Tour rookie Liam Pullen scored his first ever Cazoo World Championship match win with an impressive 10-3 defeat of Ukrainian Anton Kazakov in qualifying at the English Institute of Sport.
Pullen earned his professional status at Q School last year, when he bounced back from the disappointment of losing the WSF Junior Championship final to Stan Moody.
Since then, he has shown glimpses of his considerable talent, highlighted with a run to the last 32 of the International Championship in Tianjin, which included a 6-5 defeat of Thai number one Noppon Saengkham.
Much of the damage in today’s clash was done this morning, when Pullen fired in breaks of 96, 73, 88 and 93 on his way to an 8-1 lead at the close of the first session.
Kazakov did mount a fightback of sorts by taking two of the first three frames this evening. However, a break of 66 from Pullen in the 13th saw him over the line. Defeat for Kazakov sees him suffer relegation from the World Snooker Tour.
Pullen now faces close friend and practice partner Sanderson Lam, who he lost to in Crucible qualifying last year.
“I’m very pleased in the end, but a bit annoyed with how I finished off. It was a bit nervy. Overall I played pretty well,” said 18 year old Pullen.
“Sanderson beat me last year and there were no hard feelings on my side. It obviously isn’t ideal and I would rather play someone else but it is what it is.
“The target is the Crucible, for anyone really. It is tough though. Now I’ve won my first game I can try to get into the competition and aim to play some good stuff.”
Mohammed Shehab of the UAE scored a 10-6 win over Stan Moody to book his place in the second round.
Shehab, who previously spent two seasons as a professional, in 1996 and 2006, hasn’t appeared on the World Snooker Tour since the 2019 Six Red World Championship. However, the 47-year-old will be on the circuit next season after coming through the Q Tour Global Playoff.
Shehab won five frames on the bounce, from 6-5 down, to win this evening. Next up he faces Tian Pengfei.
China’s Gao Yang beat India’s Ishpreet Singh Chadha 10-6, while Ashley Carty scored a 10-4 win over Liam Graham.
The afternoon session saw Jimmy White end 7-2 down against Liu Hongyu and Jimmy Robertson establish a 7-2 lead over Liam Davies. They resume tomorrow afternoon at 2:30pm.
Those reports sometimes make me wonder… for instance, in this one, only two of the eigth matches that started yesterday afternoon are mentioned. Why? Anyway all the results are on snooker.org.
Also, I know it’s not nice but I’m absolutely delighted that Shehab beat Moody. I have nothing against young Stan and I’m not in love with Mohammed … no … it’s because it means that I won’t have to cope with Philip Studd’s commentary on another match involving Stan Moody. Philip is so “partisan” it’s unsettling. Yesterday it was felt as if there was only one player deserved to be in that match and he should win it: Stan Moody. Mohammed Shehab earned his right to play in this event and he was the better player by far. Ok, it is better for the future of snooker when young players go through but that’s no reason, nor is it an excuse for a total lack of impartiality and BTW, in my views at least, it is equally better for the future of snooker when more players from outside UK do well. After all the W in “WST” stands for “World”.
Luca Brecel will get the defence of his title underway at the Crucible on 10am on Saturday April 20th, and he’ll conclude his opening match on the same day from 7pm.
Judd Trump will also be in action on the first day, he starts his campaign at 2.30pm, and his match concludes at 2.30pm on Sunday April 21st.
Mark Williams, the man in form having won the Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship, gets underway on Monday April 22nd at 2.30pm and plays to a finish the following afternoon.
World number three Mark Allen plays on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, while world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan enters the fray at 2.30pm on Wednesday April 24th and concludes the following afternoon.
The draw for the last 32 will be made on Thursday April 18th around 8.45am on BBC Radio 5 Live, streamed on the BBC Sport website. The top 16 seeds will be drawn at random against the 16 qualifiers.
CRUCIBLE QUALIFYING DAY TWO: RÉVÉSZ WEATHERS THE STORM
Hungary’s Bulcsú Révész roared back from 6-1 down to beat Sean O’Sullivan 10-8 and make the second round of Cazoo World Championship qualifying in Sheffield.
