Midnite Brings Neon Green Cue Ball To The Crucible
World Snooker Tour has confirmed the iconic white ball will be replaced by a neon green colour at the 2026 Halo World Snooker Championship.
The new neon green ball will be paying homage to Midnite, the official UK betting and casino partner for the tournament.
The iconic white ball has been involved in every snooker tournament since its inception, but will change to neon green, Midnite’s flagship colour, for the full 17 days at the Crucible.
World No.2 Kyren Wilson, who won the 2026 Masters, has backed the move, saying:
“I honestly think it’s a fantastic step forward for snooker. The idea of the white ball turning Midnite neon green might sound bold at first, but that’s exactly what our sport needs right now – something that grabs attention and gets people talking.
“We’ve got such a proud history, especially at the World Snooker Championship, but evolution is key if we want to keep growing and bringing in a new generation of fans.
“From a player’s perspective, it’ll be really interesting as well. The visuals are such a big part of how we read the game, so having that bright green cue ball under the lights at the Crucible could actually enhance our game.
“You’ve got to be open-minded about these changes. If it helps showcase the sport in a new way and makes people stop and watch, then that’s a win for everyone. Personally, I’m really excited by it. I think it could give the whole championship a fresh energy and create something quite iconic in its own right.”
Jason Ferguson, Chairman of snooker’s global governing body WPBSA, added:
“Tradition and heritage are so important in our sport but we are also excited by innovation. Fans and players will love this new cue ball which is exclusive to the World Championship.
“This is one of the biggest changes to the equipment in the 150-year history of our sport and it will be fascinating to see this in action at the Crucible.“
Peter Wright, WST’s Chief Commercial Officer said:
“Players are going to have to adapt fast to the new neon cue ball, especially under the intense pressure that the Crucible always brings. This could really change the dynamic of the game and enhance the viewing experience for fans. We know it’s a bold move but we are a sport which thrives on rising to the challenge.”
Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, commented:
“We’re incredibly proud to be part of such an iconic moment for snooker. Seeing the traditional white ball reimagined in Midnite neon green at the World Snooker Championship is an exciting way to celebrate our partnership with WST.
“This is about bringing a fresh energy to a historic tournament while respecting everything that makes it so special. The Crucible has produced some of the most memorable moments in sport, and to have our brand reflected in such a visible and creative way during those 17 days will be truly special for us.
“We’re passionate about engaging fans in new and innovative ways, and this initiative does exactly that. We can’t wait to see the Midnite neon green ball in play on snooker’s biggest stage.”
If it isn’t an April fool … the snooker gods will turn even greener than the said ball … 🙄
O’Sullivan Makes Snooker’s Highest Ever Break With Historic 153
Ronnie O’Sullivan once again made snooker history after crafting the sport’s highest ever break, a stunning 153, in his quarter-final with Ryan Day at the World Open in Yushan.
The Rocket has achieved a perfect 147 break a record 17 times previously. However, this contribution was aided by a free ball and included 14 blacks with two pinks, before he deposited all of the colours to end on 153. That left the Englishman two points shy of the highest possible run of 155.
The only ever break to have exceeded 147 prior to this was a 148 made by Jamie Burnett at 2004 UK Championship qualifying. O’Sullivan’s incredible run this afternoon eclipses that and puts him in line for the £5,000 high break prize.
Earlier this season the seven-time World Champion became only the second player in snooker history to make two maximum 147 breaks in a single match, achieving the feat in his Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters semi-final with Chris Wakelin. He followed on from Jackson Page, who made two maximums in the penultimate round of 2025 World Championship qualifying.
Further runs of 62, 110, 103 and 95 saw him run out a 5-0 victor and book a place in the semi-finals against Wu Yize.
Here are the scores for that match
What can I add really? The man never ceases to amaze!
Tomorrow of course is another day, with another match to play … his opponent will be Wu Yize who beat Mark Allen by 5-1.
