Ronnie arrived in Finland yesterday for a series of three exhibitions in Tampere.
Amusingly the pilot of the Finnair flight that brought him to Finland was also to be the referee on the night!
On this first night, Ronnie played Gary Wilson. Despite a slow start – he went 2-0 down to Gary – Ronnie won the match by 6-3. He finished with a 122, the only century in the match.
Here are some images taken by fans on the evening …
Once again BIG Thanks to Kalacs for their much appreciated contribution!
Ronnie is in Macau where he has been playing an exhibition with Si Jiahui. Before the match between the two pros, Ronnie played some members of the public. Ronnie beat Si by 2-1.
They are at the Wynn Palace in Macau and they have been spoiled!
Here are a few images … welcome sweets, great food, transport, venue … everything is top class.
I have mentioned this already but … I can’t remember a post-season with so many exhibitions and quite lucrative ones too. I can only suppose that this is the result of changes in the players contract. It has been a great success and it’s not just about Ronnie, a lot of other top players have been doing them as well.
Evidence of the success … Some more are already booked for 2025!
Those two will take place in mainland Europe:
It has been announced that the recently retired but hugely popular Rolf Kalb will be the MC at the Hamm exhibitions! And the exhibition cup in Helsinki will carry 250 000 Euros in prize money!
But that’s for next year … next week Ronnie will be coming back from Asia and will play more exhibitions … with Gary Wilson in Tampere, Finland and with John Higgins in Plovdiv and Sofia, Bulgaria
Ronnie O’Sullivan: An evening with a snooker legend
Snooker legend and indisputable king of the sport, Ronnie “the Rocket” O’Sullivan, is coming to Tampere!
05.06.2024
Information
Tickets starting €69
Tampere Hall presents snooker lovers with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the snooker player whose achievements and fast style of play have captured the imaginations of audiences unlike any other.
Matches start Mon 8 p.m. and Tue–Wed 7 p.m., best of 11, length approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.
Snooker legend and indisputable king of the sport, Ronnie “the Rocket” O’Sullivan, is coming to Tampere! Special Guest: Gary ”The Tyneside Terror” Wilson
Snooker lovers have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness Ronnie O’Sullivan, the snooker player whose achievements and fast style of play have captured the imaginations of audiences unlike any other, play at Tampere Hall from 3 to 5 June 2024.
As a player, the English O’Sullivan is second to none: seven World titles, eight UK Championship titles, eight Masters titles, 23 Triple Crown titles, and no fewer than 40 ranking titles. O’Sullivan has achieved over one thousand century breaks over the course of his career, 15 of which have been 147-point maximum breaks.
Veteran top-level player and current world number one, the 48-year-old O’Sullivan is not only a unique snooker talent, but also one of the most accomplished athletes of our time, able to fascinate even people with little interest in the sport.
This unique event is unlikely to ever happen again, so get your ticket now and secure your seat at an unforgettable show!
To put the finishing touch on this celebration of snooker, the Finnish voice of the sport on Eurosport and Discovery+ Aki Kauppinen will be hosting and providing commentary. The live commentary will be provided by various means, including the same earpiece radios used at the World Snooker Championship. Please note: Commentary is only available in Finnish.
7-8 June 2024 – Ronnie and Higgins in Bulgaria
Българска Снукър Федерация is pleased to announce the visit of legends Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins on homeland once again.
The Rocket and the Wizard of Wishou will play against each other in the WINBET SNOOKER SPECIAl demo event on June 7 at 20:00 in the Kolodrum Hall in Plovdiv and on June 8 at 20:00 in Levski Hall in Sofia.
Tickets will go on sale on the Eventim network on March 11 at 11:47 am. The cheapest will be 60 BGN and the most expensive – 200 BGN.
The demonstration matches of Ronnie O’Sullivan against John Higgins are organized with the support of Plovdiv Municipality and Sofia Municipality. Bulgarian players will also participate in the show.
The Bulgarian Snooker Federation is planning additional events and surprises for fans of Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins, and other details about the organization will be revealed later.
