This morning the news was shared by WST and various other sources that Terry Griffiths has left us. He died yesterday evening, surrounded by his family.
I had the privilege to meet Terry as well as his son Wayne on several occasions at SWSA. My thoughts go out to Wayne and the whole family. Terry was a remarkable person, a good person. We have known for some time that Terry was suffering from dementia, that terrible disease that deprives the sufferer of everything, trapping them in a scary world of confusion and solitude. Terry is free of that prison now and it’s the only solace those who loved him can get.
TERRY GRIFFITHS OBITUARY: THE HUMBLE SNOOKER CHAMPION WHO SHAPED A GENERATION
BY DAVE HENDON
Terry Griffiths, the 1979 world champion, was more than a snooker icon. Known for his kindness and wisdom, he mentored countless players, shaping the sport both on and off the table. From his historic Crucible triumph to his work as a coach, Griffiths leaves behind a legacy of greatness and humanity that will be cherished by the snooker world. Eurosport commentator Dave Hendon remembers a great.
After John Virgo became UK champion in 1979 he was engaged for an exhibition tour of Britain with the reigning world champion, Terry Griffiths, who invited him to stay at his Llanelli home for the Welsh leg.
Early one morning, Virgo opened the curtains to see his own car being washed by Griffiths. It was an act of simple decency typical of this gentle giant of snooker, who died yesterday at the age of 77.
Many others within the sport have similar stories. After Joe Johnson came from 12-9 down to beat him 13-12 in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Championship, Griffiths followed him into his dressing room and began giving advice about what to do should he win the title, how to handle the attention and media demands and to offer encouragement for the matches ahead.
Such chats went on with sundry players down the years. Win or lose, Griffiths liked to offer advice and there were few worth listening to more. His knowledge and support assisted many careers. His wisdom will be deeply missed.
Born in 1947, Griffiths was the youngest of three children. His father was employed at the local tin plate works. Griffiths, a bright boy, was accepted into grammar school but his friends all went to the nearby comprehensive and, missing them, he played truant to such a degree that he was expelled.
At 14, he became a regular at Hatcher’s, the local snooker club, and began to improve without any real thoughts of the game becoming a career.
He married Annette and settled into family life with their two sons, Wayne and Darren, taking various jobs including as a miner, bus conductor and postman. A postal strike in 1971 suddenly gave him proper time to practise his snooker and he made his first century and reached the final of the Welsh Championship.
Griffiths then became an insurance salesman and won three Welsh titles and the English amateur championship before taking the plunge by turning professional in 1978.
It did not start well. In the UK Championship, he led Rex Williams 8-2 but was beaten 9-8. It was hard to make a living. There were scarcely any other events until the World Championship in the spring of 1979, being staged for only the third time at the Crucible in Sheffield with more television hours than ever before.
Griffiths qualified and beat Perrie Mans before winning a thrilling battle with Alex Higgins, 13-12. On his debut appearance he was into the semi-finals, where another closely fought encounter ended with him beating Eddie Charlton 19-17 at 1:40am.
Faced with David Vine’s BBC microphone, Griffiths exclaimed: “I’m in the final now, you know,” a mix of innocent joy, humility and disbelief. The TV audience warmed to his down-to-earth relatability and viewing figures grew.
In the final, he defeated Dennis Taylor 24-16. After a decade in which Ray Reardon or John Spencer had won all but one of the World Championships staged, snooker had a new king and his overnight emergence from obscurity to glory inspired a young generation of players who believed if Griffiths could break down the old order, they could also share in the spoils.
Among them was Steve Davis, a great friend of Griffiths who also became a major thorn in his side. In the 1981/82 season they contested five finals. At the Crucible over the years they met seven times, Davis winning on each occasion, including a second world final in 1988.
It did not start well. In the UK Championship, he led Rex Williams 8-2 but was beaten 9-8. It was hard to make a living. There were scarcely any other events until the World Championship in the spring of 1979, being staged for only the third time at the Crucible in Sheffield with more television hours than ever before.
Griffiths qualified and beat Perrie Mans before winning a thrilling battle with Alex Higgins, 13-12. On his debut appearance he was into the semi-finals, where another closely fought encounter ended with him beating Eddie Charlton 19-17 at 1:40am.
Faced with David Vine’s BBC microphone, Griffiths exclaimed: “I’m in the final now, you know,” a mix of innocent joy, humility and disbelief. The TV audience warmed to his down-to-earth relatability and viewing figures grew.
In the final, he defeated Dennis Taylor 24-16. After a decade in which Ray Reardon or John Spencer had won all but one of the World Championships staged, snooker had a new king and his overnight emergence from obscurity to glory inspired a young generation of players who believed if Griffiths could break down the old order, they could also share in the spoils.
Snooker players Terry Griffiths, Steve Davis and Tony Meo on April 11, 1984. Image credit: Getty Images
By then Griffiths had become one of snooker’s most famous names, a mainstay of the television boom years of the 1980s. He won the Masters in 1980 and UK Championship in 1982, but time and again Davis prevented him – and many others – from adding further major titles to his CV.
However, Griffiths still captured 20 professional titles during his career and spent 17 years as a member of the elite top 16.
A family man, he found the long periods away from home difficult to deal with. Celebrity didn’t come easily to him. That wasn’t his world.
