Australia’s 2010 World Champion Neil Robertson battled bast 22-year-old Julien Leclercq 6-2 to earn his place in the last 16 of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York.
The Melbourne cueman is hunting a fourth UK Championship crown, having lifted the famous trophy in 2013, 2015 and 2020. He enjoyed a massive win earlier this season at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, beating Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-9 in the final to pocket £500,000, the highest payday of his career.
Next up he faces an intriguing last 16 meeting with China’s International Champion Wu Yize. The pair met in last season’s English Open final, where Robertson led 7-1 before being pegged back to 8-7, eventually winning 9-7.
Defeat ends what has been a fine tournament for towering 6ft 5in potter Leclercq, nicknamed the Belgian Beast. The former-Shoot Out finalist won three matches in qualifying to make the final stages here in York for the first-time in his career.
The first two frames both went beyond the 25-minute barrier, with Robertson claiming them to move 2-1 ahead. Leclercq responded by claiming the third before a break of 105 gave 43-year-old Robertson a 3-1 lead at the mid-session.
When play resumed, Leclercq pulled one back to leave the match in the balance at 3-2. However, Robertson replied by claiming the sixth and the seventh before a break of 64 in the eighth helped him over the line.
Robertson said: “I rate Julien, he is a great talent and I’ve been keeping an eye on how he has been doing this season. He came through a great last round in the qualifiers and I was pleased for him to get this experience early on in his career because I think he will learn an awful lot from it.
“We exchanged numbers last season and talked about practising together. We never managed to match up the dates but I said to him after the game we definitely need to do it. There were a few moments in the match where if we were practising I’d have stopped him and explained a different shot. I think he will be far better for the experience.
“I remember playing Wu at the English Open. I was 8-2 up and cruising and I didn’t even attempt a pot in the next four frames. He just kept slamming in all of these balls and let the arm go. He is the next superstar from China, there seems to be quite a lot of them at the moment. It is good to see that with the investment China has put into the sport, we are starting to see a handful of superstar players.”
On the other table, Wu held off an excellent fightback from Michael Holt to eventually emerge with a 6-4 triumph.
Wu’s victory at the recent International Championship came after he scored a stunning 10-6 win over John Higgins in the final.
Breaks of 55, 78, 82 and 81 exemplified a continuation of that form today as he burst 5-0 ahead. However, four on the bounce from Notthingham’s Holt saw him move right back into contention.
It was ultimately to no avail, with Wu taking the tenth to avoid a deciding frame and set up his meeting with Robertson.
Wu said: “I was quite pleased with myself in the first half, because i took my chances. I made some simple mistakes , but I think it’s acceptable. My opponent managed to win four consecutive frames and I wasn’t playing well.
“It was a fantastic experience, the player introductions was the best part. I stepped out and went down the stairs, it felt like i was going into a final. And the audience were so passionate, every seat was taken. I really enjoyed that moment.
“Neil Robertson is a great player. I will just try to enjoy myself in the match, because I feel like I have been playing well lately.”
Of course I watched the Julien v Neil match, and, of course I was supporting Julien but I have no complaints. Neil is a player, and a person, I like and admire. He loves his sport with a passion and I’m sure his offer to Julien about practicing together is genuine. Neil would coach the Martians if he thought it could develop snooker further across the universe! Wu is also a player I like, therefore the match between Neil and him will inevitably feel “bittet sweet” to me.
World number four Mark Williams rallied after a mid-session trip to the practice room to beat David Gilbert 6-4 and make the last 16 of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship.
The Welshman wasn’t happy with his performance at the break, despite being level with former Crucible semi-finalist Gilbert at 2-2. However, after a hit during the interval with coach Lee Walker, he was much happier with his play in the second half of the game.
50-year-old Williams became the oldest ever winner of a ranking event earlier this season after a 10-3 demolition of Shaun Murphy in the Xi’an Grand Prix final. He’ll be hoping he can break his own record this week by picking up a third UK title and first since 2002.
Williams made his move at 2-2 this evening with breaks of 89 and 73 helping him to three on the bounce and a 5-2 lead.
Gilbert replied with runs of 100 and 50 to pull within one, but it was Williams who got over the line by taking the tenth. Afterwards he reflected on the impact of his interval session with Walker
“We had a bust up! I came off worse,” joked Williams. “No, I don’t play much at home but when I am at the venue I practise as much as I can.
“We are working on a couple of things. Just easy things like screwing the black off the spot with a bit of side I struggle with. Yesterday, somehow I worked out how to do it! It has taken me a long time. We will keep trucking on and trying.
“Before the interval it was poor, but after the interval it was really good. It could have gone 5-5 at the end but I’m happy to get over the line. I potted some tricky balls to win that last frame so that was good.
“I’m only the oldest ranking event winner for the time being. John Higgins or Ronnie O’Sullivan will probably win one and overtake me. It is amazing how I’m still winning tournaments and beating someone like Shaun Murphy 10-3 is unbelievable. I just have to pat myself on the back.”
