I have a visitor on my island … a (former) snooker player. She is German but lives in Scotland … and, no, we haven’t watched the snooker, so don’t expect too many comments from me in this piece. Just trying to catch up with the snooker and there’s been a lot of last week and over the week-end.
The 900 week 5 in pictures and words
Week 6 at the 900 starts tonight … so here is what happened in week 5
It all started last Monday.
The team was ready
The arena was packed with spectators, and players were having a late practice …
On day 1
Billy Castle abandonned the commentary box and emerged the winner from a competitive group.
On day 2
The incredible Less Dodd, 69 years old, beating a strong opposition
On day 3
Andy Lavin beat Rodney Goggins in the final to book his place in the winners week.
Congratulations Andy Lavin!
This was probably the most “diverse group” of this season so far.
Here are some pictures shared on social media by Jason Francis during the event:
German Glory! Dikme Wins Q Tour Event on Home Soil
Germany’s Umut Dikme recorded the most significant victory of his career to date when he defeated Hamim Hussain 5-1 in the final to win the 2023/24 Q Tour UK/Europe Event Three on home soil at the TSG Heilbronn.
Prior to this weekend’s event in southwest Germany, Dikme had never been past the last 16 of a Q Tour event, but the 23-year-old seemed to find inspiration from being close to home as he produced a string of fantastic results to become the latest new champion on snooker’s second tier.
As one of the event’s seeded players due to his results at last year’s Q School, Dikme began his challenge in the last 64. On Saturday he dispatched Rodion Judins (Latvia) 3-1, Ian Martin (England) 3-0 and then ousted 17-year-old Artemijs Žižins (Latvia) 3-2 in the last 16.
Finals Day was unchartered territory for the Ludwigsburg-based cueist – his previous best was a last 16 finish at last month’s Event Two in Stockholm – but he acclimatised, registering runs of 60, 51 and 65 in a 4-2 quarter-final win against Hong Kong’s Yu Kiu Chang before denying the experienced Peter Lines 4-2 in the last four along with efforts of 75 and 72.
Another player enjoying their time in the city of Heilbronn was Hussain who reached his maiden Q Tour event final, bettering his three previous quarter-final appearances (in regular events).
The 22-year-old Englishman – who compiled a maximum 147 break on last season’s English Amateur Tour – had to navigate Friday’s preliminary rounds before last 32 and 16 wins over Tyler Rees (Wales) and Alex Millington (England) respectively. Rees had defeated fellow Welshman and Event One victor Liam Davies the round before.
Hussain overcame his last eight block as he stopped Event Two champion Michael Holt from becoming the first player in Q Tour history to claim back-to-back event titles with a 4-3 success. He then ended the challenge of former European amateur champion Harvey Chandler 4-0 in the semi-finals.
However, Dikme was not to be denied a big triumph for himself and German snooker. He crafted breaks of 59 and 53 on his way to going into the mid-session interval 4-0 up, and although Hussain avoided the whitewash after the break, Dikme finished in style and completed his fairytale trip with an effort of 105 in frame six.
Event Four on this season’s Q Tour UK/Europe circuit takes place at the Landywood Snooker Club between November 10-12.
Neil Robertson has captured titles in every calendar year going back to 2006, and must win one of the next three tournaments to keep that sequence going. He made an ideal start to the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open with a 4-1 defeat of Wu Yize.
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Since winning the 2006 Grand Prix, Robertson has lifted at least one trophy for 17 years in a row, the longest ongoing streak of any player. But given that the world number six has decided not to enter tournaments in December this year, in order to take a Christmas break in his native Australia, he will have to win either this week’s tournament in Belfast, the International Championship in China or the UK Championship in York to keep the run going.
So far, this season has been a struggle for the 41-year-old; he is yet to reach the last 32 of a ranking event. But top breaks of 69 and 70 helped him to beat China’s Wu and set up a last-64 clash with local favourite Jordan Brown.
