Professional snooker

Snooker News – 21 January 2025

Monique Media, News, Professional snooker, Tour News , , ,

There is plenty of snooker being played at the moment but today’s post will be about some news about our beloved sport and its future.

BBC SPORT AND WORLD SNOOKER TOUR EXTEND BROADCAST AGREEMENT TO 2032

BBC Sport and World Snooker Tour are thrilled to announce an extension to their broadcast agreement to 2032. The new deal is a five-year extension to the current agreement, ensuring that the Triple Crown remains free-to-air for many millions of snooker fans across the UK.
 
BBC Sport will continue to provide comprehensive live TV and iPlayer coverage of snooker’s three most prestigious tournaments, the World Championship, UK Championship and the Masters. 
 
The Masters, currently taking place at Alexandra Palace, is followed by the World Championship in Sheffield in April and the UK Championship in York in November. Last year, BBC Sport’s coverage of the Triple Crown events had 33.9 million streams across BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website and over 16 million tuning in on TV. 
 
Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport said: “Snooker has been a cornerstone of BBC Sport programming since 1969, and extending our partnership with World Snooker until 2032 is fantastic news for the audience. It ensures the drama, intensity and excitement of the Triple Crown events remains free-to-air and we look forward to many more years of iconic sporting moments.” 

WST Chairman, Steve Dawson said: “For more than 50 years we have had an outstanding relationship with BBC and their coverage of the Triple Crown is a fundamental part of those three events. So many millions of fans love watching snooker on BBC and it has always been vital to us to keep the biggest tournaments free to air.”
 
WST Chief Commercial officer Peter Wright said: “The broadcast figures are extremely strong this week at the Masters which highlights the enduring appeal of snooker and the drama it produces year after year. We look forward to many more years working alongside the BBC, delivering world class sport to a vast audience.”
 
World Champion Kyren Wilson added: “I grew up watching all of the biggest tournaments on the BBC so it’s fantastic to see this deal extended until at least 2032. It’s so important for young people getting into snooker, like my own children, that the Triple Crown events are available to watch free to air, as this will help us to grow the sport. The BBC do an amazing job in the way they broadcast snooker and long may that continue. I have also really enjoyed working for the commentary team myself and finding out how the production works behind the scenes.” 

…

The news triggered massive positive reactions from the fans … the UK fans mainly. There were immediate speculations that this news would “help” keeping the World Championship at the Crucible.

Me, personally … I have mixed feelings about it. The BBC coverage is always excellent, no question about that aspect. They do a sterling job. But… I’m from mainland Europe. For many us the BBC isn’t “free on air”, many of us have to rely on an alternative provider or a vpn to access the BBC stream … but that’s not the main point. The main problem for me is that it will certainly mean that the World Championship will continue to be played exclusively in the UK, be it at the Crucible or elsewhere. I have already expressed my feelings about this situation: the WORLD championship should not stay confined in the UK, it should go around the world. The UK-centric nature of the sport has to be “broken” for it to really grow as a global sport. The WSF junior championship is currently under way. There are a lot of young aspiring snooker players, from all around the world playing in that comp. As it is now, most of them would be forced to live as expats in the UK, with all the challenges that this situation brings: social isolation away from family, language barrier and, at times in nowadays’s Britain, nonsensical hostility1. It’s simply no fair and it is counterproductive IF really WST/WPBSA have ambitions to make snooker global.

SPORTSBET.IO BECOMES NEW TITLE PARTNER OF SNOOKER’S PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP AND CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS

Sportsbet.io Becomes New Title Partner of Snooker’s Players Championship, Tour Championship and Champion of Champions

 January 15, 2024 – Three celebrated events on snooker’s global tour, renowned for their elite fields, will welcome Sportsbet.io as their new title partner for the next two years. The Sportsbet.io Players Championship will run from March 17-23, 2025, at Telford International Centre, followed by the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship from March 31 to April 6 at Manchester Central and then the Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions from November 10-16 in Bolton.

 All three events will be screened live by ITV and will receive extensive global television and online coverage from a range of international broadcasters.

 Sportsbet.io, a leading crypto sportsbook and casino, Official Regional Partner of LALIGA, Official Betting Partner of English football team, Hull City and a Club Partner of Premier League team Newcastle United, now joins forces with WST and Matchroom for the first time. Sportsbet.io is part of Yolo Group, known for bringing next-level innovation to the worlds of gaming, fintech and blockchain.

 The Sportsbet.io Players Championship is the second event in the 2025 Players Series. Only the top 16 on this season’s one-year ranking list will earn a place in the field in Telford. Mark Allen won the trophy last season, and as it stands he could be defending the title in a field including the likes of world number one Judd Trump, World Champion Kyren Wilson, Ding Junhui, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams, John Higgins and many more top stars.

 Then for the climax of the series, the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship at a fantastic venue in the heart of Manchester, only the top 12 earn a spot in the draw.

 The Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions, ever present on the calendar since 2013, brings together 16 winners of tournaments over the previous 12 months. Mark Williams took the title in 2024, coming through a superb field which included the likes of Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson and Ronnie O’Sullivan.

 Peter Wright, Chief Commercial Officer for WST, said: “We are excited to team up with Yolo Group as they are known for their inventive approach to the digital world which is going to be an ever-changing landscape in years to come. They have a range of fabulous snooker events to help build the Sportsbet.io brand. The Players Series events are only for the best players on the one-year rankings so it rewards the players in form with places in these prestigious tournaments. Fans will pack the arenas in both Telford and Manchester and we look forward to working with the Yolo team over these events.”

 Emily Frazer, CEO of Matchroom Multi Sport, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Sportsbet.io as the title sponsor for the Champion of Champions, alongside the Players and Tour Championship. The Champion of Champions is a standout event on the snooker calendar, renowned for its elite line-up and global reach. Partnering with Sportsbet.io, a brand synonymous with innovation and excellence, ensures these tournaments will continue to thrive as world-class spectacles. We’re excited to work together in showcasing the very best of snooker to fans across the globe.”

