Having served his ban, Zhao Xintong is back playing – as an amateur – and clearly determined to regain his tour card. Having won the previous Q-Tour event and made a 147 in the process, he repeated the feat(s) yesterday.
Following his recent triumph at the previous event in Sweden – during which he also made the first-ever 147 break at a Q Tour event – China’s Zhao repeated the feat by again making a sensational maximum break on his way to lifting his second consecutive Trophy on snooker’s premier amateur circuit.
The 27-year-old leaps to the top of the latest Q Tour Europe ranking list and moves into pole position to regain a place on the World Snooker Tour with three events still to be completed this season.
His path to victory was not straightforward as he survived deciding-frames in his opening two qualifying matches against William Lemons and Ant Parsons, before further wins against Arsenii Korolev, Lewis Ullah, Mark Joyce, Hamim Hussain, Oliver Sykes and Craig Steadman sealed his place in the title match.
He would await England’s Ryan Davies, who improved upon his previous best Q Tour result of two semi-finals to reach the final for the first time in his career.
The former English Under-21 champion saw off Daan Leyssen, Florian Nuessle, James Cahill, Sean O’Sullivan and Event 2 winner Dylan Emery to set up a meeting with Zhao.
Having starred throughout the final day with four century breaks including a magical 147 in the last frame of his quarter-final win against Oliver Sykes, Zhao won two of the opening three in the final to move halfway to the title.
A top score of 65 in frame four would take the former UK Championship winner to the brink of victory, before Davies responded with a match-high 66 to keep his hopes alive at 2-3.
Davies threatened to force a deciding-frame as he began the frame with a run of 35, but it was Zhao who made 56 of his own, before Davies failed to escape from a snooker on the final red and left a free ball from which Zhao would make no mistake, appropriately sealing the title after one hour and 47 minutes.
Ding Junhui secured the 15th ranking title of his illustrious career with a 10-7 defeat of Chris Wakelin in the final of the International Championship in Nanjing.
Chinese sporting icon Ding has now triumphed in seven ranking events in his native country, but this week’s victory is a first on home soil since 2017. Ding’s last victory in China came at the World Open seven years ago, when he beat Kyren Wilson in the final. He’s now a two-time International Champion, having first won the event back in 2013.
It’s also Ding’s first ranking event win in just under five years. He last tasted silverware in 2019 at the UK Championship, where he defeated Stephen Maguire in the title match.
Victory and the £175,000 top prize for Ding sees him jump from 93rd to seventh in the one-year-list, while he moves up from ninth to eighth in the world rankings.
That enhances his standing in the race for the lucrative Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in December, where the top ten in the world rankings at the end of the upcoming UK Championship will earn places.
Wakelin has to settle for the £75,000 runner-up prize, but it’s been a momentous week for the Englishman. His performance sees him move into the world’s top 16 for the first time in his career. That means he earns an automatic slot at the UK Championship in York and boosts his chances of qualifying for the Masters in January.
They came into this evening with Ding holding a slender 5-4 lead. However, momentum was very much in his favour, having claimed the last four frames of the afternoon to wrest control from 4-1 down. A raucous home crowd roared their hero on as the action got underway in the final session.
Things continued to move in Ding’s favour in the first frame tonight, but it was Wakelin who had the first chance. A missed black off the spot allowed Ding in and he compiled a frame winning 66 to make it 6-4.
Both players had opportunities in the next. A run of 63 was the telling contribution for Ding, leaving him 7-4 ahead after a crucial burst of six consecutive frames.
Wakelin showed his class and fought hard to stay in contention amid the onslaught from his opponent. Breaks of 82 and 89 gave him frames 12 and 13 to leave him 7-6 behind heading into the mid-session interval.
A brilliant contribution of 98 saw Ding restore his two frame advantage when play resumed. Wakelin continued to battle away though and claimed a 35-minute 15th to make it 8-7.
