That’s it… the 2023 World Snooker Championship qualifiers concluded yesterday evening and here is WST report on the last day:
Perry Edges Thriller To Relegate Davis
Joe Perry claimed a black ball decider against Mark Davis to win 10-9 and qualify for the Cazoo World Championship, ending his opponent and close friend’s 32 year run as a professional.
Davis needed to reach the final stages to retain his tour card and had looked set to do it, when he found himself on a match ball final pink. However, he agonisingly spurned his opportunity to the top left.
Perry stepped up and deposited pink and black to clinch a dramatic victory. After the final ball dropped, the Gentleman slumped his shoulders and looked visibly emotional at the table, with the mixed feelings provoked by what had just occurred.
Victory sees 2022 Welsh Open champion Perry earn a first trip to the final stages since 2019, having lost his first match in the previous three years. Davis will now require Q School if he wishes to regain his professional status.
Earlier in the tie, with Davis leading 7-6, Perry crucially took the 14th on the black to restore parity. He then also won the 15th on the final ball to move 8-7 ahead.
Runs of 104 and 75 saw Davis regain the lead at 9-8, before Perry crafted a contribution of 58 to take the tie to that nerve shredding final frame.
“I should be absolutely delighted, over the moon and celebrating. I am chuffed to bits to go to the Crucible, but the way it has happened. I just feel so sick for him,” said 48-year-old Perry.
“I came to the table (after Davis missed the pink) and I felt physically sick for him. It was a horrible feeling. He is one of my best friends and has been for a long time. I felt sick and I potted a great pink and black.
“It never bothered me the whole match, that he was going to drop off the tour if I win. It didn’t enter my head once, until that clearance. It must have hit him like a ton of bricks, because it hit me. It doesn’t matter to me, it matters to him so it must have been awful.”
China’s Pang Junxu secured a Crucible debut after beating compatriot Xu Si 10-5. Pang reached his maiden ranking final at the recent WST Classic, where he was beaten by Mark Selby in the title match. The 23-year-old has carried that form over to this week.
He led 5-4 coming into the evening session and blitzed to the win. Breaks of 85, 86, 102 and 67 helped Pang to five of the six frames played and saw him secure victory.
Pang said: “Before the match, I told myself many times, ‘don’t think about winning, playing at the Crucible and all the stuff comes with it’, so I was able to focus throughout. It is incredible and I’m over the moon, but to be honest both of my opponents offered me with a lot of chances.”
David Grace started the week knowing he needed to win his first match to remain on the circuit. He achieved that by defeating Sean O’Sullivan and followed it up with a win over Sam Craigie. Today, he beat amateur Andrew Higginson 10-5 to reach the final stages of the World Championship.
“If you’d offered me winning my first match I’d have taken it. Getting in the 64 and not being at Q School is everything,” said 37-year-old Grace.
“It is really special to get to the Crucible. It is right up there with the best achievements of my career. I’ve had a couple of semi-finals and got to the Crucible last time. It is brilliant to be back there.”
Iran’s Hossein Vafaei earned his second consecutive Crucible appearance with a 10-6 win over Welshman Jackson Page.
Vafaei came into this evening with a 6-3 advantage and managed his lead well to get over the line, crafting breaks of 84, 52 and 115 along the way.
“I don’t care who I play at the Crucible. At the end of the day it is a game of snooker and I am going to play my game. It is my job to play snooker and try my best to perform. I will be respectful of all my opponents and everyone is tough. There is no easy draw for anyone,” said 2022 Shoot Out winner Vafaei.
“It has been a hard journey for me. It is my life and I will take it. I am writing everything down, one day my story will come out and I think it will be good for snooker. I have some story to tell. Let’s see what I do at the Crucible. Hopefully my best comes out, like at the Masters. I can’t wait to play at the Crucible as well.”
World number 60 Elliot Slessor will appear at the Theatre of Dreams for a second time, after scoring an impressive 10-5 defeat of Zhou Yuelong.
The North East cueman made his Crucible debut in 2020, which unfortunately coincided with the coronavirus pandemic forcing proceedings behind closed doors. He was beaten 10-7 by Yan Bingtao on that occasion.
Slessor has recently started working with 2002 World Champion Peter Ebdon as his coach in a bid to improve his temperament, which he admits isn’t his strongest attribute.
Slessor said: “I don’t think I’m ever going to be blessed with the best temperament. That is just not my personality and not the way I go about life. I’m trying to reign it in as best as I can. I know I’m not perfect and I don’t claim to be, but I am trying. That is all I can do.”
Former European Masters winner Jimmy Robertson booked his place in the final stages thanks to a comprehensive 10-2 defeat of Anthony Hamilton.
World number 27 Robertson will be hoping to fare better than he has in his four trips to the Theatre of Dreams. He is yet to win a game in the final stages and last made a Crucible appearance back in 2018.
Former Crucible semi-finalist David Gilbert beat two-time runner-up Matthew Stevens 10-7 to qualify. The other game saw Ryan Day receive a 10-0 win over Scott Donaldson, who had to withdraw at 4-0 down due to medical reasons.
What happened to Scott Donaldson is horrible of course and Ryan Day must have very mixed feelings about his Crucible qualification. That tremor is one of the known side effects of the covid vaccine and it goes away after a while. It had disappeared in Scott’s case and the fact that it came back at such a crucial moment hints at a strong psychosomatic component in it. Never mind the reasons, I’m deeply sorry for Scott.
Mark Davis was one ball away from qualifying for the Crucible and extending his 32 professional career. He has been a solid professional for 32 years, he has dedicated his life to snooker. I totally get why Joe Perry found it so hard to pot those two balls and, potentially, end his good friend’s career. To be honest I felt gutted as well. Immediately, there were voices on social media calling for Mark to be given a wildcard. Of course, he shouldn’t get one. That would be a very pernicious route for WST to take. But what IS needed, for the sake of those men (and women) who have dedicated their lives to snooker and hugely contributed to the tour, mainly away from the spotlights, is a proper, promoted and funded Seniors tour. They deserve it.
The draw will be made this morning on BBC radio5. This will probably not be available to the majority of fans outside the UK/Ireland and that’s further evidence that the “World” tour remains actually very UK-centric.
This HAS to change, and quick, if they have serious ambitions to develop the game worldwide. But do they?