 Shane Anderson – Director of Partnerships, Content, Brand of Yolo Entertainment, said: “At Yolo Group, we’re passionate about pushing boundaries and creating unforgettable experiences, which is why partnering with three of snooker’s most prestigious tournaments is such an exciting opportunity for us. The Players Championship, Tour Championship, and Champion of Champions embody excellence, just as Sportsbet.io strives to innovate and elevate the worlds of sportsbook and blockchain. We’re thrilled to bring this partnership to life and connect with snooker fans around the globe.”

About Sportsbet.io

Founded in 2016 as part of Yolo Group, Sportsbet.io is the leading crypto sportsbook. Sportsbet.iohas redefined the online betting space by combining cutting-edge technology, with cryptocurrency expertise and a passion for offering its players with the ultimate fun, fast and fair gaming experience.

Official Regional Partner of LALIGA, Official Betting Partner of English football team, Hull City and a Club Partner of Premier League team Newcastle United, Sportsbet.io provides an expansive range of betting action across all major sports and eSports, offering players more than 1M pre-match events per year and comprehensive in-play content.

As the first crypto sportsbook to introduce a cash out function, Sportsbet.io is recognised as a leader in both online sports betting and within the crypto community.

In December 2023, a lucky Sportsbet.io won the biggest ever online slots jackpot while playing on the site, turning a $50 spin into a prize of more than $42 million.

Sportsbet.io prides itself on its secure and trustworthy betting service, with withdrawal times of less than 90 seconds,  among the fastest in the industry.

For more information about Sportsbet.io, please visit https://sportsbet.io

About Matchroom

Matchroom is a world-leading sports promotion company specialising in creating and delivering unforgettable live events across a range of sports, including snooker, pool, darts, and boxing. With over four decades of experience, Matchroom produces events watched by millions of fans worldwide, combining top-tier competition with unrivalled entertainment value. Through global partnerships, innovative broadcasting, and digital engagement, Matchroom is committed to driving the growth and visibility of its sports on the international stage.

I have also, many times, made my feeling known about snooker being in bed with the betting industry. Those feelings haven’t changed2. These ones are looking forward to “connect with snooker fans around the globe“. Yeah… all three events are held in the UK, and shown on ITV, only available in the UK. Other broadcasters may relay it but there is no certainly, and it will almost certainly come at a price. I used to be only able to watch it on Matchroom.live . That wasn’t free and, anyway, it’s gone.

  1. I have been loudly criticised, while sitting in a bus, for speaking French with my husband … just imagine that here on Santorini island we would ask British tourists to speak Greek at all times when in a public space, even for a private conversation within the family. They would feel outraged surely? ↩︎
  2. During the some 35 years I had a job in IT, I lost three colleagues to suicide. One was incurably ill and in huge pain, the other two, men, took their own life over betting debts. Both left behind a partner and young children who then had to cope with the betting debts on top of dealing with their sorrows. The betting industry should be VERY strongly regulated and they should not be allowed ANY form of advertising. ↩︎

Shaun Murphy is the 2025 Masters Champion

Monique Interview, Professional snooker, Professional snooker tournament

Congratulations Shaun Murphy!

Here is the report by shared by WST

MARVELLOUS MURPHY RULES THE PALACE

Shaun Murphy won his first Triple Crown title for a decade with a tremendous 10-7 victory over Kyren Wilson in the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Masters at Alexandra Palace.

Wilson threatened a fight-back when he came from 8-4 down to 8-7, but Murphy retained his composure and took the last two frames with a brace of excellent breaks. Across the match he made four centuries and four more runs over 50.

Age 42, Murphy admits he feared his time of winning the sport’s biggest titles had passed, but he has regained that self-belief and played his best snooker this week in London. Having won the World Championship in 2005, UK Championship in 2008 and Masters in 2015, he now has four Triple Crown victories to his name.

His reward includes the £350,000 top prize, the biggest pay-day of his 27-year career, but far more important to Murphy is the glory of lifting the Paul Hunter Trophy on the 50th birthday of this historic event. He becomes only the 12th player to win the Masters on multiple occasions. 

The Englishman was outstanding throughout the tournament, conceding just eight frames in three matches to reach the final, and making a total of seven centuries including his marvellous 147 during the semi-finals. For a player who relies so much on confidence, it was a week when his game clicked and he made potting balls look as easy as shelling peas.

World number seven Murphy will hope to continue that momentum into the rest of the season, as he remains in danger of dropping out of the top 16 and having to qualify for the Crucible. But one thing is for sure – he’ll be back at Alexandra Palace next year as number one seed. 

Wilson had hoped to win the Masters for the first time but has now lost two finals as he was also runner-up to Mark Allen in 2018. Having conquered the Crucible last May he is enjoying a fine season as World Champion, winning the Xi’an Grand Prix and BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, but the 33-year-old from Kettering will be devastated not to bring his best today on a huge occasion. 

Trailing 6-2 after the first session, Wilson took the opening frame tonight with breaks of 48 and 44 to narrow the gap. Murphy responded with a 125, his third century of the match, before Wilson’s 95 made it 7-4.  The key moment of the crucial 12th frame came when Wilson, among the balls leading 14-9, missed a tricky black to a centre pocket, gifting Murphy the opportunity to make 66 to lead 8-4 at the interval.

Murphy scored just one point in the next three frames as Wilson battled back, scoring top breaks of 78 and 65 as he closed to 8-7. Early in frame 16, Wilson went full-blooded for a tough long red and missed the target, scattering reds and leaving Murphy the table to make 55 which proved enough to leave him two up with three to play.  And he sealed the result in style with a break of 100 to wrap up a ninth win over Wilson in 12 meetings and win his first title since the 2023 Championship League.

