilities. ↩︎
Yesterday was the last of round 3 at the “Crucible qualifiers”. It’s always a tense day at the EIS, filled with joy for some, and heartbreaks for others. The report by WST – hereafter – focuses on the big/known names.
CRUCIBLE QUALIFYING DAY EIGHT: THUNDER STORMS TO JUDGEMENT DAY SLOT
Neil Robertson brushed Zak Surety aside 10-2 to reach the final round of Cazoo World Championship qualifying at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
The Australian has fallen down 24th position in the world rankings this season, meaning he is having to qualify for the World Championship for the first time since 2006. Robertson is now one win away from reaching the Crucible for a 20th consecutive year.
Despite the enormity of a player of Robertson’s calibre having to qualify, he showed complete reverence to the situation he found himself in today, putting on a ruthless display to ease over the line.
Robertson compiled runs of 74, 60, 103, 76, 134, 90 and 117 on his way to victory. He now faces Jamie Jones in the final round, after the Welshman defeated Alfie Burden 10-5. Despite the loss, Surety clings on to his position on tour via the one year list.
“I think the qualifiers really are to be respected. I didn’t come here thinking I would blitz the two games and qualify. Everyone wants to get to the Crucible. Stephen Maguire did an interview a few days ago saying how much it hurt him not qualifying last year. I don’t want to miss out either.”
Neil Robertson
2010 World Champion
Robertson added: “It doesn’t feel like qualifiers. Last time I had to qualify in Prestatyn in 2006, we had these blue cubicle walls blocking off everything. You couldn’t see any other table and you had a hand full of people watching. This is great and there are good crowds. It doesn’t feel any different to being at a venue.
“I am back to my best. Whether or not that is any good who knows. I need to try and find ways to improve and play in a way that puts my opponents in trouble more often. When I play my best I wipe the floor with most players but you don’t play your best in an isolated situation that often.”
Hossein Vafaei earned a Judgement Day berth for the third consecutive year with a 10-4 defeat of Marco Fu.
Vafaei made century breaks of 121 and 116 on his way to victory. He now faces Jiang Jun in the final round of qualifying. After today’s win he admitted to being emotional at the kind words from Fu at the conclusion of their game.
Vafaei said: “He gave me some advice and I nearly cried. I love Marco. He is in my heart and he is one of my heroes. I have to say in front of everyone, thank you for the advice you gave me. I love you so much.
“It is a massive day for everyone (the final round). Everyone wants to qualify but I have been passing that now. It isn’t as big for me. I just want to stay in the tournament for as long as I can. I want to produce a good game. I like to enjoy my snooker. If I perform like that then everyone is going to be easy!”
Noppon Saengkham fired in a stunning 147 during his 10-5 defeat of Andy Hicks. The break puts Thai number one Saengkham in line for a £25,000 payout.
Next up for Saengkham is Welshman Jackson Page, who scored a 10-5 win against 2006 World Champion Graeme Dott.
Noppon’s 147 was the second of his career and amusingly his 147th professional century.
The above report, as so often, focuses on the “known names” … yet yesterday a number of young players, most notably from outside the UK, gave it all and, IMO, deserve a mention other than “en passant”.
There was an extraordinary tense match between 21 years old Si Jiahui from China and 19 years old Ben Mertens from Belgium. The match was won in the 19th and deciding frame by Si. Ben had actually potted match ball in the previous frame: at 9-8 and 69-0 ahead with only 67 left. Si got a snooker to force the decider.
The 18 years old Jian Jung deserves more than being mentioned as Hossein Vafaei next opponent. The lad is in his first year as a pro and he will now play for a spot at the Crucible! Yesterday he beat Sam Craigie by 10-8, having beaten Fan Zhengyi by the same score in the previous round.
Wu Yize from is only 20 years old, in his third year as a pro. He’s already ranked 42. He will face Si Jiahui on “Judgement Days”. He beat the vastly experienced Tian Pengfei by 10-8 yesterday.
