The Tour Championship 2020 starts tomorrow

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The Tour Championship 2020 starts tomorrow in Milton Keynes, without a crowd, under social distancing rules, and with a shortened format. The prize money though has not been shortened, and, although the event will have no bearing on who will have to qualify for the World Championship, it can and probably will have an impact on the top 16 seedings.

Here is Matt Huart explaining what could possibly happen:

The Crucible Seeding Race 2020 – Tour Championship Preview

18th June 2020

Ranking event snooker will return to our screens this Saturday with the start of the Coral Tour Championship – an event which will also see the final seeding list set for the Betfred World Championship later this summer.

In the context of wider events this year’s snooker calendar of course takes an unusual shape, with the cancellation of the China Open and the postponement of the season’s final two tournaments until the summer. Below we outline the implications for the current seeding list and the importance of the next week of action at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.

Top 16 Qualified

The final seeding list for the 2020 World Championship will be finalised following the conclusion of next week’s Tour Championship. At this cut-off points from the Tour Championship will be added to the current world rankings, with no points to be removed as this event was not staged in 2018 and points from that year’s China Open have already been deducted.

With each of the eight players competing in the tournament already within the provisional (and actual) top 16 therefore, we already know that the top 16 automatic qualifiers for the tournament cannot change (subject to all players entering the tournament).

The Crucible Draw

With a first prize of £150,000 to be won in Milton Keynes however, there is still much that can change in respect of the order of the top 16 players.

This is crucial because as always, the 16 seeded players at the World Championship are placed in the draw in a very specific manner, for example the top seed is always scheduled to meet the 16th seed in the second round, the second seed is always poised to meet the 15th seed and so on.

As it stands, the last 16 draw (if all first round matches in Sheffield were won by the seeded player) would currently look as follows:

Trump (1) v Yan (16)
Murphy (9) v Wilson (8)

Allen (5) v Lisowski (12)
Bingham (13) v Higgins (4)

Williams (3) v Maguire (14)
Gilbert (11) v O’Sullivan (6)

Selby (7) v Ding (10)
Hawkins (15) v Robertson (2)

Of these players, Judd Trump is of course cemented as top seed, not only as the sport’s runaway world number one on the official world ranking list, but also as defending champion. Neil Robertson too is already assured of second place, with closest challenger Mark Williams not having qualified for the Tour Championship.

However, every other position can still change next week, meaning that the final placement of the remaining 14 seeded players is likely to change depending on results over the coming days…

Themes to Follow

So what do we know heading into the season’s penultimate event?

Mark Williams looks well-placed to head to the Crucible as third seed this year despite not being involved next week, with only John Higgins able to displace him by going all the way to the title in Milton Keynes. With a significant gap between the £150,000 first prize and £60,000 cheque for finishing as runner-up, nothing less than victory would be sufficient for the Scot.

As for Higgins himself, if he were to lose his opening match then Mark Allen would overtake him with a run to the final, while Mark Selby would need to win the title to potentially vault three places up the list from seventh position.

Similarly, Allen can only be caught by Selby, with the three-time world champion actually being able to finish level with Allen if he were to reach the final with the Northern Irishman losing to Shaun Murphy first up. If this were to happen, Selby would take the position on countback. If Allen is able to win at least one match however, nothing less than the title would be sufficient for Selby.

One big name who won’t be in action next week is of course Ronnie O’Sullivan, who currently sits in sixth position heading to Sheffield. As it stands both Selby and Murphy can overtake the five-time world champion, but only one with the pair situated in the same half of the draw in Milton Keynes. A run to the final would be enough for Selby, while Murphy must win the title to rise to sixth position ahead of both players.

More immediately, Murphy can leapfrog the absent Kyren Wilson with a single win over Mark Allen next Tuesday and himself can only be overtaken by Stephen Maguire if the Scot were able to claim the title at the Marshall Arena. Entering the tournament in 14th place behind four players not competing next week, a single victory would be enough to see him rise two places above Stuart Bingham and Jack Lisowski, but beyond that he would need to go all the way to rise further.

Finally, the player currently ranked 16th and set to face Judd Trump at the last 16 stage in Sheffield Yan Bingtao can also move out of that position in the draw with a run in Milton Keynes. Victory against Mark Selby would potentially enough to see him rise two positions (subject to Maguire’s result), while the title would see him surge into the world’s top 10 for the first time.