The 17-year-old rising star earned his place on the World Snooker Tour from next season by winning this season’s WSF Junior Championship. Révész defeated China’s Gong Chenzhi 5-3 in the final to become his country’s first ever main tour professional.
He’s only appeared on the main circuit three times before, most recently only breaking off and watching Shaun Murphy fire in a stunning 147 break at the Shoot Out just prior to the New Year.
Revesz is appearing in World Championship qualifying for the second time, having lost out to Jamie O’Neill last year. He had looked in trouble again yesterday, when he trailed 6-1 and today when he was 8-5 behind. However, a brilliant blast of five frames on the bounce saw him claim a momentous 10-8 win and set up a second round clash with James Cahill.
“I’m so happy for those people from Hungary who are always supporting me and behind me. I’m getting messages all of the time. It is a really good feeling to have their support. I hope it is going to improve the whole of snooker in Hungary.”
Bulcsú Révész
WSF Junior Champion
Révész added: “I was 6-1 down yesterday and the one thing I wanted to do was not give up. It ended 6-3 and I thought if I played my best today then I could win. At 8-5 down it was the same thoughts again. I didn’t want this match to be 10-5 to him.
“My goal before this tournament was to win this match. I’ve reached my goal and I would like to enjoy the next game. Today I did enjoy it and I hope I will in the next match as well. Of course I would like to win that. I still didn’t play my best game today and I know I can play better. I’ve already played a match and James hasn’t, so I think I can beat him.”
Fergal O’Brien’s 33-year professional career came to an end after a 10-8 loss against Egypt’s Mostafa Dorgham.
The highlight of O’Brien’s time on the World Snooker Tour saw him lift the British Open trophy in 1999 and he’s appeared at the Crucible on 10 occasions. However, the Dubliner has taken the decision to hang up the cue and focus on commentary and coaching.
It’s Dorgham’s first full match win of the season and he will now play 2006 World Champion Graeme Dott.
Louis Heathcote set up a crunch second round clash with close friend Oliver Lines, after scoring a 10-4 win over Oliver Sykes this afternoon.
Last year Heathcote lost his professional status after defeat here in Sheffield to Andrew Higginson. He bounced straight back on to the circuit via Q School. Relegation could await Lines if he loses to Heathcote, with his position on tour hanging by a thread.
Heathcote said: “It’s not very nice, but it is dog eat dog in this game. We will both be wanting to win and after that we will shake hands and be friends again.”
Swiss number one Alexander Ursenbacher completed a 10-0 whitewash win over Ukraine’s Iulian Boiko, while Oliver Brown defeated 12-time Women’s World Champion Reanne Evans 10-0.
URSENBACHER REFLECTS ON WHITEWASH WIN
Note that I have edited the text above … I have corrected “Bulcsú Révész” spelling all over WST report. Why on earth that they even make the effort to spell the names of some of the non British players correctly? In snooker we hear all the time “This (anything) is disrespectful” and most of the time it’s so minor that I wonder why people even bother with it. But WST can’t even be arsed to spell the names of their non British professional players correctly. Well … that IS disrespectful.
Ok, now that I got this out of my system … here are my thoughts on what happened on the baize.
The women – all of them so far, except for Bai Yulu – have been terrible. Mink got beat by 10-5 having lead 4-1 and it’s not as if Adam Duffy played outstanding either: his HB was 55 and his pot success a mere 51%. Reanne Evans managed to get herself whitewashed by Oliver Brown who is a very decent player but hardly a world beater. This isn’t the Reanne who beat Robin Hull by 10-8 as this same event in 2017 and ran Dominic Dale uncomfortably close the next year. Baipat unsurprisingly was beaten 10-1 by Marco Fu, and ok, that was to be expected as Marco is a top player and he scored very heavily: he had seven breaks over 50 during the match. All the same it’s all quite disheartening.
