The 2025 Champion of Champions starts today, without Ronnie who declined the invitation. As a result, Alfie Burden is in the draw, which is only right as Alfie is the reigning World Seniors Champion whilst Ronnie has not won any event since the last edition of this competition. Wu Yize, of course, just won the 2025 International Championship, but that event will count for next season. A very last minute change of the draw and schedule would have been unmanageable.
SCHEDULE CONFIRMED FOR THE 2025 SPORTSBET.IO CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS, 10–16 NOVEMBER
The schedule is now confirmed for the 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions, where snooker’s biggest stars will battle it out at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena for the first time in the event’s history.
Taking place from 10th to 16th November, the event will be broadcast live from 12:45 pm (UK time) on Monday, with coverage on ITV4 in the UK, Rigour in China, and through global broadcast partners, bringing the action to fans across the world.
Match Schedule Group Stages (Best-of-Seven)
Monday 10th November – Group Two Judd Trump (England) Shaun Murphy (England) Lei Peifan (China) Bai Yulu (China)
The 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions opens with Group Two, headlined by World No. 1 Judd Trump, who faces Masters Champion Shaun Murphy and Chinese stars Lei Peifan and Bai Yulu – the reigning Women’s World Champion making her second appearance in the tournament.
Tuesday 11th November – Group Three Kyren Wilson (England) Mark Allen (Northern Ireland) Zhao Xintong (China) Jack Lisowski (England)
Group Three features a star-studded line-up including World Champion Zhao Xintong, Kyren Wilson, Mark Allen, and Jack Lisowski. This group promises fast-paced and entertaining snooker from start to finish.
Wednesday 12th November – Group One Mark Williams (Wales) Mark Selby (England) Stephen Maguire (Scotland) Alfie Burden (England)
Group One sees Mark Williams begin his title defence campaign, joined by Leicester’s own Mark Selby, Stephen Maguire, and World Seniors Champion Alfie Burden. With three former World Champions in the mix, expect a fiercely contested day of classic match-ups.
Thursday 13th November – Group Four Neil Robertson (Australia) John Higgins (Scotland) Xiao Guodong (China) Tom Ford (England)
Concluding the group stages, Group Four brings together two former Champion of Champions winners in Neil Robertson and John Higgins, alongside Xiao Guodong and local favourite Tom Ford.many of them probably have day jobs.
Next week comes the 2025 Riyadh Season Championship, this time with Ronnie in the draw, but it’s not a particularly favorable draw…
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
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.”
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.
You will find the draw and schedule for this event here on snooker.org.
The way Ronnie’s matches are scheduled fans in the UK and western mainland Europe will have to stay up very late to watch them live, but, of course, those hours are the ones most suitable for the Saudi Arabian fans, as many of them have day jobs
China’s Wu Yize blitzed to a 10-6 victory over Scotland’s four-time World Champion John Higgins to capture his maiden ranking title by winning the International Championship in Nanjing.
The supremely talented 22-year-old’s potential has been clear for many years. He became World Under-21 Champion back in 2018, aged just 14. Four years later, in 2022, he was named Rookie of the Year after his debut season on tour.
However, this has been Wu’s coming of age week. Having also beaten the likes of compatriots Zhang Anda and World Champion Zhao Xintong, it was against two of England’s finest where he displayed his blistering best.
From 4-0 down in his last 16 tie with world number one Judd Trump, Wu strung together 12 consecutive frames to win 6-4 and then whitewash Barry Hawkins 6-0. Each of those frames contained a break over 60. The question was could he carry that form into his final with experienced 50-year-old Higgins?
Today’s clash was the fourth biggest ever age gap in a ranking final, the biggest was 30 years between Ding Junhui and Steve Davis in the 2005 UK Championship final.
Wu’s previous two final appearances ended in defeat. He lost 9-7 to Neil Robertson in the 2024 English Open final and a few months later was beaten 9-5 by Lei Peifan in the 2024 Scottish Open final.