“I love records, keeping them going or achieving them,” said Robertson. “I am very proud of this one so the motivation is ultra high. I have only got a few attempts left to try to win a title but everything is good, I have been practising really hard and hitting the ball so well. If I can win this week I’d also become the first player to win all four Home Nations events so that’s another one to spur me on.”
Asked about his decision to skip tournaments in order to spend Christmas Down Under, he added: “I decided to bite the bullet, it’s more important for me to get back home for the first time in four years. There are things I miss, like close friends and family who are getting older. My nephews don’t really know me, apart from through Facetime and videos. It will be fun, (son) Alexander will be on a surf board and on the beach. And I’ll be back for the Masters, feeling refreshed.
“As an overseas player it’s always hard to decide when to go home, especially when Australia is so far away. After I had a great season in 2021/22 I should have gone back for a few weeks at that point. It’s probably something I need to schedule better in the future.”
BetVictor English Open and Wuhan Open champion Judd Trump is looking to win three consecutive ranking titles, a feat previously achieved by only four players, and he started strongly with a 4-1 defeat of Jenson Kendrick.
World number 108 Kendrick admitted last week that Trump was his idol and it was a dream for him just to compete with the 25-time ranking event winner, and the Stoke cueman had a moment to savour with a 90 clearance to take the opening frame. But Trump then took control, winning four in a row with a top run of 96.
“I felt a bit rusty because I had not played for six days,” said Trump. “This arena is one of the best three or four on the circuit and the atmosphere heats up as you go through the week, so I want to be around for that.”
Robbie McGuigan, an up-and-coming 19-year-old from nearby Antrim, took advantage of his wild card invitation to this event at the Waterfront Hall by beating Muhammad Asif 4-1 with top breaks of 56, 91 and 58.
“It felt amazing, I could see everyone I knew in the crowd so to play well in front of them was fantastic,” said McGuigan. “I think the crowd got to my opponent a bit and I had to take advantage of that. It was great to be able to fist pump in front of them at the end.
“I have made some changes to my mental approach, I am reading books which help me to stay calm off the table, and I have spoken to a few players about it. I am more relaxed now on the table, if I am playing badly or losing I try to enjoy the challenge.”
Jack Lisowski top scored with 112 in a 4-1 defeat of Rebecca Kenna while Cazoo British Open champion Mark Williams made a 140 total clearance as he beat Tian Pengfei by the same scoreline. Sam Craigie made a 67 in the decider to edge out Kyren Wilson 4-3.
Shaun Murphy brought two cues into his match with Ryan Thomerson at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open and the experiment proved a success, at least in the result, as he won 4-2 to reach the last 64 in Belfast.
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Murphy has spoken for several months about his intention to use multiple cues, which he feels will give him an advantage in varying conditions, and he put the theory into practice tonight. The former World Champion brought three cues to the tournament, with tip sizes of 9.2mm, 9.3mm and 9.5mm, each of which creates a different amount of ‘deflection’ when playing with side on the cue ball. He left the 9.3mm version in his dressing room, took the other two into the match arena and used only the 9.2mm version in the heat of battle.
The world number seven, who won two ranking events at the tail end of last season, only found fluency in the third frame against Thomerson with a break of 91. But he ground out the result to set up a tie with Marco Fu on Monday at 7pm.
“I first spoke to John Parris about making new cues for me 18 months ago, and it has taken a while to put the plan into action, but tonight was the first real test,” said Murphy. “I have always felt that there are times when we struggle to adapt to the conditions, for example in Shanghai where it is more humid. And there are shots you miss because the equipment doesn’t perform as you expected it to. I didn’t want to get to the end of my career having not given this a try.
“Just by coincidence, there were two players in the arena tonight (Anthony McGill and Ahmed Aly Elsayed) using cues made of graphite, which shows that other players are also experimenting. It might be that in five or ten years, it is standard for players to use multiple cues, or versions made from carbon.”