That proved to be Wakelin’s last frame of the match, with Ding firing home runs of 72 and 64 to close out the victory in style and return to the winner’s circle.
“Winning in China feels like a home victory. The support I get here is incredible. Players have to stay focused on the match, but external support also helps. It’s been tough, not only for me but for the fans too. I’m glad we all made it through together. The setup in Nanjing, like transportation and facilities, was excellent.“
Ding Junhui
International Champion
Ding added: “I’ve played so well in every match. Chris applied a lot of pressure in this game, especially at 4-1. I put too much pressure on myself at the beginning. That was the perfect start for him, but he started missing and there were some key frames to get 5-4 ahead. The second session was totally different.
“Over the past five years, there were good and bad moments. Sometimes it has been early exits and there have been a few semi-finals and quarter-finals. Reflecting on my career, it looks like I’ve either been eliminated early or gone all the way.
“I didn’t know my family were going to be at the trophy presentation, it was great to see them. My kids hadn’t seen me win anything live before. “
Wakelin said: “I got off to a great start and losing six frames on the trot was the difference. I was proud of how well I handled myself. Only a couple of years ago, that kind of situation would have scared the life out of me. To be out there and feel like I could have won, despite how Ding played, I think I was a credit to myself.
“I’ve got very vivid memories of watching snooker as a child and dreaming of being in these sorts of scenarios. As much as it does sometimes feel like a dream world, it also feels incredibly normal. I feel like I belong here and that I am capable of coming back and one day lifting this sort of title. As much as today was disappointing, I am really proud of how I handled myself.”
DING RETURN’S TO WINNER’S CIRCLE
That’s it … in many ways a dream scenario for Ding and the Chinese fans. A totally deserved success and a rare opportunity to celebrate with his family. What’s not to like? ❤️
But I’m also glad to see Chris Wakelin being able to take the positives from what he has accomplished this week. He said that he is proud of himself and he should be indeed. For now, he has only one ranking title to his name, the Shoot-out, but I would be very surprised if he wasn’t winning more titles from here. He’s plenty good enough and he finally truly believes that he can do it. Having that confidence is the key to success.
Ding Junhui remained on track for a first ranking title in five years as he came from 5-2 down to beat Xu Si 9-6 in the semi-finals of the International Championship.
Playing on home territory in Nanjing in China’s Jiangsu Province, not far from his home city of Yixing, 37-year-old Ding has returned to form this week and will receive support from his fans when he meets Chris Wakelin in the final on Sunday, with first to ten frames to lift the trophy and earn £175,000. Wakelin can take heart from the fact that he beat Ding 5-3 at last month’s Wuhan Open.
World number nine Ding had won just three matches in ranking events this season before this week, but has now won six in this tournament alone, and one more would give him a first ranking title since the 2019 UK Championship. He is aiming for a 15th ranking title in all and will be playing in his 24th ranking final – but has lost his last three, at the UK Championship in 2022 and 2023 as well as the 2024 World Open. Asia’s greatest ever player is looking to win the International Championship for the second time having banked the top prize in 2013.
Xu has had the best week of his career having made a 147 and knocked out Judd Trump, but missed the chance to reach his first ranking final. He made a fast start today with breaks of 69, 137 and 113 to lead 3-0, then Ding took the next two with 119 and 77, but trailed 5-3 at the end of the first session. As the evening session got underway, Ding took three in a row with top breaks of 69 and 63 to lead 6-5. Xu took the 12th and he was on 42 in the 13th when he ran out of position, then later missed a tough long pot on the final green, gifting Ding a 7-6 lead.
Early in frame 14, world number 49 Xu went for a mid-range red and was unlucky to leave it in the jaws of a top corner, setting up Ding for a break of 66 to go two ahead with three to play. Again in the 15th Xu had a scoring chance, but a red to top corner on 29 missed its target. Ding showed his renowned cue ball control in a delightful run of 58 to cross the winning line.
