As the 2024 Champion of Champions event draws closer, excitement is building for another exhilarating week of world-class snooker at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in Bolton, from November 11-17. With 13 top players already confirmed, the final spots in the star-studded line-up will be determined soon.
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The highest ranked player(s) on the World Snooker two-year world ranking list, following the conclusion of the International Championship on November 10, will qualify for the remaining spot(s) in the Champion of Champions. This marks the final cutoff before the competition begins on November 11. Players who win the Northern Ireland Open or International Championship will earn a place, if they are not already qualified.
Among those already confirmed for the 2024 edition is defending champion Mark Allen, alongside other iconic names in the sport including Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Gary Wilson, and the legendary Ronnie O’Sullivan. With a roster brimming with champions, the stage is set for a week of remarkable performances and unforgettable moments on the green baize.
Confirmed Players Defending Champion, Mark Allen World Champion, Kyren Wilson UK Championship & Masters Champion, Ronnie O’Sullivan World Number One, Judd Trump Championship League Snooker Invitational Champion, Mark Selby Tour Championship winner, Mark Williams Championship League Snooker Ranking Champion, Ali Carter Scottish Open & Welsh Open Champion, Gary Wilson English Open Champion, Neil Robertson Women’s World Champion, Bai Yulu World Championship Runner-Up, Jak Jones Wuhan Open Champion, Xiao Guodong World Seniors Champion, Igor Figueiredo
The tournament format will kick off with four-player groups competing across four days, from Monday, November 11 to Thursday, November 14. The group winners will then progress to the semi-finals on Friday, November 15, and Saturday, November 16, culminating in the grand final on Sunday, November 17. The final, played over two sessions and 19 frames, promises to be an unmissable spectacle.
Event Schedule The action-packed week will commence with sessions from Monday, November 11th, to Thursday, November 14th. Doors will open at 12:15 for the afternoon session, followed by an evening session starting at 18:15. On Friday, November 15th, and Saturday, November 16th, VIP guests will be welcomed at 17:30, with general admission opening at 18:15 for the evening session. The final showdown on Sunday, November 17th, will see doors opening at 12:15 for the afternoon session, followed by VIP doors at 17:30 and general admission at 18:15 for the evening session.
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Where To Watch The 2024 Champion of Champions will be broadcast live across the globe on major networks, ensuring snooker fans everywhere can experience the excitement of this prestigious event.
Broadcast List · ITV – UK · AMC Network – Hungary · Fox Sports – Australia · Moia TV – Indonesia · Nova – Czech Republic & Slovakia · Sky Network – New Zealand · Starhub – Singapore · Sporklub – Croatia & Ex-Yugo · VTM – Belgium · Viaplay – Baltics, Iceland, Netherlands, & Poland · Viasat – Scandinavia
For territories not covered by these broadcasters, fans can watch the 2024 Champion of Champions via Matchroom.Live, where you can sign up for a monthly pass.
So apparently, Eurosport/Discovery+ will no show it which seems to be the case nowadays for most of the events shown on ITV. Grrr…. not many options for me here in Greece then…
The WPBSA has announced its eight amateur player nominations who will compete at this season’s Shoot Out from 4-7 December 2024.
Won last season by Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen, the ranking event will once again be staged at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester with 128 players in the line-up. As usual it will feature a unique set of rules, with all matches played over a maximum of ten minutes, and a shot clock of 15 seconds for the first five minutes and ten seconds for the last five.
Eight talented amateurs have been nominated to compete in the event by the WPBSA:
Vladislav Gradinari (Moldova), age 16, current EBSA Under-16 Champion and Under-18 Finalist
Riley Powell (Wales), age 16, EBSA Under-16 Finalist
Sophie Nix (Scotland), age 16, current World Women’s Snooker Under-21 Ranked No.1
Joel Connolly (Ireland), age 17, Irish Under-21 Champion
Sion Stuart (Wales), age 15, Welsh Under-16 Champion
Daniel Boyes (England), age 16, English Under-18 Champion
Steven Wardropper (Scotland), age 16, Scottish Under-16 Champion
Joe Shannon (Ireland), age 13, Irish Under-16 Champion
The WPBSA Group continues to work alongside its global partners to deliver inspirational opportunities for elite juniors to showcase their talent on the World Snooker Tour.
So all the under-16 champions from the four UK “Nations” plus Ireland are in there. Why not some junior champion from an European country? Or from an Asian country? Once again the UK-centered nature of WPBSA/WST is showing here. You will tell me that making the trip to the UK for playing maybe just a frame isn’t worth it but then traveling from Ireland, or even Scotland to Leicester is not easier or shorter than traveling from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany or France …
I’m happy with the inclusion of Sophie Nix in that field though. I wouldn’t fancy her chances just yet on the main tour but this event is peculiar. In just one frame everything can happen.