On the other table, Pang Junxu overcame Chinese compatriot Xiao Guodong 6-2 to set up a last 16 encounter with Williams.
Pang’s mum flew over from China to watch her son compete in the UK for the first time and it was a happy outcome for both this evening. Afterwards he admitted the presence of his mother was a boost and looked ahead to facing Williams.
Pang said: “Neither of us played well tonight and Xiao was unlucky. On the other hand, I was a bit lucky and it helped me to pull through the tougher moments.
“I am happy my mum was able to watch me in the UK for the first time. I think it helped me to focus on the match and I’m excited that I got the win.
“I played Mark once before and lost really badly. I hope I will be able to play much better and make less mistakes. I want to make sure this is a close match and that I don’t let him win easily.”
Imagining the “bust up” between Willo and Lee Walker made me smile. I must have been epic but by no way “dangerous”. These two as as close friends as close can be and if anyone happened to hurt Lee Walker, I’m sure that person would soon learn, or be reminded, that Mark Williams has two fists and isn’t too bad at boxing.
There was a really good crowd at the Barbican in York yesterday, which is good to see. It made for a great atmosphere. It used to be that way in the past until WST tried to get all 128 players at the main venue. That didn’t work well. In the early rounds, four tables were squeezed in a back room. There were chairs there for the fans but as they were all standing at the same level you didn’t see much of the table situation unless you are very tall and sitting in the front row. Four other tables were in the main venue, and players complained that the tables extreme left and right were too close to the walls there wasn’t enough space to “walk into the shot”. Also there were no adequate changing facilities for the players. But I digress …
Here are the reports by WST on what happened yesterday at the Barbican:
Defending champion Judd Trump prevailed 6-4 in an entertaining clash with 2004 winner Stephen Maguire on the opening afternoon of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York.
World number one Trump won the title in terrific fashion 12 months ago. He overcame a treacherous path to the final, beating Neil Robertson, John Higgins, Zhang Anda and Kyren Wilson. A fiercely title match with Barry Hawkins was won 10-8 by the Ace in the Pack.
Despite having now been on top of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings for over 12 months, he hasn’t lifted silverware since victory here last December. The calendar year of 2025 is yet to produce silverware for Trump, the last time that happened was 2013.
This week marks his last opportunity to avoid the same fate. In a bid to improve his fortunes he has reverted to the cue he won the 2019 World Championship win. Trump had previously switched to a new cue with a titanium ferrule rather than the traditional brass one.
Maguire held the famous UK Championship trophy aloft 21 years ago back in 2004. However, despite making two finals since then, he is yet to repeat the feat.
Although that wait doesn’t end this week, victory at the season opening Championship League and a run to the semi-finals of the International Championship have exhibited a return to form for the Glaswegian.
Breaks of 62 and 100 helped 36-year-old Trump to three of the first four frames and a 3-1 lead at the mid-session today.
When play resumed, Maguire hit back hammered home runs of 111 and 82 to restore parity at 3-3. He had a chance to take the lead in the seventh, but a straightforward red to the middle inexplicably missed the target and Trump pounced with 66 to lead 4-3.
A dramatic re-spotted black went Trump’s way to move him one from victory, before Maguire responded with 86 to claw back within one. However, 62 from Trump in the tenth saw him over the line to earn a last 16 meeting with Si Jiahui.
“It was a tough game, there was a lot of good stuff, there was a lot of misses. It was a classic UK Championship game really. I knew he had been back to form this year and he was always going to be tough to beat,” said 36-year-old Trump.
“At the moment I’m just missing that one percent of confidence under the utmost pressure. You need to have that belief, it isn’t quite there at the moment. When you beat players like Stephen, it helps and the form is coming back.
“I feel a lot better with this cue. I’ve been trying my absolute hardest but sometimes you know it isn’t going to be your day. I felt I had to change to give myself a chance. There are so many snooker tournaments these days that you don’t have much time to tinker. I have some time off after this event and I hope I’ll then find the right equipment for the rest of the season.”
On the other table, China’s Si set up his meeting with Trump thanks to a stunning 6-0 whitewash defeat of Welshman Ryan Day.
Si prevailed in his last meeting with Trump, which came at the 2024 Wuhan Open. Trump described it as one of the best ever performances against him, which included a 147 from Si. However, Trump has won all six of their other meetings.
Today’s win saw Si hammer home breaks of 61, 80 and 68 en route to a routine win.
Si said: “Very few tournaments would introduce the players like here, so every time I feel quite excited. I love the passion and the applause from the audience, so I really enjoy playing here.
“I won’t put too much pressure on myself, just relax and play. But I’m very happy to see other Chinese players winning titles, it does motivate me to do my best, to win my first ranking event.”
It was indeed an entertaining match on table 1. Stephen Maguire is a tremendous player and although I’m not a fan of using that word, yes, he is probably an underachiever. But then, of course, we don’t know what happens in the players’ lives away from the table. All the same, I like Stephen, he’s genuine, he speaks his mind without fear … he’s plain WYSIWYG1 .
