Ronnie beat Ding Junhui by 10-7 yesterday night in York to win a record extending 8th UK Championship, bringing his tally of ranking titles to 40. This comes 30 years after he had won his first one in Preston in 1993 and became the youngest UK champion, yesterday he became the oldest.

Congratulations Ronnie!

Here is the report by WST:

Rocket Captures Eighth UK Crown

World number one Ronnie O’Sullivan secured a record extending eighth MrQ UK Championship title with a 10-7 win over Ding Junhui in York.

O’Sullivan is already the youngest ever UK Champion and today’s victory sees him become the oldest. Just two days shy of his 48th birthday, O’Sullivan eclipses the previous record set by Doug Mountjoy, who was 46 years and 172 days old when he won the title in 1988.

The Rocket’s eighth crown comes 30 years on from the first. He was only 17 years of age when he defeated Stephen Hendry 10-6 to lift the famous trophy in the Preston Guild Hall in 1993. O’Sullivan went on to add further UK Championship wins in 1997, 2001, 2007, 2014, 2017 and 2018, as well as his triumph this year.

Most UK Championship Victories

• Ronnie O’Sullivan – 8
• Steve Davis – 6
• Stephen Hendry – 5
• Ding Junhui, John Higgins, Neil Robertson – 3

The Englishman has now amassed an incredible 22 Triple Crown titles and today sees him capture a ranking event trophy for the 40th time in his career. Those statistical feats further cement his status as the greatest of all-time, with his nearest challenger Hendry sitting on 18 Triple Crown victories and 36 ranking titles.

Today’s final was a meeting between snooker’s two biggest global superstars. Whilst O’Sullivan shot to fame with his 1993 win, Ding rose to prominence when he followed up his 2005 China Open win with a maiden UK title later that year. The Chinese sporting icon added further victories in 2009 and 2019 to take his UK Championship tally to three.

O’Sullivan scoops the £250,000 top prize and consolidates his position as world number one. The £100,000 earned by Ding secures his place in the top 16 of the world rankings and qualification for the Masters, where he will face O’Sullivan in the first round.

The afternoon session saw Ding set up a grandstand finish, after he fought back from 4-1 down to level at 4-4 heading into tonight. O’Sullivan stopped the rot as the evening session got underway, firing in a superb 84 break to regain the lead at 5-4.

The pendulum continued to swing, with Ding restoring parity in the tenth, before O’Sullivan took charge with contributions of 87 and 79 to establish a 7-5 lead at the mid-session interval.

With the finishing line beginning to appear on the horizon for his opponent, 14-time ranking event winner Ding summoned a charge to get himself back into contention. Runs of 52 and 104 helped him to take two on the bounce and once again square the match at 7-7.

Typically, when the pressure was at its greatest, O’Sullivan found a way to push himself towards victory. Breaks of 100 and 74 moved him within one frame at 9-7. He then sent a raucous crowd into raptures in the 17th, with a spellbinding 127 break which was greeted with a standing ovation as he secured glory in York once again.

“I love it. I love competing, I love performing, I love playing and I love that I went out there tonight and I used my head. Because at the end of the day I have this thing in my head that people want me to play perfect snooker. My friend said to me the other day that they don’t. He said they love your thoughts and love all of the ups and downs of it. I just wanted to go out there today and try hard to be professional and honest. If I won great and if I didn’t then at least do my best,” said a delighted O’Sullivan.

“It was an honour to play Ding. He’s such a classy player and such a classy guy. To share the table with him in that venue and in that final was an honour. I know there will have been so many people in China watching that final supporting Ding and supporting me as well. We’ve put on a good show.

“You get a different appreciation for it. I am really experienced now so I don’t panic as much and I don’t worry. I get times when I think I’m 7-5 up and haven’t really flew. That is because my base level B and C game is still pretty high. You just have to focus, so now I think I use my head more and win matches with my experience more.

“It’s just bonkers isn’t it? That we’re 48 and still winning tournaments. I just don’t get it. Sheffield will be a hard thing to do, because it is 17 days. Physically that will be a tall ask of me, John (Higgins), or Mark (Williams) to win. These tournaments that are a week we can still do it.”

Ding said: “It was a very good week. I knew it was going to be very tough tonight. I missed a couple of shots to win frames in the first session. I tried to get more points and fight to win a frame then get another and see what happens. To be 4-4 was not too bad but he played better tonight.

“I have really taken the crowd here to heart. Thanks for the support every game. I love playing here.”

Here are the scores:

And Ronnie’s reaction on social media

Some videos shared by Eurosport on their YouTube channel:

And this concludes an incredible week…

With this win, Ronnie has secured his place in this season World Grand Prix and Players Championship certainly, and most probably (I didn’t do the maths) in the Tour Championship as well. Csilla can relax … he won’t be out of the top 16 at the start of next season. 😊

Ronnie won his 100th match at the UK Championship yesterday by beating Zhou Yuelong by 6-5. Think about it, winning100 matches in just this one competition! 100 matches over 31 years … and Ronnie didn’t actually play in every UK championship over that period. That’s, on average, more than three matches won in every instance of the event over 31 years. Indeed looking at the career stats, Ronnie has regularly reached the QFs or better in this tournament in tournament.

Here is WST report on the afternoon session:

O’Sullivan And Vafaei Set For Semi-Final Showdown

World number one Ronnie O’Sullivan scored a thrilling 6-5 win over Zhou Yuelong to set up a blockbuster semi-final showdown with Iran’s Hossein Vafaei at the MrQ UK Championship in York.

O’Sullivan and Vafaei were involved in a war of words in the build up to their meeting at the World Championship earlier this year. Tensions arose between the pair when O’Sullivan smashed the reds open from the break in a 5-0 win for Vafaei in 2022 German Masters. He returned the favour at the Crucible, but succumbed to a thumping 13-2 defeat at the hands of the Rocket, who had his retribution. After the match they appeared to have made up as they embraced walking out of the arena.

Today’s victory is O’Sullivan’s 100th match win in the UK Championship and sees him reach the 90th ranking semi-final of his career. It means Judd Trump must now make at least the final if he is to knock O’Sullivan from the summit of the world rankings.