In the evening (in China), Judd Trump beat Hossein Vafaei by 5-1 and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh beat Gary Wilson by the same score, 5-1.
All four quarter-finals matches were one-sided. 😳 All the players still in the draw are fast and attacking. 😊
Ronnie O’Sullivan made an incredible 153 break, the highest ever in snooker’s history, during his 5-0 whitewash win over Ryan Day, which sets up a semi-final meeting with Wu Yize at the World Open in Yushan.
The momentous contribution came in the opening frame this afternoon, after Day left a free ball for O’Sullivan. He went on to deposit 14 blacks and two pinks, before clearing the colours to take the break to 153. That is just two points short of the highest possible break of 155.
He went on to conjure further runs of 62, 110, 103 and 95 to storm to victory in just 55 minutes. The Rocket averaged just 13.6 seconds per shot during the masterclass triumph.
“It was a great buzz. I could have tried to get the extra black, but I just thought nobody had made a break bigger than 147 on TV so I wanted to be the first. I’ve been the first of many things so I thought I might as well get that one as well. I feel blessed to achieve these things,” said 50-year-old O’Sullivan.
“Thank God for YouTube and streaming. If you are interested in a subject the algorithms will throw all sorts of good stuff at you. When a long time passes and I’m not here there will still be people saying it is pretty cool what that guy did.
“We are all blessed with a certain amount of ability to handle a certain amount of pressure. You are either a good pressure player or you aren’t. There are techniques which you can do to handle yourself well. I could have let the nerves get out of control but you have things you can do to lower the heart rate, stay focussed and stay present.
“I’ve never made anything more than a 147 (even when practising). For me if the excitement and the buzz is there, I can do great things. Unless there is something at the end of it I don’t. I hadn’t made a 147 for years, but I realised that I hadn’t made two in one tournament before so I went for it (at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters).“
International Champion Wu continued his bid for a second title of the season with an impressive 5-1 demolition of Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen.
China’s 22-year-old Wu won his maiden title earlier this season by defeating John Higgins 10-6 in the International Championship final. Breaks of 83, 140, 77, 109 and 53 helped him storm to victory this afternoon and set himself up for a crack at O’Sullivan in the last four.
Wu said: “Today I felt really good. When I got down on the shot, I felt very confident. When I can find that form I know I’m capable of producing some very high quality snooker. I did prepare mentally for this match. Mark is a tough opponent and can drag you into his rhythm, but I felt ready for that today. My safety has been good recently, so as long as my break building goes well, I think I can handle these situations.
“The 153 break from Ronnie O’Sullivan was actually the first time I’ve experienced something like that. It was quite special and I was happy to witness Ronnie making another record. I’m really happy for him. Of course, he’s an idol. I think he’s an idol for everyone.“
Ronnie beat Ross Muir by 5-1 in his first round held-over match at the 2026 World Open in Yushan.
Here are the scores for that match:
As you can see, Ronnie played pretty well and scored heavily when in the balls. He didn’t make many mistakes. I can’t say that Ross made many mistakes himself because, more often than not when he made one, it was ruthlessly punished and he didm’t get another chance.
Here are the last two frames of the match shared on Youtube by WST.
Ronnie was due to play Ishpreet Singh Chadah in round 2, but Ishpreet has withdrawn, so, next for Ronnie is a round 3 match against Matt Selt on Wednesday.
Ronnie O’Sullivan eased through his opening clash with Ross Muir at the World Open in Yushan with a 5–1 victory, but afterwards admitted that restoring his game to the level he wants would be the “biggest achievement” of his career.
The Rocket has recently embarked on a quest to rebuild his game in a bid to rediscover his top form before his career is over. Earlier this season he admitted that his one remaining goal in snooker is to win a record breaking eighth World Championship.
O’Sullivan came close to perfection in today’s encounter with Scotland’s Muir. The Englishman deposited 15 reds and 14 blacks in the fifth frame, before going in off with the 15th black to end his run on 113. He went on to fire past the line with 114 in the next to progress. With his last 64 opponent Ishpreet Singh Chadha having withdrawn from the event, O’Sullivan now progresses to the last 32, where he will face Matthew Selt.
