Day 6 at the Crucible is the day when the first round finishes and the second round starts. The last two first round matches were played to a conclusion, with wins for Ronnie and John Higgins.
John Higgins, ever present in the top 16 for a record 29 years, maintained his hopes of keeping that elite status with a hard fought 10-6 win over Jamie Jones in the first round of the Cazoo World Championship.
Higgins first climbed into the top 16 at the end of the 1994/95 season and, incredibly, has been there ever since. But after a lean two years, he could drop out at the end of this Championship. Having knocked out Jones, he must still win one more match to have a chance of keeping his place in the top bracket of the rankings, and the 48-year-old Scot faces a tough test against world number three Mark Allen over 25 frames on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The pair have met five times already this season, Allen winning three of those.
The result means that the record for the most seeds falling in the first round – eight – has been equalled but not beaten.
Leading 5-4 overnight Higgins took the first two frames today to extend his lead to 7-4. In frame 12, he led 39-18 when a routine pink to a centre pocket hit the far jaw, and Jones responded with a 49 clearance to pull one back. Higgins regained control as breaks of 59 and 64 helped make it 9-5. Frame 15 came down to the colours and Higgins, trailing 58-38, missed a long pot on the yellow, which allowed Jones to narrow the gap. Both players had chances in the 16th, but Higgins got the better of an exchange on the last red and cleared to get over the line.
“Jamie still fancied it at 9-5, you could see by his body language,” said four-time champion Higgins, who has not landed a ranking title since the 2021 Players Championship. “He probably came into the match feeling he could beat me because he knocked out Neil Robertson in qualifying and he has beaten me a couple of times before. The draws are tough but you just have to roll with it and try to play your best. I felt my game was pretty good tonight.
“I’m really looking forward to playing Mark Allen over 25 frames, I have beaten him twice here before so I’ll have to draw on those memories. Mark is a fantastic player and competitor. I’m not thinking about the top 16, I’m just focussed on the next match. Tonight was a great win for me because you don’t know how many more times you’re going to play here, and it’s the the best place ever to play snooker.“
Jones said: “From 9-5 I was trying to battle as hard as I could. I could see John was trying a bit too hard and I tried to just stick in there. If it had gone 9-7 then who knows? I enjoyed the occasion, it’s always an amazing experience to play here.”
I didn’t watch any of it. After what happened in 2010, I will never again watch John Higgins unless I have to. I already explained why I feel that way, so I won’t bore you repeating it. Let’s just say this, if it had happened in 2024, and if John was Chinese, he would have been banned for many years, not just for a few months (most of it in the summer when nothing happened back then). His opponent Jamie Jones was banned for longer and fell off the tour merely for failing to report a corrupt approach, although he was cleared of match-fixing. He wasn’t even the one being approached, it was one of his mates and Jamie found it too difficult to denounce/report him. So, I dearly wanted Jamie Jones to win but it wasn’t to be. Don’t get me wrong, John is a great great player, with immense skills and a shrewd mind. But, even before the 2010 affair, for some reason I can’t understand myself, I never enjoyed watching him, he bores me.
Other than that there were some really interesting quotes by Barry Hearn reported in the press yesterday.
The Crucible Theatre has staged the World Championship since 1977, but former World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn has cast doubt over the future of the sport’s biggest event in Sheffield beyond its current agreement in 2027. Hearn, speaking to Eurosport, said: “There is no point in saying: ‘Oh, think of the history’. You can’t eat history.”
Barry Hearn has been on a career-defining journey over the past 43 years when it comes to the ongoing subject of the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield being a suitable host venue for the World Snooker Championship, the sport’s landmark and most lucrative tournament.
When the former World Snooker Tour chairman was manager of Steve Davis in the 1980s and 1990s, he famously bounded down the stairs of the venue to greet Davis after the first of the Romford player’s six world title wins against Doug Mountjoy in 1981.
While it could be argued the Crucible was the scene of Hearn’s greatest moments in snooker overseeing the growth, development and dominance of Davis during the halcyon days of saturated TV coverage, sentiment will not get in the way of forward thinking when it comes to finalising the future direction of travel for the green baize’s blue-chip competition.
As president of Matchroom Sport, majority shareholders in WST, the Essex businessman has appeared to cast doubt over the future of the event being staged by the Crucible when the venue’s current agreement with Sheffield City Council expires in 2027 – the year that will mark 50 years of the World Championship in Sheffield.
Amid several media reports suggesting Saudi Arabia and China could be new destinations for the World Championship, Hearn – who once described the Crucible as “one of the world’s most iconic sporting venues” – told Eurosport: “Look, I can’t be more honest, my hand on my heart, I want to stay at the Crucible.
“I want to stay in Sheffield. Obviously, money talks and we are getting inundated with offers around the world.
“And there’s a certain argument that says we should actually take the World Championships around the world to a different venue every year. Some of the venues want to pay money I’ve never experienced, others just want to show their love and support for snooker.
“We’ve been very consistent. Broadcasters that we’ve worked with and have done a good job for us and have been part of our history, we’re going to stay with as much as we can if they want to stay with us.
“Venues that we’ve used and people that we’ve relied on to be the fans, have been good to us, we want to stay with them as long as they want us.
“Common sense says I have a fiduciary duty to the players to provide the biggest prize money because they’re professional athletes.
“And there is no point in saying: ‘Oh, think of the history’. You can’t eat history.
“Sport, to be progressive, has got to provide bigger and bigger prize funds or it is not going to be competitive in today’s world, and will no longer be aspirational to young people that we want to see come into the sport.“
As a celebrated sports promoter, Hearn traditionally uses the annual World Championship to deliver a state of the nation address on his plans for snooker, with the subject of the Crucible never far from his thoughts.
