This was shared today by Nigel Bond on social media
As you can see WST themselves are promoting these coaching sessions.
The announcement triggered mixed responses. I can understand why but I want to see it as a positive sign. Ronnie and Nigel go a long way back. They have a very positive relationship and Ronnie has a lot of respect for Nigel. Hopefully Nigel can restore Ronnie’s confidence ahead of the World Championship and (/or) the coming season.
The EBSA Championships 2025 are currently under way in Antalya, Turkey. The Under-16 event is the first to be played and you can follow it here.
The first thing I will say is that this under-16 event has attracted a field of 72 players, which is impressive considering they are all school-kids. The youngest ones are just 8. There is a strong representation from some mainland Europe countries, notably Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic states. There are two girls in the field. That may not seem much but it still is significant. A few years back there were never any.
The list of players tells you their high breaks, in practice and in competition. There are several century makers out there! Of course, what this list also shows is that there is a large disparity in levels.
At the time of writing, the group phase is already over and all groups results are available. None of the girls progressed …
Mark Williams younger son, Joel, is also in the field but did not progress to the knock-out stage as he didn’t win a single match. Of course, he’s only 12 and that was to be expected. It’s a learning curve.
Neil Robertson claimed the 25th ranking crown of his career following a devastating 10-0 win over Stuart Bingham in the World Grand Prix final in Hong Kong.
It’s the fourth time that a player has scored a whitewash victory in a two-session ranking final. Steve Davis and Zhao Xintong also achieved the feat, while Robertson defeated Zhou Yuelong 9-0 in the European Masters final back in 2020.
Australia’s 43-year-old Robertson now goes ahead of Mark Selby’s ranking title tally of 24, to move into seventh position on the all-time list.
Robertson defeated Yuan Sijun, David Gilbert and Xiao Guodong to make yesterday’s semi-finals, where he dramatically came back from 5-3 down to beat Shaun Murphy 6-5. Few would have predicted the one-sided nature of today’s encounter.
Victory for the Melbourne cueman sees him scoop an event record £180,000 top prize in the first ranking tournament to be staged in Hong Kong for 36 years.
Robertson shoots up from 19th in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings to 11th, meaning he will avoid the qualifying rounds for the World Championship and earn a seeded place at the Crucible.
He goes to third in the Johnstone’s Paint One Year list ahead of the Sportsbet.io Players Championship, where just the top 16 players of the current campaign qualify. Robertson is also assured to be in the top 12 at the cut off for the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship.
Hong Kong is a happy hunting ground for the Thunder from Down Under. He defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final to lift the trophy at the invitational Hong Kong Masters back in 2017 and made the semis of the same event in 2022.
The heavy defeat will be a sore one for 2015 Crucible king Bingham, but he can take solace in a first ranking final for six years. The last time he graced a title match in a ranking event was the 2019 Gibraltar Open, where he defeated Ryan Day to capture the trophy.
An imperious afternoon of snooker from Robertson saw him come into this evening with an 8-0 advantage, requiring just two more frames for victory.
England’s Bingham seized the early initiative in the first frame of the night, leading 53-6. However, 2010 World Champion Robertson battled back and the frame came down to the brown. Bingham eventually spurned a chance to the left centre and Robertson cleared to the black to move one from victory.
Both players had chances in the tenth frame, but it was Robertson who eventually found himself on a dead set long plant to the yellow pocket, which he deposited to set up a match winning visit and the title.
“The three times I’ve been here to play in big tournaments, I’ve won two of them. The strike rate is pretty good. I wish I could play in Hong Kong every week! The event is amazing and the crowd yesterday and today has been brilliant. They’ve created a wonderful atmosphere. It is a place that I really enjoy coming to. When you come to a country that there are lots of things to do at, then you almost don’t want to leave.”
Neil Robertson
World Grand Prix Champion
Robertson added: “It is very rare to win by a whitewash in a final. It certainly wasn’t what I expected coming into the match today. I started brilliantly in the first four frames and after that I was able to capitalise on some mistakes from Stuart. I think both players knew the writing was on the wall at six or seven nil. Going into tonight I wanted to do my best to win 10-0. I feel for Stuart, as he is a great guy and we get along well.
“Working with Joe Perry this season has been great. We collaborate every day. I message him a little bit too much sometimes, as I am so in depth with my match analysis. I just want to make sure that before we move onto the next tournament, we have covered everything. It is a partnership that has been going really well. Also my sport psychologist Helen Davies has been amazing. After losing in the World Championship last year, I’d had enough. I wasn’t getting the best out of myself. This summer I set out to have a team like you would in other sports.”
After the match, 48-year-old Bingham revealed that he had received the sad news in between sessions that his uncle Ray had passed away.
Bingham said: “My wife told me when I went back to the hotel at 8-0 down. He’s been ill for a couple of weeks. We knew it was going to happen sooner or later, but it is obviously a sad day.
“It was going to be an uphill struggle tonight. It was just one of those days where it didn’t happen. I’ve been there and got the T shirt a few times. What has happened this week has shown that it is a game of snooker and there are more important things in life. You have to take the rough with the smooth.”
Robertson Wraps Up Whitewash Win
It may also be worth mentioning that Stuart has also recently lost his coach, who was a dear friend as well as a coach. It’s impossible for us, fans, to know what impact this may have had on Stuart’s game, but it can’t have been positive. On the other hand, when you go through such difficult times, you realise that, at the end of the day, even a final is just a game of snooker, and no amount of money can make up for the loss of loved ones. During the trophy ceremony, Stuart managed to keep smiling and even jokingly stole the trophy from Neil’s hands and lifted it. Hats off Stuart, not many would have found it in themselves to be so gracious and to want to entertain the fans despite the harsh defeat and private sorrows.
