Tournament information including the draw and format for the second event of 2024/25 WPBSA Q Tour Europe is now available to view via WPBSA SnookerScores.
The event will take place from 20-22 September at the National Snooker Academy of Bulgaria, Sofia with 108 players in the draw.
Q Tour Europe is made up of seven tournaments and is part of the expanded WPBSA Q Tour Global, which incorporates regional events held around the world, each offering access to an extended Q Tour Global Playoff at the end of the season.
Although the English players are still a majority in this field, there are more players from mainland Europe in this draw than I can remember in previous events. The Ukrainian delegation is particularly strong. The Baltic countries are well represented as well.
But the one player who will certainly be under huge scrutiny during this event is the only Chinese in the draw, Zhao Xintong. Zhao’s WPBSA/WST ban ended on September first, although he’s not yet allowed to compete in China. I am certain that Zhao will have prepared as well as possible for this event.
There will be voices to argue that he shouldn’t be allowed back, the same voices that asked for a life ban for all the young Chinese players involved in that scandal, no matter what they have done or not, and no matter the circumstances they faced. For the record Zhao did NOT fix any match: he did bet on snooker and didn’t “grass” on his mates. Those were his crimes.
I’m sure that some of those same “voices” would gladly welcome Stephen Lee back… you know, he has such a silky cue action… If you are tempted to join those voices I invite you to read the section about “match fixing and ban” on Lee’s wikipedia bio. I was taking pictures in the arena during that controversial PL match and I was baffled by what I was seeing. Clive Everton in commentary was equally non-plussed. Judd Trump was watching and called it on social media as well. Lee had been making good money from his sport, he was no penniless kid in a foreign country thousands of miles away from their family, threatened by the people who should have been mentors to them and he had already been under scrutiny for suspected match/frames fixing before, including at the Crucible.
So… a bit of consistency, please. That wouldn’t hurt. Me, I’ll welcome Zhao’s return.
The best players on the planet are set to descend on the Brentwood Centre for the BetVictor English Open, with all of the world’s top 16 scheduled to be in action from Monday 16th September.
The draw can now be revealed and a showstopping two days on Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th see the world’s elite enter the fray in round three. The likes of defending champion Judd Trump and World Champion Kyren Wilson are competing on the Monday, while seven-time Crucible king Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams and Mark Allen will take to the baize on Tuesday.
Later on in the week there are potential heavyweight clashes including Shaun Murphy against Neil Robertson and O’Sullivan against Stephen Maguire.
As an additional bonus, the opening rounds have been brought straight through to the final venue. The first two rounds will take place from Thursday 12th until Saturday 14th September. Tickets for these days are now available.
The final, which takes place on Sunday 22nd September, is already sold out so fans are encouraged to book soon.
Recently dethroned world number one Allen is yet to contend a title match at the English Open, but he is determined to put that right later this month and can’t wait for the action to get underway.
“It will be great. We have a run of events with the English Open, then the British Open and Belfast (Northern Ireland Open) around the corner. I love the travelling, but it is also nice to be back in the UK,” said 11-time ranking event winner Allen.
“Brentwood hasn’t always brought good results for me but I would like to go there and put that right this year. I feel I have been consistent and going to the business end of a lot of tournaments so it would be nice to go one further. I’ve never been to the final of the English Open so it would be nice to be there come Sunday night and be in with a chance.”
This event has an interesting format. It’s straight knock-out from the last 64 on. The top 32 are seeded in that round. The other players have to compete in two rounds of “tiered” qualifiers to get there. Those qualifying rounds are played just before the “main event”, at the same venue in Brentwood. This is much much better than having to “qualify” weeks, or even months, before the event, in a completely different venue.
There may not have been any professional snooker played yesterday but it still was a very busy day on the baize.
Indeed we had the last day of the 2024 Women Snooker UK Championship AND the 2024 Seniors Snooker 900 in Hull. I’ll post about the latter later today on my “Seniors blog”.
China’s Bai Yulu has ended the reign of Reanne Evans at the Taom UK Women’s Snooker Championship following a 4-0 final victory at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds.
