Field Confirmed For Sportsbet.io Champion Of Champions
The field is now set for the 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions, with sixteen of the world’s top players confirmed to compete for one of snooker’s most prestigious prizes. The tournament will light up the Mattioli Arena in Leicester from November 10–16, featuring an all-star line-up of champions from the past year.
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A firm favourite on the snooker calendar, the Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions brings together winners from the past year’s major events, showcasing a blend of global superstars, established champions, and breakthrough talents.
Confirmed Players
• Mark Williams – Defending Champion, Xi’an Grand Prix • Zhao Xintong – World Championship • Judd Trump – UK Championship • Shaun Murphy – The Masters, British Open • Neil Robertson – Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, World Grand Prix • Mark Allen – Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, English Open • Kyren Wilson – Players Championship, German Masters, Shanghai Masters • John Higgins – Tour Championship, World Open • Xiao Guodong – Wuhan Open • Mark Selby – Welsh Open, Championship League Snooker Invitational • Lei Peifan – Scottish Open • Stephen Maguire – Championship League Snooker Ranking • Bai Yulu – Women’s World Championship • Tom Ford – Shoot Out • Jack Lisowski – Northern Ireland Open • Alfie Burden – World Seniors Championship
The final two spots were filled by Jack Lisowski, who captured his first-ever ranking title at the 2025 Northern Ireland Open, and Alfie Burden, who earned his invitation as the 2025 World Seniors Champion. Their inclusion completes a world-class field representing the very best of both established and emerging snooker excellence.
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The 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions will be broadcast live on ITV in the UK, Rigour in China, and Viaplay across Scandinavia, Iceland, and the Netherlands, with additional international broadcast partners to be announced soon.
No Ronnie and it’s only right. He hasn’t won an event since the last edition. There have been speculations by some about a possible invitation but that would have been unfair to Alfie Burden. The World Seniors Snooker Champion has regularly been invited in the past1, and there is no good reason for not inviting him this year only to give a spot to someone who isn’t a champion and who has declined to play in the event on several occasions when he actually was a champion and was living in England2 .
Especially when that Seniors Champion was Jimmy White of course… bums on seats and all … ↩︎
i.e definitely closer to the venue than Dubai where he currently lives ↩︎
There have been quite a few withdrawals from the 2025 International Championship, as reported by WST:
Withdrawals From International Championship
Mark Williams, Ali Carter, Sam Craigie, Ken Doherty and David Gilbert have pulled out of next week’s International Championship in China.
Williams has withdrawn due to illness and his opponent Anthony McGill receives a bye to the last 32.
Doherty has withdrawn due to illness and his opponent Neil Robertson receives a bye to the last 32.
Craigie has withdrawn for medical reasons and his opponent Jimmy Robertson receives a bye to the last 32.
Carter has withdrawn for personal reasons and his opponent Aaron Hill receives a bye to the last 32.
Gilbert has withdrawn for personal reasons and his opponent, either Thepchaiya Un-Nooh or Xu Jiarui, will receive a bye to the last 32.
That’s a lot of withdrawals… but of course, this time of the year, colds and flu are not uncommon and traveling when already unwell usually only makes it worse.
At last !!! This was long overdue and I doubt that there is anybody, and I mean anybody1, who isn’t genuinely happy for him! I’m absolutely delighted for Jack who is a lovely person and has gone through so much. We shouldn’t forget that at the age of 17 he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma a form of blood cancer. He beat that beast, and even when he was ill he continued to play snooker. Earlier this year, in March, he lost his father. They were very close. Obviously, snooker didn’t feel all that important after that loss. But Jack is a fighter and here we are …
Jack Lisowski beat Judd Trump 9-8 in a dramatic finish at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open to win his first ranking title, 15 years after turning professional.
There were touching scenes at the end of an enthralling contest in Belfast as Lisowski and Trump, close friends since their junior days, embraced after the final balls had been potted. Lisowski dedicated this career-defining triumph to his father, who passed away in March this year.