Even so, he became a chart star when Snooker Loopy reached No. 6 in 1986, joining Davis, Taylor, Willie Thorne and Tony Meo on the Chas & Dave track.
In 1987, Griffiths opened his own snooker club in Llanelli, where many junior talents passed through. A whole generation of Welsh players will have fond memories of their time playing there, learning from the master.
In 1992, he reached the World Championship semi-finals at the age of 44 but after being relegated from the top 16 in 1996 chose to retire, entering the game’s blue riband event one last time a year later. He qualified and was beaten 10-9 on the last black by Mark Williams, a symbolic passing of the baton from one established Welsh great to a future one.
After retiring from playing, Griffiths soon became highly regarded as a coach, working with a string of top players who benefited from his wise counsel and personal experience of so many major occasions.
Stephen Hendry, Williams and Mark Allen were just three players he helped, but there were many others to whom he gave advice on an ad hoc basis, just trying to be of assistance.
Griffiths, who received an OBE in 2007, was also a television commentator and popular figure backstage at tournaments, always keen to chat about snooker and help those at any level with advice and insight.
In recent times, he was suffering from dementia. He died surrounded by his loving family.
So many people in the snooker world, including longstanding fans, will be sad today. ‘The Griff’ was a gentleman, a smart and funny man of integrity who always gave others his time and whose passion for the sport and those involved with it was unfailing.
For all the titles he won, that was what made Terry Griffiths special. He was a warm, humble and decent man who loved snooker and whose passing will be mourned by all those who shared his fascination with the game.
Judd Trump became Victorian Plumbing UK Champion for the second time in his career after winning a fiercely contested clash with Barry Hawkins 10-8.
The incredibly steely Hawkins showed huge resolve to battle from 9-6 down to 9-8. He had a chance to force a decider in the 18th, but missed a red to the left middle. Trump then appeared to get himself over the line with a break of 67.
However, needing two snookers and having battled past Mark Allen 6-5 in semis at 1am last night, the indefatigable Hawkins turned up the heat.
He left Trump in a number of perilous snookers and eventually extracted four foul points. Hawkins continued to push, but he couldn’t get the second snooker he needed. Trump cracked in a long-range brown to seal victory and punched the air in relief.
It’s the 30th ranking event title of his glittering career, only John Higgins, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan have won more. The 2019 World Champion has now captured Triple Crown silverware five times.
The £250,000 top prize pushes Trump over the £1 million barrier for the season, making him the first ever player to cross that tally in a single campaign before Christmas. He also picked up titles at the Shanghai Masters and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
The Ace in the Pack first captured the UK title back in 2011, when he burst onto the Triple Crown scene with a 10-8 win over Mark Allen in the final as a 22-year-old.
Trump appeared in further finals in 2014 and 2020. However, he lost 10-9 to Ronnie O’Sullivan and Neil Robertson respectively. Victory tonight makes 35-year-old Trump the tenth multiple winner of the UK Championship.
Hawkins is still searching his breakthrough triumph in one of snooker’s Triple Crown events, having been thwarted at the final hurdle by some of snooker’s greatest ever competitors.
The 45-year-old lost out to Ronnie O’Sullivan in the 2013 World Championship final and the 2016 Masters title match. Hawkins was also runner-up to Neil Robertson at Alexandra Palace in 2022.
Hawkins’ performances this week earn him £100,000 and a return to the top 16 in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings. His reward for that is another meeting with Trump in the first round of the Johnstone’s Paint Masters next month.
Trump and Hawkins came into this evening’s session with the former holding a 5-3 advantage. The Hawk continued to chip away at that two-frame cushion, but he was kept at arm’s length for most of the evening by Trump.
Breaks of 62 and 32 gave Trump the first frame of the night. Londoner Hawkins then took two on the bounce to make it 6-5, with Trump stringing together 67 in the 12th to lead 7-5 at the mid-session interval.
When play got back underway they traded frames as they jostled for position, but a crucial break of 133 moved Trump to the edge of the finishing line at 9-6.
Hawkins’ race looked to have been run, but he refused to wilt and crafted contributions of 75 and 82 to make it 9-8. Under the ultimate pressure, it was Trump who prevailed in the nerve shattering 18th to get over the line.
“It was so close and it looked like it could go 9-9. I was under a lot of pressure and I knew I had to take that chance, because he was playing so well. I slowed myself down and made sure of every single pot. There was no flair at all in that break. I just had to find a way to get the balls in the hole. At two snookers, I felt pretty safe and all of a sudden he was back in it. To pot the brown was such a relief.”
Judd Trump
World Number One
Trump added: “It was an incredible game. Barry battled unbelievably considering the late night he had yesterday. I got a nice lead at 9-6 and he really turned it on to get back to 9-8. In the end, I probably just had that little bit of luck on my side to get over the line.
“If he was fatigued, he didn’t show it. He battled so hard. He came in fresh and was still battling back at the end. It was an incredible performance from him and hopefully he will be picking up one of these titles one day.
“This is such a hard tournament to win and my record hasn’t been amazing here. It has been a long time since I’ve been in the deep end here in York. I was struggling early on against Neil in the first round, managed to get through and then turned it on. I’m very proud and hold this trophy in very high esteem.”
