Ronnie continues his “China Tour” with Jason Francis and it’s not just for exhibitions.
As reported by WST, Ronnie also took part to the media day to “launch” of the 2024 Xi’an World Grand, a new event that will be played for the first time later during this summer.
O’Sullivan Helps Launch Xi’an Grand Prix Media Event
On the afternoon of May 28th, the press conference for the 2024 World Snooker Xi’an Grand Prix was held at Xi’an SKP Center. Legendary seven-time World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, along with over 200 people including representatives from more than 70 brands, guests, fans, and media reporters were in attendance. This event was hosted by Shaanxi Tourism Group and Shaanxi Sports Industry Group.
The press conference was attended by distinguished guests and leaders, including Anthea Heffernan, Regional Cooperation Counsellor at the British Embassy in China; Wang Xiaojiong, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of CBSA; Zhang Wangping, Deputy Director and Party Leadership Group Member of the Shaanxi Provincial Sports Bureau; He Dong, Party Committee Member and Deputy General Manager of Shaanxi Tourism Group; and Mike Ganley, Tournament Director for WST.
Steve Dawson, Chairman WST, and Jason Ferguson, Chairman of the WPBSA, recorded video messages for the press conference. Mike Ganley participated in the guest dialogue session, where he talked about the background for the event to be hosted in Xi’an.
The 2024 World Snooker Xi’an Grand Prix is scheduled to take place from August 19 to 25th at the Xi’an Qujiang Sports Center. Top international players will gather in the ancient city of Xi’an to compete in thrilling matches.
Jason also shared a couple of photos
The second photo is from the 10000 seats venue… Jason also shared this short video:
Before that they were in Shanghai and I never realised that they were doing the exhibition in Disneyland!
And again there is also a short video…
And now they have arrived in Hong Kong
For a sport to really grow big… it needs big audiences and China brings that. That’s why the top players love it there. It may not please the British fans, but it’s the commercial reality. And that’s why it would be good for the sport to have it’s World Championship traveling around the World in big venues, situated in big cities. History and traditions are all well and good but it shouldn’t become an obstacle to the growth and development of the sport, because, it is does, it will kill that sport eventually.
And some more pictures found by Kalacs – thank you Kalacs!
According to automatic translation: Ronnie walking the city, on a film set (looks like a venue to me) and visiting a Temple
Fixtures Confirmed For Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship In Manchester
Snooker’s biggest names including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Allen, John Higgins, Mark Selby and many more will be in Manchester next week for the Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship, and the match schedule is now confirmed.
The best 12 players of the 2023/24 season will compete in the world ranking event which runs from April 1st to 7th at the fantastic Manchester Central venue in the heart of the city.
…
The top four seeded players go straight into the quarter-finals, while those seeded 5-12 start in round one. All matches are best of 19 frames. The schedule is:
Monday April 1st
1pm Mark Allen v John Higgins (first eight frames) Gary Wilson v Mark Selby (first eight frames)
7pm Mark Allen v John Higgins (conclusion) Mark Williams v Tom Ford (first eight frames)
Tuesday April 2nd
1pm Barry Hawkins v Ali Carter (first eight frames) Gary Wilson v Mark Selby (conclusion)
7pm Barry Hawkins v Ali Carter (conclusion) Mark Williams v Tom Ford (conclusion)
Wednesday April 3rd
1pm QF4 Ronnie O’Sullivan v Hawkins or Carter (first eight frames) QF3 Zhang Anda v Wilson or Selby (first eight frames)
7pm QF4 Ronnie O’Sullivan v Hawkins or Carter (conclusion) QF2 Ding Junhui v Allen or Higgins (first eight frames)
Thursday April 4th
1pm QF1 Judd Trump v Williams or Ford (first eight frames) QF3 Zhang Anda v Wilson or Selby (conclusion)
7pm QF1 Judd Trump v Williams or Ford (conclusion) QF2 Ding Junhui v Allen or Higgins (conclusion)
Friday April 5th
1pm Semi-final 2 (QF3 winner v QF4 winner) first eight frames
7pm Semi-final 2 (QF3 winner v QF4 winner) conclusion
Saturday April 6th
1pm Semi-final 1 (QF1 winner v QF2 winner) first eight frames
7pm Semi-final 1 (QF1 winner v QF2 winner) conclusion
Sunday April 7th
1pm
Final (first eight frames)
7pm Final (conclusion)
Televised by ITV, the Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship is the third and final event in the 2024 Players Series. Manchester Central hosts the event for the first time.