There was also this, reported by Phil Haigh about Hearn’s stance on players wanting to play in events “outside” the main tour:
Barry Hearn: ‘If people want to leave for a quick buck then I wish them well’
Phil Haigh
Barry Hearn has warned players of the ‘temptations for a one-off quickie’ (Picture: Getty Images)
As some players remain at odds with World Snooker Tour over what events they can and cannot play in, Barry Hearn says he will wish anyone well who leaves to chase a ‘quick buck’.
There is disquiet among professionals after the Macau Five situation this season, which saw John Higgins, Mark Selby, Luca Brecel, Ali Carter and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh sign up for a lucrative exhibition in China which was set to be held during the Northern Ireland Open.
WST were not happy about it and told the five in question that they would be in breach of their players’ contract if they took part in the exhibition while the ranking event was being played in Belfast.
The exhibition was eventually moved to December to avoid the clash, but the five men had already pulled out of Northern Ireland so they didn’t play in anything during that week in October.
Shaun Murphy told the BBC during the coverage of the UK Championship that he was ‘offered the same amount of money to go to that event in the Far East as I would have had for getting to the final of the Northern Ireland Open.’ Ronnie O’Sullivan has also spoken out on the subject, saying it is very hard to turn down the huge sums of cash being offered in China.
‘I get paid so much more for going to do that,’ the Rocket said of the Chinese events. ‘It’s really hard for me to turn them down, I can’t. I’ve got to think of my family and all that sort of stuff.
‘It’s all right if you win all of these tournaments, great. But if you get beat first round you’re struggling to pay your bills and stuff.’
Ronnie O’Sullivan picked up the £250,000 top prize at last week’s UK Championship (Picture: Getty Images)
WST say players are free to take part in exhibitions when professional events aren’t being staged, but Hearn, the president of Matchroom Sport, says that if there is a clash then players will have to choose between being part of the tour or exploring other opportunities.
‘Everyone has a choice in what they want to play in and whether they want to be a part of our tour,’ Hearn told Metro.co.uk.
‘I think the game’s in really good hands. There’s always going to be temptations for a one-off quickie, but we don’t do one-off quickies. We are a sustainable business that’s growing very well, with some great news that’s coming in the next month or so, we’ve got a big month coming up.
‘Look, you’ll always get someone who wants to do something for a quick buck, but that’s just not the way that I run businesses, nor will it ever be.
‘If people want to leave for a quick buck then I wish them well, they’ve got their own lives to run, they make their own decisions.
‘I won’t be unreasonable with anybody, but we have rules, contracts in place and we’re always happy to sit down and talk to them, but in a professional dialogue.
‘I don’t think there’s going to be any real issues, to be honest with you, I think Ronnie in particular is in demand in China. They offer him a lot of money and he wants to take advantage of that, I understand that.
‘But he can’t do anything that’s harmful to the players’ contract. He has the choice not to sign the players contract, that’s his call, not mine.’
‘I DON’T HAVE TO WIN, YOU KNOW‘ – SNOOKER LEGEND RONNIE O’SULLIVAN ON HIS FUTURE IN SNOOKER AHEAD OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
BY ALEX LIVIE
The World Championship is looming into view and Ronnie O’Sullivan will arrive at the Crucible with an eighth title in his sights. The world No. 1 has had a superb season in terms of winning titles, but he is not happy with the state of his game but is ready to buckle down and fight to remain at the top end of the sport over the next 12 months and more.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has said he will dedicate the next 12 months to working hard on his game in a bid to extend his career at the top level.
O’ Sullivan has had some stellar results in the 2023/24 season, winning the UK Championship and Masters to add to his tally of Triple Crown events.
But despite the wins, the world No. 1 has been unhappy with the state of his game.
After beating Gary Wilson in the semi-finals of the Tour Championship, O’Sullivan spoke about battling the yips.
He has begun working closely with Steve Peters once again, and the revered Sports Psychiatrist will be in his corner at the World Championship and for the next 12 months.
“Steve’s gonna be there a lot,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport about his plans for a shot at an eighth World Championship, which gets underway on Eurosport and discovery+ at the weekend. “I told him, whenever you can make it, that’d be great.
“I’ve been speaking to him a lot on the phone recently.”
O’Sullivan is not happy with the state of his game, but has committed to working hard to feel comfortable at the table.
He continued: “I’m in that situation at the moment where I’ve just got to get myself in a frame of mind for maybe the next however long. I’ve given myself a year to the end of next year’s World Championship to work with Steve and hope, you know, to get back to where I feel it’s acceptable.
“I could do another year like this, I’ll commit to that playing how I’ve been playing and the struggles and what we all want to call it – the yips or the snatches, whatever you want to call it.
“I don’t consider that snooker, I’m butchering balls.
“Everyone’s got their own problems. But that ain’t fun for me.
“I’ve got two options. Like Steve said, you can learn to live with it. You can learn to live with anything and be happy or choose to be miserable.
“The task I’m gonna have to set myself is if I can’t get my game in the right place, and I really don’t wanna stop then I’ve got to get round my head round acceptance. Learn to live with it, play it.
“But if I can’t, then maybe do 18 months, two years, exhibitions, go see all the fans and really just go down that testimonial route and then hang my cue up. Would be, like 51, 52. No big deal.”
Should O’Sullivan triumph at the Crucible, it would give him an eighth world crown to go with his eight Masters and eight UK Championships.
Such an achievement would not be the trigger to consider retirement.
“I’ll only retire if I think I’m not playing well enough for long enough, which has been going on a while now,” he said. “That’s obviously something that distresses me enough to think. ‘I don’t want to keep doing that.’ But like I said, if I can learn to live with it.“
The lifestyle snooker has handed O’Sullivan is one of the reasons for him to keep playing.
He said: “I don’t have to win, you know, I just like travelling, I like the people I meet, I like the people I work with; I have a great time with all my sponsors and stuff like that. That’d be hard to give up.
“It’d be hard to give up all the exhibitions I do, the places I get to travel to. That’s why I don’t want to give it up.
