First of all I want to thank everyone of you who have expressed concern about the situation on my island and about my wellbeing and safety.
From the heart, thank you!
Now… I have read all sorts in the press, some of it is true, some is exaggerated and some is simply untrue.
Therefore I decided to write this piece today about what I have been experiencing over the last few days and reassure you…
We have experienced hundreds of tremors over the last days, since the last week-end. That is true. The strongest ones were around 5.3 Richter, which is still considered a “mild” earthquake. We feel it, of course we do, but so far, it hasn’t caused any damage to our house, objects have not been falling off shelves and our cats – we have adopted 6 rescue kittens – our cats show no sign of acting any differently than usual.
Contrary to what has been said in the press, not everything is closed, far from it. Schools are closed, but most shops, supermarkets and restaurants are open as usual. Of course, some precautions are taken: for example the supermarkets leave their doors “blocked” in open position, so that people can get out easily if needed. Nobody wants a stampede… We also have been asked to avoid big gatherings, beaches and cliffs in case tectonic movements would cause a tsunami or a landslide. Nets are installed on the slopes of some of our cliffs to “contain” possible falling rocks.
Contrary to what has been said in the press, we are not sleeping in our cars. We are sleeping in our beds. We just have things at the ready, warm clothes, water etc … IN CASE we would be forced to leave our houses.
The island authorities have contingency and evacuation plans. We have been informed where we should go in case the island needs to be evacuated. Tents have been installed in some areas deemed safe, in case we have to leave our houses. The army is at the ready, with dogs trained to “find” people trapped in rubble.
It IS true that Fira and Oia are empty … but then they are always empty at this season. Most shops are closed, and very few tourists apartments are occupied in winter even on a normal year. Believe me, when the wind is blowing here, like it is today, it’s really bitter cold and most tourists accommodations are not equipped for that cold.
It IS true that many have left the island. Many of the workers who work on construction sites are not Greek. The majority of them have left. All construction sites are at a stop of course, and more than just a few of those guys are not quite in a “legal” situation. A lot of Santorini inhabitants who have a condo in Athens, have gone there, especially those with children. But not all of them, far from it. Over the last two days, the open air playground in our village was vibrant with children playing and having fun. And many of those people who left now consider coming back because they have work to do, they need to earn money and their business is on the island.
From what we know, the seismic activity is cause by tectonic mouvements in an area NE of the island, under the sea, between Santorini and Amorgos. There is a tectonic “fault” there and it’s “moving”. It’s the same phenomenon that caused the major earthquake in 1956. That one caused a lot of destruction, especially right on top of the caldera in Imerovigli. Since that disaster however, the houses that have been built or rebuilt for the inhabitants, have been made to comply to the highest anti-seismic security norms, It’s the case for my house. I’m not so sure though about some of the cheap constructions built to hosts tourists during the season…
Could the tectonic activity “wake up” the volcanos, Nea Kameni in Santorini and Koloumbo under water? It IS a possibility but it IS unlikely.
World Champion Kyren Wilson prevailed 10-9 in a pulsating Machineseeker German Masters final, defeating Barry Hawkins at the iconic Tempodrom in Berlin.
The thrilling victory gives Wilson a second triumph in this event, having beaten David Gilbert in the 2019 final. It is his first win in Berlin since the passing of his late manager Brandon Parker, who the trophy is now named in honour of. Parker was instrumental in bringing professional snooker to Germany and instigating this tournament.
It has been a stunning first season as World Champion for the Warrior. Victory in the German capital sees him pick up his third piece of silverware this term. Wilson was also triumphant at the Xi’an Grand Prix and the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
Wilson suffered a gut-wrenching defeat in the recent Johnstone’s Paint Masters final against Shaun Murphy. The world number two vowed to bounce back immediately this week and he has stayed true to his word.
Defeat for four-time ranking event winner Hawkins will be a tough pill to swallow. It follows a loss in his only other final appearance this season against Judd Trump, at the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship, where he fell short 10-8.
A fiercely contested afternoon session went marginally in the favour of Hawkins, who emerged with a 5-4 advantage.