“I got here a week early just to do some practising on my own. I’ve been working really hard on my game. I know I haven’t played a lot of tournaments, but I’ve been working because my game has been in such a bad place. It isn’t like I’ve had my feet up while everyone has been playing. I’ve decided I really need to attack this now. I have one last throw of the dice really. The last three years have been awful in terms of confidence. I’m trying to work on that now and see if I can get back to delivering the cue freely,”
“I’ll commit to two years to work on it and try to prolong my career. Cueing how I was cueing, there was going to be no longevity in it. I’ve been working harder than I ever have done, it just hasn’t been on TV. It has been behind closed doors. I’m trying to attack it rather than hope something changes. I’m breaking it down and trying to recoach myself.
“I was saying to a friend the other day that if I manage to get out of this it would be my biggest achievement in snooker. If I can feel how I did six or seven years ago, that would trump anything. Seven World Championships, eight Masters, this would rank higher than any of those achievements. I’m under no illusions how difficult it will be but I’m not going to retire because something I tried didn’t work for me. I’m going to get back to my natural instinct of playing and recoach myself in some sort of way.” said O’Sullivan.
Ronnie has achieved what he has in his career so far BECAUSE he’s a perfectionist, although this constant quest for perfection has also been his undoing at times, and a torture… but he is who he is, it’s his core nature, it won’t change. He has to live with that nature through successes and disappointments, through bliss and despair at times … and we, fans, live it with him.
Yesterday evening, Anton Kazakov from Ukraime defeated Oliver Sykes from England by 5-4 to become the 2026 European Champion. Both players get a 2 years professional tour card.
Kazakov Completes European Double As Sykes Secures WST Debut
Anton Kazakov defeated Oliver Sykes 5-4 to win the 2026 EBSA European Championship title in Gandia, Spain.
The victory saw the Ukrainian complete a memorable double, adding to the Under-21 crown he secured earlier in the week with 18 consecutive wins at the Gandia Palace Hotel, while Main event runner-up Oliver Sykes also earned a World Snooker Tour (WST) two-year tour card for the first-time in his career by reaching the final.
A total of 172 players contested the event, organised by the European Billiards & Snooker Association (EBSA), and Kazakov continued his outstanding form to finish top of a group that also featured Under-21 finalist Riley Powell, Belgium’s Nick Demuynck and Jan Laushman from Bulgaria.
A whitewash win over Arsenii Korolev was followed by a 4-1 success against reigning German national champion Simon Lichtenberg to reach the last 16, where he faced former professional Peter Lines.
Lines was able to rally from 3-1 behind to force a decider, but it was the 21-year-old who held his nerve to win through before denying former European Under-16 champion Vladislav Gradinari in the quarter-finals – just as he had done in the Under-21 competition earlier in the week.
The tournament high break of 140 then helped Kazakov comfortably past Finnish former professional Robin Hull to reach a second successive final, where he met Sykes.
The 20-year-old Englishman had been in fine form across the week and a 4-1 defeat of Germany’s Umut Dikme on Saturday morning guaranteed Sykes his place on the WST for the first time from the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
A closely fought title match saw the first eight frames of the match shared with neither player ever leading by more than a one, meaning it all came down to a decider.
It was Kazakov who proved to be the man of the moment once again as he took the ninth and decisive frame by a 62-5 scoreline to complete a memorable double in Gandia.
The final was a good match to watch. Both gave it their all, both played well. It’s just a shame that the live streaming on Youtube was interrupted for several minutes1 at one point.
Anton has been on tour before and he didn’t perform at all. This time however he will know what is expected, and having had this experience, hopefully will be able to play to his true potential. Also, we should not forget that the situation in his country is extremely difficult. It’s hard enough for a very young person to live alone in a foreign country, away from friends and family, just imagine how it must be if , every day, they fear for those they love because their country is at war. I hope that Anton will be made to feel very welcome on tour and that, if needed, he will get the psychological and emotional support, should he need it. We should never forget that behind the “player”, is a human person.