Scotland’s John Higgins admitted he is plotting a trip with the Tartan Army to the World Cup next year after booking his passage in the second round of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship with a 6-2 win over Ben Woollaston.
The Glaswegian is competing in this event for the 33rd time in his career. He’s a three-time UK Champion, but York’s not been a happy hunting ground in recent times. Higgins hasn’t been beyond the last 16 since 2019. Standing in the way of the quarter-finals this time will be Shaun Murphy.
Despite his recent UK Championship record, Higgins arrives in good form having made the final of the recent International Championship in Nanjing, where he lost out to Wu Yize in the final.
Higgins says he’s still on cloud nine after celebrating Scotland’s 4-2 win over Denmark last week, which sealed World Cup qualification for the first time since 1998. The year he won the first of his four world titles to date.
Today’s defeat of Woollaston saw Higgins charge out of the blocks. Breaks of 66, 51, 84 and 58 saw him move into a 5-0 lead and one from the win.
Woollaston showed his steel and provided resistance in the sixth. Higgins was in first with 58, but a fine clearance of 70 saw the Leicester cueman steal on the black and keep the game alive. He then made it 5-2 with 65 in the seventh and apply some pressure. However, Higgins stood up to it and took a 21-minute eighth to get over the line.
“I’m hoping to come here and play well. It is a tough match with Shaun Murphy next but I’m into the tournament now. I’m going home for a couple of days then I’ll come back down and get ready for that match,” said 50-year-old Higgins.
“Shaun hits the ball like a dream. I managed to get the better out of him in Nanjing the last time we played but he beat me a couple of times before that. It is always a nice game. He goes for his shots and when you see that it makes you do it too. I can’t wait for it.
“Scotland qualifying for the World Cup has just given the country such a lift. Hopefully I will be out in a city in Mexico, Canada or America in the summer. I’d dearly love to go. The amount of people you speak to and they are all trying to get flights booked up. It will be an incredible atmosphere.
“One of the guys I went to Paris with in 1998 is no longer with us and it makes you think what a long time ago it was. A lot of things have passed under the bridge since then. It is great we are there again and I’d love to go and savour it again.”
On the other table, Murphy set up his mouth watering meeting with Higgins after taking five frames on the trot to defeat Lyu Haotian 6-2.
The Magician was trailing 2-1 when he stepped up with breaks of 58 and 63 on his way to moving 4-2 ahead. There was then a 147 attempt in the seventh, but his run ended on 80. It was enough to seal the frame and a contribution of 57 in the next saw the 2005 World Champion secure victory.
Murphy is also in fine form having won the British Open earlier this season and is savouring going toe to toe with Higgins.
Murphy said: “I was sat this morning having my breakfast watching the news and there was a lovely piece about the Class of 92. There is no escaping these guys and what they continue to achieve is remarkable. I’ve enjoyed watching John throughout my career. He has been a big help to me and helped me a lot as a junior player. I have watched him a lot, I just hope I don’t have to watch him too much in the next round!
“It has shown what the rest of us can do if we keep our heads down. When I started snooker you used to think your career would be over by 40. The Class of 92 have been trailblazers all of their lives and they continue to do that.”
In the evening I watched part of the Murphy v Lyu game. Shaun won the match by 6-2 with five breaks over 50 and yet the match was closer than what those numbers suggest. Lyu had chances in every frame, he potted some good balls but, for some reason, he appeared to struggle with his positional game and, of course, eventually it cost him. He isn’t the tallest guy and had to play a lot of shots with the rest. He’s not bad at it but it’s not the same as playing “naturally” without the implement.
SELBY DEFEATS WORLD NO.1 TO CLAIM FIRST CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS TITLE | 2025 SPORTSBET.IO CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS
Mark Selby produced a career-defining performance in front of an electrified home crowd at the Mattioli Arena, defeating World No.1 Judd Trump 10–5 to claim the 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions title — his first in the prestigious event.
Reflecting on the triumph, Selby said: “To win this title, here at home, means absolutely everything. Judd is the benchmark in the sport right now — you know you can’t give him an inch. I had to be solid from the first ball to the last. The atmosphere pushed me all the way, and lifting this trophy in Leicester is something I’ll never forget.
It was a final steeped in history as much as ambition — the first time Selby and Trump had contested a title since the 2011 China Open, where a young Judd Trump announced himself by claiming the first ranking trophy of his career. And from the very first shots in Leicester, it was clear this latest chapter would be worthy of the rivalry.
Trump struck first with a clinical 111 to take the opener, but Selby hit back immediately with a century of his own, a composed 102 to level. A missed cut on the black from Selby handed Trump the third frame, and the World No.1 followed it up with another century to stretch his lead to 3–1.
