Where should I start ??? “Extraordinary” doesn’t even come close to accurately describe what happened yesterday at the EIS as Jackson Page made not one but TWO maximum breaks in his match against Allan Taylor, and earned by far his biggest pay day as a professional snooker player. Those were and the 215th and 216th maximums in professional snooker. Page actually became the first player ever to make two maximums in one match. They came in frames 8 and 12. Jackson had never made a 147 in professional play before and it earned him the “147,000 pounds Triple Crown bonus”.
Jackson Page made history by becoming the first ever player to craft two 147 breaks in a single match, claiming a massive £147,000 bonus in the process.
The Welshman made two maximums during his 10-2 win over Allan Taylor in the third round of Halo World Championship qualifying. His first came yesterday afternoon and astonishingly a second came in the last frame of the match today.
As a result, Page earns the £147,000 bonus on offer for making two maximums across snooker’s four majors this season. The 23-year-old is also in line to scoop a further £10,000 for making a 147 in the qualifiers and the £15,000 high break prize for the event. That could potentially take the total payout to £172,000, by far the biggest payday of his career.
The two perfect breaks were the first and second 147s of Page’s fledgling career. There have now been 14 maximums so far this season, which breaks the record for a single campaign. Today’s break was the 216th maximum in the history of professional snooker.
World number 35 Page said: “It feels great. Breaking records is brilliant. I’ve made a lot of 147s leading up to this event in the club. It felt routine out there in the end. I’m over the moon to have got it done.
“I never ever go for them in matches. I do when I’m practising. When I’m at the club I could be on the first black and think that the maximum is on. Here you try and win the frame. After I made the first one yesterday, I had to have a go for the second. It paid off, maybe I’ll start going for more.“
And this came in the last frame of the match as well!
Here is the first one:
Hitman Halts The Ballrun
Michael Holt moved one match away from a first Crucible appearance in nine years, after a 10-6 win over 2015 World Champion Stuart Bingham at Halo World Championship Qualifying.
The Hitman’s professional career came under threat in 2022, when he fell off the circuit. During two years away from the World Snooker Tour, he set about a career coaching amateur players. However, Holt’s performances on last season’s Q Tour ensured the 46-year-old regained his professional status.
He’s enjoyed a good first season back, highlighted by a run to the quarter-finals of the UK Championship before Christmas.
Defeat for Bingham ends a 14-year run of consecutive Crucible appearances. He last missed out back in 2010.
Victory for Holt sees him earn a Judgement Day meeting with Fan Zhengyi, who beat Robbie Williams 10-6. The Nottingham cueman last appeared at the Theatre of Dreams in 2016, when he beat Neil Robertson before losing to Mark Williams.
Looking ahead to the final qualifying round, Holt is fully aware of the unique tension it comes with.
Holt said: “It’s a funny one. There’s a slightly different atmosphere. I think you can just sense it. The Crucible is such a special place to play snooker. You never forget it, whether it has been good or bad. You just want to get there. It is a twitchy game, you have to put it to the back of your mind and get to ten.
“It was great qualifying for the UK Championship. It was a nice story after being off the tour and now being back on. It would be great to get back to the Crucible again. When you drop off the circuit you don’t know whether you will get there again or even play professional snooker again. I’ve got another mountain to climb and ironically if I do manage that I’m only at base camp.”
Jackson Page made history by becoming the first ever player to craft two 147 breaks in a single match, claiming a massive £147,000 bonus, following a 10-2 win over Allan Taylor.
The £147,000 bonus is for any player who can make two 147s across snooker’s four majors. However, Page is also in line to scoop a further £10,000 for making a 147 in the qualifiers and the £15,000 high break prize for the event. That could potentially take the total payout to £172,000.
Page will now face Joe O’Connor on Judgement Day, but whatever happens he has comfortably secured the biggest payday of his career so far.
World number 35 Page said: “It feels great. Breaking records is brilliant. I’ve made a lot of 147s leading up to this event in the club. It felt routine out there in the end. I’m over the moon to have got it done.
“I never ever go for them in matches. I do when I’m practising. When I’m at the club I could be on the first black and think that the maximum is on. Here you try and win the frame. After I made the first one yesterday, I had to have a go for the second. It paid off, maybe I’ll start going for more.”
Ali Carter put on a battling display to come from 7-6 down and beat Ian Burns 10-8. The Captain will now play He Guoqiang, who scored a 10-9 win over Scott Donaldson. Despite a strong run, Burns suffers tour relegation after today’s result.
Former European Masters champion Jimmy Robertson held his nerve to beat 18-year-old Stan Moody 10-9. He now faces Matthew Selt, who beat Anthony Hamilton 10-3. Defeat for Hamilton means he will require Q School to return next season.
