There was a really good crowd at the Barbican in York yesterday, which is good to see. It made for a great atmosphere. It used to be that way in the past until WST tried to get all 128 players at the main venue. That didn’t work well. In the early rounds, four tables were squeezed in a back room. There were chairs there for the fans but as they were all standing at the same level you didn’t see much of the table situation unless you are very tall and sitting in the front row. Four other tables were in the main venue, and players complained that the tables extreme left and right were too close to the walls there wasn’t enough space to “walk into the shot”. Also there were no adequate changing facilities for the players. But I digress …
Here are the reports by WST on what happened yesterday at the Barbican:
Defending champion Judd Trump prevailed 6-4 in an entertaining clash with 2004 winner Stephen Maguire on the opening afternoon of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York.
World number one Trump won the title in terrific fashion 12 months ago. He overcame a treacherous path to the final, beating Neil Robertson, John Higgins, Zhang Anda and Kyren Wilson. A fiercely title match with Barry Hawkins was won 10-8 by the Ace in the Pack.
Despite having now been on top of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings for over 12 months, he hasn’t lifted silverware since victory here last December. The calendar year of 2025 is yet to produce silverware for Trump, the last time that happened was 2013.
This week marks his last opportunity to avoid the same fate. In a bid to improve his fortunes he has reverted to the cue he won the 2019 World Championship win. Trump had previously switched to a new cue with a titanium ferrule rather than the traditional brass one.
Maguire held the famous UK Championship trophy aloft 21 years ago back in 2004. However, despite making two finals since then, he is yet to repeat the feat.
Although that wait doesn’t end this week, victory at the season opening Championship League and a run to the semi-finals of the International Championship have exhibited a return to form for the Glaswegian.
Breaks of 62 and 100 helped 36-year-old Trump to three of the first four frames and a 3-1 lead at the mid-session today.
When play resumed, Maguire hit back hammered home runs of 111 and 82 to restore parity at 3-3. He had a chance to take the lead in the seventh, but a straightforward red to the middle inexplicably missed the target and Trump pounced with 66 to lead 4-3.
A dramatic re-spotted black went Trump’s way to move him one from victory, before Maguire responded with 86 to claw back within one. However, 62 from Trump in the tenth saw him over the line to earn a last 16 meeting with Si Jiahui.
“It was a tough game, there was a lot of good stuff, there was a lot of misses. It was a classic UK Championship game really. I knew he had been back to form this year and he was always going to be tough to beat,” said 36-year-old Trump.
“At the moment I’m just missing that one percent of confidence under the utmost pressure. You need to have that belief, it isn’t quite there at the moment. When you beat players like Stephen, it helps and the form is coming back.
“I feel a lot better with this cue. I’ve been trying my absolute hardest but sometimes you know it isn’t going to be your day. I felt I had to change to give myself a chance. There are so many snooker tournaments these days that you don’t have much time to tinker. I have some time off after this event and I hope I’ll then find the right equipment for the rest of the season.”
On the other table, China’s Si set up his meeting with Trump thanks to a stunning 6-0 whitewash defeat of Welshman Ryan Day.
Si prevailed in his last meeting with Trump, which came at the 2024 Wuhan Open. Trump described it as one of the best ever performances against him, which included a 147 from Si. However, Trump has won all six of their other meetings.
Today’s win saw Si hammer home breaks of 61, 80 and 68 en route to a routine win.
Si said: “Very few tournaments would introduce the players like here, so every time I feel quite excited. I love the passion and the applause from the audience, so I really enjoy playing here.
“I won’t put too much pressure on myself, just relax and play. But I’m very happy to see other Chinese players winning titles, it does motivate me to do my best, to win my first ranking event.”
It was indeed an entertaining match on table 1. Stephen Maguire is a tremendous player and although I’m not a fan of using that word, yes, he is probably an underachiever. But then, of course, we don’t know what happens in the players’ lives away from the table. All the same, I like Stephen, he’s genuine, he speaks his mind without fear … he’s plain WYSIWYG1 .
Scotland’s John Higgins admitted he is plotting a trip with the Tartan Army to the World Cup next year after booking his passage in the second round of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship with a 6-2 win over Ben Woollaston.