Pang Junxu, 24 years old, put an end to Oliver Brown’s stunt as a pro, for now at least, as beat him by 10-7 yesterday. He too will face another Chinese player on Judgements day … Cao Yupeng.
He Guoqiang, 23 years old, is another young Chinese player who does extremely well as a rookie: he will face Dominic Dale on Judgements Days. He beat Ross Muir and Antony McGill to get this far.
The two young Belgians, Julien Leclercq and Ben Mertens, didn’t manage to get to the top 64 after two years on tour but both will get a new two years tour card via the one year list.
Corrigendum … Ben could still possibly be relegated but for that to happen, He Guoqiang needs to reach the last 16 at the Crucible. He would then push Lilley out of the top 64 and Lilley is ahead in the season list.
Worth mentioning as well is the fact that the four players rescued through “one year list” are now known: other than Julien and Ben, Oliver Lines and Zak Surety will get a fresh tour card via that route.
As for today … as much as I like Ricky Walden – and I really do like him – I would love to see “Dark Mavis” at the Crucible. A pro since 1991, 51 years old, a great servant of his sport … yes, that would be great!
Also, I’d love to see Jenson Kendrick win today. Again nothing at all against Lyu Haotian, but Jenson who nobody rated much during his two seasons on tour, has produced such a colossal effort to get this far, under the highest of pressure, knowing that he needs to get to the Crucible to stay on tour, that, yes, I’d love to see him succeed!
CRUCIBLE QUALIFYING DAY SEVEN: BINGHAM FIGHTBACK FLOORS CARRINGTON
Stuart Bingham rallied from 7-3 down to win a 10-9 thriller against Stuart Carrington and earn his place on Judgement Day at Cazoo World Championship qualifying in Sheffield.
The 2015 World Champion has appeared at the Crucible every year since 2010. He was facing the very real prospect of a year away from the Theatre of Dreams, before mounting his fightback charge this evening.
Bingham has experience of success from the qualifying stages, having made the semi-finals in 2021. He was denied a place in the title match that year after a marathon 17-15 defeat to Mark Selby.
Facing a daunting 7-3 deficit, Bingham produced some of his best snooker to turn the match on its head. Breaks of 55, 73, 85, 55, 91 and 68 helped him to seven of the next nine frames and victory.
“It hasn’t been a good couple of seasons for me. It was a big match to still be in the tournament. I was fearing the worst all day, getting a bit impatient and frustrated. I don’t know where it has come from. It is still in there. I think it just takes my back being against the wall to get the best out of me. I’ve hardly missed a ball in the last three frames.”
Stuart Bingham
2015 World Champion
Bingham added: “Every player wants to finish their season at the Crucible. Having tasted victory there before it would have been very disappointing to bow out. I’ve got one game left. It is going to be another tough game and I’ve got to be on top of my form to get through.
“In 2021, I beat Luca Brecel to qualify and I was confident going into the Crucible. Being sharp helps. It is every player’s dream to play at the Crucible so it would be nice to get the job done and be there this season.”
His Judgement Day opponent will be Louis Heathcote, who has come all the way through from the opening round this week.
Heathcote scored a nerve shredding 10-8 win over Elliot Slessor tonight. The Leicester cueman held a commanding 7-2 lead after the opening session today, but it was Slessor who came roaring back.
At 9-8 up, Heathcote left his opponent needing a snooker. Slessor got the required penalty points, but couldn’t get over the line and Heathcote claimed victory on the black.
Zhou Yuelong blitzed to a 10-0 whitewash win over James Cahill. That sets up a Judgement Day encounter with Jak Jones, who beat Jamie Clarke 10-6.
Stephen Maguire sealed his progression with a 10-7 defeat of Ashley Hugill. The Scot will play Yuan Sijun in the final round. Yuan came through 10-8 against Michael White.