This is what comes for us, and the players of course, today and tomorrow:
Screenshot – snooker.org
Who do I believe will go through?
Gary Wilson, Zhou Yuelong, Zak Surety, Ben Wollaston, Zhao Xintong, Ryan Day, Chris Wakelin, David Gilbert, Hossein Vafaei, Michael Holt, Joe O’Connor, Pang Junxu, Matthew Stevens, Lei Peifan, Jimmy Robertson, Ali Carter
Who do I want to go through?
Gary Wilson, Zhou Yuelong, Rick Walden, Ben Wollaston, Zhao Xintong, Sunny Akani, Chris Wakelin, David Gilbert, Wang Yuchen, Michael Holt, Jackson Page, Pang Junxu, Wu Yize, Lei Peifan, Jimmy Robertson, He Guoqiang
Anyway… all of them are there on merit.
Good luck to all the players involved in the grueling Judgement Days!
World number 20 Chris Wakelin says that becoming a father has released the on-table pressure after beating Xing Zihao 10-5 to earn his place in the final round of Halo World Championship Qualifying.
Wakelin’s baby daughter was born prematurely in January, but thankfully she is now doing well and her health has stabilised.
The experience over the last few months for Wakelin has placed snooker in perspective. He admits that the pressure he once felt at events such as Crucible qualifying has now dissipated.
Tonight’s encounter was finely poised at 5-5, until Wakelin blitzed for the line. Breaks of 62, 66 and 68 helped him to five on the bounce and victory. He now faces Martin O’Donnell, who beat Jordan Brown 10-8 with the clock just past 1am.
An appearance at the Crucible would cap off what has been an amazing campaign for Wakelin. He was runner-up to Ding Junhui at the International Championship and then went on to qualify for the Masters for the first time in January.
However, the Englishman says that irrespective of what happens on Judgement Day, he will be delighted with his season.
“It will be an amazing season regardless of what happens this week. I have missed out narrowly in the last couple of years and it would be a shame to not cap off the season. I am delighted with that win because he is a good player,” said 33-year-old Wakelin.
“The bottom line is that if I don’t get through, then I don’t really care. I’ve not had the best few months. I’ve had a nervous start to becoming a dad. The results over the last couple of months haven’t gone my way, but I’m aware the reason for that is I have a family now.
“It is absolutely magic being a dad. I never wanted children until I found out Lucy was pregnant. As much as it was scary when she was born prematurely, I am really grateful to all the people who have reached out to me. We are through the worst of it now, she is coming up to four months old and I’m looking forward to the future.
“I want to win, but if I lose I can say to myself that I can win the next tournament and I go home to a loving and beautiful partner and a little baby girl who is doing amazingly. The results aren’t as important anymore. I’ll try my absolute best, but the reality is I’m very lucky in my life with the people around me.”
Zhao Xintong is just one win away from a Crucible return after defeating Chinese compatriot Lyu Haotian 10-4.
Former UK Champion Zhao will regain his professional status next season after returning from suspension and playing on the amateur Q Tour this term. Victory in four of the seven events saw Zhao comfortably top the standings and earn a tour card.
The hugely talented 28-year-old crafted runs of 90, 137, 59 and 116 in the last five frames to seal victory. He now plays Elliot Slessor, who defeated Marco Fu 10-6.
Ben Woollaston and Mark Davis battled it down to the final black, but after a 58-minute decider, it was Woollaston who prevailed 10-9. He moves on to face Ross Muir in the final round. Muir is gunning for a Crucible debut and defeated Tom Ford 10-7.
.As usual this report by WST is far from exhaustive. One results that has been overlooked but pleased me is the Sunny Akani’s win over Noppon Saengkham, although I would have preferred that it came at the expense of some other player because I really like Noppon as well. Sunny is currently ranked 93, and, as it stands is the lowest ranked player already “booked” in round 4, other than Zhao Xintong who competes here as an amateur…
Sunny and his father should be proud of what they achieved. I remember them when Sunny started as a pro: they lived in their car, literally, because they couldn’t afford renting a place to live in, nevermind paying for hotel rooms. Despite this Sunny always came to play neat and properly dressed and he always gave it everything at the table.
Jackson Page fired in his first ever 147 break during his third round Halo World Championship Qualifying match at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
The Welsh 23-year-old crafted a perfect break in the eighth frame against Allan Taylor to blitz to a 7-1 lead. His previous best break was a run of 142 in last year’s World Championship.
It puts Page in line for a £10,000 bonus on offer for maximum breaks made at Crucible qualifying and places him in pole position for the £15,000 high break prize for the entire event. If Page can conjure another perfect run during the tournament, he will receive an eye watering £147,000.