Mark Allen made a strong start to his quest to win this title for a third year in a row as he beat Ben Mertens 4-0. Like Murphy, the Pistol was far from his best, but the local favourite’s fans went home happy as he won with a top break of 55. “It was a mixture of good and poor stuff,” Allen told Eurosport. “My safety was solid, I was patient and made Ben work for chances. It ended up being a comfortable win. I did what I needed to do, just getting past potential banana skin because Ben is a talented boy and has had some really good results.
“I’m getting better at playing in my home town but I still feel nervous, I just wanted to get the first win under my belt and get into the tournament. My preparation was different today because I was in the arena watching Robbie McGuigan’s match this afternoon rather than relaxing in my hotel. It was great to see Robbie getting a win on the board.
“This venue is class, if you put it somewhere else I would still say it’s one of the best we play in, not just because it’s in Belfast. The fans always come and support it.”
Gary Wilson made breaks of 69, 118, 94 and 50 as he edged out Louis Heathcote 4-3. Jimmy White came from 3-1 down against Anthony McGill to 3-3, only for McGill to make an 81 in the decider to win 4-3 just after midnight.
Of course no mention in the above reports of the biggest upset on the day … on the Day even at Ryan was beaten by Chinese rookie Ma Hailong. Kyren Wilson also lost, by 4-3, to Sam Craigie. It’s a bit unexpected but not really an “upset”.
Yesterday, Reanne Evans did beat Bai Yulu by 4-1 in the Final to win the Women Snooker UK Championship for the 12th time. This goes with 12 Women World Championships as well.
Reanne Evans has won the Taom UK Women’s Snooker Championship for a record-extending 12th time following a 4-1 victory against Bai Yulu in the final in Leeds.
The former world number one maintained her dominance of a tournament that she has now won on its previous four stagings (2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023) and has won 12 times from 15 final appearances since her debut in 2002. Victory for Evans will also see her climb one place to number two in the official world rankings ahead of Ng On Yee.
The 36th staging of the prestigious event saw 45 players from 11 countries contest the title across three days at the iconic Northern Snooker Centre, home to the event since 2015.
Seeded through to the last 16 as defending champion, Evans impressed throughout the knockout rounds as she defeated two-time ranking event winner Jamie Hunter (3-1), reigning world under-21 champion Anupama Ramachandran (3-1) and long-time rival Ng On Yee (4-1) to once again reach the title match.
There she would await rising star Bai Yulu in a repeat of May’s British Open final, after the 20-year-old successfully navigated the group stages before taking down Yee Ting Cheung (3-0) and three-time former UK champion Tessa Davidson (3-1), as well as Thai world champions Mink Nutcharut (3-2) and Baipat Siripaporn (4-2) to maintain her 100% record of reaching at least the final since she joined the tour earlier this year.
Having won both her previous meetings against Evans in 2023, Bai was looking to claim a hat-trick of victories against the Englishwoman but it was Evans who started the stronger with breaks of 31 and 35 taking the 37-year-old to a 2-0 lead.
Bai would claim the third to bring herself back into contention, but Evans – who had impressed throughout the final day en route to the final – added further breaks of 41 and 30 during what would prove to be the final two frames to earn her first win against Bai and secure an unmatched 12th UK crown.
The highest break of the weekend was a run of 79 compiled by Ng On Yee during the opening frame of her quarter-final win against Rebecca Kenna.
SIDE-TOURNAMENTS
There was a new winner in the Under-21 competition as India’s Natasha Chethan defeated Zoe Killington 1-0 to lift her first junior crown. Following wins against Sophie Nix and Laura Killington, the 15-year-old came out on top against new junior number one Zoe Killington in a shortened final to claim glory.
In the Seniors event it was the top two ranked Tessa Davidson and Mary Talbot-Deegan who progressed to the title match, which will be played at the next UK-based ranking event the Eden Masters due to time constraints in Leeds.
