In a repeat of last year’s Crucible final, Kyren Wilson came from 2-1 down to beat Jak Jones 3-2 to win Group Three of BetVictor Championship League Snooker Invitational.
Wilson is enjoying a fine season as reigning World Champion having already landed two more titles at the Xi’an Grand Prix and BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, and he’ll have the chance for further silverware in February’s Winners’ Group, joining Hossein Vafaei, Si Jiahui and four others.
He finished second in the group phase today with four wins from five, behind Mark Selby who reeled off five victories in a row, with Ali Carter third and Jones fourth. In the semi-finals, Wilson edged out Carter 3-2 with a break of 77 in the decider while Jones impressed in a 3-1 defeat of Selby.
World number two Wilson took the first frame of the final then Jones hit back with runs of 70 and 115 to lead 2-1. Frame four went to Wilson with a run of 69, and he had first chance in the decider but made just 14 before running out of position and playing a loose safety. But Jones missed a tricky red to a centre pocket and that proved crucial as Wilson’s break of 55 secured the result.
Group Four gets underway on Friday with Barry Hawkins, Stuart Bingham and Jackson Page joining the action.
Congratulations Kyren Wilson.
Ronnie had two matches scheduled yesterday. He played the first one, lost by 3-2 to Robert Milkins. During that match his frustration boiled over. He savagely whacked his cue on the rail of the table and David Hendon reflected that he might well have been damaged it because he hit it really hard. Whether this was the case or not, I’m not sure, but Ronnie clearly stopped trying at that point, finished the match, and then withdrew from the event. It’s worth mentioning that Ronnie immediately apologised to both the referee, John Pellew and his opponent for his outburst, something the commentators appreciated.
It’s not the first time Ronnie withdraws from the invitational CLS, an event he essentially treats as good paid practice. and I’m sure he would have with drawn at the end of the day, no matter what2 but I can’t remember him doing it in the middle of a day with another match to play. So maybe, Hendon was right and Ronnie didn’t want to risk further possible damage to the cue. He got crucified for it on social media, but by doing it rigth away he actually made sure that Chris Wakelin would get the option to play in the next group although Wakelin apparently didn’t take it.
What’s next for Ronnie?
This season has, so far been a very strange one. Ronnie hasn’t played badly in general, but mistakes have crept into his game and he’s suffered several premature exits from tournaments. He’s clearly not happy and struggling with the whole situation.
Let me try to explain I say that Ronnie has not actually played badly. Here are the scores of the matches he played in the CLS:
Ronnie has played 24 frames in five matches over the last two days. All but one, the match against Kyren Wilson, the eventual group winner, went to a deciding frame. He won 10 of those frames, and made 10 breaks over 50 in the process, including three centuries, a 98 and a 90. That’s heavy scoring. So the scoring isn’t the issue. The issue yesterday was too many odd unexpected, frustrating mistakes … and at one time, after a positional mistake, Steven Hallworth in commentary stated that there was no way Ronnie could have played a certain shot “that way”, that his tip was almost certainly not how/what it should have been for the cue ball reacting the way it had. If Steven was right, then Ronnie certainly took the wise decision, giving himself more time to fix the issue before the 2025 Masters
I have replaced WST links with the ones on snooker.org because the latter will remain valid over time ↩︎
The reason I write that is because he starts his Masters defence on Sunday and I’m certain that he wouldn’t have wanted to stay for two more long tiring days in Leicester, especially if he wanted to fit a new tip on his cue as he was clearly not happy with the one he used at the CLS. ↩︎
Yesterday was the first of group 3 at the 2025 Invitational CLS, a very strong group with World Champion, Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby and Ronnie joining the field. It was not a good day for Ronnie at all. Right from the start he appeared to have issues with his tip and he lost his three first matches. Fortunately, he managed to win the last of the day to keep some sort of hope alive. That left him in fifth place in the group with two matches to play. The two players behind him still have three matches to play… so, it’s far from great!