There have now been 13 maximum breaks this season, which equals the record first set in 16/17 and equalled in 22/23 and 23/24. It is the 215th official 147 in snooker history.
Yesterday was an eventful day at the EIS in Sheffield. As usual when they reach this stage, the World Snooker Championship qualifying rounds delivered drama and heartbreaks.
Hamilton Avoids Historic Collapse With Best Ever Break
Anthony Hamilton halted a sensational fightback from Steven Hallworth, who had trailed 9-0, crafting a momentum defying clearance to win 10-8 at Halo World Championship Qualifying.
Former German Masters winner Hamilton needed to win today’s game to stand a chance of remaining on tour. He looked set to be coasting home when he moved one frame from the whitewash. In the end he required a break which he described as his best ever, in the circumstances, to edge over the line.
Nottingham cueman Hamilton has struggled with his eyesight in recent years, after a lens replacement procedure went wrong. Following the game this evening, he revealed that his vision deteriorated as the match went on.
That was partly down to the fact he couldn’t put opponent away, when he first saw the winning line. Things turned dramatically and Hallworth showed remarkable resolve to claim eight frames in a row and make it 9-8.
No player has ever won a best of 19 match from 9-0 down and with Hamilton in disarray, Hallworth appeared to be on course for history when he led 63-0 in the 18th frame. The match looked set for a final frame, when Hamilton summoned a nerveless clearance of 69 to win on the black and seal avoid a decider.
“That’s as hard as trying to get over the line in a ranking final. It’s a story that would follow you round for the rest of your life. If you lose from 9-0, you’re on quizzes and stuff. You don’t want that,” said 53-year-old Hamilton.
“He was gone in the first session, I was gone there. It was a proper match of two halves. And when I say gone, I mean gone. It’s not like golf where you can have a little walk around. You are gone. You’ve been playing all these years and can’t make eight. So that was definitely the best break I’ve ever made.
“He was bossing everything. You see that scoreboard ticking and you are all over the gaff! I said to my mate at 8-0 I’m not over the line here, my eyes are not good enough to think this is a done deal. I knew I could lose the match.”
Jamie Jones held off a valiant fightback from Belgium’s Julien Leclercq to prevail 10-7.
Welshman Jones is well acquainted with success here, having negotiated the Crucible qualifying gauntlet six times. Last year he defeated Neil Robertson in the final round to earn his place at the Theatre of Dreams.
He came into this evening’s session holding a hefty 7-2 advantage. However, Leclercq came firing back by claiming the first four frames tonight to make it 7-6. Jones regained control of proceedings and got over the line to seal victory. He now faces Xu Si.
“I was all over him in the first session,” said 37-year-old Jones. “Tonight was just mental. I was making 40s and 50s, not getting over the line and before you know it, I’ve lost three black ball games and it is 7-6. You have to be kind to yourself out there and stay strong.
“You can be 9-0 down out there, but you loosen up then. When you have that lead you only need to lose a couple of frames and you start doubting yourself. It is hard. It is a mental game more than anything.”
Ashley Carty overcame legendary ten-time ranking event winner Jimmy White 10-5 to reach round three. He now plays China’s Pang Junxu. White will need either another invitational tour card or a trip to Q School to remain on the circuit, after suffering relegation.
Jamie Clarke was relegated from the circuit after a 10-8 loss to Allan Taylor, while Louis Heathcote will need results to go his way to stay on tour following a 10-9 defeat against Iulian Boiko.
It was a “mental” day indeed, in many ways. It was a day were mental fortitude was of essence in many matches and a day of crazy fightbacks. It brought joy and huge relief to some, heartbreak and bitter disappointment to others.
I know that a few people really dislike Anthony Hamilton. I never understood why. Yes, he’s a bit peculiar but he’s a very interesting character, he’s clever, he’s humble and has a wicked sense of humor. He’s also a very, very good player, well respected by the professionals of his generation, including by Ronnie who “rates” him very high.
Julien Leclercq had left himself far too much to do but showed a lot of heart. This season has not been great for him and he will need to get results next season to stay on tour. But the fightback today is an encouraging sign even if it was to no avail eventually.
I didn’t expect Iulian Boiko’s win but I’m very happy with it. That he’s been able to win that type of match, a “hard graft” type of match as opposed to a scoring fest, is a sure sign that he’s maturing as a player. They only had four breaks over 50 between them, the highest break of the match was 69.
I will always support players from mainland Europe, not because I “hate” the Brits – I absolutely do NOT hate any person for their nationality as hard nationalism makes absolutely no sense to me1 – but I support them because I want to see “World Snooker” truly earn the “World” in what they call themselves and they have some work to do on that for sure!
Jamie Clark’s relegation will sadden many fans, me included. He’s a lovely guy and a better player than his results show. He’s one who, I think, would benefit from the support of a “mental coach”.