Ronnie O’Sullivan will play a demonstration match in Plovdiv for the fourth time, and John Higgins – for the second. The great Scottish made a maximum break of 147 points in the “Colodrum” against Mark Williams in 2018.
In Sofia, the two giants in gentlemen’s sports have visited more often, including for professional tournaments between 2012 and 2016. The Rocket was last in the capital on November 25, 2022 for a demo match against Jimmy White, and the next day the two made a show in Plovdiv.
Don’t forget to check for Kalacs’ comments with more pictures and videos.
There is a lot of media material about the current exhibitions in China, and, thank to Kalacs we can access A LOT of it. But as, maybe, not everyone can open the links easily here are my pics with the purpose of offering “the essentials” in a post …
2024 Kunshan “Spark Cup” Snooker Masters Invitational Tournament was successfully held
May 22, 7:30 pm
Kunshan Sports Center Gymnasium
A wonderful showdown between snooker masters
Ronnie O’Sullivan and Marco Fu
The stands were packed
A feast for the eyes of the fans
Facing the camera of reporters, O’ Sullivan who visited Kunshan a few years ago, said hello to the snooker fans
“I am very happy to come to Kunshan again and see so many enthusiastic fans and feel the enthusiasm of this city. Kunshan is a very beautiful city, the people are friendly and the culture is really great!“
From May 21st to 22nd, the “Spark Cup” Snooker Masters Invitational Tournament was held for two days. Four snooker masters, “Rocket” O’Sullivan, “Uncrowned King” Lisowsky, China’s “Wonder Boy” Marco Fu and “Dazai” Zhang Anda, staged four exciting duels. Over the past two days, thousands of snooker fans gathered in Kunshan, and many spectators even came from cities such as Tianjin and Jilin.
In the arena , a fan and his family were deeply attracted by the players’ precise strokes and positions.: “The game was very exciting. The position of the white ball was just like the movement of the hand.” “Thank you Kunshan for hosting such a wonderful event.“
Snooker game. It’s a niche sporting event. Four top players compete in Kunshan for the first time in this type of exhibition
The city and area indeed look great.
And more images of the Ronnie v Marco Fu match, a match that Ronnie won by 5-4.
And this one showing the crowd … during the Ronnie v Zhang match
Ronnie is in Chengdu, with Jason Francis and his friend Robin Huxley…
Here are some images from their trip and arrival, including some cultural and gastronomical stuff ..
Ronnie’s first match in Chengdu was against John Higgins. John beat him by 5-3. Ronnie, apparently wasn’t feeling too well and was 4-0 behind at the MSI, so it’s not that bad a result.
“Rocket” O’Sullivan appeared and became extremely popular
“Rocket” is coming! On May 18, Chengdu welcomed a number of big names in the snooker world. “Rocket” O’Sullivan, Higgins, Trump, and Zhang Anda all appeared at the Sichuan Provincial Stadium for a two-day exhibition match.
O’Sullivan vs. Higgins duel
O’Sullivan stuck out his tongue at his mistake
“Rocket” versus “Wizard”
The gathering of big names attracted fans from all over the country and even abroad to watch the game. In the afternoon, Trump and Zhang Anda had a duel, and the climax came in the evening, when the Scottish “Wizard” Higgins and “Rocket” O’Sullivan started a PK. In the second game, Higgins broke 100 in a single stroke and cleared the stage with one stroke, which was a feast for the eyes of the fans in the audience.
O’Sullivan
“Rocket” O’Sullivan is not feeling well today
“Rocket” O’Sullivan during the game
O’Sullivan felt bad today and ultimately lost 3-5. However, winning or losing this game is not important. In the last game, the two staged a wonderful snooker tug-of-war, and their exquisite stick skills made the fans hooked.
Higgins hits the ball
Higgins
Higgins shakes hands with fans
Today happens to be Higgins’s birthday. After the game, his wife, accompanied by the “Giant Panda”, gave him a birthday cake. All the fans sang “Happy birthday to you” to congratulate him on his 49th birthday. The scene Warm.