The Glaswegian is competing in this event for the 33rd time in his career. He’s a three-time UK Champion, but York’s not been a happy hunting ground in recent times. Higgins hasn’t been beyond the last 16 since 2019. Standing in the way of the quarter-finals this time will be Shaun Murphy.
Despite his recent UK Championship record, Higgins arrives in good form having made the final of the recent International Championship in Nanjing, where he lost out to Wu Yize in the final.
Higgins says he’s still on cloud nine after celebrating Scotland’s 4-2 win over Denmark last week, which sealed World Cup qualification for the first time since 1998. The year he won the first of his four world titles to date.
Today’s defeat of Woollaston saw Higgins charge out of the blocks. Breaks of 66, 51, 84 and 58 saw him move into a 5-0 lead and one from the win.
Woollaston showed his steel and provided resistance in the sixth. Higgins was in first with 58, but a fine clearance of 70 saw the Leicester cueman steal on the black and keep the game alive. He then made it 5-2 with 65 in the seventh and apply some pressure. However, Higgins stood up to it and took a 21-minute eighth to get over the line.
“I’m hoping to come here and play well. It is a tough match with Shaun Murphy next but I’m into the tournament now. I’m going home for a couple of days then I’ll come back down and get ready for that match,” said 50-year-old Higgins.
“Shaun hits the ball like a dream. I managed to get the better out of him in Nanjing the last time we played but he beat me a couple of times before that. It is always a nice game. He goes for his shots and when you see that it makes you do it too. I can’t wait for it.
“Scotland qualifying for the World Cup has just given the country such a lift. Hopefully I will be out in a city in Mexico, Canada or America in the summer. I’d dearly love to go. The amount of people you speak to and they are all trying to get flights booked up. It will be an incredible atmosphere.
“One of the guys I went to Paris with in 1998 is no longer with us and it makes you think what a long time ago it was. A lot of things have passed under the bridge since then. It is great we are there again and I’d love to go and savour it again.”
On the other table, Murphy set up his mouth watering meeting with Higgins after taking five frames on the trot to defeat Lyu Haotian 6-2.
The Magician was trailing 2-1 when he stepped up with breaks of 58 and 63 on his way to moving 4-2 ahead. There was then a 147 attempt in the seventh, but his run ended on 80. It was enough to seal the frame and a contribution of 57 in the next saw the 2005 World Champion secure victory.
Murphy is also in fine form having won the British Open earlier this season and is savouring going toe to toe with Higgins.
Murphy said: “I was sat this morning having my breakfast watching the news and there was a lovely piece about the Class of 92. There is no escaping these guys and what they continue to achieve is remarkable. I’ve enjoyed watching John throughout my career. He has been a big help to me and helped me a lot as a junior player. I have watched him a lot, I just hope I don’t have to watch him too much in the next round!
“It has shown what the rest of us can do if we keep our heads down. When I started snooker you used to think your career would be over by 40. The Class of 92 have been trailblazers all of their lives and they continue to do that.”
In the evening I watched part of the Murphy v Lyu game. Shaun won the match by 6-2 with five breaks over 50 and yet the match was closer than what those numbers suggest. Lyu had chances in every frame, he potted some good balls but, for some reason, he appeared to struggle with his positional game and, of course, eventually it cost him. He isn’t the tallest guy and had to play a lot of shots with the rest. He’s not bad at it but it’s not the same as playing “naturally” without the implement.
Victorian Plumbing UK Championship 2025: Last 32 Draw
Judd Trump will face Stephen Maguire when he gets the defence of his Victorian Plumbing UK Championship title underway in York on Saturday at 1pm.
The random draw for the last 32 as been made, with the 16 seeds picked out against the 16 qualifiers. World number one Trump faces a tough test against 2004 UK Champion Maguire on the opening afternoon at the Barbican.
World Champion Zhao Xintong will meet Long Zehuang on Monday at 1pm, while eight-time UK Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will take on Zhou Yuelong on Tuesday at 1pm. The full draw is:
Eight of the 16 qualifiers are from outside the UK/Ireland. Seven of them are Chinese, the eighth one is Julien Leclercq from Belgium, the only qualifier from mainland Europe, and the lowest ranked player in the draw. Julien is currently ranked 79 . He’s drawn against Neil Robertson, not an easy draw but not the worse either.