Talbot-Deegan would, however, secure at least one title from the weekend as she defeated Chloe Payne 2-0 to win the Challenge Cup tournament for players who did not reach the last 16. Two years on from her return to competition in 2021, Talbot-Deegan saw off Maureen Rowland, Pui Ying Chu, Sarah Dunn and Yee Ting Cheung to reach the final, before scoring a comfortable victory against her young opponent to take the trophy.
World Women’s Snooker would like to thank event sponsors Taom Billiards and the Northern Snooker Centre for their support of the event once again in 2023.
Probably the most exciting Amateur event in the calendar, the 900 is back with “Season 2”!
A lot of work, imagination and thoughts produces this truly fantastic, entertaining amateur competition.
Thank you Jason Francis!
The setup at the venue for the competition is quite something, with seats for spectators
The pundits and commentary team are first class!
And all the action is shown on YouTube SportyStuffTV channel, and if you missed anything, or if, like me, you are in a different time zone that makes it a really, really late night event, you can watch it all (again) here.
Really wort a watch is Marcos Dayo’s fantastic clearance on day 1. That’s as good as anything you will see in snooker. Well done Marcos.
This is how it started…
Now then … here is how it all unfolded:
Day 1
The line-up
The outcome
The Winner … Barry Pinches
Day 2
The line-up
The outcome
The Winner – Florian Nuessle
Day 3
The line-up
The outcome
Week 1 Winner – Josh Thomond
Congratulations Josh and unlucky Marcos who was a true star this week!
Quote of the week … “The Shirt” about the great Tony Knowles …
The 2023 International Championship Qualifiers start today and here is the last information WST shared about the event. These are the first qualifiers this season that will be played in front of the fans and not behind closed doors.
How To Watch The International Championship Qualifiers
The qualifying round for the 2023 International Championship runs from September 18-23, with the likes of Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Mark Allen, John Higgins, Mark Williams, Shaun Murphy and Kyren Wilson in action.
The action takes place at Ponds Forge in Sheffield and fans can be there for just £10 per day – for details click here.
Or you can watch it live online, here’s the list of broadcasters:
Monday September 18 Tian Pengfei v Stephen Hendry Barry Hawkins v Andrew Pagett Matthew Selt v Jimmy White
Wednesday September 20 Hossein Vafaei v Reanne Evans
Thursday September 21 Mark Selby v Muhammad Asif Kyren Wilson v Adam Duffy Mark Allen v Ma Hailong Jack Lisowski v He Gouqiang Mark Williams v Rebecca Kenna
Friday September 22 Neil Robertson v Ryan Thomerson John Higgins v Manasawin Phetmalaikul Si Jiahui v Julien LeClercq Shaun Murphy v Andres Petrov
Michael Holt defeated Liam Davies 5-2 in the final at the Snookerhallen in Stockholm, Sweden to win the second UK/Europe Q Tour event of the 2023/24 season.
Former Shoot Out winner Holt is seeking a return to the professional ranks and his maiden Q Tour triumph sees him rise the rankings in pursuit of top spot come the end of the seven-event campaign which guarantees promotion to the World Snooker Tour.
As a seed player, Holt began his challenge on Saturday in the Swedish capital. After receiving a walkover in the last 64 he defeated Yu Kiu Chang (Hong Kong) 3-1 with breaks of 74 and 68, and then dispatched Event One runner Craig Steadman 3-0 – registering a run of exactly 100 in the opening frame.
Returning for the last eight the next day, Holt restricted his opponent Daniel Womersley to just 14 points throughout the entire match as he recorded a 4-0 success with efforts of 84 and 82.
In the semi-finals, the 45-year-old ended the run of Wales’ Alfie Davies 4-1, top scoring with a 58 break in frame four. Previously, Holt had never been past the last 32 of a Q Tour event, but he relinquished just two frames in four matches en route to his first final on the circuit.
Emerging from the other side of the draw was 17-year-old Davies who was looking to become the first player to win back-to-back Q Tour titles after securing Event One in North Shields last month.
Davies – who remains top of the overall rankings – survived a deciding frame against Daniel Holoyda (Poland) in the last 64 before whitewash wins over Oliver Sykes and the experienced former professional and Shoot Out winner Robin Hull in the last 32 and 16 respectively.