This afternoon’s tie saw O’Sullivan get off to a blistering start. Breaks of 125 and 68 helped him on his way to establishing a 3-0 lead. However, Zhou kept in contention by taking a scrappy fourth to head in for the interval 3-1 behind.

When play resumed it was soon 4-1, after a break of 60 saw 39-time ranking event winner O’Sullivan regain his three-frame cushion. Despite struggling in the first half of the match, China’s Zhou found his feet and managed to claw his way back into proceedings and to the cusp of victory, with a four-frame burst to go 5-4 up.

O’Sullivan was staring down the barrel of defeat, but clicked back into gear just in time with runs of 77 and 122 to fight back and secure a thrilling 6-5 win.

“I’m technically all over the gaff. Out of desperation I started to play alright. When I was going through the motions and plodding away, I was just awful. I was steering the ball, trying to guide the ball in and I was twitching. I was doing all sorts. In the last two frames I thought, just commit,” said 47-year-old O’Sullivan. “I’ve had a result winning one match here. I said to my mate yesterday, we’ve done amazing so far to make the quarters. I’m pleased to be in the semis.

“He (Hossein) is playing great. I saw the breaks he was knocking in and I think he’s a fantastic player. He has that killer instinct and he’s not scared of anyone. He goes out there and attacks the game”

Vafaei earned his place in the last four with an impressive 6-4 win over International Champion Zhang Anda.

The world number 18 now knows that if Ding Junhui fails to make the semi-finals he will dislodge him and move into the world’s top 16, regardless of the scoreline against O’Sullivan.

For the second match in a row, Vafaei hammered home three centuries on his way to victory. He crafted runs of 120, 100 and 106 during this afternoon’s match.

“To be honest with you I don’t know what has clicked. Sometimes in life you need something to click. It gives you confidence and you start believing in yourself that you can do it. All of a sudden you find consistency without thinking. I’m so happy that I’m still in the tournament,” said Vafaei.

“I learned so much from that match (against O’Sullivan at the World Championship). If I didn’t put myself in that situation who knows where I would be. Maybe that is the reason I am here right now. I learned a lot from it and learned to control my mind, myself and my mouth!

“I’m looking forward to it. Any occasion playing your hero and legend and the greatest of all-time. Nobody can play snooker better than Ronnie O’Sullivan lets be honest. He is a genius at his work. I am so happy his documentary came out and people can watch it as well. It is such a good thing for our sport.”

Ronnie didn’t play well yesterday. He started well, finished well but, in between, he was awful. It’s a testimony of his will to win and persistence that he managed to get through. That is a quality that is often overlooked. People tend to remember the times when Ronnie had meltdowns, but he’s won his fair shares of hard ugly battles as well as deciders. Yesterday was one of these occasions, as Nick Metcalfe duly mentioned on twitter,

I won’t lie, I found it hard to watch as it happened but was very happy afterwards!

Some images…

And videos, shared on ES Youtube Channel

As for Ronnie’s mindset here are more very revealing quotes as reported by David Cauldfield:

….

“When I look back at the first one, I think that it was so nice back then that no one knew me,” Ronnie O’Sullivan told the World Snooker Tour.

“I was just walking through my hotel, through the car park at the Preston Guild Hall. No one stopped me or spoke to me.”

“I could go and do my snooker, but obviously once I’ve won the tournament and gone home, your life changes a bit.

“I do remember just having the peace and quiet of just going and being anonymous. 

“Loving the game and not having the pressure of people wanting a piece of you – that’s what I find hard now, people wanting a piece of me.

“I find it difficult when people see me and tell me I’m going to win this or win that. I feel like I just want to tell them to go away.

“I hate it. The more people tell me you can do this, the more I think I’m going to lose, because you get on my nerves. 

“I just don’t like it. I just can’t handle it. I’d like to just turn up and play.

“I’ve won seven Masters, seven UKs, seven Worlds. ‘He’s got to win an eighth, he’s got to win a ninth.’ I can’t just have a bit of peace and quiet and enjoy it.

“What will be will be. I don’t find it that important really. I find it difficult, the pressure of what people expect from me. I don’t like it. 

“That’s why I try to stay away from people to be honest, but it’s hard when you’re in a hotel. They just find you, you know.

“I just wish people wouldn’t say that to me. Just say hello and how are you doing? ‘How’s Ronnie? How’s Ronnie today?’ That’d be nice.”

…

The match against Vafaei today will not be easy but Ronnie is still in the draw, he’s still in with a chance to progress further and that looked very unlikely at times yesterday afternoon ! Whatever happens today, Ronnie will be 9th or better in the one year list at the end of the tournament. His spot in the World Grand Prix is safe.

I didn’t see a thing of the Hossein v Zhang match, so I can’t assess Hossein’s form but It’s probably very good and he will be very motivated too! Ouch!

And here is WST report on the evening matches:

Trump Sees Off Selby

Judd Trump held off a Mark Selby fightback to win 6-3 and earn his place in the semi-finals of the MrQ UK Championship in York.

Victory sees player of the season so far Trump remain in the hunt to dethrone Ronnie O’Sullivan and move to the top in the world rankings. Trump will claim the world number one spot if he wins his semi-final with Ding Junhui tomorrow and O’Sullivan is beaten in his last four clash with Hossein Vafaei.

The Ace in the Pack has already enjoyed a remarkable campaign, having become only the fifth player in snooker history to capture three consecutive ranking titles. Trump won successive silverware at the English Open, Northern Ireland Open and Wuhan Open. He was also runner-up to Mark Allen at the recent Champion of Champions. The 26-time ranking event winner is aiming to capture a second UK title this week. He won the event back in 2011 with a 10-8 win over Allen.

Defeat means that despite some strong showings, 22-time ranking event winner Selby will have to wait for his first title of the season. The Jester from Leicester was runner-up to Mark Williams at the British Open and lost semi-finals at the Shanghai Masters and European Masters.