So, specifically for Ronnie, the lowest he could be seeded is 7th, which would keep him in the same half of the draw and away from Judd Trump until the final. As it stands, he would then be on course for a second-round match against Ding. Ding’s participation however is no certainty. He already withdrew from the Tour Championship, citing concerns for his family health and safety, and Marco Fu officially withdrew from the WC qualifiers for the same reasons.

WST also interviewed Yan Bingtao, the youngest, lowest ranked, and only Chinese player in the draw.

Yan Bingtao has enjoyed a fine season, securing his place in the top eight of the one-year list and qualifying for next week’s elite Coral Tour Championship in Milton Keynes.

The 20-year-old Chinese star will face three-time World Champion Mark Selby in the first round on Monday. On his way to qualifying, he sealed a maiden ranking title in the season opening Riga Masters last July, beating Mark Joyce 5-2 in the final. Yan was also runner-up in the most recent Coral Series event, the Players Championship in Southport, losing out 10-4 to Judd Trump in the final.

We’ve caught up with Yan, who elected to remain in Sheffield during the coronavirus pandemic, to find out how he has been dealing with lockdown and to look ahead to his clash with Selby…

Yan, how have you been coping with lockdown and what have you been doing to keep yourself occupied?

“I haven’t done a lot during lockdown. I’ve been playing quite a lot computer games, watching a few films and sometimes watching videos of my own snooker matches!”

How pleased are you to have decided to stay in Sheffield, especially given the difficulties Ding has had returning from China, which have caused him to withdraw from this event?

“I feel quite lucky, if I went to China then I would not be able to play at the Tour Championship and possibly not even the World Championship. These are most important events, so I feel I made right decision not going back to China.”

How much did you learn from the experience of reaching the final at the Players Championship and facing Judd Trump?

“The final against Judd meant a lot for me. It was such a big event and I got to face the best player at the moment. I got to see the gap between myself and Judd. It was a good experience, because I’ve never played a match of that importance against someone like Judd. It is important to get used to being in finals, I am always learning from the best and hopefully I can improve myself in the near future.”

You didn’t play in the recent Championship League, which Mark Selby did, does that give him an advantage in your upcoming match?

“Mark is like Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and John Higgins, these kind of players are always very difficult to beat in any match.  I’ve played against Mark before and he always controls the pace. His safety and attacking play are all really good and he has a good mindset. Having played in the Championship League, he will feel more used to the venue than me. It will be a difficult match, but I will just try to enjoy it. I just feel lucky to have a snooker event on during the pandemic. I’m not thinking win or lose, I just want to learn and improve.”

I sincerely hope that Yan can do well in the Tour Championship. The sport needs young players coming through, and, on results – which, at the end of the day, are the only things that matter, certainly at the early stages of a sporting career – he IS the best prospect snooker currently has. China is important for the survival of snooker – they have invested a lot in the sport – and, if Ding goes missing, they need another hero. Yan could be that hero. Granted, he doesn’t come across as the most flamboyant personality, but he’s grounded and mature beyond his years. BTW, anyone who knew Ding some 10-15 years ago, will remember how shy he was back then.

Stephen and Ronnie about Willie Thorne, the CLS 2020, the World Championship under social distancing and more …

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Stephen Hendry and Ronnie had another instagram chat yesterday evening, and it was again enjoyable although the first thing they talked about was, quite naturally, Willie Thorne’s passing away. Neither of them had played Willie at his best, but both knew him fairly well, and are saddened at his untimely death. Stephen of course works as a commentator and pundit for the BBC just like Willie did. Ronnie has done quite a number of exhibitions with the Snooker Legends, with Willie as a host, compère and commentator.

I met Willie quite often over the last five years, and he was always very friendly and quite funny. This is my personal tribute to Willie on my WWS blog.