Selby, refusing to be shaken, capitalised on a safety error to reduce the deficit before punishing a missed long red from Trump with a run of 99 to pull level at 3–3. A tense, tactical seventh frame tipped Selby’s way as he moved ahead for the first time, and he doubled his advantage moments later, outmanoeuvring Trump in another cagey battle for 5–3.
Trump responded with intent, closing the gap to one after Selby failed to escape a snooker, and then levelling the match again following yet another tight safety exchange. But Selby struck back, edging a tense tenth frame to retake the lead before an in-off from Trump in the next allowed the Leicester man to extend the gap once more.
From there, Selby surged.
A brilliant 138 — the highest break of the tournament — pushed him 8–5 ahead. Riding a wave of momentum and crowd energy, he closed out the match in spectacular fashion, producing back-to-back centuries of 101 and 136 to seal a commanding 10–5 victory and lift the Champion of Champions trophy for the first time.
Selby began the week as Leicester’s favourite; he ended it as Leicester’s champion. A perfect, poetic finish.
Selby Beats Trump To Become Champion Of Champions For First Time
Mark Selby landed the Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions title for the first time, and ended a nine-month barren streak, as he pulled away from 5-5 to beat Judd Trump 10-5 in the final.
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Four-time Crucible king Selby had never previously reached the final of this event but this time in Leicester he rose to the occasion in front of his home fans, knocking out Stephen Maguire, Mark Williams and Neil Robertson before dominating the second half of the final against world number one Trump, finishing in superb style with three consecutive century breaks.
It’s a first title for 42-year-old Selby since the Welsh Open in February and by far his highlight of the 2025/26 season so far as he had previously not reached a final. He will now go into the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship later this month with a massive confidence boost.
Trump, who remains without a title in 2025, held an early 3-1 lead with breaks of 111, 73 and 114, despite a 102 from his opponent in frame two. Selby then hit back with 70, 99, 65 and 64 to go 5-3 ahead, before Trump’s 71 gave him the last frame of the afternoon session.
Bristol’s Trump won the first of the evening session, then Selby took the 11th for 6-5, before crucially getting the better of a safety battle on the final pink in the 12th to extend his lead. A tremendous 138 total clearance, the highest break of the tournament, left Selby 8-5 up as they headed for the interval.
And Selby maintained his momentum when they returned as breaks of 101 and 132 allowed him to fly past the winning post.
“This event is only for the best players and it was a privilege to play Judd in the final,” said Selby, the tenth different winner in ten tournaments so far this season. “I played well from start to finish and I knew I had to because Judd is the man to beat. I have felt good about my game for the last few days, I have found something and I know I have to stick with it. It’s a while since I have felt like that so it was great to play to that standard in a big final.“
Trump, who lost 9-8 to Jack Lisowski in last month’s Northern Ireland Open final, appeared to suggest that he will ditch the cue he has used since the start of the current season. “I couldn’t win with that cue,” he said. “I gave it my all today, but I just can’t get used to it, I didn’t know where to aim. There are no excuses and congratulations to Mark because he was the best player all week and deserved to win. He scored very heavily, his safety was good and he showed why he is one of the all-time greats.“
“No excuses” he said …. before immediately blaming the cue 😇. Seriously, I’m just “teasing” here. Changing ones cue is not always straightforward, we know that.
Mark Selby was the better player all week, no doubts. He is the local boy and the crowd supported him throughout which probably helped. But it only helped because Mark was playing well. When a player struggles, the crowd willing them to win sometimes only adds pressure and makes things harder for them.
JUDD TRUMP STORMS INTO SEMI-FINAL AFTER DAY ONE DOMINANCE | 2025 SPORTSBET.IO CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS
World No.1 Judd Trump triumphed on day one, defeating China’s Bai Yulu and Lei Peifan to secure his place in a seventh Champion of Champions semi-final, taking another step towards lifting the title for a second time.
Reflecting on his success on day one, Trump said: “It’s always a great feeling to get off to a strong start in this event. Every player in the field is capable of beating anyone, so you have to be sharp from the very first frame. I felt good out there today, found my rhythm early, and hopefully I can carry that form through the rest of the week. I just tried to play my best, and I feel like I did that today.”
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Despite dropping the opening frame against Women’s World Champion Bai Yulu, the World No.1 soon found his stride, producing a convincing 4–1 win to progress to the group final. There he faced Lei Peifan, who impressed on debut with a 4–1 victory over Masters champion Shaun Murphy in the opening match.
The pair met for the second time this season, having last faced off at this year’s Tour Championship. Trump took control early by claiming the opening frame, though Lei capitalised on an error from the Brit to level the scores. From there, the World No.1 shifted through the gears, displaying the class and composure that have defined his reign at the top of the sport, reeling off four consecutive frames to move 5–1 ahead.
Lei showed fight to pull one back, but Trump swiftly extinguished any hopes of a comeback in the following and final frame to seal a 6–2 victory and book his place in the semi-finals, where he will face the winner of day two.
