Star names including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, John Higgins, Stephen Hendry and home favourite Mark Selby will be in the line-up for next month’s British Open at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
The world ranking event will run from August 16th to 22nd and fans will be welcomed through the doors to see the greatest players on the planet.
…
Players will include:
Mark Selby – Current World Champion and one of Leicester’s sporting greats
Judd Trump – Snooker’s world number one and the outstanding player of recent seasons
Ronnie O’Sullivan – Six time World Champion and crowd favourite
John Higgins – All-time legend who won the British Open when it was last staged in 2004
Shaun Murphy – Flamboyant cueman who reached the World Championship final in May
Stephen Hendry – King of the Crucible – this is the first chance for fans to watch his comeback live
Reanne Evans – All-time greatest female player, now competing on the pro tour
Plus Kyren Wilson, Mark Williams, Jack Lisowski, Leicester favourites Tom Ford, Ben Woollaston, Joe O’Connor and Louis Heathcote…and many more. In all there will be 128 players battling for the trophy and a top prize of £100,000.
The event will have a completely random draw for all rounds, and the first round draw and match schedule will be released on Wednesday July 28th.
Fans will have the chance to see Stephen Hendry play live for the first time since his comeback
The British Open previously ran from 1985 to 2004 and now returns to the WST calendar after a 17-year absence. It will receive extensive live coverage in the UK from ITV, as well as a range of broadcasters worldwide.
All matches up to the last 16 are best of five frames, the quarter and semi-finals are best of seven frames, and the final is best of 11 frames.
Snooker has led the sporting world in the post-lockdown return of live audiences, and WST will continue to work closely with the UK Government and all of our venues and partners on Covid-19 regulation.
But then, in the evening Ronnie posted this on his Instagram
with no further comment.
So what happened? Did Ronnie initially intend to play in the event but changed his mind and why? Or was there some kind of misunderstanding between him and WST?
Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from the British Open, which takes place from August 16-22 at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
O’Sullivan decided to pull out before the draw was made for the world ranking event. He is replaced in the field by James Cahill.
The draw and format will be announced next week.
Also, I’m pretty surprised to see Stephen Hendry commiting to this: it’s an ultra short format, a random draw in every round, loads of matches every day, meaning loads of players around the venue and likely limited access to practice tables … all that surely isn’t exactly Stephen’s cup of tea? And, thinking about it, it’s probably not Ronnie’s cup of tea either going by some of his past comments.
Also there is no mention of Neil Robertson, but there we do have an explanation: indeed, earlier this week David Hendon, in commentary, mentionned that Neil was getting married in the coming weeks….
Congratulations and loads of happiness Neil and Mille!
Barry Hawkins and Stuart Carrington won through the fourth day of BetVictor Championship League Snooker to book their places in Stage Two at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
Both players ended the day with seven points to top their respective groups, and both did it by drawing their final match of the day; Hawkins against Ben Woollaston and Carrington against Welsh Open champion Jordan Brown.
Hawkins had beaten Kuldesh Johal and Zak Surety, both 3-0, to take pole position in Group 28 ahead of his match against Woollaston. Leicester’s Woollaston had also beaten Johal 3-0, but a draw against Surety meant he would have to beat Hawkins to advance.
Woollaston took the first frame, but the Hawk hit back with a break of 93 and despite a contribution of 44 from the Leicester man, it was Hawkins who took the third frame to ensure his progression.
“It is the first tournament of the season, everyone is probably a bit rusty but I need to step it up now,” said Hawkins. “I did all the hard work but butchered the green in the third frame against Ben but luckily for me I nicked the frame and the job was done.
“I don’t have real goals for the season, but like everyone I’m looking for a win. It was warm in the arena so conditions were tough, a little bit clammy.”