The next subject they discussed was the CLS, won by Luca Brecel last week. They both enjoyed the final and were full of praise for both Luca and Ben. Ronnie enjoyed playing in the event, but struggled with being locked-up. Both Stephen and Ronnie enjoyed the format, but would have preferred to have it with only 32 players. Ronnie was again rather harsh on some lower ranked players, who, in his opinion, are not at the level they should be as professionals. They can pot, he said, and they can make 147s, but there is a whole aspect of the professional game that they don’t master. He’s right about that; anyone who watches both professional and amateur events will notice how differently the players approach their matches. Young players are often excellent potters, but have no answer when older, hard match players tie them in all kind of knots. The situation is even worse nowadays than it was when Ronnie was a rookie himself, as the amateur game has gone backwards, in the UK certainly, and young players really aren’t ready when they turn pro. So, Ronnie is right in his assessment, but at the same time, he’s harsh on those young pros, because it’s not their fault that they are less ready when turning pro than Ronnie’s generation was.

They then discussed the prospect of the World Championship being played in similar conditions and Ronnie reckoned that he would probably struggle. He seems determined to try is best but is not sure that he can handle those lockdown conditions for 17 days. Hendry, who used to keep himself to himself when competing, admitted that even he would probably struggle as well. Ronnie explained that he was tested twice. The first test went ok, but the second one left him with a minor injury, resulting in a very runny nose for almost two days, which was very uncomfortable.

Ronnie then answered fans’ questions.

Here is the chat:

World Championship 2020 qualifiers news

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This was published today by WPBSA:

EIS Sheffield to Host the Qualifying Rounds for the Betfred World Championship

• 16th June 2020

The qualifying rounds of snooker’s Betfred World Championship will take place from July 21st to 28th at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

All tour players seeded outside the top 16 will need to make it through the qualifiers to earn a coveted spot at the Crucible Theatre, for the final stages which will run from July 31 to August 16.

There will also be 16 players invited by the WPBSA to compete, bringing the field for the qualifying rounds up to 128.

WST and the WPBSA are working closely with the UK Government to assist players coming from outside the UK in regard to visas, quarantine and travel issues.

Regulations on Covid-19 testing, sanitisation and social distancing at the qualifying rounds will follow government guidelines, with details of the precise arrangements to be announced soon. The qualifying rounds will be staged behind closed doors.

Despite the current challenges which sport faces globally, total prize money for the 2020 Betfred World Championship remains at a record £2.4 million, with the winner to receive £500,000.

There is a new structure for the qualifiers this year, as follows:

The 16 players invited by WPBSA will join players seeded 81-128 in Round One. Those 64 players play each other, with the 32 winners going into Round Two.

Round Two: those 32 winners will face players seeded 49-80.

Round Three: those 32 winners will face players seeded 17-48.

Round Four: those 32 winners play each other, with the 16 winners going through to the Crucible to face the top 16 seeds.

All matches will be best of 11 frames, up until Round Four which will be best of 19. Playing the first three rounds with a best of 11 frame format allows those matches to be completed in a single session and therefore minimises the risk of breaching social distancing guidelines for the safety of players, officials and crew. Details of the format of Round Four, known as Judgement Day, will be released soon.

WST Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are delighted to stage the qualifying rounds at the English Institute of Sport as we know from many years of experience that it is a fantastic venue. We look forward to working with the venue to ensure that the health and safety of our players and officials is the highest priority throughout the event. We have already proved that we are at the forefront of sport by staging events in the current conditions.

“Alongside the WPBSA we are already doing all we can to give as much assistance as possible to players coming from overseas. We want to see a full and international field.

“The Betfred World Championship, our biggest tournament, starts from the first ball struck of the opening qualifying round. Everyone dreams of a place at the Crucible, from legends like Jimmy White and Ken Doherty to exciting young talent. The drama of the final round, when places at the Theatre of Dreams are on the line, can barely be matched.

“This is another important step in the right direction as our tour gets back on track. While fans will not be able to go to the venue, we expect a further exciting announcement shortly on how fans will be able to watch the live action.”

Councillor Mary Lea, Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Leisure at Sheffield City Council said: “Sheffield and the World Snooker Championship go hand in hand. The tournament is an annual highlight of our rich sporting tapestry, so we are thrilled that WST have been able to adapt and overcome the challenges that COVID-19 presents, to allow this global event to take place here in its rightful home.

“The 2020 tournament will of course be different to any other before it, with spectators only able to watch from their screens, but keeping players, staff and the public safe is our number one priority and we’ll be working with all partners to ensure this.