Hawkins said: “It has been a great week. If someone had said I would get to the final beforehand, I would have taken it. Once I was here in the final I wanted to win. I thought it was a great game. I think I missed the boat tonight, I probably should have levelled. I managed to get it together towards the end and felt good.
“I’ve beat some great players this week, but I’ve lost to the best player in the world at the moment. He is world number one for a reason. He is just such a fantastic player and his all round game is phenomenal. It is no disgrace losing 10-8 to that man.”
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
It was a great match indeed, a fitting conclusion for a great tournament. Of course, Ronnie’s early exit was a huge disappointment for me, but the man who beat him made it to the final and put on a remarkable fight against the current best player, the World number one, Judd Trump.
Barry Hawkins is a hugely underrated player. He’s not spectacular, but he’s seriously efficient. His all-round game is extremely solid, his temperament is excellent. He’s a top player AND a very likeable guy. If anything, he’s too humble, too nice. I really like Barry who I met many times at SWSA. I wanted him to win yesterday, and that was nothing against Judd Trump.
But Judd won, deservedly. He is currently the best player in the world, no question. There was a time when I really disliked him. No more. I disliked him because he came across as very arrogant before he ever won anything of note. Actually he’s shy, as I found out when I met him in the flesh and we had the opportunity to talk. There was a time when he had a bunch of “friends” running havoc on social media, loud and often disrespectful to his opponents. I thought Judd was made out the same mould. He isn’t. They were doing him a disservice…. but, hey … they were just boys being boys, boasting about their celebrity friend.
JOHNSTONE’S PAINT MASTERS DRAW – O’ SULLIVAN TO FACE HIGGINS
The draw for the 2025 Johnstone’s Paint Masters has been made, with defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan headlining in a clash of the titans against John Higgins.
Other notable ties include a repeat of the current Victorian Plumbing UK Championship final between Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins, as well as a meeting between former Masters champions Mark Williams and Ding Junhui.
The top eight seeds were drawn at random against players seeded 9-16 to make up the first round of snooker’s biggest invitation event, which runs from January 12-19, 2025, at Alexandra Palace in London. The match schedule will be announced soon.
…
The top eight seeds are placed into the draw as follows:
1 Ronnie O’Sullivan vs John Higgins
8 Shaun Murphy vs Gary Wilson
5 Mark Allen vs Si Jiahui
4 Mark Selby vs Ali Carter
3 Judd Trump vs Barry Hawkins
6 Mark Williams vs Ding Junhui
7 Luca Brecel vs Chris Wakelin
2 Kyren Wilson vs Zhang Anda
Right… NOT. Higgins is probably the worst first round draw Ronnie could get in this competition and I expect nothing but another first round exit. 😞 IF by some miracle he gets past Higgins, he has a good chance to reach the SFs. But Higgins has really been a bogey opponent for Ronnie over most of his career,
Million pound man Judd Trump took six frames on the bounce to see off rival Kyren Wilson 6-2 and reach his fourth Victorian Plumbing UK Championship final in York.
Incredibly, this afternoon’s win sees world number one Trump become the first ever player to earn over £1,000,000 in a single season before Christmas. The Ace in the Pack was victorious in the most lucrative frame in snooker history earlier in the campaign, when he beat Mark Williams 10-9 in a decider to win the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters and scoop £500,000.
Trump is seeking a second UK Championship crown, 13 years after his first, in tomorrow’s best of 19 final against either Mark Allen or Barry Hawkins. He lifted the famous trophy in 2011, when he scored a thrilling 10-8 win over Mark Allen in the title match. Trump appeared in two further finals in 2014 and 2020, losing 10-9 to Ronnie O’Sullivan and Neil Robertson respectively.
Today’s victory for Trump sees him enact revenge over World Champion Wilson, who has prevailed in their two previous meetings this season. Wilson claimed his first tournament wins as Crucible king with victories over Trump, beating him 10-8 in the Xi’an Grand Prix final and 9-3 in the Northern Ireland Open title match.
This afternoon saw 32-year-old Wilson seize the initiative in the early stages. He made a break of 64 on his way to moving 2-0 ahead. However, little did he know at the time that would be the last frame win he registered in the tie.
Trump gained a foothold in the match by winning the sixth, before a run of exactly 100 restored parity at 2-2 heading in for the interval.
When play resumed, Trump won two tight frames, before firing home breaks of 65 in the seventh and 100 in the eighth to get over the line and make the final.
“It was a tricky game. We both have a lot of respect for each other. At the start we were just trying to figure each other out. I got the upper hand and after the interval I scored a little bit heavier. My long potting was good. It wasn’t an absolute classic, but it is just about getting over the line when you aren’t at your best,” said 2019 World Champion Trump.
“It definitely means a lot more to me than when I was younger. You know it’s not going to last forever. Being ranked number one in the world and doing what I’m doing, you aren’t going to be in that form forever. I’ve put in the work over the last five or six years and got the rewards. It gets harder as you get older. I want to make the most of it while I can.
“Even though I’ve reached the final a couple of times and lost 10-9 both times, you kind of get forgotten about. I’ve been so close to winning more titles here. Those little details shape your career. I could be on six or seven Triple Crowns now but I’ve come up short in a couple of finals. It is nice to have a chance to rectify that tomorrow.