2024 Hong Kong All Star Challenge
The action continues in Hong Kong and I really appreciate the help readers of this blog in the chase for images and videos. Thank you! You know who you are ❤️ … I can’t put everything in the post, it would be very long to read but the comments are there for all pick, chose and enjoy…
So here goes… Ronnie yesterday played two matches. The first match was delayed by nearly an hour because spectators were unhappy, and rightly so. The more expensive tickets – and they were really expensive – were for seats that were close to the table but basically level with it … and the persons seated in them could not actually see the bed of the table. How daft!
Ronnie’s first match was against Mark Williams. Willo won it by 5-4. Ronnie fought back from 4-2 down to force a decider but it as Mark who took it eventually.
Here are some images … (thanks Kalacs!)
Ronnie’s second match, in the evening was against Marco Fu and Ronnie beat him by 5-2.
That match is on Youtube (thanks Ben!) filmed by a spectator.
The action continues today and I will report on that tomorrow.
This is the programfo the event as known at this stage:
Bai Yulu has won the 2024 Women Snooker World Championship
She beat Mink Nucharut by 6-5 in a tense high quality final. This means that she will be offered a main Tour card for the 2024/25 season. Mink will get one as well as she’s guaranteed to finish the season as Women’s Snooker number 1. In many ways this is the best possible outcome from allegedly the best ever Women Snooker World Championship.
Congratulations Bai Yulu!
Bai Yulu 2024 Women Snooker World Champion AND 2024 Junior Women Snooker World Champion!
Home favourite Bai Yulu beat Mink Nutcharut 6-5 on the final pink to win a dramatic final at the World Women’s Snooker Championship in Dongguan Changping, China.
Victory earns 20-year-old Bai a place on the World Snooker Tour for the first time and she will join the main circuit for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons. Talented Bai reached the final last year before losing to Baipat Siripaporn, and has now clinched her maiden world title.
Women’s world number one Nutcharut, who lifted this trophy in 2022, had not dropped a single frame in the tournament until the final. Bai took an early 3-1 lead, helped by a break of 122 which was the highest of the tournament and highest ever in the World Women’s Championship final. Thailand’s Nutcharut hit back to take three in a row with a top run of 62 to lead 4-3, before Bai knocked in 97 and 75 to edge 5-4 ahead. Nutcharut then took frame ten on the colours to set up the decider.
Both players had chances and it came down to the colours – Nutcharut leading 46-43 when she failed to gain position on the brown. Bai potted brown and blue to lead 52-46 during a safety battle on the pink. Trapped in a snooker, Nutcharut hit the pink but left her opponent a chance, and Bai slotted it into a baulk corner to clinch the Mandy Fisher Trophy.
It has been an impressive rise to the top from Bai, who had never competed on the women’s tour before last year’s World Championship. She went on to win her first women’s ranking event at the British Open in May last year, beating Reanne Evans in the final.
Bail also won the world under-21 title earlier in the week, beating Narucha Phoemphul in the final.
Eve of the 2024 World Open in Yushan … Ronnie honoured
As always in China, the players are made to feel very welcome with an opening ceremony and a red carpet walk, but this time, Ronnie was particularly honoured as he was inducted in the World Billiards Museum Hall of Fame
Here is a short video of that event shared by Roger Leighton on Youtube
And there were some pictures shared on weibo, of the red carpet walk, the induction ceremony and the opening ceremony
Iran’s Amir Sarkhosh, Mohamed Shehab from the United Arab Emirates and Welshman Duane Jones all came through the WPBSA Q Tour Global Play-Offs to earn a place on the World Snooker Tour for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons.
The 2023/24 WPBSA Q Tour season saw the tour go global for the first time by incorporating series’ in the Middle East, Americas and Asia-Pacific region alongside the UK/Europe series which has been held since 2021/22. Cueists from across the globe have been competing all year to earn a coveted spot in the Global Play-Off. The season’s best 24 players came together in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina this week, split into three sections of eight.