I haven’t much to add for now as things will be a lot clearer sometime late tonight when round three finishes. Julien Leclercq is 8-1 down to Joe O’Connor but has probably done enough to keep his tour card. Obviously his run to the Shoot-out final last season proved to be a decisive factor even if, eventually he stays on tour via the one year list. Julien though will need to improve if he is to stay on tour at the end of next season. He needs a proper safety game to start with, and to cut out the “easy” misses. In many ways, Julien reminds me of Theppy when he appeared on the tour, talented, natural, fast but prone to the unexpected mistake. Joe O’Connor on the other hand is someone I can see becoming a really top player. He has the game, the dedication and looks mentally very solid.
CRUCIBLE QUALIFYING DAY SIX: LISOWSKI SET FOR JUDGEMENT DAY
World number 17 Jack Lisowski fired in four centuries on his way to beating Liu Hongyu 10-4 to earn his place on Judgement Day at Cazoo World Championship qualifying in Sheffield.
A below par season from six-time ranking event finalist Lisowski has seen him slip out of the world’s top 16 and fall one position shy of automatic qualification for the Crucible. It’s the first time the 32-year-old has required the qualifying stages since 2018.
Lisowski put on a blistering display in this morning’s opening session, firing in breaks of 104, 71, 104, 72, 100 and 50 en route to establishing a commanding 7-2 lead. When play resumed this evening, China’s Liu did provide some resistance but a sublime 142 from Lisowski wrapped up the 10-4 win.
“My results this season have been garbage, but I’m enjoying myself a lot more. That’s the goal isn’t it? Enjoy yourself and be happy,” said Lisowski.
“It’s always tough for the seeds, whoever they play. All of the qualifiers are pretty good. I’m one game away so fingers crossed. It is two good games under your belt if you can get there. It is going to be a tough game for me next, but I just have to knuckle down and dig in.”
Jenson Kendrick continued his remarkable run to defeat Jordan Brown 10-5 and reach Judgement Day. World number 104 Kendrick entered the event in round one and needs to reach the Crucible to remain on tour. He now faces Lyu Haotian in the final round.
Anthony McGill’s run of nine straight Crucible appearances has come to an end after a 10-5 defeat against He Guoqiang, while Mark Davis scored a narrow 10-8 win over Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
The second round also concluded today. Among the results, Ben Mertens defeated Rod Lawler 10-9 to keep his tour survival chances alive and relegate Lawler. Alfie Burden remained in the hunt for a first Crucible visit since 1998, thrashing Xu Si 10-3.
The Ben Mertens v Rod Lawler match was quite an extraordinary one and towards the end I was barely able to watch! Rod was his usual slow self but he can score. In this match he occupied the table 63% of the time, he score 7 breaks over 50 and lead 8-3 … But Ben refused to give up. He had to win 7 of the 8 possibly remaining frames and that’s what he did! He also scored the only century of the match in the process. Dikke Proficiat Ben!
Jenson Kendrick run is just as remarkable. He had won very little over the last two seasons, and nobody was giving him much of a chance. But he has already won three matches in the last week, beating Bai Yulu, Ben Wollaston and Jordan Brown. He needs to beat Lyu Haotian and reach the Crucible to stay on tour and, should he succeed, become one of the most unlikely qualifiers in the history of the Crucible.
Ma Hailong, the 2023 WSF champion, is another young player who is having a quite remarkable run in this event, and thanks the WST UK bias it’s a quiet remarkable run as well… Ma beat Martin O’Donnell by 10-7 yesterday to reach round 3.
As for Jack Lisowski, from what I understood, he’s now working with Lee Walker. Lee may not have got the brightest career but he’s a fantastic coach. Don’t get me wrong, Lee is a very good player, albeit not a top player, but he is a top top coach, maybe even the best in that business currently. Being able to pass what you know to others and help them to be the best they can be, better even than you will ever be, is a wonderful gift very few possess. Lee Walker has that gift and he’s a great and humble person as well.