“I’m certain that the world’s best players will still deliver just as much excitement, tension and skill to keep everyone on the edge of their seats, starting with these all important qualifiers in July.”

Fans who had bought tickets for the qualifiers will automatically receive a full refund within seven to ten working days. Any fans not receiving a refund within this time frame are advised to contact their ticket provider.

The draw and format of the event will be announced in due course.

The Betfred World Championship is supported by Sheffield City Council.

So, as expected, the format has been reduced to best of 11 for all rounds, except the last. Despite WST statements of intention I remain unconvinced that a similar shortening can be avoided for the main event at the Crucible. If that happened it would really devaluate the championship.

WPBSA claims to be working hard with the authorities to make sure that all players can make it to the UK and to the venue. I have no doubts that they try their best, but I do have serious doubts about their chances of success. As, it stands, Marco Fu has withdrawn already. This is the link to the announcement, thanks to Lewis.

The first paragraph reads this way (google translation):

On June 16, 2020, the Hong Kong sports news platform “Tianlu” released news that Fu Jiajun had aggravated flying mosquitoes due to rope skipping. For the double consideration of eye disease and epidemic situation, Fu Jiajun decided to withdraw from the Snooker World Championships to be held in July . Fu Jiajun also stressed that he will not retire and will return to the professional arena as soon as September.

I would be very surprised if he was the only one. Actually, as it stands, I expect most Asian players to be unable to travel, by no fault of them. If they are relegated, it would be totally unfair. A number of mainland Europe players may have problems as well.

I understand that there are commercial aspects, and sponsoring/broadcasting contracts to consider, but, as it stands, I’d rather have the event postponed until April 2021, and the extended season being resumed as soon as possible, with more modest events, non ranking ones, until ALL players REALLY have the possibility to travel safely and play.

Tour Championship 2020 News

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Of course the poster that serves as “feature” image on this post is outdated. The Tour Championship has been postponed and is now scheduled to be played later this month, at the same place and with the same sanitary precautions as the Championship League Snooker over the last two weeks.

Ronnie is on the poster, but won’t be there as he didn’t qualify. Ding Junhui did qualify but won’t be there either, as you can read here:

Thursday 11 Jun 2020 06:25PM

China’s Ding Junhui has pulled out of the Coral Tour Championship and has been replaced in the draw by Stephen Maguire.

Ding is currently in China and has decided not to travel to the UK for the tournament which starts on June 20th. WST worked with the UK government to find ways for Ding to play in the event while observing the current quarantine requirements for anyone arriving in the UK. However Ding has decided that as a safety precaution he prefers to avoid extensive travel and remain in China at this stage.

Ding expressed his appreciation for the effort that WST and the UK Government have put into making it possible for him to compete.

The tournament at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes runs from June 20th to 26th and features the top eight players on the one-year ranking list.

Scotland’s Maguire is ninth on the list and therefore next in line for a place in the £380,000 world ranking event. He replaces Ding directly in the draw and will face Neil Robertson in the first round.

That will be the opening match of the tournament on Saturday June 20th, followed by Judd Trump v John Higgins on the Sunday, Mark Selby v Yan Bingtao on the Monday then Shaun Murphy v Mark Allen on the Tuesday.

All quarter and semi-finals will be best of 17 frames, with the final best of 19. The event will have extensive live coverage on ITV4 with sessions at 1.30pm and 7pm.

The Coral Tour Championship is the third and last event in the Coral Series and has a top prize of £150,000. The leading money winner across the three events will also receive the Coral Cup and a bonus of £100,000.

The World Snooker Tour has returned with the Matchroom.Live Championship League, with all 116 players, officials and staff testing negative for Covid-19. The same rigorous procedures on testing, sanitisation and social distancing will be followed at the Coral Tour Championship.

I’m feeling uneasy with this. The way things are presented, that withdrawal appears to be Ding’s decision, motivated by personal reasons, and not something he was forced into by circumstances over which he has no control. However, I have serious doubts about this, and Lewis comments on recent previous posts on this blog indicate that those doubts are probably justified.