And then, we say goodbye to Fergal O’Brien … I had the pleasure to meet Fergal on several occasions, notably in Jason’s Francis’s “Legends Cups”. His pace on the baize drove me mad a few times, but off the table he’s a truly charming person, a family man, and great company … jovial, smiling … he likes his Guinness and and his Irish Square Dances! He’s a good mover, is Fergal. I will miss him and I do hope that he gets involved in Seniors Snooker in some capacity. Fergal, come on … we need a Seniors Irish Masters in Goffs every season!
All the best for the future Fergal ! ☘️
I was agreeably surprised by Mostafa Dorgham, the man from Egypt who beat Fergal yesterday. I thought he played really well although to succeed as a pro he need to score more heavily. Despite what was at stake, it was a good match to watch.
New tour member Liam Davies got his Cazoo World Championship qualification campaign underway with an emphatic 10-3 win over Australia’s Ryan Thomerson at the English Institute of Sport.
Welshman Davies gained a two-year professional card, which starts next season, after winning the European Under-21 Championship last month. That came after two years of near misses on the Q Tour and at Q School.
In 2022, Davies became the youngest ever match winner in World Championship history with a victory over Aaron Hill. Since then, Davies has been touted for big things in the sport.
Davies crafted runs of 57, 50, 107 and 54 in today’s win, which earns him a second round encounter with Jimmy Robertson. After the match Davies admitted it is a weight off his shoulders to have professional status next season.
“It is a massive relief. I’ve been trying for two years and I’ve had a few near misses. It is character building. Not great at the time but it makes you a much stronger person,” said 17-year-old Davies.
“It is hard as it is without the added pressure (of trying to get on tour). You just have to take it in your stride. It can be tough when you lose a couple of games and lose confidence in yourself. I’ve got two years to look forward to now.”
DAVIES ON TOUR QUALIFICATION
Jensen Kendrick kept his tour survival hopes alive after holding off a spirited fightback from Women’s World Champion Bai Yulu to win 10-7.
Kendrick had led 6-2 after the opening eight frames, but Bai came roaring back into contention and eventually trailed by just two at 9-7.
The 17th frame saw Bai seemingly down and out when she needed two snookers. However, Kendrick hit the black when escaping a snooker on the last red and let Bai back in to force a re-spot. It was Kendrick who potted it to progress and earn a second round tie with Ben Woollaston.
Ross Muir came from 9-6 down to beat Hong Kong’s Ka Wai Cheung 10-9. Meanwhile, Michael Holt, who recently topped the Q Tour standings to return to the main circuit, lost out 10-6 to China’s Xing Zihao.
Welshman Andrew Pagett came through 10-9 against Andy Lee. That means Hong Kong’s Lee is relegated from the tour.
The afternoon session saw former Women’s World Champion Mink Nutcharut end level at 4-4 with Sheffield’s Adam Duffy, while Swiss number one Alexander Ursenbacher moved 9-0 up on Ukrainian Iulian Boiko.
Bai Yulu really impressed me. She started slowly, obviously not used to the environment and conditions, but in the second session she was the better player. She is technically sound, thinks clearly, and isn’t defensive. She lacks cue power though, like most women and in particular the young Asian ones who, in general, are slender and not very tall. She fought very hard yesterday and gained the respect of the commentators on duty, notably Neal Foulds.
The other match I watched was Alex Ursenbacher v Iulian Boiko. Alex is a bit of a mystery. He can play really well, and he did yesterday. He clearly thrives when on table 1 for a big occasion but often delivers very little when not in the spotlights. That said his opponent, Iulian Boiko, was awful yesterday. I’m afraid that Iulian, like Liam Davies, has been through “near misses”, more than a few actually over the last two years … and it’s getting at him. His confidence looks shattered and yesterday’s session will only make it worse. It’s a terrible shame.
