Ronnie’s snooker schedule this season has been “light” and many probably wonder what the future will bring for him and his fans. Well, there have been a couple of announcements.
Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry among snooker legends to play John Virgo Trophy
by Phil Haigh
A stellar line-up featuring Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry will contest the John Virgo Trophy in April, in honour of the late great snooker star.
Virgo sadly passed away at the age of 79 last week, with the snooker world mourning the iconic player, commentator and entertainer.
In honour of JV, four of the greatest players of all time will compete in a tournament in his honour.
The John Virgo Trophy will be held at the popular Goffs in Kildare, Ireland, the former home of the Irish Masters.
It will feature the two seven-time world champions O’Sullivan and Hendry playing each other, while fellow legendary cuemen John Higgins and Mark Williams will face off in the other semi-final, before the winners meet in the final.
It will be the first competitive meeting between the Rocket and Hendry for nearly 15 years, last playing each other in a 2011 PTC in Gloucester.
The two-day event will be played on April 11-12 and be shown live on Pluto TV, featuring some other attractions outside of the four headliners.
The event organisers state: ‘In what promises to be the biggest snooker event in Ireland for 20 years, the event will also showcase some of Ireland’s top Juniors, some of Ireland’s former legends and a trick shot cabaret from 1985 World Champion Dennis Taylor.’
Snooker 900 Creator Jason Francis said: ‘The line-up speaks for itself, all four probably sit within the top five or six of the greatest ever to play this game, but this is not an exhibition, they are playing for prize money and competing hard, just the way our great friend John Virgo would have wanted.
‘It will be a wonderful tribute to him and a great treat for our fans in Ireland.
‘With this event being just a week before the World Professional Championship I expect the players to be very sharp.’
John Virgo Trophy Schedule
Saturday April 11 (UK times)
12pm–1pm: Irish Legends Doubles
2pm-5pm: The John Virgo Trophy Semi Final 1 – Mark Williams v John Higgins (Best of 11 Snooker 900 Frames)
7pm-11pm: The John Virgo Trophy Cup Semi Final 2 – Ronnie O’Sullivan v Stephen Hendry (Best of 11 Snooker 900 Frames)
Sunday April 12
12pm–1pm: Irish Junior Snooker 900 Championship
2pm-2.30pm: Trick Shot Cabaret with 1985 World Champion Dennis Taylor
2.30pm-5pm: The John Virgo Trophy 3rd v 4th place play-off (Best of 9 Snooker 900 Frames)
7pm-11pm: The John Virgo Trophy Final (Best of 11 Snooker 900 Frames)
Irish Legends Doubles
Four of Irelands most well-known former professionals will play 3 frames of doubles. Already confirmed are Fergal O’Brien, Michael Judge and Joe Delaney.
Irish Junior Snooker 900 Championship
Four of Irelands best under-16 players will compete in two semi-finals and a final one frame shootout.
Snooker 900 is short-format 15-minute frames (900 seconds), with a 20-second shot clock, ball-in-hand for fouls, and a sudden-death blue-ball shootout for ties.
The John Virgo Trophy will see the four former world champions play while the World Championship qualifiers are being contested in Sheffield.
The main stages of the World Championship begin on April 18 at the Crucible, where O’Sullivan, Higgins and Williams will be involved.
Virgo will be remembered as one of snooker’s great voices (Picture: Getty Images)
Hendry spoke movingly about the passing of his colleague in the commentary box and great friend last week.
‘It’s utterly devastating,’ Hendry told WST. ‘Ken (Doherty) phoned me the other day and I am in China. Unfortunately, I’ll be traveling home the day of his funeral. I’m devastated about that as well.
‘At the moment, I’m not even looking forward to the World Championship because I know he’s not going to be there.
‘It’s going to be horrible. A huge, huge gap he’s going to leave in snooker.’
The Scot added: ‘No one could sort of translate the excitement of a match into the commentary box as well as John. He could make dull matches seem exciting because he had that enthusiasm.
‘He just loved the game and he could sort of make you almost enjoy a match that you weren’t enjoying.
‘He was my favourite to be in the box with. As I’m sure that’s the same for a lot of commentators and his knowledge of the game.
‘A lot of the young players sort of criticise old school commentators, saying that they don’t have a clue what’s going on. But he knew the game as well as being an unbelievable character.’
Ronnie O’Sullivan Set for World Seniors Snooker Championship Debut
Ronnie O’Sullivan will make his long-awaited World Seniors Snooker Championship debut at the Crucible Theatre in May.
Widely regarded as the sport’s greatest ever player, ‘The Rocket’ will headline the strongest ever field assembled for an event on the World Seniors Snooker (WSS) Tour.