In an entertaining quarter-final, Davies ousted last season’s Q Tour Playoff finalist and current Austrian national champion Florian Nuessle 4-3. Nuessle crafted a break of 113 to force a deciding frame but Davies was not to be denied.
Awaiting Davies in the semi-finals was fellow teenager and reigning Polish national champion Antoni Kowalski who was making his Q Tour debut. Davies, though, became only the third player to reach consecutive event finals as he compiled breaks of 79, 50 and 65 in a 4-0 victory.
Holt started the final very well with a 91 break in the opening frame. He then doubled that lead, but Davies responded as he deposited the next two frames (61 break, frame three) to go all square into the mid-session interval.
However, momentum swung again after resumption as Holt strung together three successive frames – including a run of 70 in the sixth – to claim the title.
Event Three is set to take place at the TSG Heilbronn in Germany between October 20-22.
Amateur News – The 900 is back tonight!
In other, unrelated news… my post yesterday about Ronnie’s win in Shanghai was the 3000th one in this blog. Nice milestone … thanks Ronnie!
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) and the Asia-Pacific Snooker and Billiards Federation (APSBF) are today delighted to announce the launch of the new Q Tour Asia-Pacific Series as part of the WPBSA Q Tour Global during the 2023/24 season.
The Asia-Pacific region becomes the first to join the newly expanded WPBSA Q Tour Global, which will culminate in a 24-player playoff, with three places on the professional World Snooker Tour to be won from the start of the 2024/25 season.
As in previous seasons, the playoff will feature a minimum of 16 players from the UK/Europe rankings, who will now be joined by up to eight international qualifiers – including one from the Asia-Pacific region – from across the globe.
ASIA-PACIFIC SERIES
To encompass three recognised tournaments across the region, the Asia-Pacific Series will operate its own ranking list with the top ranked player following the third event to qualify for this season’s Q Tour Global Playoff next spring.
The qualifying events will be:
Bob Hawke AC Open Snooker (12-15 October 2023)
New Zealand Open Snooker
Dr Clem Jones AC Open Snooker
Events will be open to players born in, or resident in the Asia-Pacific region for a minimum of six months.
“PROVEN TRACK RECORD”
Jason Ferguson, WPBSA Chairman said: “I am excited to welcome the APSBF to the WPBSA Q Tour Global and to provide this additional opportunity for players in the Asia-Pacific region to qualify for the World Snooker Tour.
“Frank Dewens and his team have a proven track record of hosting high-quality tournaments, none more so than this year’s WSF Championships in Sydney which were well-supported by players from the region and beyond.
“I look forward to welcoming the successful player to our new Global Playoff, where they will compete among the best amateur snooker players in the world to join our professional circuit.”
Frank Dewens, APSBF President said: “We are extremely excited and honoured to be included in the WPBSA Q Tour Global. This will provide opportunities for the players within the APSBF to qualify for the World Snooker Tour.”
Entry for the Bob Hawke AC Open is open now via the ABSC website with a closing date of 29 September 2023.
WPBSA To Host Landmark New Player Support Programme
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) and WPBSA Players have today announced the launch of the WPBSA Player Support Programme, to be held on September 15 and 16 at the prestigious Lilleshall National Sports Centre.
The groundbreaking new event promises to be a transformative experience for over 40 professional snooker players and will be hosted by the renowned sports broadcaster, Rob Walker, and is proudly presented in association with Taom Billiards.
Over 40 current professionals from all around the world are set to take part in the weekend, including rising stars Julien Leclercq and Ben Mertens from Belgium, China’s WSF world champion Ma Hailong as well as England’s Stan Moody and Liam Pullen, who both joined the Tour this summer.
They will also be joined by the four current women professionals on the circuit including reigning world champion Baipat Siripaporn and 12-time queen Reanne Evans and a host of players making a return to the tour including WPBSA Q Tour number one Martin O’Donnell and Q School graduates Alexander Ursenbacher, Andrew Pagett and Stuart Carrington.