Carrington also advanced by taking the third frame of his final group match to ensure at least a draw against Brown. Carrington had earlier defeated Duane Jones 3-0 and Michael Judge 3-1. Brown had beaten Judge 3-0 but dropped points in a 2-2 draw with Jones, giving Carrington the advantage in what was the decisive match of the group.
Like Hawkins on the adjacent table, Carrington fell a frame down before taking the next two to advance, Brown’s breaks of 45 and 79 in the fourth were important for him though; they meant he would finish second and pocket £2,000 for his day’s work.
“I was pretty solid and started off with a good 3-0 to settle any nerves,” said Carrington, who won £3,000 for topping the group. “The heat has been a bit of a problem in the club this week so I didn’t have as many hours as I wanted to this week. I want to go deep in as many tournaments as possible and find some consistency this year.”
BetVictor Championship League Snooker continues on Thursday with Tom Ford and Reanne Evans among those in action. Live scoring along with league standings and the match schedule is available at www.ChampionshipLeagueSnooker.co.uk
Coverage of Table 1 begins at 12 noon (UK time) and is live on FreeSports (UK), DAZN, Zhibo.tv (China) and Viaplay, with Table 2 live globally at Matchroom.Live. Full broadcast details can be found at https://championshipleaguesnooker.co.uk/watch/
Follow BetVictor Championship League Snooker on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest news and scores from Stadium MK.
GROUP 28 TABLE
Pld
W
D
L
+/-
PTS
Money Won
Barry Hawkins
3
2
1
0
6
7
£3,000
Ben Woollaston
3
1
2
0
3
5
£2,000
Zak Surety
3
0
2
1
-3
2
£1,000
Kudelsh Johal
3
0
1
2
-6
1
£0
GROUP 2 TABLE
Pld
W
D
L
+/-
PTS
Money Won
Stuart Carrington
3
2
1
0
6
7
£3,000
Jordan Brown
3
1
2
0
3
5
£2,000
Duane Jones
3
0
2
1
-3
2
£1,000
Michael Judge
3
0
1
2
-6
1
£0
In both groups, the two top players finished undefeated, and the decisive match between them ended up in a draw. There were only two centuries all day, one by each of the groups winners; Stuart Carrington currently holds the highest break of the event with the 137 he scored against Michael Judge.
The most extraordinary match of the day though was probably the last one, between Duane Jones and Michael Judge. It wasn’t a “dead match” in that they were playing for the third place and £1,000; Duane Jones needed only a draw, Michael Judge needed the win.
This is what happened:
It was, by far, one of the highest scoring matches in the tournament so far. Maybe because in the late hours of the day the arena was a bit cooler, who knows?
Duane Jones lost frame three from 74-0 up, with 67 on the table. That does not happen often! Michael Judge got the two snookers he needed, playing some very clever stuff, and managed to win by a single point. This meant that the last frame was indeed decisive: whoever won it would get the third spot and the £1,000. Michael Judge made the best start: he was on a break of 65 and only needed the pink for victory. It was match ball, he missed it. Duane Jones stepped in and cleared the table.
O’Sullivan Dumbfounded By Ref Call At Championship League Snooker
PJ Browne
Ronnie O’Sullivan could not believe that referee Rob Spencer called a push ball on him during his Championship League Snooker match against Saqib Nasir on Tuesday.
The six-time world champion left himself tight on the blue in a close and error-filled opening frame, and was forced to use the rest.
O’Sullivan potted the ball, but Spencer called a foul, resulting in the following exchange:
Ronnie O’Sullivan: What?
Rob Spencer: It’s a push, Ronnie.
Ronnie O’Sullivan: Are you having a laugh?
Rob Spencer: No, it was a push.
World number 22 ranked Tom Ford was on commentary, and felt it was not a foul by O’Sullivan.
“I am not sure that was a push, as if it was a push, the white would have gone straight through, but he played it at an angle,” said Ford.
“That wasn’t a push shot. If he’d pushed that, the white would have gone straight towards the corner pocket.”