Just a cave-at note: in recent posts, including the two cited above, WST/WPBSA has used the word “confirmed” a lot. This is a bit (a lot?) misleading. I would be VERY surprised if it transpired that Ronnie has confirmed his participation in the Shoot-out, an event he really dislikes. The only thing that is “confirmed” is the players eligibility, not their actual participation.
BETVICTOR NORTHERN IRELAND OPEN DAY FIVE AFTERNOON
Shaun Murphy came from 3-1 down to beat Stuart Bingham 4-3 in a thrilling black ball finish at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open to reach his 80th ranking event quarter-final.
Murphy admitted it was “panic stations” when Bingham surged 3-1 ahead in a high quality tussle, but eventually a brilliant last-gasp clearance from Murphy gave him victory and a last-eight clash with Judd Trump or Barry Hawkins in Belfast on Friday. World number eight Murphy is seeking his first title since the 2023 Championship League.
He was on track for a 147 in the opening frame before missing a tough penultimate red on 104. In a repeat of the 2015 Crucible final, Bingham stormed back to take three in a row with top runs of 121 and 101. Back came Murphy with 56 and 52 for 3-3, then Bingham looked set to take the decider until he missed a difficult red to a top corner on 60. It came down to the last two reds, and Murphy converted a mid-range pot to set up a match-winning 40, finishing with a tricky black along the baulk cushion.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to win easily!” said the 42-year-old, who reached his first ranking quarter-final in 2004. “Stuart played incredibly well. At 3-1 I hadn’t done much wrong. It was panic stations but the trick is to stay calm because you usually get a chance. I got lucky in the last frame, if Stuart had got a good pack split on 60 in the decider it would have been over. I love coming here to Belfast and I’ve got strong ties here.“
World Champion Kyren Wilson ended the run of 18-year-old Stan Moody with a 4-1 success. A top break of 91 helped world number two Wilson to reach his only quarter-final this season other than the Xi’an Grand Prix, which he went on to win.
“I was on a bit of a hiding to nothing because I was expected to beat Stan,” said Wilson. “I had to make sure I stayed professional, played the right shots and kept him under pressure. I had a week off after the Wuhan Open so I’m pleased to come here, switch back on and get to another quarter-final.
“Stan hits the ball lovely. You have to learn on the job in this game and obviously he needs more experience and probably to take a few hidings. He is in a great position to have so many tournaments to play in and the prize money is huge. He’s showing he can beat some of the top players.”
Wilson will now meet Mark Williams, who saw off Ma Hailong 4-2 with a top break of 51. After losing in the final of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters last month, Williams chose to change his cue, and has no doubt it was the right decision.
“When I started using the new cue I was expecting to lose in the first round a few times, but it’s something I wanted to do,” said the three-time World Champion. “I’m in another quarter-final here. The cue is beautiful, it’s all down to the person using it.“
China’s Pang Junxu reached his fourth ranking event quarter-final with a 4-0 whitewash of Martin O’Donnell. His next opponent is Oliver Lines or Neil Robertson.
Judd Trump kept up his incredible streak of reaching at least the quarter-finals of every tournament he has contested in 2024 as he beat Barry Hawkins 4-2 in the last 16 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
By far the most consistent player on the tour and the runaway world number one, Trump has now reached the last eight of 15 consecutive tournaments this year. He has won four of those, reached two other finals and banked over £1.5 million in prize money.
Bristol’s Trump is defending the title in Belfast and has lifted the trophy four times since 2018. Breaks of 69, 63 and 105 helped him beat Hawkins tonight and set up a blockbuster clash with Shaun Murphy at 7 pm on Friday at the Waterfront Hall.
Neil Robertson is another player on form, having landed the BetVictor English Open last month, and is just three wins away from becoming the first player to have lifted all four Home Nations trophies. The Australian eased to a 4-1 win over Oliver Lines with top breaks of 76, 65, 53 and 107.
“It’s nice to keep the progress ticking over this week,” said Robertson, who now meets Pang Junxu. “There is extra motivation as it’s the last one I need to complete the Home Nations set. Whenever the calendar comes out it’s a tournament I look forward to.”
Louis Heathcote, enjoying the best run of his career so far, beat Tian Pengfei 4-2 to reach his second ranking event quarter-final, the only previous one coming at the 2021 Shoot Out. Breaks of 72, 87, 80 and 57 helped the Leicester cueman to a fine win over China’s Tian.
“I have got stronger as the week has gone on and I am delighted to get this far,” said 27-year-old Heathcote. “I made a big clearance to go 2-2 tonight and felt very focussed. I didn’t miss much under pressure. I’ve had two days before this match, it was a lot of time to think about it and play things out in my head. This afternoon I was nervous, but once I got out there I was relaxed. Tomorrow I want to try to enjoy the occasion more.”
He will now meet Elliot Slessor, who reached the ninth ranking event quarter-final of his career with a 4-1 win over Lei Peifan.