“I have thought about this moment since I was six or seven years old, it’s surreal,” said Lisowski. “Judd has been my best friend since I was 14 and he was there with me in a restaurant in Hong Kong eight months ago when I got the message about my dad. He has been the best friend I could ask for, the closest thing I could have to a brother. When my dad died I said to my friend that he would never see me win a title. But my friend said I could still do it for my mum. This is for him and for my mum.“
In a thrilling contest there was never more than one frame between the two players and fittingly it went to a decider, which included an edge-of-the-seat sequence of four shots when both players missed reds twice. After Trump’s second error, 34-year-old Lisowski took his opportunity and having lost his first six ranking event finals, three of those against Trump, it was pure relief for the Gloucestershire cueman as he lifted the Alex Higgins Trophy in front of a crowd of 1,500 at the Waterfront Hall.
For many years considered the best player not to land a ranking title, Lisowski has finally lifted that burden and with his vast natural talent could go on to win many more. The £100,000 top prize lifts him from 29th to 24th in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, to ninth in the Sportsbet.io One-Year list and up to second behind Mark Allen in the BetVictor Home Nations Series.
Coming into this week there were few signs that Lisowski was on the brink of something special as he had not previously reached a quarter-final this season. But playing with a new cue and a new tip, working with coach Chris Henry for only six weeks and with his Brazilian girlfriend Bela watching him live for the first time, all elements came together in a perfect storm for the popular left-hander. He knocked out the likes of Mark Selby and Kyren Wilson to reach the final then finally got the better of world number one Trump having lost their eight previous meetings.
Tied 4-4 after the first session, Trump dominated the first frame tonight to edge ahead, then in the next he was among the balls first but ran out of position on 37. He later missed a chance at the last red to a top corner, and Lisowski punished him by clearing for 5-5. Trump’s run of 85 restored his lead before Lisowski’s 84 made it 6-6 at the interval.
In frame 13, Lisowski had the balls at his mercy on a break of 29 but missed the black to a top corner, and Trump capitalised with a run of 41 to regain the lead. In the 14th, Lisowski was up 36-0 when he converted an excellent pot on a red to centre and added 51 to square the tie again. Trump led 30-0 in the 15th when he made a safety error and Lisowski made 60 before over-cutting frame-ball black, but he got another chance and potted the last red to go ahead for the first time since 1-0.
Trump controlled frame 16 with two runs of 38 to set up the decider. Lisowski had the first clear chance and made 27 before a missed red, but Trump could not capitalise as his brace of misses sandwiched another from his opponent. Keeping nerves at bay, Lisowski managed a break of 46 which he will remember for the rest of his life.
Lisowski added: “I want to thank the fans for supporting me, they carried me through the final. Hopefully this is a new start for me.“
Trump said: “There was a lot of tension, it was a different scenario to our previous finals with a lot on the line. I am so pleased for Jack, I am probably a lot happier than I would have been if I had won. I gave it my absolute all, I missed a few shots but Jack fully deserved to win. It’s nice for him to shut everyone up because he is always being called out, but no one can say that again. The first title is so special, given what he has been through in his whole life. He has an amazing family around him and I am glad to be a friend.”
Big shout to Judd Trump as well! He played to win, he always does, champions like him hate to lose, but yesterday there was no bitterness at all in defeat, just genuine happiness for his close friend.
Actually that may not be true … there is always some guy who lost a bet somewhere who will curse him and Judd and, maybe, even suggest that it was fixed 😡 ↩︎
Ronnie O’Sullivan handed nightmare draw in quest to hit £1m golden jackpot in Riyadh with Zhao Xintong and Judd Trump chasing snooker’s richest prize
By Desmond Kane
Published 25/10/2025
The winner of the third Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in Saudi Arabia could earn a whopping £1m for three days work if they claim the title and produce the sport’s first 167 break. The richest prize in the sport is available with the champion earning £250,000 and a further $1m (£751,000) on the line for the first player to sink a Golden Ball after making a 147 maximum break.