Nasir played a safety shot on the blue. Before he took his next shot, O’Sullivan wanted a few more words with the referee. He appeared to request that Spencer take a look at the decision after the match.
“I am the most honest snooker player and I never try to cheat,” said O’Sullivan.
Spencer replied, “I can only say what I see.”
O’Sullivan went on to win the frame, and subsequently the match 3-0. It was his second win of the group stage. He had beaten Ian Burns earlier in the day. The 45-year-old drew 2-2 with Mark Joyce in his final match as he topped the group with seven points.
The first stage Championship League Snooker runs until August 6th. The second stage will be played August 9th – 12th.
You can watch the controversial moment at the 14:30 mark below.
The blue highligh is my doing.
Tom is an experienced professional player, he would know if it was a push shot, and it didn’t sound like one either. The incident did nothing to improve Ronnie’s mood … and TBH he looked unhappy enough already with the hot conditions in the arena. BTW, there were no Ronnie quotes in yesterday WST report … a bit surprising but maybe it was just as well actually.
Ronnie O’Sullivan is through to Stage Two of BetVictor Championship League Snooker after topping his group at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
Fergal O’Brien also advanced to Winners’ Week of the season-opening ranking event. The Irishman needed to beat Mark Lloyd 3-0 in the final match of his group to finish level with Michael Holt, and he did just that to qualify thanks to having the group’s high break of 100.
O’Sullivan needed just a point from his decisive final match of Group 32 against Mark Joyce, who would require a win to deny the Rocket top spot. O’Sullivan had earlier beaten Ian Burns 3-1 and Saqib Nasir 3-0, while Joyce also had a win over Nasir, but had drawn with Burns.
Joyce took the opening frame with a 95, but O’Sullivan levelled with a clearance of 51. Joyce was first to score in the third frame, but the pressure eventually told and O’Sullivan won the frame on the pink to progress to Stage Two. Joyce did take the final frame to earn a draw and second spot in the group, worth £2,000. Burns took £1,000 for finishing third.
The first three matches of Group 6 all ended 2-2; Andrew Higginson tying with O’Brien, before Holt shared the spoils with Lloyd and then O’Brien. Higginson was first to register a win when he beat Lloyd 3-0, but a reversal of the same scoreline against Holt meant that the group was now between O’Brien and Holt.
Holt would advance unless O’Brien defeated Lloyd 3-0 in the final match of the group; that would leave both players with five points, a +3 frame difference and a 2-2 draw in the head-to-head. However, O’Brien had already scored a century in the group, meaning he would advance with the highest break.
The Irishman took the first frame. The second was a tactical battle in which O’Brien got the better of his opponent to lead 2-0.
An opportunity arose for O’Brien to make a group-winning break in the third, but he caught the jaw with a red on 20. Lloyd couldn’t take advantage and O’Brien stepped up with a break of 46 to seal his place in Stage Two.
“I am absolutely delighted,” said O’Brien. “Drawing the first two games you’re relying on other results but I knew I had to win 3-0 in the last match. I was grateful for the chance, but having to win 3-0 was a lot of pressure.
“You put in a long day and to fall a frame short would be disappointing. Last season wasn’t so great so I need as many wins as I can get. I felt happy enough how I was playing coming here and I started off well with a century in the first match. It adds to it that the tournament has ranking points and a place in the Champion of Champions. I’ve done my job today, I’m in the hat for the next round, and we’ll go from there.
BetVictor Championship League Snooker continues on Wednesday with Barry Hawkins, Ben Woollaston and Jordan Brown among those in action. Live scoring along with league standings and the match schedule is available at http://www.ChampionshipLeagueSnooker.co.uk
Coverage of Table 1 begins at 12 noon (UK time) and is live on FreeSports (UK), DAZN, Zhibo.tv (China) and Viaplay, with Table 2 live globally at Matchroom.Live. Full broadcast details can be found at https://championshipleaguesnooker.co.uk/watch/
Follow BetVictor Championship League Snooker on Facebook, Twitter and Instagramfor all the latest news and scores from Stadium MK.