“If you looked ten years ago you’d never have dreamed of winning a million pounds in a season. Taking that up a notch and winning it before Christmas is an amazing achievement. It is nice getting the rewards for being consistent. You see further down the rankings, to get into these invitational events you need to win a lot of money. People have been asking and moaning over the last ten years that the rewards aren’t there. If you have a good run in an event now there is a lot of money up for grabs.”
Barry Hawkins came through a deciding frame to beat Mark Allen 6-5 in a gruelling late night battle to make the final of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York.
With the clock just shy of 1am, the Hawk cracked in a stunning long range red to set up a steely winning clearance of 26 to book a place in his first ever UK final and fourth Triple Crown title match.
Hawkins has won four ranking titles, but 28 years after first turning professional in 1996, he’s still hunting a maiden Triple Crown win. Having lost Masters finals to Neil Robertson and Ronnie O’Sullivan and a World Championship final against the Rocket, Hawkins now faces Judd Trump tomorrow for the title and £250,000.
The Londoner’s run this week has already seen him defeat O’Sullivan, before adding wins against David Gilbert and Shaun Murphy. This evening’s match was possibly the sternest test of his mental fortitude, with the game panning out in an attritional and fragmented manner.
It was 2023 UK Champion Allen who led 4-2, before breaks of 57 and 84 helped Hawkins to restore parity at 4-4. Allen regained the lead and moved one from the win, but a superb 114 from Hawkins forced the final frame. After five hours and six minutes of play, he got over the line to seal a momentous win.
Hawkins said: “It was an absolutely gruelling match. To come through one of those games, I’m over the moon. It wasn’t pretty to watch. I had one good frame to level at 5-5. I can’t remember many other frames that were any good. It was just a battle. I’m completely drained.
“I stuck in there. I just kept trying, that is all you can do. I just tried not to beat myself up. When you are scoring bad and missing balls it becomes really hard. You never know what can happen, I’ve fell over the line tonight and I’m pleased I managed to dig in.
“It isn’t easy is it? Look at how many great players I had to beat this week. To get to another Triple Crown final is brilliant. I am really looking forward to playing Judd. It should be a great occasion. I’ll get the family up and I hope we put on a good performance.”
I’m not sure what to write about these semi-finals. I didn’t like what I saw from Kyren after Judd started to come back at him and it was 2 minutes short of 3 am where I live when the evening match finished. Needless to say, I had given up on that one well before it even neared its conclusion.
When I say that I didn’t like what I saw from Kyren, I’m not suggesting any foul play or lack of effort. Not at all. There were however quite a few shot selections I questioned given Judd’s current form and ability. I’m all for players being positive but when their opponent keeps potting anything from distance maybe it’s time to seriously further “tighten the bolts” as we say in French …
There were again complaints about the tables and, as usual WST dismissed them saying that the fitters work at the highest standards. That may well be the case but if true it means that the problem is elsewhere and they should seriously look into it. Having said that, if the issue is caused by external factors, there may not be any easy practical solution. When there is a big crowd of people wearing thick winter cloths saturated with humidity because of the outside weather and it’s necessary to heat the venue, it will feel damp no matter what.
World number one Judd Trump fell just short of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record for unanswered points during a 6-2 defeat of former International Champion Zhang Anda at the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship.
The Ace in the Pack blitzed clear of Zhang this afternoon with a devastating barrage of breaks to take the opening five frames. Contributions of 89, 126, 120, 131 and 61 saw him rack up 527 points without reply on his way to a 5-0 lead. Zhang eventually potted a red in the fifth, when he ironically punched the air with joy.
The relentless burst from the Ace in the Pack saw him fall just 29 points short of O’Sullivan’s all-time record of 556, which he registered during a clash with Ricky Walden at the 2014 Masters. Trump came even closer to Stuart’s Bingham’s record for ranking events, which stands at 547 from his match with Sam Baird at the 2016 China Open.
Zhang got his first frame on the board in the sixth, before a run of exactly 100 made it 5-2. He came from 5-1 down to Bingham to win 6-5 in the second round, but Trump quickly saw off any threat of a fightback this afternoon. A dazzling 120 in the eighth saw him over the line for an impressive victory.
That puts Trump through to the fifth UK Championship semi-final of his career, where he will face either World Champion Kyren Wilson or returning professional Michael Holt. The 29-time ranking event winner will be hoping to secure his first UK crown since 2011, when he sensationally burst into the Triple Crown winner’s circle here in York as a 22-year-old with a win over Mark Allen in the final.
“I didn’t even think at the time that he hadn’t scored a point. I was just so in the zone. It was coming very naturally to me. I was very disappointed when I missed as I just wanted to keep potting. In the end, I managed to make a really good break in the last frame as well,” said 35-year-old Trump.
“It was important to get in quickly in the first frame and stamp my authority on the game. That is something that I haven’t done in the first couple of matches. There was a difference with how I felt in the first frame and from then on I never looked back.
“I can’t play much better than that I barely missed a ball. It is probably my best performance of all season. It is nice to produce that in such a big event. It isn’t often that you play your best in the biggest tournaments. It is nice to know I’ve still got it and I can keep improving.”
On the other table, Barry Hawkins produced a tremendous performance to defeat 2008 UK Champion Shaun Murphy 6-2.
The Hawk is hunting a maiden Triple Crown title, having been runner-up in two Masters finals and the 2013 World Championship.