Matchroom already have plenty of experience in pool and have ambitious plans for the future (Picture: Matchroom)
Matchroom Pool has created the World Nineball Tour, which Barry Hearn hopes will become the dominant force in the sport and replicate the success of the Professional Darts Corporation in marching to the forefront of the chosen sport.
There will be at least 40 ranking events played across the world, with a minimum prize fund of $3m and guaranteed 1,000 hours of live television.
The progression of pool as a major sport has been hampered by a range of organisations running the game and Matchroom hope that this venture will blow much of the competition out of the water and centralise the interest thanks to the financial backing and a new era of professionalism.
The size and scope of nineball pool is vast and the Matchroom team, which has a lot of experience in the sport, are primed to capitalise on it.
‘We know there are more nineball pool players in the world than snooker, and yet nine-ball pool is a fraction of the size,’ President of Matchroom Hearn told Metro.co.uk.
‘Someone like me sees that and thinks it doesn’t work. There’s 32 million once-a-month players in the United States alone. So we dwarf any other cue sport. But that’s just the number, how do you commercialise that?
‘It comes through television, streaming, sponsorship, betting right, IP values, endorsements. It’s a complicated business, which is why there are only a few companies in the world that do what we do.
‘Sport must change people’s lives for it to be successful. This is the beginning of changing the biggest cue sport in the world and the lives of the people that play it. Where it is going to go I have no idea, but I know it will be a humungous success, as always.
‘As sports promoters, we’re not saying we’re the best in the world but we know we’re in a group of one. By getting it out there, concentrating on data, establishing links with governments rather than local associations who have failed miserably to expand the game. It’s gone nowhere, it’s not being cruel, it’s a fact. There’s not half a dozen players making a living out of it unless they’re playing money matches in seedy pool halls and that’s not the image that’s required today. We need to refresh it.
‘Our track record, without being immodest, is second to none. I don’t see us being beat on this because I think it’s got our handwriting all over it.’
Barry Hearn has not lost any of his confidence or enthusiasm at 74 years old (Picture: Matchroom Multi Sport)
The new venture will certainly ruffle some feathers in the pool organisations that have been doing their thing for many years, but Hearn likens it to the emergence of the PDC and the huge growth in darts as they left the BDO behind.
‘The journey we’re going on now, it’s going to be a lot quicker than the darts, but it’s got the same handwriting on it,’ he said. ‘It’s similar to the PDC breakaway.
‘Common sense says it should have happened years ago, but no one grasped the opportunity. With the darts it was the BDO and PDC until we shredded everything and made the PDC the dominant force. Well, our nineball circuit will be the dominant force of pool globally within two or three years, simply because it makes commercial sense.’
Emily Frazer, Managing Director of Matchroom Multi Sport, is a driving force behind the expansion of pool in the company and she says she has felt a responsibility to create better opportunities for players.
‘Our team is mulit-sport and we were only doing there events a year but we’ve all fallen in love with the sport and the players,’ she said.
‘We’ve all seen how hard the players work, how far they travel for such a small amount of money. We feel we have a responsibility to the players to create this tour for them.’
Emily Frazer is aiming big in the pool world (Picture: Matchroom)
As for Hearn’s motivation, he is semi-retired after stepping down as Matchroom Sport chairman in 2021, but he is not a fan of relaxation and has been looking for a new project, which has presented itself in nineball pool.
‘For me it’s personal,’ he said. ‘Everyone’s trying to get me to retire, but I’m not sure I’m ready to. But if I don’t have a project I might as well.
‘Emily’s got an amazing enthusiasm and work ethic, she’s too young to be my daughter, but she’s got some Hearn genes in her somewhere. We play to win.
‘We’re going to create this huge global circuit, we’ve got amazing support from broadcasters because they know our reputation, we’ve got amazing support from players because they’re suddenly going to make some decent money and have the chance to call themselves a real profession.’
World Nineball No.1 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz certainly agrees, saying: ‘The World Nineball Tour gives us all more motivation to succeed. Nineball is the future with the rankings, previously we only had three tournaments now we have so many. Now you can be a professional by playing this game, it’s perfect. The World Nineball Tour means you can qualify for the biggest events and that includes the Mosconi Cup.’
The full World Nineball Tour schedule is available here.
People can bury their heads in the sand all they like, all the signs are there that Matchroom main focus, when it comes to cue sports in now on pool, and if anything, Barry Hearn’s personal involvement is definite proof of it.
Matchroom is the majority shareholder in snooker. If their priority goes elsewhere, especially if it shifts towards another cue sport. it’s definitely very worrying news for the future of the sport we love.
Jak Jones earned a Crucible debut with a 10-8 success in the last qualifying round of the Cazoo World Championship, beating former finalist Barry Hawkins who had been ever-present at snooker’s most famous venue since 2006.
Stephen Maguire had been on an even longer run of consecutive appearances, stretching back to 2004, but he was beaten 10-6 by Fan Zhengyi. Maguire and Hawkins have dropped out of the world’s top 16 and were unable to negotiate the difficult path through the qualifying rounds in Sheffield.
Jones, age 29 from Cwmbran in South Wales, was a semi-finalist at the Gibraltar Open last season but when he steps out at the Theatre of Dreams it will be the biggest moment of his career so far. From 8-8 against 2013 runner-up Hawkins, he made an excellent 69 clearance in frame 17 to go 9-8 ahead, then won the 18th by laying a snooker on the final yellow and dishing up from the chance that followed.
“It means a lot,” said the former European Amateur Champion, who made two breaks of 101 in the first session. “I didn’t play well today but Barry wasn’t at his best. My arm felt like jelly towards the end but I scraped over the line. In the last clearance, every pot was a twitch. It’s not easy to qualify, everyone is under so much pressure, it’s totally different to any other tournament.”
In the most dramatic finish of the day, Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham edged out China’s Zhang Anda 10-9 after a battle on the final black. A loose safety from Zhang handed a Saengkham a chance at a mid-range black, and he slammed it into a baulk corner.
Ricky Walden came through an exciting conclusion to beat Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 10-9 in a superb match which featured four centuries and ten more breaks over 50. Walden, a Crucible semi-finalist ten years ago, had leads of 4-1, 7-5 and 9-8 but could not shake off his opponent, who forced a decider. Un-Nooh then led 32-0 at 9-9 but missed a tough red to centre, and Walden punished him with an excellent 69. His attempted double on the penultimate red when he led by 29 points missed its target, but bounced into the opposite centre pocket, and he added the black which proved enough for victory.