GROUP 32 TABLE
Pld
W
D
L
+/-
PTS
Money Won
Ronnie O’Sullivan
3
2
1
0
5
7
£3,000
Mark Joyce
3
1
2
0
2
5
£2,000
Ian Burns
3
1
1
1
1
4
£1,000
Saqib Nasir
3
0
0
3
-8
1
£0
GROUP 6 FINAL
Pld
W
D
L
+/-
PTS
Money Won
Fergal O’Brien
3
1
2
0
3
5
£3,000
Michael Holt
3
1
2
0
3
5
£2,000
Andrew Higginson
3
1
1
1
0
4
£1,000
Mark Lloyd
3
0
1
2
-6
1
£0
Ronnie didn’t play anywhere near his best but did enough to win his group. Both him and Mark Joyce were undefeated yesterday,
There were lots of mistakes all day, from all players as the conditions in the arena were taxing: it was extremely hot and it was obvious that a lot of players were feeling physically uncomfortable despite the relaxed dress code. Twelve matches were played yesterday, featuring forty-three frames in total, and there was only ONE century scored all day: the 100 by Fergal O’Brien in the first frame of the day, a sure sign of an unusually poor standard.
Anyway here is how the day unfolded for Ronnie
BTW, the “Rocket” in the featured image is one of the 40 rockets installed in and around Leicester as part of the biggest ever Leicested public “Art Event” @RocketRoundLeic. The event will run until the 26th of September. The one in the picture stands just outside the venue.
Alexander Ursenbacher won all three of his group matches while Ali Carter was undefeated, taking 7 points from a possible 9, as both players advanced to Stage Two of BetVictor Championship League Snooker at Morningside Arena, Leicester.
With soaring temperatures across the country, the dress code was relaxed to allow players the option to either ditch their ties, or wear polo shirts. But neither Carter nor Ursenbacher were made to sweat at the table; both players had won their groups with a game to spare thanks to early wins combined with favourable results elsewhere.
Carter faced former Shoot Out winner Michael Georgiou in the first match of the day. After winning the opener, the Captain called a foul on himself in the second, which resulted in a frame-winning break of 88 for the Cypriot. However, Carter took the next two to win the match.
That meant a win for Carter against Sydney Wilson would see him top the group, and he made no mistake as he registered a 3-0 success before later drawing 2-2 with Dominic Dale, who finished third with three draws.
“Winning the first two matches meant that last game didn’t mean anything for me,” said Carter. “When I beat Syd I knew I had won the group, the job was done and that’s the main thing.
“I’ve been practising a bit, I’ve got some goals this season and I will try and apply myself properly this year. I’m 42 next week and haven’t got too many more years left, but I still think I can compete at the top level and I know I can if I do all the right things.
“I want to get back into the top 16 and win another tournament, that’s my goal and I have a plan in place to achieve that and I’m looking forward to the journey.”
Ursenbacher didn’t drop a frame in winning Group 23, registering 3-0 wins over Aaron Hill, Leo Fernandez and finally Scott Donaldson at a stage where the 25-year-old Swiss potter had already guaranteed himself top spot.
“I didn’t expect it,” he admitted. “I felt really good and I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. Last season I struggled with the table at Championship League but they were lovely today. It was very hot, I struggle with the heat most tournaments anyway, but being able to wear a polo shirt made it easier.
“I’m not trying to set myself too many goals or expect too much but I will keep focused, have the right people around me and prepare well for the tournaments. I haven’t played much over the summer because it is important to relax sometimes and not think about snooker too much because it is a brutal sport, especially mentally.”
Fernandez finished second in the group and takes home £2,000 after a 3-0 win in the final group match against Aaron Hill, who finished third and collected £1,000.