Another “terrible shame” is the WST scoring system. If you want to follow just one match, ok, it gives you everything, the scores, the current break and what ball is played next. If you want to follow a set of matches, it’s totally inadequate and unpractical. You can’t isolate the matches in progress on a separate page, the scores don’t refresh automatically and you can’t follow what’s going on at a particular table unless you go to the “score centre” and then you can see only that one match. So, unless you have a giant screen, you spend a lot of time scrolling and switching pages. It’s frustrating. And if you wish to follow a streamed match at the same time, it’s even more irritating …
This is how the second round at the Crucible will look in the unlikely case all the seeds win their first match.
Luca Brecel (1) v Robert Milkins (16)
Ali Carter (9) v Shaun Murphy (8)
Mark Selby (5) v Kyren Wilson (12)
John Higgins (12) v Mark Allen (4)
———————————————————————-
Judd Trump (3) v Tom Ford (14)
Zhang Anda (11) v Mark Williams (6)
Ding Junhui (7) v Gary Wilson (10)
Barry Hawkins (15) v Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
It’s very unlikely though, and I have the feeling that this year the strongest qualifiers are stronger than ever and the first round could well be a very difficult one for the seeds.
But, before we get that far, we have the qualifiers to enjoy and that starts today. Eurosport is showing four tables.
Ronnie O’Sullivan came from 3-1 down to lead Mark Williams 5-3 in the first session of the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship in Manchester.
The ‘Class of 1992’ final, between two of the all-time greats who turned professional in that year, has lived up to expectations so far as the standard of play has been superb, with three centuries and five more breaks over 50 in the eight frames so far. The contest resumes at 7pm on Sunday and first to ten frames will lift the trophy.
Williams took the opener with a break of 66 before O’Sullivan dominated frame two. Breaks of 91, 66 and 67 helped Williams take a 3-1 advantage. After the interval, O’Sullivan found his scoring rhythm, taking four frames in just 37 minutes. Breaks of 102, 127 and 59 put him 4-3 ahead, then in the last frame of the session, Williams potted the opening red but missed the black, and O’Sullivan capitalised with a 121.
O’Sullivan could be on course for the best season of his career, having already won the Shanghai Masters, MrQ UK Championship, MrQ Masters, Spreadex World Grand Prix and Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker. Only once before has he captured six titles in a single season – that was back in 2000/01. He has already earned more prize money in a single campaign than any player in history, and if he lands the top prize that tally will reach £1,305,500. The 48-year-old is sure to be world number one when he heads to the Crucible and is enjoying an unbroken sequence of more than two years at the top of the rankings.
The Rocket is playing in his 64th ranking final and is looking for a 42nd title. This season he has played in 11 knockout tournaments and victory would give him a sixth trophy – a tremendous strike rate. He has won this title once before – on its inaugural staging in 2019.
Williams is playing in his 41st ranking event final having won 25 of his previous 40. Having won the Cazoo British Open in September, he is looking to land multiple ranking titles in the same season for the first time since 2017/18. That British Open success made him the oldest ranking event winner other than a 50-year-old Ray Reardon, so having turned 49 last month he could get even closer to Reardon’s record today. Currently ranked eighth, the Welshman could move up to sixth if he lands the £150,000 top prize.
This match sets a new record for the combined age of the two players in a ranking final (97). O’Sullivan has won 33 of their 42 previous meetings, including 22 of the last 24. Surprisingly, they have not met in a ranking final since the 2000 China Open – indeed they contested three ranking finals that year, O’Sullivan winning two of them.
Mark Williams scored one of the greatest victories of his 32-year career as he came from 5-3 down to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-5 in the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship.
Outside of his titles in the Triple Crown events, this ranks as one of Williams’ most significant triumphs as he has beaten the three best players in the world this week in Manchester – Judd Trump was dismissed 10-4 in the quarter-finals, Mark Allen 10-5 in the semis and then all-time greatest O’Sullivan in the final. At the age of 49, Williams played the best snooker he has produced since his third Crucible crown in 2018.
O’Sullivan, winner of five titles this season, looked in control when he won four frames in a row with three centuries to lead 5-3, but it was Williams who took charge in the evening session, winning seven consecutive frames to capture the trophy and £150,000 top prize. It’s the 26th ranking title of his career and second of the season having landed the Cazoo British Open in September. Up to number six in the rankings, Williams heads to Sheffield in two weeks at the top of his game and brimming with confidence.