Trump blitzed to a 4-0 lead this evening, making breaks of 100, 93 and 52 along the way. Selby replied by taking the fourth, but it was Trump who moved to the verge of victory with a run of 95 to make it 5-1.

Selby dug deep and took the seventh, before making 98 to pull within two frames at 5-3. However, Trump wasn’t to be denied and he took the ninth to get over the line and make his first semi-final in York since 2014.

“Whenever you have a big lead you are always relieved to get over the line. Especially when someone looks like they are back in form, like when he went 5-3. A lot of relief to get the win,” said 2019 World Champion Trump.

“It is horrible against anyone when you have that kind of lead. Unless you are really flying, you always feel like they can come back at you. Especially when there have already been shocks in the tournament, you don’t want to be added to that list.

“It is going to be amazing to be back in a semi-final here. It has already been a brilliant season, but until you prove yourself in these really big events then you can easily get forgotten about. You want to be delivering on the big stage as much as possible. It is nice to do it in some of the other events, but a lot of people watch these that don’t watch the other ones so it is nice to go out there and prove it again.”

Ding earned his place in the semi-finals with a thrilling 6-5 win over Welshman Mark Williams.

China’s Ding is a three-time UK Champion, having 2005, 2009 and 2019. His win this evening sees him move within two matches of a fourth title in the event and also secures his place in the top 16 for the upcoming Masters.

With Ding leading 4-3, the pair were involved in a landmark frame. Williams won the eighth by a scoreline of 101-94, making it the highest scoring frame in snooker history. The 195 accumulative points beat the previous record of 192 set by Dominic Dale and Peter Lines.

Williams took the next to make it 5-4, before Ding restored parity and forced a decider.  Both players spurned chances in the final frame, but it was Ding who eventually fired in a century break of 105 to seal victory.

Mark Selby fought valiantly from 4-0 down but he had left himself far too much to do. He played awful before the MSI. He went on the practice table during and improved significantly but really It was too late.

I saw nothing of the other evening match.

Here is the end of the mammoth frame played between Ding and Willo … they only spent 20 minutes plus on the five last colours… 😮😲

These are the reports shared by WST on what happened on day 5 in York

Afternoon session:

Ding Beats Ford To Close In On Masters Spot

Ding Junhui ended Tom Ford’s hopes of qualifying for the Masters and enhanced his own with a 6-3 win to make the quarter-finals of the MrQ UK Championship in York.

This afternoon’s clash was a straight shoot out between world number 17 Ding and world number 16 Ford. They came into the encounter knowing that the loser would no longer be in contention for a place at Alexandra Palace, with the seeding cut off a the end of the week.

The result leaves Ding in pole position to secure a return to the Masters, having missed out on qualification in the previous two seasons. Iran’s Hossein Vafaei has the best chance of pipping him, but he must at least make the semi-finals to stand a chance. Defeat for Ford ends his hopes of qualifying for the Masters for the first time.

Ding was runner-up to Mark Allen last year in York and he now finds himself just two wins away from a return to the final. Next up he faces either Mark Williams or Jamie Clarke in the last eight.

This afternoon’s match got off to a blistering start, as both players put on a break building masterclass. Consecutive runs of 126 and 110 saw Ding move 2-0 ahead. However, Ford hit back with breaks of 118 and 98 to restore parity at 2-2.

The fifth frame went the way of Ding, before a dramatic sixth. It came down to a safety battle on the final black after Ford failed to gain position on the final ball. Ding eventually fluked it to the green pocket to move 4-2 ahead. The next two frames were traded, before Ding got himself over the line with a break of 106 to wrap up the 6-3 win.

“When I got chances I went into the pack and opened the balls. I made centuries in those first two frames and I could have made more today. He also played good though,” said three-time UK Champion Ding.

“I didn’t think about the ranking points before the match. I just wanted to win the match. It can be up and down so quickly that I can’t really concentrate on the rankings before the match.

“I love to play here. I’ve always said that. I like the venue and the weather in the UK in November and December is the best for snooker. The tables are perfect and the temperature inside the venue is right for this big event.”

On the other table, Judd Trump blitzed to a 6-0 whitewash win over Jamie Jones as he continued his quest for a first UK title since 2011.

Trump defeated Mark Allen 10-8 in the final 12 years ago, but despite being to the final on two occasions since then he is yet to register a second UK Championship victory.

The Ace in the Pack is the form player of the season so far, having won three consecutive titles at the English Open, Wuhan Open and the Northern Ireland Open. He was ruthless in his demolition of Welshman Jones today, firing in breaks of 100, 59 and 51 along the way. Trump awaits the winner of Mark Selby against Barry Hawkins in the last eight.

Ding played really well indeed. Ford looked frustrated towards the end but he was again a really strong player on the day. Trump on the other hand wasn’t tested. Jamie Jones can be truly excellent on his day but yesterday was definitely not his day. He played poorly.

Evening session:

Selby Edges Hawkins In Epic

Mark Selby defeated his flatmate for the week Barry Hawkins 6-5 after a thrilling final frame decider in their last 16 clash at the MrQ UK Championship in York.

Selby and Hawkins have become close friends in recent years, but this evening’s encounter was contested fiercely right down to the final balls. Hawkins had a chance in the last frame to clear, but agonisingly snookered himself on the final blue. Eventually it was four-time World Champion Selby who potted a difficult blue bridging over the top of the black and then deposited the pink to get over the line.

Victory earns Selby a mouth-watering quarter-final showdown with player of the season so far Judd Trump, who won three consecutive titles at the English Open, Wuhan Open and Northern Ireland Open. However, Selby can take confidence from the fact he won their most recent meeting at the 2023 Shanghai Masters 6-1.

The 22-time ranking event winner will be hoping that he can capture his first silverware of the season, having regularly knocked on the door. Selby has already made semi-finals at the Shanghai Masters and the European Masters and was runner-up at the British Open.

Selby fired in breaks of 142, 101, 76 and 70 on his way to establishing a 5-3 lead this evening. However, Hawkins replied with contributions of 84 and 88 to force a decider, where Selby eventually got over the line after a 58-minute final frame.