Today was a truly remarkable day in Hong Kong. The afternoon semi-final was an extremely high quality affair and the real possibility that the loser of this might need to qualify for the Crucible is frankly puzzling. The evening match delivered an unexpected result. Here are the reports shared by WST:
Neil Robertson came back from two down with three to play to reach the final of the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong, defeating Shaun Murphy 6-5 in a crucial clash in the race for Crucible qualification.
The winner of today’s encounter was guaranteed to clinch a place in the projected seeding positions for the World Championship, with the other ending the week outside of the qualifying slots.
Victory for Australia’s Robertson sees him bumped up to 13th in the provisional Crucible seedings, leaving Murphy in 17th. There are two events remaining for contenders to jostle for position, at the Sportsbet.io Players Championship and the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship.
The loss for Murphy means his hopes of avoiding the qualifying rounds for Sheffield remain very much in the balance. The Englishman won both the Players Championship and the Tour Championship two years ago, meaning those points will fall off his ranking in the coming weeks.
Robertson gains revenge for a 6-2 defeat at the hands of Murphy in their recent Johnstone’s Paint Masters quarter-final. The Magician went on to win that event and lift the Paul Hunter Trophy for a second time. Today’s win for 2010 World Champion Robertson enhances his superior head-to-head record with Murphy, which now stands at 19-12.
Tomorrow’s final will see 43-year-old Robertson pitted against either world number one Judd Trump or 2015 Crucible king Stuart Bingham. The first to ten frames will scoop a record £180,000 top prize in what is the first ranking event to take place in Hong Kong for 36 years.
The Thunder from Down Under got off to a blistering start this afternoon, firing in breaks of 114 and 104 in the opening two frames to establish an early 2-0 advantage. However, Murphy hit back with contributions of 52 and 77 to make it 2-2 at the mid-session.
Robertson regained the lead after the break, but Murphy summoned a three-frame blitz with runs of 64, 107 and 77 to move one from victory at 5-3.
Melbourne cueman Robertson dug deep and prevented Murphy from registering a point in the ninth and tenth frames to force a decider at 5-5. He hammered home a full-blooded red from long range to get his chance in the final frame. The 24-time ranking event winner took full advantage with 114 to earn his place in the title match. He will be aiming for a second title of the season tomorrow, following on from his win at the BetVictor English Open earlier in the campaign.
Robertson said: “It was a brilliant match. I started off so well. I missed a couple of difficult pots, but other than that I didn’t do too much wrong. Shaun played really well. He was very aggressive, potting some brilliant balls to get in and create frame winning opportunities. It’s easier to stay in the match when you haven’t done much wrong. Full complements to Shaun, he said after the match that there wasn’t anything he could do about that long red I potted in the last frame. It was an unbelievable shot to create the match winning visit.
“A massive part of how I’m playing is switching to a titanium ferrule. The cue power I’m generating, I haven’t been able to play these sorts of shots for six or seven years. I didn’t realise at the time, but when I got my brass ferrule taken off I could see that it was damaged. I’ve effectively been playing with damaged equipment for the last few years. I feel as though I’ve got about 30 percent more power and the difference is huge.
“Coming here, I was just trying to get used to the ferrule and win a couple of matches. To be able to reach the final and get some significant ranking points is good. The only down point about playing the final is I don’t get to go and see the LIV golf tomorrow now, with it being in Hong Kong!”
Stuart Bingham scored a stunning 6-3 win over world number one Judd Trump to make his first ranking final in six years at the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.
Bingham last featured in a ranking final back in 2019 at the Gibraltar Open, where he defeated Ryan Day to capture the sixth ranking crown of his career.
Tomorrow sees the Essex cueman go head-to-head with Australia’s 24-time ranking event winner Neil Robertson. They will battle it out over the best of 19 frames for an event record £180,000 top prize.
It’s a dramatic upturn in fortune for 48-year-old Bingham, who has admitted to suffering from the ‘yips’ this season. To this point, he hadn’t been beyond the last 16 of any ranking event in the campaign and only just qualified for the 32 player field in 30th position.
Today’s victory secures 2015 World Champion Bingham his place in the upcoming Sportsbet.io Players Championship, dislodging Ali Carter from the qualifying positions. The guaranteed £80,000 puts Bingham into 14th position on the Johnstone’s Paint One Year List, moving Carter out to 17th. Only the top 16 players of the season earn a spot in the Telford event.
The ranking implications for Carter are drastic, with the Captain now set for a trip to World Championship qualifying. He’s placed 18th in the provisional seedings for the event and with no further involvement in the Players Series, he is left without any opportunities to rectify that.
A fragmented opening frame this evening eventually went the way of Bingham, after 36 minutes of play. However, Trump responded immediately with a break of 106 to restore parity at 1-1. That century run was the 39th of the tournament, which sets a new record for the event.
From there it was Bingham who turned on the heat. He crafted the 40th century of the tournament with a 104, before further runs 72 and 69 helped him to four on the bounce and a 5-1 advantage.
Trump responded with 124 and 72 to close the gap, but Bingham eventually won the ninth to emerge with an emotional 6-3 win.
“I’m over the moon. I had a little tear there at the table, because it has been a long time. It has been hard,” said world number 23 Bingham, who has also defeated Mark Williams, Wu Yize and Mark Selby en route to the final.
“Without a doubt, I’ve wondered if I ever would get back in a ranking final. The last few years haven’t been good on my part. I’ve been searching and trying things. This week it has clicked for me. I’ve got through matches without feeling the best, but now I’m in the final.
“I’ve got a great story from last night. I rang my wife and she asked what happened. I said that I won. Because the first two games were best of sevens, she switched it off at 4-2. When she found out she was amazed. I rang her today and reminded her it was first to six!