Julien Leclercq reached the last 32 of a Triple Crown event for the first time as he beat He Guoqiang 6-4 in the final qualifying round of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship.
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Nicknamed the Belgian Beast, 22-year-old Leclercq can look forward to an intriguing clash with three-time UK Champion Neil Robertson at the York Barbican on Sunday afternoon.
After turning pro in 2022, Leclercq reached the final of the Shoot Out in his first season and was named Rookie of the Year. Since then he has had only a handful of deep runs and currently lies 81st in the world, but is now through to the last 32 of a ranking event for the fifth time and he is thrilled by the prospect of playing on a televised table at snooker’s second-oldest ranking event.
“I can’t wait to play at the Barbican, it will be amazing especially as I have never played Neil before,” he said. “Last year I lost on Judgement Day (to David Gilbert) so I am very happy to win this time. I had trouble with my focus tonight because I have been sick all week and not sleeping well. But in the last two frames I made good breaks.”
Leclercq eased into a 4-0 lead with breaks of 66, 103, 63 and 58, then after the interval China’s He stormed back to 4-4 with a top run of 120. But Leclercq finished strongly with 88 and 70.
Wins for Zhang Anda, Lei Peifan and Xu Si mean that 12 of the 32 players in York will be Chinese, a record for a Triple Crowd event.
Zhang, who made a 147 at the Barbican last year, earned his return with a 6-4 win over Thepchaiya Un-Nooh. Breaks of 89, 75 and 63 helped Zhang to a 5-1 lead, and he eventually sealed the result in frame ten with a run of 58.
“Thepchaiya didn’t play well at the start of the match and gave me chances, I made some good breaks,” said Zhang, who now meets Gary Wilson. “Before it was only Ding Junhui, now we have many more good Chinese players. Wu Yize and Xiao Guodong have already won titles this season and I hope my second one is coming soon.”
Scottish Open champion Lei beat Jimmy Robertson 6-5 in a high quality match, making breaks of 50, 59, 72, 122 and 54 as he earned a fixture with Mark Selby. “I didn’t play that well in the first half, after the interval I knew I needed to be more focussed, and I got myself back into the game,” said Lei. “I knew if I won I would play Selby and he’s one of my favourite players. I will try to be the best version of myself.“
Xu enjoyed a 6-3 victory over Tom Ford with a top run of 72. “Neither of us played at a high level, I just tried to be patient and wait for my chances,” said Xu, who now faces Ding Junhui. “Over the past few years, all of the Chinese players have improved a lot, we are moving in the right direction. I am really excited to play Ding, I hope I can enjoy the atmosphere.”
After yesterday’s matches we know eight of the qualifiers who will feature in the draw of the 2025 UK Championship, but we don’t know yet who they will face at the Barbican. The draw will be made today, early in the afternoon.
One thing that’s already a certainty is that the seeds will not have it easy. There is a lot of quality down the tour and they will come cold against players who have already secured some good money and ranking points. All the pressure will be on the seeds.
Maguire Through To York – And Has Sights On Top 16
Stephen Maguire, who lifted the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship trophy back in 2004, secured his return to the Barbican with a 6-1 win over Ian Burns on Judgement Day, and still targets a return to the world’s top 16 having dropped out in 2022.
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Glasgow’s 44-year-old Maguire has a tremendous record in this event, having reached the final three times as well as the semi-finals on four other locations. And he’s into the last 32 again and in the hat for the random draw to be made on Thursday at 3pm. None of the top 16 seeds will want to face an in-form Maguire given his record in York.
Breaks of 55, 51, 72 and 75 helped Maguire to a comfortable victory against Burns. “I will have to play better than I did today, that was a dog fight,” he said. “But I do play better in York, it’s a good place.”
Currently ranked 25th, Maguire has been as high as second in the world, though he has not featured among the top 16 in the past three years. “I need to get back in the top 16,” said the Scot, who won the Championship League at the start of the current season. “I am not happy floating about where I am, coming to these qualifiers. You still have to tell yourself this is the UK Championship, and that’s the hardest bit. I can see the rewards the top 16 or top eight have now, and I want a piece of that. I missed most of that when I was in the top 16. I am not there, so something’s missing.”
