The 2025 ranking Championship League Snooker – Stage 2 – Groups A and B

The 2025 ranking Championship League Snooker has entered its stage 2, and yesterday Joe O’Connor and Stephen Maguire prevailed in Group A and Group B respectively. Here is the report shared by WST:

Maguire And O’Connor First Into Stage Three

Stephen Maguire and Joe O’Connor became the first two players to reach the last eight of the BetVictor Championship League as they topped their groups on Friday in Leicester.

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Phase two runs until Tuesday, with the eight group winners going into the third and final phase. The champion of the first ranking event of the 2025/26 season will be crowned on Wednesday night.

Maguire, now playing his 28th professional season, started Group B with a 2-2 draw against Yuan Sijun, then beat Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 3-1 with breaks of 84, 67 and 66. His last match against Zhang Anda, who also had a win and a draw under his belt, would decide the group, and Scotland’s Maguire recovered from the loss of the first frame to win 3-1.

O’Connor was in superb form in Group A, winning all three matches. He beat On Yee Ng 3-0 with a top break of 103, then saw off both Haydon Pinhey and Elliot Slessor by a 3-1 scoreline.

The action resumes on Saturday with Jack Lisowski among the quartet in Group D, while Pang Junxu is the top-ranked player in Group C.

On Yee Ng finished third in her “stage two” group gathering 5000 ranking points and hopefully she will grow in confidence from getting to stage two to start with, and not finishing last finish last in her stage 2 group. After all, when this event will come to an end, only 16 players will have done better than her in it.

The 2025 ranking Championship League Snooker – Groups 27 and 29

July 18, 2025July 18, 2025 Monique Professional snooker, Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

Phase 1 of the 2025 Ranking Championship League Snooker concluded yesterday with group 27 and group 29. All the detailed results are available on snooker.org, just follow the links.

Here is the report shared by WST:

Emery And Xu Top Tables To Complete First Phase

Dylan Emery and Xu Si topped their groups at the BetVictor Championship League ranking event to become the last two players into the second round.

Phase two gets underway on Friday, with 32 players remaining in the hunt for the title. The second stage runs from July 18-22, with the final chapter on July 23.

Welshman Emery, who is back on tour this season after a year in the amateur ranks, produced a strong finish to top Group 27 ahead of Aaron Hill. He drew his first match 2-2 with Sahil Nayyar then beat Gary Thomson 3-0 with a top break of 126. That left Emery needing to beat Hill in the last game of the day, and he stormed to a 3-0 success.

In Group 29, China’s Xu continued his perfect start to the season having won his qualifying matches for the Wuhan Open and British Open last month. He opened with a 3-0 win over Michal Szubarczyk, making a break of 107 in frame three. He then beat Liam Highfield 3-1 with runs of 92, 90 and 84, and in his last match Xu came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Fan Zhengyi, who had the consolation of making his second 147 in the second frame.

Here is Fan’s 147, shared by Matchroom Multisport on Youtube:

Young Michal Szubarczyk got a taste of the challenges that awaits him on the main tour. It’s brutal. I have said it many times, but I will say it again, he’s only a child, 14 is too young to be on the professional tour. At that age a player may have the required technical abilities but very few, if any at all, will have the psychological and emotional maturity to cope with the demands of professional competition. The 16 years old threshold should be reinstantiated, and, if it was for me, it would even be 18 rather than 16. Adolescence is enough of a challenge for most kids without them having to cope with the mental and emotional pressures of professional competition.

The 2025 ranking Championship League Snooker – Groups 5 and 16

July 17, 2025 Monique Professional snooker tournament, Snooker Professional snooker

Here is WST account on what happened yesterday in Leicester, with group 5 and group 16 in action. all the detailed results are available on snooker.org, just follow the links.

Wakelin Clinches Top Spot

World number 16 Chris Wakelin booked his place in the second stage of the BetVictor Championship League ranking event by topping Group 5, while former Scottish Open and World Open finalist Joe O’Connor prevailed in Group 16 on home turf in Leicester.

Wakelin ended last season on a high by making the quarter-finals of the World Championship, but endured a rocky start to his current campaign after losing 5-3 against Marco Fu in Wuhan Open qualifying. He opened today with a 136 during a 3-1 win over Daniel Womersley, followed by a 3-0 win against Mitchell Mann. Wakelin moved 2-0 up on Belgium’s Julien Leclercq and despite slipping to a 2-2 draw, it was enough to see him through.

O’Connor enjoyed a near flawless day, scoring 3-0 wins against Liam Pullen and Zak Surety and a 3-1 defeat of Andrew Pagett, where he top scored with 116.