WPBSA Qualifying Criteria Announced for 2026 World Snooker Championship
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) and World Snooker Tour have today announced the qualification criteria for the 16 amateur places at the 2026 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield in April.
The qualifying rounds will take place in Sheffield from 6-15 April with 16 places at the Crucible Theatre to be won.
Alongside all professionals ranked outside the elite top 16, following the 2026 Tour Championship, and top-ups from the 2025 Q School Order of Merit, will be 16 leading amateur players who have earned their place at the event following their performances at recognised international events across the season.
These include outstanding performers at the World Snooker Federation Championships in Sofia, and the WPBSA Q Tour Global which will reach its conclusion in Spain this March.
The exceptional performance of Alfie Burden who lifted his maiden professional ranking event title at the Shoot Out as an amateur top up player has also been recognised. Burden also won the World Seniors Snooker Championship for the first time in 2025.
Jason Ferguson, WPBSA Chairman said: “We are once again pleased to confirm how 16 WPBSA qualifiers will earn their places at this season’s professional World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
“In line with previous seasons, the elite performers from recognised WPBSA Tour pathways are once again included and will have the opportunity to contest the biggest title in our sport this spring.
“There can be no better inspiration than the performance of China’s Zhao Xintong, who last year made history as he became the first WPBSA qualifier to lift the trophy at the Crucible Theatre, having begun his campaign in the very first round following his achievements at last season’s WPBSA Q Tour Europe.
“Players hoping to emulate his success a year on will include successful players at the WSF Championships – including our newly crowned junior champion Michael Larkov – as well as the WPBSA Q Tour Global and European Championships.
“We are also delighted to recognise the incredible achievement of Alfie Burden only last month, who became a world ranking event winner for the first time at the Shoot Out, whilst competing as an amateur qualifier.
“I look forward to seeing these players have the opportunity to achieve their dreams and to compete on the biggest stage of all.”
2026 EBSA Under-18 European Championship Winner (Runner-up if already qualified) – (Vladislav Gradinari – because the winner Michal Sbubarczyk is a pro)
2026 EBSA Under-21 European Championship Winner (Runner-up if already qualified) – (Anton Kazakov )
Highest ranked eligible player on the Q Tour Europe rankings
Exceptional Performance – Amateur winning a professional world ranking event (Alfie Burden)
All players selected will appear subject to acceptance of their place and any travel restrictions in place. Any replacement players for these 16 places will be selected from the final WPBSA Q Tour Europe ranking list this season.
Any current professional players who do not enter the tournament will be replaced from the 2025 Q School Order of Merit.
The players continued to play… of course, we just couldn’t watch them. ↩︎
The “2026 EBSA main event European Championship Winner” didn’t feature in that list, which is quite strange, but it doesn’t matter that much now as Anton Kazakovhad already qualified, but, of course, Oliver Sykes, the runner-up, may/will feel robbed and, no matter how you look at it, it isn’t logical, nor rigth. I hope he gets the call.
Also Wang Xinbo has qualified twice as a runner-up so I’m not sure what happens there …
As they say in all good series … to be continued in the next episode
Hawkins Beats Lisowski To Land Fifth Ranking Title
Barry Hawkins reached the milestone of five ranking titles with a 9-5 victory over Jack Lisowski in the final of the BetVictor Welsh Open in Llandudno.
A pro since 1996, Hawkins has had a disappointing strike rate at the business end of ranking events over the years, losing eight of his 12 previous finals as well as 22 defeats in semi-finals. But this time the 46-year-old Londoner was clinical from the start, winning six frames in a row from 1-1 then fending off a late flurry from his opponent to clinch the result.
He becomes the 23rd player to reach the landmark of five ranking crowns, moving level with Zhao Xintong, Stephen Lee and Ray Reardon on the all-time list. The former World Championship finalist earns a first title since 2023, lifting the Ray Reardon Trophy for the first time and banking £100,000.