“In the first session, Xu played really well,” said Ding. “I didn’t have many opportunities in the first half, and he managed century breaks with great sharpness, making the most of his chances. However, he wasn’t quite at the same level in the second session. He had many chances tonight but lost the first three frames, which impacted his mindset.
“Any player in good form over a week can achieve great results. If rankings alone determined outcomes, Judd Trump might as well just pick up the trophy and go. A higher ranking doesn’t guarantee winning by a wide margin, it only means a slightly better chance of victory. Chris Wakelin recently has been consistent, performing well over several tournaments. I don’t think much about my opponent, though, as many small details in a match can change the outcome.“
Xu said: “I was feeling good in the first session, but my focus seemed to slip in the second, and I made more mistakes. I had plenty of opportunities but struggled throughout, unable to get the positioning I wanted, and my safety play was quite average. Overall, aside from the second session in this match, I’m pretty satisfied with my performance in the tournament. Now my goal is to qualify for the Players Championship.”
It’s a good thing that Xu seems to be able to take the positives from his run in the tournament and the first session he played. Part of the problem for most lower ranked players is that they have very little experience of multi-session matches. How to relax between sessions, how not to overthink, whether going to the practice table will help, and if so, how long … all that can only be learned by experience. No matter what coaches might tell the player, they are not in their skin and head. Advice of course can help, but they can’t replace experience.
Chris Wakelin booked his place in the final of the 2024 International Championship with a 9-8 victory over Xiao Guodong in today’s semi-final . Here is the report by WST:
WAKELIN BEATS XIAO IN NANJING THRILLER
Chris Wakelin guaranteed his biggest career pay day and a place among the world’s top 16 with a dramatic 9-8 victory over Xiao Guodong in the semi-finals of the International Championship.
Nuneaton’s 32-year-old Wakelin missed opportunities to win from 8-5 to 8-8, but then made a superb break in the deciding frame to set up a final against Ding Junhui or Xu Si on Sunday in Nanjing.
It’s a huge breakthrough for the former Asda delivery driver as he is now sure of £75,000 which will lift him into the top 16 of the world rankings for the first time in his career. He will be a seeded player for the UK Championship in York later this month, at the expense of Crucible finalist Jak Jones who will now face the qualifying rounds. Wakelin is also on target for a Johnstone’s Paint Masters debut in January.
He is through to the third ranking event final of his career, having reached two last year. He won his first title at the 2023 Shoot Out and finished runner-up to Judd Trump at the Northern Ireland Open. Victory on Sunday would give him a coveted title as well as a massive £175,000.
Wakelin led 5-3 after the first session and soon extended that to 7-3 with breaks of 63 and 119. Xiao, who won his first ranking title at the Wuhan Open last month, pulled one back with a 69, and in frame 12 he trailed 64-47 when he trapped his opponent in a tough snooker on the final yellow, and from the chance that followed he cleared the table to close to 7-5. Wakelin took the next with a run of 52 and had a scoring chance in frame 14 but made just 11 before missing the blue to a top corner, and his opponent punished him for 8-6.
A break of 90 from Xiao saw him draw within one. In frame 16, Wakelin was among the balls on a run of 14 when he missed the blue to centre. He later trailed 53-33 when he narrowly failed to convert a long pot on the last red, leaving it in the jaws for Xiao to make it 8-8. In the decider, Xiao had an early opportunity but, on 15, left position awkward then missed a difficult yellow with the rest. Wakelin regained his composure and made a match-winning 67.
“I’ve worked my entire life at this game for moments like this,” said an emotional Wakelin. “From 8-5 I threw it away. I made ridiculously easy mistakes. In the decider I knew it was now or never, I had to forget about what had happened. I’m so relieved to have a day off tomorrow because I’m done in! That was the hardest match of my life. In the first ten years of my career, so many times I put myself in winning situations in matches but didn’t take those chances. This was my final because getting into the top 16 was the goal. But now the shackles are off and I know I have performances like that in me.”