This win makes Wu the ninth ranking event winner from mainland China and he pockets a £175,000 top prize. That catapults Wu from 22nd to 13th in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings. He now qualifies automatically for the UK Championship, at Chris Wakelin’s expense.
It’s a disappointing end to a very strong week for 33-time ranking event winner Higgins. He will have to settle for the £75,000 runner-up cheque in his 59th ranking final. His run included a 9-2 win over close friend Stephen Maguire in the semis and a 6-2 defeat of Shaun Murphy in the quarters.
The afternoon session saw Wu dominate large chunks of the play, but Higgins showed his grit and experience to claim the last two frames leave the match in the balance at 5-4 to Wu.
When play got underway this evening, Wu immediately regained the initiative with a break of 87 to go two ahead.
A dramatic 11th frame proved to be a crucial juncture in the match. Higgins had the frame under control when he missed a tricky brown to the left hand baulk corner. After a brief exchange, Wu took on a double which led to a tremendous clearance of 43 to steal on the black and move 7-4 ahead.
Wu compounded that frame with a maximum attempt in the 12th. His run ended on 80, but it left him needing just two frames for glory at 8-4 as they went in for the mid-session.
After play resumed, the next two frames were traded, as Wu moved to the verge of victory at 9-5. Higgins crafted a defiant 53 to make it 9-6, but this evening was Wu’s moment. He went out with a bang, hammering home 108 to get over the line and become the International Champion.
“Honestly, it feels unbelievable. After beating Judd Trump, I started thinking about the whole journey and it was surreal,” said an elated Wu.
“I think one of the good things was that I started both sessions of the final really well. Having a lead helped me to relax. Everything went pretty much the way I wanted.
“It has been a long wait since reaching the final at the Scottish Open and the English Open last year. At times I honestly felt quite desperate, but deep down I always believed I had the ability to win a title. Every day I kept thinking about it. I had a strong will to lift a trophy. That belief carried me through this week.
“My parents are everything. My dad (Wu Jiepin) has been with me since I was a kid, always by my side. He’s helped me so much, especially during difficult times in the UK. I’m so grateful for what he has done for me.”
Higgins said: “I was nowhere near good enough all day. He was striking the ball beautifully. He was by far the better player. It reminded me so much of playing Paul Hunter. The way he gets through the ball and gets so much action on it. He is a brilliant player.
“There’s no point in getting too down. I’ll get home and have a couple of days off before the Champion of Champions. After that it is the Riyadh tournament and then building up to the UK. I’m disappointed with how I played today.
“I’m delighted his mum and dad are here. It brings back memories for me. It could open the floodgates. It goes to show the good hands snooker is in. I’m glad that I’ll probably be retiring in a couple of years with guys like that potting them off the lampshades. He is a total star.“
I’m absolutely delighted for Wu, who I always enjoy watching.
It’s not like he had an easy route to the title either as he had to beat both the reigning World Champion, Zhao Xintong, and the World Number One, Judd Trump, as already mentioned in WST’s report. Playing in his own country, China, probably added pressure as well. He’s a special player, no doubts!
John Higgins completely demolished Stephen Maguire today in Nanjing and will face Wu Yize in the Final tomorrow … Higgins won convincingly as I expected although, to be honest, I had a look at cuetracker after the match ended today and their head-to-head is extremely close, much closer than I expected.
Scotland’s John Higgins thrashed compatriot and close friend Stephen Maguire 9-2 to earn his place in the final of the International Championship in Nanjing.
Victory extends a five game winning streak over practice partner Maguire in professional competition. You have to go back to 2014 for Maguire’s last triumph over Higgins.
Today’s result saw Higgins claim victory in what was his 90th ranking event semi-final. He’s gunning for a third ranking event win of the calendar year, having suffered a four-year title drought before that in which he lost five straight finals. The 50-year-old claimed silverware earlier this year at the World Open and Tour Championship.