“It’s totally unbelievable, I’m in shock,” said Murphy. “I genuinely thought that my days of competing for these Triple Crown events had gone. There were too many bad losses, you start seeing demons in the pockets. The loss in the world final in 2015 really hurt me, and the one in 2021 also took it out of me. 

“I’ve been working with Peter Ebdon and that’s what has saved me because I was in a spiral of negativity. The first thing he wanted to do was restore my belief that I can actually do this. Three events in and we are winners. I came here having worked very hard on my game, in a really good frame of mind. To make the 147 yesterday completed a lifetime ambition. And now to be here with the trophy, it’s one of the best days of my life.

“Peter and I have worked on the mental side. Everyone knows how tough he was. I felt I had gone a bit soft and he agreed. That’s what we have worked on, to be more steely, more granite, to give them nothing and to play my attacking game when I get the chance.

“This reignites my hopes of winning the World Championship again. I have proved to myself I can still win these big ones, so I’ll go to the Crucible knowing I can do it.

“From 8-4 tonight I expected Kyren to come for me because it’s not in a World Champion’s DNA to give up. I wouldn’t have liked to go 8-8 because it was getting twitchy.”

Wilson said: “I gave Shaun too much of a head start. Perhaps there was a bit of fatigue after a late finish last night. Shaun used his experience. I’m proud that I managed to dig in deep. I still fancied it at 6-2 and 8-4. If the long red had gone in at 8-7 the balls were mine to clear up. I’m not a player who is going to play dolly shots, I went all-out and got aggressive. My game is in fantastic shape, being World Champion has inspired me and I’d like to think there are many more trophies to come. I’ll be in Berlin next trying to win that one.“

It’s a shame for Kyren that he had a “bad session” in the final. Every player has them once in a while, they are human, but when it happens in a major final it’s really unfortunate, for the player and for the fans who probably prefer to watch a close battle, not to mention his kids who were around wearing little waistcoats similar to the one their father had been wearing in his previous matches. But Kyren showed what a fighter he is and he should be proud of himself, and of the way he represents his sport as a World Champion

Clearly, working with Peter Ebdon has helped Shaun. I believe that no matter how hard Ebdon could try, he would never be able to get Shaun “grinding” for hours. Hopefully he sticks to snooker and refrains from planting silly ideas in Shaun’s mind …

The 2025 Masters – Day 5

Monique Professional snooker, Professional snooker tournament

The first two quarter-finals match were played yesterday at the 2025 Masters in Alexandra Palace.

Here are the reports shared by WST:

MURPHY INTO SEMIS BUT MISSES 147 CHANCE

Shaun Murphy stormed into the semi-finals of the Johnstone’s Paint Masters with a 6-2 victory over Neil Robertson, but passed up the chance to make his first 147 in a Triple Crown event.

Murphy came so close to the perfect finish to a tremendous match, as in the eighth and final frame he potted 15 reds with blacks, chasing the ninth maximum of his career and first in a major. But in potting the 15th black he left himself behind the blue, snookered on the yellow, and the chance was gone.

“It was just a terrible mistake to leave the cue ball behind the blue,” he said. “Almost anywhere on the table except there would have been fine. It was such a good chance. At the start of the season, making a 147 in a Triple Crown event was one of my goals. To get so close, I’m gutted.” 

Still, that was the only blemish on an outstanding performance from the 2005 World and 2015 Masters champion as he booked a semi-final with Mark Allen or Mark Selby on Saturday afternoon. 

World number seven Murphy hasn’t won a title since the 2023 Championship League but has come close this season, notably reaching the final of the Shanghai Masters and semi-finals of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters. The 42-year-old is now into a seventh Masters semi-final with his sights set on the £350,000 top prize.

Robertson had first chance in the opening frame but ran out of position on 35 and Murphy punished him with a superb 90 clearance. A break of 79 helped Robertson level but Murphy dominated the next two with 49 and 67 for 3-1. 

In frame five, Robertson was on 66 with five reds left when he was unlucky to lose position when splitting the cluster, and he later mid-cued attempting safety, which handed Murphy the chance to clear with 66 for 4-1. World number 20 Robertson hit back with 108, but a missed pink to centre early in frame seven proved costly as Murphy took advantage with 82 for 5-2. And his 147 attempt ended on 120 but still Murphy received a huge ovation from the Alexandra Palace crowd.

Murphy added: “I was very strong in all departments today. I must give Neil credit because when you play someone of his class, you have to play really well to stand a chance, so I was in the right frame of mind. I remember as an 11-year-old going to the Masters at Wembley Conference Centre, I said to my friend “do you think I’ll ever get to play here?” Ally Pally is better, it’s a dream come true to walk down those stairs.

“My game has been going in the right direction, something good is coming for me, whether it’s this week or next week or next month. As long as I am here I am dangerous.“

Australia’s Robertson, a late replacement in the field when Ronnie O’Sullivan pulled out, said: “Both of us played fantastic out there. When two of us are playing that well, small margins can make the difference. I missed the pink to middle at 4-2, that’s all I can think of in terms of unforced errors. I just take my hat off to Shaun for how good he was. I felt as if I could go all the way and win the event. It was a real shame for everyone watching that Shaun didn’t make the 147. Even if he had left himself a shot with the rest on the yellow, he is so good with the rest you would fancy him potting it.“

It was indeed an excellent match, very entertaining and played in great spirit. I enjoyed it as, I’m sure, did the lucky fans who were sat in the arena for that session.

I’m not sure the same can’t be said about the evening match… It certainly was high quality; some of the safety battles were incredible, but it was close to one thirty in the morning at my place when it finished and I was probably far too tired to be able to appreciate that kind of snooker. Anyway, here is the report shared by WST:

SAFETY ACE ALLEN OUTSMARTS SELBY

Mark Allen showed his tactical intelligence as he won a succession of close frames to beat Mark Selby 6-2 and reach the semi-finals of the Johnstone’s Paint Masters. 