Wakelin and girlfriend Lucy are expecting their first child in February and have also bought their first house. He added: “I am very blessed that Lucy came into my life. She is incredible and gives me so much belief and freedom. This is the most incredible time of our lives. It feels like I’m living in a dream world. When we found out about the baby, my mum asked me if this was going to put more pressure on me, but I said no, this is what I need, it’s motivation to push myself to the next level. Now is the time to drive home what I have worked on for 25 years. Hopefully the final here will be another step on the journey towards being a really top player.”
Xiao said: “I fell too far behind at the start and didn’t perform particularly well. My opponent had me under pressure throughout the match, I couldn’t find my rhythm. I want to apologise to Ding and Xu for not making it to an all-Chinese final! I hope they can keep the title here in China. This is the best time ever for Chinese snooker and I hope the young players can gain experience and keep improving.
“I’ve reached the top 16 in the world rankings, fulfilling a childhood dream of becoming a top player. I hope to stay steady there and deliver more exciting matches in the future.“
Here is the decider
And the postmatch interview … well worth watching because simply reading Chris quotes doesn’t allow us to understand the full extend and power of his emotions after the match.
Chris has struggled with mental health issues in the past, he’s not given up, he found ways to get over his issues, notably he took on ballroom dancing … He’s come a long way.
Congratulations Chris !
There is so much focus on the top players that we fail to understand or forget how much courage and resilience players like Chris show, match after match, event after event, away from the limelights. They devote their lives to their sport often without proper recognition from the fans and yet the sport wouldn’t exist without them.
On Sunday, Chris will meet either Ding Junhui or Xu Si in the Final.
Ding’s last 15 reds snooker title is the 2019 UK Championship… five years ago. That feels unreal really for a player of his quality. As for Xu Si, he’s been a pro since 2017/18. That season he reached the SFs at the 2017 Indian Open but until the 2024 Xi’an Grand Prix last August, had never gone past round 3 in any event after that early breakthrough. The semi-final at the 2017 Indian Open was best of 7, hardly comparable to what awaits him tomorrow. Ding has to be a heavy favourite to reach the final but … one never knows. Xu might feel pressure because of the circumstances and who he faces, or he might play with total freedom because not many, if any, are expecting him to beat Ding.
Whoever wins the title on Sunday … it will be a great story.
The WPBSA and World Snooker Tour (WST) have today revealed the elite amateur players who have qualified to compete at the 2024 UK Championship through recognised WPBSA pathways.
The historic Triple Crown Series event will again feature a tiered format, which will see the top 16 seeded through to the final stages, to be held at the York Barbican from 23 November – 1 December 2024.
The remaining players will compete in the qualifying rounds in Leicester from 16-21 November, with 16 players set to progress and complete the last 32 line-up.
…
WPBSA QUALIFIERS
This season’s field will include up to 16 players to have earned their places through new pathway opportunities for elite performers through activities staged and coordinated by the WPBSA Group.
The 16 initially invited players are listed below:
Winners from the world’s premier secondary tour to the World Snooker Tour so far this season:
Andres Petrov – WPBSA Q Tour Europe – Event 1 winner
Dylan Emery – WPBSA Q Tour Europe – Event 2 winner
Zhao Xintong – WPBSA Q Tour Europe – Event 3 winner
TBC – WPBSA Q Tour Europe – Event 4 winner
TBC – WPBSA Q Tour Europe – Highest Ranked Player (not including the above)
WSF CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024
Eligible players from the world’s largest international amateur tournaments:
Any players who do not accept their place will be replaced by reserve players from the WPBSA Q Tour Europe Ranking List after Event 4.
I’m not sure why they list players who have already declined the invitation. Maybe it is to show that there is consistency in their invitation process? Anyway…
VICTORIAN PLUMBING PARTNERS WITH SNOOKER’S UK CHAMPIONSHIP
Victorian Plumbing, the UK’s leading bathroom retailer, has become a partner of one of snooker’s greatest tournaments, the UK Championship, for the first time.