Ronnie O’Sullivan will have to do it the hard way if he is to claim a second title in three seasons at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in Saudi Arabia next month.
The seven-time world champion won the inaugural staging of the event last year, but has been handed a potential minefield when the invitational event is staged between November 19-21 at Boulevard City, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
O’Sullivan will open his campaign on the first day of the competition against Masters champion Shaun Murphy or local player Ziyad Al–Qabbani, with the winner of that contest facing world champion Zhao Xintong the following night in the quarter-finals.
It does not get easier for the snooker GOAT, with world No. 1 Judd Trump or new Xi’an Grand Prix winner Mark Williams next up in the semi-finals on the final day.
The event, made up of the top nine players in the world and the Crucible winner Zhao, has become famous for offering a $1m prize (£751,000) if any player can produce the first 167 in snooker history – a traditional 147 followed by potting a ‘golden ball’ worth 20 points after sinking the final black.
The golden ball has been perched in the middle of the baulk cushion for the first two editions of the event, but there has been speculation it might be moved to a more favourable location this year.
The golden ball is traditionally removed from the table by the referee when a 147 is no longer possible in a frame.
“The first one is going to be special,” said O’Sullivan, who is based in Dubai and has a snooker academy in Riyadh.
“You can’t take anything away from someone who does it down the line, but that first one is always going to be remembered.
“It will be some history and create some serious headlines.
“Big prize. $1m. No one’s ever won a prize like that in snooker ever before.“
Four-time world champion John Higgins was on course for the 167 in the maiden staging of the event, but ran out of position on 120 in trying to land on the yellow off a tricky black before missing the yellow.
“Our dream is to see the gold ball potted at the end of a maximum break to complete the world’s first ever 167!” said Naif Al-Jaweini, the general manager of Riyadh Season Snooker.
“I am sure every player in the field shares this dream as this achievement would help bring our sport to a new level on a global scale.”
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On paper at least, the top half of the draw looks slightly more favourable in the chase for the lucrative £250,000 first prize.
Defending champion Mark Allen is in line to take on Higgins or Ding Junhui – who opens against home hope Ayman Alamri on Wednesday, November 19 – in the last eight as world No. 2 Kyren Wilson meets Neil Robertson, who returns to the country after his £500,000 victory at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August.
All matches are the best of seven frames with the best-of-nine frame final due to take place on Friday, November 21 at 19:00 UK time.
O’Sullivan defeated Luca Brecel 5-2 in the first final in March 2024, with Allen running out a 5-1 winner over Brecel before Christmas last year.
The 2025 Northern Ireland Open final will be contested today between two close friends. Indeed Judd Trump will face Jack Lisowski in Belfast today. Here is how we got there as reported by WST:
Jack Lisowski kept his tremendous run going at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open as he made three centuries in a 6-1 thrashing of Zhou Yuelong to reach his seventh ranking event final and raise his hopes of a first title.
One of the best natural talents in the sport, Lisowski produced a wonderful display of long potting and break-building as he dismissed Zhou in less than two hours at the Waterfront Hall. In his six previous ranking finals, which all came between 2018 and 2021, 34-year-old Lisowski was up against Judd Trump three times, Neil Robertson twice and Mark Selby once. And the left-hander is sure to face another huge test on Sunday as he will meet either world number one and close friend Trump, or home favourite Mark Allen.
First to nine frames will earn £100,000 and lift the Alex Higgins Trophy, and victory would be a career-best moment for Lisowski, particularly given the challenges he has faced away from the table in recent months as his father sadly passed away in March.
Coming into this week there were few signs that Lisowski was a title contender as he had not previously reached a quarter-final this season and had slipped to 29th in the world, but he is playing with a new cue tip and working with coach Chris Henry for the first time which – so far – has created a perfect storm. In five matches this week he has fired six centuries and 12 more breaks over 50.