“I’m not sure how I managed to win,” admitted three-time ranking event winner Walden. “Thepchaiya played so well from 4-1 down. His safety was better too. I was just hanging in, I wasn’t happy with how I felt, it was nerve-racking. I made some good breaks, especially the one in the last frame. I just went one ball at a time, and to make 70, I have to be proud of myself. The Crucible is the home of snooker, I’ve had some great moments there and some terrible moments. To go there and be in the mix is so exciting.”
Graeme Dott, the 2006 champion, suffered a 10-6 reverse against Matthew Selt, who is through to the Crucible for the fourth time and will be looking for his first win at the venue.
Selt, whose top break was 61, said: “Graeme knows how to win but I could tell he wasn’t fully fit today. I asked if he was ok and he said he had a shoulder injury. I felt bad for him but I still had job to do. I had copious amounts of luck, it’s been a while since I had that much good fortune and it definitely played a big part in that match.
“I haven’t played particularly well here this week but hopefully I can play better at the Crucible. I’ll be able to enjoy it and it will be a proud moment when I walk out. I need to settle, and if I do that I can play really well. I’ll be listening to the draw – there’s a couple of people I want to avoid, and 14 I want to play!”
Anthony McGill earned his ninth consecutive appearance as he beat Cao Yupeng 10-6 with a top break of 106. Glasgow’s McGill, who narrowly lost 17-16 to Kyren Wilson in the semi-finals in 2020, said: “At 3-0 down I tried to just enjoy the match and being here. These are the days you look back on, it’s an occasion. It’s a privilege to play at the Crucible, the historical venue in our sport. It’s an achievement to get through the qualifying rounds, it’s extremely difficult. I’ll have my sights set on doing some damage.”
Wu Yize
Three up-and-coming Chinese players all booked Crucible debuts: Fan Zhengyi, Wu Yize and Si Jiahui. Former European Masters Fan saw off Maguire 10-6 with a top break of 102. Si, who won the World Snooker Federation Open last year, beat Jordan Brown 10-7 with a top run of 115. And Wu, Rookie of the Year last season, came from 5-1 and 7-4 down to beat beat Shoot Out champion Chris Wakelin 10-8 with top breaks of 140 and 100.
Now WST, really, why is the focus in this piece on Hawkins and Maguire failure to qualify, instead the four debutants? Why focus on “end of an era” rather than focus on “rising new stars”? And why are the three youngest qualifiers getting just one paragraph, the last in the text? Is it because they are Chinese? Those kids are the future you know. Also, British match winners were interviewed by Rob Walker, but not the Chinese lads. For me those things are further evidence that, despite branding themselves “World Snooker”, the powers in charge still have a very UK centric, and a very “nostalgia cult” attitude towards the sport.
I have known Jak Jones since he was a teenager, playing at the SWSA. He comes from a humble background but was always supported by a caring family, as well as encouraged by Paul Mount and Janie Watkins. What surprises me the most is that he took him that long to get where he is today.
I’m also very pleased for Ricky Walden, who seems to be finally be over his health issues. Ricky and his manager, Lee Gorton, were the ones who first invited me to the World Qualifiers and I’m forever grateful to them as, for me, it all started in earnest from there. I had first met them at a pro-am tournament organised in Belgium. Lee was also the man behind the organisation of the first ever PTC in Belgium.
Big Shout to Fan Zhengyi, Wu Yize and Si Jiahui as well as to Victoria Shi, the women behind the Vic Snooker academy. It can’t have been easy times for them all with the current “match fixing cloud” over their heads. All three youngsters are former students of coach Roger Leighton.
Finally, it’s not mentioned above but the finish of the Si v Brown match was very special. Only pink and black were still on the table. Si, who was ahead in the frame and in the match, had managed to push the black right over a top corner pocket, with the pink right on top of it. Knocking the black in would have meant end of match for Brown. There was a long phase of cat and mouse play where Brown was trying to take the pink away from the black, whilst Si was systematically putting it back on top of the black, trying to force the mistake. Both showed tremendous skills.There were talks of “re-rack” in commentary – it has happened before with only pink and black on the table – but eventually Brown succeeded to separate the two balls. It was in vain though as Si won the ensuing safety battle and won the frame and the match.
And here we are at the “Judgement Days” … at the end of today, we will know the names of eight of the Crucible qualifiers. Hereafter, you will find the reports by WST on what happened yesterday.
Joe Perry won his first Cazoo World Championship match in four years, after edging to a 10-8 victory against world number 102 Sanderson Lam to make Judgement Day at Crucible qualifying.
The last time Perry appeared at the Theatre of Dreams was at the 2019 World Championship. In the years that followed he has been forced to watch from the sidelines, working as a pundit and commentator for the BBC, after losing at the first qualifying hurdle on three successive occasions.
The former Crucible semi-finalist now faces close friend Mark Davis for a place in the final stages. Davis earned his place with a 10-8 victory against Lyu Haotian. It will be an emotionally charged affair, with Perry knowing his opponent needs to qualify in order to retain his professional status.
Perry came into this afternoon’s session facing a 5-4 deficit. He turned the match on its head, with breaks of 68, 90, 132 and 72 on his way to establishing a 9-5 advantage. Lam dug in to keep in contention by taking three on the bounce to make it 9-8, but Perry got over the line to seal victory.
“It’s the first game I’ve won at the World Championship for quite a few years. It is important to win your first round at this event as we all know, with so many ranking points on the line. I thought I played well all match and stepped it up today. Sanderson gave a really good account of himself,” said 48-year-old Perry.
“I think the punditry has made it less of a pressurised thing for me to get back there. I really enjoy the work in the media side of the World Championship. I don’t feel that I’ve missed out on the Crucible if I lose.
“The best thing about playing Mark is that if I lose, even though I would be disappointed, I would be delighted for him. I will give everything and try to beat him 10-0 if we play. It would be horrible to be the one to push him off tour though.
“It won’t seep into my mentality, although it could with Mark if it could be his last ever match on tour. He is so good he can get back through Q School no problem I think, but it will be a different match for Mark than it is for me. It is another snooker match for me and it will be a tough one.”
World number 23 Hossein Vafaei scored a comfortable 10-4 win over Welshman Andrew Higginson to earn his place in the final round.