The Victorian Plumbing UK Championship will run from November 23rd to December 1st in York. Part of the sport’s Triple Crown Series, the tournament has been ever present on the calendar since 1977 and is contested by 32 of the world’s leading players. It is televised to a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions, by BBC, Eurosport and many other broadcasters.
Ronnie O’Sullivan won the title for a record-extending eighth time last year, beating Ding Junhui in the final. A strong field of snooker’s biggest stars is once again expected at the superb York Barbican venue.
WST’s Chief Commercial Officer Peter Wright said: “We are delighted to join forces with Victorian Plumbing for one of the biggest events on our global calendar. They have an impressive history behind them and they are still an expanding and ambitious company, so there are similarities with snooker and we are excited to work together. The Victorian Plumbing UK Championship is a much anticipated highlight for snooker fans and promises to be nine marvellous on days of action in York – it is a trophy which all of the player dream of lifting.”
Victorian Plumbing Chief Marketing Officer Joe Pascoe said: “We are proud to take up the mantle of Lead Partner with the WST for the forthcoming UK Championship. 2024 has been another year of growth and expansion for us, and we continue to explore new ways to reach and speak to our customers in the places that mean most to them. For us, investing further into UK sport, in particular one with a rich heritage and ambitious future felt like the perfect match. The Victorian Plumbing UK Championship will be a moment of pride for us, and we can’t wait to take it in.”
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Victorian Plumbing is the UK’s biggest bathroom retailer. Based in Leyland in the North West of England, they offer a huge range of bathroom fittings and accessories as a one-stop shop for your entire bathroom, home heating and tiling needs.
I’m glad that it’s not yet another bookie…
I have no doubts that there will be people objecting to Zhao Xintong presence but he is there by right: he has served his ban and won a Q-Tour event. Personally, I’m glad to have him back, just as I was glad to have Jamie Jones back. Those two did not fix any match, their “sin” was not to grass on their mates. I do understand WST position but I still find this quite harsh, especially when it comes to players living as expats in the UK. They are away from home for months in a row, their mates are all they have…
Ding Junhui had won just three matches in ranking events this season before this week’s International Championship, but has found his game in Nanjing and reached the semi-finals with a 6-4 victory over World Champion Kyren Wilson.
Ding will face Xu Si in the semi-finals on Saturday, after Xiao Guodong meets Chris Wakelin on Friday. It’s the third time ever that a ranking event has featured three players from mainland China in the semi-finals – and one of those occasions was last month’s Wuhan Open.
China’s greatest ever player Ding is quickly recovering from a poor start to the campaign and is now just two wins away from a 15th ranking title and first since the 2019 UK Championship. It’s a surprise defeat for Crucible king Wilson who has already won the Xi’an Grand Prix and Northern Ireland Open this season and had been hunting his fourth piece of silverware in six months.
Breaks of 57, 72 and 84 helped world number nine Ding build a 4-1 lead. Wilson battled back to 4-4 with 57, 70 and 69, but 37-year-old Ding finished superbly with 129 and 123 to take the last two frames.
“I could really feel the support from the crowd – they wanted to see me perform well and get a good result,” said Ding, who is on home turf in China’s Jiangsu Province. “Kyren is World Champion and one of the most consistent top players at the moment, so this wasn’t an easy win. If I hadn’t played as well as I did today, it would have been tough to beat him.
“At 4-4, we both wanted to get that one-frame lead. It was crucial for momentum, the scoreline, and adjusting our mindsets. People might think that a poor start to the season affects the whole year. But sometimes things don’t go your way, and that’s out of my control. I’ve always approached each season like this, often starting to find form a bit later.