Friday’s quarter-finals: 12pm Neil Robertson v Pang Junxu Not before 2pm Kyren Wilson v Mark Williams 7pm Judd Trump v Shaun Murphy Louis Heathcote v Elliot Slessor
The Bingham vs Murphy match was really excellent. What happened “in parallel” on the other table is the only match overlooked in the above reports. It was likely unspectacular. Indeed Pang Junxu beat Martin O’Donnell by 4-0, in a match that was only 10 minutes shorter than the Bingham v Murphy one and featured only one break worth a mention, a break of exactly 50 by Pang in frame 2.
Neil Robertson played and scored well but Oliver Lines had chances. He was often first in the balls but was unable to construct any significant break from there. Once Neil was in, it was basically frame over.
We have some very good matches in prospect today. The only one that I can see being possibly one-sided is the Robertson v Pang one.
BETVICTOR NORTHERN IRELAND OPEN DAY FOUR AFTERNOON
Oliver Lines cited the power of positive thinking as the reason for his improvement this season as he knocked home favourite Mark Allen out of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open with a 4-3 victory at the last 32 stage.
Allen’s fans in Belfast had hoped their man could go all the way to the title this week, as he did in 2021 and 2022, but the Antrim cueman was well below his best today as world number 83 Lines registered one of the biggest wins of his career so far. The Leeds potter will meet Neil Robertson or Wang Yuchen next.
Lines, age 29, first turned professional ten years ago and reached his first ranking event semi-final last month at the British Open. “I’m not beating myself up as much if I miss a ball,” he said after today’s win. “And I’m not thinking negatively. In the last frame today I missed a chance but I told myself to keep calm because I might get another opportunity. As long as I think the right way, things seem to be happening for me. You can start doubting shots and looking for problems that aren’t there. I was nervous towards the end of the match but I had to convince myself that I still felt good.
“I have worked harder in general this season, concentrating more in practice, and it seems to be paying off at the moment. It’s a big win for me because Mark is a top player and it’s his home tournament.“
Lines took the opening frame with a 31 clearance before world number three Allen levelled with a break of 87. Lines regained the lead with a 73 before Allen took two scrappy frames to lead 3-2. A run of 53 helped Lines level at 3-3, and he led 30-0 in the decider when he missed the blue off its spot. Allen had a clear scoring chance but took just one red before failing to pot the pink to a centre pocket, and Lines added 26 which proved enough.
Allen said: “It was a poor performance and Oli deserved to win. I felt edgy today and I’m not sure why. I had more than enough chances but I wasn’t good enough.”
Stan Moody continued to build his reputation as one of snooker’s best up-and-coming talents as he thrashed Crucible finalist Jak Jones 4-0 to set up a clash with Kyren Wilson at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
Moody is through to the last 16 of a ranking event for the third time in his short career and will meet World Champion Wilson in an intriguing clash in Belfast on Thursday evening. Victory would give 18-year-old Moody his first quarter-final.
During a tough rookie season in 2023/24, the teenager won only eight matches, but Moody has clearly improved this term and has 12 victories under his belt already, beating the likes of Zhang Anda, Tom Ford, Ryan Day and now Jones.
“I wasn’t ready to beat the better players last season, I needed to change my game,” said Yorkshire’s Moody, who fired breaks of 92 and 103 tonight. “That’s what I have worked on, and it has paid off. I have always known that I could play to this level and I am doing it more this season. I am playing the right shots at the right time. Last season I was going for one too many, so I have had to reign it in a bit, while also keeping my natural attacking side.
“I have changed my diet completely and done some fitness work. I feel a lot better for it and that’s another reason I’m doing well. I grew up wanting to have the chance to compete against the best players on the TV table, showing what I can do and hopefully winning.“
Wilson edged out Anthony McGill 4-3 in a battle which had echoes of their epic 2020 Crucible semi-final, which the Englishman won 17-16. He is chasing a second title of the season having landed the Xi’an Grand Prix in August.
World number two Wilson took the opening frame tonight with a break of 77 then McGill hit back with 112 and 131 to lead 2-1. The Scot’s momentum was stopped in frame four when he went into the pack on 50 and was unlucky to see a red drop in. Wilson cleared with 62, then his break of 70 in frame five put him 3-2 ahead. In the sixth, Wilson looked set for victory until he missed the last red to a top corner at 40-37, and his opponent punished him to set up the decider.
Both players had chances and it came down to the colours, McGill making two mistakes on the green which cost him. First he went in-off, and later knocked the green on to the black which dropped into a corner pocket, ending his hopes.
“I don’t know what it is when we play each other!” said a relieved Wilson. “When we got down to the green, I said to him ‘I’m not sure I’m ready for this again’ and he said ‘just don’t fluke it this time!’ I played some good stuff earlier in the match and hopefully I can show more of that tomorrow.“
Neil Robertson, front-runner for the £150,000 BetVictor Home Nations Series bonus, needed just 56 minutes to beat Wang Yuchen 4-0 with a top break of 100. Mark Williams’ 4-1 win over Noppon Saengkham was highlighted by a 143 total clearance in the third frame, the highest break of the tournament so far.
