Kyren Wilson ended a drought of 19 months without a ranking title as he thrashed Jak Jones 9-2 in the final of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast, winning the event for a second time.
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Wilson built a 6-2 lead in the opening session, making three century breaks, and needed just 45 minutes of the evening conclusion to secure the crown at the Waterfront Hall, lifting the Alex Higgins Trophy and pocketing the top prize of £100,000.
After beating Jones in the World Championship two years ago, Wilson enjoyed a prolific 2024/25 season, winning a further four ranking titles, the last of those coming at the Players Championship in 2025. Since then he has had to contend with a variety of problems including his favourite cue being accidentally snapped, health problems for his wife Sophie and their family home being burgled. What has never changed is his relentless determination and resilient mindset, and the 34-year-old from Kettering now has his reward with a return to the winner’s podium.
Though he won prestigious invitation titles last season at the Shanghai Masters and the Masters, his form in ranking events had been so patchy that he slipped to 23rd in the race to the Crucible next Spring and – unthinkably – had to contemplate the prospect of playing in the qualifying rounds. This week’s triumph boosts him into the top 16 and on track for an automatic place at the Theatre of Dreams.
Wilson’s career tally of ranking titles moves to 11, putting him 12th outright on the all-time list, one ahead of Jimmy White. Having conquered Belfast in 2024, he joins Judd Trump and Mark Allen as the only players to win this event on multiple occasions. Remaining ninth in the official Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, the Englishman leaps from 17th to fifth on the one-year list and is on course to qualify for all three events in the 2027 Players Series.
Most Ranking Titles
All-time list
Ronnie O’Sullivan – 41 Stephen Hendry – 36 John Higgins – 33 Judd Trump – 31 Steve Davis – 28 Mark Williams – 27 Neil Robertson – 26 Mark Selby – 26 Ding Junhui – 15 Shaun Murphy – 13 Mark Allen – 12 Kyren Wilson – 11 Jimmy White – 10
He’s also the new front-runner for the £150,000 BetVictor Home Nations bonus, with the leading money-winner across the four events to bank the extra windfall. With tournaments in Scotland and Wales to come, Wilson leads Ali Carter by £13,200.
Jones is enjoying an extraordinary breakthrough season, as he had never previously won a trophy since turning pro in 2010 but landed the Championship League in July and British Open in September. Victory today would have set a new record for the shortest time in which a player has won their first three ranking titles, surpassing John Higgins who achieved that feat in a six-month spell in 1994/95.
Cwmbran’s 33-year-old Jones earns £45,000 and climbs from 24th to 18th in the world, and another run at the upcoming International Championship could secure a top 16 seeding for both the UK Championship and the Masters.
After a fine display in the first session, Wilson had first chance in the opening frame tonight and made 44 before accidentally knocking the black in when potting a red, but he soon got back in by drilling a long range red into a top corner and adding the points he needed to go five clear. In the next he under-cut a tricky black to a top corner on 34, but soon got back in and added 45 to go 8-2 ahead.
Jones had an early chance in frame 11 but made just 6 before missing a routine black off its spot – summing up his day. Wilson finished in style with a break of 75 to complete a seventh win in eight meetings with Jones.
“It’s a great honour to win the Alex Higgins Trophy,” said Wilson, who came so close to defeat against Sam Craigie in the semi-finals yesterday before today’s one-sided contest. “Obviously, he was a legend of our game and somebody I looked up to, watching back on the archives. To take it home for a second time is an incredible feeling. It’s given me a little bit of a boost up the rankings, so I’m buzzing to win.
“So many top players went out early in the tournament, and I think that puts a bit of pressure on you to deliver. You want to do it for the fans who come to watch you play snooker and support you in particular, and you’re aware of that. I’m pleased I’ve managed to produce good, consistent, heavy-scoring snooker. It’s a good confidence booster for what’s to come.
“The way the tour works nowadays, winning a ranking title boosts you up into the World Grand Prix, the Players Championship and the Tour Championship. To not have a chance of defending my Players Championship title last season was a real blow, sitting at home watching that. Hopefully this has given me a good stepping stone into those tournaments this season. You’ve got to ride the crest of the wave while you can.
“To overtake Jimmy White’s total of ranking titles is amazing because he was a hero of mine. I loved watching him play and he’s like the godfather of snooker in my eyes. He’s such an iconic figure in snooker.“
Jones said: “I should be pleased with getting to the final, with how I’ve played all week. I haven’t felt comfortable, but I’ve just battled through. Kyren has played really well all week, so he thoroughly deserves it. I didn’t feel very good at all today. I was hoping something might happen to give me a bit of a spur, but I didn’t have it. I was cueing absolutely around corners all day, and the more you miss, the harder it gets. All of the misses I made, Kyren punished me every time.
“There are positives, I suppose, but I need to start playing a lot better than I am. That’s the main thing, because it’s okay winning, but I don’t really like winning when I’m not playing anywhere near my best. I’ve got a lot to work on to get up to the standard of Kyren and the other top players. I’ll fly home in the morning and then go to China on Wednesday. It would be good if I could have a bit of a run there and get into the top 16.”