He joins an outstanding line-up that includes fellow former world champions Mark Williams, Stuart Bingham, Ken Doherty and Reanne Evans.
The tournament, which will be broadcast on Channel 5 in the UK, will also feature established WSS Tour stars including Jimmy White, Matthew Stevens, Tony Drago, Robert Milkins, Peter Lines, Anthony Hamilton, Dominic Dale and reigning British Seniors Open champion Joe Perry – as well as Alfie Burden who returns as defending champion.
WSS Chairman Jason Francis said: “The most commercially valuable player the sport has ever seen will make his World Seniors debut at the Crucible Theatre in May in an attempt to add another world title to his CV — wow! We’ve already sold more tickets than we did for the entire event last year, and Ronnie O’Sullivan’s participation is set to drive even greater demand.”
.Those announcements, I’m sure, will not please everyone. They are probably an indication that the professional tour is no more Ronnie’s top priority. But then, he’s 50, he’s won everything, he has nothing to prove and, maybe, he doesn’t want anymore the constant pressure of expectations that comes with his status in the professional sport. … something he had/has to cope with for the best part of 34 years now.
World Champion Zhao Xintong made it back-to-back tournament victories with a 10-7 defeat of four-time Crucible king John Higgins in the Sportsbet.io Players Championship final.
February has proven to be a trophy-laden month for the Chinese superstar. Zhao arrived in Telford off the back of beating compatriot Zhang Anda 10-6 in the final of the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong. He is the 14th player to win consecutive ranking events on the World Snooker Tour.
Zhao will head to Manchester for next month’s Sportsbet.io Tour Championship with the opportunity to become the first person to secure a clean sweep of all three Players Series tournaments in a single season.
This was Zhao’s fifth ranking event win and marks the continuation of a perfect conversion rate in finals. He is only the fourth player in snooker history to win his first five finals, following in the footsteps of Steve Davis, Mark Williams and Neil Robertson.
50-year-old Higgins misses out on the opportunity to be snooker’s oldest ever ranking event winner. He does become the second oldest ranking finalist, behind Rex Williams who was 53 in the 1986 Grand Prix title match, which he lost to Jimmy White.
Zhao began this week placed seventh in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings and the £150,000 top prize moves him to fifth. Despite picking up the £70,000 runner-up cheque, Higgins drops a place to sixth.
One positive for Higgins is he moves from 17th to 11th in the Sportsbet.io One Year list. With the BetVictor Welsh Open and the World Open to go he is currently in position to have a shot at defending his Tour Championship title, only the top 12 performers of the season qualify.
After a free-flowing afternoon of snooker, the pair came into this evening locked level at 4-4. In contrast, tonight’s play kicked off with a fragmented 47-minute frame which went the way of Higgins.
Zhao responded with breaks of 88 and 83 to take two of the next three frames and leave the match poised at 6-6 heading into the last interval of the tournament.
When play resumed, Zhao missed a long-range frame ball red which gave Higgins his chance. The Glaswegian slotted in a long ball and made 43 to steal on the black and move 7-6 in front.
Zhao responded by taking the 14th and then crafted the first century of the final, a run of 104, to move 8-7 ahead. He followed up with another big break of 126 to go one frame from the win at 9-7. Zhao crossed the line at the first chance of asking with a ruthless 92 to take the title.
“I’m over the moon. Honestly, I didn’t expect to adjust my form so quickly after coming back from Hong Kong. In fact, I was still dealing with jet lag for the first couple of days. I didn’t expect that my mindset would settle down so well afterwards. That gave me a lot of confidence in the later matches. Even though my opponents were very strong, I felt I could beat them. This result is something really special for me,” said 28-year-old Zhao.
“To hear players like Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan speak so highly of me — there’s really nothing that makes me happier than that. Of course I’ll keep working hard. There are still many tournaments ahead and I’ll try my best to win more titles.”
“In both finals, in Hong Kong and here in Telford, I personally didn’t think too much about the occasion. I think that’s one of the better aspects of how I’ve adapted my mentality. As long as I can play my own game, winning or losing isn’t the most important thing. I just focus on every single shot at the table. In that respect, I think I’ve done quite well recently.
“I haven’t thought too much about the World Championship. Even after winning this title, I still see it as simply the one of the upcoming tournaments. I’ll continue doing what I’ve been doing, stick to my routine, and look forward to the next event.”
Higgins paid tribute to Zhao’s brilliance: “I couldn’t pot a long ball all day and Zhao doesn’t really miss any long balls. The last three frames there were absolutely poetry in motion. I’m lucky to have my kids here and I can remember my dad saying he was lucky to see footballers like George Best and Jimmy Johnstone. My kids are lucky to see someone like Xintong. He is an absolute genius.“
There is nothing to add regarding the match. It was, as John Higgins put it, poetry in motion. The kind of match that doesn’t need commentary, that you may watch again on a quite late evening with music as a background. Extraordinary skills were on display – from both – and yet they made it look easy, naturally fluid.