During the two-day event, the next generation of snooker stars will receive comprehensive support and guidance from WPBSA Players on a wide range of critical subjects, including integrity, match-fixing prevention, mental health and wellbeing, media training, financial management and career transition.
Guest speakers will include well known figures from across sport and experts from the world of business who will take the stage to share their experiences and insights, offering invaluable advice to aspiring and established players alike.
“Best preparation possible”
Jason Ferguson, WPBSA Chairman, said: “I am hugely excited by the launch of the WPBSA Player Support Programme as we aim to provide our next generation with meaningful and practical support at the start of their professional careers in our sport.
“I know from my own experience just how big a step up it is coming from the amateur game. Not only on the baize, but equally so off the table, where there is so much to learn. It is our vision that this new programme will provide players new to the tour with the best preparation possible for their respective journeys.
“And for players who might be returning to the tour, or have re-qualified via Q School, the message is the same and I am confident that everyone taking part will be able to take something valuable from the two days.
“I would like to thank our teams at the WPBSA and WPBSA Players, as well as recognise the support to be provided by Taom Billiards and the Professional Players Federation, which demonstrates the commitment of key stakeholders to the future of our sport.”
Brendan Batson, Chairman of the Professional Players Federation (PPF), expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative, saying: “It is vitally important that players know their sport’s rules on betting. Integrity education is essential for all professional players and will help protect them from the devastation that match-fixing scandals bring to reputations and careers. The PPF is delighted to support the first WPBSA Players Support Programme.”
Ken Doherty, Chairman of WPBSA Players, said: “Professional sport can be tough. Our commitment to supporting snooker professionals on issues such as personal and professional development, and welfare is unwavering. We believe that a healthy and well-supported player community is the cornerstone of a thriving sport. Together, we are cueing up a brighter future for our players, ensuring they have the support and resources needed to excel both on and off the baize.”
This event started yesterday and the first reactions from participant were very positive, going by what I was able to read on social media.
Here are some images, shared on social media by WPBSA:
Barry Hawkins claimed ranking silverware for the first time in six years, scoring a momentous 9-6 win over 2019 World Champion Judd Trump in the BetVictor European Masters final in Nuremberg.
The Hawk was competing in the European Masters final for a second consecutive year. He made the title match 12 months ago, where he succumbed to a 9-3 loss at the hands of Kyren Wilson.
That was the fourth in a chain of final defeats which frustrated the 44-year-old. Since beating Ryan Day 10-7 in the 2017 World Grand Prix final, Hawkins was runner-up at the 2018 Welsh Open, 2018 China Open and 2022 Players Championship. This evening he finally returned to the winner’s circle.
Hawkins had to tread a perilous path this week to capture a fourth ranking crown. The Londoner came from 3-1 down to beat James Cahill 5-3 in his opening tie. He then went on to inflict Luca Brecel’s first defeat as World Champion by a 5-4 scoreline and defeated four-time Crucible king Mark Selby 6-4 in the semi-finals.
Victory sees Hawkins pick up the £80,000 top prize. It will move straight to the top of the one-year list and the BetVictor Series standings. Whoever accumulates the most prize money across the counting events in the BetVictor Series will pocket a bumper £150,000 bonus.
Defeat for Trump extends his wait for ranking silverware. The Ace in the Packs’s most recent ranking title came over a year ago at the 2022 Turkish Masters. However, he can reflect on a week that has seen him build a strong platform for his season ahead, which included a thrilling 6-5 win over John Higgins in the semi-finals.
Trump came into the evening session 5-3 behind and the deficit was soon extended when he fouled on the final black in the opening frame, handing Hawkins a 6-3 advantage.
A break of 53 in the 10th then saw Hawkins move two frames from the title at 7-3. However, Trump dug deep and won the last before the mid-session to close within three frames.