There isn’t much to add. Kyren played the best snooker all week and is a fully deserving winner.
That Kyren “looked up” to Alex Higgins is just baffling for me, unless by that he only means “looked up to the way he played snooker” because, as persons they couldn’t be more different. Yes, Alex Higgins changed the way snooker is played, making it much more enthralling and watchable for the young people and, in general, for those who only just discovered the sport. He deserves credit for that. But, as a human being, he was pretty horrible He was selfish, nasty and often prone to violence. On several occasion he behaved abusively and dishonestly both towards colleagues and towards his wife. That is not “being a character”, it’s just being a unpleasant, insensitive, and contemptible person. His alcohol abuse isn’t an excuse, it’s only another of his many flaws. I’m a woman, I never understood the “Alex Higgins cult”.
Kyren Wilson reached the final of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open for the second time by beating Sam Craigie 6-5 in an incredible finish to their semi-final in Belfast.
Craigie will be devastated to have missed chances to reach his first ranking final, and experience eventually paid off for Wilson as he came from 5-3 down to take the last three frames. Nerves affected both players in a thrilling decider but 2024 World Champion Wilson cleared from yellow to pink to reach his 19th ranking final.
On Sunday he’ll face Mark Williams or Jak Jones, with first to nine frames to lift the Alex Higgins Trophy and win £100,000. Wilson will be aiming for an 11th ranking title, which would put him 12th on his own on the all-time list ahead of Jimmy White, and it would be his first ranking crown since the Players Championship 19 months ago.
Since then, the 34-year-old Englishman has won huge invitation titles at the Shanghai Masters and the Masters, but those did not count towards his ranking tally and on the projected list for qualification for the 2027 World Championship he remains outside the top 16. However, victory tomorrow would boost his position and set him on track for a guaranteed Crucible berth.
Breaks of 54 and 95 gave Wilson an early 2-0 lead, then world number 72 Craigie pulled one back with a 78 in frame three. Wilson’s 98 made it 3-1 at the interval but he made a series of errors over the next four frames as underdog Craigie took control. Notably in the sixth, Wilson missed a short-range red to a top corner on 51 and his opponent later punished him with a 56 clearance, and further runs of 55 and 100 from Craigie left him on the verge of victory at 5-3.
A run of 60 helped world number nine Wilson pull one back, then in frame ten Craigie had the balls at his mercy but on 28 he went in-off after potting the blue and flicking off another red, handing his opponent the chance to make 56 for 5-5.
Tyneside’s 32-year-old Craigie, playing the biggest frame of a pro career which started in 2011, had a scoring chance after a huge fluke on the blue and made 49 before missing a tough long red. Wilson’s clearance attempt ended when the pink hit the near jaw of a centre pocket, but Craigie then failed to clip the last red into a baulk corner. Still the momentum swung back and forth as Wilson missed the yellow to centre, then Craigie’s effort from long range was several inches wide. Finally, Wilson settled the result with a gritty clearance.
“I’m relieved and delighted, I wanted to be part of the showpiece final,” said Wilson, who beat Judd Trump in the final here two years ago. “The venue here is fantastic when it gets to one table, and if I’d gone out in the semis, it would have been bittersweet with how well I’ve played this week.
“I’m proud of the way I managed to bounce back from 5-3. The ranking points are very top-heavy in terms of money, so if you can get to the final, the bonuses that come with it are massive. And obviously it’s another opportunity to win a big tournament.
“Maybe Sam went a little bit too aggressive towards the end. He took a red on down the cushion, which was very high tariff, and it gave me the chance to get back into the frame.
“It would be lovely to have my family here tomorrow. We’ve just got to rely on the storm not to ruin that, but we’ll see. If I play Jak, it’s a repeat of the 2024 world final, my biggest ever success, so that would be great. On the other hand, you’ve got an all-time legend in Mark Williams who I really look up to. He’s such a great ambassador for snooker. He does it in his own unique way, which is fascinating, and I would love to play him in the final.”
Jak Jones came from 4-1 down to beat Mark Williams 6-5 in an enthralling semi-final at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, setting up a repeat of the 2024 Crucible final against Kyren Wilson.
On a day of high drama at the Waterfront Hall, with both matches going to the last few balls, Jones enjoyed an unlikely fight-back against three-time World Champion Williams, who had earlier missed a routine yellow on the brink of a 5-1 lead. Chasing a third ranking title of what has been a breakthrough season, Jones is through to face Wilson who earlier edged out Sam Craigie 6-5.
First to nine frames on Sunday will lift the Alex Higgins Trophy and earn £100,000. When the pair met in the World Championship final two years ago, Wilson raced into a 7-0 lead and eventually won 18-14, so this time Jones will be determined to compete from the start. The 33-year-old Welshman had never won a ranking title coming into this season but landed the Championship League in July then added the British Open in September.
He is into his fourth ranking final and is sure to jump at least six places from his current position of 24th in the world; victory would leave him well placed to qualify automatically for both the UK Championship and the Masters.