Hawkins has enjoyed an impressive week so far here in York. He defeated defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in the opening round and edged to a 6-5 defeat of David Gilbert in round two.
This afternoon saw Hawkins compose breaks of 63, 69, 91, 80 and 82 on his way to victory. He now faces either Mark Allen or Jack Lisowski in the last four.
Hawkins said: “It doesn’t happen very often but when you are hitting the ball that well it is a nice feeling. Sometimes it is an absolute nightmare out there. I’m very pleased and I’ll try to take it forward if I can and keep going.
“I’ve played well every match and I haven’t done that for a while. I’ve had a good one then a bad one. Going on that form I’d say I’m close to my best.“
Judd Trump froze Zhang out of the match for the five first frames. Credit to Zhang for still finding it in him to fight what seriously looked like a lost cause and take two frames. I remember one player, years back, who after facing a similar barrage by Ronnie, told him “finish me off, I want to go to the bar…”. Ronnie duly obliged. Judd at least was made to work a bit longer for it 😄. It was an impressive display by Judd indeed. The guys in commentary were all about the “unanswered points” record but I’m not at all surprised that Judd at the table was totally unaware of it. They are out there to win a match and obscure statistics is the last thing on their mind.
World Champion Kyren Wilson booked a blockbuster showdown with world number one Judd Trump, after winning his quarter-final clash with Michael Holt 6-3 at the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship.
Wilson finds himself just two wins away from a second Triple Crown title of the year and his career. He sensationally climbed snooker’s Everest back in May, when he beat Jack Jones 18-14 in the Crucible final to become World Champion. The first hurdle in Wilson’s way this weekend is the most significant adversary of his career so far.
The Warrior has prevailed in his two most recent meetings with 2019 Crucible king Trump. The pair have done battle in two finals this season, at the Xi’an Grand Prix and Northern Ireland Open, winning 10-8 and 9-3 respectively. However, it’s Trump who holds the advantage in head-to-head meetings, leading 12-10.
Defeat for Holt ends a fairytale week. The Hitman fell off the tour in 2022, but after two years away, he has returned to the professional ranks this season. Holt came through qualifying and won two matches here at the Barbican to reach what was his first UK Championship quarter-final since 1999.
Breaks of 52 and 72 helped Wilson on his way to taking the first three frames this evening, before 64 from Holt in the fourth left him trailing 3-1 at the mid-session interval.
Nottingham’s Holt started brightly when play resumed, making 50 before breaking down. That was ruthlessly punished by a 72 break from Wilson, which moved him 4-1 ahead.
Holt continued to battle and took two on the bounce to move within a frame at 4-3, but a run of 67 in the eighth from Wilson left him needing just one more frame to make the semis. He crossed it at the first time of asking, although he agonisingly missed the 12th black off the spot in a break of 89 to fall short during a maximum break attempt. Regardless, he finds himself in the semi-finals of the UK Championship for a second time.
“It takes a lot of resilience to go and play in amateur club snooker then come and play in one of biggest arenas and best tournaments we have then get to the quarter-finals. Every credit to Michael, it is great to see. I wish him well for the rest of the season,” said 32-year-old Wilson.
“I think everyone involved is going to enjoy the semi-final with Judd tomorrow, even my kids can’t pick who they want to win! It should be good fun. I think it is a great advertisement for the game, TV and fans who will turn up in their numbers. This venue comes into its own when it goes into the one table setup. I’ll really enjoy tomorrow.
“I think Judd is one of those players that wants to prove he is the best in the world. I’ve got the better of him recently but that will just make him even more hungry to prove a point. He isn’t world number one by fluke. He’s been by far the most consistent player of the last few years, but I’m trying to hang onto his coattails.“
On the other table, 2022 UK Champion Mark Allen notched up five frames on the bounce to beat Jack Lisowski 6-3 and earn a semi-final clash with Barry Hawkins.
The Pistol scored a stunning victory in the final two years ago, rallying from 6-1 down to beat Ding Junhui 10-7.
This evening’s game saw him again come from behind. After trailing 3-1, contributions of 103, 55, 69 and 51 helped him to overhaul Lisowski and secure victory.
Allen said: “I didn’t think I’d done much wrong at 3-1 down. I just had to stay patient. I was steady and not spectacular. I committed to what I’ve been doing with Lee Walker on the practice table.
“Barry has beaten me already this season. He is a very good player. He is very consistent on the big stage. I will have to go out there and play like I did against Wu Yize in the last round to stand any chance.”
Michael Holt is one of the great underachievers in snooker. Countless times his volatile temperament let him down. Yesterday though was not such an occasion, he simply faced one of the very best players in the World, the reigning World Champion, a World Champion who truly lives up to his status.
On another note … it seems that all the top players are working with Lee Walker nowadays. The ability to teach and pass knowledge is a quality not many possess at the highest level. From what transpires from many corners, Lee has that rare gift. He fully deserves the recognition he finally gets.
Judd Trump emerged victorious after a fiercely contested battle with John Higgins, winning 6-5 to make the quarter-finals of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship.
The win for world number one Trump sees him continue to dominate four-time Crucible king Higgins in the recent part of their storied snooker rivalry, which includes two Crucible finals. The Ace in the Pack has now won 12 of their last 13 meetings and leads the head to head standings 19-14, after Scotland’s Higgins had the upper hand in their initial clashes as professionals.