Michael Holt, a quarter-finalist at the Barbican last year, will be back again as he came from 3-1 down to beat Yuan Sijun 6-3 with a top break of 104. “I was good today, towards the end I didn’t miss anything,” said Holt. “This season has gone the same as the last one. I was all chipper at the start, then I was useless, then it came to the UK Championship and I had a good run. I said to myself that I need to do something to break this cycle. I just get nervy, and if I bottle it I am useless. If I don’t bottle it, I’m a decent player. My attitude has been good this week, it has been nice to play ok and not be embarrassed out there.”
China’s Lyu Haotian got the better of a tense decider to beat Mitchell Mann 6-5. “I felt fine before the decider, I was calm and I was able to take my chance,” said Lyu. “I made a few mistakes in my last two matches and didn’t play that well. But I just told myself not to go for risky shots and to wait for my chances, I am happy I could pull it off.”
David Gilbert got the better of a high quality match against Daniel Wells by a 6-4 scoreline. Wells compiled breaks of 75, 62, 52, 102 and 106, but still Gilbert finished on top with a high break of 90. He said: “I have hardly played in the last few weeks, I am a bit of a numpty now but we’ll see what happens in York.”
Inspired by his late father who sadly passed away last month, Scott Donaldson pulled off an astonishing comeback as he recovered a 5-0 deficit to beat Stuart Bingham 6-5 in the final qualifying round of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship.
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Donaldson was contemplating the long trip back to Scotland when he lost the first five frames against former World Champion Bingham, but then won the last six to earn a place in the televised stages in York which start on Saturday.
The 31-year-old’s triumph is all the more remarkable given that he is mourning the death of his father Hector. “It was my dad. There is no way I could win that match normally,” said an emotional Donaldson. “I can’t believe it, I’m struggling for words. There’s no way I have done that, I couldn’t play. The run of the ball I had in the last three fames, it was incredible. Stuart must be sick, he had chances.
“At the very end when I potted match ball, I thought ‘what is going on here?’ This game is stupid, you can go from feeling nothing, then at the end felt I could pot anything on the table.
“I always used to travel together with my dad to the UK Championship, so that will be tough. He was meant to come to Belfast (for the Northern Ireland Open) with me but passed away a couple of weeks before. I was playing and looking up to see where he was, but he was nowhere. It’s hard for me to think about anything to do with snooker, but when out there I’m alright because I am used to being like a robot out there. That’s the value of this game. My wife will still be with me, she’s everything to me.“
Bingham reeled off the first five frames with a top break of 117 but the tide turned in the sixth and world number 52 Donaldson fired runs of 56, 64, 110, 51, 91 and 64. Equivalent comebacks have only been made a handful of times in the history of the UK Championship, notably in 2014 when Nigel Bond fought back from 5-0 down to beat Barry Hawkins 6-5.
Zhou Yuelong, a semi-finalist in this event in 2020, enjoyed a 6-2 success against amateur Jamie Clarke with top breaks of 103 and 109. “I really enjoy playing in York, the crowd is always great there,” said China’s Zhou. “I’d rather not play Xiao Guodong because we live together, or Zhao Xintong because he is my best friend. It’s an exciting time for the game because lots of young players are improving, like Wu Yize who has won a big tournament and Liam Pullen who made a 147 here.”
Elliot Slessor is enjoying his best season as a pro as he lies ninth on the Sportsbet.io One Year Rankings, and he earned his Barbican spot with a 6-4 win over Zak Surety. At 3-1 down, Slessor punched the table so hard he was fortunate not to break a bone. But his fortunes improved after that as he won five of the last six frames with a top break of 105.
“The big difference this season is that I am sticking in there and trying my best, even when I am playing garbage,” said Slessor. “I was frustrated during that game but I didn’t chuck the towel in. It’s like a pressure cooker, and when I did that (hit the table) I felt a lot better afterwards. Before that I was holding it in, and playing rubbish so I needed a release. I know you wouldn’t tell a junior player to do that, but I have been like that all my life. I have never won a match at the Barbican but I’ll try to put that right.”