Record 12-time champion Evans was looking to extend a run which had seen her lift the title on four successive occasions, but it was reigning world champion Bai who dominated the title match to lift her third title on the World Women’s Snooker Tour since May 2023.
The 21-year-old Chinese star becomes the first winner of the UK Championship other than Evans and Ng On Yee in 12 years and the first player to win the world and UK titles during the same calendar year since Evans in 2019.
The victory will also see Bai rise to a new career-high world ranking of fourth position, behind only Mink Nutcharut, Ng and Evans.
Having been seeded through to the last 16 stage as reigning world champion, Bai progressed to the final with victories against Emma Powers-Richardson, recent US Open finalist Anupama Ramachandran and world number one Mink Nutcharut.
Awaiting her would once again be top seeded Evans, who survived a scare in the last 16 stage from India’s Amee Kamani to win 3-2, before she saw off So Man Yan and compatriot Rebecca Kenna – who had defeated Ng On Yee in the last eight – to set up a repeat of last year’s Leeds final.
In 2023 it had been Evans who ran out a 4-1 winner, but it would be a different story a year on as Bai quickly earned a 2-0 lead, before claiming a crucial third frame on the pink to move to within one frame of the title. Bai was not to be denied as she edged a final close frame to claim her first victory since her world title win in March and further cement her reputation as one of the leading Tour players.
Bai also achieved the highest break of the tournament with a run of 99 during her semi-final victory against Mink Nutcharut.
Side Tournaments
The Under-21 side tournament saw 13-year-old Ellise Scott claim her second successive junior title following her breakthrough win at the British Open back in May.
England’s Scott did not win a match during the group stages of the main competition, but enjoyed a successful run in the Under-21s with victories against Daisy May Oliver, Zoe Killington and Chloe Payne.
The Seniors side-tournament saw England’s Tessa Davidson lift her 12th over-40s crown following victory against Sarah Dunn in a repeat of the 2022 final in Leeds.
Davidson – who remains unbeaten at Seniors events since November 2023 – defeated Maureen Rowland, Mhairi Mackay and Dunn to win her second UK seniors title.
The Challenge Cup tournament for players who did not reach the quarter-finals saw Jasmine Bolsover lift her first WWS Tour title in nine years following a 2-1 success against Amee Kamani.
Winner of the Under-21 and Plate competitions at the 2015 World Championship, Bolsover won five matches during the final day under the six-red format to secure victory.
World Women’s Snooker would like to thank everyone who contributed to another hugely successful event, most notably our title sponsors Taom Billiards, our long-standing hosts at the Northern Snooker Centre and of course the players and officials without whom the event would not have been possible.
The 2024/25 season continues with the Australian Women’s Snooker Open from 5-8 October 2024 at the Mounties venue in Sydney, Australia.
Some of the matches can be found on WWS Youtube Channel
Congratulations Bai Yulu
I have no doubts that Bai is currently the best female snooker player on tour. For now she is finding it difficult, but she was able to compete very successfully on the youth CBSA tour, against the boys. I hope she adapts in the UK, and gets the support she needs. It would be great to see her develop and reap some success.
Judd Trump beat Mark Williams by 10-9 in an epic final to become the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters Champion. In the decider Judd produced a great 72 clearance to clinch victory.
Congratulations Judd Trump
And congratulations as well to Mark Williams who, at nearly 50, showed that he still has the fire in the belly, and the game to compete with the very best. He was also very gracious in defeat.
Judd Trump produced one of the all-time great pressure clearances to defeat Mark Williams 10-9 and become the inaugural winner of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
The duo put on one of the most dramatic finales to a tournament in recent years, with the Green Halls in Riyadh witnessing an epic deciding frame.
With a top prize of £500,000 on the line and the runner-up taking home £200,000, the £300,000 differential made it the most lucrative single frame in the history of snooker.
Despite the enormous pressure, it was Williams who embarked on a seemingly nerveless break with the match on the line. However, he missed a difficult red to the top left on 62 to leave Trump his opportunity. He ruthlessly deposited a difficult red to the left middle and cleared to the black with 72 to secure a glorious victory.