The opening frame today came down to the colours and Lisowski, leading by 15 points, laid a clever snooker on the brown, which Zhou missed twice and he was soon 1-0 down. China’s Zhou, who was runner-up to Allen at last month’s BetVictor English Open, registered just five points in the next three frames as Lisowski piled in breaks of 125, 124 and 66 for 4-0.
In frame five, Lisowski led 54-37 when he missed the final green to a centre pocket and Zhou later got the better of a safety battle on the blue then cleared to pull a frame back. Lisowski regained momentum with a run of 125 in frame six and looked set to finish the tie in the seventh until he missed a red to centre on 40. Zhou made 59 then played safe, and Lisowski enjoyed a slice of good fortune as his attempted long pot on the last red rattled it in the jaws and dropped into the opposite baulk corner. From there he added the points he needed to delight the fans in Belfast who are backing him this week.
“It was really good today, it has been a great week so far and now obviously it’s all about tomorrow,” said Gloucestershire’s Lisowski. “I feel like I can pot any ball at the moment, I’m more surprised when I miss. I have been putting the work in and when it comes off out there it’s a great feeling. I have changed my cue, changed my tip, and got a coach with new ideas so maybe it’s a new version of myself. My game is heading in the right direction which is a relief because I have had a quiet couple of seasons where I have played some really good games but not put a run together.
“I think I’m way better than I was when I was last in a final. My good game is much stronger and my bad game is a bit better too. I haven’t got a clue who will win tonight, it doesn’t make a difference to me. It would be so special to beat either of them. If I apply myself well I’ve got a chance.”
Judd Trump came from 3-2 down to beat local favourite Mark Allen 6-3 at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, setting up his 50th ranking final and a clash with friend Jack Lisowski.
Trump and Lisowski have been close since their junior days and Sunday’s final could be an emotional occasion, particularly given that Lisowski’s father passed away earlier this year. Both will be determined to get to nine frames and finish the night with the Alex Higgins Trophy in his hands, and Trump has the added motivation of ending a streak of ten months without a title.
The pair have met in three ranking finals, Trump winning 10-7 at the 2020 World Grand Prix, 9-2 at the 2021 German Masters and 4-0 at the 2021 Gibraltar Open. All three of those were played behind closed doors in Milton Keynes during the Covid era, so this will be their first final in front of a crowd – and what better setting than the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
Bristol’s 36-year-old Trump will be aiming for a 31st ranking title and first since the 2024 UK Championship last December. Number one in the official Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, he was down in 34th place on this season’s rankings prior to this week, but will now shoot up that list especially if he banks the £100,000 top prize.
The 2019 World Champion has shown only flashes of his best this week, making just two centuries compared to Lisowski’s six, but his exceptional safety game has helped him into the final.
Both players struggled to settle into tonight’s contest and after 79 minutes of play the score was 1-1. Trump was first to find some rhythm with a break of 73 to take the advantage, before Antrim’s Allen hit back with 68 and 135 to lead 3-2. The crucial sixth frame came down to a safety battle on the green and Trump trailed 52-46 when he laid a tough snooker, and he took the chance that followed to square the tie.
A break of 82 gave Trump the lead and in frame eight he was 62-0 ahead when he missed the black to a top corner. Allen had a chance to counter but ran out of position with two reds left, and Trump later converted a clever cross double on the last red to go 5-3 ahead. Early in frame nine, Allen missed a tough mid-range red to a top corner and handed Trump the chance to make 66 which proved enough for victory.
“It was a tough game, Mark never makes it easy for you,” said Trump, who won this title three times in a row from 2018 to 2020 and again in 2023. “That’s his game plan, he is very patient and his safety is good. It’s hard to get any rhythm against him at the start, plus I missed a few easy balls. The sixth frame was massive, that was the turning point. I got some momentum after that and my game was a bit more attacking.
“I will be giving it my all tomorrow, it will be an incredible final. It’s brilliant to see Jack playing this well, he has had a tough time. Everyone is glad to see him back. We grew up together and played in pretty much every junior final, so it’s amazing to be playing him in this final 20 years later. An arena like this deserves a great final.”
