Ronnie is due to play in the 2025 World Grand Prix
Two days ago, WST organised a big press conference in Hong Kong to promote the 2025 World Grand Prix. The event was attended by Judd Trump, the current World Number One, who, like Ronnie, has taken residency in Hong Kong.
Schedule For World Grand Prix Announced At Press Conference
Organised by World Snooker Tour (WST) and F-Sports Promotions Limited, and supported by the Billiard Sports Council of Hong Kong China Limited, the 2025 World Snooker Grand Prix will be held in Hong Kong for the first time, taking place from March 4th to 9th at Kai Tak Arena, Kai Tak Sports Park. The top 32 snooker players of the season will compete for the championship.
Tournament organisers held a pre-event press conference today, attended by world number one Judd Trump and the match schedule was announced. A star studded day one lineup sees the likes of Trump, World Champion Kyren Wilson, Masters champion Shaun Murphy and four-time Crucible king John Higgins in action.
The World Grand Prix is proud of being designated as an “M” Mark event, that helps enhance the image of Hong Kong as an international sports event capital. The “M” Mark is awarded by the Major Sports Events Committee, for signature events in the territory sports calendar.
An excited Trump remarked: “I really do enjoy every occasion I get to compete in Hong Kong. I love everything about Hong Kong and being able to play here for the first time as a Hong Kong resident is definitely a particularly meaningful event in my career. I can’t wait to experience the vibrant atmosphere, with 5,000 fans cheering at the amazing new Kai Tak Arena.”
Ms. Feng Huanhuan, CEO, F-Sports Promotions Limited said, ” We wish to thank the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Major Sports Events Committee, and all the supporting organisations for their strong support. The new world-class Kai Tak Arena offers an outstanding venue for hosting this event and will undoubtedly provide audiences with an exceptional viewing experience. With Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan both gracing the stage in their ‘new home,’ we are proud to promote Hong Kong on the world stage. Our goal is to bring top-tier snooker events that reflect the community’s passion for the sport, while leveraging Hong Kong’s position as the premier hub for Mega Events. We are committed to advancing the development of sports within the community, supporting elite sports, enhancing sports professionalism and developing sport as a thriving industry while promoting the city as a world-renowned centre for major international sports events.“
The World Grand Prix has been held since 2015 and is one of the premier events on the World Snooker Tour. This year marks the first time the tournament will be hosted outside of the UK, with a record breaking venue size and prize money on offer.
The huge arena capacity means 5,000 spectators will be able to experience this premier snooker event live at the brand-new Kai Tak Arena, making it the most attended ranking event on the World Snooker Tour to date. The total prize money has increased from £380,000 last year to £700,000 this year, with the champion’s prize rising from £100,000 to £180,000.
This will be the first ranking tournament held in Hong Kong since 1989. Notably, Trump and defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will be competing at home after becoming residents of Hong Kong.
On March 8th and 9th, exhibition matches will take place at 11 am. On Saturday, the men’s exhibition match will feature Hong Kong’s top player Marco Fu going up against Jimmy White. On Sunday, the women’s exhibition match will showcase Hong Kong number one and world number two Ng On Yee competing against world number one Mink Nutcharut. Tickets for the exhibition matches will be distributed for free, with further details to be announced later.
The Hong Kong Billiards Sports Academy, a collaboration between F-Sports Promotions Limited and the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, located at Kai Tak Mall, will officially open during the tournament.
Public tickets are available through HK Ticketing and Damai, ranging from HK$80 to HK$2,580. There is a special ‘roll-on roll-off’ format for this event, with two consecutive matches in both the afternoon and evening sessions, which means that fans buying a ticket for just one session can watch two matches.
Now, if you follow the link at the end of the article, you will open a page that features a video featuring Ronnie explaining that he took a break bit now feels ready to play in this event and I think he will. Why? Because it’s in Hong Kong, where he’s now a resident and it’s a place he loves. It’s a huge arena and you can be certain that the players will be treated extremely well. How well will Ronnie perform? I don’t really know as he’s facing a daunting task. His first opponent will be Si Jiahui who has beaten him earlier this season. Indeed, Si beat Ronnie by 6-4 in the QFs in Saudi Arabia, in an event where Ronnie certainly wanted to do well. I strongly believe that Ronnie will give it his best in this event, but will it be enough after sitting out so many events? I’m really, really not sure…
The first Disability Snooker World Championship will be held in Thailand next week and it has attracted huge interest
I have been told by one of the participants that some matches will be streamed, likely on Facebook.
Incredible Entry for Inaugural World Disability Snooker Championship!
It has today1 been announced that the first-ever staging of the World Disability Snooker Championship will see an impressive 69 players from 17 countries contest six main titles in Thailand.
Organised by World Disability Billiards and Snooker (WDBS) and the Sports Association for the Disabled of Thailand under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King (SPADT), the landmark event will run from 23 February – 2 March 2025 in Nonthaburi, Thailand.
The opening two days (23-24 February) will incorporate classification sessions for players who have not played at a WDBS event before and optional practice for players ahead of the start of the competition.
The first competitive matches are set to be played on 25 February with the start of the group stages, during which there will also be a spectacular opening ceremony staged to open the Championship.
The Groups
The event will see six tournaments staged, with separate competitions held for players from Groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Due to entry numbers received, Groups 6A, 6B, 7 and 8 will be merged to play a single tournament with 12 players. This is subject to change should entry numbers change prior to the start of the event.