Veteran 51-year-old Williams missed out on a second ranking final of the season, having finished runner-up to Ali Carter at the BetVictor English Open, and the chance to extend his record as the oldest ever winner of a ranking title, set a year ago at the Xi’an Grand Prix.
Jones took the opening frame with a break of 87 and he had first chance in the next but made just 12 before missing a difficult plant on a red to a top corner. Williams compiled runs of 24 and 48 for 1-1 then took the lead with a break of 78. In frame four, Jones was on 8 when a red to top corner went awry, and his opponent responded with 49 and 29 to go 3-1 up at the interval.
World number eight Williams extended his advantage with a break of 96, and he looked set to go 5-1 ahead until he missed the yellow to a baulk corner leading 50-31 in frame six. Jones made a superb clearance, including a tough black to the same corner, to raise his hopes of a recovery. A run of 59 put Jones in charge of the seventh, and he sealed it by potting the final brown after his opponent had gained the two snookers he needed. Runs of 38 and 37 in the next brought Jones back to all square at 4-4.
In frame nine, Jones trailed 39-21 when he missed an awkward pink to a top corner, handing Williams an opening to regain the lead. Jones responded with a run of 89 for 5-5, and had a chance to clear from 44-0 down in the decider but ran out of position on 37. A safety exchange on the last red was resolved when Jones fluked it to a top corner, but he then missed the brown with the rest leading 58-44. Williams went full-blooded for a double on the brown to a baulk corner, failing by a tiny margin, and this time Jones potted the balls he needed.
“It was a crazy game, I missed so many balls, I played terrible,” insisted Cwmbran’s Jones. “Mark missed a couple at the wrong time for him, but he was the best player in the match. I just managed to stick in there and twitch my way to the final.
“My arm was just a nightmare. In such a big match, in such an arena, it’s not a good place to be but I tried not to give up completely. I used to play badly and lose, so to be playing badly and winning against the best players in the world is a step in the right direction. Hopefully I can get on the practice table in the morning and give Kyren a bit of a game.
“I haven’t really seen a lot of Kyren, but I’ve heard he’s playing really well. He’s back in form, probably playing the best out of anyone this week. Kyren in form is as difficult as it gets. I’ll feel different mentally going into the final, definitely. Now that I’ve won tournaments, I have got that belief. I don’t want to be losing in finals, so hopefully I can just play better.“
Both reports are comprehensive enough. You will find more details about the frame scores on snooker.org, as always.
The first semi-final was a very high quality and high scoring affair: between them Kyren and Sam scored no less than 10 breaks over 50. Somehow, I suppose, experience eventually aided Kyren to prevail. Sam at his best, is very, very good and extremely dangerous. Those who have watched him play over the years know that. But, that isn’t really reflected by his results over his career so far. The reason is that, although he’s only 32 years old, Sam has suffered a severe chronic neck and shoulder injury, including a slipped C5/6 cervical disc that required anterior cervical disc replacement surgery in July 2024. He deserves every credit for his perseverance despite the painful health issues he went through.
Yesterday in Belfast offered the fans some excellent entertaining snooker, and although, personally I would have preferred some of them going and ending differently, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the matches on offer..
Mark Williams once again demonstrated his extraordinary longevity with a proper demolition of Martin O’Donnell. What’s his secret? Probably the fact that he successfully manages not to put pressure on himself while staying highly competitive at the same time. It’s not an easy thing to do.
Sam Craigie beat Matthew Selt 4-2 at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open to reach the quarter-finals of a ranking event for the first time since a serious neck injury which could have ended his career.
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Craigie suffered a slipped disc in his upper spine in 2024 which required major surgery and left him unable to compete in tournaments for ten months. He admitted he feared he might have to quit snooker but fortunately was able to return to the pro tour and has now made a full recovery.
The 32-year-old Tynesider has since climbed back to 72nd in the world and hopes this week could be another breakthrough. A near-flawless display today in Belfast, highlighted by breaks of 108, 96, 100 and 79 earned him a fourth ranking quarter-final appearance. He’ll face Elliot Slessor on Friday in a North East derby and victory would put Craigie into the semi-finals for only the second time, and first since the 2024 German Masters.
“This week my performances have been very good,” he said. “I’ve played consistently well in every round. I’m playing with a new cue. I’ve had quite a few over the last two seasons, but with this one I haven’t played a bad match yet.
“I have to say thank you to Stuart Green at Green Baize because whenever I don’t feel right, I can just walk into the shop and try out cues, and usually I walk out with a new one. I think this might be the one. I’m also back working with Chris Henry, remembering what I was doing when I worked with him before my surgery.