Vafaei made his Crucible debut 12 months ago, but exited at the first round with a 10-4 loss at the hands of Judd Trump. If he is to return there this year he must win an intriguing final round clash with Jackson Page, who also made his debut last year and beat Barry Hawkins in the first round. Page beat Martin Gould 10-6 today.
Iran’s Vafaei crafted breaks of 64 and 95 on his way to wrapping up the win this afternoon. He is in a confident mood, but isn’t looking beyond his next assignment against Page.
Vafaei said: “I have to qualify first. You see so many players say they will do this or that and they disappear all of a sudden. If I qualify for the Crucible then I will try my best to go far and make my people happy.
“It was a tough match against Judd Trump last year. It was my first time and I didn’t handle the situation very well. This year is completely different and I think I would play better if I qualified.”
David Gilbert booked his progression thanks to a comfortable 10-3 win over Barry Pinches. He now faces Matthew Stevens, who beat Jamie Clarke by the same scoreline.
I don’t know who writes those report for WST but only too often there are mistakes in them and bad ones at that. Vafaei didn’t beat Higginson, he beat Andrew Pagett. And Andrew Higginson who plays here as an amateur, is English, not Welsh and actually won his match, beating Joe O’Connor by 10-8.
Ryan Day cut a frustrated figure, despite battling to a 10-8 win over Ashley Hugill at Cazoo World Championship Qualifying, raising the possibility of retirement in the near future.
The Welshman arrived in Sheffield as the 17th seed, missing out on automatic qualification to the Crucible by just one place. He was narrowly edged out of the top 16 by Ding Junhui following the recent Tour Championship.
It was only this season that Day scored the biggest title win of his career, beating Mark Allen in the final of the British Open last October.
However, he was left infuriated by his performance this evening and over the course of recent tournaments. Day has suffered seven first round exits since the turn of the year.
Day had led this encounter 8-4, before world number 89 Hugill pegged him back to 8-7. The next two frames were traded to leave the tie in the balance at 9-8, but it was Day who crucially claimed the 18th frame in 30 minutes to get over the line.
Next up for 43-year-old Day is a final round clash with Scott Donaldson, where a Crucible spot will be on the line. Donaldson defeated Yuan Sijun 10-7, with the clock approaching 12:30am.
“I’ve been saying it for a long time. I don’t know how much more I’ve got left. I’m fed up of playing like that. The odd good match, or tournament, is few and far between. I’m probably 30 or 40 points worse than when I felt like I could compete on a regular basis,” said a despondent Day.
“This season is nearly done and dusted. Next year, with my ranking, I would probably be in a couple of events that would be worth my while turning up. If it was to carry on like that it could be my last season.
“The Crucible is the kind of place you either thrive and get amongst it or crumble. That is a long way off at the moment. I will focus on Wednesday and take it from there.”
China’s Pang Junxu kept his hopes of a Crucible debut alive thanks to a 10-6 win over 1997 Crucible king Ken Doherty.
Irishman Doherty was aiming for a first trip to the Theatre of Dreams since 2014 and had led 4-0. He has at least one more year left on his invitational tour card, so will return next year for another attempt to qualify for snooker’s showpiece event.
Pang turned the tie around and will now face compatriot Xu Si, who beat Jamie Jones 10-7. That means whoever wins there will be a Chinese debutant in the final stages.
Anthony Hamilton scored a thrilling 10-9 win Oliver Lines to make the final round. He now faces Jimmy Robertson, who beat Ben Mertens 10-6.
Elliot Slessor edged a final frame decider with Liam Highfield to win 10-9 and make Judgement Day. His final round opponent will be Zhou Yuelong, who beat James Cahill 10-4.
I watched the Jimmy Robertson v Ben Mertens match. It was very close up to the last MSI. After that, Jimmy ran away with the match. Ben, I feel, ran out of gas. He’s still young and he had never played a professional multi-session match until last week. He did well really to get this far in this event.
Media build- up into the Crucible …
Mark mentioned that he had read some news about Ronnie’s injury. I did some digging, and I can’t be sure that it’s the same article but I found this one:
Ronnie O’Sullivan reduced to tears after going to hospital over recurring injury ahead of World Snooker Championship
Ronnie O’Sullivan admits he is struggling with an old elbow injury ahead of his Crucible return.
The reigning world snooker champion – whose title defence begins next Saturday – tore a muscle in his right arm lifting weights in the gym two years ago.
O’Sullivan is a seven time snooker world champion Credit: Jamie McPhilimey
The old issue flamed up again last month and it meant he had to pull out of the WST Classic in Leicester.
O’Sullivan, who has not played since March 17, said: “It was a lot worse last weekend. I didn’t think I was going to be able to play at Sheffield as it swelled up.
“I had an injection (on March 30) and I literally had tears in my eyes.
“That’s how much pain I was in.
“The next day, I couldn’t move my arm, I literally had to pick this hand up to put it on the table.
“It started swelling up. I had a bad reaction. So I went back to the hospital, they gave me some antibiotics, in case there was an infection.
“I’ve iced it. It has calmed down. It still feels a bit sore but it’s playable.
“It’s a repetitive strain issue. I got it about two years ago and I tore a muscle. It just wouldn’t go away.
“It’s quite funny because up until the last world championship, it was fine, but it was a bit sore. I could play a shot and I wouldn’t wince.
“After the world champs, I was doing exhibitions in Wales, around the end of May or June. I was in the gym and normally I’d go for a 10kg weight and it’d be alright.
“The other guy was using them and I thought I’ll use the 12kg weight instead. I went like that and it was heavy.
“I went to get a cup of tea afterwards and I could only get my arm up here.
“That’s when the problem started again.
“So, it has been about a year now where I’ve had a really bad problem with it.”
I have to admit that I find this pretty worrying. Of course, it probably explains a lot about this season. But the Crucible is an endurance test. Ronnie might be alright during the first week, but from the QFs on, if he gets that far, it’s pretty much playing every day, and more often than not, two sessions in a day. It would be pretty terrible, for him and for the tournament, if he made it that far only to be forced to withdraw.
There is however some good news too, and a clear sign that Ronnie is preparing the best he can for his title defence as he is back working with Steve Feeney:
Steve Feeney explains Ronnie O’Sullivan reunion ahead of World Championship: ‘His game was not where he wanted it to be’
Ronnie O’Sullivan has been putting the work in ahead of the World Championship (Picture: Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan has been working with coach Steve Feeney again ahead of the World Snooker Championship, with the man behind SightRight saying: ‘His game was not where he wanted it to be.’