I find it extremely strange1 that WST report on the afternoon session is about one match only. How come?
That afternoon …
Pang Junxu beat Luca Brecel by 4-1. Pang played well, he won the first three frames with breaks of 63, 71 and 118. All the same, Luca’s approach to the game, to his sport, his job, is baffling and obviously wrong. He says that he wants to be “ironman”… maybe he will have full time for it if he drops off the tour which would be baffling but is entirely possible. Luca is currently ranked number 6, but down to 56 in the provisional end of season ranking list and he hasn’t qualified for the International Championship.
Lei Peifan beat Tom Ford by 4-1 with breaks of 115, 56 and 63. Tom is clearly struggling this season.
Elliot Slessor beat Long Zhehuang by 4-2 in what appears to have been a quality match. They had one century each. Slessor is a bit of a mystery to me. When playing well he’s really, really good but at times, too often really, he allows frustration to get the better of him. I didn’t watch the match but, obviously, this wasn’t the case yesterday.
Martin O’Donnell put an end to Jimmy White’s run in the tournament. This must have been a difficult match for both of them. Jimmy is 62, he turned pro 44 years ago, he still loves the game with a passion, he still can play very well in patches but maybe he doesn’t have the stamina to sustain a high level match after match. He’s well loved, many took on the game because of him, and, probably Martin had to remind himself that he’s there to do a job … and he did just that. But Jimmy should be proud of himself.
In the evening, I watched Neil Robertson vs Wang Yuchen. Neil played really, really well. It was scary at times. Wang never really got “in the match”, he wasn’t allowed to. If Neil keeps this level he should win the tournament. IF.
Riyadh Season will once again welcome the best snooker players on the planet from December 18th to 20th when the 2024 Riyadh Season Snooker Championship takes place in Boulevard City.
The tournament was staged for the first time in March 2024 following a historic agreement between His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), and the World Snooker Tour.
Famously, the tournament included a unique Gold Ball, which was worth 20 points and could only be potted at the end of a maximum 147, creating the possibility for a player to score a break of 167 which would have been the highest in the history of snooker.
The Riyadh Season Snooker Championship invitation event will welcome the top ten players on snooker’s official ranking list at the end of the 2024 UK Championship on December 1st. There are still three counting events to go, so the chasing pack still have time to climb into the top ten of the Race to Riyadh and earn a place in this exciting tournament.
In March, snooker’s all-time greatest player Ronnie O’Sullivan lifted the trophy after beating John Higgins and Judd Trump to reach the final before a 5-2 victory over Luca Brecel. “It has been a fantastic tournament at a brilliant venue and the crowd have been amazing,” said O’Sullivan at the end of the final. “All the players have enjoyed the culture and hospitality. These are the tournaments I really want to play in, with a great atmosphere. Riyadh Season has a lot of the best sport – everyone needs to get to Saudi!”
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh said: “We are looking forward to hosting the next Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, after the great success of our first event earlier this year. The interest in snooker is only getting bigger in Saudi Arabia. The fans love to have the best players around the world here and we are excited to have them return in December.”
WST Chairman Steve Dawson added: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with HE Turki Alalshikh and to stage this event as part of the fabulous Riyadh Season for the second time in 2024. This year we have made huge strides forward in our development in Saudi Arabia and it is exciting to see snooker growing so fast in this region and attracting a new audience. There is huge motivation for the players over the next few weeks to climb into the top ten and guarantee a place in the field at what will be a fantastic three days of the highest quality action. We would love to see one of them pot the Gold Ball and make history!”
Details of the venue and how fans can buy tickets or watch the event on television or online will be announced soon
Well that’s an event that Ronnie will not want to miss… maybe a little incentive to improve his ranking, which means playing, to make sure he’s in the draw.
Prize money for the 2025 Players Championship will jump to £500,000, an increase of 30% compared to the 2024 figure of £385,000.
The 2025 Players Championship will run from March 17-23 at the Telford International Centre. It’s the second of three events in the 2025 Players Series, with only the top 16 players on the one-year ranking list to earn a place in Telford. The winner’s prize will leap from £125,000 to £150,000.
The increase follows this week’s announcement that the World Grand Prix will be staged in Hong Kong, with prize money jumping from £380,000 to £700,000. The top 32 on the one-year list will be heading to the spectacular Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong.
The prize money for the 2025 Tour Championship will remain at £500,000, with only the top 12 on the one-year list qualifying for the third and final event in the series, to be staged at Manchester Central from March 31 to April 6.
The total prize money across the three Players Series events will be £1.7 million, compared to £1.265 million in 2024.
WST Chief Executive Officer Simon Brownell said: “This is an exciting time for our tour as we expand across the globe with new and exciting events. We are delighted to increase prize money significantly for the World Grand Prix and the Players Championship, enhancing the prestige of these events. The Players Series rewards those in form and there is massive incentive for all players to earn a lucrative place firstly in the World Grand Prix and then the next two in the series.