Once again with only two matches played yesterday, the above reports are comprehensive enough.
According to Cuetracker Judd and Jack have played each other 24 times in professional tournaments before their encounter today, Judd winning 16 times and Jack winning 8 times. Before today, they have met in a final three times and Judd has won each of those three finals, two of them quite comprehensively. All three finals came during the 2020/21 season. Looking at those stats, you have to make Judd a clear favourite today … but I’d love to see Jack “upset” the odds and lift the trophy tonight!
Jack Lisowski is just two wins away from his first ranking title as he scored a tremendous 5-3 win over defending champion Kyren Wilson to reach the semi-finals of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
Widely considered the best player yet to win a ranking event, Lisowski has been runner-up in six finals and few can match the 34-year-old in terms of natural talent but he is still waiting to convert that into silverware. On Saturday from 1pm he will meet Tom Ford or Zhou Yuelong and will hope to move a step closer to a career-defining moment.
Lisowski’s father sadly passed away last March and he admitted in an interview with TNT Sports earlier this week that for a while he struggled to hold back tears while competing, but he is now “feeling stronger and enjoying snooker more.” The left-hander has played superbly to knock out Mark Selby, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and now world number two Wilson.
A break of 68 gave Wilson the opening frame and in the second he trailed 25-23 when he over-cut a tricky black to a top corner. Lisowski punished him with a run of 41 for 1-1 then compiled runs of 63 and 68 to go 3-1 ahead at the interval. Wilson pulled one back with a break of 70 before Lisowski’s 104 made it 4-2.
In frame seven, Lisowski trailed 56-33 when he missed a tough pot on the penultimate red along a baulk cushion, allowing his opponent to add the points he needed to halve the deficit. Wilson had an early chance in the eighth but missed an awkward red with the rest and Lisowski’s marvellous long red set up a winning 76.
“To beat Kyren, who was the best player in the world last season and won this last year, shows where my game is at,” said world number 29 Lisowski. “It was as hard a game as I could have had, a really big test and I stood up to it. I am hitting every shot well and felt great. I just need to concentrate and get focussed from the start of the match, after that it comes eaiser.”
Lisowski and his friend Giles Martin have been working on a new cue tip called Vortex and the Gloucestershire cueman believes that has been a key factor in his performances this week. “I have been trying for years to find the right one,” he added. “I am excited about it, it gets a lot of spin on the white, it’s very accurate and consistent. Finding the right tip has has been so frustrating, I have definitely lost matches because of it. Giles is the best tip fitter in the world in my opinion so with him I felt we had a chance of getting it right.”
Judd Trump scored his 13th consecutive ranking event win over John Higgins with a 5-2 success to reach the semi-finals and feels his game has “taken a step forward” this week.
Remarkably, Trump has won every ranking event match against four-time World Champion Higgins since 2019 and that sequence now covers 13 fixtures. With one century break and four more over 70 today, this was perhaps Trump’s best performance of the season so far and the world number one is into his first semi-final of the campaign.
Trump will meet Mark Allen or Jordan Brown at the Waterfront Hall on Saturday at 7pm and will be contesting the 70th ranking event semi-final of his career. He is chasing a fourth Alex Higgins Trophy, having lifted the crystal in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023, and a 31st ranking title in all. After a slow start to the season – he came into this week in 34th place on the one-year list – Trump now looks to be returning to his brilliant best.
Higgins took the first frame of a high quality contest with a break of 61, before 36-year-old Trump compiled runs of 93 and 82 to lead 2-1. A scrappy fourth when Higgins’ way but the veteran managed just 19 points after the interval as Trump fired runs of 72, 72 and 121.
“My scoring was the difference today,” said Trump. “After the interval my long potting was great and I scored heavily. The first time I won this I could feel the warmth of the crowd and every time I come back here it inspires me to play well. I could easily go the whole season without winning a tournament, there’s no guarantee. I would love to get that out of the way here so I can relax. I feel my game has taken a forward step here no matter what happens, I feel a lot more comfortable with my cue and how I am playing.”