I was born a Belgian, with Spanish/Jewish ancestry on my father’s side, French ancestry on my mother’s side.I grew up in Brussels, a cosmopolitan city where the “local dialect”, Brusseleer, is a mixture of Flemish, French, Hebrew and Ladino. I’m married to a Greek. I speak French, Nederlands, English and Greek (almost) fluently, German to a very basic level but I do understand it reasonably well, and I also understand Ladino. I’m a citizen of Europe in its diversity, and a citizen of the world. ↩︎
The report that WST shared about day 3 at the EIS is essentially focused on Ken Doherty. As much as I like Ken and I do – this is further evidence how much snooker stays stuck in nostalgia, and fails to promote its future as well as it really should.
New Cue Powers Doherty To Qualifying Win
Ken Doherty has switched away from the cue which he used to become Crucible king in 1997, but admits he’s fallen in love with his new one after he thrashed Haydon Pinhey 10-3 at Halo World Championship Qualifying.
The 55-year-old is bidding for a first Crucible appearance since 2014 this week, having lost three times in the final round of qualifying since then. Victory today moves him within three games of a return, next up he faces David Lilley.
The afternoon session saw Doherty blitz clear with breaks of 63 and 98 on his way to moving 9-0 ahead. The evening session saw Pinhey pull three back, but it was to no avail as Doherty made 59 to get over the line in the 13th.
“I’ve been thinking about changing cue for a while. I just thought, what have I got to lose? I just felt I was losing the power in my old one. I got this one made, there is a lot more power and I’m happy with it. I’ve only had it three or four weeks, but you get a bit excited, it is like a new toy. I’ll see how it progresses,” said six-time ranking event winner Doherty.
“It is like a new romance, after you’ve been with someone for a long time and all of a sudden you find a new romance. I’m not sure how long it will last and there might be a break up! We will see how it goes. At the moment the cue and I are still in love.
“To qualify would be amazing. I think if I did it that would be the final farewell. The Crucible and I have had a long romance together, I love going there and I love the World Championship. I love playing in the World Seniors there and it is a wonderful venue.”
Recently crowned European Amateur Champion and Q Tour Playoff winner Liam Highfield stormed to a 10-3 win over Women’s World Champion Bai Yulu to secure his progression.
Highfield will return to the World Snooker Tour next season after his exploits on the amateur circuit. He will be a formidable force going from his performance today, which saw him knock in breaks of 88, 68, 79, 83, 61, 53, 51 and 61. He will now face He Guoqiang in the second round.
Liam Pullen was relegated from the circuit after a 10-5 loss to WSF Champion Gao Yang, while Ian Burns defeated former Women’s World Champion Mink Nutcharut 10-4.
Liam Highfield played really well indeed. Bai Yulu managed to stay with him in the first session but was outplayed in the second one. The match between Ian Burns and Mink was closer than the scores suggests.
My feeling was that Mink doesn’t really have the self-belief and confidence she would need to win on the main tour. She was just 5-4 down after the first session but appeared to struggle under pressure in the second session. She was not able to “close” the frames out when she was ahead. Also, obviously, her petite stature means that she has to use various implements much more often than most of her male opponents. The match between Duane Jones and Florian Nüessle was one of those that make you think “shame there has to be a looser”. Both played well, and scored well under the circumstances and it went to a decider.
In other news … this piece – shared by Kalacs in commentary – featuring Jimmy and Ronnie is nice to watch.
But then again the 85 final was “celebrated”. I’m sick and tired of it. Sick and tired of the nostalgia cult. It wasn’t even a good match overall. It had a dramatic finish, yes, but we have had much better Crucible finals, and indeed semi-finals, at the Crucible in recent years. That said, I was glad to see Ronnie looking well in that footage. That doesn’t mean that he will play at the Crucible, of course, nor does it mean that he is stable mentally. In the past, he has been going through brutal mood swings, which are always difficult to cope with. I have seen that happening, close up, and it’s not pretty.
In this piece, Jason Francis gave the last update on the topic:
When asked directly if O’Sullivan would play at the Crucible, Francis said: “He seems to have a cue that he’s happy with. He is hitting balls. But he’s said nothing different to me than he’s said to everyone else.”
The manager emphasised that O’Sullivan “will decide, last minute, whether he wants to go.”
Francis added: “The only thing I’ve said is that, if you’re going to go, then you have to go and give it everything.
“If you don’t feel right, and if it’s mental health or anxiety, bear in mind I’ve been party to see this.”
O’Sullivan hasn’t competed since a dramatic incident during the Championship League in January.
During that event, he snapped his cue and stormed off, raising concerns among fans about his future in the sport.