“You can jump up the rankings with one good tournament and get into the Players Series, then you feel like a more established player. Hopefully this can be my week. The only difference with the top players is that they do it in almost every tournament, everyone else can play to a very high level on their day.“
World number 23 Slessor battled to a 4-1 win over Ricky Walden with a top break of 65, reaching his 12th ranking quarter-final and first since the 2025 English Open. “I am trying to find my game this week, I have had problems with my tip,” said Slessor. “It’s not performing how I want it to but I can’t change it now before the next game. I’m delighted to win today, you just have to stick in there because every day is different.“
Kyren Wilson, one of only two top-16 ranked players in the field alongside Mark Williams, may be considered favourite for the title after edging out Pang Junxu 4-3 in a high quality contest. If Wilson beats Anthony McGill tomorrow he will be into his first ranking semi-final since he won the Players Championship in March 2025.
A break of 70 gave him the opening frame today then Pang replied with a 108. The next two frames were shared before Wilson’s 92 made it 3-2. In frame six, China’s Pang was on course for a 147 until he missed a tricky 13th black on 97. Wilson, who won this title two years ago, then took the decider with an excellent 94.
McGill beat Mateusz Baranowski 4-1 to set up a repeat of his epic 2020 Crucible clash with Wilson. The Glaswegian top scored with 95 today as he earned a 28th ranking quarter-final and first since he reached the final of the British Open a year ago.
Scott Donaldson reached his first ranking event quarter-final in six years as he ended hopes of a home winner at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open by beating local favourite Jordan Brown 4-2.
Donaldson enjoyed the best spell of his career between 2017 and 2020 when he appeared in four ranking semi-finals as well as winning the invitational Championship League, but since then the 32-year-old has struggled to produce deep runs. However the Scot did knock Zhao Xintong out of the recent Shenzhen Open on his way to the last 16 and has carried that momentum into the tournament in Belfast this week.
Tonight’s tie with Antrim’s Brown was a tough battle with an average frame time of 31 minutes, but world number 64 Donaldson fought his way to the winning post, making a vital break of 47 in the sixth frame which was his highest of the match.
“I really like Jordan and it’s probably not nice to go out of a match like that, but I had a job to do and I managed to get over the line,” said the Perth cueman. “I don’t feel overly confident at the moment. My game is solid enough but I’ve still got too many errors in it, so I’m sort of fudging my way through matches right now. You just have to keep practising and hope it gets better. When I feel good, I’m really good, but when I’m bad, I’m all over the place.
“Since the pandemic, I haven’t really hit the heights I reached before Covid. There are various reasons for that which I’m not going to go into, but it’s a tough sport. There are so many good players nowadays and I’m not a real top player, so I need to play 110 per cent to have any chance of beating someone like Jordan. I just like playing snooker.
“I’m looking forward to playing Jak Jones. He’s been playing really well and I congratulated him on winning the British Open when I saw him in the practice room. He’s become a real top player now, so I’ll need to play my very best to have any chance of getting a result.”
Jones is just three wins away from a third ranking title of the season having landed the Championship League and British Open. He got the better of a Welsh derby against Daniel Wells tonight by a 4-2 scoreline. World number 24 Jones took a 60-minute opening frame and added the next two for 3-0, before Wells battled back to 3-2 with a top break of 63. Frame six came down to the last red and Jones converted a mid-range pot to a baulk corner to set up the winning chance.
Mark Williams reached the 124th ranking quarter-final of his career by beating Martin O’Donnell 4-0 with a top break of 127. The highest ranked player in the field at eighth in the world, Williams is just three matches away from extending his own record as the oldest winner of a ranking title, set a year ago when he landed the Xi’an Grand Prix at the age of 50 years and 206 days.
Reflecting on tonight’s result the Welshman said: “There were a couple of close frames, especially the first one as Martin could have nicked it. I played OK, missed a few and potted some good ones, that’s what I do. I just try to enjoy it especially with a fantastic crowd like that.“
Williams now meets David Gilbert, who ended the run of giant-killer Ka Wai Cheung with a 4-2 victory. Hong Kong’s Cheung, ranked 110th, had knocked out Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stuart Bingham but could not keep his career-best week going. Gilbert, who compiled runs of 85 and 56, continues his strong start to the season as he was runner-up in the Championship League and reached the quarter-finals of the China Open.
The massacre continued at the Waterfront! We are only midway into the event and only two of the top 16 seeds are still “alive” in the tournament: Mark Williams and Kyren Wilson .
Here is what happened yesterday as reported by WST:
Jak Jones’ phenomenal season got even better as he beat legend John Higgins 4-2 to reach the last 16 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.
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Welshman Jones, age 33, had never won a professional tournament before this season, but he has been the outstanding player of 2026/27 so far having landed ranking titles at the Championship League and the British Open. And he’ll have no doubts that he can capture another trophy this week at the Waterfront Hall having beaten four-time World Champion Higgins – especially with so many of the top seeds out of the running. Defeat for Higgins means that only two of the world’s top 16 – Mark Williams and Kyren Wilson – remain in the draw.
The first three frames today were scrappy affairs, Higgins taking two of them. World number 24 Jones then stepped up a gear and dominated, making breaks of 121, 133 and 49 as he earned a third round fixture with Daniel Wells, who beat Ryan Day 4-3 in a Welsh derby.