“That was my final, to get into the Players Championship. I can relax tomorrow and it is a nice payday. I’ll be trying as hard as I can to get my hands on that trophy though.“
The first match had a break over 50 in every frame. Very, very high scoring. The second match though was more compelling. Very few expected Bingham to win and one of the commentators seemed to keep the faith that Trump would eventually prevail until the very end. What I saw from Bingham today reminded me of the Bingham at the Crucible in 2015. Not the most spectacular player but extremely efficient and reliable when in the balls. It will be an interesting final against Neil Robertson.
The field of 16 players for the Sportsbet.io Players Championship is now confirmed, with an elite line-up of the world’s top stars heading for the tournament which runs from March 17-23 at Telford International Centre.
Tickets for the event in Telford are on sale now from just £28, book fast now that the line-up is confirmed! The match schedule will be announced early next week. …
Only the top 16 players on the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings, as it stands after the final of the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong, will head to Telford.
Stuart Bingham’s run to the final in Hong Kong has boosted him from 30th into the top 16 and earned him a place, at the expense of Ali Carter who misses out on Telford.
The 16 players are below, not necessarily in seeding order as that could change depending on the result of Sunday’s final between Bingham and Neil Robertson.
Judd Trump Kyren Wilson John Higgins Neil Robertson Xiao Guodong Mark Selby Mark Williams Barry Hawkins Shaun Murphy Ding Junhui Si Jiahui Wu Yize Chris Wakelin Stuart Bingham Mark Allen Lei Peifan
The draw will be announced at the end of Sunday’s final, based on the seeding structure below. The match fixtures will then be announced early next week.
1 v 16 8 v 9
5 v 12 4 v 13
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3 v 14 6 v 11
7 v 10 2 v 15
Following the Sportsbet.io Players Championship, the last event in the series is the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship, running from March 31 to April 6 in Manchester. Only the top 12, as it stands at the end of the week in Telford, will earn a place at Manchester Central.
There are five Chinese players in that field, including the 21 years old Wu Yize. At the other extremity of the age spectrum, we have two members of the “Class of 92” nearing their 50th birthday celebration … No Thai player in the draw this year.
Mark Allen won it last year and will have the opportunity to try to defend his title.
On a different topic … Jack Lisowski …
Jack withdrew from the World Grand Prix for personal reasons. Today, Jack’s mother, Tracy, posted on Facebook, saying that her husband, Nick, passed away suddenly earlier this week. It was completely unexpected, he wasn’t ill, nothing at all foreshadowed his sudden demise … he went for a walk, as he did most days and collapsed. My thoughts are with Tracy, Jack and their family in these extremely difficult times.
Shaun Murphy ended John Higgins’ winning streak with a 5-3 victory in the last eight of the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong, setting up an epic semi-final with Neil Robertson who saw off Xiao Guodong by the same scoreline.
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Two former World Champions with 20 years experience of winning tournaments, Murphy and Robertson will go head to head on Saturday afternoon at the Kai Tak Arena. They are both chasing the £180,000 top prize, a record for this event.
Higgins’ confidence was sky-high after his landmark triumph at the Weide Cup World Open last week as well as his second round victory here over Kyren Wilson. But, playing a record 147th ranking event quarter-final, the Scot’s run was ended by Johnstone’s Paint Masters champion Murphy who goes into his 53rd ranking semi-final and remains on target for a 13th ranking title and first since the 2023 Championship League.
Both Murphy and Robertson came into this week in danger of missing out on a top 16 seeding for the Crucible next month. But in earning a guaranteed £35,000 they have strengthened their positions in that race, particularly as they are both on target to qualify for both the Sportsbet.io Players Championship and Sportsbet.io Tour Championship, which will bring a further total guarantee of £35,000.
Higgins took a 2-1 lead today, making breaks of 68 in the opening frame and 64 in third. World number 12 Murphy responded with a 143 total clearance, equalling Higgins’ target for the £10,000 high break prize. After the interval, Murphy got the better of two fragmented frames to lead 4-2, and although Higgins pulled one back with a run of 59, Murphy sealed the result in frame eight with a superb 112.
“It’s always tough against John, especially just after he has won a massive tournament and got that renewed sense of purpose,” said 42-year-old Murphy. “It was played in good spirits as it always is with John. It’s an honour to share the stage with him, I have always looked up to him and he has been teaching me since I was a teenager.“
Murphy beat Robertson on his way to Masters success in January, while the Australian came out on top en route to landing the BetVictor English Open title in September. England’s Murphy is looking forward to their third meeting of the season, adding: “Myself and Neil have been putting on good matches for most of our careers. It’s no surprise we’re at this stage of the event. It’s the best 32 players of the season here and it’s great to see the line up for the weekend.”
Robertson reached his first ranking semi-final since that English Open victory with an impressive fight back against China’s Xiao. Breaks of 54 and 99 gave Xiao the first two frames, then Robertson replied with a run of 92 but lost frame four on the colours.
World number 19 Robertson stormed back with 80, 65, 101 and 80 to take four frames in a row and reach his 52nd ranking semi-final. He has converted 24 of his previous 51 into ranking titles, a strike rate twice as good as tomorrow’s opponent.
“At 3-1 down I regrouped and came out strong,” said Robertson. “The only disappointing thing was missing the 147 chance (in frame five when he potted ten reds with blacks before missing a tough 11th red) because it would have been great to make one here. But I’m really pleased with the way I finished the match.
“Shaun and I are both having a good season. We’re seeing the in-form players doing well this week so hopefully it will be the semi-final line up that the crowds would have wanted to see.“
Judd Trump piled in four centuries as he demolished Hossein Vafaei 5-0 in just 64 minutes in the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix, stepping up his bid to make 100 tons in a single season.