Sarkhosh beat Iulian Boiko 10-8 in the final of his section and will turn pro for the first time, joining fellow Iranian cueman Hossein Vafaei on the circuit next season. “I am happy that snooker is growing in the Middle East and I think it will get better day by day. I know it will be difficult on the professional tour but I am really excited by it,” said Sarkhosh, whose top break in the final was 125.
Shehab, who last played on the pro tour in 2007, saw off Yu Kiu Chang 10-8. He said: “I feel brilliant, I came here prepared for a challenge – not only to secure the tour card, but to represent my country and the Middle East. It is the first time we have had the Q Tour in the Middle East and the top two players have qualified – that’s a clear message that there are good players in the region.“
In an all-Welsh derby, Jones came from 9-7 down to edge out teenager Liam Davies 10-9. “I was gutted when I dropped off the tour and I’ve felt like chucking it in a few times, but snooker is in my blood and it always will be,” said the former German Masters semi-finalist.
Meanwhile, the EBSA European Under-18 Championship title went to Bulcsú Révész, beating Vladislav Gradinari 4-0 in the final. Recent WSF Junior champion Révész lost just a single frame in the knockout stages.
Not many would have predicted that the two “Middle East” Q-Tour laureates would qualify for the main tour, nor that the latter stages of the two junior EBSA events – under-16 and under-18 – would be dominated by mainland Europe players. This once again debunks the claims that the UK has the best amateurs, something that has occasionally been presented by some British fans as a justification for the UK centric organisation of the sport. Also at the EBSA event, the two winners so far are mainland Europe lads AND it’d about time that WST/WPBSA make the effort to spell “foreign” names correctly. It isn’t hard. I corrected the spelling in the above report BTW.
The draw for the 2024 Huading Nylon World Open has been updated, to include the four wild card players.
CLICK HERE for the draw and here for the match schedule. Matches involving the wild cards are:
Sanderson Lam v Gong Chenzhi Wang Xinbo v Wang Xinzhong Jordan Brown v Lan Yuhao
Sam Craigie has withdrawn from the event due to injury. His last-64 opponent was Robert Milkins, who now receives a bye to the last 32.
David Gilbert has also pulled out and his last-64 opponent was Fan Zhengyi, who now receives a bye to the last 32.
Ronnie has already landed in China. A short video was shared on weibo, showing him and Victoris Shi arriving in the country.
And the 2024 Women Snooker World Championship is in its final day…
At the time of writing Bai Yulu has already booked her place in the Final, beating Reanne Evans by 5-3 from 0-3 down… Here are the scores (Bai Yulu first): 29-78(30); 33-69(68); 0-88(76); 62-54; 72-31; 77-70(44); 74(38)-14; 71(71)-33(33).
UPDATE
Mink has beaten On Yee by 5-0 with scores being like this: 6-64; 19-54; 61-66(40); 1-64; 30-67 (although it’s shown the other way around in some pages of the WPBSA scores site). This means that Mink strengthened her position as Women number 1. Should Bai Yulu win tomorrow, both of them would be on the main tour next season and I’d love that.
Nutcharut and Bai to Contest World Championship Final
Mink Nutcharut will meet Bai Yulu in the final of the 2024 World Women’s Snooker Championship after the pair won their semi-final matches on Saturday at the Changping Gymnasium, Dongguan, China.
World number one Nutcharut will contest the title match for the third time in her career and will be looking to lift the Mandy Fisher Trophy for the second time after she stormed to a 5-0 whitewash of Ng On Yee this evening.
The 2022 winner is yet to drop a frame in this year’s event and claimed a surprisingly one-sided encounter against three-time winner Ng to also guarantee that she will remain world number one following the conclusion of this year’s event.
With Nutcharut having comfortably eased into a 2-0 lead, the crucial frame would prove to be the third as with Ng ahead and favourite to reduce her arrears, a classy break of 40 turned the tide in her favour as she took the frame on the black to move further clear. Ng continued to fight, but Nutcharut proved strong and would maintain her perfect record in the tournament.
Earlier in the day, China’s Bai Yulu completed a successful comeback from 3-0 down to defeat England’s Reanne Evans 5-3 for the second successive year in the World Championship semi-finals.
It was 12-time champion Evans who flew out of the traps with breaks of 30, 68 and 76 to lead 3-0, before Bai claimed a crucial fourth ahead of the mid-session interval to gain a foothold in the contest.