Four-time World Champion Higgins now progresses to tomorrow’s final, where he will face Chinese 22-year-old star Wu Yize. They do battle over the best of 19 frames, with a top prize of £175,000 on the line.
It will be the fourth biggest ever age gap in a ranking final, the biggest was 30 years between Ding Junhui and Steve Davis in the 2005 UK Championship final.
Higgins surged 6-0 up in this afternoon’s session, before Maguire claimed the last two to give himself hope at 6-2.
That hope was short lived. Breaks of 93 and 64 helped 33-time ranking event winner Higgins surge to three consecutive frames and a 9-2 win.
Higgins said: “I’m over the moon. To be 6-0 up was what dreams are made of to start with. Stephen pulled two back and it was still anybody’s game. I’m delighted with the way I hit the ball today.
“In a way, it is easy to play Stephen as a friend, because I know he is such a fierce competitor. When you are out there, you are giving it 100 percent. After the match and before you are still mates obviously. It is a great win for me to beat Stephen like that.
“It was pivotal to win the World Open. It gave me that bit of self belief in my game. It doesn’t matter who you are, when you start losing that self belief the game becomes so difficult. Especially when it comes to getting over the winning line. To make it concrete in my mind and say I was a winner again took the pressure off.
“Wu Yize has been incredible. To beat Judd from 4-0 down with six one visits, then carry it on to beat Barry 6-0 and beat the World Champion after that is amazing. He is going to be on the crest of a wave. I’m hoping he finds the nerves tomorrow, because it is his first final in China.”
I will be firmly in Wu’s camp tomorrow aven if, on experience, John has to be favourite. Those who know me, and follow this blog, know why.
Wu Yize is just one win away from capturing his maiden ranking title after scoring a 9-6 win over World Champion Zhao Xintong in the semi-finals of the International Championship in Nanjing.
The 22-year-old has been hotly pursuing silverware over the last two years. He made semi-finals at the 2023 Wuhan Open and the 2024 Shoot Out.
Wu was a losing finalist twice last season. He was beaten 9-7 by Neil Robertson in the 2024 English Open and 9-5 against Lei Peifan at the 2024 Scottish Open.
A stunning week here will leave him confident he can take the final step in Sunday’s final against either John Higgins or Stephen Maguire. The Scottish duo contest their semi-final tomorrow.
Wu’s path to the final included a sensational 12 frames on the bounce across his 6-4 win over Judd Trump in the last 16 and a 6-0 win over Barry Hawkins in the quarters. He crafted a break of 60 or over in every single one of those frames.
The final also has added significance for both Wu and Chris Wakelin. Should Wu win he will dislodge Wakelin, who is 16th in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, and qualify automatically for the final stages of the UK Championship.
Defeat for Crucible king Zhao means he will have to continue his wait for a maiden ranking title in China, as well as a first piece of silverware since winning snooker’s biggest prize back in May.
They came into this evening locked level at 4-4. However, Wu came firing out of the traps this evening and charged towards the finish line. Breaks of 108 and 71 helped him to four consecutive frames and moved Wu one frame from the final at 8-4
Zhao refused to go quietly and crafted contributions of 81 and 50 to turn up the pressure and make it 8-6. However, it was Wu’s day and he clinched a momentous win with a break of 65 in the 15th to book his place in the final.
Wu said: “I’m quite excited. I didn’t think I could actually beat him. In fact, as soon as the second session began, I felt a lot of pressure. He missed a brown ball I didn’t expect in the ninth frame. I was ready to go to the bathroom and prepare for the next frame. It came as a surprise. It was a turning point.
“I know for top players like him, winning consecutive frames is very normal. Nothing could be more normal for him. I just told myself to keep calm and always focus on the frame in hand.