Class from John Higgins in the post match interview. No bitterness whatsoever, instead saying that his kids were lucky to witness Zhao playing the way he did was classy and proof that, even after all these years in the job, he still loves his sport for the sheer beauty it can produce when played to near perfection.
One last thing though … I’m not very active on twitter anymore, but when I was more present on it, I had some disagreement with a guy who was obsessed with Chinese snooker players cheating and who regularly insisted that Zhao Xintong persistent cough was a tactic to disturb his opponents. Yesterday, Zhao was coughing a lot … including when himself was at the table. Surely he wasn’t trying to “disturb himself” out there? That would make no sense, would it? Actually, there are a few medical conditions that can trigger persistent cough, including a form of asthma. We have no right to know about players possible health conditions, it’s for them, and them only, to share such information IF they wish to share it. But we should refrain from judging without knowing all the facts.
Both semi-finals were played yesterday inTelford and today only two players remain on course for the title and the trophy: John Higgins and Zhao Xintong. Both semi-finals went to a deciding frame.
Scotland’s John Higgins came out on top 6-5 in a rollercoaster semi-final with world number one Judd Trump to make the 60th ranking event final of his career at the Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford.
It was the latest chapter in a pulsating rivalry between the two snooker greats, who have contested two world finals.Although 36-year-old Trump has had the upper hand in recent years, their last meeting was another epic 6-5 semi-final win for Higgins at the Masters last month. Despite those results, it is still Trump who leads the head-to-head 21-15.
The Glaswegian now becomes the second oldest ranking finalist in snooker history, following Rex Williams who was 53 at the 1986 Grand Prix. He will now go up against either Mark Allen or Zhao Xintong in tomorrow’s title match. They will battle it out over 19 frames for the £150,000 top prize.
In a match laden with tension, it was four-time World Champion Higgins who made the early running. Breaks of 71, 57 and 76 helped him on his way to a commanding 4-1 advantage.
The next two frames went the way of Trump, before Higgins claimed the eighth to move one from the final at 5-3. Trump left Higgins needing two snookers, but a foul handed the Scot a free ball and a route back into the frame. That free ball was spurned and Trump made it 5-4.
Higgins had another opportunity for victory in the tenth, but missed a routine match ball pink to the middle and his English counterpart eventually stole on the black to set up a decider.
It was Higgins who had the first opportunity in the last, but inadvertently potted a red when going into the pack off the blue and Trump had the balls at his mercy. He missed a red with tricky bridging and rapped the table with disgust. That was to be his last chance with Higgins making 65 and getting himself over the line for another famous win.
“That was incredible how it transpired at the end. When I missed the pink to win 6-4 I would have had a lot worse things in my mind in previous matches. I just sat out in the arena and concentrated. I wanted to stay positive and stay in the moment. I potted the red when going into the pack and it was the snooker gods punishing me. I can’t believe he then missed and gave me a chance to clear up,” said 33-time ranking event winner Higgins.
“You just get into that zone in these moments. I was thinking clearly and I couldn’t hear the crowd. I was thinking really well and it was a great moment for me to clear up in that final frame.
“I always seem to have games like that against Judd. I have to say he was nowhere near his best but his application never waned. He kept on giving it 100 percent and the only anger he showed was at the end. It was such a tough examination playing him.
“It gives you that little bit of confidence and your mind telling you that you can do it under the utmost pressure. You shouldn’t really be doing it at this age. The pressure should be too much but there are a few of us still up there playing and producing an unbelievable level. I’m drained now. I need to go and relax tonight then get ready for tomorrow.“
World Champion Zhao Xintong was never ahead until the final frame in a pulsating 6-5 semi-final win over Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen at the Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford.
Zhao has made a habit of producing showstopping fightbacks of late. He beat Mark Selby 6-5 from 5-2 down on his way to winning the recent World Grand Prix and was also 5-2 behind during a 6-5 defeat of Elliot Slessor in the opening round here.
Victory sets up the mouth watering prospect of a title match with four-time Crucible king John Higgins, who defeated world number one Judd Trump in a 6-5 thriller this afternoon. They will do battle over the best of 19 frames tomorrow, with a top prize of £150,000 on the line. The most recent meeting between the pair saw Zhao triumph 5-3 en route to glory at the World Grand Prix.
Allen must now turn his attention to next week’s BetVictor Welsh Open in Llandudno. It could be a lucrative week for the Pistol, who leads the Betvictor Home Nations Bonus standings. Whoever tops the list at the conclusion of the Welsh Open pockets a bumper £150,000 payout.
