First of all … Happy Epiphany celebrations and Merry Christmas too for those who celebrate it today. Here in Greece Epiphany is the day of the “Blessing of the Waters”, an important day for people who have a strong relationship with the sea for as long as their history can be traced …
But, back to snooker…
There was no CLS action yesterday. Group 2 is currently under way in Leicester but it’s still early stages.
There is snooker being played in Tibet, just like last year at the same period. Kalacs once again has done a sterling job gathering all the information about that event and it’s all in the comments section. Thank you Kalacs!
Barry Hawkins, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy and Bulcsú Révész were in Budapest for the Budapest Snooker Masters exhibition tournament.
Barry Hawkins wins the 2025 Budapest Snooker Masters and makes maximum 147 break
Barry Hawkins defeated home hero Bulcsu Revesz 5-3 in the final to win the 2025 Budapest Snooker Masters exhibition event, during which two maximum 147 breaks were made.
Held at the Gerevich Aladar Arena, this was the seventh time that such a high-profile event was being held in Hungary, but the first time it was played as a tournament.
The weekend showcase in the capital city featured four professional players – Hawkins, Révész, Neil Robertson and Shaun Murphy – and was a huge success with impressive crowds in for all four sessions.
All four competitors played each other in a round robin format, with each match consisting of six frames (all frames played). Following the completion of the group fixtures, the top two cueists went through to the final, while the bottom two played for third place overall.
Hawkins finished top of the league with a 100% record after winning all three of his matches. In the opening session of the event, the four-time ranking event champion compiled a maximum 147 break during his 5-1 victory over Neil Robertson.
Rookie professional Révész – who has only just turned 18-years-old and is Hungary’s first snooker professional – came second and qualified for the final by virtue of frame difference after he and Robertson were both tied on three points each.
Career Triple Crown winner Murphy – who was hampered early on when the tip came off his cue in the first frame of his opening match – lost all three of his group matches.
During the final session of the event, Australia’s Neil Robertson fashioned the second maximum 147 break of the weekend during a 2-1 loss to Murphy in the third-place playoff.
Later in the evening, Hawkins completed a perfect weekend as he recovered from 2-1 down to defeat teenager Révész 5-3 in the final to win the Budapest Snooker Masters title. Hawkins top scored with a break of 123 during the match.
WPBSA QUALIFYING CRITERIA ANNOUNCED FOR 2025 WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) and World Snooker Tour have today announced the qualification criteria for the 16 amateur places at the 2025 World Championship in Sheffield in April.
The qualifying rounds will take place at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield from 7-16 April to determine who will join the world’s elite top 16 ranked players at the Crucible Theatre.
Alongside all professionals ranked outside the top 16, following the 2025 Tour Championship, and top-ups from the 2024 Q School Order of Merit, will be 16 leading amateur players who have earned their place at the event courtesy of their achievements at recognised international events across the season.
These include outstanding performers at the upcoming World Snooker Federation Championships in Morocco, and the WPBSA Q Tour Global which will reach its conclusion in Turkey this March.
Jason Ferguson, WPBSA Chairman said: “We are today pleased to confirm how 16 WPBSA qualifiers will earn their places at this season’s professional World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
“The now established criteria will once again see the outstanding performers from the world’s leading amateur snooker competitions rewarded with their chance to compete for the biggest prize in our sport in Sheffield later this season.
“This includes the upcoming WSF Championships, from which the winners, finalists and semi-finalists at the Open and Junior Championships, as well as the champion of the women’s tournament for the first time.
“We also recognise once again the elite talent from the WPBSA Q Tour Global, with the winner of the Q Tour Europe series set to be joined by each of the three winners at the Q Tour Global Playoffs set to be held in Turkey in March.
“It has been heartening to see the strength of amateur snooker around the world lately, with entry numbers at national and international events once again seeing significant growth during the past 12 months.
Through our officially recognised WPBSA Tour pathways, players from around the world, whether male or female, at the start of their snooker journey or those returning to the sport, all have the opportunity to earn their place to compete on the biggest stage of all.
“There is still time for players to enter our upcoming WSF Championships in Morocco, as well as the decisive and final tournaments at our WPBSA Q Tour events around the world and to potentially earn your place in Sheffield this spring!”