Appropriate points starts will be applied within this group in the interest of fair competition and will be confirmed prior to the start of the event.
Following the conclusion of the group stages, there will also be a Challenge Cup tournament held for players who do not qualify for the knockout stages.
Please note that the draws for the tournament will not be released until 24 February following the completion of new player classifications.
“A fantastic response”
Nigel Mawer QPM, WDBS Chairman said: “We are today delighted to announce such a strong line-up for the first-ever staging of the World Disability Snooker Championship in Thailand.
“To have players from 17 individual countries is a fantastic response and marks a truly international event for disability snooker. It is especially exciting to welcome players from Iceland, Indonesia, Libya, Pakistan and the United States to the Tour for the very first time.
“I look forward to meeting all of the players and officials in Thailand for what promises to be a week to remember.”
The World Disability Snooker Championship runs from 23 February – 2 March 2025 with tournament information to be available via WPBSA SnookerScores.
To be held in Srisaman, Nonthaburi, the landmark event will be organised in conjunction with the Sports Association for the Disabled of Thailand under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King (SPADT) and snooker’s world governing body the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.
The first staging of a World Championship comes 10 years on from the foundation of WDBS and represents the latest major milestone in the continued growth of disability snooker worldwide, following snooker’s inclusion at last year’s World Abilitysport Games and the first-ever European Disability Snooker Championship in October.
Format
The event will run across nine days in total from 23 February – 3 March 2025, with the opening two days to include classification and practice days ahead of the start of the first matches on 25 February.
All players must attend from 25 February to be eligible to compete in the tournament.
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“An Historic Event”
WDBS Chairman Nigel Mawer QPM said: “We are today hugely excited to be able to announce the first staging of the World Disability Snooker Championship in Thailand next year.
“The event will be the biggest ever disability snooker event held and represents a proud moment for all of us who have been associated with WDBS over the past decade.
“Our inclusion at last year’s World Abilitysport Games in Thailand was a week that I will never forget, and it is only fitting that the first ever World Championship will see us return to this amazing country once again.
“I would like to thank the SPADT and the WPBSA for their support of the event, and mostly importantly our players from around the world, without the support of whom the staging of this event would not be possible.
“Our long-term goal remains to secure the return of snooker to the Paralympic Games and this prestigious new event represents another huge step towards achieving that ambition.”
A spokesperson from SPADT said: “We are honoured to host this Championship. We sincerely thank WDBS for trusting Thailand as the host nation.
“We would also like to express our gratitude to the Billiard Sports Association of Thailand for their invaluable support and collaboration, which has been key to ensuring the success of this event.
“Drawing from our experience in organising international sports events for disabled athletes, SPADT is committed to delivering a smooth and memorable tournament. We warmly invite players from across the globe to join us in Thailand for this incredible Championship.
“We hope this competition will be a truly enjoyable and unforgettable experience for everyone involved. May all participants leave with great memories and the famous ‘Thai smile’ that will stay with you forever.”.
O’Sullivan, Brecel, Walden and Totten Withdraw From World Open
Ronnie O’Sullivan has pulled out of next week’s Weide Cup World Open for medical reasons.
O’Sullivan was due to face Stuart Carrington in the opening round this Sunday, but instead he will be replaced by the highest ranked available player on the 2024 Q School Order of Merit, Daniel Womersley.
Luca Brecel and Ricky Walden have also withdrawn for medical reasons. As both of these games were last 64 matches, their respective opponents Tian Pengfei and Ryan Day will receive byes.
Chris Totten has also withdrawn and his opponent Thepchaiya Un-Nooh has received a bye.
The tournament in Yushan, China, runs from February 23rd to March 1st.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there were even more withdrawals actually, we shall see. Regarding Ronnie this is hardly a surprise but he seems committed to play in Hong Kong1 and I expect him to show up for the World Grand Prix. In what kind of form … is anyone’s guess.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has pursued snooker’s impossible dream by trying to perfect a sport built to expose failure
By Desmond Kane
Ronnie O’Sullivan has opted out of another competition with the seven-time world champion citing “medical reasons” for his decision to miss the World Open in Yushan. The snooker GOAT has not played in a ranking event since losing to Barry Hawkins in the first round of the UK Championship in November, but his continued absence from the professional circuit should not be viewed as a major surprise.
There is a thought-provoking quote trotted out in the latest season of HBO black comedy drama series The White Lotus that could easily be used in reference to the dramatised seasonal challenges of the white ball.
Identity is a prison. No one is spared this prison. Rich man, poor man, success or failure. We build the prison, lock ourselves inside, then throw away the key.
When your perceived identity hinges on trying to live up to the great expectations of former glories, it is little wonder that some figures struggle when the masterplan suddenly goes off-piste.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has rightly prioritised his “health and well-being” rather than commit to the considerable stress of competitive play, citing “medical reasons” for his ongoing absence from the sport.
He continues to prefer time spent away from the demands of the professional circuit after withdrawing from the World Open in Yushan – live on Eurosport and discovery+ from February 23 to 1 March – where he was due to face Stuart Carrington on Sunday morning.
O’Sullivan’s frustrations boiled over at the Championship League in Leicester last month when he smashed his cue in a fit of pique and promptly withdrew from the defence of his Masters title at London’s Alexandra Palace.