“I’ve definitely improved since my last ranking final, especially recently. I feel I’ve started to make less mistakes in matches, compared to last year.
“Everyone has been quite supportive of me. I enjoy playing out there because I’m playing in my homeland. Everything feels pleasant and joyful. There will be a bit of a home advantage. I hope I can make use of it.”
I’m very pleased that Wu won, simply because I quite like him.🥰. I would be very happy to see him lift the trophy come Sunday.
I’m not amongst those who think that Zhao shouldn’t be playing, never-mind playing as the reigning World Champion. He served his punishment, worked hard to be ready when allowed back on tour and showed his quality at the Crucible. Remember that Zhao did not directly throw a match. He admitted being party to another player fixing two matches and to betting on matches. For those offences he received a 20 months ban. He served it and is back on tour where he belongs.
Hereafter you will find the reports shared by WST on what happened on the quater-finals day in Nanjing.
The Wu Yize v Judd Trump match was truly remarquable and will do nothing for Judd’s confidence. I’m not sure if it ever happened to him during his professional career to be beaten by 6-4 having led by 4-0!
Anyway it happened today … and I’m not too sorry for him. I haven’t forgotten how he came on social media in the early days of his career, after beating Ronnie a couple of times. “Ronnie who?” is what he posted.
No matter how great a player is, they all go through lean spells during their career, especially when they get a bit older. Judd is going through that now and I’m not sure how he would feel if the young Wu Yize was posting “Judd who?” on social media. Somehow, I doubt he would be happy
Having said that what Judd did back then was nothing new under the sun and maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh. Homer, in the Odyssey, wrote something along the line that it’s the privilege of the youth to judge without knowing and to believe they know before they learned … 1
China’s Zhao Xintong reached his first ranking semi-final since becoming World Champion, beating Mark Selby 6-5 at the International Championship.
The 28-year-old made history by becoming Asia’s first Crucible king back in May, beating Mark Williams 18-12 in the final. Since that landmark moment, Zhao has had a mixed start to the new campaign.
He had a 6-1 win over compatriot and icon Ding Junhui to reach the semis at the invitational Shanghai Masters, before losing out to Kyren Wilson. However, he has failed to go beyond the last 16 since then.
Today’s result also marks a first ever win over four-time World Champion Selby. The Leicester cueman had won all five of their previous meetings to this point.
It had looked as if Selby was set or another win when he charged to a 4-2 advantage this afternoon. However, breaks of 68, 97 and 55 helped Zhao to three in a row and a 5-4 lead.
A gutsy run of 81 in the tenth saw Selby force a decider, but it was Zhao who got over the line to secure a semi-final clash with compatriot Wu Yize.
“That was unbelievable. It was my first time beating Mark Selby and I had to come back from behind. I am so proud of myself,” said three-time ranking event winner Zhao.
“I’ve been enjoying being World Champion and I the pressure of it. I have enjoyed playing out there on the table.
“It will hopefully be a good game with Wu. He is a very good player and can pot anything. I will try my best to beat him. Chinese snooker now is really good. Every Chinese player is capable of winning trophies.”
Wu blitzed to a stunning 6-0 whitewash win over Barry Hawkins, extending his frame winning streak to 12 in a row.
The 22-year-old trailed world number one Judd Trump 4-0, before a blitz of six on the bounce saw him score an unlikely win. Remarkably, he’s now made a break over 50 in all of his last 12 frames.
Victory sees Wu reach the fifth ranking semi-final of his career. He’s made title matches on two occasions, at the 2024 English Open and the 2024 Scottish Open, but fell short against Neil Robertson and Lei Peifan respectively.
Wu crafted runs of 66, 64, 73, 85, 111 and 86 en route to today’s win. The world number 22 knows he must win the event in order to dislodge Chris Wakelin and make the top 16 in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings to qualify automatically for the UK Championship.
He and Zhao will meet over 17 frames and two sessions tomorrow.