BetVictor Championship League Snooker continues on Tuesday when Ronnie O’Sullivan enters the tournament in Group 32.
Coverage of Table 1 begins at 12 noon (UK time) and is live on FreeSports (UK), DAZN, Zhibo.tv (China) and Viaplay, with Table 2 live globally at Matchroom.Live. Full broadcast details can be found at https://championshipleaguesnooker.co.uk/watch/
Follow BetVictor Championship League Snooker on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest news and scores from Stadium MK.
GROUP 19 TABLE
Pld
W
D
L
+/-
PTS
Money Won
Ali Carter
3
2
1
0
5
7
£3,000
Michael Georgiou
3
1
1
1
0
4
£2,000
Dominic Dale
3
0
3
0
0
3
£1,000
Sydney Wilson
3
0
1
2
-5
1
£0
GROUP 23 TABLE
Pld
W
D
L
+/-
PTS
Money Won
Alexander Ursenbacher
3
3
0
0
9
9
£3,000
Leo Fernandez
3
2
0
1
2
6
£2,000
Aaron Hill
3
1
0
2
-4
3
£1,000
Scott Donaldson
3
0
0
3
-7
0
£0
Alex Ursenbacher played really well indeed. His match against Aaron Hill was an interesting one in that it involved a lot of good safeties from both. When two young players are at the table, you’d expect the match to be mainly about potting, but it wasn’t in this match.
Scott Donaldson won just two frames yesterday. I wasn’t expecting that and I’m not sure what happened as he was the highest ranked player in that group.
Ali Carter clearly didn’t care too much about the last match outcome. At one point he broke off “à la Quinten Hahn”, getting the pack wide open from behind. Obviously, he didn’t want to spend more time than necessary out there, which is understandable as he had won the group anyway and it was very hot in the arena.
Ricky Walden and Peter Lines won their respective groups to advance to Stage Two of BetVictor Championship League Snooker as the new season got underway at Morningside Arena, Leicester.
The pair will now meet in Group B of Stage Two, which will be another round robin, with the winner advancing to Finals Day on August 13.
Lines went through with two wins after Jak Jones was unable to beat Mark Williams in the final match of the group. However, the key moment was a nervy fourth frame against Hammad Miah, where Lines eventually bettered his opponent to take a 3-1 win.
Williams wouldn’t have been completely satisfied with his play in the opening match of the season, but Miah was unable to take any of the chances presented to him, and despite not registering a break above 50, Williams was comfortable in registering a 3-0 win.
That was the Welshman’s work done until the evening session, before which Jones had moved to the top of the group with his win over Lines and a 2-2 draw with Miah.
Lines then inflicted a 3-0 reversal on Williams, who struggled while his opponent racked up the first century of the group. That threw things wide open, with only Miah unable to qualify.
Yorkshire’s Lines, who returned to the Tour through Q School this summer, then moved into pole position with a 3-1 win over Miah. The result put Williams out of the group and meant that Lines would progress, unless Jones could beat Williams in the final match of the group.
Jones took the first frame but his compatriot took the next two, meaning Jones could no longer win the match and therefore the pair were left battling for second place. It was a battle won by Williams, who took the fourth frame to push Jones down to third.
“I was a bit of a nervous wreck watching Mark, I owe him a thank you there,” said Lines. “I said before I went to Q School I had had a torrid two years so I was just going to enjoy myself with what time I have left on the tour and it paid off there and I am delighted.
“I was gutted to lose to Jak, I felt I deserved a draw, but to bounce straight back and beat Mark Williams 3-0 was very pleasing. Hopefully it sets me up well for the season; I’m just going to enjoy myself and we’ll see how far I can do.”
A 2-2 draw between Nigel Bond and Allan Taylor got Group 7 underway on Table 2 and Walden took full advantage of the fact that those points had been shared by beating Oliver Brown 3-1 and Taylor 3-0 to open up an enviable lead at the top of the table.