The Trump v Lei match wasn’t as one-sided as the score may suggest. It was actually Lei who made the two highest breaks of the match, including the only century of the encounter. Trump highest break was only 60 (twice).
There are no details in this report about the 4-1 win by Lei Peifan over Shaun Murphy, a match and a result that left Shaun particularly aggrieved… as reported in this piece by Alex Livie:
‘Made an embarrassment of me’ – Shaun Murphy hits out at ‘despicable’ treatment by Champion of Champions organisers after early exit to Lei Peifan
Shaun Murphy crashed out of the Champion of Champions at the first hurdle, losing 4-1 to Lei Peifan, and he took a swipe at event organisers for placing him in the first match in Leicester on the back of his return from an event in China. Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
Shaun Murphy launched a withering attack on Champion of Champions event organisers following his defeat to Lei Peifan on Monday afternoon.
Murphy has been one of the form players of the season, with a title to his name at the British Open, but he looked well off the pace in a 4-1 defeat in Leicester.
The loss came on the back of his run to the quarter-finals of the International Championship in China last week, and Murphy took issue with Matchroom Sport for putting him on first on Monday.
“I have to say that I pride myself on conducting myself as professionally as I possibly can, and treat the game with an incredible amount of respect, and I think the way I’ve been treated by Matchroom in this tournament is nothing short of despicable,” Murphy told ITV Sport.
“In a tournament where they hand-pick the draw and hand-pick the groups, to find out that I was playing today – halfway through a 36-hour marathon journey home from China – just 48 hours ago…“
Mark Allen, Alfie Burden and defending champion Mark Williams did not play in China, and Murphy felt there was scope to have that trio plus a player who departed early last week to be on first.
“There were three other players in this tournament who were not even in China last week,” Murphy said. “For me to be thrown out first is nothing short of despicable.
“I think they have covered themselves in a huge embarrassment by treating me with such disrespect.”
Asked if he was given input on the scheduling, Murphy replied: “None whatsoever. In fact, I only found out today at breakfast that I was playing first at 1pm, so poor has been the communication.
“I am shocked. I have been used to Matchroom being a well-run organisation.
“The way they have treated me in this event with the format is extremely unprofessional.
“My beef is not with anyone else. My beef is that Mark Williams, Mark Allen and Alfie Burden were not even in China.
“Matchroom hand-pick this event. They had no need to pick the draws and make the format the way they did. They could have put those three in the same group with somebody else who was not in China as long as the rest of us. And they could have played today, and should have been playing today.
“It has made a total mockery of the event and an embarrassment of me.“
Matchroom were contacted for a response to Murphy’s interview and defended the process, while saying feedback would be used to improve the format.
The statement read: “We spoke with Shaun after his match and completely understand his frustrations.
“Our priorities are the players and we take pride in the fact they consider this event prestigious and want to prepare for it.
“For transparency and fairness, the groups are based on seeding. Scheduling is always a challenge every year and we take on board the points and will always strive to improve for next year and the future.”
Poor Schaun! For the record, Judd was also in Nanjing and lost in the International Championship only the day before Shaun lost. So, yes, he had one day more to “rest”, five rather than four… Does it really make such a huge difference? I’m not sure… 1
The problem for Matchroom is that they can’t wait until the last minute to publish the schedule, who plays who and when, because this is an event with spectators and most people will want to know who they will be watching before purchasing their tickets.
As for the matches … maybe I wasn’t in the mood but none of the players impressed me yesterday.
I have done my fair share of traveling across distant time zones. Jet lag is no fun but the secret to get over it as fast as possible is to get up and go to bed at your usual time in the new time zone, no matter how difficult the first day can be. ↩︎
The 2025 Champion of Champions starts today, without Ronnie who declined the invitation. As a result, Alfie Burden is in the draw, which is only right as Alfie is the reigning World Seniors Champion whilst Ronnie has not won any event since the last edition of this competition. Wu Yize, of course, just won the 2025 International Championship, but that event will count for next season. A very last minute change of the draw and schedule would have been unmanageable.
SCHEDULE CONFIRMED FOR THE 2025 SPORTSBET.IO CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS, 10–16 NOVEMBER
The schedule is now confirmed for the 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions, where snooker’s biggest stars will battle it out at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena for the first time in the event’s history.
Taking place from 10th to 16th November, the event will be broadcast live from 12:45 pm (UK time) on Monday, with coverage on ITV4 in the UK, Rigour in China, and through global broadcast partners, bringing the action to fans across the world.
Match Schedule Group Stages (Best-of-Seven)
Monday 10th November – Group Two Judd Trump (England) Shaun Murphy (England) Lei Peifan (China) Bai Yulu (China)
The 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions opens with Group Two, headlined by World No. 1 Judd Trump, who faces Masters Champion Shaun Murphy and Chinese stars Lei Peifan and Bai Yulu – the reigning Women’s World Champion making her second appearance in the tournament.