The win sees Trump make history by capturing his 29th career ranking title, moving him clear of Steve Davis, who is on 28. Only John Higgins (31), Stephen Hendry (36) and Ronnie O’Sullivan (41) have won more ranking crowns than the Bristolian.
This week marks the continuation of a phenomenal start to the season for Trump. He defeated Shaun Murphy in the final of his first event of the campaign at the Shanghai Masters. Trump was then denied another piece of silverware in the Xi’an Grand Prix final against World Champion Kyren Wilson. He has now won 15 of his first 16 matches this term.
Despite the agonising manner of his defeat, 49-year-old Williams leaves Riyadh having climbed from ninth to sixth position in the world rankings. Trump now moves well clear at the summit.
It was Trump who came into this evening leading 5-3. The first two frames tonight were traded, before three-time World Champion Williams made a superb 101 on his way to taking two on the bounce leaving him level at 6-6 heading into the mid-session.
When play resumed, a break of 77 from Williams gave him the lead for the first time since taking the opening frame.
The Welshman had the first opportunity in the 14th, but broke down on 30 after missing a delicate red to the right middle. Trump stepped up and fired in a break of 76 to move all square at 7-7.
Both players had chances in the next, but a missed plant from Williams spread the reds far and wide and Trump obliged with a frame winning 65 to hit the front once more at 8-7.
Williams refused to go away and drew level again at 8-8 to set up a grandstand finish. He then made his move with a stunning 138 total clearance to move claw within a frame of victory at 9-8.
It was Trump’s turn to dig deep in the 18th, making a steely 90, which set up the astonishing drama which followed. After prevailing in a thrilling final frame Trump uncharacteristically punched the air with delight.
“To be honest I’m not someone who gets emotional after I win, but there was so much elation there. I had my back to the wall the whole game. That feeling when the black went in was disbelief. There was so much adrenaline pumping in my body. It is probably the happiest I’ve ever been to win a tournament. It was an incredible feeling and one that I won’t forget for a while.”
Judd Trump
2019 World Champion
Trump added: “With it being the last frame and having not played my best snooker all day, I would probably put that top of the best clearances in my career. To produce that under the utmost pressure is such a nice feeling. It is a big event which I looked like I was going to lose. I managed to turn it around in the end.
“I’m incredibly proud to be the first winner here. My record in new events is very good and I had that in the back of my mind. I always have that bit of self-belief in there when I really need it. I managed to rely on that today and make that incredible clearance.”
Williams said: “I nearly had a good break in the last. It was a red I fancied getting, but it wasn’t as if I twitched, I hit it well and thought it was in. It just shows what a great champion he is, what a break he has made there. For half a million pounds, 62 behind and two reds safe. What can I say? Congratulations to him.“
THE DECIDING FRAME
That’s Judd Trump now firmly installed as “Number One” in the rankings nearly half a million points ahead on the closest opposition. I can’t see anyone knocking him off that perch during the rest of this season. He deserves to be number one, for sure. Is he THAT far ahead of everyone else? I don’t think so. That’s the perversity of the money list … but you all already know what I have to say about that, so I won’t repeat it …
With Judd’s current level of dominance, questions will be asked … so here I am tackling two of them
Will Judd surpass Ronnie’s tally of ranking titles? Ronnie is currently on 41, Judd on 29. He (currently) needs 13 more to get ahead of Ronnie. Can he do that? I believe he can and will, if only because he doesn’t have the kind of opposition in his age group that Ronnie has/had AND because there are currently much, much more events to compete in than when the “Class of 92” were in their prime. During the years 2000-2010, they only had 6 to 8 ranking events in the calendar.
Will Judd surpass Ronnie’s tally of “Triple Crowns”? Ronnie has currently eight UKs, eight Masters and sevenWorlds whilst Judd has one UK, one World and two Masters. Thats a very big ask and Judd is already 35 yeas old. This means that in the coming ten to twelve years he needs to win 6 Worlds, seven UKs and 6 Masters just to equal those records. It’s a very, very big ask and I can’t see it happening.