The opener this evening went the way of Wilson, who immediately got back on level terms, but it looked like it had come at a cost. In between frames he appeared to be concerned at the state of his ferrule and passed his cue to his opponent to inspect the issue. The brass underneath the tip had come loose, it was not a quick fix and he had no choice but to play on.
However, it didn’t seem to deter the Kettering cueman, who fired in a fine 93 break to move 6-5 ahead. Just as Wilson appeared to have the momentum, he missed a pink with the 12th frame at his mercy. Hawkins pounced by clearing the colours to steal on the black and draw all square. Again Wilson recovered quickly and a superb 125 saw him head in for the mid-session ahead at 7-6.
Hawkins came out firing after the break and made a contribution of exactly 100 to restore parity. Wilson regained the lead, before a phenomenal clearance of 61 from Hawkins, which included a table length double on the penultimate red, made it 8-8.
A risky plant from Hawkins in the 17th went awry and allowed Wilson to pounce and move one from victory at 9-8. However, the steely Londoner refused to buckle and clinched a 30-minute 18th to force a decider.
Wilson looked to be powering over the line in the final frame, before a missed plant on 59 gave his opponent a chance. Hawkins cut a red in off the black to a big top left pocket, but sent the white into the right middle. He eventually got another opportunity to come from behind, but fell out of position and a loose safety afforded Wilson an opportunity to close out the match. He cracked in a red from long range and got himself over the line.
“The beauty of it all is that when you’ve proved to yourself that you can win the biggest event of them all, then it gives you confidence. If you can’t use being World Champion as confidence, then what’s the point? I’m using it to my advantage. I feel like I’m riding the crest of a wave. I’ve had a really good season, but there are still a lot of tournaments left so hopefully more silverware is on the horizon.”
Kyren Wilson
Machineseeker German Masters Champion
Wilson added: “It just shows how tough the standard is in snooker. Barry is one of the best match players in the game and you have to get past him. I managed to scrape through and I’m proud of how I held him off.
“The fans have been really treated to some great snooker this week and a 10-9 final is probably what they wished for. It is amazing to walk away with the trophy and I’d like to thank everyone for the support.“
“I won this event in 2019 and sadly Brandon passed away not long after that. He has missed a lot of iconic moments in my career. It is right that his name is on the trophy. If it wasn’t for him then we wouldn’t have this tournament. I’m so pleased I managed to win it.“
Hawkins said: “I felt like I was holding on to Kyren all day. He was playing better than me and was the stronger player. In the end, at 9-9, it is anybody’s game. I’ve had a great week. It has been a great crowd and I’ve had great support. It is onwards and upwards. Kyren deserved the win.“
Match Highlights
I don’t have much to add as I couldn’t really watch it … my island is shaking 😳. I saw nothing at all of the final session.
The reigning World champion, Kyren Wilson, will face the vastly experienced Barry Hawkins today in the final in Berlin. Both beat a young Chinese opponent yesterday in a packed Tempodrom.
World Champion Kyren Wilson is through to the Machineseeker German Masters final, after defeating Xiao Guodong 6-2 at the Tempodrom in Berlin.
The Englishman last made it to a title match in Germany’s premier snooker event back in 2019, when he defeated David Gilbert 9-7 in a thrilling final. Wilson will now face either Barry Hawkins or Yuan Sijun in tomorrow’s final with the Brandon Parker Trophy on the line. The trophy is named in memory of Wilson’s late former manager, who was instrumental in bringing this event to Germany and instigating several tournaments throughout Europe.
It’s been an impressive first season as Crucible king for the Warrior, who has already picked up silverware. Wins over Judd Trump in the finals of the Xi’an Grand Prix and BetVictor Northern Ireland Open have already taken his title tally to two. He was runner-up to Shaun Murphy at the recent Johnstone’s Paint Masters.
Xiao’s week ends in defeat, but it marks the continuation of a tremendous season. He picked up a maiden ranking title at last year’s Wuhan Open and has now appeared in five semi-finals during the campaign.