Trump progresses to the last eight, leaving him three victories away from a first UK Championship win since his maiden title in the event back in 2011. Next up is a meeting with former International Champion Zhang Anda.
Despite 29-time ranking event winner Trump’s dominant run, which has seen him top the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, he’s now gone five years without a Triple Crown title. The Englishman last picked up silverware in a Triple Crown event back in 2019, when he defeated Higgins in the World Championship final.
Defeat for three-time UK Champion Higgins is a continuation of his underwhelming recent record in the tournament, where he hasn’t made it beyond the last 16 since 2019 and the quarter-finals since winning the event in 2010.
The opening frames were played out at an attritional pace, as both players struggled to hit their stride. With Trump leading 2-1, a break of 39 from Higgins saw him steal on the black and restore parity heading into the mid-session at 2-2.
The pace of the contest changed completely after the interval and both players went toe to toe in the break building department. It was Trump who made 110 to regain the lead after play got underway, but runs of 58 and 106 gave Higgins the following two frames to lead 4-3.
Runs of 69 and 75 helped Trump to regain the advantage and move one from victory at 5-4, before a steely 66 from Higgins forced a decider.
The Glaswegian had the first opportunity in the final frame, but when leading 34-0 play descended to a potential stalemate with the white lodged in the pack. Eventually, forcing the issue, Higgins left Trump a red to the middle. He ruthlessly deposited it and made 106 to secure victory.
Trump said: “I just tried to speed up a bit after the interval and I thought the game was good after that. The balls were going safe and you are just trying to figure your opponent out. It turned out to be a good game in the end. It was a great century in the last frame. I was trying to buy time hoping for a chance. He probably had to rush and left a tricky red to the middle.
“Every game we play recently is close. Over the last five years I can’t even remember how many deciders we have had. Every single game seems to go down to a decider. Fortunately for me I’ve managed to get the better of him in recent times and today was the same. I held myself together and made a good break to get over the line.
“I think I’m probably eighth favourite, I’m being serious as well. I’ve not played well. I’m still looking forward to playing. Every time you are in the quarters of a tournament like this you are that much closer to winning it. I need to put some work in and find my game.”
On the other table, Zhang completed an epic fightback to beat Stuart Bingham 6-5 from 5-1 down to earn a last eight encounter with Trump.
The early stages saw 2015 World Champion Bingham dominate as he moved 3-1 ahead. He then embarked on a 147 attempt, which ended on 105 after missing the 14th black.
It appeared Bingham had quickly recovered from the disappointment of that miss, when he took the sixth to move 5-1 ahead. However, a brilliant fightback from Zhang saw him take five on the bounce, including breaks of 81, 70 and 108 to clinch a 6-5 victory.
Zhang said: “It was a very tough game. Stuart is a difficult opponent. I didn’t do anything wrong to be 5-1 down. In the second session I didn’t have too much pressure. I didn’t think too far ahead and tried to win.“
The Higgins v Trump match was really strange. Before the MSI both struggled so much it was ridiculous. They played slowly because none of them was able to put anything together and the table quickly became quite “untidy”. You may have thought that the two of them had been replaced by “lookalikes” very average club players… I found it puzzling, unsettling and absurdly hilarious. After the MSI the hapless lookalikes had disappeared and the real players had reappeared. Phew!
Kyren Wilson admitted to suffering from performance related anxiety this week in York, but still scored a 6-2 win over Chris Wakelin to seal his place in the quarter-finals of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship.
Despite facing some mental demons, Wilson is now three wins away from securing a second Triple Crown title. He claimed his first earlier this year when he became World Champion for the first time in his career, beating Jak Jones 18-14 in the Crucible final.
There’s been no hangover this term from that momentous achievement. He’s backed that up with tournament wins at the Xi’an Grand Prix and the Northern Ireland Open. On both occasions Wilson prevailed in finals against world number one Judd Trump.
The Warrior’s best run in York thus far came in 2021, when he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan on the way to the semi-finals, where he lost out to Luca Brecel. He now faces English compatriot Michael Holt for a return to the last four.
It’s a disappointing defeat for Wakelin, but he can take solace for qualifying for a Triple Crown tournament as a member of the world’s top 16 for the first time. The Rugby cueman burst into snooker’s elite tier earlier this month with a run to the International Championship final.
Wilson crafted breaks of 85 and 108 on his way to establishing a 2-1 lead. It had looked like the fourth was going the way of Wakelin, before a missed final black off the spot allowed Wilson to steal and lead 3-1.
After the following two frames were traded, leaving Wilson leading 4-2, the Kettering cueman then made 63 to come from 52-0 down and win the seventh. He then added the eighth to get over the line and book his place in the quarter-finals.
“I’ve felt really anxious this week. I don’t know what it is. I don’t know if it is that these big Triple Crown events have that much more feel to them. I’m quite aware that this is my time in the game and I want to make the most of it,” said 32-year-old Wilson told Eurosport.
“When I go out there it is fine. My cue action does the work and all of my preparation throughout the years does the work. I enjoy it. I played on Monday and I’ve been twiddling my thumbs for a few days. It is the what if’s. It is horrible and I hate it.
“I thought it was a lot better than round one and if you improve gradually round by round then that is a recipe for success.”