WPBSA chairman, Jason Ferguson is putting every effort in trying to get all players at the World Championship starting in about a month time with the qualifiers. He is adamant that no player should be left out and that the World Championship should be played in his full format. He was interviewed by Press Association:

Snooker chief intends to have ‘true World Championship’

Snooker chief Jason Ferguson has confirmed his sport has no intention of reducing the size of this year’s World Championship following the sport’s successful return from Covid-19 lockdown this week.

Eleven days of action in the Championship League in Milton Keynes saw Belgium’s Luca Brecel emerge victorious late on Thursday night in one of the first domestic events to battle through the restrictions.

The rearranged World Championship is set to start behind closed doors at the Crucible at the end of July and Ferguson, who is chairman of the sport’s governing body, the WPBSA, is adamant its integrity will remain intact.

Ferguson said: “One hundred and forty-four players will start out for the World Championship, and the challenge is to ensure the access is there for every player.

“We are working closely with the government, through our all-party parliamentary group, on how we can make these processes of quarantine work and we’re waiting on the next stage of reopening as well.

“Whether or not we get huge crowds, the idea is to make sure that the World Championship is a true World Championship, that can be contested at the highest level with all the players who have earned the right to be there.”

Snooker’s next event, the eight-player Coral UK Tour, which is due to start on 20 June, has been hit by the withdrawal of Ding Junhui, who elected not to travel from China despite representations being made on his behalf.

The 11-day Championship League event was played under tightly-controlled conditions, with all players and officials tested for the virus – there were no positives – and required to remain at the venue for the duration of the tournament.

Some players questioned how such a necessarily sterile environment will translate onto a bigger stage but Ferguson is convinced the Crucible atmosphere will cut through irrespective of the unique circumstances.

“There is something magical about the World Championships, about walking down those steps into that arena in front of a packed crowd,” added Ferguson.

“This time when the players walk out it may be a little quieter than usual. But it will still be the Crucible, it will still be the World Championships and at the end of it somebody will still lift the trophy and the cheque for half a million pounds.”

I have no doubts that Jason is sincere and is giving it everything he has to reach his goal and have everyone who wants to play, playing in Sheffield next month, but the truth is that it’s not in his hands and it’s going to be very difficult. If Chinese players can’t get a visa, and can’t find a seat on a plane, there is no way they can come over. If the UK government doesn’t agree to ease the quarantine measures for professional snooker players, most “non-UK” will find it difficult to get there, prepared as they should be for the main event of the season. They will be put at a huge disadvantage if they need to stay in isolation, without possibility to practice, provided that they can make it to the UK in the first place. Formula One has got such exception, which is a bit crazy when you think about how many people are involved in those F1 teams, but, of course, Formula One is HUGE money. Comparatively snooker is minuscule …

Anyway, back to the Tour Championship, here are the draw and format published by WST:

Friday 12 Jun 2020 06:11PM

The Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes will host the Coral Tour Championship from June 20th to 26th.

Here’s the updated draw following the withdrawal of Ding Junhui:

Judd Trump v John Higgins

Neil Robertson v Stephen Maguire

Mark Selby v Yan Bingtao

Shaun Murphy v Mark Allen

The format will be:

Saturday June 20th: Neil Robertson v Stephen Maguire

Sunday June 21st: Judd Trump v John Higgins

Monday June 22nd: Mark Selby v Yan Bingtao

Tuesday June 23rd: Shaun Murphy v Mark Allen

Wednesday June 24th: Semi-final 1

Thursday June 25th: Semi-final 2

Friday June 26th: Final

All quarter and semi-finals will be best of 17 frames, with the final best of 19. The event will have extensive live coverage on ITV4 with sessions at 1.30pm and 7pm.

The Coral Tour Championship is the third and last event in the Coral Series and has a top prize of £150,000, from a total prize fund of £380,000. The leading money winner across the three events will also receive the Coral Cup and a bonus of £100,000.

Coral Cup standings after the Coral World Grand Prix and Coral Players Championship:

Judd Trump £132,500
Neil Robertson £100,000
Yan Bingtao £50,000
Shaun Murphy £30,000
Stephen Maguire £30,000
John Higgins £27,500
Mark Allen £15,000
Mark Selby £15,000

As you probably noticed, reading the above, the matches have been shortened for this one, the idea being to play on just one table, and one match per day.
This of course makes it a bit easier when it comes to enforce social distancing, and sanitary precautions.