Mark Allen managed to put friendship to one side to beat fellow local favourite Jordan Brown 5-2 in the quarter-finals, boosting his hopes of winning the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open for a third time.
Allen described the night as a “strange atmosphere” as he went head-to-head with best friend and practice partner Brown, but kept his focus to progress to the last four of his home tournament. The Pistol will meet world number one Judd Trump on Saturday evening at the Waterfront Hall, with the winner to go through to Sunday’s final to face either Jack Lisowski or Zhou Yuelong, who enjoyed a 5-4 success against Tom Ford.
World number eight Allen lifted the Alex Higgins Trophy in 2021 and 2022 and is now into a 44th ranking event semi-final and remains in the hunt for a 13th title. The Antrim cueman is also looking to strengthen his position at the top of the BetVictor Series rankings, having beaten Zhou in the final of the first event in Brentwood last month, with a £150,000 bonus up for grabs for the leading money winner across the four-event series.
After a raucous welcome into the bear pit for both players, Allen opened with a break of 101 then Brown responded with a 131 for 1-1. A scrappy third went Allen’s way, then in the fourth Brown trailed 57-20 when he missed the penultimate red to a top corner, and he found himself 3-1 behind.
An excellent 120 saw Brown pull one back and he had a chance to snatch frame six from 65-4 behind but again missed the penultimate red, this time to a centre pocket on 28, allowing Allen to take advantage for 4-2. Again Brown had chances in frame seven, but when he failed to pot the black off its spot leading 41-0 that proved his shot as Allen cleared superbly with 71.
“I was relieved to get over the line, it was not a lot of fun playing Jordan,” said 39-year-old Allen. “It may have been a great occasion for the neutral as we had a lot of support, but it was a strange atmosphere because they want us both to do well. I don’t get much enjoyment out of beating Jordan because I always support him otherwise.
“He played a lot of good stuff, made two good centuries, he just missed one or two balls at key moments. If it had gone 4-3 he would have been confident. This is where he belongs. I have practised with him for 25 years and I know what he is capable of. But when you lose confidence in this game then things can get on top of you. I said to him at the end that he has had three good wins this week and he needs to take the positives forward because he is a class act.
“I am here to win the tournament and it would be great to do that in front of my home fans again. But I have two very tough matches ahead of me. I always look forward to games against Judd, I have a decent record against him (Allen has won their last three meetings). He brings the best out of me because he is in the top five or six players of all time so I am always focussed, I know I won’t get a second chance. I grew up with him through the junior ranks so I am not scared of what he can do because I back my own ability. If I play my best stuff, that will be good enough a lot of the time.”
China’s Zhou is into his eighth ranking event semi-final and will meet Lisowski at 1pm on Saturday. Both players are chasing a first ranking title and world number 30 Zhou is aiming to reach a fifth final and second of the season.
Breaks of 90 and 60 put Ford 2-0 ahead before Zhou battled back to 2-2. Ford regained the lead in the fifth then made an 82 for 4-2, then Zhou hit back again with 59 and 66 for 4-4. The decider looked to be going Ford’s way until he missed a red to top corner on 53, and Zhou pulled out a marvellous 77 clearance which included a tremendous pot on the last red along a side cushion.
“It’s a big win for me because I didn’t feel as if I had good touch today, to be able to turn things around,” admitted 27-year-old Zhou. “I have played Jack Lisowski many times, and his style is very distinctive, extremely fast and very precise. Against an opponent like that, all I can do is to focus on myself, control the pace, and play my own game.”
Again, those reports are comprehensive and I don’t have much to add to them.