The decisive frame would ultimately prove to be the sixth, however, as with Evans having potted a respotted black to seemingly take a 4-2 lead, she could only watch on as the cueball dropped into the middle pocket and the scores were level at 3-3.
From this point it was Bai who would not be stopped and added breaks of 38 and 71 to clinch a dramatic victory and secure her place in the final for the second successive year. Having lost out to Thailand’s Baipat Siripaporn in 2023, the 20-year-old will be looking to go one step further and claim the title and a place on the World Snooker Tour for the first time in her career.
The best of 11 frames final will begin at 12pm CST, with the pair set to clash for the third time this season with Bai having won 3-2 in the quarter-finals of the UK Championship and Mink having triumphed 4-3 in the Albanian Open semi-finals last month.
Victory gives Selby a welcome boost going into the conclusion of the 2023/24 campaign, and also assures him of a place in the Champion of Champions later this year. The world number five lifted his first trophy since the WST Classic a year ago, and lands the BetVictor Championship League crown for the first time.
Having finished second in the group table earlier in the day, Selby saw off Stuart Bingham 3-0 in the semi-finals. O’Connor scored a fine 3-0 success against defending champion John Higgins, setting up a local derby in the final at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
O’Connor, seeking his first pro title, came from 55-0 down to snatch the opening frame on the colours. Selby hit back with breaks of 74 and 137 to lead 2-1, then got the better of a scrappy fourth frame to secure the silverware.
He said: “Over the two days, I scored when I got chances so overall I’m happy with my game. It was a tough group with great players in. Joe had done brilliantly to get here and he played some great stuff to reach the final today. It was nice to get the win, but if there was anyone who I was to lose to I would have been chuffed for Joe.”
Selby will join Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Allen, Gary Wilson and more in the Champion of Champions. More information on the event including ticket information and venue will be published in due course.
Congratulations Mark Selby!
It’s not been a great season so far for Mark and quite understandably so considering what is family is going through and Vikki’s illness. I’m happy for Mark and I sincerely hope that everything will be fine soon for the whole family. The surprise man of the event though has been Joe O’Connor and, IMO, it’s only a matter of time before he wins a professional tournament.
Valdislav Gradinari in the 2024 Under-16 EBSA Champion
The 2024 EBSA tournaments are currently underway in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Under-16 competition already concluded with Vladislav Gradinari beating Riley Powell in the final.
Congratulations Vladislav!
Here are some images shared by WPBSA on X (Twitter)
Bai Yulu has won the 2024 Under-21 Women Snooker World Championship
She defeated Narucha Phoemphul from Thailand by 3-0 to win the World Women’s Under-21 Snooker Championship for the first time!
Congratulations Bai Yulu!
WWS on X (Twitter) posted this:
The 20-year-old hit breaks of 57 and 35 to earn victory and claim the biggest Under-21 crown in women’s snooker. Bai spoke with national and international media during her post-match media conference, with the trophy presentation to take place on Sunday alongside the main event closing ceremony.
Tessa Davidson has won the 2024 Seniors Women World Championship
This was shared by WWS on X (Twitter)
Congratulations to England’s Tessa Davidson who has defeated Han Fang 3-1 to win the World Women’s Seniors Snooker Championship for the second time in three years in Dongguan Changping. The trophy presentation will take place as part of the main ceremony.
We have a few days without major snooker action before an extremely busy next week. But, of course, there is news…
One of the events taking place next week is the 2024 Q-Tour Global Playoffs. The draw is out:
Q Tour Global Play-Off | Draw & Preview
The draw has been made for the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) Q Tour Global Play-Off, where 24 players will compete for three two-year World Snooker Tour cards.
The prestigious event will be held alongside the EBSA European Championships in Bosnia & Herzegovina from 13-15 March 2024.
The 2023/24 WPBSA Q Tour season saw the tour go global for the first time by incorporating series’ in the Middle East, Americas and Asia-Pacific region alongside the UK/Europe series which has been held since 2021/22. Cueists from across the globe have been competing all year to earn a coveted spot in the Global Play-Off.
View the full qualification criteria. (Please note that due to the Asia-Pacific qualifiers being unable to attend the event for personal reasons, these places have been awarded to the next highest-ranked from the UK/Europe series).