Bond and Brown then shared the points with a 2-2 draw, meaning Walden was assured of top spot. The Chester cueman rounded off a fine day’s work with a 3-0 defeat of Bond.
“It’s been a good day,” said Walden. “It was a bit of a battle out there with the weather being so hot outside, obviously the arena is pretty warm as well. To get through in those circumstances is pretty good.
“Everybody is a good player and this format makes it more condensed, so you have to be quick out of the blocks to get through and thankfully I won my first match which took the pressure off and I was pretty solid from there on in.
“It’s important, the way the calendar is, to fill it with as many tournaments as you can so the fact I am back down here in three weeks keeps me on the practice table and hopefully I can keep going.”
BetVictor Championship League Snooker continues on Monday with the likes of Ali Carter, Dominic Dale and former Championship League winner Scott Donaldson all in action.
Coverage of Table 1 begins at 12 noon (UK time) and is live on FreeSports (UK), DAZN, Zhibo.tv (China) and Viaplay, with Table 2 live globally at Matchroom.Live. Full broadcast details can be found at https://championshipleaguesnooker.co.uk/watch/
Follow BetVictor Championship League Snooker on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest news and scores from Stadium MK.
GROUP 8 TABLE
Pld
W
D
L
+/-
PTS
Money Won
Peter Lines
3
2
0
1
3
6
£3,000
Mark Williams
3
2
0
1
2
6
£2,000
Jak Jones
3
1
1
1
0
4
£1,000
Hammad Miah
3
0
1
2
-5
1
£0
GROUP 7 TABLE
Pld
W
D
L
+/-
PTS
Money Won
Ricky Walden
3
3
0
0
8
9
£3,000
Allan Taylor
3
1
1
1
-1
4
£2,000
Nigel Bond
3
0
2
1
-3
2
£1,000
Oliver Brown
3
0
1
2
-4
1
£0
Ricky Walden was pretty solid out there, despite looking as if he was about to melt on the spot for the best part of the day, and he scored the first century of the season, a 122, in the last frame of his first match. There were two more tons yesterday: a 107 by Walden and a 100 by Peter Lines.
In group 8 it was really a matter of who wanted it the most. Peter Lines who has struggled badly over the last two seasons and has just redeemed his professional status via the Q-School is 100% determined to make the most of this new chance. Mark Williams appeared relaxed and reacted to his second place with this:
Someone who really looked out of sorts yesterday was Miah, but, maybe, that’s not surprising. He too redeemed his professional status via the Q-School. Doing that is a though task in any circumstances, but in addition to the “normal stress” that comes with the event, he had to cope with the worst possible preparation, traveling back from Tashkent to Sheffield. After that colossal effort, he probably just needed to relax and put his feet up and didn’t practice much.
Sydney Wilson has replaced Alfie Burden in Group 19 on Monday, July 19. Ben Fortey has replaced Lu Ning in Group 10 on Thursday, July 22.
Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy, Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins, Mark Williams and defending champion Kyren Wilson will be among those battling for the trophy. For details of how to watch CLICK HERE
Alfie posted on his Facebook page that he had tested positive to covid-19 and that he was truly gutted to miss the first event of the season. Get well soon Alfie.
No reason was given for Lu Ning withdrawal but it’s likely either caused by travel restrictions/problems, or the result a decision to stay in China a bit longer after everything that happened last season and being away from home for so long.
It all starts tomorrow with “Willo” the highest ranked player in action.
Backed by several established stars including reigning world champion Mark Selby and four-time ranking event winner Kyren Wilson, as well as snooker’s world governing body the WPBSA, the initiative will see the EPSB work together with its affiliated 147 Clubs to create a series of open tournaments across the country.
The EPSB has for some time recognised the need for increased competitive opportunities at amateur level. This is seen as critical both to sustain and improve upon current participation levels and to enable our elite talent to compete regularly and develop as players looking to reach the highest level of our sport.