Tuesday 11th November – Group Three Kyren Wilson (England) Mark Allen (Northern Ireland) Zhao Xintong (China) Jack Lisowski (England)
Group Three features a star-studded line-up including World Champion Zhao Xintong, Kyren Wilson, Mark Allen, and Jack Lisowski. This group promises fast-paced and entertaining snooker from start to finish.
Wednesday 12th November – Group One Mark Williams (Wales) Mark Selby (England) Stephen Maguire (Scotland) Alfie Burden (England)
Group One sees Mark Williams begin his title defence campaign, joined by Leicester’s own Mark Selby, Stephen Maguire, and World Seniors Champion Alfie Burden. With three former World Champions in the mix, expect a fiercely contested day of classic match-ups.
Thursday 13th November – Group Four Neil Robertson (Australia) John Higgins (Scotland) Xiao Guodong (China) Tom Ford (England)
Concluding the group stages, Group Four brings together two former Champion of Champions winners in Neil Robertson and John Higgins, alongside Xiao Guodong and local favourite Tom Ford.many of them probably have day jobs.
Next week comes the 2025 Riyadh Season Championship, this time with Ronnie in the draw, but it’s not a particularly favorable draw…
Ronnie O’Sullivan handed nightmare draw in quest to hit £1m golden jackpot in Riyadh with Zhao Xintong and Judd Trump chasing snooker’s richest prize
By Desmond Kane
The winner of the third Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in Saudi Arabia could earn a whopping £1m for three days work if they claim the title and produce the sport’s first 167 break. The richest prize in the sport is available with the champion earning £250,000 and a further $1m (£751,000) on the line for the first player to sink a Golden Ball after making a 147 maximum break.
Ronnie O’Sullivan will have to do it the hard way if he is to claim a second title in three seasons at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in Saudi Arabia next month.
The seven-time world champion won the inaugural staging of the event last year, but has been handed a potential minefield when the invitational event is staged between November 19-21 at Boulevard City, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
O’Sullivan will open his campaign on the first day of the competition against Masters champion Shaun Murphy or local player Ziyad Al–Qabbani, with the winner of that contest facing world champion Zhao Xintong the following night in the quarter-finals.
It does not get easier for the snooker GOAT, with world No. 1 Judd Trump or new Xi’an Grand Prix winner Mark Williams next up in the semi-finals on the final day.
The event, made up of the top nine players in the world and the Crucible winner Zhao, has become famous for offering a $1m prize (£751,000) if any player can produce the first 167 in snooker history – a traditional 147 followed by potting a ‘golden ball’ worth 20 points after sinking the final black.
The golden ball has been perched in the middle of the baulk cushion for the first two editions of the event, but there has been speculation it might be moved to a more favourable location this year.
The golden ball is traditionally removed from the table by the referee when a 147 is no longer possible in a frame.
“The first one is going to be special,” said O’Sullivan, who is based in Dubai and has a snooker academy in Riyadh.
“You can’t take anything away from someone who does it down the line, but that first one is always going to be remembered.
“It will be some history and create some serious headlines.
“Big prize. $1m. No one’s ever won a prize like that in snooker ever before.”
Four-time world champion John Higgins was on course for the 167 in the maiden staging of the event, but ran out of position on 120 in trying to land on the yellow off a tricky black before missing the yellow.
“Our dream is to see the gold ball potted at the end of a maximum break to complete the world’s first ever 167!” said Naif Al-Jaweini, the general manager of Riyadh Season Snooker.
“I am sure every player in the field shares this dream as this achievement would help bring our sport to a new level on a global scale.”
On paper at least, the top half of the draw looks slightly more favourable in the chase for the lucrative £250,000 first prize.
Defending champion Mark Allen is in line to take on Higgins or Ding Junhui – who opens against home hope Ayman Alamri on Wednesday, November 19 – in the last eight as world No. 2 Kyren Wilson meets Neil Robertson, who returns to the country after his £500,000 victory at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August.
All matches are the best of seven frames with the best-of-nine frame final due to take place on Friday, November 21 at 19:00 UK time.
O’Sullivan defeated Luca Brecel 5-2 in the first final in March 2024, with Allen running out a 5-1 winner over Brecel before Christmas last year.
You will find the draw and schedule for this event here on snooker.org.
The way Ronnie’s matches are scheduled fans in the UK and western mainland Europe will have to stay up very late to watch them live, but, of course, those hours are the ones most suitable for the Saudi Arabian fans, as many of them have day jobs
China’s Wu Yize blitzed to a 10-6 victory over Scotland’s four-time World Champion John Higgins to capture his maiden ranking title by winning the International Championship in Nanjing.
The supremely talented 22-year-old’s potential has been clear for many years. He became World Under-21 Champion back in 2018, aged just 14. Four years later, in 2022, he was named Rookie of the Year after his debut season on tour.
However, this has been Wu’s coming of age week. Having also beaten the likes of compatriots Zhang Anda and World Champion Zhao Xintong, it was against two of England’s finest where he displayed his blistering best.