Following Martin Gould’s withdrawal from the 2024 Cazoo World Snooker Championship, the WPBSA has considered the position in relation to his tour place.
This is following an application for a medical exemption which was lodged with the WPBSA earlier in the season, at a time Martin was forced to withdraw from several major ranking events, due to injury.
Having considered the all of the facts, the WPBSA, in consultation with WST, has now offered Martin a 12-month extension to his tour place. Martin will retain his current earned prize money points and this decision will not affect other current tour players.
The WPBSA, WPBSA Players and WST wish Martin all the best and look forward to seeing him back competing next season.
Incredibly – well it’s incredible for me at least – some fans disagreed with that decision. It’s not a first either, the most recent case being Marco Fu who was awarded an invitational tour card. His eyes issues were a big factor in that decision, as was the pandemic of course. I’m wishing Martin the very best. His health has to come first and I’m glad that WPBSA gives him this opportunity.
Marco Fu produced a late blitz to overcome 1997 Crucible king Ken Doherty 10-6 and move within two matches of a first trip to the Theatre of Dreams in six years at Cazoo World Championship qualifying in Sheffield.
Legendary Hong Kong cueman Fu’s last appearance at the Crucible came all the way back in 2018. Since then, he has had to endure a period of exile from the tour with travel restrictions during the pandemic and eye problems which have also kept him out of action for an extended period.
Though the eye issues persist, the three-time ranking event winner has shown flashes of form this season. He made the last 16 at the Welsh Open and thrashed Mark Selby 5-1 at the German Masters, before being forced to retire from his second round match against Alfie Davies in the mid-session.
Fu and Doherty were nip and tuck for much of the match today. However, with the scores locked at 6-6, it was Fu who produced a scintillating burst for the finish line. Breaks of 97, 136 and 61 saw him move one from the win at 9-6. He then embarked on a 147 attempt in the last frame, but the final two reds were at the baulk end and his run ended on 104 attempting to get position on the black.
Next up here at the English Institute of Sport, Fu faces a tough test against Iranian number one Hossein Vafaei.
“Ken is an old friend and old opponent. I’ve been playing him since I first turned professional and he is a tremendous player. You don’t expect him to be the same standard as 20 years ago, but he is still so classy around the table, beautiful to watch. That class will always be there. It is always nice playing him, a bit like a reunion after what happened with Covid.”
Marco Fu
Former Crucible Semi-Finalist
Fu added: “It has always been a privilege and a dream for everybody to play at the Crucible. I miss playing there. I’m just going to take it one match at a time. I needed to win four matches at the start of the event to get there, I’ve won two and it is going to get more difficult. I’m starting to enjoy playing and that is the most important thing.
“It shows the standard nowadays that Hossein is at the qualifiers. That shows you how strong the game is. I’m looking forward to playing him. He is an attacking player and quite quick. It is going to be a good game.”
Belgian Julien Leclecq appears to have all but secured his tour survival after a crucial 10-3 win over Hayden Pinhey. The 21-year-old former Shoot Out finalist now plays Joe O’Connor in round three.
Scotland’s 2006 World Champion Graeme Dott scored a 10-5 win over the Egyptian Mostafa Dorgham, while Jiang Jun sprung a shock 10-8 win over former European Masters winner Fan Zhengyi.
That report as you would expect is mainly about Ken Doherty and Marco Fu. Both deserve the exposure, of course they do, but, in those WST pieces a bit more about the younger players, and some insight on what is at stake for the players in action on the next day would be welcome!
Yesterday, young rookies Ma Hailong (20 years old) and Jiang Jun (18 years old) won their match and whilst Jian Jung win over Fan Zhengyi is mentioned, nothing is said about Ma Hailong 10-7 victory over Martin O’Donnell.
Julien Leclercq is probably safe but he will need to improve to beat Joe O’Connor who will not offer him as many opportunities as Haydon Pinhey did. His friend and fellow Belgian citizen, Ben Mertens really struggled yesterday against Rod Lawler whose pace is… slow … to put it kindly. They only played seven frames and given the way it started it’s a good outcome that Ben is only 4-3 behind.
