BETVICTOR ENGLISH OPEN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ROUNDUP
A deluge at Paris Airport recently destroyed John Higgins’ cue, but armed with a new replacement he extended his quest for a maiden BetVictor English Open title today after a 4-1 win over David Gilbert in Brentwood.
The Scot’s cue was left in an irreparable condition after the protective casing housing it was flooded whilst flying home from the recent Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
That left Higgins despondent, but he is hoping now that his new cue can provide an impetus for him in the coming months, as he battles to remain in the world’s top 16. The 31-time ranking event winner currently finds himself in 16th position.
Today’s win sets up a last 16 meeting with either world number three Mark Allen or Lyu Haotian.
“When I was coming back from Saudi Arabia, my cue got ruined. During the three-hour stopover between Paris and Edinburgh there were monsoon levels of rain and my ski tube must have been sitting on the tarmac,” explained four-time World Champion Higgins.
“When I got back to Edinburgh it was soaking wet, but I just left it in the hall as normal. I went to Portugal on holiday and before I left I went to check my cue. The water had actually seeped inside and the cue is ruined. I’m playing with a new cue.
“It was soul destroying. I really liked it and when I opened the case up it was like a banana. The wood was all warped. As I was away to Portugal the next day, I just decided to go and have a good holiday and come back to see what happens.
“It is maybe a blessing, as I’ve gone back to the measurements I was playing with two or three years ago. I was going shorter and shorter and that maybe wasn’t suiting my game. It has given me a new lease of life. It is maybe a bit better”
Kyren Wilson prevailed 4-1 against Anthony McGill in a repeat of their classic Crucible semi-final from 2020 to make the last 16.
The pair contested an epic last four meeting at the World Championship, where a fluke eventually helped Wilson win 17-16 following one of the most dramatic final frames in snooker history. The frame score in the decider was 103-83.
Wilson went on to lose that final against Ronnie O’Sullivan, but a victory over Jak Jones earlier this year made him World Champion for the first time.
Today’s match was a more straightforward win for the Warrior, who crafted breaks of 84 and 80 this afternoon. He now plays either Barry Hawkins or Xu Si.
Wilson said: “To Anthony’s credit, he was one of the first ones who came up to me in Xi’an and congratulated me on becoming World Champion and said he thought I’d be a really good ambassador for the sport. That just shows the class of him, especially after what happened in that semi-final.
“People forget how good that game was. We were toe to toe the whole way through. Despite the fact there was no crowd we created so much drama. Whenever we draw each other it is something which always springs to mind.”
World number one Judd Trump extended his incredible winning streak this season after a 4-1 win over Matthew Selt.
The Ace in the Pack has picked up silverware at the Shanghai Masters and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters. Having also been runner-up to Wilson at the Xi’an Grand Prix, Trump has now won 17 of 18 games this season. He now plays Fan Zhengyi, who beat Oliver Lines 4-1.
Essex cueman Ali Carter lost out 4-2 on home soil against China’s Wu Yize, while Mark Selby was a 4-0 victor against fellow Leicester potter Joe O’Connor.
Neil Robertson continued his bid to return to the summit of the sport with a 4-1 defeat of Shaun Murphy at the BetVictor English Open.
The 2010 World Champion endured one of his worst seasons as a professional in 23/24 and as a result has dropped down to a current position of 26th in the world rankings. However, he has recently stated that he feels back to his best and is ready to contend for silverware once more.
Murphy also struggled last season, but has shown signs that his best form his returning in recent months. He went on a brilliant run to the Shanghai Masters final, but was denied the title by Judd Trump. Murphy also made the semis at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, where he again lost out to Trump.
Australia’s Robertson crafted breaks of 50, 57 and 71 on his way to winning this evening and now faces a last 16 meeting with Scotland’s Ross Muir.
“The most pleasing side was the safety aspect of my game. I’ve got a lot of pride back in my safety and the duels that come with it. Trying to force chances and put players in trouble,” said 23-time ranking event winner Robertson.