In recent seasons Allen has developed into one of the best all-round competitors in the sport and he showed that at Alexandra Palace on Thursday evening as he outfoxed Selby to reach the last four of this event for the fifth time. The Northern Irishman will face Shaun Murphy on Saturday afternoon and is just two wins away from becoming a multiple Masters champion having first lifted the trophy in 2018.

The pair had met three times before in this event and all three had gone to a deciding frame, Selby winning the first two before Allen gained revenge last year. This time, the scoreline was emphatic in Allen’s favour, though Selby failed to take opportunities to make it much closer and the three-time winner has not reached the semi-finals since 2014.

“Mark is probably the best player of all time when it comes to safety,” said Allen, winner of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship four weeks ago. “But that’s probably the first time I feel I have dictated play against him. Especially on the safety side – I felt I was better than him, aside from the few bits of luck I had. That’s a real positive for me to take forward.“

World number four Allen took a 2-1 lead with breaks of 81 and 104, sandwiching an 88 from Selby in frame two. In frame four, which lasted 58 minutes, Selby led 71-8 but couldn’t finish the job and Allen battled back, eventually snatching it by clearing from the last red. It was a similar story in the fifth as Allen out-maneuvered his opponent in an exchange on the last red and took advantage for 4-1.

Frame six ended with 11 minutes of cat-and-mouse on the final black, resolved when Selby went for a cross double and was unlucky to leave the black over a top corner for Allen to extend his lead. Selby pulled one back with a run of 80, but Allen made a 59 in frame eight and eventually got over the line by converting a thin snick on the final yellow to a centre pocket and adding the points he needed.

“The fourth frame was the big one because I had no right to win it, the way the balls were sitting,” added 38-year-old Allen. “I am much happier with my game than I was a few months ago. There is still room for improvement and I slipped into a few bad habits tonight. But in general there is a lot of good stuff and I’m feeling upbeat. I am buzzing for the semi-final, the atmosphere gets better every round.” 

Selby said: “If I had won the fourth frame for 2-2 I was right in the match. After that I felt I was chasing the game. Mark won all of the close frames. A few times I thought he had stuck balls over the hole but they finished safe. But he took his chances better than I did.“

The fourth frame was indeed crucial.

Somehow this match reminded me of the match of the 2013 semi-final that Mark Selby won, beating Graeme Dott by 6-5, well past midnight1. It was a safety masterclass by Selby, but it wasn’t pretty and that’s a serious understatement. Ally Pally is a rather isolated place and it was snowing heavily. All around the arena, people started getting up and leaving mid-frame. They had enough of it. It was cold and damp in the venue. Many feared that they would be blocked in their cars by the snow. Others didn’t want to risk missing the bus, the next one might never come, again because of the snow. The media stood put. After the match, Graeme was incensed. “Surely he can’t enjoy playing this way, can he?” was his assessment of his opponent game. When the last press interview was over, we discovered that the venue had been locked with us inside. It was dark and cold everywhere. We had to find the security guy on night duty to be able to leave… And then I started trudging in the snow, through the blizzard … with all my heavy photo equipment. Ahead of me was a deserted park. I wasn’t afraid … surely even hooligans wouldn’t stay out in this weather, he?2 But what about stray dogs? I was freezing and it wasn’t a pretty prospect. Eventually I was saved by Tryggvi Erlingsson who was on his way to his hotel, in his car, and spotted me on the side of the road… I’m eternally grateful! I still caught the mother of colds that night though…

  1. Yesterday’s match wasn’t that bad to be fair, but as it slowly unfolded it triggered memories… ↩︎
  2. I’m not easily scared anyway … ↩︎

The 2025 Masters – Day 4

Monique Professional snooker, Professional snooker tournament

Here are the reports shared by WST on day 4 at Ally Pally, the last day of the 2025 Masters first round.

WILSON COMES THROUGH TOUGH ZHANG TEST

World Champion Kyren Wilson won his first match at the Johnstone’s Paint Masters for three years, beating tough opponent Zhang Anda by a 6-4 scoreline to reach the quarter-finals.  

A hard-fought contest was in the balance at 4-4, but China’s Zhang crucially missed chances in the last two frames, allowing Wilson to get to the finish line and end a losing streak at Alexandra Palace, having been knocked out in the first round by Stuart Bingham in 2023 and Judd Trump in 2024.

The Crucible king is into the quarter-finals for the fifth time and is aiming for his maiden Masters title, having come close in 2018 when he lost 10-7 in the final to Mark Allen. 

“It was a great match to be involved in,” said world number two Wilson. “At 4-4 I had to hang in there and stay positive. I was really impressed with Zhang’s long potting, he was floating them in from everywhere. Playing as World Champion this season has given me the confidence to see those matches out. I know I have a target on my back this year so I didn’t want to go out of this one early again. 

“A lot has changed for me since I was in the final here seven years ago. I have gone on to bigger and better things, achieving the dream of becoming World Champion. But there is still a lot of unfinished business.” 

The opening frame came down to a safety battle on the colours, resolved when Wilson converted a tricky pot on the green to a centre pocket and cleared for 1-0. Zhang levelled with a break of 85, before Wilson regained the lead. In frame four, Zhang led 64-0 when he ran out of position, and his opponent punished him with an excellent 69 clearance for 3-1. 

Wilson failed to score a point in the next two as Zhang compiled breaks of 65 and 83 to square the tie at 3-3.  A break of 69 from Wilson restored his lead, only for Zhang to respond again with a 141 total clearance, his first Masters century and the new target for the £15,000 high break prize.

In frame nine, Wilson led 52-0 when he missed the blue to a baulk corner, and Zhang had the balls at his mercy but his counter ended on 26 when he failed to pot the black off its spot. And Zhang had another clear opportunity in the tenth, only to miss a red to top corner when he led 15-13. The frame came down to the last three reds, and a superb pot to a centre pocket from Wilson set him up for a match-winning 38.