However, this will not be an option at the Crucible, if Jason is true to his word. Unless the situation improves significantly, and the UK government guidelines change, I still can’t see how this tournament can possibly be played at the Crucible in its traditional format.

Championship League 2020 – Luca Brecel is your champion

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Luca Brecel, who traveled from Belgium to play in the Championship League Snooker 2020, ended up winning it!

Here is the report by WST:

Thursday 11 Jun 2020 11:17PM

Luca Brecel made a tremendous century in the final crucial frame against Ben Woollaston to win the Matchroom.Live Championship League.

After 11 days and 126 matches involving 64 players, the tournament came down to the very last frame. Woollaston, leading 2-1, needed to win the match to take the title, while Belgium’s Brecel only needed a draw.

Leicester’s Woollaston attempted a tough red early in the frame and it wobbled in the jaws of a top corner, and cruelly that proved his last shot as he spent the rest of the match in his chair watching his hopes of winning his first televised tournament disappear. After slotting a red into a baulk corner, Brecel compiled a marvellous break of 111 to end the event in style.

It’s the second pro title of the 25-year-old’s career and first since the 2017 China Championship. He leaves the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes with total prize money of £30,000 plus a spot in the lucrative Champion of Champions at the same venue in November.

“I am usually cool under pressure but on that break I was very nervous, shaking on every shot,” admitted world number 37 Brecel, who was the only player to go unbeaten in all nine matches during the tournament, winning three and drawing the other six.

“That frame was probably the biggest test of my career because Ben was playing so well. It was a struggle to pot the balls, until I got to 50 or 60 and then I knew I wasn’t going to miss. To win a title is amazing.

“To be in the Champions of Champions as well is a massive bonus, that made the final more special. It gives me something to look forward to.”

Earlier on the final day, Brecel beat Stuart Bingham 3-0 and drew 2-2 with Ryan Day, while Woollaston scored a 3-1 success over Day and lost 3-1 to Bingham.

That left Brecel a point ahead of his opponent going into the decisive last match. And when the Belgian took the first frame, making a break of 67, he knew he needed just one of the last three for the title.

The contest turned when world number 38  Woollaston made a 141 total clearance in frame two – aided by a huge fluke on the pink on 25. And the 33-year-old fired another century, 126, in the third. But his narrow miss early in the last frame turned out to be costly. He finished second in the group and takes home £18,000.

The next tournament at the same venue, also televised on ITV4, will be the Coral Tour Championship from June 20th to 26th. Again it will be behind closed doors and the same rigorous procedures on testing, sanitisation and social distancing will be followed. All 116 players, staff and officials at the Matchroom.Live Championship League tested negative for Covid-19 as snooker made a successful return to live action.

And here are the winners group results:

I enjoyed the event. One reason for this is the fact that we got to see players who we usually never see on the main table, unless they play one of the top boys, more often than not in the rather grim setup of some qualifiers. Here the setup was nice, the commentary was quality. There weren’t many dead matches, the prize money structure being such that, even when out of the event, a player had always a financial incentive to try their best.

I’m very happy to see Luca and Ben playing well again. Both are quality but have gone missing in recent years for some reason. Luca seems to have been around for ages, but he’s only 25.

Well done Luca and well done WST.

Championship League Snooker 2020 – Groups A & B

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We have only four players left, and they will do battle for the title today. They are Luca Brecel, Ryan Day, Ben Woollaston and Stuart Bingham. Not the line-up many would have predicted.

Here is WST report on what happened yesterday:

Wednesday 10 Jun 2020 11:37PM

 

Ryan Day booked his place in the Tournament Finals of the Matchroom.Live Championship League, claiming top spot in a high quality Group B over Judd Trump, David Gilbert and Barry Hawkins.

Click here for Group Tables, Results and Fixtures and here for details of how to watch live.

Day struck a significant blow in his opening tie of the group, blitzing World Champion Trump 3-0 with breaks of 122, 107 and 60. Trump went on to record a 3-1 defeat of Hawkins, but a 2-2 draw with Gilbert ended his hopes of progressing.