The snooker star has subsequently withdrawn from multiple tournaments, including a highly anticipated Masters clash with John Higgins.
These absences have left supporters worried about whether the Rocket would return to competitive action.
Francis’s update provides the first positive indication that O’Sullivan is at least practising again.
Finding a cue he’s comfortable with represents a significant step forward after the January incident.
Francis highlighted that mental health issues affect many players in the sport, not just O’Sullivan.
“I read that Jamie Jones walked up to a venue and the anxiety got so bad he walked away,” he revealed.
“For Ronnie O’Sullivan, the money he can earn at the World Championship, you can argue, won’t change his life.“
O’Sullivan himself, meanwhile, has addressed his recent absences from competition in a statement to fans.
“I realise plenty of people who bought tickets to some recent snooker events will have been frustrated when I withdrew,” he said.
“I just wanted to say sorry to those of you who’ve been disappointed with me having to pull out of those tournaments.”
O’Sullivan then explained his withdrawals were health-related.
“I’ve been trying to prioritise my health and wellbeing, which sometimes means making last-minute decisions not to play,” he added.
“It’s never an easy decision and I hate letting people down.“
O’Sullivan concluded with a positive message: “I’m doing what I can to get back to my best.”
John Higgins came from 8-5 down to beat Mark Selby 10-8 in a record-equalling final at the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship, describing it as the best win of his 33-year career.
Higgins is a veteran of four World Championship crowns and 33 ranking titles but such was the nature of tonight’s victory that he rates it above any other achievement. He looked down and out when he lost seven frames in a row to go 8-5 behind, but rose to the occasion to reel off the last five to capture this trophy for the first time and earn the £150,000 top prize.
A clash between two of the all-time greats lived up to its billing as both players made four centuries, equalling the record of eight tons in a best-of-19 contest, set by Neil Robertson and Judd Trump at the 2019 Champion of Champions final. The crowd at Manchester Central enjoyed a dramatic finish as 49-year-old Higgins proved the stronger man in the closing exchanges, freezing out one of snooker’s toughest ever opponents.
Scotland’s Higgins went through what he described as “mental turmoil” for several years after winning the 2021 Players Championship, as he developed a tendency to squander winning positions in key matches, most painfully at the 2022 Tour Championship final against Robertson when he lost 10-9 from 9-4 ahead. Victory at last month’s World Open in China was a massive breakthrough and has given him new belief which was clearly evident tonight. This week he has been at the very top of his game, making 11 centuries in three matches, and will be one of the leading contenders when he heads to the Crucible this month.
“It is my best ever win,” said Higgins, who is just 42 days away from his 50th birthday. “I was playing an unbelievable champion and he was looking like he was not going to miss, he was tying me up in knots. To do that against Mark gives me incredible belief that I can still mix it with the best players.“
With 33 ranking crowns, Higgins is now just three short of Stephen Hendry’s tally of 36, albeit still well behind Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record of 41. He extends his record for the longest gap between first and most recent ranking titles: it’s 30 years and 165 days since his maiden victory at the 1994 Grand Prix. The Wishaw cueman climbs from sixth to third in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, behind only Judd Trump and Kyren Wilson.
Selby missed out on a fourth title of the season and 25th ranking success of his career. He too made 11 centuries over the week and enjoyed emphatic wins over Neil Robertson 10-1 and Ding Junhui 10-2, but came up just short of a first Tour Championship success. The 41-year-old from Leicester earned £60,000 as runner-up.
Trailing 5-3 after the first session, Selby took the opening frame tonight with breaks of 39 and 68, then dominated a fragmented tenth frame to square the tie. Higgins trailed 41-25 in the 11th when he accidentally hit the yellow when trying to play safe, gifting Selby the chance to make 55 and take the lead for the first time. Leading 31-18, Higgins missed the pink to a top corner in frame 12, and Selby capitalised with a 77 clearance. The Englishman extended his lead to 8-5 with a break of 119.
Having lost seven in succession from 5-1 up, Higgins finally gained some momentum with a break of 110 to close to 8-6. A fluked red in frame 15 set him up for a run of 67 to close the gap to 8-7, and he got the better of a scrappy 34-minute 16th to restore parity. Higgins enjoyed another slice of luck in the 17th when he fluked a snooker on a red over a baulk corner, and from the chance that followed he made an excellent 80 to regain the lead. Selby narrowly missed a long red early in the 18th, and a classic final ended on a high note with Higgins’ match-winning 132.
“Mark shut me out up to 8-5,” Higgins added. “I was trying to stay positive but that’s very difficult because you are banging your head against a brick wall sometimes. Usually he would just pull away and win 10-5. When I made the break to go 8-6 it was beginning to change, little things went in my favour and you need that against Mark. The World Championship is a different animal. I will just enjoy the next two weeks and then go to Sheffield and give it my all. I am very proud.