The 24 players have been split into three sections of eight and the player coming through each section successfully will earn their place on the World Snooker Tour from the 2024/25 season.
Play-Off 1
Quarter-Finals (Best of 9 Frames)
Liam Davies (Wales) vs. Peter Devlin (England)
Hamim Hussain (England) vs. Rory McLeod (Jamaica)
Duane Jones (Wales) vs. Vito Puopolo (Canada)
Florian Nuessle (Austria) vs. Craig Steadman (England)
Semi-Finals (Best of 11 Frames)
L Davies/Devlin vs. Hussain/McLeod
Jones/Puopolo vs. Nuessle/Steadman
Final (Best of 19 Frames)
Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final 2
Liam Davies, the top ranked player in the play-off from the UK/Europe series, is the top seed in the first section as he kicks off his event his with a difficult encounter against former professional Peter Devlin, who secured his place in the play-off as a benefactor of withdrawals from the Asia-Pacific series.
Veteran former professionals Rory McLeod and Craig Steadman are among the other big names to feature in a high-quality section.
McLeod, who famously defeated Judd Trump at the Crucible Theatre in 2017, faces 22-year-old Hamim Hussain the first round while Steadman meets Austrian national champion Florian Nuessle in the opening best-of-nine frame contest.
The line up is completed by Welsh former professional Duane Jones, who begins his campaign against Americas event one winner Vito Puopolo, who has previously competed in the 2023 World Seniors Championship at the Crucible Theatre.
Play-Off 2
Quarter-Finals (Best of 9 Frames)
Peter Lines (England) vs. Tyler Rees (Wales)
Chris Totten (Scotland) vs. Iulian Boiko (Ukraine)
Barry Pinches (England) vs. Steven Hallworth (England)
Amir Sarkhosh (Iran) vs. Harvey Chandler (England)
Semi-Finals (Best of 11 Frames)
Lines/Rees vs. Totten/Boiko
Pinches/Hallworth vs. Sarkhosh/Chandler
Final (Best of 19 Frames)
Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final 2
The second section of the draw sees six former professionals aiming to regain their main tour status in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
There are two first round meetings between cueists who have previous plied their trade on the main tour, with Scotland’s Chris Totten and Ukraine’s Iulian Boiko facing off while the veteran Barry Pinches kicks off his campaign against the recent English Amateur champion Steven Hallworth
Elsewhere, the recent UK/Europe event seven winner Peter Lines takes on 25-year old Welshman Tyler Rees and double Middle East event champion Amir Sarkhosh faces Harvey Chandler as the Iranian looks to secure professional status for the first time in his career.
Play-Off 3
Quarter-Finals (Best of 9 Frames)
Umut Dikme (Germany) vs. Ryan Davies (England)
Mohamed Shehab (United Arab Emirates) vs. Daniel Womersley (England)
Alfie Davies (Wales) vs. Yu Kiu Chang (Hong Kong China)
Hasanain Khalid Alsultani (USA) vs. Antoni Kowalski (Poland)
Semi-Finals (Best of 11 Frames)
Dikme/R Davies vs. Shehab/Womersley
A Davies/Yu vs. Alsultani/Kowalski
Final (Best of 19 Frames)
Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final 2
Four Q Tour event winners from across the globe battle it out in the third section of the play-off draw.
There is a meeting of champions in the opening round as Americas event two winner Hasanain Khalid Alsultani and UK/Europe event four winner Antoni Kowalski meet in a best-of-nine frame contest.
Mohamed Shehab, winner of the third event in the Middle East, will face recent WSF Championship semi-finalist Daniel Womersley in an intriguing opening round tie while Alfie Davies, the son of former professional Anthony Davies, kicks off his event against Hong Kong China’s Yu Kiu Chang as he aims to follow in his father’s footsteps and earn professional status.
Another fascinating opening round contest sees German Umut Dikme, the UK/Europe event three winner, face English Under-21 champion Ryan Davies.
WPBSA Qualifiers Announced for 2024 Cazoo World Championship
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) and World Snooker Tour are pleased to confirm the qualification criteria for the 16 amateur players who have secured their places at the 2024 Cazoo World Snooker Championship in Sheffield in April.