“For Chinese players, there has been high expectation and pressure on them over the last few years. Lately, they’ve been working extremely hard. Success doesn’t come immediately after turning professional, and it’s not easy to meet everyone’s expectations. It takes patience to allow players to grow.“
Xu came from 5-3 down to edge out Gary Wilson 6-5 to continue the best week of his career, having already made a 147 and knocked out Judd Trump. From 3-3, Wilson made 105 and 136 to go 5-3 up, only for Xu to take three in a row with 58, 81 and 68 to reach the second ranking event semi-final of his career.
Wakelin is enjoying his most consistent season so far and took another leap forward with a 6-5 win over John Higgins. The match was pulled off at 5-5 earlier in the day but when they returned, Wakelin capitalised on a safety error from Higgins to make an excellent match winning break of 62.
Wakelin, who knocked out Shaun Murphy and Mark Williams in the previous two rounds, is through to his fourth ranking event semi-final and second of the season having reached the same stage of the English Open. Victory over Xiao would boost the Englishman into the world’s top 16 for the first time and make him a seeded player for the UK Championship.
The Ding v Wilson match was played in great spirit and mutual respect. The two of them are great ambassadors for snooker and they offered the fans a very high quality match. Between them they scored ten breaks over 50. Kyren is a wonderful World Champion1. His demeanour on and off the table is impeccable. He gives every match his best and every opponent respect.
Xu Si is really the surprise package of the week. He’s not spectacular, he doesn’t show much emotion but he’s been extremely efficient at the table.
Chris Wakelin looked very solid mentally against John Higgins. The match was pulled off at 5-5. That’s never an easy situation for the players. John Higgins expressed his frustration, and looked unhappy when they returned. Chris Wakelin just went on with the job. The decision to pull the match off with 32 minutes available before the next session was criticised on social media but, to me, it was the right call. A decider is always tense and can be lengthy. Between sessions they have to get one group of fans out, do some cleaning and allow the new group of fans in. This takes time, especially in a a big venue like this one. There is a lot of pressure in every decider, no need to add “time pressure” to it.
I didn’t see the fourth QF match, but Xiao Guodong has been scoring very heavily during his QF match against Jackson Page.
Meanwhile Ronnie was out and about in Nanjing. He posted some pictures, saying that he’s disappointed to be out but feeling well. That’s great to read because he looked utterly miserable some weeks ago.
Judd Trump saw his remarkable record of reaching at least the quarter-finals of every event he has contested in 2024 come to an end as he lost 6-4 to Xu Si in the last 16 of the International Championship in Nanjing.
In a sequence going back to January, Trump had progressed to at least the quarter-finals of 15 consecutive tournaments, winning four of those, reaching two other finals and earning over £1.5 million. But that run came to an end in Nanjing as the world number one was beaten by China’s Xu, ranked 48 places lower.
It’s arguably the best result of Xu’s career so far and keeps a special week going for the 26-year-old as he made a 147 during his previous match against Ryan Day on Tuesday. He is through to the third ranking event quarter-final of his career – and second of the season having reached the same stage of the Xi’an Grand Prix in August.
Two breaks of 76 helped give Xu a 2-0 lead, before Trump battled back to lead 3-2. The next two were shared, but 29-time ranking event winner Trump failed to score a point in the last three frames as his opponent finished superbly with runs of 104, 69, 58 and 68.
“It was my mindset during the key moments that helped,” said Xu, who will now meet Gary Wilson. “In the last frame, I felt a bit of tension, but luckily things went well, and I didn’t leave any easy shots. Finishing the match felt really good. Sometimes you reach a point where you’re very nervous, and then suddenly you’re not nervous anymore.
“I feel there’s a much smaller gap now between myself and the top players. Recently, many Chinese players have been advancing to the latter stages of tournaments, which shows a significant improvement overall.“
Kyren Wilson now has the chance to slash Trump’s lead at the top of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, and the World Champion kept his fine form going with a 6-2 win over Barry Hawkins. Breaks of 80, 127, 85, 101, 117 and 60 helped Wilson win a one-sided match and continue his pursuit of a third title this season, having already landed the Xi’an Grand Prix and Northern Ireland Open.