Breaks of 88 and 100 helped Wilson charge into an early 3-0 lead this afternoon, before Xiao showed his class with 72 in the fourth to give himself hope at 3-1 heading into the mid-session.
When play resumed there were no signs of a momentum shift, with Wilson taking two on the bounce to move to the verge of victory at 5-1. Xiao kept himself in the hunt by pulling one back, but a 32-minute seventh went the way of Wilson to send him into the final of a ranking event for the 17th time. He received a rapturous ovation in front of a sell out Tempodrom crowd as he exited the arena.
Wilson said: “It feels amazing. The crowd were spectacular. The roar is so different to any other venue. I was desperate to make the one table set up this week and it is even better now I’m in the final.
“Xiao has had a fantastic season, winning his first ranking title and making the Champion of Champions final. He is having a fantastic season and beat me on the way to his first title in Wuhan. It was nice to get the win back there.
“I made it clear at the start of the week I was thinking of Brandon. You come here and people tell stories about Brandon. I put a post out at the start of the week saying that we are so grateful to him to have this event. It is great his name lives on with the trophy and I’ll be trying my absolute hardest to lift that tomorrow.“
Barry Hawkins summoned a six frame blitz to beat Yuan Sijun 6-2 and reach the final of the Machineseeker German Masters at the Tempodrom in Berlin.
The Hawk is hunting the fifth ranking title of his career so far and will go toe to toe with World Champion Kyren Wilson in tomorrow’s showpiece showdown. The pair will do battle over the best of 19 frames, with a top prize of £100,000 and the Brandon Parker Trophy on the line.
Hawkins and Wilson have a history of contesting finals on German soil. The 2019 Paul Hunter Classic title match in Furth saw Hawkins prevail, while Wilson came out on top at the same venue in 2022 to win the European Masters. A year later, Hawkins would return to Germany and pick up the European Masters crown with a win over Judd Trump in the final.
China’s Yuan bows out after the most significant tournament run of his career so far, having also made the semis of the Gibraltar Open back in 2019. Deciding frame wins over Shaun Murphy and Neil Robertson this week helped him to make the final four and earn today’s appearance in front of a crowd of over 2,300 expectant German fans.
Yuan got off to a flyer when play commenced this evening, breaks of 82 and 70 saw him move 2-0 ahead. From that moment Hawkins took charge. Breaks of 89 and 54 helped him to take frames three and four to draw level at 2-2.
Tightly fought fifth and sixth frames both went to Hawkins, before back-to-back contributions of 83 allowed him to make it six on the bounce to secure a comprehensive victory.
Hawkins said: “I think he faltered towards the end a little bit. He started strongly and then when I came back at him it put him on the back foot. I tried to stay positive and tried to stay calm. I didn’t want to make silly mistakes. To get over the line quite easily, I was delighted.
“It will be an amazing occasion for me against Kyren. Those occasions have been few and far between for me lately. I won the European Masters last season and I’ve had a couple of good results since then. Hopefully I can keep doing what I’ve been doing and enjoy it.
“Winning tomorrow would be up there with the best moments of my career. I’ve got such a tough game against Kyren though. He is playing some great stuff and even when he isn’t he is so hard to beat these days. I won’t be thinking any further ahead. I’ve still got a mountain to climb.“
Meanwhile, in Morroco, Gao Yang won the 2025 WSF championship and regained a tour card
Gao Yangbeat Brian Cini 5-3 in the final of the 2025 WSF Championship to claim the biggest title of his career in Morocco and secure his return to the professional World Snooker Tour for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons.
Having previously reached the final of the Championship 12 months ago, Gao was able to go one step further in 2025 following a high-quality final to add victory in the Open Championship event to his prior success at the WSF Junior Championship in Malta five years earlier. He becomes the first player to have claimed both titles during their career and underlines his record as the most successful player ever at the World Snooker Federation Championships.
Gao’s reward will see him now rejoin the professional circuit for the first time since the end of his initial two-year spell in 2022, and further extends a run which has seen the tournament dominated by players from Asia, with five of its six stagings now won by players from the region. He follows in the footsteps of Luo Honghao (2018), Si Jiahui (2022), Ma Hailong (2023) and last year’s winner Ka Wai Cheung (2024) to lift the trophy.