Over the past two decades, Williams had a poor record against his fellow ‘Class of 92’ member O’Sullivan, losing 22 of their previous 24 meetings. But, watched by wife Joanne and sons Connor, Kian and Joel, he rose to the occasion in their first ranking final since the 2000 China Open.
O’Sullivan missed out on a 42nd career ranking title and the chance to win six titles in a single season for the first time since 2000/01. He remains world number one and his record prize money tally for the season moves on to £1,215,500.
The opening frame tonight came down to the last red, and Williams converted an excellent pot to a centre pocket, playing with swerve, and cleared to halve his deficit to 5-4. Soon he was level thanks to a brilliant run of 104. He began to look the stronger player as he came from 42-6 down to take frame 11 with an excellent 54, then compiled a run of 99 to lead 7-5.
After the interval, O’Sullivan had a scoring chance in frame 13 but made just 23 before missing a red to a top corner, and again his opponent punished him with a 112 clearance, his sixth century of the tournament. A run of 78 extended Williams’ advantage to 9-5.
In frame 15, he made 35 before running out of position, but that lead proved handy as the balls drifted into awkward positions and O’Sullivan was not able to claw his way back into it. Leading 47-19, Williams doubled the last red to a centre pocket, and when he later potted the yellow, the handshake came.
“He was unbelievable to go 5-3 up,” said Williams. “The interval came at the right time for me because if he had carried on like that there was no stopping him. Tonight I put pressure on him, I won seven frames in a row and there’s not many people who do that against Ronnie. He started missing and getting frustrated towards the end. He didn’t play well but I think that was because of the breaks I was making. I had to take it to him and go for my shots. I have been going for ridiculous shots all week. I said to (coach) Lee Walker, if I lose I am going out my way, going for crazy shots. That’s how I enjoy it.
“In the first round against Tom Ford, at 9-9 he was 54 in front and missed an easy red, and I made the best clearance I have ever made as a professional. So often you see someone who should go out in the first round, go on to win the title.“
Looking ahead to the Crucible, Williams added: “I am going there with a chance, this win gives me more confidence. I wouldn’t say I am one of the favourites, but I might be a decent outside bet.”
O’Sullivan said: “Mark has been so consistent over the last five years, he hits the ball so well and very rarely plays a bad match. He’s an amazing player and I think he’s better than he has ever been. I tried everything I could to stay in the match, but he was so strong. If he dedicated his life to it he could probably be number one in the world, but he doesn’t – he likes to chill out, play golf and enjoy his life! He is a deserving winner tonight.
“The fans here have really got behind the players and supported the tournament unbelievably well. It’s a great venue, a great place, I have loved coming here and hopefully the event stays in Manchester.”
WILLIAMS WRAPS UP WIN OVER ROCKET
Here are the scores of that match:
Clearly, after the onslaught by Willo in the second session, Ronnie was “cold”, out of rhythm and dispirited. When chances came in the last frame and he couldn’t take them. Willo had broken him. Of the three members of the “Class of 92”, Willo is probably the most naturally talented. He’s always played (and lived) on his own terms. When in full flow he’s extraordinary, wonderfully natural and he’s very shroud. Should he have won more? Maybe …
And here some images shared on social media and on WST site:
In other News… we say goodbye to Duncan …
The best snooker cameraman, an artist, a cream of a man and a good friend.
Enjoy your retirement Duncan, and thank you for everything, the wonderful images, the warm presence away from the cameras and the friendship. Thank you also Mark Williams for that kind little “departure” gift, that was a very nice gesture. Thank you 😘
It was a match with two very different halves yesterday, as Willo raced to a 9-0 lead before Mark Allen started mounting a very serious comeback challenge. The final score – 10-5 to Willo – looks comfortable but the last third of the match was extremely tense.
Mark Williams survived a late charge from Mark Allen to win 10-5 in the semi-finals of the Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship, setting up his first ranking event final against Ronnie O’Sullivan in 24 years.