Vafaei is suffering from a spinal injury but even at full fitness there would surely have been little he could have done against an unstoppable Trump. The Iranian scored just 31 points as his opponent produced a break-building masterclass.
World number one Trump, resident in Hong Kong for much of the past year, lived up to his star billing and thrilled his fans as he set up a semi-final on Saturday night with Stuart Bingham, who came from 4-2 down to beat Mark Selby 5-4. Trump is chasing a fourth trophy of the season and 31st ranking title of his career.
With 84 centuries this season, 35-year-old Trump needs just 16 more to reach three figures for 2024/25. The first player to achieve that will earn a £100,000 bonus, and he is also chasing the all-time record of 103, set by Neil Robertson during the 2013/14 campaign.
He set the tone today with a 145 total clearance, then won a fragmented second frame. Vafaei had his only real scoring opportunity at the start of frame three but made just 24, and had to watch his opponent make 108 for 3-0. Trump followed up with 115 in the fourth, and saved his best until last with a fabulous 146 in the fifth, the new target for the £10,000 high break prize.
“I settled down straight away and played with confidence,” said Trump after reaching his 67th ranking semi-final. “Hossein missed one or two balls but I played solid and scored very well. It’s nice to have the crowd getting behind me and cheering for me. I’m proud to have been given the opportunity to represent them because I have always been an advocate for Hong Kong and I love it here. This event had a great field at the start of the week and the top players have been able to get through to the final weekend to showcase what they can do.“
Despite suffering from the ‘yips’, Bingham kept his best run of the season going with a tremendous win over four-time World Champion Selby. Prior to this week, Bingham hadn’t won a knock-out match in a ranking event since the BetVictor Scottish Open in December. He lost 5-1 to Chris Totten in the qualifying round of the Weide Cup World Open, 5-0 to Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the first round of the Machineseeker German Masters and 4-0 to Robbie Williams in the opening round of the BetVictor Welsh Open.
But the 2015 Crucible king’s game has clicked this week and he has enjoyed victories over Mark Williams, Wu Yize and Selby. The 48-year-old from Basildon is into his 24th ranking semi-final and is hoping to win a seventh title. If he beats Trump he will move into the top 16 of the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings and qualify for the Sportsbet.io Players Championship, at the expense of fellow Essex pro Ali Carter.
A break of 116 gave Bingham the opening frame before Selby levelled with a 75. World number 23 Bingham regained the lead and made 65 in the next only for Selby to clear with 71 for 2-2. That looked to have swung the tie in Selby’s favour as he added runs of 75 and 96 for 4-2. But the Leicester cueman barely had a chance in the last three frames as Bingham dominated the closing stages. A run of 47 left him in control of the decider and Selby’s attempts to gain snooker were in vain.
“I was fighting against myself, jabbing all over the place,” admitted Bingham. “That has crept into my game this season, I have no pause (on the backswing of the cue action). Luckily the balls still went in and it was a great win. I had the same a few years ago, then it disappeared, and it has come back this season. It’s hard to take anything from that game, though I should be elated to reach the semis.
“I’ll try to take the positives but it felt horrible. I have had matches where I am just not enjoying it. I have been working with a hypnotherapist called Chris O’Connor, who has also helped Kyren Wilson. We are working on trying to finish the backswing and then stop, but I’m still snatching at shots.“
All four players remaining in the draw have been World Champions … just saying. We should have two enthralling high quality semi-finals and, given the quality of the four remaining players it’s hard to pick a definite favourite for the title. All four are prolific tournament winners. Judd Trump is the player of the season so far, and is probably the one most will expect to lift the trophy on Sunday but there is no guarantee. Based on what we have seen so far, I do expect Judd to beat Stuart Bingham tomorrow but, should he indeed reach the final, he will face either Shaun Murphy or Neil Robertson. Both are in great form and highly motivated.
Regarding today’s matches … I watched the Trump v Vafaei match and, to be honest, Hossein played better than I expected given his injury. That said he wasn’t at his best, far from it. Judd is full of confidence after the successes he has accumulated in recent months and, of course, he was aware of his opponent discomfort. He played with total freedom. That may not be the case tomorrow, or, should Judd beat Bingham, on Sunday.
I went missing yesterday … out in Athens trying to sort some administrative nightmare out in the company of our lawyers – father and son – who are, I must say, great company as well as good at their job. Their only fault seems to be a strong determination to feed me sweets and cakes every couple of hours! 😂
Anyway… I’m back to snooker today, but obviously can’t comment on any of yesterday’s action.
Here are the reports shared by WST on what happened on Wednesday and yesterday.
Jack Lisowski has withdrawn from the ongoing World Grand Prix in Hong Kong for personal reasons.
Lisowski was due to face Judd Trump on Thursday afternoon, but Trump will now receive a bye. Neil Robertson vs. David Gilbert will now take place on table one.
It’s a shame for Jack and I sincerely hope that nothing awful has happened to himself or anyone dear to him.
Neil Robertson revealed that switching to a titanium ferrule on his cue has given him renewed enthusiasm for practice, and his sharpness showed in a 4-0 win over Yuan Sijun in the first round of the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.
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Robertson is one of a growing number of players to switch to titanium, which allows the player to aim directly at the potting angle, rather than allowing for side spin on the cue ball, known as deflection, when playing with a traditional brass ferrule. The Australian has already had an excellent season, highlighted by victory at the BetVictor English Open in September, but believes he can improve further with the change to his cue.
He fired breaks of 97 and 67 today as he eased into the last 16, setting up a tie with David Gilbert on Thursday.