Hawkins cements his place among the elite top 16, moving up from 14th to ninth, and also jumps from 15th to eighth on the Sportsbet.io One Year Rankings, almost certainly earning him a place in the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship in Manchester which starts in four weeks.
A week ago Hawkins arrived on the North Wales coast with minimal expectations, suffering from lower back pain after pulling a muscle during a gym session. He struggled through his opening match, a narrow 4-3 success against David Lilley, and then grew in confidence as the pain subsided and his renowned all-round game blossomed. The Englishman took scalps including Mark Williams, Neil Robertson and Wu Yize to reach the final before an excellent display to beat Lisowski, making two centuries and four more breaks over 50.
In beating John Higgins 6-5 in a thrilling semi-final last night, Lisowski won the £150,000 BetVictor Home Nations Series bonus, and was clearly elated after the match. Having climbed that mountain, the 34-year-old seemed low on energy today, and let the tie slip away from him in the first session. The Gloucestershire cueman missed the chance to double his tally of ranking titles having captured his first with a dramatic 9-8 success against Judd Trump at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in October, and has now lost seven of his eight finals. He climbs four places in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings from 22nd to 18th.
Trailing 7-1 after the first session, Lisowski swiftly cut the gap tonight with breaks of 112 and 102 to close to 7-3. Frame 11 lasted 47 minutes and Lisowski led 22-18 when a sizzling long red set him up for a run of 37 to draw within three frames. Early in the 12th, Hawkins enjoyed a fluked red when attempting safety and went on to make 68 to regain his momentum at 8-4.
After the interval, Hawkins missed a tricky red to centre and Lisowski’s run of 53 kept his hopes alive at 8-5. But in the 14th, Hawkins made 32 before running out of position, then got back in with a thundering long red and added 33 to cue the celebrations.
“It means the world, I came close last season to a couple of big titles, I feel I deserved this one because I have been knocking on the door for a while,” said Hawkins, who lost 9-7 in the final of this event against Higgins in 2018. “I am so relieved because playing Jack is scary, he pots balls from everywhere and when he gets going he’s a hard man to stop. At 7-1 it’s for you to lose, things start going through your head like it could be the biggest collapse of all time. People were getting excited but I know it’s never over until it’s over. I was feeling it out there. He came out all guns blazing tonight, I knew that might happen and I had to stay calm.
“It’s massive to climb the rankings, I knew I needed to have a run in something to qualify for Manchester but I didn’t expect to win this one. To be in that event with only 12 players, you know you are doing something right, to be involved in it will be amazing. I want to thank the crowd here, they have supported us so well all week and that brings the best out of the top players.
“My dad is going through a lot at the moment so hopefully this will give him a boost.”
Lisowski said: “I was gone in the first session, I was very poor. I was trying my best but maybe there was a bit of a hangover from last night because I went through a lot. Barry was by far the better player today. He’s a great guy and I’m happy for him. I couldn’t sleep last night. The semi-final was like a final for me, I was so relieved to win and the way I won, to beat John. But that takes nothing away from Barry today, there are no excuses and I gave it my best. “
Not much to add really. Jack was indeed very poor in the first session. His quotes about possible fatigue after the late evening semi-finals’ win are not “excuses”. This is the reality: players are human. And it’s not just the fatigue … after an important match, there is tension and adrenaline in the body. Even if they are tired they might struggle to fall asleep before their body, and mind, find some calm. He’s not the first, and won’t be the last to experience that “hangover” feeling. He made a match of it in the evening, but the deficit was too big.
As for Barry … he’s a very likeable character and I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t be happy for him … except probably a few who had a bet on Jack to win 😎.
Barry Hawkins and Jack Lisowski will face each other today in the final of the 2026 Welsh Open in Llandudno. Here is how we got there after yesterday’s semi-finals.