The outstanding performer during the week, Gao hit a tournament-best five century breaks on his way to the title match for a second successive year, including the overall high break of 140 during his quarter-final victory against Stuart Watson.
The match would prove to be a more cagey affair on the resumption of play, with Cini notably claiming the sixth frame from behind on the colours to once again draw level at 3-3.
Ultimately, it would be Gao’s day, however, as he responded by winning the following two frames to seal victory and secure his return to the World Snooker Tour following a three-year-absence.
Gao said: “This tournament has many former professional players and so it is very hard to win. Now I have a chance to start again. I have moved to Victoria’s Snooker Academy in Sheffield and play more often against professional players like Si Jiahui, Zhang Anda and Zhao Xintong in practice which is very important. My target for the next two years is to get into the top 64.”
Held at the Radisson Blu Resort Saïdia Beach in Morocco, the sixth staging of snooker’s most prestigious amateur championships attracted approximately 250 entries from around the globe across three competitions, with around 600 matches completed across 15 days.
Victory for Gao completes a memorable fortnight in Morocco which had previously seen Ireland’s Leone Crowley and Thailand’s Mink Nutcharut claim the titles in the Junior and Women’s Championships respectively.
The World Snooker Federation would like to thank all of its partners who have supported the event, in particular Morocco Snooker and its president Mr Mourad Mahi, without whom the staging of the Championships would not have been possible.
Unfortunately, I can’t comment. I saw next to nothing of the action and it may well be the same today.
As some of you probably know already, I live in Santorini. The island itself is a “living” volcano, with the craters in the middle in the caldera. We have another volcano nearby, under water, north-east of the island, Koloumbo. Both volcanos are currently showing signs of “activity”. We had dozens of mild earthquakes over the last 48 hours. The last “seismic tremor”, about half an hour ago was on 4.8 Richter. Schools are temporary closed, gatherings in closed spaces are forbidden, access to the harbours and beaches is forbidden as well.
The quarter-finals at the 2025 German Masters really delivered. With the week-en approaching, the Tempodrom welcomed more fans, and the big crowd appeared to truly inspire the players.
World Champion Kyren Wilson overcame familiar foe Anthony McGill 5-4 to make the semi-finals of the Machineseeker German Masters at the Tempodrom in Berlin.
Wilson and McGill crossed cues in an epic 2020 World Championship semi-final, where the Warrior prevailed 17-16 after a marathon deciding frame, which lasted over an hour. Wilson has now won all four of their subsequent meetings.
Victory sees the Crucible king progress to the semi-finals, where he faces Xiao Guodong. Wilson is enjoying a fine first campaign as World Champion, having picked up silverware at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open and the Xi’an Grand Prix. He will be hoping to add to that with the second German Masters crown of his career this weekend.
It was world number 40 McGill who was in control for much of today’s match. After taking a tightly contested first two frames, he looked to be in control of the third before missing a straightforward red leading 60-6. Wilson ruthlessly hammered home a break of 68 in response to steal on the black. However, McGill was undeterred and made a sublime 134 in the next to lead 3-1 at the mid-session.
Wilson responded when play resumed by claiming two on the bounce to restore parity at 3-3. The next two frames were traded to set up a decider, where Wilson made a match winning 72 to book his place in the last four.
“It always seems to be a really close match when we play, it doesn’t matter what tournament. Anthony is such a good competitor and match player, I know I just have to dig in. I know he will make it really tough for me. I’m proud of that break in the deciding frame because that took a lot of bottle,” said 33-year-old Wilson.
“It’s a shame how the World Championship semi-final ended because people forget how good that game was. It was so draining. I feel like we have held each other in really high regard after that and I would love to see him go on and kick on now because he is so good.
“All the players that come here want to make the semi-finals. It is magical. I was desperate to get over the line in that match and be a part of semi-final Saturday. I’m looking forward to taking on Xiao in front of a packed out crowd.“
China’s Xiao has been in red hot form this season and produced another clinical display to brush aside Irish 22-year-old Aaron Hill 5-0.