Jackson Page scored an excellent 6-4 win over Pang Junxu and the 23-year-old Welshman is just one round short of his best run in a ranking event, having reached the semi-finals of last season’s World Open. Page top scored with 117, 68 and 72 as Pang failed to follow up on Tuesday’s win over Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Wuhan Open champion Xiao Guodong saw off Jack Lisowski 6-3, a result which could see him join the elite top 16 for the first time in his career and become a seeded player for the UK Championship later this month. China’s Xiao is now ahead of Neil Robertson in the “Race to York”, which means that Robertson will be heading for the qualifying rounds in Leicester. Breaks of 81, 89, 122 and 91 helped Xiao to beat Lisowski.
Chris Wakelin also has a chance of a top 16 berth if he can reach the final, and he got the better of a high quality contest against Mark Williams, compiling breaks of 72, 112, 98 and 88 in a 6-4 success. Ding Junhui reached his first ranking quarter-final of the season as he beat Jiang Jun with a top break of 109. John Higgins edged out Lyu Haotian 6-5, winning frame ten on a respotted black and the decider with a run of 68. Gary Wilson enjoyed a 6-3 win over Mark Selby, making breaks of 73, 54, 123, 80 and 52.
Thursday’s quarter-finals: Chris Wakelin v John Higgins Jackson Page v Xiao Guodong Xu Si v Gary Wilson Kyren Wilson v Ding Junhui
The afternoon match between John Higgins and Lyu Haotian was pulled off at 5-5. The players had to come back when a table became available in the evening.
As things stand currently, three of the eight remaining players will have to qualify for the 2024 UK Championship: Chris Wakelin, Jackson Page and Xu Si. Only Chris Wakelin can still “mathematically” join the top 16, at the expense of Xiao Guodong.
I watched the Trump v Xu Si match. Xu Si was the better player, he played really well and stayed calm. He’s quite slow going and that probably didn’t suit Judd Trump, especially if he has still not fully adjusted to the huge time difference. It’s hard to keep ones concentration when jet-lagged.
Regarding those the 2024 UK Championship qualifiers … it will be played, like last year, under a tiered format similar to the World Championship qualifiers. This means that 16 amateurs will join the field.
The WPBSA and World Snooker Tour (WST) have today revealed the elite amateur players who have qualified to compete at the 2024 UK Championship through recognised WPBSA pathways.
The historic Triple Crown Series event will again feature a tiered format, which will see the top 16 seeded through to the final stages, to be held at the York Barbican from 23 November – 1 December 2024.
The remaining players will compete in the qualifying rounds in Leicester from 16-21 November, with 16 players set to progress and complete the last 32 line-up.
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Details of how to watch online will be announced this week.
WPBSA Qualifiers
This season’s field will include up to 16 players to have earned their places through new pathway opportunities for elite performers through activities staged and coordinated by the WPBSA Group.
The 16 initially invited players are listed below:
WPBSA Q Tour UK/Europe
Winners from the world’s premier secondary tour to the World Snooker Tour so far this season:
Andres Petrov – WPBSA Q Tour Europe – Event 1 winner
Dylan Emery – WPBSA Q Tour Europe – Event 2 winner
Zhao Xintong – WPBSA Q Tour Europe – Event 3 winner
TBC – WPBSA Q Tour Europe – Event 4 winner
TBC – WPBSA Q Tour Europe – Highest Ranked Player (not including the above)
WSF Championships 2024
Eligible players from the world’s largest international amateur tournaments:
Any players who do not accept their place will be replaced by reserve players from the WPBSA Q Tour Europe Ranking List after Event 4.
I have no doubts that some people will object to Zhao Xintong invitation but I’m not one of them. He has served his ban, he has clearly worked hard to get himself back to form, he has won a “qualifying event” … he is in that list by right. It’s that simple.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 