The qualifying rounds will take place at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield from 8-17 April to determine who will join the world’s elite top 16 ranked players at the Crucible Theatre.
Joining all professionals ranked outside the top 16, following the 2024 Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship, and top-ups from the 2023 Q School Order of Merit will be 16 leading amateur players who have earned their place at the event courtesy of their achievements at recognised international events across the season.
These include our recent champions at the World Snooker Federation Championship in Albania, the winner of the upcoming World Women’s Snooker Championship to be staged in China next week, and the WPBSA Q Tour Global, expanded for this season.
Jason Ferguson, WPBSA Chairman said: “We are excited to be able to announce another formidable line-up of WPBSA qualifiers who will join the field for this year’s professional World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.”
“Last year we saw fantastic wins for our qualifiers including Liam Davies, Stan Moody, Iulian Boiko and many more, and I have no doubt that this year’s players will also make their mark on our most recognisable tournament.”
“Amateur snooker continues to go from strength to strength as our recognised WPBSA Group pathways around the world continue to mature and deliver elite talent to the World Snooker Tour. Only last month we witnessed fantastic performances from Hong Kong China’s Ka Wai Cheung and Hungary’s Bulcsú Révész at the WSF Championship in Albania to earn their Tour places for the first time, while Michael Holt has also secured his return after two years away after winning the UK/Europe WPBSA Q Tour.”
“The WPBSA’s vision, is to inspire and reward. Through the development of global pathways, snooker is now a sport where an athlete can go from amateur status to world champion and global sports star in a matter of months. The opportunities are there, the only criteria are achievement.”
“I would like to wish our 16 players every success in Sheffield as they stand just four wins away from a place at the iconic Crucible Theatre in April!”
Oliver Sykes – 2024 WSF Junior Championship Semi-Finalist
Hamza Ilyas – 2024 WSF Junior Championship Semi-Finalist
TBC – 2024 EBSA Under-18 European Championship Winner
TBC – 2024 EBSA Under-21 European Championship Winner
TBC – Q Tour UK/Europe Ranking List (subject to Playoff Result)
All players selected will appear subject to acceptance of their place and any travel restrictions in place. Any replacement players for these 16 places will be selected from a reserve list to include performances at World Snooker Federation, Q Tour and recognised regional events.
Any current professional players who do not enter the tournament will be replaced from the 2023 Q School Order of Merit.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has ‘arm twisted’ to play Tour Championship as he sets out Crucible preparation
Phil Haigh
Ronnie O’Sullivan says his sponsors have twisted his arm to play in the Tour Championship next month, meaning he has two more tournaments to play before the World Championship gets underway in April.
The Rocket won the first ever World Masters of Snooker in Riyadh on Wednesday night, beating Luca Brecel 5-2 in the final and claiming the huge £250,000 first prize.
It was the fifth title of an incredible season for the 48-year-old who will be going into the World Championship this season as the favourite to lift the trophy for a record eighth time.
The world number one is not slowing down, though, heading to Yushan, China next week for the World Open, starting on 18 March then is back in the UK for the Tour Championship, getting underway on 1 April in Manchester.
O’Sullivan suggested he would have happily skipped the Tour Championship, though, but his sponsors convinced him to play the 12-man event in Manchester.
‘I’m going to keep playing, keep enjoying it,’ O’Sullivan told WST in Riyadh. ‘I go to China next week which I’m looking forward to.
‘It’s a tournament that I’m geared up to do well in, with this and China, then obviously the one in Manchester because my sponsors have twisted my arm to say, look we want you to do well in it, it would mean a lot to us.
Ronnie O’Sullivan beat John Higgins, Judd Trump and Luca Brecel in Riyadh (Picture: Zhai Zheng @zhaizhengqd)
‘So for the next four tournaments [including the Saudi event] I’m really going to give it 100 per cent because sponsors and all the backing that they’ve put in for these events.’
Yesterday evening, Neil Robertson won the CLS Group 4 – Report by WST
Neil Robertson’s form continued to trend in the right direction, after claiming victory with a 3-2 defeat of Kyren Wilson in Group 4 final at the Championship League Snooker Invitational in Leicester.
Wilson, who had reached the play-offs by defeating Robertson earlier in the group, beat John Higgins 3-1 in the semi-final. Robertson earned his place in the final thanks to a 3-0 win over Barry Hawkins.