Victory this afternoon sees Xiao make his fifth semi-final of the campaign. He captured his maiden ranking title, 17 years on from first turning professional, at this season’s Wuhan Open. Xiao overcame compatriot Si Jiahui in Wuhan and has since gone on to make the title match of the Champion of Champions, where he was beaten by Mark Williams.
A fine week for Hill ends in defeat. He can take solace from wins over Williams, Jimmy Robertson and Tom Ford to make his second ranking quarter-final.
Xiao conjured contributions of 95, 75, 114 and 113 on his way to this afternoon’s win.
China’s Yuan Sijun is through to the second ranking event semi-final of his career after prevailing 5-4 over Neil Robertson at the Machineseeker German Masters in Berlin.
Yuan hasn’t made the final four of a ranking event since the Gibraltar Open in 2019, when he was whitewashed by Stuart Bingham. He will now face Englishman Barry Hawkins in front of a packed Tempodrom crowd of over 2,000 fans tomorrow evening.
It was a second consecutive decider for Yuan, who came through a nerve shredding encounter with recently crowned Masters champion Shaun Murphy 5-4 in the last 16.
Defeat ends 24-time ranking event winner Robertson’s quest for a maiden Berlin crown. He made the final in 2020, but was beaten by Judd Trump.
Breaks of 52, 100 and 75 helped Yuan to secure a 3-1 lead at the mid-session this evening. When play resumed Robertson took a tight fifth to reduce his arrears, but it was Yuan who claimed the sixth to move one from the win at 4-2.
Robertson kept in contention by winning the seventh, before a dramatic eighth. It came down to the colours, with Robertson clearing to steal on the black, after a stunning positional shot on the brown afforded him a route to the frame.
A nervy decider saw Yuan miss opportunities to put his opponent away, but a break of 57 eventually proved to be critical as he got over the line.
Hawkins earned his progression with a brilliant 5-3 win over the runner-up in this season’s English and Scottish Opens, Wu Yize.
The Hawk is set for a second ever appearance in the single table setup at the Tempodrom, having first made the semis in 2013.
The Englishman has enjoyed a strong season thus far, highlighted by a brilliant run to the final of the UK Championship before Christmas. On that occasion he was pipped 10-8 by Judd Trump, he will be hoping to go one step further and capture the title this weekend.
Breaks of 138, 73, 89 and 60 helped four-time ranking event winner Hawkins to victory this evening and he cannot wait to take to the baize in front of a packed Berlin crowd tomorrow.
Hawkins said: “I’m over the moon. Wu has been one of the players of the season. He is such a devastating long potter. There were hardly any balls missed. To play well and beat him is really pleasing.
“Even out there tonight, it was almost a full house. The atmosphere is amazing. To get through to the one table setup, after such a long time, is great. I’m really looking forward to it. The German fans are probably the best in the world. They are so enthusiastic and clap every shot. They love the game, so to walk out into that arena tomorrow will be great.”
It’s worth mentioning that Wu himself scored heavily in the frames he won: he made breaks of 93, 92 and 120!
The Tempodrom crowd was spoiled last night! I know it’s a lot of work for the fitters and it would probably complicate the work of the TV crew, but moving the Tempodrom to a “two tables setup” for the quarter finals would be great for the fans and the players. Hawkins and Wu were on table two and played a match of exceptional quality that probably could be truly appreciated only by a fraction of the fans. those sat nearby.
2025 WSF News
Today we will also have the final of the 2025 WSF Championship.
Malta’s Brian Cini and China’s Gao Yang will face off on Saturday afternoon in the final of the 2025 World Snooker Federation Championship (WSF) final in Saïdia, Morocco.
The winner of the best-of-nine frame title match will earn the prestigious title and a two-year World Snooker Tour (WST) tour card.
Both Cini and Gao, along with losing semi-finalists Mateusz Baranowski of Poland and Northern Ireland’s Fergal Quinn, have also confirmed their places in the 2025 World Snooker Championship qualifying rounds in April by reaching the last four.