WPBSA QUALIFICATION CRITERIA
Updated 04/01/2025:
2025 WSF Championship Winner
2025 WSF Junior Championship Winner
2025 WSF Women’s Championship Winner (Runner-up if already qualified)
2025 Q Tour Europe Winner
2025 Q Tour Global Play-Off 1 Winner
2025 Q Tour Global Play-Off 2 Winner
2025 Q Tour Global Play-Off 3 Winner
2025 WSF Championship Runner-Up
2025 WSF Junior Championship Runner-Up
2025 WSF Championship Semi-Finalist
2025 WSF Championship Semi-Finalist
2025 WSF Junior Championship Semi-Finalist
2025 WSF Junior Championship Semi-Finalist
2025 EBSA Under-18 European Championship Winner (Runner-up if already qualified)
2025 EBSA Under-21 European Championship Winner (Runner-up if already qualified)
Highest ranked eligible player on the Q Tour Europe rankings
All players selected will appear subject to acceptance of their place and any travel restrictions in place. Any replacement players for these 16 places will be selected from a reserve list to include performances at World Snooker Federation, Q Tour and recognised regional events.
Any current professional players who do not enter the tournament will be replaced from the 2024 Q School Order of Merit.
PS: elsewhere WST is once again inviting fans to celebrate the 1985 black ball finish. It’s been 40 years ffs and, it wasn’t even a good match, just a dramatic and unexpected finish. When will they let go of this culture of nostalgia!
Monique, I noticed you did draw the quote line too long. I first thought WST just used the abbreviation “ffs” in an official article.
Thanks for telling me Christian
What are all those snooker players doing, making 147’s in exhibitions en masse????? Somebody has to tell them there is a prize for doing this in main competition.
The only reason there were so many watching in 1985, is that there was nothing else on and the tv normally went off at midnight. We used to say my dad would watch the dot disappear back then. (The dot was the tube cooling down and it took a while before it disappeared.) It was an excuse to stay up to watch and it could have been anything from gardening to cooking and you would have had people watching. I don’t think the 1985 final will ever disappear, at least not for a long time yet and not even if there is another black-ball-final at the Crucible. It’s very sad that WST still dine out on this and I really do believe the game suffers for it.
Yes, of course retrospectives are fine, and there are some great moments. We really have witnessed a massive development of the game in the last 50 years. However, the way in which certain events are continually discussed is very wearing: it’s been done to death, exhausted, and will repel newer fans who quite rightly are interested in today’s game today’s players, with a bit of history thrown in occasionally to add context.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
if Ronnie plays there, here is tomorrow’s schedule:
2025 Lhasa Winter Plateau Snooker Challenge, day3, final match:
Ding Junhui 5-4 Judd Trump:
The match didn’t broadcasted. I don’t know why, I read possible earthquake hazard is the reason for this…
https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5120136734572892
https://www.douyin.com/video/7457103877129686326
https://www.douyin.com/video/7457101273637063972
https://www.douyin.com/video/7457061693290450239
https://www.douyin.com/video/7457060407698541887
https://www.douyin.com/video/7457128568716365090
https://www.douyin.com/video/7457197791299816764
Monique, I noticed you did draw the quote line too long. I first thought WST just used the abbreviation “ffs” in an official article.
Thanks for telling me Christian
What are all those snooker players doing, making 147’s in exhibitions en masse????? Somebody has to tell them there is a prize for doing this in main competition.
The only reason there were so many watching in 1985, is that there was nothing else on and the tv normally went off at midnight.
We used to say my dad would watch the dot disappear back then. (The dot was the tube cooling down and it took a while before it disappeared.)
It was an excuse to stay up to watch and it could have been anything from gardening to cooking and you would have had people watching.
I don’t think the 1985 final will ever disappear, at least not for a long time yet and not even if there is another black-ball-final at the Crucible.
It’s very sad that WST still dine out on this and I really do believe the game suffers for it.
Yes, of course retrospectives are fine, and there are some great moments. We really have witnessed a massive development of the game in the last 50 years. However, the way in which certain events are continually discussed is very wearing: it’s been done to death, exhausted, and will repel newer fans who quite rightly are interested in today’s game today’s players, with a bit of history thrown in occasionally to add context.