“But you’ve got to enjoy the playing, you know, and it’s been a tough year.
“If I can get back to enjoy the playing, then I’ll be the happiest man in the world.”
Despite being unhappy with his game, O’Sullivan is pleased with how he has approached the mental side of snooker.
“I think I’ve mentally been really strong to just keep going at it,” he said. “But I thought I’ve won five tournaments, got to the finaI and I’m not enjoying it.
“I want to win and enjoy it. So that’s why I said to Steve, ‘come on, I need to work this out now.’
“I need to work something out where I can feel in a better place with it all.“
Provided his game is in shape, O’Sullivan does not feel this is his last shot at an eighth world crown.
“I think there are plenty of opportunities to win that World Championship,” the 48-year-old said. “It’s just if I’m not enjoying it. If I’m enjoying it and like I said when I’m playing snooker, I feel like my mind is young around that table.
“I think like a youngster, so age is not important.
“I feel agile. As long as I keep feeling that young when I’m out there, then it doesn’t matter if I’m 60 if I feel like I’m still performing well out there. And I’m making, you know, my opponent look sluggish to me. I’m like, ‘cool, we can still do this.'”
HE Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), has announced an agreement between Riyadh Season and WST to further expand and develop collaboration which will promise to bring the sport to more fans across the Middle East.
Ahead of this weekend’s World Snooker Championship, Riyadh Season has agreed to become an official partner for snooker’s most prestigious tournament, underlining the commitment to supporting the WST.
With the ambition to grow snooker throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond, HE Turki Alalshikh has also announced a new three-year ambassadorial agreement with world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan, who has won a record 23 Triple Crown titles. This agreement guarantees that O’Sullivan will play in all WST events in Saudi Arabia and will also make special trips to the Kingdom to coach and foster aspiring talent.
Saudi Arabia hosted its first-ever WST event last month –Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker – which was won by O’Sullivan. Such was its success, the tournament is confirmed to return as part of the calendar for Riyadh Season during the 2024/25 schedule and will feature the world’s top ten players in addition to two wild cards being invited.
The event will again feature the innovative golden ball, known as the Riyadh Season ball, which will give players a chance to score a world record break of 167 if they pot it at the end of a maximum 147, with HE Turki Alalshikh confirming that the prize for the ‘super maximum’ will be doubled to $1million should anyone succeed in achieving this milestone.
On this announcement, HE Turki Alalshikh stated that these initiatives will act to drive the development of snooker in Saudi Arabia, inspiring a new generation of young fans who idolise the sport’s biggest stars. This expansion of snooker is one of many sporting events offered by Riyadh Season, building a vibrant community of snooker fans that will increase the popularity of the game in Saudi Arabia, where all enthusiasts can thrive and pursue their passions.
HE Alalshikh added “Riyadh Season is delighted to be a partner of the World Snooker Championship, which will start next Saturday and continues until May 6th at Crucible in Sheffield.”
WST Chairman Steve Dawson said: “We are honoured to work with HE Turki Alalshikh on his visionary plans for progress. We share his ambition of bringing snooker to many more fans across the Middle East, and to foster new talent and develop grassroots structures. We share a dream that one day Saudi Arabia will produce a World Snooker Champion, and each of the three initiatives announced today are steps towards that dream. We are thrilled to be working with His Excellency and to deepen our relationship with Saudi Arabia.
“The inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker was a fabulous event and many of the players enjoyed the atmosphere created by the local fans. We look forward to returning to the Kingdom in the summer for the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, which will be the first ever world ranking event in the region. These tournaments grow the sport and provide fantastic opportunities for the players to compete for outstanding prize money.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan said: “Playing in Riyadh last month was an amazing experience, I love the atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the fans. We can make snooker huge in Saudi Arabia. So I am excited by this chance to work to grow the sport there and the opportunity to coach the best young talent and pass on my experience. I’m also relishing the chance to play in more big events in the Kingdom, and to work alongside HE Turki Alalshikh on his ambitions.”
As much as I disagree with the Saudi regime, developing snooker in new regions is not just good, it’s absolutely necessary. I wish such efforts could be made to get more and bigger tournaments in mainland Europe. Snooker faces serious challenges, we should not be deluded about it, notably because hey-ball has become the number one billiard sport in China, dethroning snooker. We have seen several British snooker platers being tempted by it this season, and they enjoyed the experience.
And maybe … only maybe … something good can come from this when it comes to the human rights situation. Further opening your country to visitors means being under more scrutiny. It also means more contacts between the local population and foreigners who grew in a different culture and have a completely different live style. No matter the regime efforts, this is unavoidable and it is bound to force some societal changes. At least I want to hope so…
Following the release of the latest episode of the OneFourSeven podcast, David Caulfield has published a very interesting piece on his blog.
Amongst other things he shares Shaun Murphy’s views on Ronnie’s withdrawal
“I’ve seen lots of things written about this,” Shaun Murphy said on the latest episode of the OneFourSeven Snooker Podcast.
“I’m curious. I want to understand and gauge the temperature and opinion of the snooker fraternity.”
“I think there’s quite a bit of misunderstanding here. No one is obliged to play in anything.
“Obviously he and I don’t see eye to eye on many things – everyone knows that – but he’s not obliged to play in anything.
“He’s well within the rules to withdraw from any event that he wants to. The reasons he gives? That’s a different subject.
“But he actually hasn’t done anything wrong by the letter of the law from WST’s point of view, so I’m confused where the narrative comes from.
“I think there is a nuanced difference between someone like Stephen Hendry, who has a tour card and chooses not to enter tournaments, versus someone who enters tournaments and withdraws last minute.
“Those two things are slightly different, and if you look at it from the point of view of the first reserve in this case, who is Anthony Davies’ son Alfie, he got the call to go to Edinburgh four or five hours before – it was completely undoable.