This evening’s match was the first meeting between Zhao and Allen at a ranking event since the 2017 International Championship, when Allen won 6-4. It had looked to be going the way of the Pistol in the early stages tonight, with breaks of 107 and 55 helping him to a 3-1 lead at the mid-session interval.
However, 28-year-old Zhao sprung into life when play resumed with a stunning 140 break to pull within a frame at 3-2. Although Allen restored his two frame cushion, contributions of 103 and 58 from Zhao restored parity at 4-4.
A break of 90 saw Allen move one from victory, before Zhao took the match to a decider and made it 5-5. The Chinese cueman relentlessly continued to go for his shots, but couldn’t find a way to kill the match in a single visit. Eventually Allen left a red over the middle pocket when playing safe and Zhao made a match winning 56 to get into the final.
“I don’t think either Mark or I played at our very best today, but I’m very happy that I managed to get the win,” said four-time ranking event winner Zhao.
“In the deciding frame there were two key attacking pots that I managed to make, which were very important. I actually had quite a few chances, especially in the last two frames when Mark made some costly mistakes that gave me opportunities. My positional play wasn’t smooth and I needed several visits to finally get over the line. I’m still very pleased to have won the match “John is a very nice person. I remember when we used to practise together, he especially liked Zhou Yuelong. He would often ask Zhou to play a few frames, and I would be there as a practice partner watching. But whether it was in the past or now, he has always been one of the very top players. Maybe he’s not at the absolute peak of his career like before, but he is still capable of beating anyone in the world. I’ll need to produce my very best if I want to compete with him — otherwise, he could take the match away from me very easily.”
Those reports are comprehensive enough, there is no need for me to add anything about the action itself. Zhao looks very determined to fully redeem himself. He’s making the most of his return to the main tour. Could he possibly break the “Crucible curse” come May? It’s a big ask but I wouldn’t write it off entirely.
On a totally different topic … I’d like to ask the readers of this blog their opinion about the “referee camera”.
Personally, I don’t feel like it adds anything to the coverage. Actually, at times, when the referee is moving swiftly, I find it unpleasant, it makes me feel slightly queasy, it’s triggering a bit of “motion sickness”.
Yesterday was the last day of the quarter-finals round in Telford. The Players Championship is for the 16 best players of the season and always delivers quality matches. Here are the reports by WST on what we got to enjoy yesterday:
World Champion Zhao Xintong produced a superb display to beat Shaun Murphy 6-3 and progress to a maiden Sportsbet.io Players Championship semi-final in Telford.
Zhao arrived in form after winning the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong — his first ranking title since becoming World Champion. He triumphed in what was a historic all-Chinese semi-final lineup to take home the top prize. He is now two wins away from completing the second of three steps in a Players Series clean sweep.
Victory sets up a last four showdown with either Mark Selby or Mark Allen, who contest this evening’s last remaining quarter-final. Defeat for Murphy means he will have to wait for a third chance to get his hands on the Players Championship crystal.
The first frame this afternoon went the way of Zhao, but breaks of 66 and 77 saw Murphy move 2-1 in front. A crucial moment in the tie saw Murphy spurn a red in the fourth, allowing Zhao to make 66 restored parity at 2-2.
That switched the momentum and Zhao then claimed three on the bounce, including a tournament high 142 and a 95, to move 5-2 ahead. Murphy did pull one back, but it was to no avail after Zhao fired in a sublime 118 in the ninth to book his place in the semis.
“I’m really happy with my performance. I know Shaun is a very good long potter and that if I gave him a chance I would be in trouble,” said 28-year-old Zhao.
“I’m happy to be in the semi-finals. I’m keeping really good form, both physically and mentally. The pressure is not as much as it used to be so I’m able to enjoy the event a lot more.
“The World Grand Prix in Hong Kong has boosted my confidence a lot. It was my first ranking event win after winning the World Championship, so it was a significant moment.”
Murphy said: “Nobody likes losing. Who likes losing? I’m very frustrated. Again, someone has played out of their skin against me. That is not the Zhao Xintong that was here a couple of days ago against Elliot Slessor. There is nothing I can do about that. It keeps happening week after week and all I can do is my best. I don’t think I did a great deal wrong. I thought Zhao Xintong was, in the middle of the match especially, unplayable.”
Mark Allen summoned both his break building power and tactical nous to beat Mark Selby 6-2 and reach the semi-finals of the Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford.
It’s a third consecutive victory over UK Champion Selby for the Northern Irishman and he clinched it in steely style, winning a 55-minute tactical frame against one of the sport’s greatest ever strategists. The head-to-head standings now sees Allen lead 12-9.