“I decided to make the switch after the Welsh Open, then I needed a couple of weeks to get used to it,” said Robertson. “As soon as I wake up I’m thinking I can’t wait to practise, and it’s the first time I have felt that in over 20 years. The things I’m doing things in practice are exciting. I need to experience it more in an area with the different cloth, but once I fully adapt I’ll be playing some fun snooker.
“Other top players like John Higgins, Kyren Wilson and Mark Allen have changed to titanium in recent seasons and I had always been curious. It’s a massive change because there is so much less deflection, while with brass you get used to aiming to miss balls by one or two inches, to allow for the throw. Titanium is a much more consistent material then brass which means you have to adapt less in different conditions when we play in different counties. I think in the coming years we will see more innovation in snooker.”
Robertson won the Hong Kong Masters in 2017 and enjoys the location. He added: “I always love coming here. In some places you go for a practice then go back to your hotel room. In Hong Kong you want to make the most of every day. That helps inspire me. People love snooker and support the event. If I can get to the quarter-finals onwards I think the atmosphere in the arena will be unbelievable.“
BetVictor Welsh Open champion Mark Selby edged out Jackson Page 4-3 despite failing to make a break over 50. After sharing the first four frames, Page made an 85 to lead 3-2, and he was among the balls first in frame six but scored only 29. Selby battled back to take that frame on the colours, then won the decider with runs of 36 and 41.
“Jackson played well to go 3-2 up and I was just hanging on,” admitted Selby, who now meets Mark Allen or Jimmy Robertson. “He had a good chance to win 4-2 but luckily he let me back into it. I’ll need to improve in the next round.”
China’s Xiao Guodong, enjoying the best season of his career and currently fourth in the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings, edged out Jak Jones 4-3. Breaks of 106 and 56 put Xiao 2-0 up before Jones hit back with 53, 69 and 58 to lead 3-2. Xiao rose to the challenge with runs of 110 (his 300th career century) and 89 to take the last two frames. The result means that last year’s Crucible runner-up Jones misses out on the Sportsbet.io Players Championship and could be in danger of having to qualify for the World Championship.
Xiao now meets BetVictor Scottish Open champion Lei Peifan, who enjoyed a 4-2 success against Elliot Slessor with runs of 60, 107 and 71.
I didn’t see anything from this session as I had to prepare for my trip on the next day. Neil’s quotes about the titanium ferule are interesting though and they explain why some players, particularly older players, may find the transition hard. Practice in snooker is a lot about creating “automatism”. “Undoing” some automatic behaviours and, not just replacing them by new behaviours , but making them ” the new automatic” as well isn’t easy.
Jimmy Robertson scored his best result in recent months as he came from 2-0 down to beat Mark Allen 4-2 in the first round of the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.
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Robertson started the current season strongly, notably knocking out John Higgins and Kyren Wilson on his way to the quarter-finals of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in September, and he has now claimed another huge scalp with victory over world number seven Allen.
The result keeps alive Robertson’s hopes of qualifying for this month’s Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford as he now lies 20th in the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings and if he reaches the final he will jump into the top 16. Allen is defending champion in that event but defeat today means his place in Telford is not secure yet.
Breaks of 50 and 63 gave Allen the first two frames, but Robertson then dominated by taking four in a row with top runs of 65, 68 and 50 as he set up a last 16 tie with Mark Selby on Thursday evening.
Barry Hawkins added another win to his superb season with a 4-1 win over Tom Ford. Hawkins was runner-up in both the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship and Machineseeker German Masters as well as reaching the quarter-finals of last week’s Weide Cup World Open. Breaks of 126 and 105 today helped him set up a second round fixture with Shaun Murphy.
“It’s looking like one of my best seasons ever,” said Hawkins, who is seventh on the one-year list. “I haven’t won anything but I have been very consistent and hopefully I can still pick up a trophy. My main aim at the start of season was to be in the top 16 for the Crucible so I have done that already.
“I am over the moon to beat Tom because since winning the Shoot Out he’s had confidence. It’s an amazing venue and if I can get to the later rounds it will be a fantastic atmosphere.”
That result ended Ford’s hopes of qualifying for Telford, and also means he misses out on the top 16 status for the World Championship which he enjoyed last year.
China’s top player Ding Junhui suffered a surprise 4-3 defeat against Xu Si. Ding led 3-2 with top breaks of 78 and 108 but Xu won the sixth with a run of 81 then dominated the decider with 43 and 24. He now meets Hossein Vafaei, who took full advantage of his late call up in place of Ronnie O’Sullivan as he edged out Si Jiahui 4-3.
In this session I watched the Vafaei v Si Jiahui match. It was a very watchable match full of twists and turns. Hossein Vafaei deserves a lot of credit for winning this one. He was in pain throughout, apparently suffering from an arm or shoulder injury. His opponent, Si Jiahui was the better scorer: over the course of the match, he had four breaks over 50, including one in the last frame, whilst Hossein Vafaei had just one break of note, a 56. Hossein’s perseverance and determination are to be admired.
Man of the moment John Higgins kept his hot streak going with a 4-2 win over World Champion Kyren Wilson in the second round of the World Grand Prix, and will now set a new record for the most ever ranking event quarter-finals appearances.
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Higgins described his triumph at last week’s Weide Cup World Open as a “big monkey off my back‘ as it was his first ranking title for four years. The 49-year-old has carried his momentum into this week’s event in Hong Kong, knocking out Ali Carter before today’s success in a tremendous match against Wilson.
Crucible king Wilson opened with a run of 131 then Higgins responded with a 143, the new target for the £10,000 high break prize. Wilson regained the lead with a 72 but failed to score a point in the last three frames as Higgins rattled in 74, 92 and 100. On Friday the Scot will face Shaun Murphy or Barry Hawkins in the 147th ranking quarter-final of his 33-year career, putting him ahead of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s tally of 146.