The win sees Trump move to the edge of history, with one more victory standing between him and becoming the first ever winner of a ranking event in Saudi Arabia.
Tomorrow’s final will see the Ace in the Pack take on either Mark Williams or Si Jiahui. With a top prize of £500,000 on the line, it will be snooker’s most lucrative match ever outside of the World Championship.
World number one Trump moved to the summit of the rankings last month with his run to the final of the Xi’an Grand Prix, where he came up short against World Champion Kyren Wilson.
The 2019 World Champion has been in supreme form so far this season. He and Murphy met in the final of the Shanghai Masters, where Trump secured a more comfortable 11-5 victory. Trump has now won 14 of the 15 matches he’s played this term.
Defeat for Murphy sees him depart with £100,000 for making the semi-finals. The narrow loss this afternoon will come as a bitter pill to swallow, but having already made the Shanghai final he can reflect on a strong start to the season.
Trump stated prior to today’s encounter that he needed to get on top of Murphy in the early stages. He did just that, crafting breaks of 67 and 72 on his way to a 3-0 lead. Murphy responded by taking the last before the mid-session to trail 3-1 at the break.
Murphy continued to push hard after play resumed and he took a dramatic fifth on the black to move within a single frame.
Trump regained his two frame cushion to lead 4-2 and made a break of 67 to move clear in the seventh. However, Murphy made 67 of his own and forced a re-spot. He deposited the extra ball and fist pumped after closing within a frame at 4-3. Trump then pulled clear again at 5-3, but Murphy fired in runs of 78 and 60 to force a decider.
A hugely tense final frame eventually came down to the green. Murphy spurned his chance when chasing a difficult positional shot. Trump deposited it and the brown to leave his opponent leaving two snookers. He got one of them but it was to no avail as Trump got over the line to reach his 46thranking event final.
“It was a tricky game. I threw away a couple of frames. Even though it was looking like it might turn around, I got over the line in the end with a bit of drama,” said 28-time ranking event winner Trump.
“It was difficult. He fought back well. At one point he was looking like he would win. I let it slip away at times and when you miss those chances sometimes you get punished. I managed to keep my head and get over the line.
“In the World Championship you have days off between games. After you win you have a day or two to calm yourself down and go again. Here it is important to get through as easy as possible. That was a very tough semi-final, but hopefully it wont impact me in the final.
“Whoever I play it will be a good game. I’ve had some good games over the past couple of years with both of them. Si is on the way up and Mark, in terms of age, is on the way down. He’s still very consistent and is able to adjust his game and battle with anyone. Mark is one of the top three or four players of all time and Si will be up there with the greats one day.”
Murphy said: “It is a sickener. Once you get to this stage of an event, with such prize money and prestige, you think about winning. It never really felt like the balls were going my way all match. It felt like I was trying to push water uphill. Lady luck wasn’t on my side for the majority, but Judd’s ability to keep potting balls is incredible. I think he is the best out and out potter we have ever seen.
“I am many things but I’m not a quitter. I kept trying and I couldn’t have given any more. Of course determination is only one of the ingredients you need to be a winner. Today I was lacking in a few areas and it wasn’t to be. We go again and look forward to the English Open in Brentwood.”
Shaun fought really hard, came back after Judd dominated the early stages and had a really good opportunity to win that match. He was on the colours in the decider and missed the green for victory. He will be sick! Judd Trump was certainly beatable yesterday.
Mark Williams is through to the 42nd ranking event final of his career after scoring a 6-3 win over Si Jiahui at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Riyadh.
The Welshman now faces a showdown with Judd Trump over the best of 19 frames in tomorrow’s title match.
The winner will take home £500,000, which will make it the most lucrative match ever outside of the World Championship. Victory for three-time World Champion Williams would give him the biggest payday of his career.
Williams and Trump have done battle in some of the sport’s biggest matches in recent years. In the 2022 World Championship semi-finals Williams came from 9-3 down to force a decider but lost 17-16. They then met in the 2023 Masters final, where Trump prevailed 10-8 from 8-7 down.