“We continue to work on opportunities for the current season with the ambition to hit £19 million in total prize money which would be comfortably our highest ever, and an increase of 35% compared to last season.
“The opportunities available to players now have never been better, and we have ambitious plans for further growth in years to come.”
This was to be expected after the World Grand Prix announcement but I’m not convinced it’s a good thing. I will likely create a “cluster” of players at the top of the rankings that will reap most of the benefits of this “growth” whilst the ones at the bottom will continue to struggle. I know it’s the one year list, so, theoretically, at the start of a new season, everyone on tour has the same chances to get in there. But in reality, it doesn’t work that way. It takes time to settle and grow on the tour and I would be surprised if any of the rookies made it in that series. None of them is currently in the one year list top 32. The closest to that threshold is Gong Chenzi, currently ranked 41st in the season list and over 10000 points behind Xu Si currently ranked 32d in that same list.
BETVICTOR NORTHERN IRELAND OPEN DAY THREE AFTERNOON
Noppon Saengkham was Thai and mighty after beating Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 4-3 at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, despite using a cue he had practised with for only ten minutes.
Saengkham flew from Manchester to Belfast on Monday but his cue failed to arrive at the airport and is still missing. Shaun Murphy generously offered to lend the world number 28 his cue, and with the bare minimum of preparation, Saengkham managed to win the Thai derby against Un-Nooh, making a brilliant 64 clearance to win the decider from 53-4 down.
“I have to really thank Shaun because I asked a few other players but they couldn’t lend me a cue because they are practising,” said Saengkham, who now meets Mark Williams in the last 32. “Then I saw Shaun and he gave me his cue this morning. It meant he couldn’t practise today. I only had ten minutes with his cue before my match.
“So I just tried to enjoy the game because if I’m not happy then I can’t play well. I tried to play simple shots, nothing too hard. I did very well, I potted some long balls and my break-building was good, especially the clearance in the last frame. I don’t know if Shaun will let me use this cue in my next match, I will have to ask him. If I end up playing him here maybe we will have to share it!“
(Mark) Williams eased to a 4-0 success against Jamie Clarke with a top break of 75.
World Champion Kyren Wilson survived a spirited fight-back from David Grace to win 4-3. Breaks of 67 and 80 helped Wilson go 3-0 ahead, then Grace recovered to 3-3 with 62, 55 and 64. World number two Wilson dominated the decider with 48 and 40.
“At 3-0 I was cruising, then David made it tough for me,” said Wilson, who has recently become an ambassador for the children’s cancer charity Be More Fab. “I met a really inspiring girl called Florence, who we have tried to help out as her family have been through difficult times and they are local to us. We have raised a large sum of money for them and she has just got a Pride of Britain award. Doing something nice for people in need gives you a feel good factor. I’m in a privileged position where I can help people who need it, and it brings a smile to my face.”
Chris Wakelin came from 2-0 down to beat Bulcsu Revesz 4-2 while Oliver Lines continued his fine recent form with a 4-1 defeat of Wu Yize. China’s Ma Hailong top scored with 73 in a surprise 4-1 win over Ali Carter.
Seeking his first title in 15 months, Shaun Murphy came from 2-0 behind to beat Zhou Yuelong 4-2 to reach the last 16 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
Murphy has enjoyed deep runs this season, reaching the final of the Shanghai Masters, the semi-finals of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters and the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open, but is still hunting a first trophy since the 2023 Championship League. The 42-year-old was in danger of an early exit tonight when he lost the opening two frames, but took the third then crucially recovered from 60-0 down to snatch the fourth, laying a snooker on the final brown then clearing for 2-2. That proved the turning point as he rattled in breaks of 77 and 103 in the last two frames.
“It was test of patience because the first two frames were two of the worst I have played in my life,” said Murphy, who now meets Stuart Bingham, a repeat of the 2015 world final. “I knew it would turn. The third frame was huge, and then in the fourth I had a slice of luck when I missed a red but didn’t leave him anything. I hope a title is coming. I’m not in the Champion of Champions yet, I’ve got two opportunities to win something and get into that by right. I’m enjoying my snooker and tonight was a good challenge to see if I could handle a few things going wrong.“
Earlier in the day, Murphy generously lent his cue to Noppon Saengkham, whose cue has gone missing. “I ran into Noppon last night in the hotel and he looked distraught,” added the 2005 World Champion. “I can’t think of a player on tour who wouldn’t offer to help out another player in need. At breakfast he told me his cue still hadn’t turned up so I was happy to let him use mine. If he needs it again, he’s welcome to it. Unless we meet in the final…then he’s in trouble!“
Judd Trump took his earnings for 2024 past the £1.5 million mark by beating Matthew Selt 4-2. A break of 81 put Selt 2-1 ahead before world number one Trump levelled with a 74, then enjoyed a slice of good fortune in frame five as he fluked a snooker on the final brown, which set up the chance to go 3-2 ahead. And the Bristol cueman converted the advantage by making a superb 141 total clearance in the sixth.