On a night of fight backs, Ben Woollaston came from 4-1 behind to beat Joe O’Connor 6-5, winning a tense 67-minute deciding frame. “That was probably craziest match I have ever been involved in,” said Woollaston. “I played really well from 4-1 down but it felt everything was going against me. Then Joe had me in a lot of trouble when he needed snookers at the end. I have lost a lot of deciders this season so it’s nice to win one like that.“
Personally, I miss the time when the UK Championship was best of 17 from start to finish. It added more prestige to the event and, importantly, gave the lower ranked player some invaluable experience with multi session matches, and the challenges they bring, notably the “how to handle the in between session time”.
I was still active on tour when the decision to shorten the matches was made. From what I heard, the change of format was driven by the BBC. Sessions that didn’t yield a result had poor viewing figures and there were lots of empty seats in the venue as well. In that respect, the decision is understandable but, to me at least, it diminished the prestige of the event.
York is a beautiful city, and “Christmas time ” in York is especially enjoyable. The weather can be very cold, but the Northerners are warm and welcoming. The historical city is full of lights and festive decorations and the Minster is more beautiful than ever in its Christmas lights…
Zhao Xintong landed his first title since conquering the Crucible as he beat Neil Robertson 5-2 in the final of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in Saudi Arabia.
Described by Stephen Hendry in commentary as “the best ball striker I have ever seen”, China’s 28-year-old Zhao gave another wonderful demonstration of his talent as he saw off Shaun Murphy and Judd Trump then Robertson in this 12-man invitation event to bank the £250,000 top prize.
In May this year, Zhao reached a landmark in snooker history by becoming the first Asian player to win the World Championship, and he looks set to be a huge force at the top of the sport for many years to come. After a relatively quiet start to the current season, with just one previous semi-final appearance, the left-hander delighted fans in Riyadh with his effortless potting and unflappable character. With another trophy to his name, the weight of expectation that comes with the World Champion status has been eased.
World number ten Zhao has now won all four of the finals he has contested as a pro and will go into the upcoming UK Championship – a title he captured in 2021 – full of self belief. He is the 11th different winner in 11 tournaments so far this season.
Robertson had hoped to complete the ‘Saudi double’ by adding this crown to the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters title he won in Jeddah in August. The world number three may have been considered favourite going into the final but crucially failed to take opportunities to win the third frame, and couldn’t recover.
Zhao got the better of the opening frame and had a chance to snatch the second from 46-0 down, but on 33 he left a black to top corner short of the pocket, handing Robertson an opening to make it 1-1. In the third, Robertson potted six reds with blacks before running out of position, and his opponent clawed his way back to eventually take it on the colours. A rapid run of 131, his second century of the tournament, put Zhao 3-1 ahead, and he continued that momentum after the interval with a 134 to go three up with four to play.
Australia’s Robertson pulled one back with a run of 91 for 4-2 and he led 37-17 in frame seven when an attempted red to centre hit the far jaw. The balls were not ideally placed for Zhao, but he fashioned an excellent 57 to clinch the title.
“I feel so happy, it’s amazing to win this title,” said Zhao. “I was nervous but I just tried to concentrate on the table. It’s my first time in Riyadh so I will have a lot of good memories here and I look forward to coming back. Lots of people from China were here, they gave me huge support and that was so important to me. My only target now is just to keep getting better.“
I don’t have much to add really. Zhao is a player I really enjoy watching. He’s agressive, he’s elegant, he’s creative in his shot selection. What’s not to like?
I’m sure some will come again about the “match fixing” affair. Let me remind you this: in June 2023, the independent disciplinary commission ruled that Zhao had not himself fixed any matches, and that his involvement was limited to placing bets on behalf of Yan Bingtao on two of Yan’s matches. The same commission also recognised that the young Chinese players were “heavily reliant on each other socially and financially“, especially during and shortly after the “covid” period, making them vulnerable to pressure from the likes of Liang Wenbo1. Zhao admitted his errors, showed genuine remorse and worked hard to redeem himself. We all make errors, we should remember that. The important thing is to learn from them and move forward.
Day 2 in Riyadh saw the quarter finals played to a conclusion. The semi-finals and the final will be played today, with the final’s format being a whooping beat of 9 format … yeah!