“I’m happy to win, but I’m exhausted. It was a tough game and it was always going to be tough. Barry gives you nothing out there. You basically have to play like that to beat him. He is a quality player,” said 40-year-old Selby.

“I just said I was sorry to him at the end. We are sharing an apartment together and the way he was going at the end I was thinking I’d rather he had beaten me 6-2. The way the match went for either of us it was going to be a horrible way to lose.

“Judd is the player of the season by a long stretch. He is definitely the man in form and the man to beat. I am going to be up against it. I’ll have to play somewhere similar to that or the performance against Mark Joyce to stand a chance. I will enjoy the challenge.”

On the other table, Mark Williams reached the 110th ranking event quarter-final of his career, after a 6-4 defeat of fellow Welshman Jamie Clarke.

Williams crafted three century runs of 138, 107 and 100 on his way to this evening’s victory. Next up the world number eight faces a last eight meeting with China’s Ding Junhui.

The Hawkins v Selby match was always going to be hard fought and difficult for both of them. You have to admire their professionalism under such circumstances. This was one of the very best matches so far this season but I doubt either if them enjoyed it.

Ronnie won his opening match at this year UK Championship yesterday, exactly 30 years after he won his first UK Championship, his first ranking tournament, in 1993, beating Stephen Hendry in the Final. He beat Anthony Mc Gill by 6-2, from 0-2 down.

Here are the numbers

And the report by WST on the afternoon session:

I’m A Born Again Snooker Player – O’Sullivan

Ronnie O’Sullivan got his 2023 MrQ UK Championship campaign underway with a 6-2 win over Anthony McGill in York and 30 years to the day since he first lifted the title in this event as a 17-year-old, he branded himself as a “born again snooker player”.

O’Sullivan’s maiden UK title back in 1993 came when he defeated Stephen Hendry 10-6 at the Preston Guild Hall. It made him the youngest ever winner of a ranking event and was the first of 39 ranking crowns to date.

The Rocket has established himself as the greatest player in the history of the sport in virtually all statistical categories, including his seven UK Championship victories. He’s off to a strong start in his bid for an eighth and will now await the winner of Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Robert Milkins’ last 32 clash this evening.

World number one O’Sullivan is currently engaged in a three-way battle for the summit of the world rankings. Both World Champion Luca Brecel and player of the season so far Judd Trump are in contention to usurp him. Trump must make at least the semi-finals, while Brecel has to win the event.

Defeat for Scotland’s McGill is a continuation of his unfavourable record against O’Sullivan. He’s now lost eight of their nine meetings, but did beat the Englishman on snooker’s biggest stage at the Crucible back in 2021.

It was McGill who made the fastest start this afternoon, firing in a break of 116 to take the opener. Having trailed in the second, he made a break of 56 to move two frames ahead. The Glaswegian had the first opportunities in the following two frames, but failed to capitalise and two breaks of 89 saw O’Sullivan make it 2-2 at the mid-session. When play resumed, further contributions of 66, 61 and 92 helped the seven-time World Champion make it six on the bounce and run out a 6-2 victor.

“When I was 35, I thought I was probably done and dusted. That is what usually happens. I’ve had my best ten years. I’m at that point where I thought everything Is a bonus and every year I get extra playing I appreciate it more. It is like having a second life in a way. I’m a born again snooker player,” said 47-year-old O’Sullivan.

“Anthony has played two games in qualifying and come here. It is always nice to have a couple of matches under your belt. At 2-0 down it was on me a little bit. I managed to play in and get involved in the game after that.”

On the other table, four-time Crucible king John Higgins scored a 6-3 win over Joe O’Connor to book his place in the last 16.

Victory for Higgins sees him move in front of O’Connor in the head-to-head standings, leading 3-2 having lost his first two matches against the Leicester cueman.

Higgins fired in breaks of 66, 76, 58, 122 and 66 on his way to victory and will now play either Neil Robertson or Zhou Yuelong.

Here is the end of the match …

And Ronnie’s post-match in the ES Studio also explaining why he was wearing trainers

Also some images shared on social media, including Weibo

Ronnie wasn’t at his best but those first round matches are never easy for the seeds who come against an opponent who has already at leat two matches under their belt and has already secured 10000 pounds and ranking points.

This is WST report on the evening session:

Zhou Ends Robertson Streak

China’s Zhou Yuelong scored his first win over Neil Robertson, beating the Australian 6-2 on a night of tremendous entertainment in York at the MrQ UK Championship.

Defeat for Robertson ends an incredible 16-year streak. The 23-time ranking event winner won a professional title in each calendar year between 2006 and 2022, but failed to capture silverware in 2023. He now heads home to Australia for an extended break over the Christmas period.

World number 26 Zhou had lost all three of his previous meetings with the Thunder from Down Under. That included a 6-2 loss in the 2020 UK Championship semi-finals and a 9-0 defeat in the 2020 European Masters final.

Victory for Zhou sets up a last 16 showdown with four-time World Champion John Higgins, who he has previously said he would like to mentor him at some point in the future. The Chengdu cueman will head into that clash with the legendary Scot full of confidence, having already come through two matches in qualifying, including a 6-5 win over Ian Burns on Judgement Day.

Zhou fired in a break of 80 to take the opener this evening, before Robertson claimed a tight second to restore parity at 1-1. A break of 134 from Zhou in the third was bettered when Robertson hammered in a stunning 135 in the fourth to head in for the mid-session level at 2-2.

When play resumed an inspired Zhou burst clear to romp to the finish line. Runs of 67, 99, 136 and 74 saw him rack up four on the bounce to seal an impressive 6-2 victory.

Zhou said: “I felt confident today and I felt comfortable. I know Neil is a very good opponent. He is very strong so I needed to give him pressure and I needed to be perfect. I did that.

“John Higgins is my favourite player and also my idol. I will enjoy playing against him. When I was younger I always watched him and Ronnie and Mark Williams too. For many years he has always been in the top eight. He is a very tough player.”

On the other table, Robert Milkins came through a pulsating encounter with Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 6-5 to book a meeting with world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan in the second round.