Trump remains on target for a fifth title in this tournament since 2018 and has only ever lost to three players in Belfast: Stuart Carrington, Mark Allen and Aaron Hill. His next opponent will be John Higgins or Barry Hawkins.
World number 71 Louis Heathcote capitalised on his first round win over Mark Selby as he followed up with a 4-1 success against Jimmy Robertson, compiling breaks of 50, 69 and 65. He will now meet Tian Pengfei, who beat Robert Milkins 4-1 with a top break of 91. Bingham cruised to a 4-0 win over Mark Davis with a top run of 62.
This time all the matches are reported on, some extensively, some succinctly but at least all are there. I can’t comment much on the action because I didn’t watch much at all. This was the last day with my visiting friend and it was a beautiful sunny day, so we wanted to make the most of it and did just that … life coming in the way of snooker.
I only watched a bit of Trump vs Selt in the evening and gave up pretty quickly. I can’t stand Selt. The guy is supposed to be funny, but I find him extremely irritating, on and off the table. I’m not sure why and I’m not saying he’s a bad person or anything like that. Although we have met at events I certainly can’t say that I know him personally. It’s just one of those things.
Veteran Jimmy White reached the last 32 of a ranking event for the first time in ten months with an impressive 4-2 win over Hossein Vafaei at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
Still determined to compete at the top level at the age of 62, White has now won three matches in this event, having knocked out Paul Deaville and Jackson Page in the qualifying rounds before beating a man 32 years his junior in Belfast – world number 24 Vafaei. Ten-time ranking event winner White, who has been ever present on the tour for 44 years and remains a crowd favourite, faces Martin O’Donnell next.
“My game was there in parts, I potted some good balls,” said White. “I still enjoy practising and exhibitions, I enjoy entertaining and I still make 147s. Now and again I have a little buzz where I can beat anyone. I am not as consistent as I was, but that will come with a few wins and that was a decent one for me today. Belfast is an amazing place, I have been coming here for a long time. There was the late, great Hurricane Higgins, Dennis Taylor, Joe Swail and now an incredible player in Mark Allen, so there is always great support here.”
Neil Robertson is determined to make sure of his place at the UK Championship and the Masters and took an important step in the right direction with a hard-fought 4-3 win over Graeme Dott.
Robertson’s victory at the BetVictor English Open last month was his first ranking title in over two years and boosted him to 16th in the rankings. But he must keep that place in the top 16 by the end of the International Championship to make sure of a seeding in York for the UK Championship, and then the end of that event will be the cut off for the Masters.
“I‘m one of the few players in the world who can win those events multiple times,” said the Australian after today’s victory in Belfast. “I know I’m in that small group who can get the job done so I want to be there. But I can’t get ahead of myself, I have to push through and keep the momentum.“
In a repeat of the 2006 Crucible final, Dott made breaks of 94, 52 and 76, while Roberton made 58 and 54. The decider lasted 30 minutes and Robertson took it to set up a last-32 tie with Jack Lisowski or Wang Yuchen.
“It was enjoyable, we both played to a very good level and it was a big crowd,” added Robertson, who is the front-runner for the £150,000 bonus on offer for the leading money winner across the four BetVictor Home Nations Series events. “At the British Open I had a couple of technical things which needed tweaking. I had time to prepare for this one and I’ve got it right now.”
China’s Zhang Anda came from 3-0 down to 3-3 against Martin O’Donnell only for the Englishman to win a tense deciding frame. Newly crowned Wuhan Open champion Xiao Guodong suffered a 4-2 reverse against Jimmy Robertson, while Tian Pengfei enjoyed a 4-2 success against Si Jiahui.
Tom Ford, who is also on the fringes of the top 16, enjoyed a much-needed 4-2 win over Rory Thor, while Elliot Slessor top scored with 81 in a 4-2 victory against Joe O’Connor.
Home favourite Mark Allen thrilled the Belfast crowd in a 4-0 victory over Liu Hongyu to reach the last 32 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
Allen won this title in 2021 and 2022 and would raise the roof again at the Waterfront Hall if he lifts the Alex Higgins Trophy for a third time on Sunday night. “The support I get here is amazing and I really appreciate it,” said the world number three, who fired breaks of 71, 76 and 70 during a convincing display.
“I didn’t deserve that from them in the first few years I played in this event because I wasn’t getting the results, but hopefully now I’m repaying them and trying to put on a show. It would mean everything to win it again, but I’m keeping that at the back of my mind, I’m just trying to enjoy it.“
Allen had to pull out of the recent Wuhan Open because his mother was unwell, but thankfully her health has since improved and he made the decision to compete this week. “I feel I have turned a corner in my game and I’m playing good stuff,” added the Antrim cueman, who meets Wu Yize or Oliver Lines next. “I also have to mention that the conditions were beautiful tonight and I told the table fitters after the game.”