In hindsight, he probably regrets his tantrum after being left cueless before opting out of his tournament opener with fellow Class of ’92 member John Higgins, but the timeless sensation of being wise after the event is a lot older than the Ally Pally.
These things tend to just crop up in snooker from time to time due to the agonising nature of the game and its natural propensity to torment and titillate. Sometimes all at once. Sometimes on the same shot.
“He’s underhit that, he’s short of the baulk cushion, he’s got a good white, he can make that plant, he’s not opened the pack, he’s played that well...” On and on goes the fractious vocal mood music to the evergreen beat of the white.
Seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and decades of risk and reward, of despair and delight and ultimately success and failure on the fine margins of good fortune, bad luck and ultimately, a decent run of the ball.
In a solitary, single-minded and brutally unforgiving sport, you are hardly alone in your chair.
Beyond the angst of Rocket Ronnie, it can leave every man or woman in waistcoats feeling like they are stuck in a bind.
If your own expectation levels do not fulfil you, the darkened environs of a gloomy green baize can quickly close in upon you, leaving players imprisoned, alone with their thoughts.
‘Stage fright’
It is little wonder that O’Sullivan, the snooker GOAT, a perfectionist and a performer as much as a player, chooses to step back from the game at times.
It is one thing playing exhibition matches for money, quite another to confront the inner demands of achieving technical perfection under the spotlight of legacy matches built to highlight imperfections.
Even more so when you are constantly fighting a losing battle in a sport that is impossible to perfect. No matter how much you try.
At the peak of his powers, the great English golfer Nick Faldo once tried to dominate golf by reinventing his swing in the 1980s. His book was even dubbed In Search of Perfection, but carting off six major titles could never dissuade him from the feeling that he left shots at glory on the fairways of his mind.
Snooker’s impossible dream is seeking perfection in a sport built to expose human frailties and failure.
“I think Ronnie might have a little bit of stage fright because he looks like he’s going to play in The Masters, then pulls out 48 hours before. Same situation here [at the Welsh Open],” said Eurosport pundit Jimmy ‘Whirlwind’ White, a man who could provide the mental manual on snooker’s somewhat cruel ability to destroy all remaining hope with spirit-crushing defeats in six world finals.
“I think he’s always a perfectionist, he’s got a new cue. If he’s going to play, I think he wants to perform.“
“He’s just a god, isn’t he?” said Lisowski. “He carried the game for the last 20 years. He’s one of the most exciting British sportsmen ever.
“Here at the Welsh Open – I think I was like 12 – I cut my arm really bad on a glass door and I had it in a sling. He beat someone 5-0 and then he signed it after. I was buzzing.
“[O’Sullivan] is closely followed by John Higgins. He was my idol when I was growing up for several years.“
A glowing tribute from Jackpot, but it partly explains why O’Sullivan is not in the game as a tribute act.
“It’s a disappointing one for the fans, for me – I love watching him play,” said fellow seven-time Crucible winner Stephen Hendry on his podcast. “It would be a shame if we never see him play again in a tournament.“
The British Open, Northern Ireland Open, Shoot Out, Scottish Open, German Masters and Welsh Open were always likely to make way, with his focus appearing to centre around tournaments in Asia and lucrative exhibition opportunities.
He is due to begin his World Grand Prix title defence against Si Jiahui in Hong Kong next month, but an appearance in his recently adopted home city must be in some doubt with his last appearance at a ranking event coming at the UK Championship in November.
After an impressive 2023/24 campaign saw him win five events and earn over £1.2m in prize money, the world No. 4 has picked up £265,600 in earnings so far, with semi-final appearances at the Shanghai Masters and Xi’an Grand Prix and a quarter-final run at the Saudi Arabia Masters his best performances.
‘Takes your soul’
Maintaining optimum focus is difficult in the modern era. So time to reset is probably part of the deal if you are aspiring to perfection or winning ugly.
O’Sullivan took a year off between his world title victories in 2012 and 2013 while he also went over two years without winning a ranking event before lifting the German Masters with a 9-7 win over Stephen Maguire in 2012.
Any onlooker who wonders why men like O’Sullivan can get fed up with their calling in life, should have piped themselves into a hoary old Welsh Open quarter-final between Mark Selby and John Higgins on Friday lunchtime.
A match that began shortly after 12pm on Friday with both men exchanging smiles ended at 6pm with the pallor draining as slowly from the cheeks as the average shot time ran to 30 seconds.
Selby staggered over the line in a match that could have gone either way on his path to claiming a second Welsh Open title, 17 years after the first of his 24 ranking titles.
“This is a sport that has given me so much over the years, but it begins to take your soul bit by bit,” said Higgins.
“This has been a good sport for me, but as you fall down the rankings, it can begin to take that bit of goodness. It is a brutal sport sometimes.“
Selby, who has battled depression and considered quitting the game at his lowest ebb last year, earned £100,000 for lifting the Ray Reardon Trophy with a 9-6 win over Maguire in the Welsh Open final on Sunday.
It’s nice work if you can get it, but other sports, with much less mental demands than snooker, hand out a lot more for significantly less strain on the system.
Success in snooker is worth celebrating, but it remains as much about how much failure you can stomach on your way to those rare days of bliss in the sunshine.