“To have my family there was special because when they have been there before when I won events, they might be too young to remember. The crowd gave me great support, it’s a fantastic venue. I hope this event stays here for a few more years.”
Selby said: “John was incredible from 8-5. I missed a pink to the middle at 8-7, apart from that I didn’t do a lot wrong, but my head was spinning. Every mistake I made, John punished me, he stood up like the warrior he is.“
It was a very good match and one that brought “suspense” from start to finish. Thank you Mark and John!
Now, I have to make an admission… something I’m not proud about …
Since 2010 I really wanted John Higgins to lose every match he played because I felt that he hadn’t been punished as he should have been after he was caught on camera accepting to fix matches and even promising to drag more players into that match fixing “monkey business”. John always said that he acted out of fear, although he certainly didn’t appear frightened in the video. But then, videos can be doctored in various ways. My biggest problem with John is that he had been back in the UK for about two days before the NOTW article was published and had not alerted the snooker authorities about the approach. I always thought that giving a simple phone call to a member of the board, just saying “we had a problem in Kiev, we need to talk”, would have been enough to spare him all the problems he had to face afterwards, and the damage to his reputation. The fact that he didn’t call got me to think that he had no intention to report it at all. But who at the board should he have contacted? If this happened today, the answer is obvious, it would be Jason Ferguson. But back then, the organisation was different. Different members of the board had been tasked to develop the game in different regions. For instance, the late Brandon Parker had been tasked to develop the game in Western Europe where he had contacts. And who was in charge of Eastern Europe? No other than Pat Mooney, who was John’s manager and who had taken John with him to Kiev after John had lost early at the Crucible, and Mooney himself admitted that he had kept John in the dark about what was really going to be discussed in Kiev, until the last minute. So maybe John didn’t call anyone on the board, because, of course, he knew that the member of the board in charge of the Eastern Europe region already knew what happened, as he was present at the meeting.
Mark Selby played some magnificent snooker yesterday in beating Ding Junhui very convincingly by 10-2. He will face John Higgins today in the final of the 2035 Tour Championship and I do hope that he can bring the same form at the table today. Here is the report shared by WST:
Selby Crushes Ding To Earn Higgins Final
Mark Selby romped to a 10-2 victory over Ding Junhui to stay on course for a fourth title of the season, setting up a blockbuster tie with John Higgins in the final of the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship in Manchester.
Having beaten Neil Robertson by a remarkable 10-1 scoreline in the quarter-finals, Selby’s win over Ding was almost as emphatic as he dominated from start to finish. Very close to the top of his game, the four-time World Champion has made 67 centuries this season, the highest tally of his career.
On Sunday he will meet another all-time great in Higgins in what promises to be a classic. It’s a repeat of the 2007 Crucible final, which Higgins won 18-13, and the 2017 final when Selby gained revenge 18-15. They also clashed earlier this season in the Unibet British Open final, Selby winning 10-5 to land the first of three titles this term. First to ten frames this time will capture the trophy and a top prize of £150,000.
Leicester’s 41-year-old Selby will be playing in his 37th ranking final and looking for a 25th title, which would bring him level with Neil Robertson in seventh place on the all time list. This will be his first Tour Championship final, having previous lost in the semis in 2020, 2021 and 2023. If he wins the title, it will be the first time he has lifted four trophies in a season since 2016/17.
Leading 6-2 after the first session, world number three Selby soon extended his advantage with a break of 104 in the opening frame tonight, then dominated the tenth for 8-2. Ding had a scoring chance in frame 11 but, trailing 33-32, ran out of position then went for a risky plant which missed its target and gifted Selby the chance to make 54 to move within one of the winning post.
Ding looked set to pull one back but, on a break of 70, went for another tough plant, chasing a possible 145 which would have been the highest of the week. Instead he let Selby back into the frame, and the Englishman eventually cleared with 58.
“I played good stuff all day,” said Selby, whose first ranking final came at the Scottish Open 22 years ago. “The last frame of the afternoon session was important, to go 6-2 ahead, as 5-3 could have made it a different game tonight. I have been playing with more belief this season and that has allowed me to be more natural and free-flowing so I think that’s why I have scored more heavily. My safety let me down last season but now it’s back where I want it to be.
“I hope John and I both play as well as we have been doing all week. I have got so much respect for him, he’s one of my all time favourite players, and for him to still be competing like this is incredible. It’s a chance for me to judge where my game is. I have enjoyed the challenge this week and stayed focussed.”
I certainly didn’t expect Ding to play so badly yesterday but then I stumbled upon this piece by Phil Haigh
Ding Junhui reveals battle with himself: ‘Sometimes my brain flies out!’