Defeat for Si, who beat seven-time Crucible king Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarters, means he will continue his wait for a maiden ranking title. However, his performance does allow him to break into the top 16 in the world for the first time, moving to 13th in the provisional world rankings with the £100,000 prize money.
It was Chinese 22-year-old who started fastest, firing in a fine break of 116 to win the opener. From there it was 26-time ranking event winner Williams who took charge. Runs 60, 97 and 77 helped him to four on the bounce and a 4-1 lead.
The next two frames were shared to leave Williams one away at 5-2, before a break of 136 kept Si in contention. There was to be no fightback though, with 49-year-old Williams making a match winning 80 in the ninth to prevail 6-3.
“It’s a big win for me. I’m an old man now! I think it is bound to get me in everything up until after the Tour Championship now,” said Williams.
“My eyes are deteriorating pretty quickly. On long balls I am seeing three of them but they say to hit the one in the middle and that’s what I’m doing. I have looked at getting my eyes done, but I’m guessing alright at the moment so I’m not going to bother.
“I think I’m a better all-round player than I was 20 years ago. I wish I could have my long game from then, but I think all round I’m better now than I’ve ever been. That is what is winning me the matches.”
SEMI-FINALS HIGHLIGHTS
Here is the end of the Williams v Si match
I think that Si hit the wall last night. Maybe the sudden realisation of what could be, maybe nervous and mental fatigue or both. But all the same Willo played really really well. He’s a very shrewd player and if he can reproduce that today, Judd Trump will need to be on his best game to beat him.
Ahead of the match, Judd had criticised the current money based ranking system. It suddenly hit him that he might win five events and still not be number one because the disproportionate money on offer in this event. He’s right and I have been saying this for years. Just think about this: what if next season the Saudis decide to host the Shoot-out and offer ￡2500000 for the winner in a “winner takes all” format? The winner of that might be number one for the next two seasons, even it’s the only thing they ever win. It’s absurd. You will tell me, WST won’t accept such an offer. I wouldn’t be so sure … it may well depend on what’s in it for them, that we maybe don’t see. Don’t forget that Matchroom is a majority stakeholder in WST, and they are involved in other sports as well.
Although I’m absolutely certain that Ronnie wanted to do well in Saudi Arabia and win this event, he was beaten yesterday afternoon by Si Jiahui. Ronnie I’m sure will be very disappointed with his own performances, but Si played really well and deserves credit both for the win and the manner of it. Si will now play another member of the class of 92, Mark Williams who outplayed Jimmy Robertson.
Si Jiahui put on an electrifying display to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-4 and make the semi-finals of the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
It’s a first ever victory over seven-time World Champion O’Sullivan for Si, who is now guaranteed £100,000. That equals the biggest ever payday of his career. He made the same amount reaching the last four at the 2023 World Championship, where he lost an epic clash with Luca Brecel 17-15.
Next up for Si is a best of 11 showdown with another member of the Class of 92, Mark Williams, tomorrow evening. The pair will do battle for a place in Saturday’s best of 19 final, where a top prize of £500,000 will be on the line.
The last time Si and Williams met was in this year’s World Championship, where the talented Chinese 22-year-old prevailed in a 10-9 thriller. A similar outcome tomorrow would be the biggest moment in Si’s already impressive career.
After taking the opener this evening, Si claimed the second frame with a fine break of 87. He was first in with 60 in the third, but O’Sullivan countered with 65 to steal on the black and trail 2-1. The Rocket then strung together 79 in the fourth to restore parity at 2-2.
When play resumed after the mid-session, a three-frame burst from Si saw him blitz to the verge of a momentous win. He moved 5-2 up with a brilliant maximum break attempt in the seventh. Si deposited 12 reds with blacks, but with the balls at his mercy he ran out of position and missed the 13th red to end his run on 96.
O’Sullivan was searching for inspiration and he found it when he turned to playing left handed. Breaks of 65 and 56 helped him claw two frames back to trail by a single frame at 5-4. However, Si wasn’t to be denied and made 82 to secure a massive victory.