Here is the list of players who have qualified as shared by WST:
LINE-UP FOR WORLD GRAND PRIX CONFIRMED
The field of 32 players for next month’s World Grand Prix in Hong Kong is now confirmed.
The top 32 in the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings have now qualified for the World Grand Prix, which will run from March 4-9 and will be staged in Hong Kong for the first time.
The 32 players are:
1. Judd Trump 2. Kyren Wilson 3. Xiao Guodong 4. Mark Selby 5. Mark Williams 6. Neil Robertson 7. Barry Hawkins 8. Ding Junhui 9. Si Jiahui 10. Shaun Murphy 11. Chris Wakelin 12. Wu Yize 13. Mark Allen 14. Lei Peifan 15. John Higgins 16. Jack Lisowski 17. Zhang Anda 18. Ali Carter 19. Elliot Slessor 20. Jimmy Robertson 21. Pang Junxu 22. David Gilbert 23. Stephen Maguire 24. Ronnie O’Sullivan 25. Xu Si 26. Tom Ford 27. Yuan Sijun 28. Stuart Bingham 29. Jackson Page 30. Jak Jones 31. Matthew Selt 32. Gary Wilson
The draw and format will be announced soon.
Hosted by World Snooker Tour (WST) and F-Sports Promotions Limited, and supported by the Billiard Sports Council of Hong Kong China Limited, the 2025 World Grand Prix will be held at Kai Tak Arena, Kai Tak Sports Park.
This year marks the first time the tournament will be hosted outside of the UK, with a record-breaking venue size and prize money on offer. The total prize money has increased from £380,000 last year to £700,000 this year, with the champion’s prize rising from £100,000 to £180,000, both setting new historic highs. This will be the first ranking tournament held in Hong Kong in 35 years.
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I’m reasonably confident that Ronnie will play in this one. He loves it there and is now a Hong Kong resident. He’s the defending Champion. If he withdrew from this one I would be VERY concerned.
WST says that the draw will be published soon but as, for this event the draw goes by strict seeding, it is already set, unless some players opt out. It is available on snooker.org. Ronnie is set to play Si Jiahui in his opening match.
Mark Selby beat Stephen Maguire by 9-6 yesterday evening to become the 2025 Welsh Open Champion. The match was extremely close up to the last interval. At that point Mark Selby pulled away. They say that winning is a habit and Stephen Maguire hasn’t won a title for a long time.
Mark Selby won the BetVictor Welsh Open for the second time, and his 24th ranking title in all, with a 9-6 victory over Stephen Maguire in the final in Llandudno.
From 6-6, Selby pulled away to win the last three frames to land the £100,000 top prize and Ray Reardon Trophy. Reardon and Terry Griffiths, two of the best ever Welsh players, have passed away in recent months and both would have appreciated Selby’s capacity to raise his game at the key moments as he dominated the closing stages, after Maguire had made a fine clearance for 6-6.
This is becoming an excellent season for 41-year-old Selby as he won the Unibet British Open in September and the BetVictor Championship League Invitational earlier this month. It’s the first time since 2020/21 he has won three titles in a single season – and there are opportunities for Selby to add to his haul in the coming months, notably in the spring when he will be among the leading contenders for the World Championship crown.
Having contemplated retirement during a few dark moments at the end of last season, when form and confidence deserted him, Selby is a renewed force this term.
His tally of 24 ranking titles brings him level with Neil Robertson on the all-time list, behind only Ronnie O’Sullivan (41), Stephen Hendry (36), John Higgins (31), Judd Trump (30), Steve Davis (28) and Mark Williams (26).
Selby moves into third place in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, behind Trump and Kyren Wilson, and into fourth spot on the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year list.
Maguire was playing in his first ranking final since 2020 but missed out on a sixth ranking title. Still, it’s a step forward for the 43-year-old Scot and the £45,000 prize crucially lifts him to 23rd on the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year list with the top 32 qualifying for next month’s World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.
After sharing the first session 4-4, Maguire had a chance to take the lead in the opening frame tonight, but missed the green off the last red when he led 55-36, and Selby cleared to edge ahead. Maguire’s run of 55 helped him take frame ten, then four-time World Champion Selby responded with a 67 to lead 6-5. The Englishman looked set to double his advantage until he missed a straight-forward red to a top corner on 60 in frame 12, and Maguire punished him with a fabulous 71 clearance which included a series of crafty shots to nudge reds off cushions.
After the interval, once again Selby edged ahead with a break of 60, then went two frames ahead for the first time since 3-1 with a superb 128 total clearance. In frame 15, Selby led 37-0 when he missed the pink to a centre pocket, but Maguire’s counter ended on 8 when he failed to cut a thin black to a top corner. And when he missed a difficult long red, he handed Selby the table to add a match-winning 30.
”At 6-5 I missed an easy red and the clearance Stephen made was ridiculous,” said Selby, who won his first ranking title at this event in 2008. “That could have been a turning point but I managed to get ahead again in the next frame. I had run of the ball at key moments, that can be the difference at this level. It’s great to see Stephen playing well and back in a final because he is a class act.
”It’s a special feeling. I am in a much better place than I was at the end of last season, when I shouldn’t have even played at the World Championship. I am enjoying it more and I feel I can still get better because there are a few parts of my game I can improve on.”
Maguire said: “I want to say thanks to the crowd, it was unreal to have that much support. When I made the clearance for 6-6 I wanted to carry on, the interval came at the wrong time for me. From 6-6 I hardly had a chance so all credit to Mark.”