Ding Junhui is always fighting to focus (Picture: Getty Images)
Ding Junhui has been one of the finest snooker players on the planet since he burst onto the scene 20 years ago, with his own brain as tough an opponent as anyone he faces on the table.
The Chinese superstar turned 38 this week, two decades on from his incredible breakthrough in winning the 2005 China Open, beating Stephen Hendry in the final.
In a remarkable battle of generations, his next trophy was the 2005 UK Championship, downing Steve Davis in the final and he has now taken his tally to 15 ranking titles with the International Championship this season.
Given how prolific he was over a decade ago – winning five ranking titles in the 2013/14 season – it is a little surprising he does not have more wins on his CV.
The difficulties of being a player from overseas on a predominantly British-based tour does not help, nor did the pandemic, while Ding also feels like he has to fight himself on a regular basis.
Capable of unstoppable snooker, Ding is also liable to let his mind wander and look almost disinterested during some matches.
At the recent World Grand Prix and Players Championship this seemed to be the case, as he suffered first round defeats to Xu Si and Mark Williams.
He started the Tour Championship this week in similar style, looking very poor over the first four frames with Williams again, this time in Manchester.
Then everything changed. He won seven frames on the spin with two tons and five half-centuries to beat the Welsh legend 10-3, then was excellent again to down world champion Kyren Wilson 10-5.
So what happened?
‘In the last tournament and the one before I was struggling,’ Ding said after beating Wilson. ‘Actually I didn’t feel bad, I just played some weird snooker.
‘Like this first match against Mark Williams in the first four frames, I felt like I was 10 years of age. I didn’t know what I was doing.
‘I just need to keep concentration each shot and because it’s a long game, I think I can’t do this all the time, so I tried and it’s getting better.
‘Sometimes I find it hard to concentrate. In the last two tournaments and the first four frames before the interval I played some weird shots that I’ve never seen!
‘It’s all about playing snooker on the table when I get chances, how to get the ball moving better, how to make it easier to clear up, to make scoring, to put pressure on my opponent. This is how to do it on the table. But sometimes for no reason my brain flies out!’
The battle for focus also leads to Ding becoming frustrated with himself as he doesn’t find his top level as much as he would like.
Trying to concentrate but also learning to accept that he can’t remain at his peak constantly is all part of the challenge and one he says you have to win to remain sane.
‘Sometimes you can’t keep your best form every match so you have to keep calm, play some scrappy shots and good shots in between,’ he said. ‘You need to learn how to make a balance of that. If not you go mad!
‘Sometimes I blame myself too much about not playing well. I want to play well and feel good, I get very disappointed sometimes.’
The former world number one is also fighting against himself on technique, having developed a little pause as he pushes the cue through at times.
Asked about the strange addition to his cue action, he said: ‘I don’t want to do that. The arm doesn’t listen.
‘In practice I try hard to not do that. When I’m playing I’m concentrating on taking the shot and my arm has forgot!
‘I try hard to do it in one hit. It’s a strange feeling. I don’t want to do it.’
Ding has been getting past his mental and technical struggles impressively over the last two games and next up is another enormous challenge in the form of Mark Selby.
The pair meet in the Tour Championship semi-finals over two sessions in Manchester on Saturday, with the winner taking on John Higgins in Sunday’s final.
This is very puzzling indeed and must be extremely frustrating for Ding. It’s probably not even something a coach could “correct” easily because, clearly, Ding is acutely aware of the issue and trying his best to overcome it. Any snooker player reading this and willing to offer an opinion in comments? Is this some kind of “variant form” of the yips?
John Higgins remained on target for a second ranking title within five weeks as he enjoyed a superb 10-7 victory over Barry Hawkins in the semi-finals of the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship.
From 5-5, Higgins pulled away to win five of the last seven frames, making three centuries to come out on top of a high quality contest. The Wizard of Wishaw is into the 58th ranking event final of his career, just six short of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record of 64. He will aim for a 33rd ranking title when he meets Mark Selby or Ding Junhui on Sunday at Manchester Central, with first to ten frames to capture the trophy and a top prize of £150,000.
After winning the Players Championship in 2021, Higgins went four years without a ranking title, and feared his days at the top table were over, particularly as he struggled to get over the line at the business end of key matches. But landing silverware at the World Open in China last month has made all the difference for the Scot, who turns 50 in May. One of the all-time greats, Higgins is now playing outstanding snooker, mixing heavy break-building with his granite tactical game, and most importantly he is finishing matches strongly. In this form, he will be one of the leading contenders at the Crucible.