From 9-0 down, Allen got half way to what would have been snooker’s greatest ever comeback and his opponent was getting edgy at 9-5, but Williams came up with an excellent break in the 15th frame to get the job done. Having beaten Judd Trump 10-4 in the previous round, the veteran Welshman has scored two of his best results in recent years back-to-back, knocking out two of the top three in the world rankings.
And on Sunday he’ll be up against the world number one, a rival he has known and respected since their junior days, before they both turned professional in 1992, along with John Higgins. The last ranking event final between Williams and O’Sullivan was the 2000 China Open, and tomorrow’s meeting at the superb Manchester Central venue will be a huge occasion.
“I’m just going to enjoy it,” said Williams. “How many more times is this going to happen? I couldn’t pick a better player to play in a final. I’m going to attack and try my best.“
O’Sullivan leads the head-to-head 33-9, and Williams has won just two of their last 24 meetings, but if the 49-year-old can play as well as he did today, then it could be a classic contest. Williams will be playing in his 41st ranking final and aiming for a 26th title and second of the season having landed the Cazoo British Open in September.
Three-time World Champion Williams took all eight frames of the opening session against Allen, knocking in breaks of 57, 99, 105 and 112. When he took the opener tonight with a 140 total clearance, a remarkable whitewash was on the cards, and it would have been the first televised match to finish 10-0 since Shaun Murphy beat Luo Honghao by that scoreline at the Crucible in 2019.
Allen, whose never-say-die attitude has won him plenty of matches over the past two seasons, gained a foothold with a break of 65 in frame ten, then reeled off four more with runs of 53, 79, 56 and 69. But Williams knocked in a long red at the start of frame 15 and clinched the result with a break of 75.
“I was a bit worried at 9-5,” admitted Williams. “I had a couple of chances to win 9-1 or 9-2. Mark played really well after that. If it had gone 9-6 then I was really under it. But the break I made in the last frame was as good as any I made in the match, it’s nice to know I’ve still got that bottle.
“In the first session my safety was really solid, my breaks and long potting were good. I could have easily had six or seven centuries during the match. He had one chance at 5-0 when he missed a tricky blue, apart from that in a lot of frames he was never in them because I tied him up in knots. At the end he wished me best of the luck in the final. Mark is more than capable of winning the world title, as for me, who knows? That’s for other people to say.
“I know I haven’t played Ronnie in a final for a long time but that’s because he keeps beating me before the final!”
The match gets underway at 1pm on Sunday with eight frames, then the remainder from 7pm. First to ten will lift the trophy and receive £150,000.
In frame 5, Willo missed the last red for a 147…
So today’s final will be contested between a 49 years old and a 48 years old, both still in the top 16, and the “younger man” being world number one! I love them both and I’m over the moon for both but, lets face it, that’s worrying for the future of the sport. All of those older players who still thrive today have developed through a tiered system. In fact Judd Trump – who isn’t old of course, but is in his mid thirties – is the last player who really managed to establish himself in the top 8, and by establish I mean get into that group and manage stay there as a resident member for seasons in a row. He too came through the old tiered system. I remember him being very unhappy when the announcement came about making the flat draw the norm. He felt that he had earned the right to be a seed at major events through hard work and that this was somehow taken away from him. If you look at the current top 16, all but Kyren Wilson and Luca Brecel have “grown” with the tired system and neither Kyren nor Luca have been consistent winners, despite Luca’s truly exceptional talent. I’m absolutely convinced that the tiered system is better for players development and that’s why I am happy with yesterday’s announcement.
Now let’s go back to a less “top heavy” point system that “reward” similar tournaments the same way and it will be even better. Tournaments with longer formats should be more rewarding ranking wise than the ones with shorter formats, no matter how much money a sponsor is wanting to throw in any particular event. The old point system was probably rewarding consistency a bit too much but that can be easily “corrected”.
A ELO type rating system would be even better and fairer, of course, because it would take the relative strength of the players, as well as the match score, into account in every match. And, NO, it isn’t hard to understand.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 