I didn’t watch much of the action yesterday, and, apparently the only match I did watch, the second in the afternoon, was the “poorest” on the day. Allen won it by 4-2, but his highest break in the match was only 49, which in itself tells a story. Both players’ average shot time was well above their usual standard, another indicator that they both struggled. It was painful to watch TBH and, after that, I felt no inclination to watch anything snooker in the evening. A good challenging “killer hard sudoku” felt more appealing 😇 …
Neil Robertson remained on track to win two huge events in Saudi Arabia in the same season as he beat Kyren Wilson 4-0 to reach the semi-finals of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship – though he couldn’t capitalise on the best chance so far this week of a 167 super-maximum.
Australia’s Robertson beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-9 in the final of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters ranking event in August, describing it as the biggest victory of his career. And the world number three is just two wins away from another title in this invitation tournament – on Friday he will meet defending champion Mark Allen who saw off John Higgins 4-2.
Breaks of 100 and 133 gave Robertson the first two frames, then in the third he potted five reds and blacks and was clearly determined to attempt the first ever 167, which would require making a 147 then potting the gold ball for an extra 20 points to win a $1 million bonus. But with the balls well placed, he ran fractionally out of position after potting the sixth red and had to play for the blue. Still, Robertson went on to make 88 then took the next frame with a run of 76 to complete the whitewash.
“It was pretty much perfect, every time I got a chance I won the frame,” said the 43-year-old, who is competing in this event for the first time. “I would have loved to see how far I could have got with the 167 – if the cue ball had run on another couple of inches it would have been perfect. Joe (Perry) has already texted me saying I made the right decision in making sure I won the frame. I felt really good and I think I could have got down to the last ball. This is a one off event where we get this chance, so from the first red I am trying to see how I can get on the black.“
Allen was well below his best against Higgins and managed a top break of just 49 but did enough to boost his hopes of successfully defending the crown, having beaten Luca Brecel in the final last year. World number seven Allen is targeting his second title of the season as he won the English Open in September.
After sharing the first two frames, Allen went chasing a 167 in the third but missed a red to centre on 48 and Higgins punished him with an 82 clearance. The fourth came down to a safety battle on the last red and Allen potted it from distance then added the points he needed for 2-2 The Northern Irishman got the better of frame five with a top run of 49 then dominated the next to clinch the result.
Having gone back to the cue he was using last season, Judd Trump looked close to his best as he saw off Mark Williams 4-0 in just 48 minutes to reach the semi-finals of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.
World number one Trump decided at the start of this season to switch to a new cue, with a titanium ferrule rather than the traditional brass, but is yet to win a title so far in 2025 and admitted after defeat to Mark Selby in last Sunday’s Champion of Champions final that the experiment had come to an end. So he reverted to his previous cue tonight and completely outplayed an out-of-sorts Williams, finishing the tie with back to back century breaks.
Trump will now meet Zhao Xintong on Friday evening and on the same night he could lift his first trophy since the 2024 UK Championship. He lost 4-3 to Williams in the same round of this event last season and now has the chance to reach the final for the first time.
The opening frame was a cagey affair but went Trump’s way, then the 36-year-old took the second in two scoring visits, before rattling in runs of 100 and 102.
“It is hard to play your best when you are trying to find the right cue, but I’m out there battling,” said 2019 World Champion Trump. “There is still going to be a bit of changing until I find the right cue, it is not perfect at the moment.
“We are all fortunate just to play snooker for a living. Sometimes it’s tough when things are not going your way, but I will keep trying and at some point it will all click again. It’s an incredible atmosphere here and a very nice arena to play in. Each time we come to Saudi Arabia, the arenas are the best we get to play in.”
World Champion Zhao produced one of his best performances of the season so far to beat in-form Shaun Murphy 4-2. If the Chinese ace can beat Trump he’ll be into a final for the first time since the Crucible in May.
Murphy came from 49-0 down to take the opening frame with a 79 clearance before Zhao hit back with 62 for 1-1. In frame three, Murphy led 58-0 when he missed a red to top corner and his opponent punished him with a run of 69.
A superb 101 from Murphy made it 2-2 and he had first chance in frame five but could only make 17 and Zhao’s 73 saw him regain the lead. In the sixth, Murphy again was in first but on 40 he failed to convert a plant on a red and that proved his last shot as Zhao cleared with 88.
I won’t lie, I had a miserable day yesterday, and it’s not just the snooker stuff1.