I have a feeling that this may be Jack Lisowski week and that’s not just because I believe that he might want to win it to honour his late father’s memory. Watching him play this week, It seems to me that something has changed. He still attacks, but maybe he doesn’t take as many low percentage shots as he used to do? Maybe he looks more focussed? I’m not sure. At the time of writing, Jack has already booked his place in the Final. He beat Zhou by 6-1 this afternoon, and scored five breaks over 50 in the process, including three centuries. Of course, both Judd Trump and Mark Allen have won their fair share of tournaments while Jack is still to win his first and experience does matter. If Judd were to prevail tonight, it would probably make things even more difficult for Jack, as, for a long time they practiced together, and they are friends. But even so … I believe that Jack has a real chance tomorrow…1
Or am I blinded by “wishful thinking?” … who knows? ↩︎
BetVictor Northern Ireland Open Day Five Afternoon
Mark Allen boosted his hopes of winning the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open for a third time as he reached the quarter-finals with a 4-1 win over Aaron Hill – a player he believes is destined for the very top.
Local favourite Allen got the better of Cork’s up-and-coming Hill and will now meet either Shaun Murphy or another home hero Jordan Brown in the last eight at the Waterfront Hall at 7pm on Friday. World number eight Allen will be making his 70th appearance in the quarter-finals of a ranking event and the 39-year-old dreams of lifting the Alex Higgins Trophy again having won it in 2021 and 2022.
He came into the current season well outside the top 16 in the Race to the Crucible and facing the possibility of having to qualify for the World Championship, but having won the BetVictor English Open last month and with another run this week, the left-hander has regained his status as one of snooker’s toughest competitors.
A break of 137 gave Allen the opening frame before 23-year-old Hill levelled with a run of 65. World number 57 Hill had chances to take frame three but couldn’t convert and Allen eventually got the better of a safety battle on the last red and cleared for 2-1. That proved crucial as 12-time ranking event winner Allen took the last two frames with runs of 53 and 69.
“I know more than most how dangerous Aaron can be,” said Allen. “He could have gone 2-1 up, I pinched that frame and that turned the match. He let his head drop a bit and I played some good stuff after that. I think Aaron can go to the very top. He’s got a great head on young shoulders and he works hard. The biggest compliment I can pay him is that he will go away from the match today fuming because he would have fully expected to beat me even though I’m one of the top players. He is so confident in his own ability, he backs himself and plays the big shots.
“For a while most of the best young players were Chinese and that’s all credit to them. Now we have some very good British, Irish and European players and hopefully there are more to come, so the future is bright.
“At the start of the season I hadn’t looked at the rankings. I was out having food with Stephen Maguire one day and he told me I was outside the top 16 in the Crucible race, I just wasn’t aware until then, I didn’t realise I was that far down. But I always back my ability. I try my best in every match and try to win tournaments, and that takes care of the rankings.
“Tomorrow night is going to be huge whatever happens. Shaun Murphy is the form player in the game at the moment and hard to stop. If Jordan gets through it will be two hometown lads and best friends.“
That won’t be the only blockbuster clash on Friday as at 12pm world number one Judd Trump will meet four-time World Champion John Higgins. Trump beat Gary Wilson 4-1 today with top breaks of 132, 95 and 83 to reach his first ranking quarter-final of the season and 104th of his career.
Higgins, who won his first ranking title exactly 31 years ago today, saw off Si Jiahui 4-1 with top runs of 54, 64, 64 and 58 and is into the last eight of a ranking event for the 153rd time.
“I played pretty solid, you need a good all-round game against Si because he’s such a dangerous player,” said Higgins, who has lost his last 12 ranking event meetings with Trump. “I had a few bits of luck during the game which helps in a best of seven. Judd is one of the hardest players in the world to beat, he’s got very few weaknesses. I’ll have to play my best to have a chance.“
Tom Ford continued to make progress despite a shoulder injury as he beat Yuan Sijun 4-2 with top breaks of 65, 53, 52 and 66. He now meets Zhou Yuelong at 7pm on Friday.
The Waterfront Hall will be packed to the rafters on Friday night in Belfast as Jordan Brown beat Shaun Murphy 4-2 to set us a massive quarter-final against fellow local hero Mark Allen.