Milkins was placed firmly on the back foot in the early stages of this encounter, when Un-Nooh composed breaks of 93, 127 and 85 to move 3-1 ahead at the mid-session interval.

The Gloucester cueman sprang into life after the break, embarking on a brilliant attempt at a 147. However, Milkins missed a tricky last red to end his run on 112. It was soon two on the bounce when he compiled a contribution of 99 in the seventh to make it 4-3. Un-Nooh then moved one from victory at 5-3, but Welsh Open champion Milkins refused to fade and hammered in a 121 to stay in touch at 5-4.

World number 14 Milkins then took a narrow tenth frame on the pink and claimed the decider to score an important victory which moves him to the verge of Masters qualification.

Zhou played really well indeed, but all the same this is another disastrous result for Neil Robertson who looked quite upset to me at the end of the match. Robertson confirmed to Eurosport that he will now take a break and travel to Australia to see his family, something he hasn’t done for four years. All this that he will not qualify for the World Grand Prix and, will really need some good results in the second half of the season if he wants to keep his place in the top 16.

… Ronnie spoke to the BBC to his situation vis-á-vis World Snooker

Ronnie O’Sullivan: Seven-time world champion says he was asked to ‘consider future’ by governing body

By Steve Sutcliffe – BBC Sport

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan says snooker’s governing body asked him “to consider” his future in the sport in a recent letter.

O’Sullivan, 47, is facing disciplinary action for publicly criticising the World Snooker Tour over its stance on five players appearing in an exhibition event in Macau earlier this season. 

He has also threatened to quit snooker over the row.

The WST has been asked to respond to O’Sullivan’s latest comments.

“The letter they’ve sent me has not been very nice,” the Englishman said.

“I think I’ve done a lot of good for this game. I’d expect someone to come out and say, ‘you know what, we think you’ve done great for the game, we love what you give‘. 

“I never get a ‘well done’ letter. All I get is a letter saying I’ve done this and that wrong. I’ve not spoken to anyone at World Snooker for 10 years and I won’t ever reach out to them again because I know the culture is not for me.“

Disciplinary action against the five players – current world champion Luca Brecel, four-time world champions John Higgins and Mark Selby, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Ali Carter – was averted when the event in Macau, a special administrative region of China, was moved to December, with WST permission.

Current world number one O’Sullivan backed the players in their dispute with the WST in October. 

More recently, Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen said he was hoping for a “peaceful resolution” to contract concerns when he and other players meet with snooker bosses during the UK Championship.

Specially organised events in East Asia are a lucrative proposition for stars such as O’Sullivan, who can attract large crowds whenever they play, and he believes that contracts to play on the main professional tour should offer more flexibility to allow that to happen.

“Sharing a slice of cake with 130 players [on the main tour] is difficult,” O’Sullivan said. 

“When I go to China, they are paying me 10 to 15 times the amount I can get to play here. At this stage of my career, I have to think of what is right for my family. I want them to have a comfortable life.”

Let me just say that I find the whole situation quite baffling! Ronnie remains a major attraction to the fans, he puts bums on seats more than anyone else. Why not seek a solution that would meet both sides needs and concerns. Of course, a player who will turn 48 in a few days does consider his future and will be focused on securing the best possible future for their family. Everyone with some common sense would do the same. It’s not rocket science! They would do the same if they were in his shoes. He has brought a lot to the sport for over 30 years. It’s not his fault if they failed to market the younger players better and are still relying on veterans to sell their sport. And they really should ask themselves WHY there are no young players, other than from Asia, really coming through to the very top. I have touched that subject a few times in the past and won’t repeat it here … just a hint … ditch the money list, ditch the flat draw.

Having been mainly on the road (and in the sky) over the last two days, I can’t comment much on the action in York. Here are the reports by WST covering the lat two days.

Sunday afternoon

Brecel Seeking Crucible Vibe In York

World Champion Luca Brecel is aiming to recapture the winning feeling at this week’s MrQ UK Championship in York and he made a strong start to his campaign with a 6-4 win over China’s Yuan Sijun.

Brecel dramatically catapulted himself to the top of the snooker world back in May by capturing his maiden Crucible crown. The Belgian defeated Mark Selby 18-15 in a classic world final. Since then he has enjoyed a period of celebration, which has involved travelling the globe and investing much of his winnings in new cars. In addition to the Ferrari he bought in the aftermath of the World Championship, the last week has also seen him purchase a Porsche and Range Rover.

On the table, Brecel’s main highlight since becoming World Champion has been a run to the Shanghai Masters final, where he was beaten 11-9 by Ronnie O’Sullivan. However, he is yet to go beyond the last 16 in ranking events this season. Brecel is determined to now push on and start hitting the heights of his exploits in Sheffield.

Yuan will be disappointed at this afternoon’s exit, but can take solace from two fine victories in qualifying. The 23-year-old beat Alexander Ursenbacher 6-5, before a 6-3 defeat of 1997 World Champion Ken Doherty sealed qualification and his best ever UK Championship performance.

It was Yuan who took the opener, before Brecel burst into life with a sublime 127 to take the second. Yuan regained his lead, but a second century run of 108 from Brecel ensured parity heading into the mid-session at 2-2.

When play resumed Brecel burst two clear at 4-2, but Yuan replied by taking the seventh on the black and then claiming the eighth to make it 4-4. A break of 86 moved Brecel one from the win and he then got himself over the line by winning a hard fought 27-minute tenth frame. After the match he explained why he has decided now is the time to knuckle down in a bid to recapture his best form.

Brecel said: “It is maybe 80% for myself. As a World Champion you want to be performing well and playing well. A lot of people come to watch me, I don’t want to let them down and I don’t want to let myself down. The 20% is because I am a bit tired of hearing people say I am lazy. The way people see me, they maybe think I don’t care about snooker at all. Actually, it is the total opposite. I love this game and I love performing well and winning. Maybe I want to show a bit more of the way Luca really is and try to get back into the winner’s circle.