“It’s a good record and a nice number to get to,” said world number eight Higgins. “I needed to play well today to beat Kyren because he’s beginning to have an aura around the table. He reminds me of a young John Parrott, he hits the ball which such authority and really believes he is going to pot everything. That’s daunting to play against so you know you have to be at your best.
“I felt great today, there’s no pressure. Winning last week was a big monkey off my back because I’d lost in some heart-breaking finals. I have proved to myself I can still do it at this age.
“There were some dark times. Drives home and flights home, talking to yourself asking ‘do I really need to do this? Do I need to put myself through it?’ But the competitive nature within me had got me to a certain level, and that wouldn’t allow me to back down and drift away neatly. That’s what kept me driving on, to taste the feeling of winning again.”
Most Ranking Event Quarter-Finals
All-Time List
John Higgins 147 Ronnie O’Sullivan 146 Stephen Hendry 122 Mark Williams 114 Judd Trump 100 Mark Selby 99
Stuart Bingham reached his first quarter-final of the season with a 4-2 win over Wu Yize. China’s Wu made a fast start with 129 and 120 to go 2-0 up, but former World and Masters champion Bingham stormed back to take four frames in a row with top runs of 80 and 108.
Bingham must reach the final this week to climb into the top 16 of the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings and qualify for the Sportsbet.io Players Championship. “That’s my goal and if I play like I did today I’ve got a chance,” said the Essex cueman ahead of tomorrow’s meeting with Mark Selby or Jimmy Robertson.
Neil Robertson battled to a 4-1 success against David Gilbert with a top break of 78. He now meets Xiao Guodong or Lei Peifan.
Battling a spinal problem which is causing intense pain, Hossein Vafaei beat Xu Si 4-3 in the second round of the World Grand Prix as he continued to take advantage of his late call-up in place of Ronnie O’Sullivan.
This time last week, Vafaei didn’t think he had a place in Hong Kong, but when O’Sullivan pulled out on Saturday he was given the spot, as the next player in line on the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings. And after beating Si Jiahui 4-3 in round one, Vafaei enjoyed another narrow victory against Xu, winning the sixth frame on the final black for 3-3 and the decider on the final pink. His top breaks in those two matches were just 58 and 56 but Iran’s leading player is into the quarter-finals and faces Judd Trump on Friday.
For several weeks, Vafaei has been suffering from the effects of a problem with a disc in his upper spine, but has no intention of pulling out. “I am playing with one hand, I am in so much pain with my neck and shoulder,” said the 30-year-old former Shoot Out champion. “But I am always fighting for my fans and I’m delighted for them to win today. If I pull out, what would I do, sit and watch the others? So I want to try. When I sit in my chair, my hand is shaking, my left arm is completely numb. I don’t have any feeling on the shot.
“Last week I was in Chengdu and I went to hospital there but I didn’t have time for an MRI scan. I had a CT scan. I know I need physiotherapy and exercise. After this event I will go to Iran, see the Olympic doctor there and he will help me. In the mean time I have had acupuncture with small electric shocks to the nerve and hopefully that will help after a few days.”
Vafaei was in Chengdu when he received the news of a call-up to this week’s event. He added: “I was very happy to have a place although I hope Ronnie is happy and healthy. I love playing in Hong Kong and China, this is the place I want to be. They treat us really well. Judd is a good friend, a great champion and ambassador. It’s nice to see he has achieved his dream, he is one of my heroes. Hopefully we can put on a good show for the fans.”
Shaun Murphy enjoyed a 4-1 victory over Barry Hawkins with top breaks of 75 and 51. With runs to the quarter-finals this week, both Murphy and Neil Robertson have strengthened their hopes of being seeded among the top 16 for the Crucible. With a guaranteed total of £35,000 if they qualify for both the Sportsbet.io Players Championship and Sportsbet.io Tour Championship, they are sure to move above Jak Jones, Gary Wilson and Tom Ford in the Race to the Crucible.
Murphy, who now meets John Higgins, said: “Last time I played Barry he broke my heart at the UK Championship (in the quarter-finals when Hawkins won 6-2). I’m delighted with the win, I would have liked to knock in a few more big breaks for a great crowd. But I’d rather play badly and win than play well and lose.“
Mark Selby reached his 100th ranking event quarter-final with a 4-2 win over Jimmy Robertson, highlighted by breaks of 102 and 74. The four-time World Champion, who won last month’s BetVictor Welsh Open, will now meet Stuart Bingham.
Xiao Guodong made three centuries during a 4-3 win in a Chinese derby against Lei Peifan. From 2-0 down, Wuhan Open champion Xiao fired runs of 117, 128 and 128 as he set up a quarter-final with Neil Robertson.
I hope that Hossein can get the help he needs. It would be a shame if the end of his season was marred by injury. Also it seems that his “feud” with Ronnie is well and truly over1.
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TBH I never really understood what got Hossein so worked up at the time … ↩︎
Shaun Murphy made a superb century in the deciding frame to beat late call-up Ben Woollaston 4-3 in the first round of the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong, boosting his hopes of a place at the Crucible next month.
Woollaston only found out he had a place in this tournament early on Monday morning as he was next in line when Stephen Maguire pulled out. Setting off immediately for Heathrow, he booked a flight on his way to the airport and was on the plane east by 11am, arriving in Hong Kong on Tuesday morning. In the circumstances, with just a few hours to recover from jet lag, he put up a fine battle, but Johnstone’s Paint Masters champion Murphy showed his quality at the business end to set up a last 16 tie with Barry Hawkins or Tom Ford.