O’Sullivan first worked with Feeney in 2018 but the pair drifted apart during the pandemic, but the Rocket got back in touch earlier this season.
The world champion and world number one has won the Champion of Champions and Hong Kong Masters this season, but has had a very forgettable campaign when it comes to ranking events, not going beyond a quarter-final.
Feeney says the 47-year-old is highly motivated to get to eight World Championship titles, moving past the record of seven he shares with Stephen Hendry, and the target is to achieve that either this year or next.
‘I’ve seen him several times,’ Feeney told Metro.co.uk on linking up with the Rocket again. ‘With Ronnie, we put a plan together when we first started and he’s now won two of the three World Championships he needs to break Stephen’s record, so to connect up again really just continues that process.
‘We worked together from 2018-20, then there was the break with Covid and everything. I’ve grown as a coach, there’s more that I know and can deliver and I think Ronnie’s enjoying that too. He’s enjoying being introduced to shots that even he wouldn’t have thought about before.
‘We’ve got to continue pushing boundaries. For him to win an eighth we’ve got to continue to improve. Some people think he can just walk away with it, but you’ve only got to look at the tour this season, there are far more accurate players than there used to be. He’s got to go and perform.
‘In the last season he’s not had the results he would have liked, so I think this is timely, but there is a bit to do. His game was not where he wanted it to be.
‘I also think he continued to be inspired by Mark [Williams] continuing to get good results.’
Feeney coached Williams to his remarkable 2018 World Championship title, with the Welshman still turning in superb performances, including beating O’Sullivan at the Masters this season.
The coach reckons there was naturally going to be a drop off for the Rocket after his immense campaign at the Crucible last year, but now he is refocused he can achieve great things again.
‘When he won his seventh I was there at the Crucible. His father made me quite emotional by giving me a real big thanks for what I’ve done with Ronnie, so that was quite special,’ he said.
‘It’s quite an intense process going through the Crucible. Ronnie took a natural break in different ways. He got in touch with me again just before Christmas, just to say there’s things we need to do.
‘I’d like to see him pick up the eighth either this year or next year. If he puts the work in then he can accomplish that, but at the same time Ronnie won’t allow things to overtake him. It will be at his pace and in a way that he can manage it.
‘People don’t realise sometimes that for years and years and years he’s had microphones and cameras stuck in his face, he’s lifted all these trophies, any human being would find that difficult at times.
‘Ronnie takes it in his own stride, some people say he’ll win when he wants, maybe that’s right, but I think he focuses when he wants. He eases off the pedal when he needs to and can put it down again when he needs to concentrate. If it happens this year then great, if it doesn’t then I’d like to think we’ll be in a better position next year to do it.
‘As much as Ronnie would like to keep everything calm and in balance in his life and the way snooker affects his life, you can tell there’s also that inner desire to get the eighth. But he knows he’s got to work for it, people think he can just turn up and take the title, but he’s got to work for it.’
Barry Hawkins is one match away from securing an 18th consecutive Crucible appearance, after beating David Lilley 10-4 to reach Judgement Day at Cazoo World Championship Qualifying.
World number 20 Hawkins is competing at Crucible qualifying for the first time since 2012, after dropping out of the top 16. It’s a situation he wouldn’t have anticipated at the start of the campaign, having made the final of the European Masters early on. Hawkins suffered a heavy 9-3 defeat to Kyren Wilson in that match and has struggled to recapture his form since.
The Londoner is no stranger to performing at snooker’s biggest event. He made the final in 2013, where he lost out 18-12 to Ronnie O’Sullivan. Hawkins also made semi-finals in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. The three-time ranking event winner now faces Jak Jones to ensure he competes at the Theatre of Dreams this year. Jones earned his Judgement Day slot with a late night 10-9 win over Robbie Williams.
Hawkins struggled to produce his best form today, in a match where he failed to register a single break over 50. However, after leading 6-3 following the opening session, he took four of the five frames this evening to get over the line.
“I’m just pleased to get through. It was a brutal match and each frame felt like it was well over 30 minutes. It was a terrible standard and I didn’t expect to play as badly as that. I’m just delighted to get through the next round and I can improve,” said 43-year-old Hawkins. “Every frame was a pint of blood. David said in the interval it couldn’t get any worse and he was right really.
“I started the season well and didn’t capitalise on the good form. I’ve been winning matches but not going deep in tournaments. I haven’t earned enough ranking points and it is my own fault I am here. Other people have come here and had good runs at the Crucible, so who knows.
“Everybody wants to finish their season off at the Crucible, but it is all good and well qualifying, you want to go there and do well. Just winning one game here and getting bashed up at the Crucible is not what people want. I want to be part of it.”
Scotland’s Stephen Maguire is searching for a 20th straight trip to the final stages and he moved one match away thanks to a 10-4 win over Alfie Burden.
Maguire arrives here off the back of a poor season, which has seen him reach the last 16 on just one occasion at the Northern Ireland Open. However, he looked to be in good touch today and crafted breaks of 67, 72, 56, 52, 63, 58, 72 and 68 on his way to victory.
Next up Maguire faces China’s Fan Zhengyi, who beat the impressive Ukrainian 17-year-old Iulian Boiko 10-8.
Shoot Out champion Chris Wakelin thrashed Aaron Hill 10-2 to secure his place in the final round. His opponent will be Wu Yize who also won 10-2, beating Tian Pengfei.
Jordan Brown emerged a 10-7 victor against Dominic Dale and will play Si Jiahui on Judgment Day. Si scored a 10-5 win against Tom Ford.
Once again WST focus is on the British household names. It shows in their reports and in their choices when it comes to table allocation. It’s a shame.
Si Jiahui won a hard fought match against Tom Ford, although Si became stronger and more dominant as the match went on, but he’s “awarded” just one short sentence in the above report and wasn’t interviewed. That’s the match I watched and I guess it was on one of the stream table only because of Tom Ford.
I would have preferred to be able to watch Fan Zhengyi v Iulian Boiko but they were on an away table. Iulian won’t be at the Crucible but what he has shown this week is impressive. Other players who got a tour card at a very young age were destroyed by the experience, their confidence shattered, but Iulian comes across as a very strong character. He has matured a lot and the circumstances in his country inspire him to be more determined and stronger than ever. I hope that he gets back on tour soon.