Kettering’s Wilson was wearing a unique waistcoat designed by 12-year-old schoolgirl Serena, the winner of a competition run by Johnstone’s Paint, STEM Learning and WST. The project challenged children age 11-14 to design a waistcoat, using a theme connected to the science curriculum and also including Johnstone’s Paint colour of the year, Acai Berry. Wilson himself was one of the judging panel and picked the winner from over 20 entries, then met Serena on the eve of the tournament to receive the waistcoat.

He added: “I feel like it was a brave thing to do! It’s great for the sport and the sponsors and fantastic for the children who made the designs.“

BRECEL COMPLETES STELLAR LAST-EIGHT LINE-UP

Luca Brecel showed flashes of brilliance in a 6-3 win over debutant Chris Wakelin at the Johnstone’s Paint Masters as he joined a quarter-final line-up which includes six former winners of the event plus the last two World Champions.

Brecel will meet current Crucible king Kyren Wilson on Friday evening at Alexandra Palace, after showdowns between Shaun Murphy and Neil Robertson, Mark Selby and Mark Allen, then Judd Trump and Ding Junhui. The eight players left chasing the Paul Hunter Trophy have 31 Triple Crown titles between them.

Since his victory in Sheffield 20 months ago, Brecel has not won another individual title, but he showed improved form before Christmas with runs to the quarter-finals of the BetVictor Scottish Open then the final of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship. Tonight’s display was far from perfect but he reminded fans of his genius with several extraordinary pots, notably a brown in the opening frame which Stephen Hendry, commentating for BBC, described as “one of the best shots I have ever seen.”

The Belgian ace doubled his tally of wins at the Masters, having previously only registered a single victory in his four previous appearances in London.

He said afterwards: “I think the next ten years could be my best. I am still very young and I have a good mindset to perform.”

Wakelin led 47-27 in the opening frame when he missed a tricky red with the rest, and Brecel’s 36 clearance included that thunderbolt brown, played at pace along the baulk cushion. Wakelin levelled with a run of 69 and had chances in frame three but couldn’t take them, and Brecel eventually converted excellent long pots on the pink and black. World number eight Brecel’s run of 89 made it 3-1 and he led 43-0 in frame five when he underhit an awkward red to a centre pocket, letting Wakelin in for a run of 67 to halve the gap.

Brecel dominated the sixth for 4-2, before his opponent emerged successfully from a safety exchange on the green in the seventh. Frame eight also came down to the green, Wakelin potting it but then missing the brown when he looked set for 4-4. Brecel rifled in tremendous long pots on brown, blue and pink for 5-3. Wakelin’s night ended when he touched a ball with the rest as he tried to move it into position for a scoring chance in frame nine, handing Brecel the table for a closing 73.

“There were a few misses but apart from that I felt good,” added 29-year-old Brecel. “It’s tough to settle in this arena, I played some good and bad frames but the most important thing was to get the win. I’m not yet 100% confident but I feel I’m getting better and really looking forward to the rest of the season.

“This tournament is so hard, because of the crowd and the history of the Masters. To win it you have to play really well, and don’t bottle it.”

Brecel is planning to take on the Ironman triathlon in 2028 and is training for that challenge. He said: “The feeling you get from running and cycling is amazing, you feel like a different person. People who don’t play sport under-estimate the benefits of it. I feel much lighter and I can go for longer when the matches get long and tough. It’s good mentally, for example tomorrow I will have a day off so I will go for a run which fills up the day and takes your mind off snooker.“

Wakelin has climbed into the top 16 for the first time this season and relished his first appearance at the sport’s biggest invitation event, though admitted that his focus has not been on preparation in recent weeks as he became a father for the first time last month.  

He said: “I absolutely loved it out there, walking into the arena is a moment I will never forget. I didn’t play well, but the last few weeks have been very hectic and the last thing on my mind has been practising for this event. I tried my best. Given it was my first time out there I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I felt comfortable.”

The main thing on Chris mind is of course his baby girl. She was born nine weeks prematurely and is still in hospital. Chris said that she’s doing well but, of course, she is still fragile and still needs special care. A match, even at the Masters, is nowhere near as important as the little one’s health and well being. Chris did extremely well under the circumstances. I wish Chris family the very best.

The above reports are comprehensive. I don’t have much to add.

Kyren, once again, is representing his sport in the best possible way and proves himself to be a really worthy World Champion on and off the table.

Zhang himself played really well and got a lot of praise from Hendry… well, maybe, Hendry still has vivid memories of the scare Zhang gave him at the Crucible in 2010. Back then, Hendry only won his opening match against Zhang by 10-9. At the time Zhang was only 18 and in his first season as a pro. Nobody expected him to push the seven times World Champion this hard. If I remember correctly Hendry had to win the last three frames.

Luca Brecel was his spectacular self. He can be infuriating at times because, given his humongous talent, he should win much more, but when on song he’s box office: daring, unconventional and extremely entertaining.

The 2025 Masters – Day 3

Monique Professional snooker, Professional snooker tournament

Hereafter you’ll find the reports shared by WST about day 3 at Ally Pally:

JUDD REMAINS ON TARGET FOR ‘TRUMP SLAM’

Judd Trump moved a step closer to an unprecedented clean sweep of all four major titles as he hammered Barry Hawkins 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the Johnstone’s Paint Masters.

Having already won the new Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters and Victorian Plumbing UK Championship this term, Trump needs to add the title this week and then the World Championship in the Spring to become the first player to land all four in a single season. On today’s evidence he will be hard to stop as he swept past Hawkins in just 106 minutes.

He is just one match away from a new record for prize money in a single season, as his tally for 2024/25 stands at £1,260,200, just shy of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s target of £1,265,500 set last season. If Trump beats Ding Junhui on Friday at Alexandra Palace to reach the semi-finals, he will bank a further £35,000 and set a new record with four months of the campaign still to come. 