“I was a bit edgy at the beginning, then I made a good break to go 2-2 and that settled me down,” said Jones. “This season has changed my life, I feel like a tournament winner with a lot more belief. I had always thought I could win them but actually doing it makes all the difference.”
Williams enjoyed a 4-2 win over Zhang Anda, taking the last two frames with breaks of 78 and 58 to set up a tie with Luca Brecel or Martin O’Donnell. Last year, Williams became the oldest ever winner of a ranking title when he landed the Xi’an Grand Prix and the 51-year-old could extend that record this week.
“I made two good breaks from 2-2,” said the Welshman. “It’s in there somewhere, it just doesn’t come out as often as it used to.” Asked for his view on why so many of the top 16 have been knocked out, Williams said: “The top 16 can’t get easy draws any more. Everyone you play has won a few matches and they are really good players.“
Ka Wai Cheung followed up his tremendous 4-3 win over Ronnie O’Sullivan with an equally impressive 4-0 whitewash of Stuart Bingham. Breaks of 56, 54 and 111 helped Hong Kong’s 27-year-old Cheung reach the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time in his career.
“Compared to the game against Ronnie, I got more chances but didn’t manage to win the frames in one visit, some of them went scrappy and I was lucky to get another chance,” said world number 110 Cheung, who now meets David Gilbert or Gao Yang. “I don’t have that much experience playing in the main venues so I am very happy to win two matches here. The fans always applaud when you play a good shot, it’s a great experience for me.”
China’s Pang Junxu edged out in-form Liam Davies 4-3 in a dramatic finish. The first six frames were shared, Davies making breaks of 69 and 103 while Pang made 112 and 73. In the decider, Welshman Davies was on 60 when he missed a difficult red to a top corner, and Pang capitalised with a superb 81 clearance. He now faces Kyren Wilson.
Sam Craigie took a 3-0 lead over Xu Si with a top break of 103, then saw his opponent come back to 3-3, but won the decider with a run of 75. He now meets Matthew Selt.
David Gilbert came through a dramatic final frame to beat Gao Yang 4-3 on the last black and reach the last 16 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
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Gilbert admitted he was lucky to still be in the hunt for the Alex Higgins Trophy but he’s through to a third round clash with world number 110 Ka Wai Cheung and could be just four wins away from what would be the biggest title of his career. The Englishman started the season strongly with runs to the final of the Championship League and the quarter-finals of the China Open and hopes for another deep run in Belfast.
China’s Gao, looking to reach the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time, scored heavily with breaks of 131 and 86 in taking a 3-2 lead, before Gilbert got the better of frame six. In the decider, Gao was on 57 and just two pots from victory when his attempt at the penultimate red to a baulk corner rattled in the jaws. It came down to the colours and Gilbert converted an excellent long pot on the brown then went on to clear the table.
“I was impressed with Gao, he’s very tidy,” said two-time Crucible semi-finalist Gilbert. “We both made a mess of the last but I potted a great brown in the end. I’m very lucky to still be in and very grateful. I was playing great at the start of the season then knocked it on the head for a month. But in the last week I have been hitting balls again. I should be out of the tournament – who knows this could be my week. I imagine everyone feels it’s an opportunity. But the likes of Kyren Wilson and Mark Williams are definitely still favourites.”
Jordan Brown raised a massive cheer for his home fans at the Waterfront Hall as he edged out Michael Holt 4-3. Antrim’s Brown is clearly inspired by this venue as he reached the quarter-finals here last year and knocked out Mark Allen yesterday. He made breaks of 113 and 101 today as well as a crucial 66 in the decider.
“To make those breaks in a best-of-seven, it makes you hard to beat,” said former Welsh Open champion Brown, whose next opponent is Scott Donaldson, a 4-1 winner over Noppon Saengkham. “Michael played really well too, it was a close game. I got a touch fortunate to get the chance I needed in the last frame. It’s always special playing in front of a crowd like that in this arena.“
I haven’t much to add to these reports.
It’s good for the event that Jordan Brown progressed further and it may also be good for Mark Allen who he beat earlier this week. Mark Allen wasn’t outplayed by Jordan Brown, and if Jordan gets deep in the tournament it may help Mark regain some confidence in his own abilities. He certainly needs it as he’s been extremely unwell mentally as he revealed in this interview:
Mark Allen reveals he made snooker return after 10-week stay in mental health clinic
Former world number one vows to show ‘fighting qualities’
Mark Allen lost to fellow Northern Irishman Jordan Brown at the Northern Ireland Open on Tuesday. Photograph: George Wood/Getty Images
Mark Allen has revealed he spent 10 weeks in a mental health clinic before discharging himself to play in this week’s Northern Ireland Open.
In a statement posted on X, the 40-year-old said he was “not OK” but vowed to show his renowned “fighting qualities” as he continues his recovery.
Allen’s 4-2 defeat against his friend and compatriot Jordan Brown on Tuesday was his first match since he lost the World Championship semi-final to Wu Yize in April, when he missed a black off its spot that would have given him the win.