From 4-0 down in his last 16 tie with world number one Judd Trump, Wu strung together 12 consecutive frames to win 6-4 and then whitewash Barry Hawkins 6-0. Each of those frames contained a break over 60. The question was could he carry that form into his final with experienced 50-year-old Higgins?
Today’s clash was the fourth biggest ever age gap in a ranking final, the biggest was 30 years between Ding Junhui and Steve Davis in the 2005 UK Championship final.
Wu’s previous two final appearances ended in defeat. He lost 9-7 to Neil Robertson in the 2024 English Open final and a few months later was beaten 9-5 by Lei Peifan in the 2024 Scottish Open final.
This win makes Wu the ninth ranking event winner from mainland China and he pockets a £175,000 top prize. That catapults Wu from 22nd to 13th in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings. He now qualifies automatically for the UK Championship, at Chris Wakelin’s expense.
It’s a disappointing end to a very strong week for 33-time ranking event winner Higgins. He will have to settle for the £75,000 runner-up cheque in his 59th ranking final. His run included a 9-2 win over close friend Stephen Maguire in the semis and a 6-2 defeat of Shaun Murphy in the quarters.
The afternoon session saw Wu dominate large chunks of the play, but Higgins showed his grit and experience to claim the last two frames leave the match in the balance at 5-4 to Wu.
When play got underway this evening, Wu immediately regained the initiative with a break of 87 to go two ahead.
A dramatic 11th frame proved to be a crucial juncture in the match. Higgins had the frame under control when he missed a tricky brown to the left hand baulk corner. After a brief exchange, Wu took on a double which led to a tremendous clearance of 43 to steal on the black and move 7-4 ahead.
Wu compounded that frame with a maximum attempt in the 12th. His run ended on 80, but it left him needing just two frames for glory at 8-4 as they went in for the mid-session.
After play resumed, the next two frames were traded, as Wu moved to the verge of victory at 9-5. Higgins crafted a defiant 53 to make it 9-6, but this evening was Wu’s moment. He went out with a bang, hammering home 108 to get over the line and become the International Champion.
“Honestly, it feels unbelievable. After beating Judd Trump, I started thinking about the whole journey and it was surreal,” said an elated Wu.
“I think one of the good things was that I started both sessions of the final really well. Having a lead helped me to relax. Everything went pretty much the way I wanted.
“It has been a long wait since reaching the final at the Scottish Open and the English Open last year. At times I honestly felt quite desperate, but deep down I always believed I had the ability to win a title. Every day I kept thinking about it. I had a strong will to lift a trophy. That belief carried me through this week.
“My parents are everything. My dad (Wu Jiepin) has been with me since I was a kid, always by my side. He’s helped me so much, especially during difficult times in the UK. I’m so grateful for what he has done for me.”
Higgins said: “I was nowhere near good enough all day. He was striking the ball beautifully. He was by far the better player. It reminded me so much of playing Paul Hunter. The way he gets through the ball and gets so much action on it. He is a brilliant player.
“There’s no point in getting too down. I’ll get home and have a couple of days off before the Champion of Champions. After that it is the Riyadh tournament and then building up to the UK. I’m disappointed with how I played today.
“I’m delighted his mum and dad are here. It brings back memories for me. It could open the floodgates. It goes to show the good hands snooker is in. I’m glad that I’ll probably be retiring in a couple of years with guys like that potting them off the lampshades. He is a total star.“
I’m absolutely delighted for Wu, who I always enjoy watching.
It’s not like he had an easy route to the title either as he had to beat both the reigning World Champion, Zhao Xintong, and the World Number One, Judd Trump, as already mentioned in WST’s report. Playing in his own country, China, probably added pressure as well. He’s a special player, no doubts!
Hereafter you will find the reports shared by WST on what happened on the quater-finals day in Nanjing.
The Wu Yize v Judd Trump match was truly remarquable and will do nothing for Judd’s confidence. I’m not sure if it ever happened to him during his professional career to be beaten by 6-4 having led by 4-0!
Anyway it happened today … and I’m not too sorry for him. I haven’t forgotten how he came on social media in the early days of his career, after beating Ronnie a couple of times. “Ronnie who?” is what he posted.
No matter how great a player is, they all go through lean spells during their career, especially when they get a bit older. Judd is going through that now and I’m not sure how he would feel if the young Wu Yize was posting “Judd who?” on social media. Somehow, I doubt he would be happy
Having said that what Judd did back then was nothing new under the sun and maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh. Homer, in the Odyssey, wrote something along the line that it’s the privilege of the youth to judge without knowing and to believe they know before they learned … 1
China’s Zhao Xintong reached his first ranking semi-final since becoming World Champion, beating Mark Selby 6-5 at the International Championship.
The 28-year-old made history by becoming Asia’s first Crucible king back in May, beating Mark Williams 18-12 in the final. Since that landmark moment, Zhao has had a mixed start to the new campaign.