British Open runner-up John Higgins continued his recent revival as he recovered from 1-0 down to beat Fan Zhengyi 4-2 with runs of 66, 139, 53 and 62.
Hong Kong’s Wang Yuchen enjoyed one of his best ever wins as he beat Jack Lisowski 4-3, making an 82 in the decider. Barry Hawkins came from 2-1 down to beat Matthew Stevens 4-2 while Anthony McGill top scored with 75 as he won a Glasgow derby against Stephen Maguire by a 4-1 scoreline.
This time all the matches are covered, or at least mentioned except one that was actually the held-over second round qualifying match between Oliver Lines and Ricky Walden. Oli won it by 4-2.
The Robertson vs Dott match was indeed a good one and it’s a shame that one of them had to lose and exit the tournament so early. That’s the only afternoon match I watched. In the evening, we – my visiting friend and me – watched the McGill v Maguire match. Maguire was really poor. I know for certain that he doesn’t enjoy these short format events. He doesn’t enjoy traveling a long way to, maybe, play just four frames and go home. It shows in his game and demeanour … and, as a result, he does indeed go out after only a few frames.
After that we watched Barry Hawkins v Matthew Stevens. Barry didn’t play particularly well but Matthew Stevens was totally unable to compete with him in the scrappier frames. He made two breaks over 80, in the two frames he won, but was outplayed in the tactical department.
Finally we watched Jack Lisowski v Wang Yuchen . I’m very pleased for Wang but, boy, Jack is so frustrating to watch. With so much talent, he should win much more. That said, my friend reflected that maybe, after surviving cancer as a teenager, Jack has other priorities, that he just wants to enjoy his life and that, because of that mindset, he isn’t as driven as most players around him. Se has a point indeed.
I’m happy to read that (at lest some of) the other top players take a reasonable stand on this matter.
Kyren Wilson and Shaun Murphy speak out after Ronnie O’Sullivan withdrew from UK event
Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from competing at the Northern Ireland Open.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has not competed since the English Open (Image: Getty)
Snooker stars Shaun Murphy and Kyren Wilson have jumped to the defence of Ronnie O’Sullivan following his decision to pull out of the Northern Ireland Open due to medical reasons.
The Rocket was set to play against Long Zehuang in the first round of the Belfast tournament on Monday before the World Snooker Tour (WST) announced that the world No. 1 had withdrawn on the eve of the competition.
O’Sullivan has spoken openly about his fitness struggles previously, and a statement from the WST confirmed that he had pulled out of the tournament due to medical reasons.
The decision means that O’Sullivan has missed his third consecutive tournament after pulling out of the British Open and Wuhan Open, with some raising eyebrows that the snooker legend has not been seen since his shock first-round defeat in the English Open last month.
Speaking to The Metro, Murphy has defended O’Sullivan’s decision not to compete in Belfast though. He said: “It’s completely players’ prerogative to play as and when he sees fit. He’s under no obligation to play, ever, he doesn’t have to play.
“I don’t think anyone’s going to be queuing up to scrutinise his medical excuse, but withdrawing on medical grounds is a way out of an event once you’ve entered. If he’s unwell and can’t play then that’s terrible and everyone wishes him well.
“I feel for the fans, but sports people and artists perform circumstances permitting. The truth of the matter is none of us know what’s going on in somebody else’s life. We can all make assumptions but nobody knows what’s going on with somebody else and we should all probably mind our own business.”
Similarly, Wilson also played down any ill feelings about O’Sullivan’s withdrawal and understands why the seven-time world champion is not demanding that he competes at every competition given his immense catalogue of victories in years gone by.
He added: “Nobody comes before yourself, you have got to think of yourself. If you’re not mentally there you have to put yourself first.
“We all know the pressures that Ronnie has to deal with, being the icon that he is, and he’s done everything so he’s probably not quite as hungry as myself or the younger players who are still trying to achieve half of what he has. I don’t necessarily blame him. You’ve just got to enjoy him while he’s there, I suppose.”
O’SULLIVAN WITHDRAWS FROM BETVICTOR NORTHERN IRELAND OPEN
Ronnie O’Sullivan has pulled out of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open for medical reasons.
O’Sullivan was due to face Long Zehuang in the last 64 in Belfast on Monday afternoon, but he withdrew from the event on Sunday evening. China’s Long receives a bye to the last 32.
The tournament at the Waterfront Hall runs until October 27th.
Here are the reports by WST about the first day of the tournament, plus some personal thoughts about what I was able to watch.
I was watching with a friend who is visiting me on my island… She is a former female snooker player from Germany. She is a multiple German Women’s Champion, so she can play a bit… She wasn’t at all impressed by the way the tables were playing.
Relishing the life of a globe-trotting snooker player, Judd Trump is in one of his favourite locations this week and started the defence of his BetVictor Northern Ireland Open title with a 4-0 win over Ishpreet Singh Chadha.