Having said all that, Ronnie in the past has often played in just one group and then withdrew. That usually happened ahead of an important event. He wanted to play in order to get quality practice. He wasn’t interested in the CLS itself.
Mark Selby scored four wins out of four – and made six centuries – on the opening day of BetVictor Championship League Snooker Invitational Group Three to top the table.
The winner of the group on Thursday night will go through to the Winners’ Group in February. It’s a strong line up but defending champion Selby shone throughout Wednesday’s play with a quartet of fine wins.
He opened with a 3-1 victory over World Champion Kyren Wilson, making breaks of 63, 120 and 100. Selby then beat Robert Milkins 3-1, before coming from 2-1 down to edge out Ronnie O’Sullivan 3-2, firing runs of 120 and 140 in the last two frames. The four-time Crucible king wrapped up with a 3-1 win over Ali Carter, firing 107 and 127 to take his tally of centuries for the day to six.
Wilson, Carter and Chris Wakelin all scored two wins apiece to stay in the hunt.
The frustrating thing is that Ronnie didn’t actually played that badly. David Hendon reflected on that in commentary and he is the only one who, yesterday, ran mark Selby close. He played 19 frames yesterday, more than anyone else. The most he could have played on the day , win or lose, is 20.
David also reflected that it’s been a bit of a pattern the season: Ronnie playing decent snooker and going out in an early round to an inspired opponent.
Jak Jones made the first official maximum break of his career at the BetVictor Championship League Snooker Invitational on Tuesday, however he finished runner-up in Group Two to Si Jiahui.
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Jones’ perfect break came in the third frame of a 3-0 victory over Chris Wakelin during the group phase, in which he also made breaks of 81 and 119. Wakelin failed to score a single point in the fixture as Crucible runner-up Jones showed his break-building calibre. It’s the 209th maximum in snooker history and seventh of the 2024/25 season so far.
China’s Si finished top of the group table with five wins out of six, followed by Ali Carter, Jones and Wakelin who all notched three wins. In the semi-finals, Si came from 2-1 down to beat Wakelin 3-2, making breaks of 94 and 77 in the last two frames. Jones saw off Carter 3-1.
Welshman Jones took a 2-0 lead in the final, but Si stormed back to 2-2 with runs of 101 and 94, then got the better of the decider to book his place in February’s Winners’ Group. Before that, the 22-year-old can look forward to a debut in next week’s Johnstone’s Paint Masters, and Si will head to Alexandra Palace full of confidence with a series of wins under his belt.
Group Three gets underway on Wednesday with World Champion Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan joining the action.
Broadcast Information Fans can watch the action unfold globally, with comprehensive live coverage available on two tables throughout the tournament. Table One will be streamed live on the Matchroom Pool YouTube channel and available to UK viewers as well as on Rigour in China and Viaplay in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and Iceland. Table Two will be streamed live on the Matchroom Multi Sport YouTube channel, accessible to fans worldwide.
I’m coming out once again regarding WST “broadcast” information… and It’s not just about this event. I live now in Greece. Table 1 is geo-blocked in Greece despite the fact that there is no other way to watch it without a vpn. Next week the Masters will be played. Again I will have no means to watch it without a vpn. We have a television, with 40+ different channels available but only BBC news is part of the available packages. 1HBOmax is now the replacement platform for the ES player … but again, I need a vpn to use it because it’s not available in Greece. Vpns don’t come for free and you must know how to set them up. Over the last years WST policies, and broadcasters policies have made it increasingly difficult and costly for me to watch the snooker. IF the people in charge at WST really want the sport to be truly “global” and grow in new regions, these policies have to change. They won’t develop a growing interest in the sport if more and more people are prevented to watch it unless they have some IT stuff knowledge and are willing to pay. Quite the opposite, they will lose viewers in places were it used to be easily accessible.
Some more channels are available via satellite TV. However, on top of the associated costs, there are restrictions on that too. In most traditional villages, satellite plates are not allowed. ↩︎
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!
Hossein Vafaei beat Jak Jones 3-1 in the final of Group One of the 2025 BetVictor Championship League Snooker Invitational, to earn a place in the Winners’ Group.