I watched Group 5. Julien Leclercq is a very heavy scorer, yesterday he made a break over 50 in every frame he won bar one¹. He’s very entertaining to watch but to progress on tour he needs to cut out silly mistakes and improve in the safety department, and, maybe, slightly rein his attacking instincts. Only slightly. It would be a shame if he turned into a grinder … not that Julien’s “grinderisation” appears as likely prospect 😂

Shame on him! That frame was a let down! ↩︎

The 2025 ranking Championship League Snooker – Groups 24 and 31

July 16, 2025July 16, 2025 Monique Professional snooker, Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

Snooker action continued yesterday in Leicester with group 24 and group 31.

Here is the report shared by WST:

Un-Nooh Blasts Past Minister Of Defence

Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh whitewashed Martin O’Donnell in the final game of Group 31 to make the second stage of the BetVictor Championship League ranking event in Leicester.

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Former Shoot Out champion Un-Nooh came into the crunch clash knowing he needed to win, while just a draw would see O’Donnell progress. In typical style, Un-Nooh averaged just 16 seconds a shot in a 3-0 win where he fired in breaks of 74, 76 and 98. Earlier in the day, Un-Nooh drew 2-2 with Gao Yang and defeated 12-time Women’s World Champion Reanne Evans 3-0.

The action in Group 24 saw Chinese rookie Liu Wenwei prevail to earn his place in the second stage. He opened up with a 3-0 win over Jordan Brown, before beating Jackson Page 3-1 and drawing 2-2 against Zachary Richardson, where he came from 2-0 down to earn top spot.

Liu Wenwei impressed me. Group 24 was certainly not an easy one on paper with Jordan Brown and Jackson Page in the field. But Liu was unfazed. He beat them both. He ended up, undefeated, as the winner of the group. Zak Richardson, playing as an amateur, replaced Jimmy White who withdrew. He, as well, finished the day undefeated but also winless … he managed three draws in three matches!

Reanne Evans was just terrible. 😞

The 2025 Championship League Snooker (Ranking) – Groups 8, 21, 4 and 30

July 13, 2025 Monique Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

The 2024 ranking CLS stage 1 continued on Friday with group 8 and group 21, and yesterday with group 4 and group 30. As usual you will find all the results on snooker.org.

Hereafter, the reports by WST:

Friday 11 July 2025

Liu And Ford Top Tables

China’s 21-year-old Liu Hongyu was the stand-out player in Group 21 of the BetVictor Championship League in Leicester as he booked a place in the second stage.

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Liu and Tom Ford are through to the last 32 of the season’s first ranking event and will return to the Mattioli Arena later this month.

After beating Ian Burns 3-0 in his opening match with breaks of 89, 55 and 104, Liu saw off Patrick Whelan 3-1 with a top run of 133. In his last match of the day he fired breaks of 93 and 89 in a 2-2 draw with Noppon Saengkham as he comfortably finished top of the table.

Group 8 was far closer and came down to the last few frames. Shoot Out champion Ford drew 2-2 with Simon Blackwell then beat Mink Nutcharut 3-0 with a top break of 132. He needed to avoid defeat in his last fixture against Allan Taylor and managed a 2-2 draw which left him level on points with Blackwell but just ahead on frame difference.

Saturday 12 July 2025

Ace Artemijs Knocks Out Si

Artemijs Zizins beat three players, including world number 15 Si Jiahui, to top Group 4 at the BetVictor Championship League and reach the last 32 of a ranking event for the first time.

Latvia’s 19-year-old Zizins, who turned pro in 2024, was in superb form throughout the day in Leicester, winning nine frames and conceding just one. He’s through to the second phase which starts on July 18th.

A break of 92 helped Zizins beat Farakh Ajaib 3-1 and he then then saw off Kayden Brierley 3-0. Si could still have snatched the group by winning his last match, but he was no match for Zizins who strolled to a 3-0 success with top runs of 75 and 74.

Robbie Williams topped Group 30 thanks to a fine late win over Ben Woollaston. Williams top scored with 110 in a 3-0 defeat of Florian Nuessle then drew 2-2 with Iulian Boiko. Woollaston was in the driving seat having won his first two matches, but Williams came from 1-0 down to beat him 3-1 with breaks of 72, 60 and 53.

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I almost exclusively watched Artemijs Zizins yesterday and I was well impressed by how much he has progressed over the last year.

The day before was disappointing for me: Mink showed no form at all but then maybe she had just returned from Thailand and was still tired from the travel and jet lagged? I do perfectly understand why those players from Asia, who spend most of the year away from their families and friend, would want to make the most of the summer break and stay with their loved ones for as long as possible.

The 2025 Championship League Snooker (Ranking) – Groups 12 and 19

July 10, 2025 Monique Professional snooker, Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

The 2025 ranking CLS continued yesterday in Leicester, with group 12 and group 19.

Here is the report shared by WST:

Gilbert Tops Group After Claiming Final Frame

David Gilbert won a Group 12 deciding showdown with Duane Jones 3-1 to progress to the next phase of the BetVictor Championship League ranking event in Leicester, while Scottish Open champion Lei Peifan topped Group 19.