“There are a lot of positives to take. I think if I can cut out the little mistakes then I could be dangerous. I just came to York to maybe just try to find that little bit of confidence and get that feeling of going deep in tournaments. I want to get that World Championship vibe again. Who knows? If I play well in the next game and win I am in the quarter-finals and it could maybe kick start my season.

“I bought two other cars this week, so I went from a millionaire to a non-millionaire. Obviously you just pay them cash, but it means you have the money in your hands for the bad days that come, so maybe it’s a little bit of an investment as well, some might go up value. I bought it because I know it doesn’t depreciate a lot, so I’m maybe not as stupid as al lot of people think. It was a conscious decision to buy the cars and maybe feel that bit of pressure again. I didn’t go lazy, but I haven’t felt that hunger or motivation I don’t like that feeling. I had to change something.”

On the other table, recently crowned International Champion Zhang Anda came through a marathon battle with Elliot Slessor 6-5 to set up a last 16 showdown with Brecel.

The match lasted four hours and 38 minutes, with Zhang battling back from the brink at 5-4 down. A nerveless run of 70 saw him force the final frame and he held his nerve in the decider, making a break of 46 on his way to getting over the line.

Luca was far from his best, but for the first time this season I had the feeling that he was really mentally focused on the match.

Sunday night

Vafaei Battles Past The Magician

Iran’s Hossein Vafaei earned a late night 6-4 victory over 2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy, after the evening session was delayed by an hour due to a fire alarm at the MrQ UK Championship in York.

It was the first time Vafaei and Murphy have faced off on the World Snooker Tour, other than at the Shoot Out, and high octane snooker was expected with both players known for their aggressive style of play. However, the unexpected delay in play meant for a fragmented start when the pair finally took to the arena at 8pm.

Vafaei had to come through qualifying to make it to the Barbican, but he is used to landing seismic wins in York, having knocked out four-time World Champion Mark Selby in each of the last two years.

This evening’s tie saw Vafaei win a low scoring opener with just 56 points, before adding the second to move 2-0 up. The third frame went the way of Murphy and the Magician then clinched the fourth on the black to head into the mid-session level at 2-2.

Breaks of 52 and 100 saw Vafaei reassert his authority on proceedings after play got back underway, moving 4-2 ahead. He was pegged back to 4-3, but a break of 78 then saw world number 18 Vafaei move one from victory at 5-3. Although Murphy extended the match by taking the ninth, Vafaei made a crucial break of 67 to get over the line and secure his place in the last 16.

Vafaei said: “To be honest with you, I will take that but I didn’t play really well. The most important thing for me is that I am still in the tournament and I’m in the next round. The match went a little bit slow. I managed to win and got a century. I am quite happy.

“My body was going because the situation happened one hour before the match. Everyone got moved because of the fire alarm. It made us a little bit tired. In the end I managed everything really well.

“I was in my dressing room and I got told we had to go out because fire could come inside that room as well. I took my cue and I ran outside. We got moved to the pub, where it was warm and nice. Half an hour later they came and told us we could go back because everything was fixed.”

Next up Vafaei faces world number 29 Matthew Selt, who defeated fellow Essex cueman Ali Carter 6-3.

Selt crafted breaks of 111, 102 and 73 on his way to victory. He will be gunning for a second trip to the UK Championship quarter-finals in the next round, while his opponent Vafaei is seeking a maiden place in the last eight.

8 pm in York was 9 pm in the UK and having to travel the next morning, I only watched the first couple of frames of the Murphy v Vafaei match. Both players looked a bit out of sorts, probably because their pre-match routine had been badly derailed by the fire alert. My feeling though was that, of the two, Hossein wanted it the most.

Monday afternoon

Trump Thrashes Pang In York

Judd Trump blitzed to a 6-1 win over Pang Junxu to remain in contention for a potential fourth ranking title of the season and the hunt for the world number one spot at the MrQ UK Championship in York.

The Ace in the Pack has enjoyed a phenomenal start to the season. He became only the fifth player in the history of snooker to land three consecutive ranking titles, thanks to an amazing 22-match streak. He jetted across the globe to pick up silverware in back-to-back weeks at the English Open, Wuhan Open and the Northern Ireland Open.

That burst of form has meant he stands a chance of usurping Ronnie O’Sullivan at the summit of the world rankings this week, the 34-year-old must make at least the quarter-finals. Next up he faces either Jack Lisowski or Jamie Jones in the last 16.

Pang, who was Rookie of the Year in 2021, came through two rounds of qualifying to clinch his place in the final stages, beating Mark Davis 6-4 and Craig Steadman 6-2. However, his reward was the unenviable task of facing the World Snooker Tour’s form player and that proved to be a bridge too far.

Trump came flying out of the blocks in the opening frame this afternoon, hammering home a break of 114 for an early lead. A fragmented 28-minute second went the way of Pang, who restored parity at 1-1. However, that was the last time he registered a frame, with 2011 UK Champion Trump blitzing for the line. He made further breaks of 124, 68 and 50 on his way to five on the bounce and a 6-1 victory. Afterwards Trump was relieved to progress, after revealing he has been struggling with illness this week.

“I didn’t feel great, but I will always turn up and give it my best. It is a big tournament and you want to do well in it. I just had lower expectations and maybe that helped a little bit. It was a decent first round performance, a couple of day is a long time and hopefully I can go away and feel a bit better,” said 26-time ranking event winner.

“I’m somewhere near my best, the performances are more and more consistent. Reaching a lot of finals fills you with confidence. I just feel very match sharp. I’ve played a lot of tournaments and a lot of games against top players.

“If I play anywhere near my best it is always going to be tough for anyone to compete against me. I just have to keep going away and playing decent every time. It is not always easy on the big stage. This is a tournament where I have either gone out early or done really well. The next one is a big game for me.”

On the other table, European Masters champion Barry Hawkins earned a hard fought 6-4 win over former Welsh Open finalist Ben Woollaston.

It was Woollaston who took charge in the early stages, making a break of 100 on his way to a 3-1 lead at the mid-session. However, Hawkins turned the tie around after the interval. He took five of the next four to secure his spot in the last 16. Next up the Londoner faces either close friend Mark Selby or Mark Joyce.