Iran’s Vafaei will return to Leicester alongside six other players in February for the Winners’ Group, where the ultimate victor will earn the Championship League Snooker title and a place in the 2025 Champion of Champions.
Today’s group stage finished with Vafaei, Pang Junxu and Ryan Day all with four wins out of six, followed by Jones who scored three wins to secure a semi-final spot. Vafaei saw off Day 3-1 in the semis with a top break of 129, while Jones beat Pang by the same scoreline.
A run of 117 gave Vafaei the opening frame of the final, then Crucible runner-up Jones levelled. World number 26 Vafaei regained the lead with a break of 77, then took the fourth on the colours to clinch the result.
Group two gets underway on Monday with top 16 stars Ali Carter and Si Jiahui joining the action.
Broadcast Information Fans can watch the action unfold globally, with comprehensive live coverage available on two tables throughout the tournament. Table One will be streamed live on the Matchroom Pool YouTube channel and available to UK viewers as well as on Rigour in China and Viaplay in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and Iceland. Table Two will be streamed live on the Matchroom Multi Sport YouTube channel, accessible to fans worldwide.
Now about this “broadcast information” … the “comprehensive coverage” means this: table one, the table where the highest ranked player in the group plays most their matches, and the groups finals are played, is ONLY available for free to UK users. The other ones have to pay1 . Viaplay isn’t cheap and the only alternative is to use a vpn. That isn’t free either and you have to know how to set it up.
This, once again demonstrated the UK-centric nature of the organisation of the sport, as well as the “UK-centric mentally” still all too common in Britain.
Here is another blatant example: Radzi wrote yesterday on twitter that moving the World Championship “abroad” would “tarnish” the event. That’s baffling in more ways than one! Does he realise that there are only about 68.5 millions inhabitants in the UK, for over 8 billions in the world? Does he realise that for the best of 8 billions people the UK IS “abroad”. Does he realise that the Crucible can only host about 900 spectators? Is the football World Cup tarnished by the fact that it travels around the World and is played in several location simultaneously in huge stadiums? Is the Tennis ATP Finals tarnished because it moves around and is played in huge venues? Quite the opposite isn’t it? Tradition is OK until it becomes a major hurdle to development2. The Crucible is a fantastic venue – albeit too small for the demand – when the World Championship reaches the one table setup. Before that it’s too small, too cramped, the cameramen on stage don’t have space, the players don’t have space to move around the table and have to vacate their dressing rooms after each session, access to practice tables is limited, catering is limited… The one table setup that’s three matches … three out of the hundred and forty three that the full World Championship comprises.Let that sink … and think again!
With that “tradition mentality”, refusing changes because “this is what we always did”, we would still be living in the caves, and most children would still die in infancy. ↩︎
Ronnie had his last match on Thursday evening. He beat John Higgins by 5-1, leaving his Christmas/New Year exhibition trip to China with a perfect record: seven wins in seven matches.
That match is available on YouTube
Neither player played awesome but Ronnie made less mistakes than John… 1.
Ronnie didn’t the play on the last day but the fans had plenty to cheer on! They were treated with not just one but two 147…
Xiao Guodong made a 147 in the last frame of his match against Mark Williams. He won the match by 5-3.
And Judd Trump made another one in frame five against Ding to lead by 4-1
But … from there Ding took control of the match and eventually beat Judd by 5-4! As they say a 147 wins you only one frame!
For pictures and more media content please check Kalacs comments.
Thank you for your fantastic contributions Kalacs!
… in other news …
The 2025 Invitational Championship League Snooker started yesterday. Hossein Vafaei is at the top of the Group 1 table after day 1. Thanks to WST’s true dedication to develop snooker worldwide I was only “allowed” to watch table 2 on YouTube. Table 1 was only available to UK fans. Marvellous isn’t it? Well the action I witnessed on table two wasn’t exactly thrilling and that’s an understatement. Likely the players hadn’t much practice over the Xmas break…
Ronnie O'Sullivan 