Also, as we are now in the week before the Crucible, the media build-up has started
One piece that came out yesterday confirmed what I knew and said quite a few times in the past … that Ronnie’s pretence of “not caring” is a coping mechanism.
Going by this interview, Ronnie is in a positive frame of mind ahead of the Crucible and determined to try his best.
O’Sullivan makes admission about his attitude to snooker which enrages fans
O’Sullivan, a winner of 39 ranking titles and seven Masters crowns, has irritated some of his army of fans by regularly claiming snooker means little to him these days
By Hector Nunns
O’Sullivan says his attitude to snooker is all a front (Image Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan admits claiming he ‘doesn’t care’ and playing down his stellar achievements are all a front – and just a way of coping with pressure.
The Rocket is now widely recognised as the greatest snooker player ever to pick up a cue after equalling Stephen Hendry’s record of seven world titles last year.
And that means world No1 O’Sullivan, 47, can set a new record of eight at the Crucible Theatre this year if he lifts the famous trophy again in Sheffield.
O’Sullivan, a winner of 39 ranking titles and seven Masters crowns, has irritated some of his army of fans by regularly claiming snooker means little to him these days.
But there have been times in recent years when the mask has slipped, and real and raw emotion has poured out of O’Sullivan.
Beating Mark Allen in the final of the 2018 UK Championship saw O’Sullivan overtake Stephen Hendry’s record of 18 successes in snooker’s three ‘major’ tournaments.
That saw him celebrate wildly with his fans and support group – leaping onto the barrier surrounding the arena in York, then going walkabout in the fans with the trophy.
That was followed by a total release as a spent O’Sullivan, the sport’s box office No1 for more than 30 years, then sat in his chair and poured water all over his head.
Then when becoming the first player to make a 1,000 centuries at the 2019 Players Championship a beaming O’Sullivan milked the crowd reaction and potted the key red left-handed to a standing ovation.
And just 12 months ago O’Sullivan collapsed and sobbed in the arms of beaten World Championship final opponent Judd Trump after finally equalling Hendry’s mark of seven crowns.
O’Sullivan said: “I suppose playing it down is part of my coping mechanism. I have worked a lot with Steve Peters.
“I try to get a perspective on the game and on my life, and I think that is better now. I don’t want to be defined by snooker, a result, achievements. If they come, great
“But yeah, I probably play it down. I will be trying my hardest this year, obviously. And I think I have another four good genuine attempts at it.
“I do care, of course, I care. I just try to have a better perspective on it. It is a big part of my life, but not all of my life. I am not going to invest everything into it.
“If it happens, great. I don’t have to be fully focused 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Once I put my cue down, I try to forget about snooker and enjoy my life.
“But obviously you get excited at this time of year, it’s a big tournament. You want to get your game right, you want to be feeling going into the Crucible that you have a chance to have a go.
“I am definitely getting excited. Listen, I haven’t done much in the ranking tournaments either this year, so it would be nice to have a good run. You want to be in this one as long as you can.
“The only time I have been surprised when I won it was 2020 – but all the others, no real surprise.
“I thought ‘my game is good, I have a chance here’. Then the other years outside those I have gone there I have thought, ‘hmmm, I am probably going to get found out here’ – and I have been.
“I usually have a good idea before going into Sheffield or very early on in the tournament if it’s there.”
Ken Doherty is still in the hunt for a first Crucible appearance since 2014, after beating Hammad Miah 10-6 in Cazoo World Championship Qualifying at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
The Irishman is now two wins away from a return to the Theatre of Dreams. Doherty faces Chinese prospect Pang Junxu on Monday for a Judgement Day spot.
Doherty is in the middle of a two-year tour card, but has struggled to find his form this season. The 1997 World Champion has won just seven matches and is yet to make it beyond the last 64 of a tournament. In light of this, he has admitted retirement is a possibility at the end of next season.
However, the six-time ranking event winner showed a glimpse of his vintage form in yesterday’s opening session, compiling a stunning 137 on his way to emerging with a 5-4 advantage. Further breaks of 65 and 57 helped him to take five of the seven frames this afternoon and pull away for the win.
“There is more pressure on these qualifiers because it is the Crucible. I’ve had such a great affinity with Sheffield over the years that I’ve had some great memories,” said 53-year-old Doherty.
“It would be great to go there, not as a pundit, but as a player. It is the same with the other older lads, where the chances are getting few and far between, as the younger lads who are aspiring to do it for the first time.
“Time is running out and there is no doubt about that. Time waits for no man, but you have to reflect and look at what it has served me over the years. I am just so grateful and so happy. I’ve had a wonderful experience playing snooker and I’m still enjoying it. The fact that I once got my hands on that trophy and had one of the greatest years of my life is amazing. They are memories I will take to the grave.”
Perth’s Scott Donaldson recorded a 10-1 demolition of Welsh 16-year-old Liam Davies to emphatically book his third round slot.
Donaldson has come through these qualifiers and appeared at the Crucible on two previous occasions, in 2019 and 2022. His next opponent this time around is China’s Yuan Sijun.
Ben Mertens defeated fellow Belgian Julien Leclercq 10-6 and set up a third round meeting with Jimmy Robertson. Mertens began the session just 5-4 in front, but breaks of 71, 59, 73, 80 and 57 saw him pull away and clinch the tie.
James Cahill emerged a 10-6 winner against Lei Peifan and plays Zhou Yuelong next, while Elliot Slessor beat Ian Martin 10-3 to set up a clash with Liam Highfield.
Ben Mertens did indeed play very whilst his good friend Julien Leclercq couldn’t quite reproduce the form he had shown in the first session. Going by the reactions on social media, a lot of snooker fans appreciated that match: both players were praised for the way they play the game, and there was quality from start to finish. Thank you boys!
Graeme Dott admitted that the final round of Cazoo World Championship Qualifying is a “horrible” experience, after reaching Judgement Day with a 10-6 defeat of Andy Hicks at the English Institute of Sport.
Dott has missed out on the Crucible for the last three years, losing in the final round of qualifying on each occasion. That is the longest run since the beginning of his career, in 1994, that he hasn’t been present in the final stages.
The Scot now faces Matthew Selt on Tuesday, over the best of 19 frames, for a place at the Theatre of Dreams. Selt earned his Judgement Day slot with a late night 10-7 win over Peter Lines.
Dott made breaks of 62, 71 and 52 on his way to this evening’s victory and afterwards stated that watching the Crucible from afar in recent times has been difficult.