The win strengthens Allen’s push for Sportsbet.io Tour Championship qualification, where only the top 12 of the season make the field. He now moves up to 10th place provisionally on the Sportsbet.io One Year List. For the time being he will be hoping to add a third Players crown to his CV, having won the event in 2016 and 2024.
Defeat for Selby means he will now turn his attention to next week’s BetVictor Welsh Open in Llandudno, where he is defending champion. That will also be an important week for Allen, who currently leads the BetVictor Home Nations Bonus standings. Whoever tops the list at the conclusion of the Welsh Open pockets a bumper £150,000 payout.
Former UK and Masters champion Allen appeared to be surging to a whitewash win this evening when breaks of 70, 67, 53, 74 and 130 put him into a 5-0 lead.
Selby typically refused to wilt and composed contributions of 127 and 91 to remain in contention at 5-2. A drawn out eighth came down to tactical exchange on the yellow akin to two chess grandmasters pitting their wits against each other.
Eventually it was Selby who flinched, leaving a free ball which Allen gratefully deposited before running out the winner. He now faces World Champion Zhao Xintong in tomorrow’s second semi-final.
“It was a fun challenge (the final frame). There is more to the game than scoring and winning in one visit. The traditionalists and the purists enjoy that side of the game too. Even though I got the better of that one tonight, there is no doubt in my mind that Mark is the best there has ever been at that. He is so clever and sets you into traps. I felt I held my own tonight,” said 39-year-old Allen.
“Even though he was 5-0 down he suddenly put me under it. There was only a shot or two from it being 5-3. I can take a lot of positives from winning a scrappy one to get over the line. That was nearly an hour long frame and not many people win those against Selby.
“There is a long way to go this season. I want to win this weekend, but there are bigger events on the horizon. The Welsh Open carries some weight for me with the BetVictor Bonus and trying to become the first to win all four Home Nations events. After that we have Yushan, hopefully the Tour Championship and then Sheffield. Even though it is a big weekend, it is a big two months coming up as well.”
Zhao Xintong played really well and he’s someone I like to watch. He’s smooth, clever, aggressive and doesn’t waist time. When things don’t go his way, he just gets on with it. Shaun Murphy is very similar1. With those two, a long, drawn out, boring match is highly unlikely. I enjoyed watching them and I’m happy with the outcome as well.
The evening match was not that different, albeit slower. It was maybe not what you would have expected from those two as they sometimes become very “tactical”. Mark Allen was dominant for the first five frames, then Mark Selby responded in style winning the next two with big breaks. He didn’t enter in that “mood” where he puts every ball on cushions 😉… It’s only the last frame that became scrappy. There was a break over 50 in every frame other than the last one.
…
Maybe a bit more classical, less imaginative when things get awkward though. ↩︎
Yesterday in Telford saw John Higgins and Judd Trump book their spots in the semi-finals of the 2026 Players Championship.
Higgins who hadn’t qualified for the event is making the most of the opportunity he’s been offered because of Ronnie’s withdrawal. That said the outcome could have been quite different. Indeed, as you will read below, Chris could have gone 3-2 up after the MSI … he missed the frame ball brown three times in frame 5. I think that frame outcome, and the way it happened, had a huge impact on the “psychology” of the second part of the match.
The evening match was quality. Judd Trump played exceptionally well even by his “normal” high standard. As often, with the match won, Judd embarked in an impressive series of exhibition shots … until cheeky Willo smothered the fun – and the white ball – in hilarious fashion. All in good spirit. The fans duly appreciated! 😊
ohn Higgins defeated Chris Wakelin 6-3 to clinch the first semi-final spot at the Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford.
Victory sees 50-year-old Higgins progress to the semis of a ranking event for the 91st time in his career. He now faces either Judd Trump or Mark Williams in a blockbuster last four clash, aiming to recapture the title he first won back in 2021.
Higgins won the 33rd ranking event title of his career at last season’s Sportsbet.io Tour Championship, beating Mark Selby in the final. However, he has work to do if he wants to be in Manchester this year. Only the top 12 performers of the campaign earn a place and today’s win leaves Higgins provisionally placed in 13th position on the Sportsbet.io One Year List. After this week, just the BetVictor Welsh Open and the World Open will remain before the cutoff.
Defeat for BetVictor Scottish Open winner Wakelin means he falls further behind Higgins in the head-to-head standings. He now trails 6-1 in meetings between the pair.
A drawn out opening frame came down to the colours this afternoon, with Higgins eventually clearing from brown to black to steal by a single point. A break of 83 from Wakelin restored parity, before the next two frames were shared and they went into the interval level at 2-2.