I didn’t see a ball of those matches … being in the air or in airports between Brussels and Santorini.

Monday night

Selby Sets Up Flat Share Showdown

Mark Selby whitewashed Mark Joyce 6-0 at the MrQ UK Championship in York to set up a last 16 clash with close friend Barry Hawkins, who he is sharing an apartment with this week.

York hasn’t been the happiest of hunting grounds for Selby in recent times. He suffered early exits in each of the last two years at the hands of Iran’s Hossein Vafaei. However, he is a two-time winner of the event, having most recently picked up the title in 2016 by beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final.

The four-time World Champion has enjoyed good form so far this season despite having not yet captured silverware. He was runner-up to Mark Williams at the British Open and made semi-finals at the Shanghai Masters and European Masters. Selby’s defeat in the European Masters came at the hands of his upcoming opponent, Hawkins.

Joyce came through three rounds of qualifying to make it to the final stages, beating Iulian Boiko, Xiao Guodong and Joe Perry to earn a place in York. However, today’s result extends a losing streak against Selby, who he has never beaten. The Jester from Leicester now leads their head-to-head standings 6-0.

This evening’s tie lasted just an hour and 43 minutes, with Selby ruthlessly sprinting for the line. He compiled breaks of 82, 61, 75 and 80 on his way to the whitewash win.

“It is tough, I’ve been on the end of it myself over the years. He’s done brilliantly to qualify and it is massive occasion for him in a great venue. He wants to go out there and put a performance in. He didn’t do too much wrong though,” said 40-year-old Selby.

“Barry will be making me a tea with a cup of cyanide in! I will have to blank him now. It’s a lovely apartment we are in but we are in the next room to each other. At the start of the competition he said that he’d looked at the accommodation and asked if I fancied sharing an apartment. The draw came out for the seeds and we knew if we both won we would play each other. I said to him that I was going to have the apartment all to myself! Barry is a great lad, one of my best friends on the tour and a great player. He is one of the form players so I will need to play somewhere similar to today to compete.”

On the other table, Jamie Jones came through a nerve-shredding encounter with Jack Lisowski 6-4 to set up a second round showdown with 2019 World Champion Judd Trump.

Jones had trailed 2-0, after Lisowski came from behind to take the first and then won the second on a re-spot having fluked the black twice. A break of 101 saw the Welshman get his first frame on the board and he then took the fourth on the pink to restore parity at 2-2.

The fifth frame saw Jones fire in a fine break of 113 to take the lead for the first time at 3-2. The following two frames were traded, before Lisowski claimed a tight eighth to make it 4-4. Jones went on to take the next two in a row and ensure his place in the next round.

After traveling all day, I tried to watch a bit of the evening match between the two Mark(s), Selby and Joyce. Mark Joyce didn’t play badly in the first frame, but still lost it. I have no recollection of the second frame … and, no, I wasn’t drunk, just far too tired to concentrate on anything. After that I wisely went to bed…

As for Ronnie, who plays this afternoon, going by this article shared by Eurosport, he’s still motivated and wanting to win. But he also wants to prioritise the tournaments in Asia, including his own, non televised, shows. My guess is that, other than by his own feeling of been truly valued there, these decisions are also motivated by what his sponsors want. Also, although Ronnie claims to be always motivated if he enters a tournament, some days ago I stumbled upon an article quoting him and saying that World title number seven had took so much out of him that for several months he really didn’t want to be near a snooker table and didn’t practice. Unfortunately I didn’t save the link but I believe that. It’s consistent with what we saw last season. That’s Ronnie for you: what he says is genuine on the moment but it’s only a reflection of his emotional state there and then.

Two seeds and two qualifiers emerged the winners on the first day at the Barbican in York.

Here are the reports shared by WST:

Afternoon session:

Ding Battles Illness To Dethrone Allen

Ding Junhui overcame dizziness and a fever to edge defending champion Mark Allen 6-5 in a repeat of last year’s final on day one of the MrQ UK Championship in York.

The 2022 title match saw Allen rally from 6-1 down to overhaul Ding on his way to earning a stunning 10-7 victory and becoming UK Champion for the first time. The Northern Irishman came into this year’s event in strong form, having won the recent Champion of Champions, but today’s result sees him suffer an early exit. It’s the first time he’s lost his opening match in York since 2012.

China’s three-time UK Champion Ding had to come through two qualifying rounds to earn his place in the final stages, after being edged out of the world’s top 16 by compatriot Zhang Anda and Tom Ford. Following today’s game he admitted he was close to pulling out of the tournament after becoming unwell in recent days.

The first frame saw Allen come flying out of the blocks, crafting a break of 67 to move 1-0 ahead. A dramatic second went the way of Ding, who cleared with 50 to steal on the final ball, culminating with a tricky cut back black to make it 1-1. Ding then took a tight third frame on the pink, before breaks of 47 and 30 in the fourth saw Allen head into the mid-session level at 2-2.

When play resumed Allen took charge of proceedings, runs of 106 and 60 moved him 4-2 ahead. Ding appeared to be struggling visibly in his chair, but he somehow summoned his best snooker despite that just when he required it. Contributions of 79 and 63 helped him to restore parity at 4-4.

Allen had an opportunity to move one from victory, but ran out of position on 65. Ding ruthlessly stepped up and cleared with 71 to go 5-4 ahead. Allen forced the decider with a break of 70 in a fiercely fought 10th frame. The Pistol had the first chance in the decider, but an unexpected missed red to the left middle left the door open for Ding, who obliged with 102 to claim victory. He now plays either Tom Ford or Noppon Saengkham.

“Every time he made 60 or 50 and I had a chance, I was straight into the black ball area. I made the points that I could. I didn’t put a lot of pressure on myself. I couldn’t think about it that way, because I don’t feel very good,” admitted 14-time ranking event winner Ding.

“I was in the doctors to get some tablets and they haven’t worked yet. In the morning I couldn’t even stand. I thought I maybe wouldn’t be able to play today. I just made it happen and I felt a bit better before the match started. I was thinking of just giving a walkover for this game. I tried to play.”