The Thunder from Down Under fired in a break of 54 in the decider against Wilson to secure victory and his place in the Winners’ Group.
After experiencing a dry spell of form across the year, group victory comes at the perfect time for Robertson heading into the business end of the season.
“I think with some of the matches I’ve played this week, I’ve been unplayable at times. The long balls have been absolutely fantastic and I’ve changed my approach a little as to how I’m playing them,” said Robertson.
“I’m going back to how I used to play many years ago. I’ve been backing myself to hit the centre of the white and my long potting has never been better, with my scoring fantastic as well.
“Barry (Hawkins) only had maybe five shots in the semi-final, while Kyren (Wilson) and I threw the kitchen sink at each other. The last frame was unbelievable, he just tried to do a bit too much with the safety shot and I could make a good 50 break.
“When you get to the final and you’ve already played a couple of groups, you want to advance to the Winners’ Group so it’s nice to head back to Cambridge and get a bit of practice in before the Welsh Open.”
Group 5 gets underway from 11am on Friday, with Joe Perry, Fan Zhengyi and David Gilbert joining the competition. Fans are able to view the action on Matchroom.live in the United Kingdom.
Neil seems to be back, close to his best. His confidence certainly is back. 😂
It was obvious that Mark Selby was struggling badly at times during the last month. Now, he has opened up about the difficulties his family is facing (report by WST).
SELBY REVEALS WIFE VIKKI’S CANCER SCARE
Mark Selby admits he was “completely blown apart” when wife Vikki was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, though thankfully she is now recovering.
In an interview with the Metro, four-time World Champion Selby reveals that the couple found out in January 2023 that Vikki had cancer. She had a course of radiotherapy, and the results of recent tests have given them optimism.
“She had a mammogram and ultrasound a few weeks ago and that all looked good,” said 40-year-old Selby. “They gave her an MRI as well and we’re waiting on the results of that. Fingers crossed that comes back ok and then it’s another year until we get a scan again.
“‘She’s been stronger than me throughout it, for sure. When it was first announced I was completely blown apart. Obviously with how my mental health was before anyway, that multiplied it. She’s been the one supporting me! It should be the other way round, but people say that, it always seems to be the person going through it that’s the strongest.
“Vikki was going through radiotherapy while I was playing at the Crucible so in a way it did take my focus off the tournament. I was playing and thinking, ‘If I get beat, so what?’ I said to Vikki that I wanted to be with her going through the radiotherapy but she was saying, ‘Look it’s only 20 minutes every day.’ I wanted to be there to support her, going through it, but she wanted me to play.”
It has been an awful time for the family as Vikki’s best friend Nina Webb passed away from the same disease last month at the age of just 44. Inevitably these circumstances have tested Selby’s own mental health, which he bravely spoke about two years ago.
The world number five said this week: “I’m always going to get lapses. When I was working with the doctor, who’s helped me no end, he said it will never go away, you will get moments when it comes back, it’s just about dealing with them. I know how to deal with them better now. I used to switch myself off, lock myself away and not do anything. I thought that was the right thing, but I actually needed to do the opposite.
“Playing does help because it gives me a purpose, I’m doing it for Vikki and [daughter] Sofia, to put food on the table, so I’ve got a drive to keep going for them.”
I’m wishing Vikki and the whole family the best possible outcome and a long future together. I have met Vikki several times, she’s a kind but very strong lady. She’s the pilar of the family.
Sometimes when a player underperforms, fans are quick to accuse them of laziness, or worse, of cheating. We do not know what they live through privately, we should remember that. And, because they are kind of “public figures” doesn’t give us a right to know everything private happening to them. We should always respect their privacy and refrain from judging.
I have just learned that one of my snooker friends, John Mc Bride, is terminally ill. He’s suffering from pancreatic cancer. He has got months to live, at best. He too has a family, a wife, Cathy, and two young sons. One of their friends has set up a fundraising to help the family facing the medical costs.
Finally, the 2024 WSF Championship continues today, with the round of 64. You can follow the event here. There is also one table streamed on the WPBSA Youtube channel.
Also, starting today, is the 2024 CLS Group 5. I’m not sure why the above article states that you can watch it on Matchroom.live “in the UK”. I can watch it in Greece as well … with a subscription of course.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 