He had a 6-1 win over compatriot and icon Ding Junhui to reach the semis at the invitational Shanghai Masters, before losing out to Kyren Wilson. However, he has failed to go beyond the last 16 since then.
Today’s result also marks a first ever win over four-time World Champion Selby. The Leicester cueman had won all five of their previous meetings to this point.
It had looked as if Selby was set or another win when he charged to a 4-2 advantage this afternoon. However, breaks of 68, 97 and 55 helped Zhao to three in a row and a 5-4 lead.
A gutsy run of 81 in the tenth saw Selby force a decider, but it was Zhao who got over the line to secure a semi-final clash with compatriot Wu Yize.
“That was unbelievable. It was my first time beating Mark Selby and I had to come back from behind. I am so proud of myself,” said three-time ranking event winner Zhao.
“I’ve been enjoying being World Champion and I the pressure of it. I have enjoyed playing out there on the table.
“It will hopefully be a good game with Wu. He is a very good player and can pot anything. I will try my best to beat him. Chinese snooker now is really good. Every Chinese player is capable of winning trophies.”
Wu blitzed to a stunning 6-0 whitewash win over Barry Hawkins, extending his frame winning streak to 12 in a row.
The 22-year-old trailed world number one Judd Trump 4-0, before a blitz of six on the bounce saw him score an unlikely win. Remarkably, he’s now made a break over 50 in all of his last 12 frames.
Victory sees Wu reach the fifth ranking semi-final of his career. He’s made title matches on two occasions, at the 2024 English Open and the 2024 Scottish Open, but fell short against Neil Robertson and Lei Peifan respectively.
Wu crafted runs of 66, 64, 73, 85, 111 and 86 en route to today’s win. The world number 22 knows he must win the event in order to dislodge Chris Wakelin and make the top 16 in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings to qualify automatically for the UK Championship.
He and Zhao will meet over 17 frames and two sessions tomorrow.
Stephen Maguire and John Higgins set up an all-Scottish semi-final at the International Championship in Nanjing, after scoring respective wins over Zak Surety and Shaun Murphy.
A 6-1 victory over Surety sends Maguire through to the 38th ranking semi-final of his career. He’s gunning for a second ranking crown of the campaign, having won the season opening Championship League, and an eighth ranking crown in total.
Having won his first three matches this week all by a 6-4 scoreline. Today’s more straightforward win was a welcome one for the 44-year-old. Maguire looked by far the more comfortable of the two players and crafted breaks of 50, 94 and 59 on his way to victory.
Tougher tests lie ahead for the 2004 UK Champion in the last four against his close friend. He will be aiming to arrest a four match losing streak against fellow Glaswegian Higgins and beat him for the first time since 2014.
His experiences sharing a practice unit with Higgins and Anthony McGill have left Maguire under no illusions of the task which faces him.
Maguire said: “I don’t think there’s much help for anyone who isn’t playing well when we are practising. You are just handing over fivers constantly! You are a victim if you aren’t playing well in there and you need to be sharp. You have to get up early in the morning and be sharp in that unit.
“A best of 17 against John. I will be nervous, I know that, because there will be a lot of bragging rights on it. I think I will be more nervous about that than the actual semi-final itself.”
Higgins scored a superb 6-2 win over recent British Open champion Murphy to book his last four slot.
Victory sees the Wizard of Wishaw into an incredible 90th career ranking semi-final. He’s gunning for his 34th title.
Breaks of 77, 112, 67 and 116 helped Higgins ease to victory this evening. Afterwards, he admitted he’s thrilled to claim victory against such stern opposition, as well as stating that he’s relishing his last four showdown with Maguire.
“It was all about me today. I had to play at the top of my game to have a chance against Shaun. I felt I did that. My safety was pretty good and when I got my chances I scored pretty well. When I play these top guys now I’ve got to be on my game to win,” said 50-year-old Higgins.
“There are certain players that make you feel inadequate when you are out at the table with the way they hit the ball. Shaun is one of them. It is very important to get a toehold in the game and just work from there.
“I’m delighted to be playing Stephen. It is the same with Anthony McGill, he’s back doing well this season and Stevie has been putting the work in over the summer as well. We will be fighting like cat and dog out there. If I win then great, if I don’t then I’ll be willing him on to win the title. It is such a tough game and I know how good he is.
“It was the same with Anthony (in the British Open semi-finals). I was trying my hardest but he played better. I shook his hand and said on you go, hoping he would win the title. It will be the same again. There will be bragging rights, so we will wait and see.”
Higgins and Maguire will do battle over the best of 17 frames on Saturday for a place in the final against World Champion Zhao Xintong or Wu Yize.
Yes, I went through the classic curriculum at school, learning Latin and ancient Greek. The “school for girls” I was sent to didn’t offer a strong scientific curriculum because, you know, that’s not for girls… I begged to differ, studied maths at Uni, got a PhD and made a career in IT 😇. Having said all that, I absolutely loved Homer, especially the Odyssey… ↩︎
Ronnie O'Sullivan 