“Overall I think I played really well in this match. I tried to relax myself and avoid getting too nervous about the occasion. I am pleased with how I dealt with getting over the line in such a big game,” said world number 22 Si.
“This is a very big tournament and there are a lot of ranking points attached. I’m trying as hard as I can not to think about this. It allows me to play as well as I can. I just concentrate on my own game and that is where that performance came from.
“Mark Williams is a very accurate player and a great shot maker. His snooker brain is above anyone else in the game. There is a lot to learn from him tomorrow. I appreciate his mindset and how he approaches a tournament.”
Welsh 49-year-old Williams blitzed his way to a 66th ranking event semi-final after whitewashing Jimmy Robertson 6-0.
The three-time World Champion was delighted to come through and is looking forward to doing battle with his younger counterpart Si tomorrow.
Williams said: “He’s only 22 and is the new generation coming through. I think he is the one they are putting their hopes on to take over after Trump, when he is approaching 50. I will probably be playing on table 28 walking about with my zimmer frame by then. He has a great future ahead of him and I’m looking forward to seeing where he can go.
“My mentality has definitely helped my career. If I lose a big match which I should have won, I’ve had many of them, it is no problem. I don’t dwell on it and I don’t worry about it. Who cares? Don’t worry about it. It definitely helps me because some players tell me they get nervous before a match, have to go to the toilet and have butterflies. I never get like that. The worst thing that can happen tomorrow is I lose 6-0 to Si Jiahui. That is the worst thing that can happen. When I’m out there I try harder than anybody.”
Willo’s mentality is wonderful and I wish Ronnie could be as carefree as him, but they are very different persons and that will never happen. Ronnie is one of those who get butterflies and sometimes becomes physically sick with anxiety before a match. He may deny it … but I have seen it happen.
Anyway… here are the scores of Ronnie’s QF match:
And some images shared by WST, including on Weibo
And videos shared on YouTube by Eurosport
Am I disappointed? Yes, of course I am. Am I shocked? Not at all, this is not even a surprise to me. Is it time for Ronnie to hang his cue? Of course not, he’s still a top player and, even if he wasn’t a top player anymore, those decisions are only for the person to take and speak about if they so wish.
And discussing his woes during an interview with Eurosport after his victory against Zhang, the 48-year-old explained: “I played better than I have been playing but still so many mistakes, so many unforced errors and just not good enough really, but I have to accept that’s what it is.
“I’ve been on a steady decline probably for five years, it’s just getting a little bit worse and worse, but you just try and hang on for as long as you can – it happens to everybody. It’s something you can’t probably correct, you’ve just got to accept it.
“That’s the frustrating thing. Normally, I feel like I put enough pressure on my opponents to force them to make mistakes.
“I’ve spent most of my career just feeling pretty much in control. I didn’t realise how much I was in control of matches until I’ve experienced not being in control of matches.
“It’s hard because I’m used to feeling a certain way in most games but I haven’t been for quite a while. I suppose I just have to accept it, it is what it is. That’s why I started playing left-handed – because I was getting so frustrated.”
And the Rocket also alluded to the fact that he could call time on his playing career in the near future as he added: “I just want to try and enjoy it. I ain’t got long left. I’ll be lucky if I’m in the top 16 within the next two or three years, the way I’m playing – seriously.
“You look at John Higgins, it’s just one of them – you can’t stop it. You’d like to [stop it] but it happens to everyone – [Steve] Davis, Jimmy [White], [Stephen] Hendry. It happened to John, it happens to everyone – every sportsman.
“You have an up and then you stay there for a while and then you have a gradual down. I just have to accept it. It’s not easy but if I want to keep playing the game I’m going to have to otherwise I’m just going to get frustrated with myself.”
World number one Judd Trump is through to the 63rd ranking event semi-final of his career, after a 6-3 defeat of Australia’s Neil Robertson at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
Trump’s relentless consistency levels in recent years can be emphasised that it’s his 33rd trip to the last four of a ranking tournament since 2019.
The Ace in the Pack dislodged Mark Allen at the summit of the world rankings last month, with a run to the Xi’an Grand Prix final, where he lost to World Champion Kyren Wilson. However, Trump is battling to hold on to top spot this week, with seven-time Crucible king Ronnie O’Sullivan still in pursuit.