Yesterday Ronnie lost to Shaun Murphy, and lost heavily. He was whitewashed. Coming into that match, Ronnie and Shaun had played each other 21 times, Ronnie had won 16 of those matches, Shaun had won 4 of them and there was a draw as well. But that doesn’t counts for much when you are at the table, what really counts is what you produce on the day.
Yesterday, Shaun played well and Ronnie was poor, very poor. In the last frame, Ronnie looked like he could pull one back, until he missed a straightforward yellow in a middle pocket. We will probably never know with any certainty what actually happened, if he took it for granted and didn’t concentrate, if he was distracted by something in the audience, if he had a kick … and, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter, only the match outcome matters.
In general, after a decent start, Ronnie has been poor this season. Of course, he has gone through significant changes in his life, getting married, moving to Dubai … maybe that are (part of) the reasons for the poor performances, or maybe, alas, it’s just natural decline. After all, he’s going to turn 50 in about two weeks time…
Shaun Murphy scored a rare whitewash over Ronnie O’Sullivan as he stormed into the quarter-finals of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship with a 4-0 victory in the Saudi Arabian capital.
Murphy had lost his previous six meetings with O’Sullivan, a sequence stretching back to 2017, but this time dominated the tie in front of a capacity crowd. There was no glimpse of a possible 167 break and $1 million bonus but Murphy won’t mind as he can look forward to a clash with World Champion Zhao Xintong on Thursday night.
Arguably the player of the season so far having won the British Open and reached the final of the Xi’an Grand Prix, Murphy was in fine form from the opening match today as he saw off Saudi Arabian wild card Ziyad Alqabbani 4-0 with top breaks of 128 and 109. His long potting was superb in round two as he outplayed O’Sullivan, who by comparison looked short of match sharpness.
Murphy’s break of 53 helped him take the opening frame, then in the second he got the better of a safety exchange on the last red, thumping it from distance into a baulk corner and clearing for 2-0. A run of 93 from world number nine Murphy made it 3-0, and in the fourth he built a 35-1 lead before running out of position. O’Sullivan had a chance to gain a foothold but made just 7 before missing a straight-forward yellow and Murphy’s run of 23 secured the result.
“I’m delighted, any win over Ronnie has to be celebrated,” said Murphy, who only earned a place in the field by reaching the final in Xi’an which was the last counting event. “I have been playing well all season and it has been fantastic to carry my form through. It was wonderful to come out and play in front of a great audience. Ronnie has been packing out arenas since he was 17, he draws a crowd everywhere.
“I have a great team around me, my fiancée Jo is here, we have just got engaged. I feel I am riding the crest of a wave and I’ve got such a great life at home. I have always felt that your snooker reflects where you are in life and at the moment I couldn’t be happier.”
Murphy tops this season’s century breaks chart with 35 and the first player to reach 100 tons will earn a £100,000 bonus. He added: “I am a patron of Rainbows Children’s Hospice in Leicestershire where I donate £100 for every century, so last season I donated £5,800 and I would love to beat that total this season. I have never got to 100 and only two have done it (Judd Trump and Neil Robertson) so it would be a great to join that club, but there’s a long way to go.”
John Higgins completed the quarter-final line up by beating Ding Junhui 4-0 on a day of whitewashes. Ding had enjoyed a 4-0 success against wild card Ayman Alamri with a top run of 84, but was well below his best against 50-year-old Higgins. After winning two fragmented frames, Scotland’s Higgins stepped up a gear and took the last two frames with a brace of breaks of 106. He now meets defending champion Mark Allen on Thursday.
There is no sign of decline for John Higgins obviously but then every person is different and age affects us differently as well.
What is certain though is that the conditions are not great and that’s an understatement. Ronnie didn’t complain, but John , who had won his match, was very critical in his postmatch, as reported by TNT Sport: he said that it’s ‘As if there’s beer mats under the table’ …
That wouldn’t be that bad … it’s only just a game after all ↩︎
SELBY DEFEATS WORLD NO.1 TO CLAIM FIRST CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS TITLE | 2025 SPORTSBET.IO CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS
Mark Selby produced a career-defining performance in front of an electrified home crowd at the Mattioli Arena, defeating World No.1 Judd Trump 10–5 to claim the 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions title — his first in the prestigious event.