A break of 90 gave Woollaston the opening frame, then Murphy took a scrappy second before making a 97 for 2-1. Then next two were shared, then Murphy looked close to the winning post when he led 62-18 in frame six, only for Woollaston to double a red to a baulk corner to set up a tremendous 54 clearance for 3-3. Early in the decider, Woollaston potted a red then went for a risky brown to centre, but missed the target and spent the rest of the match in his seat as Murphy made 110.
Having started this week in 19th place in the Race to the Crucible, Murphy needs to win matches over the next three tournaments to climb into the top 16 and make sure of a seeded status in Sheffield next month, otherwise he’ll be heading to the World Championship qualifying rounds. So the extra £5,000 he has earned today helps his cause.
“The fact that Ben was a late call-up doesn’t change the fact that he’s an incredibly tough player to beat,” said Murphy. “No one batters him, he’s very tough. The clearance he made in the sixth frame has to be one of the best of all time. The double he played on the first red – I was sitting there thinking ‘what’s he playing?’ The next thing I knew it was 3-3.
“There were moments today where I felt really good. I probably put myself under too much pressure because I have caused myself the problem of battling for a Crucible seeding.
“Over the last few seasons, the voice in my head had been saying some very negative things to me when things weren’t going well. Since winning the Masters it has been saying much nicer things, reminding me that I can do it and I am good enough. In moments like the deciding frame today, when you get the chance to do it now, that’s when that voice makes a difference.“
Jack Lisowski scored a 4-2 win over Zhang Anda to set up a last 16 clash with Judd Trump or Gary Wilson. From 2-0 down, China’s Zhang made breaks of 112 and 69 for 2-2, and he led by 16 points in frame five with just pink and black left, but went in-off which handed Lisowski the chance to snatch that frame. The Englishman went on to take frame six with a 51 clearance and secure a result which keeps alive his hopes of climbing into the top 16 of the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings and qualifying for the Sportsbet.io Players Championship later this month.
“At 2-2 I was a bit gone but then he played a weird shot on the pink when I needed a snooker,” admitted Lisowski. “When someone does that you have to take the chance. I was lucky. I have been to Hong Kong a few times for exhibitions so I know snooker is popular here. The first time I came I was getting recognised on the street. So it’s obviously big here and it’s great to have a ranking event.
“I know I have to win at least two more matches (to qualify for Telford). I might play Judd Trump next so it won’t be easy. I’ll try my best. My attacking game is good but my safety is still questionable and that side doesn’t come easily to me, though I did play a good safety shot to get a chance in the last frame. Hopefully I can pull it all together.”
Stuart Bingham came out on top in a battle of two former Crucible kings, beating Mark Williams 4-2 with breaks of 100, 75 and 65. Bingham now meets Wu Yize or Pang Junxu.
David Gilbert enjoyed a 4-3 success against Chris Wakelin to earn a last 16 tie with Neil Robertson or Yuan Sijun. After winning the opening frame on the colours, Gilbert made a breaks of 73 for 2-0. Wakelin then fired runs of 81 and 79 in going 3-2 ahead, only for Gilbert to take the last two frames.
Both Gilbert and Bingham need to reach the final this week for a chance of qualifying for Telford – follow updates on that race here.
Judd Trump played the role of local hero to perfection in the opening round of the World Grand Prix as he thrilled his fans in Hong Kong with a 4-2 win over Gary Wilson.
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World number one Trump has been living in Hong Kong for most of the past year and considers this his home tournament as the city stages the event for the first time at the fabulous new Kai Tak Arena. And his supporters were out in force as he came from 1-0 down to score a comfortable victory, knocking in breaks of 142, 95 and 69. That sets up a blockbuster last 16 clash with his close friend Jack Lisowski on Thursday.
“I got a great reception and that gives me a buzz,” said Trump, who won this event in 2015, 2019 and 2020. “There was a bit of added pressure because I wanted to get the first round out of the way. It’s a big event with big prize money in a great arena and a great city.
“Hong Kong is an incredible place, I felt that before I even contemplated coming to live here. There is a lot of energy, so much to see and do, especially when the weather is good. Everyone who comes here loves it and I’m glad we have such a big event here now. I would rather have avoided Jack until the final, but it’s a great setting for both of us to play in. These are the kind of arenas you dream of playing in.“
Trump has enjoyed a tremendous season already, winning the Shanghai Masters, Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters and Victorian Plumbing UK Championship. He is also on track for a possible 100 centuries over the campaign, and the first player to achieve that will earn a £100,000 bonus. His ton in the second frame today was his 80th of 2024/25.
“There’s a chance, I don’t think it’s a great chance,” he admitted when asked if he feels he can win that bonus. “In the next few events I’m starting in the last 32, last 16 or last eight and it’s difficult to make centuries against the top players. It will go down to the wire, I might need an amazing run at the World Championship, maybe it will come in the final. It’s on the back burner, I’m not thinking about it much. But if it’s possible at the Crucible it will add excitement.“
John Higgins, fresh from his landmark triumph at the Weide Cup World Open last Saturday, remained on a high as he edged out Ali Carter 4-3. Higgins won his first ranking title in four years in Yushan, before making the journey to Hong Kong and meeting up with wife Denise for a short celebration before returning to the baize.
It was a crucial match for Carter as he stands in 16th place in the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings, so defeat means he could be overtaken this week and miss out on the Sportsbet.io Players Championship. Carter outscored his opponent today, making breaks of 137 and 120, but Higgins won several tight frames, including the fifth on a respotted black and the decider on the last red.
“When you win a few deciders you get a bit of confidence,” said 49-year-old Higgins, who now meets Kyren Wilson. “At 3-3 I thought I was going to win, while in recent years I was feeling the other way. That can be the difference between winning tournaments and getting knocked out early.