The world number one is also setting a new bar for consistency as he has now reached at least the quarter-finals of 19 of the last 20 tournaments he has contested. Clearly the man to beat, he is aiming for a third Masters title having previously lifted the trophy in 2019 and 2023. 

Hawkins, who lost narrowly 10-8 to Trump in last month’s UK final in York, had first chance in the opening frame today but, leading 14-0, knocked in a red when splitting the pack off the blue. Trump took control and a 3-0 lead with top breaks of 59 and 47. Once again in frame four, Hawkins was on 33 when he opened the pack and a red dropped in, and again his opponent punished him with a 60 clearance for 4-0.

In the fifth, Hawkins was on 12 when he missed the pink to a centre pocket, and Trump’s 56 helped him extend his lead. World number 12 Hawkins at least avoided a whitewash thanks to a run of 70 in the sixth. But a rapid 112 from Trump in the next completed the scoreline. 

“I was expecting a really tough game, 6-4 or 6-5 either way,” admitted 35-year-old Trump. “Barry and I have had some great battles here. Today I didn’t do a lot wrong and punished his mistakes, I didn’t miss anything easy. In those games it’s important to keep your foot down, keep your concentration and not give away any easy chances. 

“This event keeps getting better. More people see it on the TV and want to experience it live. It makes the players feel so important, everyone wants to play their best. It’s probably my favourite event on the calendar, I get excited about it for a month before. 

“It’s great for snooker to have Ding back somewhere near his best. There have been times when he has struggled a bit, he has the weight of China on his shoulders so it’s not easy to do what he has done. Every game he plays at the moment seems to be a thriller but I hope it’s not too close when we play! I love playing him, he’s one of the nicest people on the tour.”

Hawkins said: “I didn’t think I had done that much wrong in the first four frames. Judd is playing some great stuff and every time I made a mistake he capitalised.

ALLEN TOO STRONG FOR DEBUTANT SI

Mark Allen became the sixth former champion to reach the quarter-finals of this year’s Johnstone’s Paint Masters as he beat debutant Si Jiahui 6-2 with a fine display in London. 

China’s 22-year-old Si is recognised as one of snooker’s best young talents and has leapt into the world’s top 16, but Allen’s vast experience was too much for him at Alexandra Palace as the Northern Irishman controlled most of the contest and ran out a comfortable winner. He will face Mark Selby on Thursday evening and so far all six players into the quarter-finals are former winners of the title, as Judd Trump meets Ding Junhui and Neil Robertson takes on Shaun Murphy. 

World number four Allen comes into this week full of confidence having won the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship just before Christmas and he looked sharp tonight, making a century and three more breaks over 70 as he marched into the quarter-finals of this event for the tenth time.

The opening frame lasted 40 minutes and came down to a safety exchange on the last red, Allen trapping his opponent in a snooker and taking the chance that followed to go 1-0 up. Si showed his quality with a superb break of 103 to level, before Allen compiled runs of 111 and 70 to lead 3-1 at the interval.

A run of 60 helped Si pulled one back, but Allen responded with an excellent break of 94 then dominated frame seven for 5-2. World number 13 Si had a clear scoring chance in the eighth but made just 6 before missing a simple red to a top corner, and Allen finished strongly with a break of 80.

“I played well, my safety was very good and I made it tough for him,” said Allen. “If he had potted ridiculous long ones and made breaks then so be it, but as it turned out I felt played better than him.

“He played so well at the Crucible (in 2023) so he is not scared of the big occasion. I just needed to play my game and make it hard for him. He pushed the boat out a bit because he probably didn’t fancy getting into safety battles. There was one at 3-2 when he went for a plant, when he had an easy safety. At that stage he was back in the game so there was no need for him to go for it, that was a bit of inexperience. 

“I can always improve and that’s why I work so hard in practice. But I have to enjoy those kind of performances. These are the events I want to win because it’s the best of the best. I always look forward to playing Mark Selby, I have a good record against him. Hopefully it will be a repeat of last year (when Allen won 6-5) which was high quality. Nearly every time we play our matches are close.“

Overall I didn’t particularly enjoy what I saw yesterday. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood but I’m not sure that my mood was the issue. Both matches were pretty one-sided and, well before the MSI, their outcome looked inevitable. There was no suspense, no real “tension”.

Judd Trump was excellent as he has been in most of his matches this season. Barry on the other hand was not at his best and was never given much opportunity to really settle and improve. When he eventually won a frame, the sixth, he did it with a good 70, but it was far too late.

The Mark Allen v Si Jiahui match was a high scoring affair. They had 6 breaks over 60 between them, including one century each. In the first two first frames, Si looked dangerous. After that, he he was largely outplayed in the safety department. Allen ruthlessly punished most of his opponent’s safety mistakes and there were far too many of them. This is a side of Si’s game that needs improvement! Even when Si won frame 5, the first after the MSI, with a good 60, I never had the feeling he could beat Allen on this form and in this mood.

Today is the last day of the first round. I expect Kyren to beat Zhang but I wouldn’t bet a caramel over the outcome of the evening match. It will largely depend on what kind of Luca will be on show. He’s equally capable to win by 6-0 and to lose by 6-0.

.

The 2025 Masters Day 2 and Ronnie News

Monique Interview, Professional snooker, Professional snooker tournament

Day 2 at Alexandra Palace delivered two very different matches:

In the afternoon, Ding Junhui beat Mark Williams in a rather bizarre match:

DING RIDES LUCK TO BEAT WILLIAMS IN THRILLER

Ding Junhui came from 5-4 down to beat Mark Williams 6-5 in the opening round of the Johnstone’s Paint Masters, boosting his hopes of doubling his tally of titles in snooker’s biggest invitation event.