After losing to Brown, Allen conducted an emotional interview with TNT Sports in which he said he was “really overwhelmed”, and suggested his career could be over. He wrote on Wednesday: “Everything I said in that interview was true. However, rest assured I’m doing my best to turn things round.
“I have been in a mental health clinic for the last 10 weeks, finally discharging so I could attempt to play in Belfast. I owed that to my family, in particular my daughter to see me play for what could be the last time … I also owed it to the fans who have supported me throughout my 21 years on tour.
“I also owed that to World Snooker who have been amazing from day one in all this, in particular [chief executive] Simon Brownell and [WPBSA Players chief operating officer] Neil Tomkins who have remained in touch regularly, even Simon paying me a visit in the clinic itself.
“I’m not OK, but I’m OK in that itself. I’ve been much worse in the last few months than you saw yesterday. I literally didn’t see a future in anything. My daughter kept me going, the therapists, staff and all the other patients were amazing and helped me through some really dark days.
“I see the light now that I couldn’t see before but I do now. I also know it won’t happen overnight. I’m a work in progress. My fight and determination on the table has always been there for ones to see. I need to show those same fighting qualities off it now for a while.
“Please don’t detract anything from Jordan yesterday, he’s been aware of my struggles and that can’t have been easy to play in but he handled it with grace and skill as I knew he would. I’m proud to call him a friend.
“I hope the rest of the event is a success and I will continue my treatments going forward and then see what’s ahead.”
Since his defeat against Wu, Allen has stayed away from the tour for unspecified personal reasons that are understood not to relate to any repercussions from the manner of his defeat at the Crucible.
Allen has won both UK and Masters titles in 12 ranking tournament wins, and has reached the world championship semi-finals three times. He was ranked world number one for four months in 2024.
It’s also good to read that Simon Brownell and Neil Tomkins from WPBSA have been in touch and shown their support actively. It’s reassuring for all players as well because it shows that although WPBSA is not actually the players’ employer, the people at the helm don’t share the cold and strictly “money driven” mindset that Barry Hearn so often showed and promoted.
Ronnie O’Sullivan announced for big-money event and rare UK appearance
Ronnie O’Sullivan is in line to return to action in Leicester (Picture: Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan has been confirmed in the line-up for next month’s Champion of Champions, which will see him make a rare UK appearance.
The Champion of Champions does what it says on the tin, bringing together the winners of events over the last 12 months into one non-ranking tournament.
The Rocket has not won a tournament on the professional circuit since March 2024, but did win this year’s World Seniors Championship in May.
That would not necessarily earn him a spot in the 16-player Champion of Champions, but seen as there have been multiple repeat winners of events over the last year, the Seniors champ gets the nod.
O’Sullivan does not play in many events in the UK since moving to Dubai and also spending time in Ireland, so it is not exactly a sure bet that he will play in Leicester next month, but he is being advertised to be there.
The Champion of Champions social media accounts posted on Wednesday: ‘One of the game’s biggest names is IN. Ronnie O’Sullivan will be at the Sportsbet.io #champofchamps next month.’
The tournament-organisers have advertised(Picture: Matchroom)
O’Sullivan has a fantastic record in the tournament, winning it four times and reaching two more finals.
However, recent years have been less successful as he pulled out of the event in 2023, lost in the opening round in 2024 and didn’t qualify last year.
The 50-year-old joins 14 other players in the confirmed field, with the Northern Ireland Open offering the chance for someone to take the last spot.
If an already-qualified player triumphs in Belfast, then it will be the highest ranked player not yet qualified, which would be Neil Robertson.
Champion of Champions qualified players
Mark Selby – Champion of Champions, UK Championship, China Open, Championship League
Zhao Xintong – Riyadh Season Championship, World Grand Prix, Players Championship, Tour Championship
Kyren Wilson – Masters
Wu Yize – World Championship, Shenzhen Open
Judd Trump – German Masters, Shanghai Masters
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh – World Open
Chang Bingyu – Wuhan Open
Chris Wakelin – Scottish Open
Barry Hawkins – Welsh Open
Jak Jones – Championship League, British Open
Ali Carter – English Open
Alfie Burden – Shoot Out
Panchaya Channoi – Women’s World Championship
Shaun Murphy – World Championship runner-up
Ronnie O’Sullivan – World Seniors Championship
O’Sullivan’s last professional outing in the UK was a World Championship last 16 defeat to John Higgins in April.
He did then win the Seniors at the Crucible in May and the Snooker 900 Global Championship in Reading shortly after.
The seven-time world champion has been playing this season but only at events in China, competing at the Shanghai Masters, China Open, Wuhan Open and Shenzhen Open.
The Rocket is in the draw for next week’s Northern Ireland Open and could still take on Cheung Ka Wai in his first match on Monday afternoon, but it would be no surprise if he withdrew before that happened. He hasn’t played at the Belfast event since 2022.
The Champion of Champions runs from November 9-15.