In his second match, Welshman Day compiled a break of 103 on his way to snatching a 2-2 draw with Gilbert, to put himself in prime position to qualify.

Going into the final tie of the group only Day’s opponent Hawkins, who also drew 2-2 with Gilbert, could catch him. The Hawk needed to win 3-0, but his hopes were ended after losing the opening frame of a match he and Day went on to draw 2-2.

“I am really pleased with the way I played all day,” said Day. “To start off against Judd, it doesn’t get any tougher than that and I really came out of the traps quite quickly. It was a good draw against Dave in the end, and being a Championship League veteran I was trying to do the sums and realised I only needed one frame in the last match there and I was delighted to get the first frame and secure my place in the final.

“I dropped into the zone as they call it and played lovely and felt great all day. It has been a long time since anybody has played competitive snooker so I think the break might have done me good and given me a bit of a boost. I felt okay with my game in general but I didn’t really enjoy going away and playing, which is strange, as that’s something I have never really struggled for but I think the lockdown has helped me get a bit of that back and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

 

On the other table, Belgium’s Luca Brecel completed the lineup for the Tournament Finals, edging out Gary Wilson, Ashley Carty and Mark Joyce to top spot in Group A.

Former China Champion Brecel got underway today with a 2-2 draw against world number 68 Joyce, despite losing the third frame to the three miss rule. He then fired in breaks of 109, 64 and 74 to seal a 3-1 defeat of Carty.

Brecel trailed 2019 World Championship semi-finalist Wilson 2-1, but crucially clinched the last frame to secure a 2-2 draw. That result ultimately booked his place in tomorrow’s finale.

“I am relieved to be through,” said the Belgian. “I didn’t really expect to top the group, especially after the third frame against Mark Joyce when I missed the red three times.

“I got a draw out of the game and knew if I beat Ashley I would have a good chance against Gary, but obviously I was lucky that Mark played really well to get two frames against Ashley. I will be relaxed tomorrow and anything can happen.”

Joining Brecel and Day tomorrow are yesterday’s winners Stuart Bingham and Ben Woollaston. The player who tops the final group will pocket total event winnings of £30,000.

It was all a bit strange yesterday, as no player managed to win more than one match. The day before, Ronnie finished third of his group with two wins…

Judd Trump was much hyped throughout the tournament, as you would expect given that he is the reigning World Champion and ranked number one but he never played anywhere near his best. An indication of that, is the fact that he didn’t make a single century in the six matches he played.

Judd who, a few weeks ago, had claimed that playing at the Crucible, without a crowd, would feel weird, and he didn’t fancy it, has now come up with the complete opposite in an interview with the Yorkshire Post:

I would defend world title in a car park – Judd Trump

Judd Trump would have no problem with the World Championship taking place behind closed doors as he revealed he would be satisfied with defending his title “in a car park somewhere”.

By The Newsroom

Wednesday, 10th June 2020, 10:19 pm

The world No 1 has returned to the baize in the Championship League, where there are no spectators because of the stringent protocols behind snooker’s resumption amid the coronavirus pandemic. Hushed silences are a common theme in snooker, interrupted intermittently by occasional cheers and more general applause, and it is for that reason why Trump feels there is little difference in the ‘new normal’.

If that extends into the defence of the title he won last year at the Crucible, which has been rescheduled to take place between July 31 and August 16, then so be it.

“I’d be happy to defend it in a car park somewhere,” Trump said. “I don’t really care. As long as it’s on, it doesn’t really matter where it is.

“It’s the same for all the players, we’re just happy to be out there playing. It doesn’t really matter what’s going on, we’re just here in our little zone in this tournament and it’s just good for everyone involved.

“There’s not a real difference playing with a crowd, it doesn’t make too much difference for anyone.

“I think this could work for every tournament. Snooker doesn’t necessarily need to have a crowd in every single tournament and it works on TV, it looks good on TV.”

The lack of spectators is most noticeable once someone has successfully made a long pot or played a particularly good snooker.

But Trump added: “You just don’t notice those kinds of things.

“The only way you do is if your concentration’s not great but when you’re in amongst the balls and potting balls, to be honest I just completely forget that there normally is a crowd there.”

Nevermind, I bet he would still find it very weird to be handed the trophy in front of nobody in a silent Crucible.