Defeat ends a good run for Robertson, who is aiming to return to the sport’s elite after a disappointing 23/24 campaign saw him slump to 27th in the world. The £50,000 won this week has seen him gain one position in the provisional rankings and move to 26th as he continues his bid to return to the top 16 in the rankings.
A fragmented opening two frames this afternoon both went the way of Trump, before the 28-time ranking event winner fired in a break of exactly 100 to move 3-0 ahead.
Trump had led 44-0 in the fourth, but fell out of position and allowed Robertson to get back into the frame, which he took to trail 3-1 at the mid-session.
When play resumed, runs of 77 and 103 helped Robertson take two of the next three and put himself right in contention at 4-3. He had the first opportunity to restore parity in the eighth, but broke down on 44. Trump responded with 77 to move one from victory and then got over the line to book a semi-final meeting with Shaun Murphy.
Trump said: “Neil was looking a lot more confident than he has done recently, it was just the odd little mistake when it really mattered. I know against someone like him if he got level he would have started peacock-ing round the table. It is never nice when your opponent has the momentum, but I just managed to stay in front.
“Shaun is someone who can be patchy and in and out, just because his style of play. He tried to really put a lot of effort into his safety a few years back and it didn’t work for him. I think he got bogged down. Now he has just accepted he is what he is. When he’s on fire he is almost unstoppable, going for every shot he can see on the table.
“He’s someone that you have to get off to a good start against, like Neil. When they build up a head of steam and their long potting is going in then you are in big trouble. If I can get in front he sometimes drops his head a bit. That is what I have to try and do again”
Murphy came through with a 6-2 win over China’s Xiao Guodong, to set up a repeat of this season’s Shanghai Masters final against Trump.
On that occasion it was Trump who prevailed by an 11-5 scoreline. However, 2005 World Champion Murphy vows that he has learned from that encounter.
Murphy said: “I think anytime you walk into someone like Judd Trump you are going to have a handful. I remember playing him on his Crucible debut and he went on to become the complete pro.
“In last month’s Shanghai Masters final, I learned so much about the game watching him up close. I’ve put that into practice since and my game has improved because of it. I’m not saying I’m going to win, but I am looking forward to the challenge of going up against him.”
Neil Robertson stated that he was back to his best after demolishing Gary Wilson 6-1 at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Riyadh.
The Thunder from Down Under put on a ruthless display to defeat Scottish and Welsh Open champion Wilson in under two hours.
It was a more familiar standard from Robertson, after a poor 23/24 season saw him slide down the world rankings to 27th position. The Melbourne cueman practised throughout the summer in an attempt to regain his winning touch and those efforts appear to be bearing fruits this week.
Robertson came through from a hard fought first four frames leading 3-1 and from there he never looked back. Breaks of 141 and 95 after the interval helped the 2010 World Champion to take three on the bounce to emerge victorious and seal a blockbuster quarter-final showdown with world number one Judd Trump.
“I’m definitely back, 100%. I’m a better player than I ever have been. I have worked so hard over the last six months on every aspect of my game. I’ve realised that my reputation can only get me so far,” said 23-time ranking event winner Robertson.
“I probably haven’t said too much about my game over the last 18 months, but I’ve got that sense of pride again with my safety game. My game is in a good place and I’m delighted to get through because Gary is a top player.
“It will be nice to play Judd. It has been a while since I’ve played him. Whenever we’ve played it has always been a massive occasion. Playing in the quarter-finals here has been fantastic.”
Trump put on an equally impressive display this afternoon, as he thrashed six-time ranking event finalist Jack Lisowski 6-1.
The result continues Trump’s relentless streak against close friend Lisowski. He’s now won their last seven meetings. The Ace in the Pack fired in century runs of 126, 115 and 105 on his way to victory this afternoon.
It was an important win in the race for the summit of the world rankings. Trump recently overhauled Mark Allen as world number one, but with £500,000 on offer for the top prize this week his position is immediately under threat.