It’s interesting that Phil Haigh what writes about Ronnie spending time in Ireland. I’m not sure if this is still the case, but some years ago, in 2016, Ronnie Wood came to an exhibition event at Goffs and, at the time, he had a property not far away from that venue. Ronnie and Ronnie 😉 are – or certainly were back then – close friends. Ronnie is godfather to one of Ronnie Woods twin girls1. I’m not sure of anything but, possibly, he’s been visiting Ronnie Woods’ family and his goddaughter.
The twins , Gracie Jane and Alice Rose were born in May 2016. I took pictures of the two snooker players cuddling “their” baby but, at the request of the parents, I never shared them with anyone but them.. ↩︎
Top snooker stars have ‘massively unfair advantage,’ says Chris Wakelin
World number 12 Chris Wakelin feels in too privileged a position (Picture: Getty Images)
Chris Wakelin says he is feeling the benefit of a ‘massively unfair advantage’ as a top 16 player in the current snooker landscape.
The 34-year-old is firmly inside that elite group at number 12 in the world, havign won last season’s Scottish Open and produced a string of other good runs in ranking events.
It is a great time to be in the top 16 as many tournaments have moved to tiered draws, meaning lower-ranked players have to qualify to join the top stars at the main venues of events.
That set-up sees lots of matches being played behind-closed-doors at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena for the lesser lights of the tour as they attempt to earn their spots alongside the brightest stars.
Over the last week-and-a-half there have been qualifiers for the Northern Ireland Open, International Championship in Nanjing and Scottish Open, all held at the Mattioli, meaning that if you’ve had a bad few days then your calendar looks pretty bare in the coming weeks.
Wakelin does not have to deal with many of these qualifiers, but did have to play a match to reach the main stage of the International Championship and he feels he is in too privileged a position to avoid as he avoids that fate more often than not.
It’s something that needs to be addressed for sure,’ Wakelin told Metro. ‘From my perspective it’s a massively unfair advantage, being in the top 16 and not having to go to these qualifiers. It’s not the most lively of places, a little bit soulless and playing in front of nobody.
I understand why they have to do things in that manner, but for the guys that are having to go to qualifiers and they’re never actually seeing the inside of a proper venue, it’s not really the dream a lot of people had when they turned professional, to play in front of nobody.’
With the tiered system, top players can win one match at the venue and earn more money – and therefore ranking points – than their opponent has for winning multiple matches to get there.
This has long been the case in some tournaments, most notably the World Championship, but Wakelin feels it is not a fair system to be used across the tour.
‘We all know qualifying is an important part of progressing in the sport, but being in the 16 is such a massive advantage at the moment,’ he said. ‘I’ve only won four or five matches so far this season, while there’s players that have won 10, maybe 15 matches that still haven’t got the same number of ranking points that I’ve accrued.
It’s a nice position to be in from my point of view, but I don’t think it’s fair on the other players that are trying to make progress up the rankings.’
Wakelin spent over a decade on tour before cracking the top 16, so even though he doesn’t think it warrants the rewards he is now enjoying, he knows just how much work it takes to get there.
‘I’ve served my apprenticeship. I did 10 years of not really achieving a great deal,’ he said. ‘To be in this position now, I feel very, very fortunate.
‘There’s a lot of players that graft their whole careers and don’t manage to get into the top 16 and for me only a couple of years ago it seemed impossible.
‘But look at the points that you need over two years to get into the top 16. It’s a massive challenge. If you’re in the top 16 you’ve won some big matches, you’ve gone deep in a lot of tournaments.’
At next week’s Shenzhen Open, Wakelin takes on a player who has been in rampant form in the qualifiers, Liam Davies.
The 20-year-old from Wales is in the situation Wakelin has described, winning a huge amount of matches compared to his higher-ranked rivals, but without receiving the same rewards.
As Davies beat Long Zehuang in Scottish Open qualifying on Wednesday, he picked up his 19th win of the season in ranking events. Wakelin has won eight but sits ahead of him on the one-year ranking list.
Wakelin says the youngster may even go in as favourite when they meet in China, given the amount of games he has been winning.
‘He’s a smashing lad, smashing talent,’ said Wakelin. ‘He’s got the potential now to go deep in pretty much every tournament he plays in and good luck to the kid.
‘I want to see these guys doing well, I’m a big advocate of the youngsters from this side of the world. They’re learning how to win matches against people that have been doing it since before they were born.
‘The likes of Liam, Liam [Pullen], Liam [Graham] and Stan [Moody]. Antek [Kowalski] and [Iulian] Boiko, they’re all making their way up.
‘Last season I think Liam Davies struggled to really find his feet, but I’m buzzing for him now that he has done.
‘If anything, I’d say he probably goes into the match in Shenzhen as favourite because he’s done really well in recent tournaments. Obviously found himself comfortable in these big arenas and big tournaments and I’m sure it’ll be a good game, whoever wins.’
Following that interview, Phil Haigh also spoke to Jason Ferguson, who expressed his point of view:
Jason Ferguson on tiered tournaments
WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson spoke to Metro about wanting a balance between tiered and flat draws.