When play resumed Trump made it 7-5, before an edgy 13th frame where both players missed opportunities. Eventually it was Hawkins who spurned a pivotal brown to the middle and Trump cleared up to make it 7-6.
From there Hawkins showed his steel and crucially took the 14th without conceding a point to move 8-6 ahead. After leaving Trump needing snookers in the next and having seemingly got over the line, a safety battle ensued and Hawkins was made to wait for the winning moment. He eventually deposited a red to the top left and looked to the sky in relief. The 44-year-old had finally got over the line and captured the title.
“It feels amazing. There was a stage of the match where I thought it was happening again. I lost my way, but towards the end I got my focus back and it was a weird feeling. I started feeling calm again. It was strange. I obviously got a bit of help from Judd today which I am thankful for, because once he gets going he is so dangerous. I battled hard today. It wasn’t a free flowing match but it doesn’t matter at the end of the day. I’m just so happy to pick up another trophy,” said an elated Hawkins.
“When he is coming back at you it is hard not to think the worst sometimes. It has been such a long time since I was in the winner’s enclosure. You forget how it feels. I managed to stay as calm as possible and I fell over the line in the end.
“It is hard to describe the feeling. It is massive elation and massive relief. I’ve finally won a tournament, but all of a sudden you come down again. It is back down to earth again now and onto the next one.
“It is up there with, if not the best win of my career. All the great players were here this week and the match against Selby was such a feather in my cap. It was a high quality game and put me under so much pressure. I stood up to it and was really pleasing.”
Trump said: “I am happy to have been in the final. I would have liked to play better and pushed Barry a little bit. It wasn’t to be. His safety was very good and put me under pressure. I knew it was going to be difficult. I gave it my all but I wasn’t there today. Congratulations to Barry and his family. I hope he has a good celebration.”
Barry was the best player in the tournament IMO, not the most spectacular but the strongest under pressure. He’s an all-rounder with one of the best defensive game in the sport when he needs it. That he has won only four titles is a bit surprising, but then, a few years back, after he made the final against Ronnie at the Crucible in 2013, he had some issues off the table that held him back.
The images above were shared by World Snooker on social media ( X and Facebook)
Liam Davies has defeated Craig Steadman 5-2 to win the opening event of the 2023/24 WPBSA Q Tour UK/Europe Series at the North East Snooker Centre, North Shields.
The first of a record seven Q Tour UK/Europe events set to take place this season saw 115 players contest the title with the top ranked player at the end of the season set to earn a place on the World Snooker Tour, with at least a further 16 players to qualify for a newly expanded Global Playoff later this season.
Welsh youngster Davies began his campaign with a bye in the last 64, before dramatically winning four deciding-frame matches against Aidan Murphy, Bulcsú Révész, Duane Jones and Ryan Davies to reach his first Q Tour final.
Awaiting him was former Shoot Out semi-finalist Craig Steadman, who was playing in his first Q Tour event after dropping off the professional circuit at the end of last season. The English player defeated Mitchell Travis, Ayaan Iqbal, Simon Bedford, Iulian Boiko and Tyler Rees to reach the title match.
It was 17-year-old Davies who made the stronger start with runs of 47 and 109 to claim a 2-0 lead, before Steadman pounced upon a missed blue in the next with 98 of his own to close to 1-2.
The following two frames were split either side of the interval, but Davies needed just 19 further minutes to add the following two frames and surge to a sensational breakthrough victory.
The victory earns Davies the top prize of £3,000 and a guaranteed place in the season-ending Global Q Tour Playoff, which will see 24 players contest three places on the professional circuit. The top ranked player in the Q Tour UK/Europe rankings will automatically earn a two-year card.
The highest break of the event was compiled by Simon Bedford, who hit 136 during his last 16 defeat to Steadman.
Liam has been talked about for many years. As a young kid already, his huge talent was evident. I first watched him play when he was probably about 7. He has a lot of good people around him too. Hopefully he can get on the tour next season
The next professional event, the 2023 English Open Qualifiers, will start on Friday, September 1.