The EPSB Open Series will therefore see the creation of accredited events across the country which will ensure a consistency of organisation and standard at all events. Already, recognised clubs including the Elite (Preston), Frames Sports Bar (Coulsdon), the Golden Cue Snooker Club (Bilston), the Tradewell Snooker Club (Hull) and the Winchester (Leicester) have committed to hosting events during the 2021/22 season.
In planning the events the EPSB has consulted extensively with experienced professional players including Mark Selby, Kyren Wilson, Joe Perry, Mike Dunn, Peter Lines, Robert Milkins, David Grace and others. These players have all experienced first-hand the benefits of similar competitions during their formative years in our sport and already have made an invaluable contribution to ensuring that the events will be structured correctly.
KEY FACTS
All tournaments held under the EPSB Open Series will:
Supported by the WPBSA, including use of its tournament management system WPBSA SnookerScores
Be open to professional and amateur players who are members of or in good standing with their respective governing bodies
100% of entry fees will be paid out in prize money
Jason Ferguson, WPBSA Chairman said: “We often hear talk of the ‘Class of 92’ in snooker. These players came through the amateur ranks at a time when the strength and depth had developed in the UK because of the successful snooker clubs with open and pro-am events at the time.
“It is widely recognised that young talent needs to be nurtured, but it is essential that this talent is provided with the robust competitive environment open events can deliver. There must be no barriers to entry into this sport and drawing on the experience of the world’s best, and by working through the growing network of 147 Clubs, I am sure the EPSB Open Series will turn into a breeding ground for future champions.”
Simon Berrisford, EPSB CEO said: “I am hugely excited by the launch of the EPSB Open Series which represents another significant landmark in the continued development of snooker in this country.
“The creation of further competitive opportunities is crucial to help our young and aspiring talent to reach their full potential and already it has been energising to speak with venues and organisers who share our vision.
“I would also like to thank the current professional players who have helped to shape the Series so far, by providing their unique first-hand experience of their own respective journeys to the top of our sport. It has been a pleasure to work with them already and all of us at the EPSB now cannot wait for the first tournaments to get started.”
It is anticipated that the first tournaments will begin in September 2021 with further information including dates, formats, and entry details to follow in due course.
This is clearly an important inititiative from WPBSA and EPSB. There have been lots of discussions recently about the decline of the amateur game and how this impacts the young aspiring talents. Well done to them.
My only concern is that, it appears once again to be essentially UK/English centric. I do understand that one has to start somewhere, and under the recent and current circumstances “international” initiatives/actions are even more difficult than ever to undertake and build into success stories. However the W in WPBSA stands for “World”. Therefore I hope that this is only the first step, and a kind of “pilot” for a wider project that would include other nations/countries. We have seen a lot of promising young talents emerging from mainland Europe in recent years. Maybe working with the snooker “bodies” and clubs in that part of the world could be the next step? I’m convinced that the sport as a whole would greatly benefit from such initiative.
Also Lewis’ ideas about a rating system that would “cover” all categories of players from amateurs to top professionals, are certainly relevant in the context of initiatives like this one that will bring amateurs and pros closer to each others, blurring the distinction between “categories” of players. Such systems exist and do work in other sports, most notably in chess. Why not for snooker?
Barry Hawkins and Stuart Carrington won through the fourth day of BetVictor Championship League Snooker to book their places in Stage Two at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
Ronnie O’Sullivan is through to Stage Two of BetVictor Championship League Snooker after topping his group at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
Alexander Ursenbacher won all three of his group matches while Ali Carter was undefeated, taking 7 points from a possible 9, as both players advanced to Stage Two of BetVictor Championship League Snooker at Morningside Arena, Leicester.
Ricky Walden and Peter Lines won their respective groups to advance to Stage Two of BetVictor Championship League Snooker as the new season got underway at Morningside Arena, Leicester.