Barry Hawkins remained on course for a fifth ranking title as he survived a Wu Yize charge to win 6-4 and reach the final of the BetVictor Welsh Open in Llandudno.
Wu stormed back from 4-1 down to 4-4 and looked sure to go ahead but a missed black on a break of 59 proved the key moment of the contest, as Hawkins regained the initiative and took the last two frames. The 46-year-old Londoner is into a 13th ranking final and has the chance to win a first title since the 2023 European Masters. In Sunday’s best-of-17 final he will meet John Higgins or Jack Lisowski for the Ray Reardon Trophy and a top prize of £100,000.
Before this week it had been a season of few highlights for world number 14 Hawkins as he had failed to reach a semi-final. And his chances looked slim when he arrived in North Wales as a back injury left him on the brink of pulling out. He battled through the pain in an opening 4-3 win over David Lilley, and went on to knock out Mark Williams and Neil Robertson in a superb run. He is into the Welsh Open final for the second time, having lost the first 9-7 to Higgins in 2018.
Guaranteed £45,000, Hawkins has already moved from 15th to 13th on the Sportsbet.io One Year rankings, and victory tomorrow would almost certainly earn him a place in the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship in Manchester in four weeks time.
Former Crucible finalist Hawkins dominated a scrappy opening frame and he led 53-0 in the next when he went in-off attempting safety, and China’s 22-year-old Wu punished him with a fine 73 clearance. In frame three, Wu trailed 42-18 when he missed a tough black to a baulk corner, letting Hawkins in for a run of 42 to regain the lead. The Englishman went on to make breaks of 72 and 66 to stretch his lead to 4-1.
Early in frame six, Hawkins miscued in trying to pot a red with the rest, and Wu’s run of 83 gave him a foothold. Just 18 minutes later the tie was in the balance as Wu fired breaks of 74 and 122 for 4-4. Frame nine was reracked after a long stalemate, then Wu converted a long red and looked in full control until his surprising miss on a routine black on 59. Hawkins ran out of position on 37, but later converted a long pot on the yellow and cleared for 5-4. The next was a fragmented affair but Wu failed to pot a ball and runs of 24 and 25 helped Hawkins crawl over the winning line.
“Wu threw everything at me from 4-1,” said Hawkins, who was runner-up in the UK Championship and German Masters last season. “I played well up to 4-1, then when I miscued with the rest, that sparked him into life. I was just sitting in my seat, he was potting unbelievable balls and didn’t look like missing. He looks amazing when he starts doing that, the way he hits the ball.
“To get the chance at 4-4 when he missed the black from nowhere, that was a relief, and winning that frame settled me down. I felt good today, it would be nice to knock a few centuries in, hopefully I can do that in the final. It would be brilliant to win, that’s what we are all trying to do from the start of the season. If you get the chance you have to try to grab it with both hands. I have been trying hard and knocking on the door for a while, I came so close last year.”
Wu, who won his first ranking title at the International Championship earlier this season, said: “It doesn’t feel great because I had a clear chance to go 5–4 up. In the frames I won, I played very well and scored heavily, my scoring was really strong. It was just in the ninth frame, there was a black ball where I lost my concentration for a moment and made a mistake, which gave my opponent the chance to come back to the table.
“Maybe it was down to some small details and certain key shots. Sometimes I didn’t fully think things through before getting down on the shot, so that’s something I’ll need to adjust and improve going forward. Overall I performed pretty well this week. Today there are some regrets, of course, but that’s sport – when you make mistakes, you have to pay the price.“
Jack Lisowski made one of the best breaks of his career in the deciding frame to beat John Higgins 6-5 and reach the final of the BetVictor Welsh Open – a result which also earned him a huge £150,000 bonus.
The bonus goes to the player earning the most money across the four BetVictor Home Nations Series events and Mark Allen had been in pole position since winning the BetVictor English Open last September. Lisowski had to reach the final this week in Llandudno to overtake Allen and he did so tonight in the most dramatic fashion, capping off a tremendous contest with a match-winning visit reminiscent of Alex Higgins’ famous semi-final break at the 1982 World Championship.