Having shared the afternoon session 4-4, Higgins took the opening frame this evening with a break of 66 to lead 5-4, before Hawkins levelled with a 125. The Englishman had two scoring chances in frame 11 but managed only 12 points and Higgins punished him with 73. Early in frame 12, Hawkins went for a thin cut red to centre but completely missed the object ball and went in-off, handing Higgins an opening which he took advantage of with a sumptuous 144 total clearance, his best of the season and the new target for the £10,000 high break prize.
A safety exchange with two reds on the table in frame 13 was resolved when Higgins escaped from a snooker but left Hawkins the opportunity to clear and close the gap to 7-6. A superb 130 from Higgins restored his two frame cushion, then he dominated a fragmented 15th frame for 9-6.
A missed red to centre was costly for Higgins in the 16th as his opponent made 99 to claw one back. But Hawkins’ break-off in frame 17 left a red close to a centre pocket, Higgins swept over the line with a 107.
“I would love to win this one and be a multiple champion this season, before we go to Sheffield,” said four-time Crucible king Higgins. “In the first session, Barry was hitting the ball well and looking superb, if he had gone 4-2 up he then could have gone 5-3 or 6-2, he was freezing me out. I was delighted to be 4-4, then I knew had to play better tonight, and I thought I played great.
“It was an amazing atmosphere, it reminds me of Alexandra Palace on a smaller scale. It’s an incredible venue and Manchester is a great city. I’m sure Sunday will be even better and I can’t wait.“
Hawkins, who had knocked out Shaun Murphy and Judd Trump, said: “It was a good match, I just had a few loose shots and John punished me heavily, he looked at the top of his game. It has still been a good week but I am disappointed right now.“
It was a good match but I’m deeply unhappy about the outcome. Those who know me, or read this blog regularly, know why. And, no, that’s not going to change ever unless new elements come to light that radically change my perspective on what happened in 2010.
Regarding the second semi-final, due to be played today, I don’t have a “favourite”. I like both players. I would be delighted to see Ding lift the trophy tomorrow but I think that Mark Selby is better equipped to stop Higgins.
Some more personal thoughts on the Ronnie situation …
This is nothing new but for clarity, here is what Ronnie said about his plans, as reported by the BBC :
“I don’t know yet. I haven’t made my mind up, I’ll probably make a decision on maybe 17 or 18 April,” O’Sullivan said on TNT Sports.
“I don’t know when I’m due to play my first match, so I’m going to try and leave myself as much time as possible.
“I’d love to be able to go there and play. I’d love to be able to have the confidence to be able to get my cue out and go and play snooker.
“I just need to give myself as much time as possible to see where I’m at with it, and see whether it’s something I’m going to be able to do.“
…
“It’s been a real struggle,” he added. “I’ve tried to play my way through. I’ve had moments and glimpses where I thought: ‘OK, this is OK.‘
“But on the whole, probably three-and-a-half years out of the last four have been pretty terrible for me and that’s kind of took its toll.
“I kind of got a bit tired. It kind of ground me down to the point where I kind of lost the love for the game.
“That’s why in January, I snapped my cue just in temper, in frustration. I don’t really want to feel like that, so I’ve taken time out. I am just gonna try and fix what I think is the problem before I come back to play serious snooker again.”
So? Ronnie won five titles last season and still feels like he’s been awful for the best part of the last four seasons? That may sound crazy but that’s what depression does to those who suffer from it and it rarely really goes away completely. Mark Selby has been open about that as well. Also, in my opinion, the collapse of his 13 years long relationship with Laila Rouass hasn’t helped. People close to them have reported that, despite the difficulties, there was still a lot of love between them. I’m not sure that, if true, this is making things easier. When a relationship ends in acrimony and bitter resentment, it’s ugly, but it makes it easier to walk away and start anew.
For me, the situation is this: Ronnie is struggling with depression, badly, and feels unable, psychologically, to cope with the demands of his sport. Also the huge expectations that always weigh on him whenever he plays aren’t helping. If that’s the case, not playing is the sensible decision, and definitely far better than walking out mid match like he did at the 2006 UK Championship against Hendry. Nobody wants to see that again.
Many fans are complaining and brandishing the “what if there is an empty session?”. I understand their concerns but as seed number 5, Ronnie is likely to be scheduled to play his first session on the third or fourth day of the tournament, or even earlier but that has happened only once recently. That leaves a bit time for WST to deal with the situation IF necessary. Usually, during the first week, most sessions feature a match that is in its first session and one that is in its second session. When one table “finishes”, the curtain is lifted and the whole Crucible can watch the other table. The only possible “disaster” scenario would be that the match due to finish during Ronnie’s scheduled “first session” is so one sided that only a couple of frames remain to be played. It could happen, of course, but it doesn’t happen that often and given the quality of the qualifiers this year, I would be surprised if we had many one-sided matches in the first round this time.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 