Round 3 starts today but there are still eighth round 2 matches in progress.
Mohammed Shehab is certainly one of the surprises of those qualifiers. He played well in beating Stan Moody and is only 5-4 behind in his round 2 match against the vastly experienced Tian Pengfei. Tian will be concerned for sure because he was 3-0 up at the start of the match which means that he lost four of the last six frames played.
We are now at this stage of the World qualifiers where one-sided matches become the exception. Almost all players remaining on course are quality and yesterday was filled with tension at the EIS in Sheffield. Play finished very late too.
CRUCIBLE QUALIFYING DAY FOUR: HEATHCOTE WIN LEAVES LINES ON VERGE
Louis Heathcote scored a 10-7 win to move two matches from the Crucible and leave close friend Oliver Lines in danger of relegation from the circuit at Cazoo World Championship qualifying in Sheffield.
Heathcote himself suffered demotion from the tour after last year’s World Championship, but bounced straight back via Q School.
Lines must await other results going his way this year. He is currently projected to stay on tour via the one year list, but that could change.
Today’s match was keenly contested, with there never being more than a single frame between the players until Heathcote moved 7-5 ahead. He then hammered home a break of 118 to consolidate his lead and move 8-5 up.
Yorkshire’s Lines won two on the bounce to keep himself in contention at 8-7. However, a break of 56 was enough to take Leicester cueman Heathcote one from the win.
The 17th frame saw Lines craft a run of 60, before Heathcote responded to make 62 and take the frame down the pink. He eventually deposited it to get over the line and book a round three meeting with Elliot Slessor.
“It is a bittersweet moment. First and foremost, I really do hope the results go Ollie’s way. He is far too good to fall off tour. I think he has one of the best cue actions on tour,” said 26-year-old Heathcote.
“To play well and hold myself together under those circumstances is great for me going forward. I’m gutted for Ollie as well. Any other day I would be buzzing to win that game, but to put your friend in jeopardy of dropping off tour isn’t very nice. I’ve got to focus on my career and he is more than good enough to be on tour, I hope it stays that way.”
Final frame defeats for Liam Highfield and Allan Taylor mean they are relegated from the professional ranks. Highfield was edged out 10-9 by Stuart Carrington, while Taylor bowed out 10-9 against Lukas Kleckers.
Jenson Kendrick kept his tour survival hopes alive with a brilliant 10-8 win against Ben Woolaston. He now faces Jordan Brown in round three, which is another must win match if he is to stand a chance of remaining on the circuit.
Jimmy White’s bid to return to the Crucible ended for another year with a 10-3 loss at the hands of China’s Lyu Hongyu. The six-time finalist now hasn’t competed in the final stages for 19 years, with 2005 his last appearance.
Jamie Clarke beat Andres Petrov 10-7 to relegate the Estonian from the tour, while Jimmy Robertson beat Liam Davies 10-2 and James Cahill edged out Hungary’s Bulcsú Révész 10-8.
Please, someone tell whoever writes for WST that it’s Andres Petrov, not Andrews Petrov AND that there are accented vowels in Bulcsú Révész … UK centrism manifesting itself once again although Andrews instead of Andres was probably an “auto correct” issue.
Speaking of snooker.org, the “new and improved” scoring system makes the team’s task extremely hard. It was always difficult to follow as many as eight matches simultaneously, but now it has become even harder. It’s hell really. When I finished my “shift” yesterday it was midnight here in Greece. For Eddie, from Wales, who took charge after me, it was “only” 10pm but the way things were unfolding we expected a late finish and it was indeed. Eddie joked that he was ready tucked in a sleeping bag, armed with a thermos of coffee …
The matches I particularly “followed” yesterday were He Guoqiang v Ross Muir and Andrew Higginson v Michael White. Going by the scores He played really well. Higginson v White was very tense, both making a lot of mistakes. I always liked Andrew, not just as a player but as a person and I really want to see him do well. I have nothing against Michael White mind. Michael has underachieved imo. In fact, I think that, to an extend, he’s been a victim of the “drinking culture” in the UK and on the tour. He was very young when he first qualified for the main tour and I remember older players encouraging him to drink – under pretext of being “social” – and getting him drunk … and sick. Not right, not nice.