‘If you want my personal opinion, it’s not necessarily an opinion of the company, but my personal opinion is a balance is correct,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to see all events going to tiered structures. I still want to see some events retain open draw, flat draw structures where talent can progress quite easily.’
He added: ‘One of my concerns with this structure is the amount of downtime that certain amounts of the membership are now feeling.
‘We’re looking long and hard at that at the WPBSA in terms of the structure of the tour and whatever else needs to happen to make sure players can keep busy.
‘The problem with qualifiers after qualifiers is it’s very easy to get on a downward spiral. You lose one close match and you’ve played well, you’re still going downhill quickly. Before you know it, you’re thinking about saving your season rather than winning events. It’s a different mindset when you’ve got lots of qualifying rounds and I absolutely get it. I remember it well from my own career and I don’t like many qualifiers one after the other. I really don’t like to see that.’
For me, both raise very valid points, notably the fact that those qualifiers are “grouped” in the calendar, leaving some players with very little to do for long periods. But the big issue is elsewhere … the really big issue is the money list ranking system itself.
I have written about this in the past, I have explained why an ELO type of rating system has my preference and I won’t repeat it all. Instead I will just point why it’s unfair with an example: in the current money list system player A could play player B twice in the season, both times they play a best of nine, both times in the last 32, both time the score is the same 5-3, A wins the first match, B wins the second. It’s clearly the same effort from both and yet they may well end up in very different positions ranking wise, simply because one tournament carries much more money than the other one. THAT is where things are unfair and it could be the reason why one stays on tour and the other is relegated at the end of the season.
Essex favourite Ali Carter defeated Mark Williams 9-6 in the BetVictor English Open final in Brentwood to land the seventh ranking event win of his career.
The Captain, who is a qualified pilot, defeated Ding Junhui in yesterday afternoon’s first semi-final and had some unorthodox preparations for today’s title match. Carter took to the skies and flew his plane in the evening, whilst Williams was slugging it out in a classic last four clash with Shaun Murphy, which he won 6-5.
Carter’s previous triumph came at the BetVictor Championship League in Leicester back in 2024, but this is his first full knockout ranking title on English soil. It was greeted with joyous scenes in front of a delighted near capacity crowd in his home county.
Victory for Carter sees him pocket the £100,000 top prize and get his hands on the Steve Davis Trophy for the first time. He skyrockets from 25th in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings to 16th, putting him in line for automatic qualification for snooker’s Triple Crown events. Williams moves from ninth up to eighth position.
Defeat means 51-year-old Williams is denied the chance to beat his own record as snooker’s oldest ever ranking event winner, which he set aged 50 at last year’s Xi’an Grand Prix. However, he does become the oldest ranking event finalist in 40 years, since Rex Williams competed in the 1986 Grand Prix title match.
They came into this evening with Williams holding a 5-3 advantage, but Carter hit back quickly when play resumed. Breaks of 64 and 57 restored parity, before Carter claimed the 11th to lead for the first time in the match at 6-5.
Williams strung together a run of 60 in the next to make it 6-6, but Carter immediately regained the initiative by winning the 13th. He then claimed a tense 41-minute frame, after depositing a clutch green to the right-hand centre to go 8-6 up and one from the title.
With the finishing post in sight, Carter surged over the line with contributions of 38 and 54 to claim victory. He clenched his fist in celebration after securing a momentous win.
“It doesn’t feel real at the moment. It hasn’t really sunk in,” said 47-year-old Carter. “I’ve not won as many titles as someone like Mark Williams, but it is great. The boys know I can play, that is for sure.
“In all my ranking events I’ve never beat one of the all-time greats in the final, to do that today makes it extra special. Not being detrimental to the other players I’ve beat it has been lower ranked players than me. To play Mark Williams and win in front of my home crowd is a dream come true.
“I was flying my aeroplane last night. I was getting in it, running the check list, starting it up and going out flying for half an hour. I was getting away from it all. That was nectar for me.”
Williams said: “I tried my best. I played alright in patches. I didn’t play too well tonight, but Ali put pressure on me and I didn’t handle it very well. He deserved to win. It was a great game and I enjoyed it. I tried my best. The crowd has been unbelievable all week. The conditions have been good, tough at times, but good. Well done and good luck to Ali.”
I have nothing to add really. I’m not Ali’s biggest fan because of a few things he did and said in the past, but then, of course, I did and do not know what kind of personal challenges he may have been facing at the time. He fully deserves this win and huge praise for it.
Flying his plane at night may seem a bizarre way to prepare for a snooker final, but, it is an exhilarating experience, I suppose, and one that reminds you of both your frailties and your strengths. One of the books that most fascinated me as a teenager is “Vol de nuit” by Antoine the St-Exupéry, written in 1931, and it’s, among other things, about a pilot, Fabian, working for Argentine’s airmail, who is caught in a cyclone, and, unable to control his plane, knowing he won’t reach his destination and land, decides to use his last fuel to fly higher , above the cyclone turmoil, and experiences a final moment of absolute and complete peace whilst facing his own death in a stunning star studded night sky.