On the other table, Holt earned his place in a first UK Championship quarter-final since 1999, with a thrilling 6-5 defeat of Crucible finalist Jak Jones.
The Hitman was beaten in the last eight 25 years ago when he bowed out 9-6 against John Higgins. Recent years have been tougher for Holt. After falling off the tour in 2022, Holt returned this season thanks to his performances on the Q Tour.
Having trailed 5-2, Holt was extremely demonstrative showing his frustration with himself. However, at that point a switch clicked. Breaks of 86, 68 and 86 helped him to four on the bounce and a massive win.
Defeat will taste especially bitter for Jones, as it ends his hopes of qualifying for January’s Johnstone’s Paint Masters.
Holt said: “I said to myself before today, don’t flop it. I’ve been in these positions before. To be honest I was lucky to win. I’ve had enough chances to win 18 frames. I’m lucky to win, but I take those chances when I’m practising. I just kept punching and kept swinging. Luckily I got over the line.“
Ronnie O’Sullivan reveals text message to ‘best in the world’ Kyren Wilson
Phil Haigh
Kyren Wilson is into the last eight of the UK Championship (Picture: Getty Images)
‘I did send him a text saying “this is your time, go and get as many majors as you can because there’ll be a time when it don’t happen for you”.
‘But he’s got to make the most of it now because he’s got the game in his hands, really.’
Wilson admitted that he hasn’t been feeling great at the UK Championship so far, despite the two impressive wins, with the pressure of the big event perhaps bothering him.
‘I’ll be honest I don’t feel myself this week, I don’t know why. I’ve felt really anxious this week,’ he said. ‘I don’t know what it is. The big Triple Crown events have a little bit more feel to them.
‘I’m quite aware that this is my time in the game and I want to make the most of it.
Wilson has already won two titles since the Crucible, at the Xi’an Grand Prix and Northern Ireland Open (Picture: Getty Images)
‘I think probably most snooker players have it. It’s just about managing it. We can be playing amazing in practice, come here and it goes tits up. That’s the beauty of the game, you don’t know until frame one how it’s going to go.
‘I don’t know if it’s about being world champion. I’ve just got such high hopes and I just want to win.’
O’Sullivan recognised the feeling Wilson described and praised the world champ’s ability to hide it in the heat of battle.
‘I feel exactly the same as him,’ said the Rocket. ‘But when you’re out there watching him he don’t look like it. Some people are feeling it and they look like it.
‘He’s got something he naturally carries with him, very stoic. It’s a great thing to have in your locker, when you don’t show it.’
I really like Kyren. There is no big ego, no sensationalism about him. Just an ordinary good family man blessed with a far from ordinary talent for snooker and a great temperament. When I hear him in interviews today he comes across as the same guy he was when I first met him at the SWSA some 15 years ago, just a more mature version of him. Success hasn’t changed him much as a person.
Shaun Murphy held off a Ding Junhui fightback to win 6-5 and make the quarter-finals of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York.
Victory for Murphy sees him through to his ninth quarter-final in this event, 16 years after his first. That came in the year he captured the UK crown for the first time in his career, defeating Marco Fu in a 10-9 thriller back in 2008.
The result enhances 12-time ranking event winner Murphy’s already impressive head-to-head record over Ding to 14-7. Despite today’s loss, Ding can console himself with the knowledge he captured his 15th piece of ranking silverware at the recent International Championship.
Murphy has threatened to claim titles this season without quite getting over the line. He was runner-up at the Shanghai Masters to Judd Trump and has appeared in a further two quarter-finals and a semi-final. He’s recently started working with 2002 World Champion Peter Ebdon in a coaching capacity, in a bid to add a killer edge to his game.
Defeat for Ding ends his run of consecutive finals here in York. The Chinese legend was runner-up in 2022 and 2023, losing out to Mark Allen and Ronnie O’Sullivan respectively.
The match started off at a tremendous pace, with a 129 from Ding to take the opener. Murphy responded immediately with two on the bounce to make it 2-1, before runs of 53 and 46 moved Ding 3-2 in front.
A crucial turning point came in the sixth, where Ding spurned a black off the spot with the frame at his mercy. Murphy clawed his way back into the frame and eventually potted a mid range pink to restore parity at 3-3. He punched the table and clenched his fist after securing a frame which switched the momentum.
The 2005 Crucible king hit the front after taking the seventh and then surged to the verge of victory with 135 to move 5-3 ahead. With potential defeat looming, Ding summoned his best snooker to stay in contention. The three-time UK Champion fired in breaks of 107 and 126 to restore parity at 5-5 and set up a grandstand finish.
With the pressure at its highest, it was Murphy who stepped up on centre stage with an audacious 147 attempt. His run ended on 65, but that was eventually enough to cross the line and book a quarter-final clash with Barry Hawkins, who defeated defending champion O’Sullivan in round one.
“I’m delighted to get through. It was always going to be a tough match against Ding Junhui. I think he is one of the most important characters of the last 20 years, in terms of the global recognition of snooker. Aside from that he is also one of the best players we’ve ever seen. To go up against him in a big match out there, when it mattered, and win is a thrill.“
Shaun Murphy
2005 World Champion
Murphy added: “I think I’ve increased my potential best. I’ve been becoming a better thinker and player. I haven’t shown it yet but I think I’ve got potentially better. That word is important. I’ve stretched myself and I think I can go further. Whether that is this week or not, I don’t know. It is coming though. In moments and flashes, my game is in good shape.