“Last year I wasn’t in the best place and it didn’t allow me to confront the issue of my form head on. I talked a good game and tried to be positive, but I wasn’t looking forward to the matches and the travelling. This year it is a different mindset where I can’t wait to play.”
World number three Mark Allen defeated Lyu Haotian 4-2 to set up a huge clash with John Higgins in the last 16.
Allen and Higgins last met at the Crucible earlier this year, when Scotland’s Higgins conjured a classic clearance in the decider to deny the Northern Irishman 13-12.
In this evening’s match Allen made breaks of 71, 56, 52, 75 and 70 to secure the win and was delighted with his performance.
“I played pretty well there. I made one mistake in frame two, but other than that I didn’t really put a foot wrong,” said 38-year-old Allen.
“Lyu is a very good player. I have a good record against him, but he will still have fancied the job. He has won matches to get this far and will have fancied beating me. That shows you the strength of the tour now.”
China’s He Guoqiang, who defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan yesterday, continued to impress with a 4-1 win over Stephen Maguire. Next up he faces India’s Ishpreet Singh Chadha, who defeated Iranian number one Hossein Vafaei 4-2.
Once again, with the exception of the match between Hossein Vafaei and Ishpreet Singh Chadah, only matches featuring at least one British player are reported on by WST.
Si Jiahui beat Jiang Jun in a very hard fought match. Jiang Jun is only 19 and in his second year as a professional. Going by his results over the last year and a half, he’s progressing and longer formats suit him best. He reached round 4 at the 2024 World Championship qualifiers.
Pang Junxu beat Luca Brecel by 4-3. Luca lead 3-2 and had scored break of 84 and 85 to get that far. Pang however found something extra and denied him: he finished the job with breaks of 112 and 85.
Wu Yize win over Ali Carter is mentioned in the above report but not the manner of it. Ali Carter lead 2-1 although Wu had won the first frame with a break of 66, whilst Ali himself had scored a break of 61. Then Wu regained the lead: he went 3-2 up with two centuries ( 123 & 126). The last frame was won on a score of 66-63 in favour of Wu despite the fact that it was Ali who scored a break of 61 in defeat.
As for Ishpreet Singh Chadah , he’s definitely one to watch this season.
Ronnie O’Sullivan blasts his game as ‘absolutely useless’ after shock English Open defeat
Phil Haigh
Ronnie O’Sullivan fell at his first hurdle in Brentwood (Picture: Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan described his performance as ‘useless’ and ’embarrassing’ as he was beaten 4-2 by He Guoqiang at the English Open on Tuesday night.
It was the Rocket’s first match of the event and it got off to a disastrous start as the Chinese won the first three frames, with breaks of 78 and 77 along the way.
O’Sullivan won the next two but He got over the line with another half-century to keep up his 100 per cent winning record over the Rocket, with two victories from two meetings.
As he has been doing this season so far, O’Sullivan played a lot of shots left-handed and when asked about his choice to do so, he told The Sun: ‘I’m absolutely useless, that’s why.
‘Forget about the Worlds. I’m not even bothered to be honest with you, if I’m going to play rubbish I might as well play left handed.
‘Play left-handed and enjoy it, but be useless, or play right-handed, be useless and not enjoy it.’
The 48-year-old has not had a bad start to the season by most players’ standards, with a semi-final at the Shanghai Masters and quarter-final run at the Saudi Arabia Masters, but he is far from happy with his game.
O’Sullivan is cutting a frustrated figure at the table (Picture: Getty Images)
Despite winning five events last season, the seven-time world champion feels like his career is coming to an end with decline setting in.
‘I haven’t got long, I’m not going to deny it, I’m not playing well enough, there’s no point in even worrying about it. I’ve just accepted it now which is quite a nice place to be really,’ he said.