Mark Selby and Stephen Maguire will contest the 2025 Welsh Open final today for the Ray Reardon trophy. Here is how they emerged the winners of their respective semi-finals, as reported by WST.
Mark Selby 6-3 Luca Brecel
SELBY FINISHES STRONGLY TO END BRECEL’S RUN
Mark Selby came from 3-2 down to beat Luca Brecel 6-3 and reach the final of the BetVictor Welsh Open, remaining on track for a 24th ranking title.
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Brecel looked the stronger player when he led 3-2, but crucially missed chances in the sixth and seventh frames. That allowed Selby to gain control of the contest, and the four-time World Champion reeled off the last four frames to set up a final against Ali Carter or Stephen Maguire in Llandudno on Sunday.
The 41-year-old from Leicester will be playing in his 36th ranking final, having won 23 of his previous 35. Back in 2008 he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 9-8 in the Welsh Open final, and has not won the event since. If Selby can lift the Ray Reardon Trophy tomorrow it will be his third piece of silverware this season having won the Unibet British Open in September and the BetVictor Championship League last week. He is sure to climb one place to third in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, and the £100,000 top prize would boost him to fourth on the one-year list.
Defeat is a double blow for Brecel as victory today would have guaranteed him a place in next month’s World Grand Prix, instead he misses out on that event in Hong Kong. His hopes of winning the £150,000 BetVictor Bonus are also over as he needed to win the tournament to top the BetVictor Series rankings, so that windfall goes to Neil Robertson.
In a repeat of the 2023 Crucible final, Selby made a superb start with a 131 total clearance in the opening frame. Brecel was suffering from a headache and took a short break, and when he came back to the table he got his cue arm going with a run of 68 for 1-1. A scrappy 45-minute third frame went Selby’s way, before Brecel made 79 in the fourth then dominated the fifth for 3-2.
Belgium’s Brecel had chances to extend his lead in frame six, but missed a red with the rest when he led 23-2, and Selby punished him with a run of 60. World number seven Brecel had another opportunity in the seventh, but on 45 went for a risky three-ball plant which missed its target, and Selby cleared with 67 for 4-3. The Englishman went on to take the eighth with runs of 33 and 35 before sealing victory in the ninth with a 74.
“I got stronger as it went on, from 3-2 down that was the most composed I have felt all week,” said Selby. “I lost my way a bit after the interval. The match turned on the plant Luca went for at 3-3, it was probably a one in ten shot and perhaps he shouldn’t have gone for it. For me, you have to weigh up the options and percentages, if it’s not in your favour it’s not the right shot. But that’s how Luca plays and he has won tournaments so he’ll feel he doesn’t need to change.
“The difference for me in the last few weeks has been that I have been winning scrappy frames, which I had struggled with previously for a few months. Winning the Championship League gave me confidence. I have lacked consistency at times this season so it has been great this week to put a run together. I’ll enjoy the final tomorrow but I will be trying my hardest and determined to win.”
Brecel, who was playing in his first ranking semi-final of the season, said: “I didn’t play well enough, I missed too many chances. I felt I was playing well enough to win the tournament, but Mark was a very tough opponent today.”
Stephen Maguire 6-4 Ali Carter
MAGUIRE REACHES FIRST FINAL IN FIVE YEARS
Resurgent Stephen Maguire ground out a 6-4 victory over Ali Carter at the BetVictor Welsh Open to reach his first ranking event final since 2020.
World number 29 Maguire had not even appeared in a ranking event quarter-final this season prior to this week, but has shown his renowned fighting spirit in Llandudno to make it through to the conclusion. On Sunday he will battle Mark Selby over 17 frames for the Ray Reardon Trophy and a top prize of £100,000, with Glasgow’s 43-year-old Maguire aiming for a seventh career ranking title and first since the 2020 Tour Championship.
Back in 2004, Maguire won the UK Championship, and subsequently enjoyed a sequence of nine consecutive seasons ranked among the world’s top ten. Since then, highlights have been few and far between, but he recently started work with coach Chris Small for the first time and this week has produced a string of impressive wins.
As an added bonus, his run has boosted Maguire from 41st in the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings into the top 32 and guaranteed him a place in next month’s World Grand Prix in Hong Kong. Victory over Selby tomorrow would push him up to 13th on that list and to 21st in the official Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings.
The Scot took the opening frame tonight with a break of 84, before Carter won the next two with runs of 118 and 54. World number 15 Carter had a chance to lead 3-1 but in frame four, trailing by 14 points, he missed the final blue to a baulk corner and also sent the cue ball in-off, allowing his opponent to level at 2-2.
Carter regained the lead before a break of 85 got Maguire back to 3-3. In the seventh, Carter was 22 points ahead when he missed frame-ball black to a top corner off the last red, and Maguire punished him by clearing the colours. A run of 57 extended Maguire’s lead to 5-3, then Carter’s 47 helped him pull one back.
Both players had chances in frame ten, and Maguire established a 58-35 advantage before laying a snooker on the last red. From the chance that followed, he slotted the red into a baulk corner from mid-range and added the points he needed to reach a 14th ranking final.