“It is horrific. It is really not good at all. I would rather just go on holiday for two weeks and not see it. Hopefully this year I can get back there,” said 2006 World Champion Dott.
“That last round is not nice. I don’t think anybody could enjoy it. They are horrible matches to play in. All you want to do is win, regardless of how you feel or how you play. Even the first match is pressured. I felt like I was twitching at 9-3 up today. You need to be able to stand up to it.
“I don’t think there is a lead big enough here that you actually feel relaxed. It doesn’t matter how far ahead you are. I was a little bit nervy there because I wasn’t playing well to go 9-3 up. If Andy got on a run I knew there was a chance he could have run frames off.”
World number 21 Anthony McGill summoned his best snooker at the crucial moment, to come from 9-7 down and beat John Astley 10-9.
The Glaswegian was left shell shocked when Astley fired in breaks of 108, 64 and 128 to lead 8-7, the first time he had been in front since the opening frame. Astley then took the 16th on a re-spotted black to move one from victory.
McGill rallied and crafted breaks of 136 and 98 to force a decider. He took it to get over the line and earn a Judgement Day meeting with Cao Yupeng, who beat Ben Woollaston 10-6.
Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh is through to the final round after a 10-5 win over Mark Joyce. He now faces an intriguing clash with Ricky Walden, who beat Ian Burns 10-6.
All detailed results are, of course, on snooker.org
I have to admit that I struggled to get really interested in the evening matches. I usually like to watch Theppy, although he can be frustrating at times, but I’m definitely not a fan of Mark Joyce’s type of game. That match brought back on social media the old joke about Joyce’s mum who allegedly isn’t happy when he wins. For those who wonder where that comes from, here is the origin of it: years ago, a young and quite outspoken Mark Allen wasn’t happy with his opponent’s alleged antics during the match and attitude when sat in his chair. Afterward, in his post-match, he declared that “Even his mother must be happy when he loses!”. That opponent was Mark Joyce.
From today on, we are really at the business end of those qualifiers. The match I really wanted to watch today is Fan Zhengyi v Iulian Boiko. Unfortunately it’s not one of the four shown on the ES app. In the afternoon, Gould v Page should be entertaining, especially if Martin finds some form, but I think that I will opt for Andrew Higginson v Joe O’Connor.
Here is WST report on what happened on day 5 at the 2023 World Snooker Championship Qualifiers yesterday:
Page Turns Over Muir
Welsh prospect Jackson Page stormed to an impressive 10-2 win over Ross Muir to reach the third round of Cazoo World Championship Qualifying at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
Page enjoyed a superb run at last year’s World Championship, coming through four rounds of qualifying to earn a Crucible debut. The 21-year-old scored a landmark 10-7 win over Barry Hawkins at the Theatre of Dreams. However, he was dealt a reality check by mentor Mark Williams in the last 16, as he exited by a 13-3 scoreline.
Despite his success here in Sheffield last year, Page hasn’t kicked on this season. His best showing thus far was a run to the last 16 of the recent WST Classic.
Muir will return to the professional ranks next season, after winning the European Amateur Championship earlier this year. However, he was unable to provide strong opposition against an impressive Page, who fired in runs of 78, 58, 54, 102, 84, 81 and 66 on his way to victory. Next up for Page is a third round meeting with Martin Gould.
Looking back on last year’s Crucible experience, Page admits it has left him hungry to get back there and have another chance to compete on snooker’s grandest stage.
“I knew it was going to happen, but to play there relatively early in my career was brilliant. I only want to do better from here on in and progress further,” said world number 56 Page.
“I’ve never felt anything like what I did at the Crucible. Nothing comes close. Against Hawkins it was just the best ever feeling when I won. The crowd was amazing. Losing to Mark was bittersweet. I hate losing, but I had a good tournament leading up to it. I am itching to get back there. That is what I want to do, so hopefully I have a good couple of weeks here in Sheffield.”
Former two-time Crucible finalist Matthew Stevens survived a late night thriller to defeat the charismatic Dechawat Poomjaeng 10-8.
Stevens had a comfortable 7-3 lead after taking the first frame of the evening with a break of 88. However, Thailand’s Poomjaeng mounted an excellent fightback to take the match to the brink of a decider at 9-8, crafting runs of 55, 55, 98 and 91.
The game had looked set for a final frame, with Poomjaeng leaving Stevens requiring two snookers in the 18th. However, he got them and cleared with 34 to steal on the black. Stevens now plays Welsh compatriot Jamie Clarke in round three.
Afterwards Stevens admitted Poomjaeng, who asked him for a selfie in the arena at the conclusion of the first session, is always an unpredictable opponent to face.
“I’m laughing one minute and nearly crying the next. It was such a long day. It was looking like 9-9 and if I’d lost that it would have been a tough one to take. I’ve got loads of scars from games like that so I would have been alright,” said former UK and Masters champion Stevens.
“He’s a character and a lovely guy. It is good to have characters like that in the game, although not at 36 seconds a shot like it was in the first session. He is a class player, knows his way around the snooker table and is a tough player to get rid of.”
Andrew Higginson beat Louis Heathcote 10-7 to book a third round meeting with Joe O’Connor. Defeat for Heathcote means he is relegated from the circuit and will require a trip to Q School if he wishes to return next season.
Mitchell Mann suffers the same fate as Heathcote, after a 10-5 loss at the hands of Sanderson Lam. Next up for Lam is a third round clash against 2022 Welsh Open champion Joe Perry.
I watched the Stevens v Poomjaeng match, and the first session of Ben Mertens v Julien Leclercq. The Belgian derby is currently still ongoing and the score is 5-4 in favour of Ben. Both are going for their shots and that’s a good match to watch.
However, all this means that I can’t comment on other results. That said the most surprising outcome for me was Sanderson Lam’s 10-5 win over Mitchell Mann. I didn’t expect that.
Sean O’Sullivan produced a quite remarkable break: he potted all reds with blacks and yet this wasn’t a maximum. The final score was 140… Can you guess what happened?
Amateur Martin O’Donnell ended six-time world finalist Jimmy White’s bid for a Crucible return, beating him 10-4 at Cazoo World Championship Qualifying at the English Institute of Sport.
O’Donnell will regain his professional status next season after topping the Q Tour standings this term. He’s now two more wins away from a Crucible debut, having beaten Marco Fu in the previous round. The former UK Championship quarter-finalist now faces Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham in round three.