“Now, if O’Sullivan knew he had no intention of going and withdrew last minute, that’s not very good, because that obviously spoils the opportunity for young Mr. Davies.
“But you have no option in these cases but to take the player at their word.
“O’Sullivan has again cited health concerns, and I go back to what I said in the podcast a few episodes ago, he has had it really bad in recent times.
“He has been really poorly. He has been really ill, and to be that ill and to pull out of that many events on medical grounds, and then still turn up and win the UK Championship is incredible really.
That coming from Shaun, who admittedly often disagrees with Ronnie, does put things in a different light. Most of us only see the players on television, or from afar in the arena. But players like Ronnie and Shaun, who have been on tour for over 25 years and regularly meet at events, it’s different. They see each other close-up and away from the cameras. If Shaun says that Ronnie has been in ill health in recent months, then surely that’s true. They are not close friends, why would he lie about this? Of course, it’s worrying and it makes Ronnie’s UK victory even more extraordinary. So, yes, get well soon, Ronnie, or at least better, fingers crossed!
Shaun also speaks about what is at stake as the new board elections are about to take place
Murphy was also asked about his opinions on the ongoing saga between the World Snooker Tour and its players concerning contracts, players’ rights, and the possibility of a breakaway tour.
“This thing isn’t going to go away – the serious battle between the players, and the WPBSA players’ body that represents them, and WST with their players contract.”
“This isn’t going anywhere. It’s only going to increase in velocity and in seriousness, because these two parties are going to clash over this.
“I’m not sure which way it’s going to go. It’s a big week this week in snooker politically. We’ve got the AGM of the WPBSA and the elections to the WPBSA Players Board.
“Such is the interest in this – normally you have to crowbar players into these meetings and nominations – there are three spots available and there are seven candidates.
“That’s the first time in history that there are more candidates than spaces.
“Depending on who gets through the candidacy and the nomination process, if certain members find their way onto that board, that could cause WST a headache going forward.
“I know a few of the players who have put themselves forward have this as one of their key mandates to try to get a fairer and better deal out of WST.
“You know, we want a review of the contract. We want it looked at, we want to sit down and talk. It’s going to be interesting.”
So … it’s not just “some spoiled celebrities” … it’s the WPBSA representing the players vs the commercial body, WST. Note that Shaun, who is by no means an anarchist, uses the words “fairer” and “better deal”. That suggests that even him, known to be respectful of the authorities, finds the contract too onerous and too restrictive.
Interesting times ahead for sure …
David Caulfield on his blog always tries to be fair and expresses balanced opinions. I can only recommend any snooker fan to follow it, especially if they are Irish.
I’m grateful to David and a few others who regularly write about the most interesting topics discussed in the numerous snooker podcasts that are now available to the snooker fans… provided they aren’t partially deaf 😉 THANK YOU!
Yesterday was the “première” of Ronnie’s film, “the Edge of Everything” and, from what transpired, it was certainly a mediatic success with some well known figures attending the event, along with Ronnie’s family and friends.
From what transpired, Judd Trump attended as well. Good on him.
It was not necessarily a treat for O’Sullivan to watch back himself, though, with the documentary offering a really intense look at his life and the experience of competing under the pressure of the World Championship at the Crucible.
The documentary follows O’Sullivan’s campaign at the 2022 World Championship and at times, specifically in the final against Judd Trump, the level of pressure is enormous, with the Rocket admitting he was struggling badly to deal with it.
The 47-year-old says things were actually not as bad as they appear on film and seeing himself in that state was tough to watch.
In a video posted on Instagram, O’Sullivan said: ‘To give you a little insight, it’s quite sort of live, not staged, warts and all. I have watched it and I must admit it was quite weird to watch yourself in them moments.
‘I can honestly say it didn’t feel anywhere near as bad as it looked. It was a hard one for me to watch back. But don’t worry for me, I’m all good, I’m healthy, I feel great, I’ve loved every minute of my life. I do love the pressure, I enjoy it. I thrive in it. I just find it hard to contain it.
‘I’m getting better and I’m learning. It is a skill but I do deliver, evern under the most extreme pressure and you’re going to get to see that in his documentary. Live, not staged, warts and all.’
Clearly seeing himself suffering on screen has had an effect on O’Sullivan, also posting on X: ‘I look back and I think, “wow, how have I got through that?” It’s so important to look after your mental health!’
Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything is available exclusively in cinemas across UK & Ireland on November 21 and launches on Prime Video on November 23.
There were a few short snippets of the film shared on social media in the last couple of days.
Also these:
The 2023 UK Championship Qualifiers…
Today, the lat round of the 2023 UK Championship qualifiers will start with eighth matches. They will be covered extensively in “Judgement Day” style.
Veteran Ken Doherty remains on course to reach the last 32 of the MrQ UK Championship for the first time since 2014, as he upset the form book with a 6-4 win over Chris Wakelin in the penultimate qualifying round.
Wakelin was runner-up at the recent Northern Ireland Open but couldn’t reproduce that form as he was knocked out by 54-year-old Doherty, who was runner-up in this event in 1994, 2001 and 2002.
From 2-1 down, Ireland’s Doherty won three frames in a row to lead 4-2. Wakelin battled back to 4-4, but Doherty got the better of the last two frames and now faces a Judgement Day clash on Thursday afternoon with China’s Yuan Sijun, who top scored with 135 in a 6-5 win over Alexander Ursenbacher. All winners on Wednesday and Thursday will go through to the final stages in York, which start on Saturday.
“Chris has been playing well so I was just delighted to be keeping pace with him,” said 1997 World Champion Doherty. “I made some good breaks. I’m as surprised as anyone! It would be fantastic to walk down those stairs at the Barbican, but this game is difficult and the last round here will be tough. I’m still a competitor and I love that side of the game.”
Stephen Maguire, the 2004 UK Champion, showed signs of a return to form in reaching the quarter-finals of the recent International Championship and he rattled in breaks of 124, 75, 140, 77 and 115 in a 6-4 defeat of Ashley Hugill.