Wakelin missed three frame ball browns, including a double attempt, when they returned. Higgins punished to steal on the black and move 3-2 ahead. The sixth went the way of Wakelin, but Higgins replied with breaks of 53 and 108 on his way to three on the bounce and a 6-3 win.
“I’m absolutely delighted. Before the mid-session we were missing a few and it was catching. After the interval I thought there was a better standard,” said four-time World Champion Higgins.
“It was a tough game. I’ve got the utmost respect for Chris and how he has improved in the game. His all-round play and his safety play was a lot better than mine today. I think he is going to do that as he has such great knowledge of the snooker table.
“I’ve really enjoyed doing both studio and punditry this week. It was great being in commentary with David Hendon. He is a total professional and showed me the ropes. I really enjoyed it. I’d probably say I enjoyed the commentary the most. I don’t go on social media so I don’t know if I was getting ripped apart!“
World number one Judd Trump prevailed 6-3 in a pulsating contest with Mark Williams to set up a semi-final showdown with John Higgins at the Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford.
This was the 24th meeting in a rivalry that has produced some of snooker’s finest contests in recent years. They’ve both beaten each other in recent Crucible semi-finals, Trump triumphing 17-16 in 2022 and Williams winning 17-14 last year. Another recent highlight saw Trump win an epic 2024 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters final 10-9 on the final ball. After this evening, the Ace in the Pack now leads their head-to-head 16-8.
Tonight’s encounter lived up to those matches in terms of standard, if not in terms of nail biting tension. Williams produced a remarkable 97% pot success rate, missing just three balls all match, yet still fell to a relatively comfortable defeat.
Trump now progresses to face another sporting nemesis, Scotland’s John Higgins, in the semi-finals. It comes off the back of a thrilling recent 6-5 win for Higgins in the last four at the Masters at Alexandra Palace.
31-time ranking event winner Trump is hoping to add a second piece of silverware to his cabinet for the year. Having gone the entirety of 2025 without a tournament win, that drought was ended early on this year with victory at the recent German Masters.
Three-time World Champion Williams opened this evening’s match with a spectacular 141 total clearance. However, it was Trump who surged to three on the bounce, including runs of 52 and 75, to lead 3-1 at the mid-session interval.
When play resumed it was soon 4-1, before breaks of 53 and 105 from Williams pulled him back within a frame at 4-3. His comeback was stamped out quickly, after 2019 World Champion Trump hammered home contributions of 70 and 123 to get over the line.
“When I was in the game I kind of knew how well I was playing. My safety was good and my break offs were very good. I was putting him in a lot of trouble from the start of the frame. That was a pattern of the whole game. I was able to dictate the safety a bit better,” said 36-year-old Trump.
“I think it is the same with him, John and Ronnie. They are class players, I know I have to play well against them and that makes for a good match. I am somewhere near the peak of my career. Those guys are maybe a tiny bit past it in their own eyes, not in my eyes. Their standard is still unbelievable.
“I was in control of the whole game against John at the Masters and let it slip at the end. I was a little bit disappointed, especially at the good chance I had to get over the line. It wasn’t my greatest performance, but I can take a lot of positives.“
Williams said: “That is as good as I’ve ever seen anyone play against me. Up there with O’Sullivan, Higgins, all of them. I played alright there. No part of my game was poor and I lost 6-3. It shows how good he is.
“I’ve never had anyone in so much trouble in my life. Then two or three shots later he had me in trouble. If he plays like that he can’t be beat. What can I say? What a player.“
Three out of four matches yesterday were pretty one-sided, which is a bit surprising because this tournament is for the best performers in the season (so far) and you would expect most of them to play well.
The only close match, and the last to finish, was the one opposing Zhao Xintong and Elliot Slessor. That one went the distance. Zhao found himself 5-2 down, benefitted from a huge fluke on the blue in frame 8, won that frame and went on to win the match. Knowing Elliott … that surely didn’t go down well with him 😇 .
2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy said he is working harder than ever before, following a 6-1 demolition of Zhang Anda to make the quarter-finals of the Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford.
The Magician began working with Peter Ebdon 18 months ago and he says that has initiated an enhanced work rate outside of the match arena. Over that period Murphy won the Masters for a second time last season and picked up the British Open title earlier this term.
Murphy made the final of the German Masters earlier this month, where he was runner-up to Judd Trump, and showed signs of that form again this afternoon. Following a tight first frame which went his way, Murphy embarked on a dramatic 147 attempt in the second. After potting 15 reds, an incredible table length cut on the 15th black found the heart of the pocket. Unfortunately he was snookered on the yellow and his run ended on 120.
Further runs of 88 and 81 helped Murphy to four of the next five frames and sealed his victory. That sets up a last eight meeting with either World Champion Zhao Xintong or Elliot Slessor.