“It was a scrap from start to finish and I’m very happy to come out on the right end,” said Maguire, who beat Stuart Bingham in the final of this event in 2013, two years after he had finished runner-up to John Higgins. “I have done well in the scrappy frames this week because I have not been scoring well, I haven’t even made a century. Working with Chris (Small) has definitely helped me. A few months ago I was losing to players who I didn’t feel I should be beating me. I made the call to Chris and he stripped my game back to basics. Maybe this is the reward.
“It’s nice to be in the World Grand Prix now but for me it’s all about trying to win the title. I’ll only enjoy it tomorrow if I win.”
I didn’t watch the evening match. I was due to travel very early this morning and couldn’t afford to stay up late but I’m very happy with the outcome. I always liked Maguire who is a no-nonsense guy and plays the game properly.
Regarding the afternoon match, Mark played well. It was a shame though that Luca wasn’t 100% fit. At the start of the match he required medical attention as he was suffering from migraine. Migraine isn’t just a headache. It’s very painful, it affects your vision, strong light is nearly unbearable, and it comes with nausea as well. The medication needs a bit of time to deliver full effect, the start of the match was delayed, and, of course, after a while, that effect fades. Luca started well but his level dropped as the match went on. We will never know how much the migraine affected him, if at all. But, as I already wrote, Mark played well, really well.
The quarter-finals at the 2025 Welsh Open in Llandudno delivered some very hard fought battles and unexpected comebacks. Here are the reports shared by WST:
Mark Selby beat John Higgins 5-4 in a marathon five-hour tussle to reach the semi-finals of the BetVictor Welsh Open for the first time since 2012.
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Two of snooker’s toughest match-players produced a contest which was low on quality by their high standards, but bubbled to an exciting conclusion, Selby getting the better of a tense decider to reach his 65th ranking event semi-final. He will meet Luca Brecel on Saturday as he continues his quest for a third title of the season, having already won the Unibet British Open and BetVictor Championship League Invitational.
“We both struggled and brought each other down, there were a lot of scrappy frames,” admitted world number four Selby, who landed the first of his 23 ranking titles at the Welsh Open in 2008, but has not won it since. “If one of us had played better, the other might have raised his game. The only positive for me is that I got over the line and I can only improve tomorrow. If I had lost I would have been gutted, but now I can put that behind me.”
Leicester’s Selby took the opening frame on a respotted black, and the second on the colours. A break of 68 helped Higgins pull one back, and in frame four he converted a thundering a long pot on the penultimate red to create the chance for 2-2. The fifth frame lasted 62 minutes, resolved when Higgins potted brown and blue to go ahead, before Selby’s run of 53 helped him restore parity. In the seventh, Higgins was on 61 when he over-cut a tricky thin red, and his opponent later made a 42 clearance to edge 4-3 ahead.
Selby was 15 points behind in frame eight when he missed the final green to a baulk corner, allowing Higgins to force the decider. The key moment came when Scotland’s Higgins, down 35-13, potted the blue to a centre pocket and was unlucky not to gain position on a red. He then played a loose safety, and Selby slotted in a long red to set up a match-winning 84, his highest break of the day.
Higgins, still seeking a first ranking title since the 2021 Players Championship, said: “It was a mammoth game, I gave it everything. I know the shots but I’ve got deficiencies in my game. I just can’t bring myself to play the right shot, that’s the disappointing thing. At 3-3 when I was on 61, I had to play a high black into the pack, when I have been playing the low black and screwing into the reds. I just don’t have the cue power to play those sort of shots. If I had gone 4-3 up then who knows. But Mark made a great clearance under pressure in the last frame.“
Selby against Brecel will be a rematch of the 2023 Crucible final, which the Belgian won 18-15. Surprisingly, this will be Brecel’s first ranking semi-final since that event 21 months ago. He beat Jackson Page 5-2 today to add momentum to his recent return to form.
There’s no shortage of incentive for 29-year-old Brecel over the last weekend in Llandudno as if he beats Selby he will climb into the top 32 of the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings and earn a place in the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong next month. If he then goes on to take the title, he will win not just the £100,000 top prize and Ray Reardon Trophy, but also the £150,000 BetVictor Bonus which goes to the player who earns the most money across the BetVictor Home Nations Series.
World number seven Brecel took the first two frames against Page before his opponent, the last Welshman in the field, responded with 67 and 103 for 2-2. After the interval, Brecel looked the stronger player, and compiled breaks of 94 and 76 in taking the last three frames. “I enjoyed the game and took my chances,” said Brecel after reaching his 12th ranking event semi-final.
The Selby v Higgins match is the one I watched. It lasted for so long that eventually WST decided to start the other afternoon match on table 2 instead of table 1 as originally planned because, obviously, delaying it further would have caused serious scheduling issues. It wasn’t a high quality match but it was fascinating albeit painful to watch at times. I’m happy with the outcome. I really like Mark Selby as a person, even if, at times, I find his game a bit too “conservative” and hard to watch. I used to like John Higgins, who is a wonderful snooker player, but no more after what happened in 2010. I know that he was set up but he didn’t know that, so what he did is what he would have done if the approach had been “real”. He could have talked to World snooker after the approach, and he would have been alright, but, as a matter of fact, he didn’t. If it had happened today and if he was a young Chinese lad, he would have got a very lengthy ban. I’m 100% sure of that. As it is, he only missed a few minor events early in the next season, and to be fair to Higgins, he gave it 100% on his return, but still … Pat Mooney, who, at the time, had been approached/appointed by Hearn as director in charge of the development of snooker in Eastern Europe, was “excluded” from all snooker involvement for life. That was the right decision and it tells enough about the seriousness of the incident even if it has been downplayed by some1 since. It was made even worse by the fact that John was still the reigning World Champion when it happened. Also I always wondered what were the real motives of the “NOTW” or of whoever “tipped” them2 … that aspect was never elucidated or explained IF someone at WST actually knows the truth about that aspect of the “scandal”. I always wondered if the real “target” may actually have been to discredit Hearn who had just taken over the sport and had appointed Mooney to his team.