Hossein Vafaei fired runs of 133 and 109 as he whitewashed Martin O’Donnell 6-0. Stuart Bingham’s hopes of adding the UK title to his World and Masters crowns will have to wait another year as he lost 6-2 to David Lilley.
Matthew Selt fired runs of 84, 59, 127, 52, 95 and 73 as he saw off Dylan Emery 6-4, wile Anthony McGill top scored with 89 in a 6-3 defeat of He Guoqiang. Zak Surety sprang a surprise 6-3 victory over Scottish Open champion Gary Wilson, while David Gilbert’s top break of 93 helped him beat Julien Leclercq 6-1.
Joe O’Connor made a 68 clearance, from 53-0 behind, in the deciding frame to beat Oliver Lines 6-5. Germany’s Lukas Kleckers, enjoying his deepest run in this event, top scored with 105 as he beat Ryan Day 6-2.
Once again this report focuses mainly on the older players – known figures – and on the UK/Irish winners. Lukas Kleckers is the only “non UK/Irish” winner mentioned despite the fact that Hossein Vafaei, Lyu Haotian, Pang Junxu, Zou Yuelong and Yuan Sijun all won as well.
Meanwhile, this article by the BBC , confirms that Ronnie faces disciplinary sanctions for supporting the “Macau” players. I know that Grump will disagree, and I’m ok with that, but personally, I’m still firmly of the opinion that self-employed players should be allowed to take the best offers for them. WST argument is that their absence is detrimental to their business. Possibly, but why? Mainly because they still rely on UK/Irish players nearing their 50th for their main promotion… as the above article shows again. Those players were always going to age, and, as they near the end of their career, they were always going to look for future opportunities away from the main tour. It’s normal, it’s wise on their part and it was totally to be expected. In addition to that, they should remember how Barry Hearn grew to fame: by taking the then top players for exhibitions/tournaments all over the world and away from the “established” tour. That’s how he grew the game and, as such, he has no right to criticise those “current” players who see opportunities away from the WST tour because that’s exactly what he did at the time and it did the sport no harm, quite the opposite.
Ronnie O’Sullivan documentary finally gets release date on Amazon Prime Video
Phil Haigh – Friday 27 Oct 2023
Ronnie O’Sullivan won his record-equalling seventh world title in 2022 (Picture: PA)
The film documenting Ronnie O’Sullivan’s seventh World Snooker Championship win is finally set for release, hitting cinemas on 21 November, before launching on Prime Video two days later.
The Rocket granted cameras extensive access to his Crucible campaign last year, which helpfully ended with him lifting the world title for a seventh time, equalling Stephen Hendry’s record.
O’Sullivan was followed everywhere in the build-up to the event and throughout the tournament, even wearing a microphone during matches, so ‘Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything’ is set to be an incredible insight into the world of the greatest player the sport has ever had.
David Beckham’s Studio 99 has produced the documentary, with the Manchester United icon involved in live Q&A with O’Sullivan when the film is exclusively released in cinemas, before landing on Prime Video on 23 November.
On his motivation for the documentary, O’Sullivan said: ‘My highs and lows have been well-documented by the media but I felt like now was the right time to do something more definitive – something that I can look back and reflect on as I contemplate retirement.
‘Going into my 7th World Championship I wasn’t sure I had it in me but allowing the cameras in ended up driving me on in many ways and gave me a different perspective.’
The Rocket gave some clues on what to expect during the 2022 World Championships, which eventually saw him beat Judd Trump in the final.
‘I’ve given complete access to the point where if you put a fly on the wall and followed me for 17 days, that’s basically what happened,’ O’Sullivan said.
‘They’ve been in my dressing room, they’ve been in my hotel room before and after matches and sessions. I embraced it because whatever I get involved in, let’s just make it the best I could possibly do.’
He also said before the 2022 tournament got underway: ‘If I’m going to get bombed out in the first round, I couldn’t give a monkeys.
‘The documentary isn’t about me trying to win a world title. If it happens, great. If not they’ll have to put up with a first-round exit. They’re the business guys behind it, I’m just an actor.
‘The reason I’m doing it is because of everything I’ve done in my past. It’s a chance for people to watch someone they’ve followed for years.
‘Let them see the pressure, the stress, the good and the not-so-good
Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything is available exclusively in cinemas across UK & Ireland on November 21 and launches on Prime Video on November 23. Theatrical release includes LIVE Q&A featuring Ronnie and very special guests.
We are just days away from the 14th running of snooker’s Shanghai Masters, as the professional circuit prepares to return to mainland China for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.
The event has played host to surprise champions, as well as title match battles between all-time greats of the sport. We’ve decided to rewind to 2007 and take you through all of the Shanghai Masters finals from past to present…
2007 – Dominic Dale 10-6 Ryan Day
The Spaceman soared in Shanghai as he landed the second and most recent ranking title of his career. On the table Dominic Dale underlined his ability with a momentous week of snooker, beating the likes of Ken Doherty and Mark Selby on his way to the title match. Away from the baize he highlighted why he is one of the most colourful characters on tour, sporting peroxide blonde hair and treating the Chinese media to a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s My Way. The final saw Dale trail Ryan Day 6-2, before a superb sprint saw him claim eight frames in a row to secure the title by a 10-6 scoreline.
2008 – Ricky Walden 10-8 Ronnie O’Sullivan
One of the toughest draws imaginable stood between Ricky Walden and his first ever ranking title. However, the Chester cueman defeated Stephen Hendry, Neil Robertson, Steve Davis, Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan to capture silverware in Shanghai. Walden closed out the final in style, firing in a superb break of 105 in the 18th frame to secure the title. He has since added two further ranking event successes to take his title tally to three.