The result means that, for the first time since 2011, none of the ‘Class of 92’ of Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Williams are in the line up for the quarter-final stages. In that year, Ding went all the way to the title, and the Chinese ace will hope that’s a good omen. The 37-year-old certainly had his fair share of good fortune today, enjoying a string of lucky moments in the closing stages of an exciting contest. 

It’s the second match already this year to go to a deciding frame, and Ding finished in style by taking it in one visit. He already has a huge title under his belt this season having won the International Championship in November and can now look forward to a meeting with Judd Trump or Barry Hawkins at Alexandra Palace on Friday.

After sharing the first two frames, Williams led 41-7 in the third when he mid-cued, attempting blue to centre, and Ding punished him with 69 to go ahead. Williams responded with breaks of 57 and 70 to go 3-2 up, then Ding made 64 and 60 to edge ahead at 4-3.

A tremendous 136 total clearance, the new front-runner for the £15,000 high break prize, gave Williams frame eight. Ding looked set to go 5-4 up until he missed a straight-forward black at 66-0 in the ninth, and Williams eventually cleared from the last red to black to pinch it by a single point. 

In the last two frames, Ding missed three attempts at difficult reds, but each time was lucky not to leave his opponent a clear chance. Williams twice attempted awkward reds to a centre pocket, but couldn’t find the target and Ding capitalised with breaks of 76 and 90 to reach the second round for the eighth time in all and first since 2019. 

Williams turns 50 in just two months and victory today would have made him the oldest winner of a match at the Masters since a 56-year-old Eddie Charlton in 1986. The Welshman said: “Ding had a hell of a run of the ball, especially in the last two frames when he could have left me in. I lost count of the number of times he held his hand up to say ‘sorry’, it must have been ten or 11 times. Those are the fine margins. I have had plenty of run in my time, that’s the game. He still had to make two really good breaks.

“I tried my best. It’s a great venue and the reception when I came in was unbelievable. I loved it, it’s the best venue we play in and I hope I get back next year.“

Ding said: “At 5-4 down, I missed a long red and the balls went everywhere, and I thought maybe today is done. Then I saw a bit of luck, Mark didn’t have an easy one. He had to take a difficult one under pressure, and when he missed I saw my chance was there. It was the same in the last frame. My concentration and confidence was good after the interval, I didn’t think too much about winning or losing. 

“I still want to be the best I have ever been. I’ve been watching videos of myself when I was young and I am trying to get that feeling back. I used to just pot the balls without thinking too much, just playing the shots very clearly. I still struggle sometimes but I am feeling better than before.“

In the evening, Mark Selby completely dominated Ali Carter:

IN-FORM SELBY CRUSHES CARTER

Mark Selby hasn’t reached the semi-finals at Alexandra Palace since 2014 but on today’s evidence he is among the favourites for the Johnstone’s Paint Masters title as he romped to a 6-1 victory over Ali Carter in the opening round. 

Selby looked close to his best last week at the BetVictor Championship League, notably making six centuries in a single day. And he carried that momentum into tonight as he outplayed Carter, rattling in two tons and three more breaks over 50. The Leicester cueman’s reward is a quarter-final meeting with Mark Allen or Si Jiahui on Thursday. 

World number five Selby had a tremendous record at the Masters between 2008 and 2014, winning it three times and reaching two further finals. Since then it has been slim pickings in London as he has failed to go beyond the quarter-finals. Selby, winner of the British Open in September, will be quietly confident of a deep run this time as he seeks to become the only player other than Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry to lift the trophy for a fourth occasion. 

He took the opening frame tonight with a break of 62, and added the 41-minute second by getting the better of a safety exchange on the final brown. Stepping up a gear, Selby fired breaks of 108 and 93 to lead 4-0 at the interval.

In frame five, Carter led by 62 points with four reds left when he failed to double a red to centre, and his tenacious opponent battled back and gained the snooker he required, then could have forced a respotted black but failed to pot the blue along the top cushion, allowing a relieved Carter to pull one back. But Selby regained the initiative with a 126 for 5-1, and he made an excellent 53 clearance in frame seven to settle the result. 

“I felt a bit edgy at the start but winning the second frame was huge, if Ali had gone 1-1 it could have been very different,” said Selby. “I kicked on after that and felt comfortable. It’s always great playing in front of a full house here and it gives you motivation.

“My only concern was not getting in my own way and freezing, which I do sometimes. That’s something I am trying to work on. I enjoyed it and felt I was zoned in and focused. I have been there and done it in this event which will stand me in good stead if I get to the business end.“

Carter said simply: “Mark was very good and I was absolute rubbish. He strangles you and zaps you of confidence. I just wanted to get out of there in the end.“

Neither Willo nor Ding played really well. Maybe they were still a bit tired from their Tibetan adventure. The match was very eventful with all sorts happening at the table. It was certainly entertaining albeit not of the highest quality despite some big breaks from both.

In the evening, it was the complete opposite. Mark Selby delivered a master class. If he can keep that level, he will probably win the tournament. Ali had no answers and, although he continued to apply himself, it was plainly evident that he was frustrated and, after the MSI, had given up hope and didn’t want to be there.

Ronnie was in the studio in the evening and gave an update about his own state of mind. He’s OK. He explained that by Sunday he was feeling OK to play, but had not wanted to delay making his decision in order to give whoever would replace him enough time to prepare. That was the right thing to do indeed. All things considered, he looked settled and thinking clearly. It’ reassuring.

It is reported here by the press:

Ronnie O’Sullivan ‘lost the plot’ as he explains Masters withdrawal and gives update on future

Ronnie O’Sullivan withdrew from the Masters on the eve of the tournament with snooker fans and his fellow pros concerned about the seven-time world champion

Image PA

Ronnie O’Sullivan has explained his decision to withdraw from the Masters – and insists he WILL be back on the baize.