Stephen Maguire reached his first ranking event semi-final in four years with a 5-3 victory over Jack Lisowski at the BetVictor Welsh Open – a result which could earn him a place in next month’s World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.
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Six-time ranking event champion Maguire has had few moments in the limelight in recent seasons and has dropped to 29th in the world, but the 43-year-old has shown fighting spirit this week and is into the last four for the first time since the 2021 Welsh Open. On Saturday night in Llandudno he’ll meet Ali Carter, who recovered a 3-1 deficit to beat Joe O’Connor 5-3.
Glasgow’s Maguire came into this week needing a deep run to move into the top 32 of the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings and earn a place in Hong Kong in March. As it stands he is in 32nd place, though he could yet be ousted by Luca Brecel if the Belgian beats Mark Selby in Saturday’s first semi-final.
Lisowski, still seeking his first ranking title, started strongly tonight as breaks of 85 and 93 put him 2-1 ahead. In the fourth frame he potted eight reds with blacks but then – perhaps chasing a 147 chance – missed a risky red and Maguire pinched the frame for 2-2. The next two were shared before Maguire’s run of 66 put him 4-3 up. In frame eight, Maguire led 24-0 when he missed a red to a top corner with the rest, but Lisowski couldn’t capitalise as his counter ended on 29 with a failed red to centre. A further 47 was enough for Maguire to reach his 36th ranking semi-final.
“Jack looked brilliant early on, I thought he was going to make a maximum in the fourth frame,” said the Scot. “I managed to nick that one and it changed the match. My cueing was a lot better tonight, though I still threw in a few stupid shots and I’m a long way off my best. I’m still fighting. I felt edgy tonight when it was 3-3 because it was a big match for me, it’s nerve-racking out there. I’ll be excited tomorrow and looking forward to it more, I love the one table set up.”
Carter won the first of his six ranking titles at this event back in 2009, and his most recent at the BetVictor Championship League at the start of this season. Despite suffering from illness this week, he has reeled off four wins to earn a 32nd career ranking semi-final. He and Maguire, both known for a fiery temperament, met in the semi-finals at the Crucible back in 2012, Carter winning 17-12 and the world number 15 will hope to come out on top again this time.
O’Connor looked the stronger player in the early stages, and though Carter made a break of 90 in the third frame, he lost the other three before the interval. But O’Connor mustered just 27 points in the last four frames as Carter dominated with top runs of 62, 66 and 91.
“I came here feeling very rough with a virus, I just had to get through the early rounds to give myself a chance,” said the Essex cueman. “At the interval I said to my coach Chris Henry that I still felt I could play well and I was just going to go for it. I have played some turgid stuff this week, but that was by far my best tonight from 3-1 down.“
Jack I’m afraid was his infuriating self again. Brilliant at the start of the match but apparently collapsing when put under pressure by his opponent. I write “apparently” because that’s how it feels, but I wonder if there might be some other issue. Maybe what Jack went through as a young lad, beating cancer, left him vulnerable to fatigue and he simply can’t sustain the required level of concentration for long? If that is the cause of the problem, it’s a crying shame because, when in full flow, he’s wonderful to watch.
Most notably by Steve Davis, who at the time was in tears in the media room, convinced that snooker was doomed… ↩︎
Pat Mooney and John Higgins had tried to promote snooker through a series of events across Europe: The World Series of Snooker. It was a great initiative but it didn’t get the success they expected. It had left them with some huge debts and the players involved had not been paid in full yet. ↩︎
Let’s start with the Ronnie news first … As already mentioned by Ben in commentary, Ronnie has shared a statement regarding his “serial” withdrawals:
This is obviously not great, but it’s not a big surprise either as Ronnie has ample prior history of mental health struggles. I’m wishing Ronnie a full recovery, no matter how long it takes. His health the only important thing. After all, snooker is only a game and Ronnie has nothing to prove to anyone.
Now onto what happened yesterday on the baize in Llandudno. Here are the reports shared by WST:
Jackson Page boosted his hopes of becoming the first home winner of the BetVictor Welsh Open this century as he beat Tom Ford 4-0 to reach the quarter-finals in Llandudno.
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Mark Williams was the last Welsh player to win this title – or even reach the final – back in 1999. There’s a strong Welsh showing this time, with a record four players in the last 16, and Page looks a strong contender for the Ray Reardon Trophy. The 23-year-old from Ebbw Vale took just 50 minutes to beat Ford with a top break of 62, earning a tie with Pang Junxu or Luca Brecel.