Walden said: “My personality has never been one to have amazing belief before I’ve ever done anything. I’ve always felt I had to achieve stuff before I could allow myself to be like that. I suppose I was just rolling with it in that event, I wasn’t overly confident before that, but once I achieved it I then knew I could win. The two tournament victories I have had since then are down to that day and getting the first one.”
2009 – Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-5 Liang Wenbo
Ronnie O’Sullivan made up for his defeat to Ricky Walden by claiming the title a year later. The Rocket dispatched the likes of Marco Fu and Ding Junhui on his way to the semi-finals, where he beat old adversary John Higgins 6-1. His opponent Liang Wenbo was competing in his first ranking final, but O’Sullivan was able to dominate the opening exchanges and lead 6-2 after the first session. The Englishman maintained his advantage in the evening and ran out a 10-5 victor. It was the 22nd of his 39 ranking event wins to date. “I was only able to play flamboyant snooker in two or three frames. The rest of it was steady, hard, match snooker and I needed patience,” said the Rocket.
2010 – Ali Carter 10-7 Jamie Burnett
Victory for Ali Carter saw him secure the second ranking title of his career. The Captain beat the likes of Stuart Bingham and Mark Selby to set up a dramatic quarter-final with Matthew Stevens. He clinched victory by depositing a daring black down the side cushion to win 5-4. Jamie Burnett was competing in his first ever ranking final and it showed in what proved to be a nervy encounter. Carter never led by more than two frames until he pulled clear at 8-7 to win 10-7.
“I just want to win as many titles as I can in my career,” said Carter. “If you keep getting to the business end of tournaments then you will have chances to win them and that’s what I’ve done. It wasn’t the best match, but those are the ones where winning is what matters.”
Since then the Essex cueman has added a further three ranking event wins to his resume, taking his total to five.
2011 – Mark Selby 10-9 Mark Williams
A thrilling final, perhaps best remembered for a controversial incident in the 17th frame, when Mark Williams led 9-7. The Welshman felt that Mark Selby had hit the pink when escaping from a snooker, but after studying a video replay, referee Eirian Williams judged that he had hit a red first, a decision which was later proved correct. Uncharacteristically Williams lost his cool and Selby pounced, taking the final two frames to run out a 10-9 victor. It was only the second of his 22 ranking event victories. The result also came alongside Selby becoming world number one for the first time in his career. Selby said: “It’s a great feeling to be World number one, all I wanted to do was to get to the top of the sport. But I have to keep up the hard work because others will want to get ahead of me.”
2012 – John Higgins 10-9 Judd Trump Another showpiece clash between two greats of the sport, which came down to a final frame decider. It hadn’t looked that way when Trump made a blistering start, which saw him establish a 5-0 advantage. Higgins responded with a magical 147 break, but still trailed 7-2 after the opening session. However, the tide shifted entirely when play got back underway, with Scotland’s Higgins storming to six consecutive frames and an 8-7 advantage. Trump recovered to 9-9 and had first chance in the decider but could only make 36, and had to sit in his chair as Higgins crashed in a do-or-die long red to initiate a match-winning 61. “To beat Judd from 7-2 down is unbelievable, I can’t explain how it feels because I’m shell-shocked,” said Higgins. “To beat Judd when he was playing that well must be one of my best wins ever.”
2013 – Ding Junhui 10-6 Xiao Guodong.
A historic final lineup for the sport, highlighting the globalisation of snooker, with the first ever ranking final to be contested between two Chinese players. Ding Junhui took home the title to kickstart a remarkable run which saw him win three consecutive ranking events, adding further silverware at the Indian Open and International Championship. Xiao Guodong was playing in his first ever ranking final, but fell short and is still seeking a maiden professional win currently. “I had to let my emotions go after winning the tournament. This showed how much I wanted this title, I wanted it more than anybody,” said Ding. “There will be many more chances for the players from China. The young generation is growing up quickly so their days will come soon.”
2014 – Stuart Bingham 10-3 Mark Allen
Shanghai success for Stuart Bingham saw him secure the second ranking title of his career with an emphatic defeat of Mark Allen in the final. He scored a narrow 6-4 win over home hero Ding Junhui in the semi-finals, before mounting a more one-sided defeat of Allen. Bingham said: “Knowing that you can win a title brings different pressures and I have knocked on the door a few times since. It’s very tough to win a tournament these days but after I beat Dominic Dale here in the second round, and played really well, I thought it could be my week.”
The Basildon potter, now aged 47, had to wait until his mid-to-late 30s to regularly find the winning knack. Following his victory in Shanghai he would go on to end the season by securing snooker’s ultimate glory, becoming World Champion at the Crucible.
2015 – Kyren Wilson 10-9 Judd Trump
After a rocky first spell on the tour, which lasted just one season in 10/11, Wilson went away and did what was required to make his game more adaptable to the top level of the sport. Having completely rebuilt his cue action, the Warrior returned a different player and it all fell into place out in Shanghai. Wilson defeated Ding Junhui and Mark Allen on his way to the final, where he held off a Judd Trump fightback to secure the first ranking title of his career. He admits that it wouldn’t have been possible without the changes he made to his technique.
“I’d have flopped under the pressure, 100%. My cue action was too long. It wouldn’t have worked under that sort of pressure. Rebuilding it was a tough thing to do at first, but it has done me good in the long run,” said the now 31-year-old Wilson.
2016 – Ding Junhui 10-6 Mark Selby
Ding Junhui came out on top to become the first player to win the Shanghai Masters more than once. On the tenth staging of the tournament in China, fittingly it was the home favourite who lifted the trophy as he gained a measure of revenge against Mark Selby, who defeated him in the World Championship final earlier that year.
“I felt so strong in the last frame. Mark was coming back at me and he is so strong in safety so he was trying to get snookers. He made every shot so difficult for me, I was just trying to hit the red, that’s it,” said Ding.
“This is a special tournament in Shanghai, it was been going since 2007 and I have learned a lot from it. I’m always very happy to win anywhere in China.”