For me today, it will be about the two Belgian lads, Julien and Ben. One win for Julien would probably be enough for him to stay on tour. Ben will have the daunting task to handle Rod Lawler snail pace.
Ben Mertens is one of the best teenage talents in the game (Picture: Facebook/Ben Mertens Snooker)
Ben Mertens is playing for his professional status at World Championship qualifying, but the teenager is thinking positive, saying: ‘I’m confident, I’m playing well, so nothing to worry about.’
The 19-year-old won his place on the World Snooker Tour in 2022 and has had some good results, but goes to Sheffield needing to win matches to retain his tour card as he is outside of the world’s top 64 and off the pace on the one-year ranking list.
The Belgian clearly has the talent to do it, with wins over the likes of Shaun Murphy and Gary Wilson this season and he will be dangerous in qualifying, where he plays Rod Lawler in his first match on Friday.
‘I know what situation I’m in, I have to win a few games to stay on tour,’ Mertens told Metro. ‘So it’s nerves but also exciting because it’s the World Championship and a chance to qualify for the Crucible.
‘Of course I have to think about the good things and not what could go wrong.
‘Qualifying for the Crucible, that’s the only thing to think about, not all the rest. I did well last year in qualifying, I’m confident, I’m playing well, so nothing to worry about.’
The youngster from Wetteren feels tough draws, strong performances from his opponents and fine margins have all cost him, but he is not down about any of it, expecting things to turn round.
Mertens needs wins in World Championship qualifying to remain a professional (Picture: Getty Images)
‘A lot of matches I’ve played have been really close, could have gone both ways and players have played really well against me the last few tournaments,’ he said. ‘I can’t really complain too much about myself because I’m playing well.
‘It is what it is. It’s good to have tough draws. I’ll be a stronger player because of it in the future. I don’t worry too much.
‘I know if I’m playing well I can beat anyone, so I just need to trust in myself, that’s the only thing that matters.’
Mertens would love to stay on the tour in style by qualifying for the Crucible for the first time, then he would be dreaming of replicating his compatriot Luca Brecel’s achievement of last year.
The teenager has never been to the legendary venue before, refusing to go in to watch before playing there.
‘The Crucible, that’s the place to be in snooker, that’s my dream to play there one day. I saw what Luca did there, that gives me inspiration,’ he said.
Luca Brecel became the first Belgian winner of the World Snooker Championship (Picture: Getty Images)
‘We’ve talked a few times in the past. He’s a very nice guy and I want to try and do the same as him in the future, to be at the Crucible and play well there, that’s what I want.
‘I won’t go there before I do that, if I go to the Crucible it will be to play, not watch.’
On the impact of Brecel’s sensational World Championship win back in Belgium, Mertens said: ‘It’s more popular now, clubs are fully booked now, there’s more attention, which is only good news. I would love to see a tournament here.’
‘It’s still there,’ he said. ‘I had some tests and they said everything is normal. In the past it was a mental issue, now it’s getting better, I’m not thinking about it mentally anymore.
‘It isn’t affecting my game, but it was affecting my mental side of the game. I was always thinking about it, that people would see it, but I’m not worrying about it anymore. It is what it is.
‘It was a surprise, I never had it before, so it was something I had to get used to, getting a tremor out of nowhere. But it’s getting better now. If I get nervous you will see it more, but if I’m calm it’s okay. I just have to try and stay calm during games, try not to get too much pressure and then it doesn’t affect me.’
Mertens takes on Lawler over Friday and Saturday in his first round of World Championship qualifying.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 