Stephen Maguire and John Higgins set up an all-Scottish semi-final at the International Championship in Nanjing, after scoring respective wins over Zak Surety and Shaun Murphy.
A 6-1 victory over Surety sends Maguire through to the 38th ranking semi-final of his career. He’s gunning for a second ranking crown of the campaign, having won the season opening Championship League, and an eighth ranking crown in total.
Having won his first three matches this week all by a 6-4 scoreline. Today’s more straightforward win was a welcome one for the 44-year-old. Maguire looked by far the more comfortable of the two players and crafted breaks of 50, 94 and 59 on his way to victory.
Tougher tests lie ahead for the 2004 UK Champion in the last four against his close friend. He will be aiming to arrest a four match losing streak against fellow Glaswegian Higgins and beat him for the first time since 2014.
His experiences sharing a practice unit with Higgins and Anthony McGill have left Maguire under no illusions of the task which faces him.
Maguire said: “I don’t think there’s much help for anyone who isn’t playing well when we are practising. You are just handing over fivers constantly! You are a victim if you aren’t playing well in there and you need to be sharp. You have to get up early in the morning and be sharp in that unit.
“A best of 17 against John. I will be nervous, I know that, because there will be a lot of bragging rights on it. I think I will be more nervous about that than the actual semi-final itself.”
Higgins scored a superb 6-2 win over recent British Open champion Murphy to book his last four slot.
Victory sees the Wizard of Wishaw into an incredible 90th career ranking semi-final. He’s gunning for his 34th title.
Breaks of 77, 112, 67 and 116 helped Higgins ease to victory this evening. Afterwards, he admitted he’s thrilled to claim victory against such stern opposition, as well as stating that he’s relishing his last four showdown with Maguire.
“It was all about me today. I had to play at the top of my game to have a chance against Shaun. I felt I did that. My safety was pretty good and when I got my chances I scored pretty well. When I play these top guys now I’ve got to be on my game to win,” said 50-year-old Higgins.
“There are certain players that make you feel inadequate when you are out at the table with the way they hit the ball. Shaun is one of them. It is very important to get a toehold in the game and just work from there.
“I’m delighted to be playing Stephen. It is the same with Anthony McGill, he’s back doing well this season and Stevie has been putting the work in over the summer as well. We will be fighting like cat and dog out there. If I win then great, if I don’t then I’ll be willing him on to win the title. It is such a tough game and I know how good he is.
“It was the same with Anthony (in the British Open semi-finals). I was trying my hardest but he played better. I shook his hand and said on you go, hoping he would win the title. It will be the same again. There will be bragging rights, so we will wait and see.”
Higgins and Maguire will do battle over the best of 17 frames on Saturday for a place in the final against World Champion Zhao Xintong or Wu Yize.
Yes, I went through the classic curriculum at school, learning Latin and ancient Greek. The “school for girls” I was sent to didn’t offer a strong scientific curriculum because, you know, that’s not for girls… I begged to differ, studied maths at Uni, got a PhD and made a career in IT 😇. Having said all that, I absolutely loved Homer, especially the Odyssey… ↩︎
China’s Wu Yize staged a stunning fightback to overhaul world number one Judd Trump and win 6-4 at the International Championship in Nanjing.
Having trailed 4-0, it had appeared 22-year-old Wu was heading home. However, a sensational blitz of six frames in a row saw him surge to victory. Wu hammered home runs of 62, 109, 88, 92, 86 and 80 in consecutive frames to turn the match on its head.
It’s a second straight win over Trump for Wu, who also defeated him during a run to the 2024 English Open final. Wu is still searching for a maiden title, having lost that English Open final to Neil Robertson. He went on to fall short against compatriot Lei Peifan in the Scottish Open final later that year.
Next up in Wu’s hunt for maiden ranking title glory is a meeting with Barry Hawkins, who beat Jack Lisowski 6-4.