“It has been a journey since Peter joined the team 18 months ago. One of the first things he said was that I needed to up my work rate. That I needed to work hard enough so I deserve it. I’ve always been a hard practiser, but I perhaps had started to enjoy my life a little bit too much. I’ve gone back to basics in the last 18 months. There are a lot of hours spent grafting that people don’t see and it is nice that it is coming out” said 43-year-old Murphy
“The old saying practice makes perfect isn’t true. It is practice makes permanent. If you are practising the wrong thing it means nothing. It is about quality and doing it more than anyone else. I’m determined that whilst I might not win every week, nobody will work harder than me. I will get the best out of the rest of my career and that involves living in my snooker room.”
On the other table, world number one Judd Trump booked his quarter-final berth with a 6-0 whitewash win against Zhou Yuelong.
Trump recently ended a title drought which saw him go all of 2025 without silverware. His victory over Murphy in the final of the German Masters meant there was an early tournament triumph in 2026.
It was an emphatic display this afternoon from the Ace in the Pack. Breaks of 61, 69, 63, 117 and 75 saw him storm over the finishing line. Next up he will play either Mark Williams or Barry Hawkins.
World Champion Zhao Xintong rallied from 5-2 down to beat Elliot Slessor 6-5 and make the quarter-finals of the Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford.
Zhao is riding the crest of a wave currently, having prevailed in the first ever ranking event to feature four Chinese semi-finalists at the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong. The 28-year-old beat Zhang Anda in the final to capture his first ranking crown since becoming the Crucible king last year.
In winning last season’s World Championship, Zhao’s closest clash came in the qualifying stages against Slessor. Eventually he triumphed 10-8 in what was the pair’s only previous meeting to date.
This evening’s encounter saw Slessor dominate the early proceedings. Contributions of 119, 79, 50 and 64 helped the Newcastle cueman into his 5-2 advantage.
A fluked blue in frame eight proved to be pivotal. Zhao made 117 and turned the momentum of the tie. He went on to craft contributions of 62 and 59 in the following two frames to force a deciding frame at 5-5.
Both players spurned opportunities, but a break of 65 in the end took Zhao over the line and set up a last eight meeting with 2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy.
“Tonight I didn’t play very well. I’m happy I managed to win. I only arrived back in the UK yesterday so I was a little bit jet lagged. I just have to try and get better in the next round,” said four-time ranking event winner Zhao.
“I know he is a very good player and it was always going to be a tough game. He played so well in the first frames and his long potting was so good. I didn’t have many chances. When he was one frame away he missed some balls and I tried to come back.
“I’m very happy I won in Hong Kong. It was my first ranking title in China so it was very important for me. I have no pressure now so I just want to enjoy every match.
“Shaun is a very strong player and I know it will be a tough game. To beat Shaun I know you have to play really well.“
On the other table, Mark Williams set up a mouth-watering showdown with Judd Trump after defeating Barry Hawkins 6-2.
Welshman Williams and Englishman Trump’s previous two ranking event meetings have been epic contests. Trump prevailed in the 2024 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters final, winning 10-9 on the final black. However, Williams got his revenge at last season’s World Championship, coming through their semi-final encounter 17-14.
Today’s match saw Williams craft breaks of 64 and 101 en route to a 5-2 advantage. The decisive frame came down to the final black, which Williams deposited brilliantly to the yellow pocket to get over the line.
Murphy working with Ebdon is a strange combo given how different their “style of play” are, but it seems to work for now. As long as Ebdon doesn’t turn Shaun into someone putting all balls on cushions and dragging matches for hours … ok. I don’t think the risk is too high here given Shaun’s personality.
Of the “class of 92”, Willo is the eldest but the one who seems to play the best snooker consistently for now. I guess that his “carefee” attitude is a big factor. High stress levels usually don’t bring good performances.
The 2026 Players Championship started yesterday in Telford, without Ronnie. His withdrawal from the event has angered quite a few “fans” but me, I’m not angry, instead I’m puzzled, and even slightly worried, because this is an event that carries a lot of money and ranking points even for the first round losers. So, why pass on the opportunity unless you have serious reasons? Anyway…
John Higgins thrashed Australia’s Neil Robertson 6-1 to make the 155th ranking quarter-final of his career at the Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford.
Nobody has ever appeared in more quarter-finals than Higgins. This week marks the 456th ranking tournament in snooker history, meaning that Higgins has reached at least the quarter-finals in a more than a third of them.
The Wizard of Wishaw only just earned a place to compete this week, edging into the 16th seeding position after Ronnie O’Sullivan elected not to enter. It set up a blockbuster tie with Sportsbet.io One Year List leader Robertson.