White will leave devastated not to have made the Crucible and will have to wait at least another year to compete in the final stages for the first time since 2006. He looks to be in a healthy position to retain his tour card via the one-year list after a positive season.
The Whirlwind thrilled fans with a run to the final stages of the UK Championship before Christmas, but he couldn’t repeat the feat here in Sheffield.
O’Donnell came into this afternoon’s session with sizeable 7-2 advantage. White took the first two of the session to give himself hope, but the deficit proved to be too much. O’Donnell won three on the bounce and secured his third round berth.
“He was my hero growing up. It was really hard to play him. Everyone wants him to win and I want him to win. It is mixed emotions,” said 36-year-old O’Donnell.
“I haven’t played a game out in the spotlight for that for a good while. I was a bit rusty and lacked a bit of composure in parts, but I’m glad I held myself together at the right times. My focus kicked in and I’ll look forward to the next one.
“There probably isn’t a tougher draw out there than the one I’ve had this year. They probably don’t want me either though. I’ll look forward to playing Noppon, I hope it is a good game and the best player will come out on top.”
Ukrainian 17-year-old Iulian Boiko scored a superb 10-5 win over Stuart Carrington to move within two victories of a dream Crucible debut.
Boiko’s first trip to world qualifying occurred in 2020, when he became the youngest ever player to compete in the event, aged 14. Months later he joined the professional circuit and was snooker’s youngest professional. However, Boiko’s time on the tour ended in relegation last season.
If he were to win his next two matches and reach the Theatre of Dreams, he would also receive a two-year tour card to return to the professional ranks next season. Boiko’s third round opponent is former European Masters winner Fan Zhengyi.
Dominic Dale took a huge step towards tour survival with a 10-6 win over Asjad Iqbal. However, the Welshman was unaware so much was riding on the tie
Dale came into the match provisionally ranked 64th, but today’s victory gives the two-time ranking event winner clear breathing space in the battle to stay on the circuit. Next up he faces former Welsh Open champion Jordan Brown.
Dale said: “Coming here I thought I was absolutely dead safe (for tour survival). That was why I didn’t even bother checking whether I needed to win that match. I suppose I am safe now. I don’t know but we will see.
“Playing at the Crucible is the Mecca of the game. I’d love to play there again in front of an audience. It has been too long and it has been so long now it might be a bit of a problem. The memories of the atmosphere and the feelings that are evoked are a bit distant now really.”
Si Jiahui averted what would have been the greatest ever comeback in a best of 19, holding off Austrian Florian Nuessle to win 10-7. China’s Si had led 9-1, but Nuessle roared back to within two frames. In the end Si got over the line and will play Tom Ford in the third round.
Ireland’s Aaron Hill scored an impressive 10-3 win over Michael White to set up a third round meeting with Chris Wakelin, while Halifax 16-year-old Stan Moody’s run was ended by Zhang Anda in a 10-3 loss. Zhang faces Chinese compatriot Xiao Guodong next.
The Jimmy White v Martin O’Donnell match was hard to watch. It was plain for all to see how badly Jimmy wanted this, and how frustrated he was at his own poor performance. The truth is quite simply that he put far too much pressure on himself. He looked nervous, anxious and devastated by his own failure to perform in the event that matters most to him. His love for the game can’t be questioned and he will always be loved by the fans for that. Martin said that it was hard for him as well, I totally believe him. It must have been horrible out there for both of them.
I was very pleased by Iulian Boiko’s victory. Iulian got on the tour far too young, and didn’t succeed. That was to be expected. Other players who got on tour very young also failed. Some suffered badly from the experience, and never fulfilled their potential. Iulian appears to be a very strong character who is able to bounce back. He play an attractive brand of snooker. I’m firmly in favour of restoring a minimum age to be eligible to play on the Tour and I would put it at 18, the same age that is accepted in International instances as the start of adulthood. It is not true that if you are good enough, you are old enough. The age limit used to be 16. That may be OK for the players who have their family around them to support them, but not for those who are forced to live on their own in the UK as expats. That is hard even for the adult players, never mind children.
These are the players who, so far, face relegation, barring Q-School: Marco Fu, Michael Judge, Dean Young, Craig Steadman, Stuart Carrington, Jamie O’Neil, Gerard Greene, Alexander Ursenbacher, Reanne Evans and Ng On-Yee.
On Yee or Reanne will be “redeemed” via the tour card allocated to the WWS number one player. Currently, it’s Reanne holding that number one position. There is one more event to be played on the Women’s tour though and On Yee still has a chance to become number one. I hope she does, first because she did significantly better than Reanne on the main Tour, but also because the loss of both Marco Fu and On Yee Ng could be a huge blow for snooker in Hong Kong as it could lose its “Elite Sport” status, and with it, it’s funding by the Hong Kong government.
In other news … Brendan Moore will referee the 2023 World Championship final and it will be his last match as a snooker referee
Brendan Moore will retire from refereeing on the World Snooker Tour at the conclusion of this season and he is set to bow out by taking charge of the 2023 Cazoo World Championship final.
The Sheffield referee has enjoyed a career as one of the top officials on the circuit since he started in 2004, officiating in seven Triple Crown finals so far. This year’s Crucible showpiece will be his third time refereeing snooker’s biggest match. Moore will then transition from snooker to pool, becoming the Tournament Director for Matchroom Pool.
Having already refereed the 2014 and 2018 world finals, this year’s title match will be Moore’s last ever professional game. It will also be the first Crucible final he has taken charge of since the passing of his father Derek Moore. Those two factors mean it is set to be an emotional occasion.
“I’m quite an emotional person anyway and I’m not afraid to put my heart on my sleeve. It will be bittersweet moment. What a way to finish, you can’t go out on a higher match than the world final and it will be my third,” said 51-year-old Moore.
“I am getting emotional now even thinking about it. Walking out for the very last time will be a surreal experience, especially with my dad not being there. I won’t let the situation get the better of me though, I will do the job and then whatever comes after comes. I’m looking forward to a new chapter and a new challenge.”
WST would like to thank Brendan for his 19 years of dedicated service to snooker and wish him all the best for his new role at Matchroom.
The “bold” highlight in the text above is my doing. I’m afraid this is one more piece of evidence that Matchroom’s main focus, when it comes to cue sports, is shifting from snooker to pool. That said …
Congratulations Brendan and all the best for the future!