Wu is the only player left in the hunt to dislodge Chris Wakelin from the top 16 in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings and avoid qualifying for the UK Championship, but he must win the event.
“I felt very proud of myself. After going 4-0 down I fought shot by shot. The crowd really cheered me up. With all the fans cheering at the end it felt like a moment of true happiness,” said an elated Wu.
“I attacked really well today. I barely made any mistakes and once I was given opportunities I just took them. He certainly put me under a lot of pressure.”
Mark Selby thrashed Anthony McGill 6-1 to set up a mouth-watering quarter-final with World Champion Zhao Xintong.
The Jester from Leicester has historically enjoyed his travels to China, having won seven of his 24 ranking crowns in the country. However, victory this week would end a seven year Chinese title drought for the Englishman.
Selby heads into his quarter-final with Zhao aiming to maintain his 100% record against the Crucible King, having won all five of their previous meetings.
Selby said: “I’m looking forward to playing Zhao. He’s a really nice lad. It is amazing for China to have a World Champion. He played amazing in April to win it. Hopefully he doesn’t play that sort of stuff against me tomorrow
“I’ll try to keep playing the right shots at the right time. If he keeps on potting them and beats me then sometimes you just have to hold your hands up. I’ll go out there and play the game in front of me and see what happens.”
Zhao also breezed through with ease, thrashing Chinese compatriot Si Jiahui 6-1 with five breaks over 50.
Shaun Murphy continued his excellent form with a 6-2 defeat of Chinese legend Ding Junhui to make the quarters.
The Magician is in celebratory mood this week having recently won the British Open. He then got engaged to his now fiancee Jo the day before getting on the flight to Nanjing.
Century breaks of 104 and 114 helped Murphy to victory today. He now faces John Higgins, who came from 5-4 down to beat Scottish compatriot Scott Donaldson 6-5.
Murphy said: “The crowd make themselves heard a lot more here than they do back in the UK. Although Ding has great support all over the world. I have to say the crowd were fantastic. They were very respectful and cheered my good shots as well as Ding’s good shots. I enjoyed every minute of it and I think we put on a good show for them.”
Zak Surety followed up from yesterday’s 147 break with a superb 6-3 defeat of 2010 World Champion Neil Robertson. That sets up a quarter-final with Stephen Maguire, who defeated Jiang Jun 6-4.
The Essex cueman is now through to a ranking quarter-final for the second time in his career. He was beaten 6-5 in the semis of the World Open by Higgins last year, a match he had led 5-3. Surety admits he has learned from that experience.
Surety said: “I was trying not to think of that John Higgins semi-final, but I did learn from it. There were a few shots when I was 5-3 up against John that I didn’t go for. I had a similar red today and I did go for it. They are so good these guys, they just punish you. I think he started to sense I was flapping a bit. They are killers these guys, they eat you alive.“
Not much to add really. Surety is a strange player, quite unpredictable. I remember watching him at a PTC, I don’t remember which one, but he really impressed me in that event and I expected him to get good results from there on but then he did nothing of note afterwards, he “disappeared” for months, even years….
From 4-2 and 5-3 down, Ronnie battled very hard today but it was in vain as he was beaten 6-5 by Jack Lisowski in the round of 32 at the International Championship in Nanjing.
It was the first time ever that Jack beat Ronnie and I’m certain that it’s not just “by chance” that it happened now, right after Jack’s first tournament win. It’s been a long time coming, but now that it has happened, I expect Jack to thrive and win many more.
Also, somehow he has always been a bit “in the shadow” of his close friend Judd Trump. Jack is supremely talented and so far has “underachieved”. Of course, there are circumstances that have contributed to that situation. Jack is a cancer survivor. He was only a teenager when he fought the illness. Nobody truly knows how much, and in what ways, that illness and its aftermath has held him back but surely, for him, snooker can’t have been “his everything”.