Allen said: “It was a strange game. I felt like I was in complete control in so many frames and kept losing the frames I was ahead in. I was 5-4 down and I didn’t know how. On another day I win that match 6-1. If you don’t take your chances in this game they come back to bite you and Ding made a good break in the last.

“I’m disappointed to lose. I don’t want to go out in the first round of the UK, but I played well there. I played much better than Ding did. It was just one of those strange games that happens now and again. I did all of the scoring in the game. There were just a few silly mental errors on safeties.”

On the other table, three-time World Champion Mark Williams secured a hard fought 6-4 win over former European Masters winner Fan Zhengyi.

The Welshman composed breaks of 54, 61 and 86 on his way to victory. Next up he faces either Kyren Wilson or Jamie Clarke.

Williams said: “It was a good win for me. I didn’t play too well to be honest. I got a brand new tip on yesterday. The table was really reactive and was excellent. The crowd was excellent. What an atmosphere walking in there, I just didn’t play too well. I’m happy to get through and I potted a good long red in the last frame.”

Ding looked really ill for most of the match. At times I feared he could collapse there and then. Before the interval he really struggled badly. All credits to him for what he did yesterday. He showed huge respect for the fans and the tournament.

I find it a bit sad that Mark Allen felt the need to say that he played better than Ding given the circumstances. He can’t have failed to noticed how unwell Ding was. Yes, he was the heavier scorer, but Ding outplayed him in the safety department. But then, of course, he is the defending champion, it was a very important match for him, he was ahead for most of it. Of course, he’s bitterly disappointed. Such defeats hurt and he’s only human.

Evening session:

Ford Stuns Saengkham On Night Of Fightbacks

Tom Ford mounted a magnificent fightback to come from 5-1 down and beat Noppon Saengkham 6-5 on day one of the MrQ UK Championship in York.

Ford was staring down the barrel of defeat after a barrage of breaks from Saengkham moved the Thai just one from victory. He fired in contributions of 54, 126, 58, 100 and 127 on his way to establishing a 5-1 lead. However, Ford has been working on the mental side of his game in recent years and showed his steel to claw his way back into contention.

World number 16 Ford narrowly earned an automatic place at this year’s event with a brilliant run to the final of the recent International Championship, where he was runner-up to Zhang Anda. He now faces a huge clash with world number 17 Ding Junhui in the second round, with the winner assuming pole position in the race for Masters qualification.

Breaks of 61 and 130 helped Ford move from 5-1 to 5-3 and remain in contention. A dramatic ninth frame saw Saengkham miss an ambitious final red to the yellow pocket. Ford stepped in and cleared with 32 to take the frame on the black and pull within a single frame at 5-4. The Leicester cueman forced a decider, but it was Saengkham who had the first significant contribution with a run of 55. The break ended after Saengkham ran out of position and Ford clinched victory with a brilliant break of 66, punching the air after depositing match ball on the pink.

“I’m smiling and that doesn’t normally happen very often. I was 5-1 down, but I seemed to have a chance every frame. I was blowing them, but when he got in he scored so well. I just kept on fighting and luckily enough I got a few frames back. I thought I was still in it and knuckled down. I’m over the moon,” said 40-year-old Ford.

“I had no chance of winning that match a few years ago. I’d have already been out of the building. I’d have most likely smashed the pack and gone. I tried to stay as focussed as I could, get a couple of frames back and see what happens.

“I was sat there at 5-5, when he was on a break and I was thinking I’d done all of that for nothing. I tried to keep the self belief and fortunately when he let me in the balls went perfect. It was down to me at the end of the day to mess it up, but luckily I kept my nerve and got over the line.”

The pattern of the game on the other table was a mirror image, with Kyren Wilson moving 5-1 ahead before Welshman Jamie Clarke rallied to score a huge 6-5 victory.

Clarke made breaks of 80, 104, 52 and 76 on his way to turning the tie around. He now faces compatriot and three-time World Champion Mark Williams in the last 16. The pair met in the opening round last year, with Clarke coming on top by a 6-3 scoreline. After this evening’s game, Clarke was over the moon to pull off his unlikely comeback win.

“That was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had on a snooker table. I couldn’t believe I won in the end,” said 29-year-old Clarke. “The truth of it was I was looking forward to going home tomorrow. I had a good week in the qualifiers and I wasn’t relaxed out there. I calmed down, found my form at 5-3 and then 5-4. Adrenaline was pumping through my body and it was a really good experience for me.”

I have put part of Tom’s and Jamie’s quotes in bold. Those words are very true, very honest. Tom has always been extremely gifted but controlling his emotions was always a problem. Credits to him for working on it, it’s not easy. In a way, Jamie Clarke is the same: an extremely gifted player who has lost far too often from a seemingly winning position. I wrote “in a way” because they are very different men. Tom used to be an “angry” person, Jamie, if anything, is too nice and it shows in his quotes above: facing defeat he was looking forward to going home. That doesn’t mean he’s someone who gives up, just that sometimes being a bit more “angry” could help him.

… about the setup

This year each table has spectators on two sides right from round one at the venue. That’s good for the players and the atmosphere. The partition is a “full” partition, similar to what it is at the Crucible. That’s a good initiative as it shields the players completely from visual distractions coming from the adjacent table.

… about the tournament format

I remain convinced that this format is far better for everyone than the flat draw. David Grace was reflecting on social media that the flat draw meant that they were all at the venue, “part of the tournament” even if they had to play in a different room. I get that but … the venue was really “cramped”, with four tables in the main arena, there wasn’t really enough space around the tables nearest to the side, the BBC wanted a strict seeding draw, leading to a lot of completely one sided first round matches in the main arena, where the top guys were playing young amateurs more often than not, whilst the close matches were played in the sports hall, a rather uninspiring place where, if you’re not that tall you struggled to actually see the table situation. This format gives all players a winnable match to start with, and those who make it to the main venue have already secured 10000 pounds and points. The qualifiers are extensively covered on stream, during the last round in particular. The pressure is firmly on the seeds in every round. Yes, they will get the money, but not the points.