The Waterfront Hall in Belfast has been a particularly happy hunting ground for the world number one – he has lifted the trophy four times in the last six years. He needed just 49 minutes to whitewash today’s opponent with top breaks of 72, 65 and 112.
More than any other player, Trump has embraced the opportunities presented by snooker’s global circuit. Originally from Bristol, he now lives in Hong Kong and was delighted to hear the recent announcement that the World Grand Prix will be staged there in March. He also has a practice base in Dubai where he spent last week working on his game.
“It’s an exciting time to be playing,” said Trump, who has already banked over £840,000 in prize money this season. “Basing myself more in Dubai and Hong Kong, I can play to a high standard when we have events in those time zones. It’s more inspiring than living back in the UK and I love travelling, going to new places and playing in front of different audiences.
“The announcement about Hong Kong was one of the best we have had for a long time and hopefully there are more on the horizon. It will be my first home tournament as we’ve never had one in Bristol! I have never been recognised as much as I am in Hong Kong. People there love snooker, they proved that at the tournament in 2022 when there was an incredible atmosphere. It’s such a nice place to be, it has some of the best skylines in the world, the best food, the friendliest people and they are very knowledgeable about snooker. Everyone will be trying even harder than usual to get in top 32.“
Looking ahead to the rest of this week, Trump added: “It was easy to get up for this event. Certain venues seem to be made for snooker. Anyone who has played in the semis or final at the Waterfront knows how special it is. It’s similar to Alexandra Palace or the Tempodrom in terms of the size of the crowd and the way people react. I thrive on that atmosphere with people enjoying themselves. It helps me show off and play my best shots, hopefully I can channel my inner Alex Higgins with a few specials!”
His opponent in the last 32 will be friend Matthew Selt, who top scored with 78 in a 4-1 win over Lyu Haotian. Stan Moody came from 2-0 down to beat Ryan Day 4-3, knocking in breaks of 108, 105 and 67.
Crucible runner-up Jak Jones saw off Alexander Ursenbacher 4-0 while Zhou Yuelong came from 3-1 down to beat Dominic Dale 4-3, making a 111 in the decider. Home favourite Jordan Brown suffered a 4-2 reverse against Robert Milkins.
As usual there are some puzzling omissions in this report. There is no mention of former World Champion Luca Brecel 4-3 win over He Guoqiang. Neither played well and both appeared to struggle with the conditions. No mention either of Lei Peifan’s 4-2 mildly surprising win over a much higher ranked opponent, David Gilbert. Nothing either about Stan Moody’s 4-3 win over Ryan Day. Stan was 0-2 down in that match.
Also missing from this report is Oliver Lines 4-2 win over Joshua Cooper. This match was in fact a round 1, qualifying match that hab been held-over because of Oli’s run to the semi-finals at the British Open. WST had apparently not considered that a low ranked player could possibly get that far in a tournament and had organised the NI Open qualifiers “overlapping” with British Open main venue phase.
World number 71 Louis Heathcote sprang the biggest surprise of the opening day of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open as he beat Mark Selby 4-3 to reach the last 32.
Heathcote clearly wasn’t expecting a long stay in Belfast as he only brought enough underpants to last two days, but with a guaranteed £5,400 he can afford a trip to the shops ahead of his next match with Jimmy Robertson or Xiao Guodong. While British Open champion Selby was far from his best, it’s still a fine win for Heathcote which boosts his hopes of keeping his tour card at the end of the season.
Leading 3-2, Heathcote had a chance to seal victory in frame six but missed a tricky pot on the final yellow to a centre pocket and Leicester rival Selby punished him for 3-3. In the decider, Heathcote had two clear scoring chances and built a 49-1 lead, then four-time Crucible king Selby had an opportunity to counter but potted just one red before missing a routine green to a baulk corner and that proved the key moment.
“I’m delighted, neither of us played great but I’m glad I finished on the right side,” said 27-year-old Heathcote. “I felt as if I got stronger as the game went on and it is rewarding to get through that kind of match. I only brought enough pants to last until tomorrow so I’ll be in Primark in the morning to buy more.
“I have only had one run to a last 16 (in ranking events other than the Shoot Out) in five and a half years and that’s just not good enough to stay on tour. I want to be in the deep end of tournaments and I know how difficult that is. I have been scoring heavily and I felt as if a big win was coming. There is a lot of pressure to stay on tour and earn money but I am trying not to think about that, I’m just trying to enjoy the process.“
Shaun Murphy avoided another shock as he came from 2-0 down to beat Jiang Jun 4-2 with a top break of 118. Pang Junxu top scored with 129 in a 4-3 win over Yuan Sijun, while veteran Mark Davis impressed in a 4-1 win over a three-time winner of BetVictor Home Nations events – Gary Wilson. Stuart Bingham eased to a 4-1 success against Scott Donaldson.
Jian Jun has started brilliantly with breaks of 78 and 60 but as soon as Shaun Murphy won a frame Jian appeared to somehow “fade away”. Shaun didn’t play at his best, far from it.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 