Page reached his first ranking final at the Championship League at the start of this season, finishing runner-up to Ali Carter, and this would be the perfect week for a first title. “Welsh snooker is thriving, there are a lot of us on tour doing well,” he said. “This is a great venue, the fans have been brilliant and I am grateful for their support. I’m having a good season and I just want to have as many deep runs as I can.“
John Higgins reached his 145th ranking event quarter-final, just one off Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record of 146, with a 4-0 thrashing of Yuan Sijun. Higgins’ progress has been serene so far this week, winning three matches by a 4-0 scoreline, making three centuries and six more breaks over 50. Runs of 90 and 131 helped the 49-year-old Scot to a superb win over Yuan, keeping him on track for a record-extending sixth Welsh Open title.
“I’m delighted, I’ve played well in all three matches so far,” said Higgins, looking for his first ranking title since the 2021 Players Championship. “Usually you have at least one match which goes to the wire, so it’s been important to keep some energy for later in the tournament. My positional play has been good which means I’m not having to play too many recovery shots.”
Stephen Maguire reached his first quarter-final of the season with a 4-2 success against Sanderson Lam. Maguire came into this week needing to at least make the semi-finals to climb into the top 32 of the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings and qualify for next month’s World Grand Prix, and he is now just one win away from that target.
“I’ll need to find something before my next match,” said 2013 Welsh Open champion Maguire, whose top break today was 87. “I was struggling to control the white and I probably deserved to lose. I’ll phone John Higgins and see if he wants to go for dinner and give me a pep talk. I am in the quarter-finals so I’ll take it.”
Joe O’Connor also booked a place in the last eight as he showed his break-building class in a 4-1 win over Matthew Stevens, firing runs of 99, 87, 113 and 82.
Luca Brecel remained on track to win a first title since his Crucible triumph 21 months ago, beating Pang Junxu 4-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the BetVictor Welsh Open in Llandudno.
It could be a winner-takes-all scenario for Brecel if he makes it to Sunday’s final, as the title would also give him the £150,000 BetVictor Bonus awarded to the player who earns the most money across the four BetVictor Home Nations events this season. A further incentive for the Belgian is that a place in the final would get him into next month’s World Grand Prix in Hong Kong. But for now, Brecel won’t be looking beyond a battle with Jackson Page, the last remaining Welsh player, on Friday afternoon.
Since landing the world title in 2023, Brecel has dipped in and out of form, and was even in danger of tour relegation until his recent improvement. He reached the quarter-finals of the BetVictor Scottish Open and the final of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship before Christmas and is enjoying another run this week.
“When I turn up at tournaments now I really want to go deep,” said 29-year-old Brecel, whose top break tonight was 69. “Before, if I wasn’t in a really good place I wanted to go home. Now I want to win the tournament or at least get to a quarter or semi-final. It’s fantastic to be in the mix again. I will enjoy playing Jackson, he is very attacking and very fast and a nice guy to watch.”
Mark Selby reached his 99th ranking event quarter-final with a 4-0 whitewash of Jamie Jones, setting up a blockbuster clash with John Higgins at 12pm on Friday. The pair met in the Unibet British Open final earlier this season, Selby winning 10-5, and the Englishman will be hoping to come out on top again as he chases back to back titles, having won the BetVictor Championship League Invitational last week.
Breaks of 73, 62 and 58 helped Selby to a comfortable victory. “I played well tonight apart from a couple of loose safety shots,” said the Leicester cueman, whose first ranking title came in this tournament back in 2008. “Jamie had a chance to win the first frame and if he had taken that he could have settled and made it a different match.
“I finished late last night (beating Elliot Slessor 4-3) so I only had around five hours sleep, I am flagging a bit now so hopefully I’ll sleep well tonight. John Higgins is a class act and I always look forward to playing him, as well as Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Williams because we don’t know how long they will keep playing so we have to cherish it.“
Ali Carter beat Ryan Day 4-1 to reach his first ranking event quarter-final since winning the BetVictor Championship League back in July. Breaks of 57 and 51 helped Carter set up a tie with Joe O’Connor.
Jack Lisowski was the last man into the quarter-finals and has made seven centuries in his three matches this week. Breaks of 123 and 131 helped him to beat Matthew Selt 4-2 and he now meets Stephen Maguire.
Jackson Page played well but Tom Ford was well below part and, actually, he didn’t look well at all. I’m not sure if the issues are “physical”, “mental” or both but Tom looked really ill out there.
Stephen Maguire didn’t play particularly well in beating Sanderson Lam but, at least, he stayed calm and didn’t allow his often volatile temperament to get the better of him.
I didn’t watch much of the evening session and don’t remember anything of what little I did watch. I was far too tired to stay focused. In his interview, quoted above, Selby mentioned his late finish on the previous day and sleep deprivation as a result. The schedule as it is may suit the British viewers1, especially those who don’t need to get up early for work or school on the next day, but for western mainland Europeans it’s not great and for eastern mainland Europeans watching the last match of the evening session is only an option if they don’t need to get up early on the next day. It’s far too late!
The quarter-finals today will be best of 9, with consecutive matches in the afternoon and “parallel” matches in the evening. I don’t like this “arrangement” although I understand the practical reasons behind it. The reason I don’t like it is because, from the semi-finals on there will be just one table and, more often than not it’s “table 1”, therefore we might have one player in the SFs who has never got the opportunity to play on that table yet, whilst the other three had that opportunity. That’s not fair. Tables are all supposed to play more or less the same but, actually, it isn’t the case as we all know!
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Ronnie O'Sullivan 