It’s the biggest pay-day of Lisowski’s career, eclipsing the £100,000 he banked by capturing his first ranking crown at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in October. And he has another crucial fixture to look forward to on Sunday as he faces Barry Hawkins over 17 frames for the Ray Reardon Trophy and the chance to double his tally of titles in a breakthrough season.
BetVictor Series Bonus Winners 2020 Judd Trump 2021 Judd Trump 2022 John Higgins 2023 Robert Milkins 2024 Judd Trump 2025 Neil Robertson 2026 Jack Lisowski
Gloucestershire’s 34-year-old Lisowski is into his eighth ranking final and victory tomorrow would have significant spin offs as it could potentially earn him places at the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship in Manchester and the World Championship at the Crucible.
Higgins – who misses another chance to become the oldest ever ranking event winner – dominated the opening frame, then Lisowski got the better of a 30-minute second, resolving a battle on the colours with an excellent long pot on the blue. A break of 73 saw Higgins regain the lead and in the fourth he trailed 45-32 when he trapped his opponent in a snooker on the final yellow, and from the chance that followed he cleared for 3-1.
After the interval, Lisowski moved up a gear with rapid breaks of 95, 79 and 138, winning three frames in just 30 minutes to lead 4-3. Back came Higgins with a run of 82 and he led 21-0 in the next when he ran out of position and missed a risky long blue, and Lisowski capitalised with 58 which proved enough for 5-4. A run of 49 helped give Higgins the tenth for 5-5.
In the decider, Lisowski converted a red to a centre pocket to earn a scoring chance, then executed a series of difficult pots to keep the break going, the cue ball roving around the table. Eventually he found position and went on to make a fabulous 78 before receiving the BetVictor Series trophy.
“It feels amazing, what a match and what a frame,” said world number 22 Lisowski. “That’s probably as much pressure as I am ever going to experience, and to make a break like that – it’s the most satisfying frame I have ever played. I am proud of myself and looking forward to tomorrow now. I just kept potting and going for my shots. I have been so tense all day, thinking about the bonus. Now that is all released.
“I whacked my tip at the interval and tried to make it harder. I had no rhythm and the balls were going messy. I knew I had to attack, that’s the only way I can play, then they all started going in. It was an incredible game to be a part of, I really enjoyed it. It’s very special for me because John Higgins was my idol, I’ll never forget this match.
“It’s going to be hard to reset for tomorrow. I’ll have to calm down and get to sleep, otherwise I won’t be the same player. It would mean everything to win another title. I have been very poor in the last few tournaments, I lost some confidence and then the intensity wasn’t there in practice. I have learned that and it could be a big lesson for me.“
Again, with only one match by session to report on, WST’s pieces are exhaustive enough. I haven’t much to add regarding the matches themselves.
Barry Hawkins’ maturity and experience made the difference in the first match, as both players acknowledged. I’m certain that Wu will learn from this and that we will see a lot more of him for many years to come. Meanwhile. I’m happy for Barry. He’s a very very good player, one that would certainly have won more titles in any other era: he had to cope with that “infernal trio” – Ronnie, John Higgins and Willo – through his entire career so far. He’s also a kind and lovely man who is, maybe, too humble for his own good at times.
I’m delighted that Jack managed to beat John Higgins. Based on talent only, Jack has “underperformed” in his career so far. There were a number of reasons for that. He suffered serious health issues as we all know. Also, somehow, he was always in Judd Trump’s shadow as they “grew up” in the sports together. John Higgins may not be 100% the player he once was, he is still a very top player, and still has the nous and the will to win that makes him so hard to beat.
I like both finalists, and will be happy for the winner and sorry for the loser, no matter who wins today.
Also, I’m glad that this stupid bonus story is over and we won’t be told about it at every occasion … until next year. I’m glad it went to Jack … it had to go to someone anyway.