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Former Championship League winner Gilbert swept to three wins out of three to edge out Welshman Jones. Gilbert opened with a 3-0 win over Paul Deaville, top scoring with 129. He then beat Louis Heathcote 3-1 with runs of 105, 139 and 77 to set up a decisive meeting with Jones.

Meanwhile, Jones prevailed 3-1 against Heathcote and 3-0 against Deaville to match Gilbert’s results. With Gilbert leading 2-1 in the last game of the day, he fired in an 82 to win 3-1, move clear of Jones and top the group.

Lei beat Mateusz Baranowski 3-0 and Ryan Davies 3-1 to put himself in pole position to progress. He knew just a draw with Chinese compatriot Long Zehuang would see him through. Despite trailing 2-0, breaks of 120 and 54 saw him end the match level at 2-2.

I have nothing to add really. The best players won their group. Both groups went pretty much “on seeding”. The “exception” was professional Mateusz Baranowski who finished last, behind Ryan Davies, an amateur, despite actually beating Ryan in the match they played.

Paul Deaville was considered an interesting prospect a couple of years ago but has done very little in recent times. Of course, we do not know where his priorities are, nor do we know how much time he actually can or wants to devote to snooker. Let’s not forget that those guys have a life away from the green baize, and that most amateurs have a job and/or pursue further education.

The 2025 Championship League Snooker (Ranking) – Groups 11 and 17 and more …

July 6, 2025July 6, 2025 Monique Professional snooker tournament, Tour News Professional snooker, Tour

This is the report by WST on what happened yesterday at the 2025 ranking CLS played in Leicester:

Bingham And Slessor Dominate Groups

Stuart Bingham and Elliot Slessor both reeled off three wins out of three to reach the second phase of the BetVictor Championship League.

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They will be among the 32 round one group winners in stage two which starts on July 18th in Leicester.

Former World Champion Bingham started Group 11 with a 3-0 win over Halim Hussain, making breaks of 83 and 102. He went on to beat Hatem Yassen 3-0 with top runs of 85 and 84, and finished the day with a 3-1 success against Antoni Kowalski, who finished second in the group having won his first two matches.

Slessor opened Group 17 with a 3-1 defeat of Mark Lloyd with a top break of 95. He then saw off Oliver Brown 3-0 and wrapped up the day with a 3-1 victory over Stan Moody, highlighted by a run of 113.

Play resumes on Monday with defending champion Ali Carter and Gary Wilson among those in action.

As always all the results are available on snooker.org: click here for Group 11 and here for Group 17

I have to confess that I couldn’t muster much interest for the snooker on offer yesterday, especially with Wimbledon and the Tour de France¹ in progress as well. The only player I wanted to watch yesterday is Antoni Kowalski who did rather well, which pleased me.

In other news ….

WPBSA came up with a new monthly award and Marco Fu was the first to recipient of this honour

Fu Wins Inaugural Player of the Month Award

Marco Fu has been named as the inaugural WPBSA Players’ Player of the Month by his fellow players following the launch of the new monthly award this season.

Launched by WPBSA Players, the Players’ Player of the Month award recognises outstanding performance, as voted by fellow players. Its key aim is to honour excellence, consistency, and impact on the table, as recognised by those who understand the demands of the game best.

Each month throughout the 2025/26 season a shortlist will be compiled by an independent panel. The panel includes renowned snooker broadcasters David Hendon and Abigail Davies, sports journalist Phil Haigh and WPBSA Players Director Tian Pengfei.

Fab Fu Honoured for June

Hong Kong China’s Marco Fu was selected as the inaugural Players’ Player of the Month following his successful double qualification for the final stages of the both the Wuhan and British Open tournaments which included five century breaks in the 15-frames he played across the two events.

Having received a new two-year invitational tour card at the start of the season, Fu’s first win came against world number 16 Chris Wakelin as he hit top breaks of 136, 120, 113 and 68 to book his place in Wuhan.

A repeat looked unlikely in his subsequent British Open qualifier against Stephen Maguire as he trailed 0-3, before the three-time world ranking event winner rebounded with runs of 140, 81, 104 and 54 to complete an impressive comeback and seal his place at the venue stages.

The 47-year-old won the honour, receiving 62% of the vote, ahead of England’s Reanne Evans and Louis Heathcote, who also won both of their qualification matches.

Players including David Grace, Stan Moody, Fergal Quinn and Bai Yulu were also considered for the final shortlist.

Fu said, “To be chosen as the first ever WPBSA Players Player of the Month for my performances at the qualifiers in June is a pleasant surprise indeed. The performances were a bit of a surprise too!

“To be recognised by my peers for these performances, is a real bonus to add to a solid start to the new season”.

Ken Doherty, WPBSA Players Chairman said: “Congratulations to Marco Fu on a great start to the season. Incredible performances in his opening two matches. He is, as voted by his fellow professionals, our first ever WPBSA Players Player of the Month!”