Jack Lisowski scored his first ever win over Ronnie O’Sullivan, prevailing 6-5 in a thrilling clash at the International Championship in Nanjing.
It’s the latest landmark in a dream two weeks for the Jackpot. After losing his first six ranking finals, he finally achieved his dream last Sunday, beating best friend Judd Trump 9-8 in the Northern Ireland Open final.
He came into today with a torrid record against the Rocket, having suffered 6-1 defeats in three of their four previous meetings. Their most recent meeting was a 6-1 loss at the 2022 Masters.
Lisowski put on an electric display this afternoon and appeared to be coasting home when runs of 72, 75, 113, 88 and 63 had him 5-3 ahead. However, nerves started started to impact and that was further compiled when seven-time World Champion O’Sullivan claimed two on the spin to force a decider.
A remarkable final frame twisted one way and then another, with both players spurning opportunities. Eventually it was Lisowski who found a way over the line, depositing the winning black along the top cushion to topple snooker’s greatest player for a first time. Next up is a last 16 meeting with Barry Hawkins.
“I sort of collapsed over the line. I got lucky when it mattered a few times at the end. I was doing alright to 5-3 up then I started thinking I could beat Ronnie. That is such a big deal. I’ve watched him since being a child. I’ve never gotten close to him. I had all that going through my mind and I lost concentration,” said 34-year-old Lisowski.
“It has been an incredible week. Winning a title was the focus for like 15 years and now to beat Ronnie is a special achievement for any player. I can’t believe I’ve done both.
“I played him in the Masters and that is the only time I’ve felt humiliated as a professional, like I wasn’t in his league. I also played John Higgins once when I never had a shot. They are the only two players who have made me realise the level you can get to. I was scared he’d make me look silly today, but I’m onto something. If I can keep my concentration my game stands up.”
Zak Surety made the second 147 of his career during a dramatic 6-5 win over Aaron Hill to set up a last 16 tie with Australia’s Neil Robertson, who beat Yuan Sijun 6-3.
The Essex cueman enjoyed a fine end to last season, making the semis of the World Open and qualifying for the World Championship final stages. Wins have been harder to come by this term, but he was thrilled to achieve snooker perfection this evening.
Surety said: “I missed a chance for a 147 on eight in qualifying! All the blokes round me in the club have been telling me I’ll have another. I couldn’t see how it was possible as I was bottling it on eight! To do it again in a big tournament is unreal.”
Recent British Open champion Shaun Murphy prevailed 6-4 against Elliot Slessor to set up a blockbuster last 16 clash with home hero Ding Junhui, who beat Liam Highfield 6-4.
World Champion Zhao Xintong beat former European Masters winner Fan Zhengyi 6-3, while world number one Judd Trump overcame Noppon Saengkham 6-3.
Here are two more short videos shared on YouTube by WST and TNT
Ronnie O’Sullivan stays after International Championship defeat to work with snooker wonderkid
Ronnie O’Sullivan has been passing on his wisdom to a player over 30 years younger than him (Picture: Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan was knocked out of the International Championship on Tuesday, but hung around in Nanjing to work with 14-year-old prospect Michal Szubarczyk.
The Rocket was beaten 6-5 by Jack Lisowski in the last 32 in Nanjing, losing a dramatic decider full of errors to the recent Northern Ireland Open winner.
O’Sullivan was chasing Jackpot throughout and managed to force a decider, in which both had a string of chances to win but it was ultimately the 34-year-old who got over the line.
It felt a big win for Lisowski who had lost all of his previous meetings with the Rocket, losing 6-1 in all three of their clashes over this distance.
The seven-time world champion seemed frustrated with some of his own mistakes in the eleventh and final frame, but he was good enough to pass on some wisdom to the youngest professional on the World Snooker Tour despite the defeat.
14-year-old Polish prospect Szubarczyk is competing in his first season as a pro and has already started making an impact, winning four matches, which is some feat at his age.