“Myself and Barry have been playing each other since we’ve been boys. I think anyone who beats Ronnie almost goes favourite to win the tournament. There is a bit of a track record of people beating him having a very good week. There may be a bit of pressure on Barry. I hope he feels as much of that as possible, I hope it piles onto his shoulders! I’m just going to do my thing, try my best and see how we go.”
On the other table, Barry Hawkins booked his slot in the quarters with a fiercely contested 6-5 win over David Gilbert.
The Hawk soared in the opening round with his momentous win over O’Sullivan, who he has traditionally fared poorly against. It was a first win over the Rocket since the 2016 World Championship.
Hawkins took that momentum into today with a stunning 144 to take the opener. However, he eventually found himself facing the exit when he trailed 5-4. Gilbert looked like he was set for victory before he missed a green with the rest. Hawkins held his nerve to force the decider, which he won to book his place in the last eight against Murphy. The win enhances his hopes of qualification for the Johnstone’s Paint Masters and knocks Neil Robertson out of contention for a place.
“I thought I was going home. It was all over. He pots the green and it is a natural angle to come round for the brown. I was thinking whether I was driving home tonight or staying here to go to the pub! It is amazing,” said four-time ranking event winner Hawkins.
“It’s going to be a massive match against Shaun. I’m glad I’ve got the day off tomorrow. I can go away, regroup and chill to go again on Friday. Shaun has been there and done it. He’s a Triple crown winner and a very dangerous player when he’s on his game. I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.”
Jack Lisowski halted an Ali Carter fightback to prevail 6-4 and make the quarter-finals of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York.
World number 21 Lisowski now progresses to the last eight here in York for the fourth time in his career. His most notable UK Championship run came two years ago, when he reached the semis. Lisowski had look set for the title match, having led eventual champion Mark Allen 5-3, before succumbing to a 6-5 loss. He now has his chance for revenge, when he faces Allen in this year’s quarters.
The 33-year-old requires three more match wins to step into the tournament winner’s circle for the first time in his career. He’s made six ranking finals so far, but has ended as runner-up on each occasion. However, the fiercely attacking Lisowski has produced some sublime snooker so far this week, having also won an epic 6-4 win over Mark Selby in the last 32.
The loss for Carter ends his hopes of forcing a way into the top ten of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, meaning he will miss out on the lucrative Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.
The opening frame this evening went the way of Lisowski, before the second came down to a safety battle on the pink. A fine long range pot eventually gave Carter a shot at the black, which he duly deposited to left middle to restore parity at 1-1.
Lisowski leapt into action in the third and from there he composed contributions of 85, 63 and 106 to move into a commanding 4-1 lead. Carter replied with 68 in the sixth, but a break of 97 in the seventh moved Lisowski 5-2 ahead.
The Captain refused to buckle and took two on the bounce to crank up the heat at 5-4. However, Lisowski showed his mettle with a match winning 55 in the tenth to secure a significant 6-4 victory.
Lisowski said: “I didn’t play as well as the other day but I was kind of expecting that. I felt a bit inexperienced at the end. I just push the boat out at the wrong times and he could have been coming back at me. It could definitely have been 5-5, so I got away with that.
“The fans here are amazing. I think they maybe watched the game against Selby the other day and appreciated it, because he had 94% pot success. I was looking back on it and to beat him is really tough. I felt a lot of support tonight and sometimes that can put me under pressure. My concentration is getting better though and that definitely helped. The crowd in York is my favourite bunch.“
On the other table, world number three Allen earned his quarter-final spot with a hard fought 6-4 win over talented Chinese star Wu Yize.
The Pistol’s victory here in 2022 came courtesy of a stunning 10-7 defeat of Ding Junhui in the final, which he had trailed 6-1.
Dangerous 22-year-old Wu had already showcased his credentials earlier this season with a brilliant run to his second ranking final at the English Open, where he was narrowly beaten 9-7 by Neil Robertson.
It was Wu who looked the strongest in the early stages this evening, as he moved into a 4-2 lead. However, Allen made breaks of 110, 73, 100 and 80 to take four on the bounce and emerge with a 6-4 victory.
Allen said: “Jack looks to be playing well. I think snooker is better whenever Jack is playing well. He plays how everyone wants to play and that is the biggest compliment I can give him. Hopefully I can stop him in his tracks. That was good there from me tonight. If I play like that I give myself a good chance of beating Jack. He’s riding the crest of a wave at the minute. It is up to me to go out there and stop him.“
Wu isn’t 22, he’s only turned 21 six weeks ago1. Wu won the first frame after the MSI and that frame was an absolute epic. It lasted for over an hour, more than the previous four put together, and it was extremely tactical and hard fought. It was fascinating to watch. It probably took a lot out of Wu though. He still won the next as well but I suspect that he ran a bit out of steam after that and Allen’s experience did the rest. The way Wu managed to win frame 5 attracted a lot of (totally deserved) praise from Ronnie and Reanne in the studio, as well as from Alan McManus in commentary. He’s a beautiful player to watch and quite clever too.
It’s easy for me to remember as he shares his birthday with one of my children (not the same year, but the same day) ↩︎
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Ronnie O'Sullivan 