Snooker icon O’Sullivan was due to defend his title at Alexandra Palace with his first-round match against John Higgins slated to get the tournament underway on Sunday. But he unexpectedly pulled out after snapping his cue following a defeat by Robert Milkins in the Championship League on Thursday.

O’Sullivan has had well-documented mental health issues in the past, and there were concerns for his wellbeing from fans and fellow pros alike. But the seven-time world champion insists he is OK and will return to the sport.

“I’m alright, not too bad,” he said while working for Eurosport on Monday evening. “It was a nightmare decision really to make, if you’d have asked me Sunday if I was ready to play I’d probably have been ok to play. But it’s such a massive tournament.

“I’d been on a three-week trip away playing and I just think I exhausted myself, a lot of pressure while I was away. The build-up of all that just got a bit too much really.

“I lost the plot on Thursday, snapped my cue, so that’s unplayable, so I knew at that moment in time the right decision was to not play and such a big tournament that I thought whoever was to come in should have had at least a couple of days notice.”

Neil Robertson was the man to take O’Sullivan’s place, and he staged a miraculous comeback from 5-1 down to pip Higgins 6-5 and advance to the quarter-finals.

I just knew at that moment in time, the right decision was to not play” .

On his cue, the Rocket added: “It was in the bin, one of them wheelie bins, but my mate said we can’t leave that here, so he got it out and brought it with us.”I’ve got a couple of other cues that I can start practicing with because there’s some tournaments coming up. I’m going to continue to play so I need to get used to the cue now.”

In words O’Sullivan fans will be relieved to hear, the 49-year-old even talked of a return to Ally Pally next year and still harbours aspirations of lifting a ninth Masters title.

“This is an unbelievable tournament, top 16, best players in the world, amazing crowd, I’ve won this tournament many times, been in 14 finals,” he said. “I’d love to come here and play again and hopefully be lucky enough to win the trophy again, that would be great.

After the evening match, in the studio, Mark and Ronnie had a very interesting and honest discussion about mental health

In the news there is also suggestion that Ronnie “faces” a lawsuit … This is misleading as I explained in this previous post.

2025 Championship League Snooker Invitational Group 3 – Day 2

Monique Professional snooker, Professional snooker tournament

Kyren Wilson emerged the winner of the 2025 invitational CLS Group 3 yesterday evening.

Here is the report shared by WST:

WILSON BEATS JONES IN GROUP THREE FINAL

In a repeat of last year’s Crucible final, Kyren Wilson came from 2-1 down to beat Jak Jones 3-2 to win Group Three of BetVictor Championship League Snooker Invitational. 

Results / Tables and fixtures1

Wilson is enjoying a fine season as reigning World Champion having already landed two more titles at the Xi’an Grand Prix and BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, and he’ll have the chance for further silverware in February’s Winners’ Group, joining Hossein Vafaei, Si Jiahui and four others.

He finished second in the group phase today with four wins from five, behind Mark Selby who reeled off five victories in a row, with Ali Carter third and Jones fourth. In the semi-finals, Wilson edged out Carter 3-2 with a break of 77 in the decider while Jones impressed in a 3-1 defeat of Selby.

World number two Wilson took the first frame of the final then Jones hit back with runs of 70 and 115 to lead 2-1. Frame four went to Wilson with a run of 69, and he had first chance in the decider but made just 14 before running out of position and playing a loose safety. But Jones missed a tricky red to a centre pocket and that proved crucial as Wilson’s break of 55 secured the result.

Group Four gets underway on Friday with Barry Hawkins, Stuart Bingham and Jackson Page joining the action.

Congratulations Kyren Wilson.

Ronnie had two matches scheduled yesterday. He played the first one, lost by 3-2 to Robert Milkins. During that match his frustration boiled over. He savagely whacked his cue on the rail of the table and David Hendon reflected that he might well have been damaged it because he hit it really hard. Whether this was the case or not, I’m not sure, but Ronnie clearly stopped trying at that point, finished the match, and then withdrew from the event. It’s worth mentioning that Ronnie immediately apologised to both the referee, John Pellew and his opponent for his outburst, something the commentators appreciated.

It’s not the first time Ronnie withdraws from the invitational CLS, an event he essentially treats as good paid practice. and I’m sure he would have with drawn at the end of the day, no matter what2 but I can’t remember him doing it in the middle of a day with another match to play. So maybe, Hendon was right and Ronnie didn’t want to risk further possible damage to the cue. He got crucified for it on social media, but by doing it rigth away he actually made sure that Chris Wakelin would get the option to play in the next group although Wakelin apparently didn’t take it.

What’s next for Ronnie?

This season has, so far been a very strange one. Ronnie hasn’t played badly in general, but mistakes have crept into his game and he’s suffered several premature exits from tournaments. He’s clearly not happy and struggling with the whole situation.

Let me try to explain I say that Ronnie has not actually played badly. Here are the scores of the matches he played in the CLS:

Ronnie has played 24 frames in five matches over the last two days. All but one, the match against Kyren Wilson, the eventual group winner, went to a deciding frame. He won 10 of those frames, and made 10 breaks over 50 in the process, including three centuries, a 98 and a 90. That’s heavy scoring. So the scoring isn’t the issue. The issue yesterday was too many odd unexpected, frustrating mistakes … and at one time, after a positional mistake, Steven Hallworth in commentary stated that there was no way Ronnie could have played a certain shot “that way”, that his tip was almost certainly not how/what it should have been for the cue ball reacting the way it had. If Steven was right, then Ronnie certainly took the wise decision, giving himself more time to fix the issue before the 2025 Masters

  1. I have replaced WST links with the ones on snooker.org because the latter will remain valid over time ↩︎
  2. The reason I write that is because he starts his Masters defence on Sunday and I’m certain that he wouldn’t have wanted to stay for two more long tiring days in Leicester, especially if he wanted to fit a new tip on his cue as he was clearly not happy with the one he used at the CLS. ↩︎