Victoria Shi of Sheffield’s Victoria’s Snooker Academy posted a clip of O’Sullivan picking balls out for the teenager, writing: ‘A few hours after his defeat in the International Championship Ronnie O’Sullivan spent some time with the youngest player on tour, 14 year old Michał Szubarczyk from Poland, as reported by Victoria on twitter: “A few hours after his defeat in the International Championship Ronnie O’Sullivan spent some time with the youngest player on tour, 14 year old Michał Szubarczyk from Poland. Some valuable advice from the greatest player of all time 🤩🤩🤩 “
Szubarczyk won the European Under-16 and Under-18 Championships earlier this year, and reached the final of the open age event, winning his place on the pro tour as a result.
In attendance at those events in Turkey was three-time world champion Mark Williams who was blown away by the Pole’s talent. ‘I was in Turkey watching the Europeans, I watched a young boy there and came back and told everyone in the club that this is one of the best 14-year-olds I’ve ever seen in my life,’ Williams told Metro in March. ‘Up there with O’Sullivan. Maybe not as good, but not far away’.
Michal Szubarczyk is at the very start of his professional career (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Every time I watched him he was knocking in 80s, 90s, 100s. It was frightening.
‘I was speaking to John Higgins up in Telford and said: “Watch out for this kid, it’s something I haven’t seen for donkey’s!”‘
Speaking last month, O’Sullivan said how he is always happy to help players, especially young players although he is not exactly fighting off approaches.
‘I’d love to help out and try and get some of the grassroots in the UK going and take some players under my wing,’ the Rocket told Metro. ‘Try and re-establish ourselves as a top snooker nation.’
O’Sullivan is open to mentoring young players (Picture: Getty Images)
Asked if any player has approached him for some guidance, he said: ‘No, no one, really. Yeah…no one, really.
‘Victoria [Shi] reached out to me, she always does to help a player. You need to spend time on a table with someone to really be able to help them properly.
‘So no one’s come, but I always offer advice to some of the players, not mentioning any names, but because I like them and I want to see them do well.
‘And I just think it’s always handy to have someone that’s been there done it and can pass on a bit of good advice, you know?’
Szubarczyk was beaten in his opening contest at the International Championship, while another 14-year-old grabbed a lot of attention in Nanjing.
Wang Xinzhong beat women’s world champion Bai Yulu and then Robbie Williams before a narrow 6-5 defeat to Shaun Murphy in his third outing.
Jack Lisowski is into the last 16 in Nanjing (Picture: Getty Images)
Lisowski reacts to first ever Rocket win
Lisowski admitted that the achievement of beating O’Sullivan for the first time got to him when he went 5-3 ahead, but perhaps the positive feelings of his win in Belfast last month got him through the match.
‘I just sort of collapsed over the line, got lucky when it mattered,’ he told WST. ‘I was doing alright to 5-3 up and was thinking, “Cor, I might beat Ronnie here.”
‘It’s such a big deal, since I was a child I’ve watched him. We’ve had some games but I’ve never got close to him. I had all those things going through my mind. I completely lost my concentration. My cueing went. But I’ve got momentum, a bit of luck and somehow managed to win.’
On his previous heavy defeats to O’Sullivan, he said: ‘I played him once in the Masters and that’s the only time I’ve felt humiliated as a professional. I wasn’t in his league. And I played John Higgins once and his safety was incredible, I never had a shot. They’re the only two players that have made me realise the level they can get to and I’m nowhere near.
‘I was scared today that maybe he was going to make me look silly. But I’m on to something and if I focus on myself and keep my own concentration, my game stands up.
‘But I didn’t do that at the end, lost my concentration and I can play like a right muppet.’
And that’s it for today … tomorrow we have some cracking matches in prospect. In the morning, I will watch Judd Trump v Wu Yize – Go Wu! – and in the afternoon Ding Junhui v Shaun Murphy.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 