“Giant Panda” celebrates Higgins’ birthday
Tomorrow, the game will continue, Higgins will face Trump, and O’Sullivan will stage a “Ding Olympic Games” with Ding Junhui.
Happy birthday John Higgins!
And some more pictures shared on Weibo by fans at the event
Big thanks to Kalacs for sharing this article as well as the pictures! Especially as I have difficulties accessing Weibo at the moment and his help is even more precious than ever! Thank you!!!
Yes, I’m from that generation … the ones who were teenagers at the end of the sixties, who grew up with Bob Dylan, with big hopes for changes that didn’t really come the way we hoped for. But I digress before I even started…
But, yes, this post is about “changing” times…
I have the feeling that this 2024 World Championship signals the start of a new era for the sport. In the eleven editions before this one, only once, in 2015, did we have a final that didn’t feature a member of the class of 92 or Mark Selby, and only once, in 2016, did we have a final between two players aged under-35. This year, neither Selby nor any of the Class of 92 reached the one table setup. Ronnie and John Higgins were the “last standing” of that group and they bowed out in the QFs. This time, both finalists are in their early thirties, and, surely, nobody expected Jak Jones to make it that far. The season to come will be interesting. Will we see a clear “change of guard”? I do expect this to happen and it would be good for the future of the sport … and even if I dearly wish for Ronnie to get to 8 World Championships, I’m not harbouring too much hope. He will be 49 in December …
Those are the stats on Ronnie’s career and we, his fans, can’t complain… he’s given us plenty, and will probably give us some more. I will always support him, and I’m grateful for the countless great moments he’s created on the green baize.
There has been a change of mind by Barry Hearn as well regarding the Crucible. Only a couple of years ago he was adamant the the snooker was “there to stay”. No more so as this BBC article clearly shows:
Sheffield to ‘move heaven and earth’ for World Championship
Snooker’s World Championship could leave the theatre that has been its home since 1977
Sam Drury – BBC Sport journalist
7 May 2024
Barry Hearn believes “Sheffield City Council will move heaven and earth” to keep the World Snooker Championship in the city.
The Crucible, which only holds 980 spectators, has held snooker’s biggest event every year since 1977, but the current contract expires in 2027.
Hearn, the president of Matchroom Sport and former chairman of World Snooker Tour (WST), insisted that keeping the tournament in Sheffield is “what we all want”.
“The priority is to stay in the Steel City of Sheffield because it’s been our home for a long, long time,” he told BBC 5 Live Breakfast.
“Great moments. But we have a duty to everybody to listen. We listen to the fans, listen to the local people, we also listen to the players.
“The effect on prize money. We look at the conditions, and say the game has moved on, and deserves better than the current conditions.”
How the Crucible looked during the 2024 World Championship final
While Hearn’s desire to stay in Sheffield is now clear, he anticipates that doing so would require a change of venue.
Matchroom took over the running of WST in 2010, with Hearn at the helm until he stepped down as chairman in April 2021 at the age of 72.
He remains an influential figure in the running of snooker and ideally wants a new facility to be built to house the World Championship.
“I think it’s a new-build within the city. It can’t be an expansion of the Crucible. There isn’t enough space. The building is too small,” Hearn said.
“But I think there are other buildings that could be converted… but I need a venue to stress the importance of the event, the quality of the event.
“You can’t stick it in a leisure centre, and say ‘this is our World Championships’, just for the sake of another 1,000 [or] 1,500 tickets a session.“
Moving away from the Crucible would also be popular with some of the players, who have criticised conditions at the theatre.
“If you walk around the Crucible it smells really bad,” said Iran’s Hossein Vafaei.
“The practice room? Do you see anything special about it? It feels like I’m practising in a garage and that’s not good.”
Saudi Arabia has worked closely with Matchroom Sport to bring a number of high-profile major boxing events to the country. It also staged a first WST tournament in March – the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker.
“Should the World Championships stay in little old England? It’s a global sport, should it go round the world?” Hearn added.
“Should it sell out and go to where the biggest money is, as have so many sports? Some that I’ve been involved in.