The two Antrim cuemen will go head to head at 7pm on Friday evening with an electric atmosphere guaranteed. Brown has struggled on the table over the past two seasons and remains in danger of relegation from the tour, but his confidence has come flooding back this week with wins over World Champion Zhao Xintong, Ashley Hugill and now in-form Murphy who had won 15 of his previous 16 matches.
World number 55 Brown had won just three matches in eight other ranking events so far this season, but has now notched four victories in this event alone. Allen, who beat Aaron Hill 4-1 earlier today, won their only previous meeting by a 6-4 scoreline at the 2022 UK Championship.
Brown took the first three frames tonight with top breaks of 70 and 61 before Murphy hit back with 135 and 55 for 3-2. Frame six came down to the colours and, under intense pressure, Brown executed fine pots on green, brown, blue and pink to reach the fourth ranking event quarter-final of his career, pumping his fist as the last ball went in.
“I am over the moon, I was really up for it tonight with the crowd behind me,” said 2021 Welsh Open champion Brown. “I was so solid to 3-0, then I made a couple of mistakes and Shaun played well so at 3-2 I was under it. I stayed patient and disciplined and waited for a chance.
“I was nervous throughout, you need some nerves in this game. That’s why I am working with Fergal O’Brien this season, he has helped me massively to get through those tough moments. I’ve had some difficult times but I felt if could get one good win then I could go on a run, as I have done in past.”
Kyren Wilson continued the defence of his title with a 4-2 victory over He Guoqiang. World number two Wilson will now meet Jack Lisowski on Friday afternoon and victory would give him a first ranking event semi-final of the season.
“I was solid when I needed to be and scored heavily,” said Wilson, who fired breaks of 63, 75, 77 and 53. “I felt like I wasn’t going to miss which is a nice feeling to have, though I lacked a bit of concentration at times. This is a fantastic venue, it’s enjoyable to compete here.”
Lisowski beat Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 4-2 in an exciting contest where the six frames took just 60 minutes. From 2-1 down, Lisowski won three in a row with top breaks of 94 and 76 to reach his first ranking event quarter-final since the BetVictor Welsh Open in February.
Once again, the reports are extensive enough and I don’t have much to add.
But this morning I stumbled upon this article, published earlier this month. The title is the usual clickbait stuff and is misleading. However here is the interesting part:
… But the greatest player to ever grace a snooker table has no plans to call time on his career just yet, he revealed this week.
Speaking ahead of his return to the game at the Xi’an Grand Prix on Tuesday, O’Sullivan told The Express: ‘I’ve always said there’s nothing left for me to achieve in snooker, but that’s (an eighth win at the Crucible) all that’s left for me to achieve.
‘I’m going to aim for another two or three world titles, knowing I won’t get three, I probably won’t get two but I might get one.
‘I’m going to aim high and I always think if you aim well above what you want to achieve and if you don’t reach it, you reach somewhere you think you’re happy with.
‘There’s no point saying I’d like to make the quarters of the worlds because that’s probably all I’d do. But if I say I want to win another two or three then I might win one. It’s about pushing my mind beyond the end line to make it possible.’
At his last attempt to conquer the Crucible back in March, O’Sullivan was knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual winner Zhao Xintong.
Speaking about his performance in the tournament, the Brit added: ‘I was close even though I wasn’t playing great. I didn’t have a good cue, I had problems with my tip, it was all over the place. I’m not making excuses.
‘Now I can just play snooker for the next two or three years, there’s only one thing left that anyone talks about which is winning another world title.’
Ronnie seems to be pretty happy in Dubai and in his private life. I can totally relate to what he says about how the climate in England weights you down, physically, mentally and emotionally. I opted to live in Greece for the same reasons. I got stuck here in Santorini during the lockdown, alone with my cats, in a small condo that had very little comfort. Despite this, I felt happier than in Brussels, where in winter, the days are very short, even in daytime the light is poor, and it rains nearly every day. You can go for weeks without seeing the sun. It is very debilitating.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 