Last year saw Scotland’s Higgins storm to glory by winning the Tour Championship, but with only the top 12 performers of the season earning a place, he has work to do in order to secure qualification.
An imperious showing from Higgins today saw him fire home breaks of 70, 84 and 133 en route to a comprehensive triumph. Next up this week the 50-year-old will play either Chris Wakelin or Xiao Guodong. Before that Higgins steps into the broadcasting world, working on 5’s coverage this week as a pundit and commentator.
“I’ll tell you tomorrow how I feel about the broadcasting. It is something to fill my days up. I’m at that stage of my life where I’m just looking at four walls when I’m at a tournament. It will be something to try and if I like it great. Nothing ventured and nothing gained,” said 33-time ranking event winner Higgins.
“It will probably be more nerve wracking. When I’m commentating on a game people back home might be saying what is he talking about! We will wait and see tomorrow.
“It would be good to qualify for the Tour Championship, but if I do qualify and do well there I could be adding 70 to 80 frames into the tank going into the World Championship. Someone like myself, maybe doesn’t have the energy for that. If I don’t qualify then who knows, it could end up helping me be a bit fresher.“
On the other table, two-time Players Champion Mark Allen scored a fine 6-3 win over China’s in-form Wu Yize.
The Northern Irishman most recently lifted the title here in Telford back in 2024, when he scored a marathon 10-8 win over Zhang Anda in the final.
Breaks of 51, 78, 73 and 93 helped him to victory this afternoon. He awaits the winner between Mark Selby and Jack Lisowski in the last eight.
Mark Selby scored a 6-3 victory against Jack Lisowski to book a quarter-final showdown with Mark Allen at the Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford.
The Leicester cueman is in tremendous form having defended his Championship League title last week. He also claimed a momentous third UK Championship crown before Christmas, beating world number one Judd Trump in the final. Selby is hoping to use that form as a platform to capture a first ever Players Championship title this week.
Selby and Lisowski have historically had a tight head-to-head record, with the latter having won their previous two meetings. Victory for Selby moves him 8-7 up in meetings between the pair.
A tight opening two frames this evening both went the way of four-time World Champion Selby, before a break of 84 moved him 3-0 in front. Lisowski responded in the fourth with a run of 63 to head into the mid-session 3-1 behind.
Selby edged further in front when play resumed, but breaks of 56 and 70 from Lisowski helped keep him in contention at 4-3. A stunning total clearance of 136 stopped the rot for Selby in the eighth and he took the ninth to get over the line and book his meeting with Allen.
“It is tough playing Jack as you know he is going to be very attacking. If you leave a red sticking out he is going to go for it. Depending on what kind of mood he is in, he can pot anything on the table and blow you away. Luckily for me he wasn’t in that frame of mind,” said 42-year-old Selby.
“To be consistent I don’t think you can have that kind of game. I think you need an all-round game. To play that way you need to be playing well and nobody does that every single day. I feel you need a back up game as well but at the same time if you tell Jack to tighten up he wouldn’t be as dangerous. I wish I had the guts to go for some of the balls he does.
“I feel like my game is in good shape. I’m really happy with my season so far, I played well in York and won the Champion of Champions as well. I’ve been consistent since then. I can’t complain with how things are going.”
On the other table, Scottish Open champion Chris Wakelin scored a fine 6-2 win over current back-to-back Wuhan Open champion Xiao Guodong.
Former Shoot Out winner Wakelin’s victory at the Scottish Open in Edinburgh was a significant one, his first ever triumph in a full format event. In what was a fragmented encounter today, Wakelin showed his top form to get over the line.
With the 33-year-old leading 4-2, he crafted two brilliant breaks of 104 and 101 to get over the line and book a quarter-final meeting with four-time World Champion John Higgins.
John Higgins played well, Neil Robertson was disappointingly poor … basically that summarises that match. As a result, John stays in Telford and will be commentating. It should be interesting… provided you understand what he is saying 🙄. I suppose that most Brits are able to cope with John’s heavy Scottish accent but for non-native English speakers, like me, it’s a serious challenge1. I didn’t watch the other table, but there too the outcome disappointed me.
In the evening came more disappointment for me, but no surprises, Jack Lisowski being … Jack Lisowski.
Both Chinese players involved lost and I can’t help to wonder if, maybe, the fact that yesterday was the Chinese New Year was a factor. Indeed we entered the year of the Fire Horse. It’s an important celebration for them.
Nobody would organise a ranking tournament on Christmas day, or New Years day would they? Of course WST can’t take into account all the celebrations that may be important to some individual player given how many different nationalities are represented, but there are so many Chinese players on the tour nowadays that I feel that, really, this is something they should take into consideration at least when as important as this one.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 