‘I’m awful, it’s embarrassing. I miss so many balls. I can’t get away from it, poor, but there’s nothing I can do about it.’
Of course, that’s coming right after a painful defeat but it confirms what I suspected: despite his claims that he’s “accepted it”, he’s deeply unhappy about the state of his game and sees no “solution” to his problems. The only “solution” would actually to come to terms with the natural decline that affects him, and I hope that he turns to Steve Peters for help. He won’t get better unless he can find some inner peace.
Looks like Ronnie and Laila have broken up again, which perhaps explains some of Ronnie’s recent malaise…
Yes Mark, I have suspected this for some time. I could sense that Ronnie is deeply unhappy but it would not have been appropriate to ask questions, would it? I don’t think they stopped loving each other but a number of things don’t help. Both their careers are very demanding. Ronnie is bipolar and he can be difficult to live with. Sudden and violent moods swings are not easy to cope with, be it for the person affected or for those living with them. I know that first hand. Laila is 53 and she might be going through a difficult “transition” period in her life as a woman as well. First of all, I hope for them both that they find balance, peace and contentment in their lives. As for Ronnie, we can only wait and see what happens and keep our expectations low for now…
Yeah, the fact that he spent the whole summer in China without her and then there was no Laila in Wimbledon, did not suggest the relationship was going well. It calls for very low expectations for the rest of the season, such troubles don’t help, not even to a more stable personality. Oh, and if anyone knows: who keeps the dog?
They have/had two dogs, one hers, one his…
Happy to hear this, nobody should remain dogless. And Ronnie spoke with so much love bout his dog.
it’s clearly that something is not right with ROS. And for sure he needs help. If it’s dr Steve or a snooker coach who knows. I hope i can see the real Ronnie soon.
The real Ronnie will be 49 in December. Time waits for nobody … alas. We fans should accept that. I will always love him, and admire him for what he brought to the sport. For the exceptional moments he offered us. He owes us nothing. He gave us plenty. I will try to enjoy every win, every good match … just without unrealistic expectation. And, above everything else, I hope he finds peace within himself.
I don’t understand this discussion. If there even is one? It’s not the first 1st round exit for Ronnie. Now he will have a little break. And even virtually did not have to travel to get home. More so, Ronnie “likes” to exit Home Nations events early more than others, so that he could do punditry. Furthermore it’s the start of the season and not the end. Steve Peters has not much to teach him yet. Short term consultations will do. And last but not least, He is not a bad player at all, did anyone see the opening pot. Don’t you agree?
The consistency isn’t what it used to be. But, more than anything else, the problem is how he perceives his game and himself as a player. That’s where Peters could help.
Ok, I just want to say, for me at least, ROS is NOT a snooker player in a crisis. Just at the end of his career. So, and this is my opinion, there is no real discussion here for me.
If he struggles with the situation, he is in a crisis. Even if it is indeed normal at his age to face decline it doesn’t necessarily make it easy to accept by the player living through it. It’s not about “fixing” his game, it’s about helping him through this (normal) phase of his career.
Like I have previously said, obviously he is nearing 50 (next year) and we cannot expect him to play as he could when he was 30 or 40 and the thing to see would be how he deals with his limitations. The last match showed he was not dealing well. Neither the continues left-handed play, nor the post-match interview suggested any effort/intention to deal. The looked rather like the sulking reactions of a petulant child. I hope he will find the way or the help that can assist him to find the way, or he will be miserable and his fans disappointed. And of course he owes us nothing and so on, so forth, but I can’t believe he would be content if the last years of his career were like this start of the season suggests.
Of course not Csilla and that’s where I believe Peters could help. Acceptance.