Following the match he stated that he was unsurprised at tomorrow’s opponent Robertson’s return to form.
Trump said: “It was only a matter of time. A few people have said that they didn’t think he was going to get back but he’s way too good for that to happen. I think he was lacking belief and looking at too many things that can go wrong. I think playing those few games in qualifiers have helped his confidence.”
Shaun Murphy booked his place in the quarter-finals as he beat Elliot Slessor 6-3 with a top break of 111.
The Magician now faces Xiao Guodong, who edged out Scott Donaldson 6-5 with a superb 123 in the deciding frame. It has been some week for Xiao as he got married in China the day before he flew to Riyadh.
“There was pressure today because it’s now my biggest ever prize money (£50,000),” he said. “This is such a big tournament. I just tried to enjoy the game and concentrate. I thought about my family and my wife and that gave me power.“
The crowd wasn’t big at all in the afternoon despite the quality on display. Neil Robertson does indeed look very good again. The next match will be the big test. Judd played very well too but I can’t read too much into that because Jack Lisowski is such a “let down”. So much natural talent and going nowhere… the most frustrating player on tour for sure!
Ronnie O’Sullivan produced a brilliant comeback to rally from 3-0 down and beat Zhang Anda 6-5 to make the quarter-finals of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
The Rocket came into the tie having lost his previous two meetings with Zhang. The Chinese cueman prevailed last season at the English Open, before scoring a famous 9-6 win over O’Sullivan on his way to winning the International Championship.
Zhang has been in supreme touch this week, after scoring a record breaking 5-0 whitewash win over Ben Woollaston in the previous round. He became the first ever player to make four total clearances in a best of nine match.
That form carried over into this evening’s game when he stormed into a 3-0 lead with breaks of 67, 77 and 66. He had the first chance in the fourth, but crucially spurned a red to the middle on 26. O’Sullivan stepped up with 64 to head into the mid-session two behind at 3-1.
When play resumed, back to back century runs of 109 saw 41-time ranking event winner O’Sullivan draw level at 3-3. The following frames were traded until Zhang led 5-4. The Englishman forced a decider with a break of 87, before a sensational long red to the green pocket gave him an opportunity which he swallowed up with 78 to win a thrilling match.
Despite the clinical nature of the way he closed out the victory, O’Sullivan stated that he is unhappy with how he is playing and feels that he is on the decline. He now faces Si Jiahui, who beat Pang Junxu 6-5 in a late night battle.
“There are so many unforced errors and so many mistakes compared to how it used to be. That is the reason why I don’t feel as dominant,” said seven-time World Champion O’Sullivan.
“I don’t think you can get that feeling back. I look at Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Jimmy White and John Higgins and watch them. I know how they used to play in their prime and then watch them towards the end, they are missing too many balls, making too many mistakes and have too much inconsistency. You need to be consistent to be a proper winner.”
Welsh three-time World Champion Mark Williams clinched a place in the 113th ranking quarter-final of his career, defeating 2015 Crucible king Stuart Bingham 6-2.
Williams fired in breaks of 71, 77 and 64 during the victory and will now face Jimmy Robertson in the last eight.
Williams said: “It is unbelievable (to be in a 113th ranking quarter-final). The only aim I’ve had in recent times is to see if I can be in the top 16 at the age of 50. I’m only six months away from that now. I’ve put myself in a good position and I think that will be a good achievement.”
Former European Masters winner Robertson scored a stunning 6-4 win over World Champion Kyren Wilson, having already defeated John Higgins in the previous round.
It really was an epic match, one that was well appreciated by the local crowd and got the snooker social media community, and the media guys, on the edge of their seats and glued to their screens. And yet, Ronnie is right, he isn’t quite the player he was but he certainly still has the fire in his belly when playing in events that inspire him. Zhang must be gutted as he would probably have won that match against anyone else.
There was a very decent crowd for Ronnie’s match considering this was on a “week day”: most people would have been at work during that day, and due to be at work on the next day.
Here are a few images shared by WST, including on Weibo:
And some videos shared by ES on their YouTube channel:
Ronnie O'Sullivan 