2017 – Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-3 Judd Trump
The Rocket landed his 30th ranking event win by thumping Judd Trump in the Shanghai Masters final. It was his second ranking title within a month having won the English Open in October, and he also reached the final of the Champion of Champions where he lost to Shaun Murphy. Defeat for the Ace in the Pack meant he had now appeared in the final of the event three times and failed to register victory an any of them. O’Sullivan did the bulk of the damage in the first session by going 7-0 ahead, and he shared the next six frames to secure the trophy and £150,000 top prize. “I have had a fantastic last four weeks. I feel a bit tired but I don’t mind that if it means winning tournaments. I’ve got my titles in the bank and I can build on that,” said O’Sullivan.
2018 – Ronnie O’Sullivan 11-9 Barry Hawkins
The Shanghai Masters transitioned into one of the most prestigious invitational events on the World Snooker Tour calendar, but the new format yielded a familiar champion in Ronnie O’Sullivan. The final was a repeat of the 2013 World Championship title match, with the Rocket being pitted against Barry Hawkins. The afternoon session saw Hawkins seize the advantage, emerging with a 6-4 lead. However, O’Sullivan surged ahead when the evening play got underway. He took the first four of the session to turn the match on its head and move 8-6 up. They traded frames from there as the match came down to the wire. With O’Sullivan leading 10-9, he closed out the win in style with a break of 122. “It is a very major and prestigious tournament,” O’Sullivan said: “There are a few like that now though. You have the Champion of Champions, which is a great tournament. This and the Masters are great tournaments, just because every player in it is very, very good.”
2019 – Ronnie O’Sullivan 11-9 Shaun Murphy
Ronnie O’Sullivan secured his fourth Shanghai Masters crown and won the event for a third straight year. That means he heads into this year’s event unbeaten in his last 15 matches in the city. It was O’Sullivan’s first appearance of the 19/20 season, which was heavily interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, but ended with him winning the World Championship at the Crucible. After the first session of the Shanghai showpiece saw O’Sullivan and Shaun Murphy locked together at 5-5, it was the Magician who took the first of the evening to move 6-5 up. O’Sullivan then made a charge for the finish line and moved 10-7 ahead. While Murphy kept the pressure on and pulled within a frame it was O’Sullivan who got over the line with a break of 86.
“I always just try to hang in there. It is a bit like Seve Ballesteros or Tiger Woods with how they play golf. They are never out of it because every now and then they can produce a little bit of magic. That is the hallmark of my game really,” said Shanghai Masters champion O’Sullivan.
Ronnie has arrived in Shanghai yesterday.
The tournament has been promoted on weibo via a video and a series of “posters” …
Least we can say is that the defending champion looks scary in those!
Indeed Ronnie is the defending champion. It’s a tournament he loves. He’s been in the final 5 times, winning it 4 times., more than anyone else. That said, he hasn’t played competitively since his defeat to Luca Brecel at the Crucible and I’m really not sure what to expect.
Santino is wrong to think that Ronnie doesn’t genuinely love China. He does. He loves the food, he loves the people who are more “natural” and spontaneous than most Europeans. Also, of course, he’s a hero over there, especially after the way he helped Ding during the 2007 Masters final. He’s very close to Ding and his family. What he doesn’t like is the long flight. He’s scared of flying, believe it or not.
Ronnie was interviewed and here is the report I found on weibo:
[Preparation] Most players started the new season very early, and most of the top sixteen have participated in two to three games, so My first game (game on the 12th) is very critical. The first game is always the most difficult. I hope I can perform better.
[How confident are you in the fifth Shanghai Masters title?] All players are in the top 16. No matter what the draw is, every opponent is difficult to beat. Only by winning the first game will you feel more confident, and then talk about defending the title. In addition, there are many wild card players. Although they are not ranked high, they are young, motivated and have the strength to challenge the top 16 players. I look forward to seeing the outstanding performance of the young players and looking forward to a close competition with the Chinese players.
[Teacher in career] I think Davis is my teacher. At the beginning of my career, I grew up watching Davis play. He became my idol. I hope to be like Davis. champion. I will also set my sights on other sports, such as Schumacher in F1 and Tiger Woods in golf. We can learn from other athletes about diligence, how to adjust the state at all times, don’t drink, and go to bed early. get up early. I hope to learn more about the shining points of outstanding athletes.
[Participation plan] The three-year epidemic has not allowed players from all over the world to play games around the world. This time I can meet the fans again. I hope that all Chinese ranking tournaments can come and participate. I feel that I can still reach 6-6 in my career. 8 years, until over 55 years old. In the coming time, I will participate in more Asian competitions and will continue to participate in Chinese competitions.
[Favorite Shanghai Food] I really like Asian food, especially hot pot, which is hard to find in Europe and not authentic. I always eat hot pot when I come to China, and I also like Cantonese morning tea.
I went to the 2012 Shanghai Masters and I was made to feel very welcome. The Chinese media “colleagues” were very friendly, we went out to visit the Bund, and ate together in the evenings. I have fantastic memories from the event. Also, I realised that there are far more people in the arena that the TV shows. Indeed, seats more “up” in the arena are cheaper and most Chinese are not really wealthy. So, quite often, especially in the early rounds, the seats closest to the players were not very “populated” and it looked poor on TV, but most seats upper in the arena were occupied. One Chinese fan told me at the time that two “normal” seats – for himself and his wife – had cost him half of his monthly wages. The guy was an IT engineer, so surely getting a good salary for the time and place.
Meanwhile another event – a WDBS event – started today in Shanghai
Good luck to all involved!
Addendum …
the draw for the wildcards has been made during the opening ceremony (source weibo)
Ali Carter vs Dong Zihao
Robert Milkins vs Bai Yulu
John Higgins vs Deng Haohui
Hossein Vafei vs Gong Chenzhi
Some more images from the opening ceremony… the sponsors aren’t a bookies. One a company, Tango, is producing/selling fitness and gym appliances. Another one is called Lumeniser and sells lighting appliances.