The final will take place at 14:00 local time (GMT +1) and can be watched live on the WPBSA YouTube channel and WSF Facebook page.
Brian Cini – Route to the Final
3-1 vs. Hassan Gull (Group Stages)
3-1 vs. Harvey Chandler (Group Stages)
3-0 vs. Nikita Bazilevics (Group Stages)
3-0 vs. Mahjoub Tawdi (Group Stages)
4-3 vs. Sean O’Sullivan (Last 64)
4-1 vs. Aidan Murphy (Last 32)
4-2 vs. Daniel Womersley (Last 16)
4-0 vs. Umut Dikme (Quarter-Finals)
4-0 vs. Mateusz Baranowski (Semi-Finals)
Brian Cini has already made history this week by becoming the first player from Malta to reach the final of any WSF event and is now just one victory away from ensuring that his country is once again represented among the professional ranks.
The 28-year-old has been in impressive form throughout, securing impressive victories over two former professional and dropping just eight frames in nine matches en route to the final.
He stormed through the group phase in dominant fashion, picking up a clean sweep of victories, before coming through his toughest test of the event against England’s Sean O’Sullivan.
Cini led 2-0 and 3-2 in the best-of-seven frame match but was made to battle as O’Sullivan rallied multiple times to force a deciding frame that went down to a respotted black.
Ultimately, it was the man from Malta who potted it to get over the line and he then overcame the English duo of Aidan Murphy and Daniel Womersley to reach the penultimate day of the event.
On Friday, Cini was in imperious form and he did not drop a single frame as he whitewashed Germany’s Umut Dikme in the quarter-finals before sweeping aside Poland’s Matuesz Baranowski in just 82 minutes to reach the final of snooker’s biggest amateur event for the first time in his career.
Gao Yang – Route to the Final
3-0 vs. Harry Flower (Group Stages)
3-0 vs. Mourad Naitali (Group Stages)
3-1 vs. Sybren Sokolowski (Group Stages)
3-2 vs. Mateusz Baranowski (Group Stages)
4-0 vs. Salaheddine Ktila (Last 64)
4-0 vs. Qadeer Abbas (Last 32)
4-1 vs. Patrick Whelan (Last 16)
4-2 vs. Stuart Watson (Quarter-Finals)
4-2 vs. Fergal Quinn (Semi-Finals)
Gao Yang is into a second consecutive WSF Championship final and remains on course to become the first player in history to win both the WSF Junior and WSF Open Championship titles.
The 20-year-old lifted the 2020 WSF Junior crown by defeating Sean Maddocks 5-2 in the final in Hamrun, Malta before reaching the title match of last year’s open event in Golem, Albania.
Twelve months ago, Gao was defeated 5-0 in the final by Hong Kong China’s Ka Wai Cheung and so the Chinese former professional will be looking to go one better this time around.
A clean sweep of victories in the group phase, which included a success against eventual fellow semi-finalist Mateusz Baranowski, saw Gao through to the knockout stages and he then advanced further with back-to-back whitewash wins against host nation cuest Salaheddine Ktila and Qadeer Abbas from Pakistan.
A 4-1 win against England’s Patrick Whelan saw Gao into the penultimate day of the competition where he then faced Stuart Watson.
Gao did not have things all his own way on the Friday, but the tournament high break of 140 and another century contribution of 115 helped the man from China to a 4-2 victory over Watson to reach the semi-finals.
There he faced Northern Ireland’s Fergal Quinn, who had fought through a decider against Florian Nuessle in the previous round. On Friday evening, Gao raced into a 3-1 lead before his opponent rallied and looked on course to force a final frame shoot out.
Gao created an opportunity to win the match, however, and impressively held his nerve to clear the table and get over the line by a single point to set up a final meeting with Brian Cini on Saturday afternoon.
The WSF Championship final takes place on Saturday 1 February at 14:00 local time (GMT +1) and can be watched live on the WPBSA YouTube channel and WSF Facebook page.
Both have been pros before. It should be a good game but, obviously, there will be nerves!
Ronnie O'Sullivan 