“It felt strange, coming here after such a high last weekend. This is a massive tournament but my mind was still in Yushan and you can’t afford to do that at this level. I had a great couple of days with Denise, that was special. But now it’s head down and focus and try for another good run. This is an unbelievable venue, I would love to play Kyren in front of a big crowd.“
World Champion Wilson came from 3-2 down to win a high quality match with Matthew Selt 4-3. Selt made breaks of 51, 69 and 118 in taking a 3-2 lead, while Wilson had fired 57, 133 and 61 at that stage. Further runs of 111 and 87 game Wilson the last two frames and kept him on track for a fourth ranking title of the season.
Wu Yize raced to a 4-0 success in a Chinese derby against Pang Junxu with top breaks of 111 and 75. Wu’s next opponent is Stuart Bingham.
In the afternoon, I watched the Bingham v Williams match. Let’s just say this: Bingham played well and Willo wasn’t at the races… Bingham will now play Wu Yize, who I watched in the evening. Wu played well but Pang looked completely out of sorts. It wasn’t particularly pretty to watch and certainly not enthralling. It was made worse by the fact that no one was watching… Here are two very young men, who spend many months away from their families aGovt ‘highly unsatisfied’ after World Grand Prix spectators forced to leave mid-matchnd their country because of the UK-centric organisation of their sport, and yesterday, as they played in their country1 for a change, nobody was watching them …
It’s only this morning that I found out that spectators had actually been asked to leave the venue because of the venue “curfew” and, it seems, an unfortunate misunderstanding …
Govt ‘highly unsatisfied’ after World Grand Prix spectators forced to leave mid-match
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui called it “highly unsatisfactory” after spectators were forced to leave the Kai Tak Arena before the conclusion of a match of the World Grand Prix snooker tournament on Tuesday night, sparking outrage among fans.
Speaking to media on Wednesday, Law attributed the incident to communication and coordination failure between the event organizer and the venue operator.
The government has instructed the organizers to ensure spectators can watch the entire matches, and, if necessary, arrange transportation for attendees after late-night games, she said.
“In fact, both organizers and the venue operator were aware beforehand that matches could extend into late hours, potentially run overtime,” Law said.
“There were concerns that spectators being stranded with fewer transportation options due to the late-night schedule.
Law said it requires time for the Kai Tak Sports Park and event organizers to adapt to each other, especially given the unpredictable nature of snooker match durations.
“This is a learning experience for all parties involved,” she said.
Gilly Wong Fung-han, chief executive of the Consumer Council, said the council has received seven complaints related to the World Grand Prix, with six about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s withdrawal due to illness, and one about spectators being forced to leave before the match ended on Tuesday night.
Wong noted that while the organizer offered compensation by allowing ticket exchanges on March 5 and 6, it did not address alternative measures if consumers cannot attend on those days.
She urged the organizer to handle the matter more flexibly.
Regarding O’Sullivan’s withdrawal, Wong said consumer dissatisfaction is understandable while emphasizing that spectators should be aware of the risks when purchasing tickets, and organizers must clearly inform the audience of these risks and prepare contingency plans in advance.
The organizing committee of the World Grand Prix snooker tournament has also apologized to affected spectators.
“We deeply regret the incident on the evening of March 4, where some spectators were asked to leave before the match ended. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and frustration caused,” the committee said in a statement.2
The incident occurred during a late-night match between Kyren Wilson and Matthew Selt on Table 1, which began after 9pm.
As the game extended past midnight, a message appeared on the venue’s screens instructing fans to leave due to venue restrictions.
Staff then urged spectators to exit, pausing the match and escorting players to a break room.
Fans argued with staff for about 20 minutes before being removed by security.
In response, the committee said it has worked with the venue to ensure spectators attending evening sessions from March 5 to 9 can stay until matches conclude.
As compensation, ticket holders for the March 4 evening session at Table 1 can exchange their ticket stubs for equal-value tickets to any available session on March 5 or 6 at the event merchandize booth near Gate G.
Feng Huanhuan, CEO of F-Sports Promotions Limited, the event organizer, explained the company was unaware of the venue’s midnight curfew.
“Having organized large snooker events in mainland China, where there are no such restrictions, we didn’t anticipate this issue,” Feng said.
“The reminder for spectators to leave was issued within an hour of us learning about the curfew.”
However, some fans remain dissatisfied. One attendee called the organizers’ actions “unacceptable” and said they might file a complaint with Hong Kong’s Consumer Council.
“Hosting a world-class event in a state-of-the-art venue should be a proud moment, but the lack of coordination is deeply disappointing,” he said.
Another VIP ticket holder criticized the organizers for treating attendees as “guinea pigs,” adding that it was still unfair for affected spectators despite the free ticket exchanges.
Kai Tak Sports Park said on Wednesday that it will ensure all ticket holders can watch matches until their conclusion.
The operator said it had coordinated with event organizer to arrange transportation from the park to nearby transit hubs in the Mong Kok, in addtion to overnight bus services along Prince Edward Road, to facilitate spectator’s depature in late night.
(Ayra Wang)
The above article focuses on the match on table one, but Pang and Wu, on table 2, finished later than that one, despite the score, because they started even later that the players on table 1.
I once witnessed spectators leave, even mid-frame, during a match between Mark Selby and Graeme Dott. The main reason for that was that the last public transports from Ally Pally to the urban parts of London around it were about to leave. Those without a car faced a walk through a park, in a snow storm and with packs of stray dogs lurking… That match TBH was a turgid affair but that wasn’t the main/sole reason why people were leaving. Dotty was aggrieved but it was nobody’s fault. This one is a different story…
I know that China is as vast as a continent, and neither Wu or Pang are from Hong Kong, but they were still supposed to play in front of Chines fans, something that, I suppose, is a bit special for them ↩︎
Ronnie O'Sullivan 