The welcome ceremony of the 2023 World Snooker Shanghai Masters was held grandly
On the evening of September Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trmp, Mark Selby, John Higgins and other top 16 players in the world, as well as Zhou Yuelong, Si Jiahui, led by “China’s No. 1 Brother” Ding Junhui, Fan Zhengyi, Pang Junxu and other powerful young players were all present to kick off tomorrow’s event.
Group photo of players
Chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association Fukuze Sheng, Acting Secretary-General of the Chinese Billiards Association Gao Kunpeng, China Eastern Airlines Group Co., Ltd. Deputy Director of the Publicity Department and Deputy General Manager of the Brand Department Ye Kewen, Shanghai Jiushi Sports Industry Development (Group) Co., Ltd. Chairman and General Manager Yang Yibin, General Manager Li Yi of Five Star Sports Media Co., Ltd., Deputy General Manager Wang Shuwei of Shanghai Jiushi Sports Industry Development (Group) Co., Ltd., Huang Ming, General Manager of Shanghai Jiushi Sports Event Operation Management Co., Ltd., Shanghai Zhou Weifang, general manager of the Government and Group Customer Department of the Bank’s Puxi Branch, and representatives of sponsors and other guests attended the ceremony.
This year, the Shanghai Masters still adopts the format of a 24-person invitational tournament. According to the previous relevant regulations of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, and according to the CBSA Snooker Youth Ranking (as of the latest ranking of the China Youth Championship Dongguan Open), the wild card players for this event are Bai Yulu, Gong Chenzhi, Deng Haohui and Dong Zihao. At the ceremony, the first-round matches of the four wild card players were also announced. Dong Zihao will face Ali Carter, Bai Yulu will face Robert Milkins, Deng Haohui will face John Higgins, and Gong Chenzhi will face Hussein Wafi. They will stand on the Masters stage where experts gather, take steps to compete in international competitions, and achieve their life dreams.
In addition, “Rocket” O’Sullivan also interacted cordially with the lucky fans at the scene, took photos, signed autographs, and showed his masterly style. While everyone was enthralled, it also pushed the warm atmosphere of snooker’s top feast to a climax.
From September 11th to September 17th, let’s go to Shanghai together to witness the return of the World Snooker Shanghai Masters to the brand-new Shanghai Stadium, and enjoy the endless charm brought by this gentleman’s sport. Published in Shanghai
Also some images of the venue. The general view picture shows you what I meant when writing about the size of the arena. Only the lowest rows of seats are visible on television.
World number 109 Hammad Miah scored a 4-3 victory over a player ranked 84 places higher, Zhou Yuelong, to reach the final stages of the Cazoo British Open in Cheltenham.
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China’s Zhou is a three-time ranking event finalist but he won’t be at the final stages of this one as he finished second best in the qualifying round despite making a break of 105 in the opening frame then going 2-0 ahead. Miah hit back to win four of the last five frames with a top break of 61.
World number 20 Ricky Walden was another player to lose to a lower-ranked opponent as he went down 4-0 against Xu Si, whose top break was 67.
Highest break of the day was 134, made by Robbie Williams during a 4-0 rout of Pang Junxu. Dominic Dale rattled in runs of 91, 67 and 54 during a 4-1 defeat of Mark Joyce.
Oliver Lines top scored with 71 in a 4-0 win over practice partner Liam Pullen, while Oliver Brown made a 79 clearance in the deciding frame to edge out Himanshu Jain 4-3.
The match between Oliver Brown and Himanshu Jain was as close and as hard-fought as it gets. Neither deserved to lose. They both gave it everything. The match actually over-ran. It’s good that the tournament director allowed them to finish it, and didn’t pull them off.
I didn’t expect Xu Si to beat Ricky Walden by 4-0. Ricky was really poor and Xu played well. Another surprise for me was Robbie Williams trashing Pang Junxu by 4-0. Robbie on his day is a very big scorer. It must have been one of these days: Pang potted just one ball in the last three frames, whilst Robbie scored breaks of 51, 77 and 134.
Once again some matches are missing in the report, this time they are the two that finished late. You will find all the detailed results on snooker.org
Scott Donaldson beat Adam Duffy by 4-1 in a match that featured 5 breaks over 60. It was “one visit” snooker from start to finish. It’s nice to see Scott play well again despite still not being completely over his health issues.
Barry Hearn was on Hendry’s “cuetips”, answering fans’ questions
It’s very interesting, and very funny at times as well. You may need to listen to it several times to absorb everything. Here are the things I picked as important
Confirmation that Eddie Hearn is NOT interested in snooker one bit. Barry insist that he can still be useful on the commercial side but will he want to make the effort if he’s not interested?
Barry Hearn is all about money, but we knew that, and it has benefitted snooker that he has that mentality actually.
The Saudi Arabia contract is not signed yet but the event will almost certainly happen. They won’t be able to put on an extravagant prize money because Barry insists that the World Championship must stay the one offering the biggest prize money. So he capped their acceptable offer at equalling it.
Barry would love to stay at the Crucible, but at the same time he wants a bigger Crucible, some 2500 seats. And it should be a multipurpose venue that Sheffield can use all year long.
Barry praised Ronnie for what he brought to the game but is convinced that once he retires, players will come that will be better than him. Personally I’m not sure about the latter, I can’t see anyone in the current crop with such a potential. I can’t see the next Ronnie, nor can I see the next John Higgins or the next Willo. Not unless the amateur game grows and becomes far more brutal and competitive.
Barry recognises that the game is UK centric, too much so, and he wants to expand it. Europe though doesn’t seem to be on his radar. Probably because that’s not where he sees the money coming from. And his thoughts are about having more events outside UK, but there was no mention of the current organisation with all qualifiers being held in the UK and that’s a huge part of the issue.