Reflecting on the triumph, Selby said: “To win this title, here at home, means absolutely everything. Judd is the benchmark in the sport right now — you know you can’t give him an inch. I had to be solid from the first ball to the last. The atmosphere pushed me all the way, and lifting this trophy in Leicester is something I’ll never forget.
It was a final steeped in history as much as ambition — the first time Selby and Trump had contested a title since the 2011 China Open, where a young Judd Trump announced himself by claiming the first ranking trophy of his career. And from the very first shots in Leicester, it was clear this latest chapter would be worthy of the rivalry.
Trump struck first with a clinical 111 to take the opener, but Selby hit back immediately with a century of his own, a composed 102 to level. A missed cut on the black from Selby handed Trump the third frame, and the World No.1 followed it up with another century to stretch his lead to 3–1.
Selby, refusing to be shaken, capitalised on a safety error to reduce the deficit before punishing a missed long red from Trump with a run of 99 to pull level at 3–3. A tense, tactical seventh frame tipped Selby’s way as he moved ahead for the first time, and he doubled his advantage moments later, outmanoeuvring Trump in another cagey battle for 5–3.
Trump responded with intent, closing the gap to one after Selby failed to escape a snooker, and then levelling the match again following yet another tight safety exchange. But Selby struck back, edging a tense tenth frame to retake the lead before an in-off from Trump in the next allowed the Leicester man to extend the gap once more.
From there, Selby surged.
A brilliant 138 — the highest break of the tournament — pushed him 8–5 ahead. Riding a wave of momentum and crowd energy, he closed out the match in spectacular fashion, producing back-to-back centuries of 101 and 136 to seal a commanding 10–5 victory and lift the Champion of Champions trophy for the first time.
Selby began the week as Leicester’s favourite; he ended it as Leicester’s champion. A perfect, poetic finish.
Selby Beats Trump To Become Champion Of Champions For First Time
Mark Selby landed the Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions title for the first time, and ended a nine-month barren streak, as he pulled away from 5-5 to beat Judd Trump 10-5 in the final.
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Four-time Crucible king Selby had never previously reached the final of this event but this time in Leicester he rose to the occasion in front of his home fans, knocking out Stephen Maguire, Mark Williams and Neil Robertson before dominating the second half of the final against world number one Trump, finishing in superb style with three consecutive century breaks.
It’s a first title for 42-year-old Selby since the Welsh Open in February and by far his highlight of the 2025/26 season so far as he had previously not reached a final. He will now go into the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship later this month with a massive confidence boost.
Trump, who remains without a title in 2025, held an early 3-1 lead with breaks of 111, 73 and 114, despite a 102 from his opponent in frame two. Selby then hit back with 70, 99, 65 and 64 to go 5-3 ahead, before Trump’s 71 gave him the last frame of the afternoon session.
Bristol’s Trump won the first of the evening session, then Selby took the 11th for 6-5, before crucially getting the better of a safety battle on the final pink in the 12th to extend his lead. A tremendous 138 total clearance, the highest break of the tournament, left Selby 8-5 up as they headed for the interval.
And Selby maintained his momentum when they returned as breaks of 101 and 132 allowed him to fly past the winning post.
“This event is only for the best players and it was a privilege to play Judd in the final,” said Selby, the tenth different winner in ten tournaments so far this season. “I played well from start to finish and I knew I had to because Judd is the man to beat. I have felt good about my game for the last few days, I have found something and I know I have to stick with it. It’s a while since I have felt like that so it was great to play to that standard in a big final.“
Trump, who lost 9-8 to Jack Lisowski in last month’s Northern Ireland Open final, appeared to suggest that he will ditch the cue he has used since the start of the current season. “I couldn’t win with that cue,” he said. “I gave it my all today, but I just can’t get used to it, I didn’t know where to aim. There are no excuses and congratulations to Mark because he was the best player all week and deserved to win. He scored very heavily, his safety was good and he showed why he is one of the all-time greats.“
“No excuses” he said …. before immediately blaming the cue 😇. Seriously, I’m just “teasing” here. Changing ones cue is not always straightforward, we know that.
Mark Selby was the better player all week, no doubts. He is the local boy and the crowd supported him throughout which probably helped. But it only helped because Mark was playing well. When a player struggles, the crowd willing them to win sometimes only adds pressure and makes things harder for them.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 