“That’s not wrong – that’s just the progression of how the world’s changed.
“It’s a balance – but you can’t ignore the money, that would be unrealistic and silly to say we’re ignoring the money.
“But at the same time we have a duty of care to the sport, to make sure the great traditions stay with us as well.”
‘Zero interest in a breakaway tour‘
Hearn, who managed six-time world champion Steve Davis, dismissed the notion of a recently mooted breakaway tour to challenge WST.
“There’s no breakaway tour,” he said. “I don’t know why people talk about this.
“The players have got a bit more freedom now, outside of contract, where there isn’t a World Snooker contract, to have an event themselves.
“There is absolutely zero interest in a breakaway tour from any player.“
Judd Trump is one of a number of high-profile players to have ruled out joining such a tour, which has been likened to golf’s LIV breakaway venture.
The 1997 world champion Ken Doherty is sceptical that a rival series would gain any traction.
“I don’t see how a LIV-style snooker tour can survive and if it does and players want to do that, if that is what they want their legacy to be, good luck to them,” Doherty said.
“There are people throwing money at the top players, but is that the legacy they want? Playing in an exhibition tour rather than something meaningful?
“It is not going to encourage people to get into the game by playing on an exhibition tour just to increase your bank balance.“
There is no breakaway tour, but the newly crowned World Champion, Kyren Wilson, has recently admitted on social media that if he was approached to play in high profile, highly paid, exhibitions he would consider it. And why not? They are self-employed, the players. Legacy doesn’t pay the bills, nor does it put food in the plates of family.
And then, of course, both Paul Collier and Rolf Kalb have announced their retirement. In the case of Paul, he will still work as tournament director, but not as a referee. I’m wishing them both the very best in whatever they do in the future.
And finally … to answer the question asked in comments, yes, Ronnie will do exhibitions in China.
This was posted on Weibo: “During the second half of May, Luoyang, Chengdu, Kunshan et Shanghai will organise four exhibition tournaments, and O’Sullivan will play in all four ! Ding Junhui will feature in Luoyang et Chengdu” (translated automatically and made a bit more readable by me…)
The much anticipated 2024 All Star Challenge in Hong Kong proved to be a rather disappointing event on many accounts. I already mentioned the overpriced tickets and the seating disaster.
Unfortunately there were even more issues …
Patsy Cheung and her family are huge fans of the sport and have, in the past, been involved in the staging of the General Cup. I know that for sure because they contacted me at the time, asking if I could help with pictures for the posters. Patsy has become close friend with some of the top players, notably Mark Williams, with whom she went out for dinner this week in Hong Kong. She posted pictures on her Facebook page..
Also on her page, she shared a post in Chinese that translates like this:
Me myself had wonderful two days with the super stars on and off the snooker table. But the event itself is terribly disappointing, not professional at all. As a close friend of Mark Williams, they claimed he was sick the 2nd day and skip the match. But actually he already has another tournament scheduled months ago, so he could only play one day in HK. Fans may misunderstand him as being not professional. Any respect to the stars in all aspects?
This is extremely disappointing and concerning. Misrepresenting the players damages their image and selling a match when you know full well that one of the players will not be available is dishonest. Credits to Patsy for trying to put things right. She genuinely loves snooker and does share a genuine friendship with some of the players.
Here are some of her pictures notably showing her with Willo’s family and Kyren Wilson, eating by the river.
The action continued in Hong Kong and Ronnie had just one match to play yesterday … against Judd Trump who beat him by 5-2 and made a 147 for good measure … 🙄 There is no doubt that Judd is currently the man in form and – allegedly – he had some extra motivation: he was watched by his alleged new girlfriend who is Chinese…
Here are some pictures of the action … they were shared yesterday on weibo.
Also now available on YouTube is Ronnie’s match v Mark Williams, a close match where both players played well especially considering that it started late and amongst unhappiness from spectators who had paid for pricy tickets only to be unable to watch the table properly. This kind of delay would have affected Ronnie more than Mark who is pretty unflappable…
Sichuan
Ronnie O'Sullivan 