The match between Si Jiahui and Jiang Jun was indeed hard-fought, but it was ruined by continual scoreboard crashes which definitely upset the players. I think Agnieszka Thomson is an excellent referee, but she was undermined by the technical problems and communication difficulties with the two players. It seems like they allocated the least experienced referee to the players who were least likely to raise any kind of complaint. The TD needs to take note of that, and WST needs to get their scoring system fixed, and have an established procedure in place for when it fails.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
Looks like Ronnie and Laila have broken up again, which perhaps explains some of Ronnie’s recent malaise…
Yes Mark, I have suspected this for some time. I could sense that Ronnie is deeply unhappy but it would not have been appropriate to ask questions, would it? I don’t think they stopped loving each other but a number of things don’t help. Both their careers are very demanding. Ronnie is bipolar and he can be difficult to live with. Sudden and violent moods swings are not easy to cope with, be it for the person affected or for those living with them. I know that first hand. Laila is 53 and she might be going through a difficult “transition” period in her life as a woman as well. First of all, I hope for them both that they find balance, peace and contentment in their lives. As for Ronnie, we can only wait and see what happens and keep our expectations low for now…
Yeah, the fact that he spent the whole summer in China without her and then there was no Laila in Wimbledon, did not suggest the relationship was going well. It calls for very low expectations for the rest of the season, such troubles don’t help, not even to a more stable personality. Oh, and if anyone knows: who keeps the dog?
They have/had two dogs, one hers, one his…
Happy to hear this, nobody should remain dogless. And Ronnie spoke with so much love bout his dog.
Apparently they are still in friendly terms … and the dogs are playing a part in this https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/laila-rouass-ronnie-osullivan-spotted-33716887 ….
it’s clearly that something is not right with ROS. And for sure he needs help. If it’s dr Steve or a snooker coach who knows. I hope i can see the real Ronnie soon.
The real Ronnie will be 49 in December. Time waits for nobody … alas. We fans should accept that. I will always love him, and admire him for what he brought to the sport. For the exceptional moments he offered us. He owes us nothing. He gave us plenty. I will try to enjoy every win, every good match … just without unrealistic expectation. And, above everything else, I hope he finds peace within himself.
I don’t understand this discussion. If there even is one? It’s not the first 1st round exit for Ronnie. Now he will have a little break. And even virtually did not have to travel to get home. More so, Ronnie “likes” to exit Home Nations events early more than others, so that he could do punditry. Furthermore it’s the start of the season and not the end. Steve Peters has not much to teach him yet. Short term consultations will do. And last but not least, He is not a bad player at all, did anyone see the opening pot. Don’t you agree?
The consistency isn’t what it used to be. But, more than anything else, the problem is how he perceives his game and himself as a player. That’s where Peters could help.
Ok, I just want to say, for me at least, ROS is NOT a snooker player in a crisis. Just at the end of his career. So, and this is my opinion, there is no real discussion here for me.
If he struggles with the situation, he is in a crisis. Even if it is indeed normal at his age to face decline it doesn’t necessarily make it easy to accept by the player living through it. It’s not about “fixing” his game, it’s about helping him through this (normal) phase of his career.
Like I have previously said, obviously he is nearing 50 (next year) and we cannot expect him to play as he could when he was 30 or 40 and the thing to see would be how he deals with his limitations. The last match showed he was not dealing well. Neither the continues left-handed play, nor the post-match interview suggested any effort/intention to deal. The looked rather like the sulking reactions of a petulant child. I hope he will find the way or the help that can assist him to find the way, or he will be miserable and his fans disappointed. And of course he owes us nothing and so on, so forth, but I can’t believe he would be content if the last years of his career were like this start of the season suggests.
Of course not Csilla and that’s where I believe Peters could help. Acceptance.
The match between Si Jiahui and Jiang Jun was indeed hard-fought, but it was ruined by continual scoreboard crashes which definitely upset the players. I think Agnieszka Thomson is an excellent referee, but she was undermined by the technical problems and communication difficulties with the two players. It seems like they allocated the least experienced referee to the players who were least likely to raise any kind of complaint. The TD needs to take note of that, and WST needs to get their scoring system fixed, and have an established procedure in place for when it fails.