There was a really good crowd at the Barbican in York yesterday, which is good to see. It made for a great atmosphere. It used to be that way in the past until WST tried to get all 128 players at the main venue. That didn’t work well. In the early rounds, four tables were squeezed in a back room. There were chairs there for the fans but as they were all standing at the same level you didn’t see much of the table situation unless you are very tall and sitting in the front row. Four other tables were in the main venue, and players complained that the tables extreme left and right were too close to the walls there wasn’t enough space to “walk into the shot”. Also there were no adequate changing facilities for the players. But I digress …
Here are the reports by WST on what happened yesterday at the Barbican:
Defending champion Judd Trump prevailed 6-4 in an entertaining clash with 2004 winner Stephen Maguire on the opening afternoon of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York.
World number one Trump won the title in terrific fashion 12 months ago. He overcame a treacherous path to the final, beating Neil Robertson, John Higgins, Zhang Anda and Kyren Wilson. A fiercely title match with Barry Hawkins was won 10-8 by the Ace in the Pack.
Despite having now been on top of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings for over 12 months, he hasn’t lifted silverware since victory here last December. The calendar year of 2025 is yet to produce silverware for Trump, the last time that happened was 2013.
This week marks his last opportunity to avoid the same fate. In a bid to improve his fortunes he has reverted to the cue he won the 2019 World Championship win. Trump had previously switched to a new cue with a titanium ferrule rather than the traditional brass one.
Maguire held the famous UK Championship trophy aloft 21 years ago back in 2004. However, despite making two finals since then, he is yet to repeat the feat.
Although that wait doesn’t end this week, victory at the season opening Championship League and a run to the semi-finals of the International Championship have exhibited a return to form for the Glaswegian.
Breaks of 62 and 100 helped 36-year-old Trump to three of the first four frames and a 3-1 lead at the mid-session today.
When play resumed, Maguire hit back hammered home runs of 111 and 82 to restore parity at 3-3. He had a chance to take the lead in the seventh, but a straightforward red to the middle inexplicably missed the target and Trump pounced with 66 to lead 4-3.
A dramatic re-spotted black went Trump’s way to move him one from victory, before Maguire responded with 86 to claw back within one. However, 62 from Trump in the tenth saw him over the line to earn a last 16 meeting with Si Jiahui.
“It was a tough game, there was a lot of good stuff, there was a lot of misses. It was a classic UK Championship game really. I knew he had been back to form this year and he was always going to be tough to beat,” said 36-year-old Trump.
“At the moment I’m just missing that one percent of confidence under the utmost pressure. You need to have that belief, it isn’t quite there at the moment. When you beat players like Stephen, it helps and the form is coming back.
“I feel a lot better with this cue. I’ve been trying my absolute hardest but sometimes you know it isn’t going to be your day. I felt I had to change to give myself a chance. There are so many snooker tournaments these days that you don’t have much time to tinker. I have some time off after this event and I hope I’ll then find the right equipment for the rest of the season.”
On the other table, China’s Si set up his meeting with Trump thanks to a stunning 6-0 whitewash defeat of Welshman Ryan Day.
Si prevailed in his last meeting with Trump, which came at the 2024 Wuhan Open. Trump described it as one of the best ever performances against him, which included a 147 from Si. However, Trump has won all six of their other meetings.
Today’s win saw Si hammer home breaks of 61, 80 and 68 en route to a routine win.
Si said: “Very few tournaments would introduce the players like here, so every time I feel quite excited. I love the passion and the applause from the audience, so I really enjoy playing here.
“I won’t put too much pressure on myself, just relax and play. But I’m very happy to see other Chinese players winning titles, it does motivate me to do my best, to win my first ranking event.”
It was indeed an entertaining match on table 1. Stephen Maguire is a tremendous player and although I’m not a fan of using that word, yes, he is probably an underachiever. But then, of course, we don’t know what happens in the players’ lives away from the table. All the same, I like Stephen, he’s genuine, he speaks his mind without fear … he’s plain WYSIWYG1 .
Scotland’s John Higgins admitted he is plotting a trip with the Tartan Army to the World Cup next year after booking his passage in the second round of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship with a 6-2 win over Ben Woollaston.
The Glaswegian is competing in this event for the 33rd time in his career. He’s a three-time UK Champion, but York’s not been a happy hunting ground in recent times. Higgins hasn’t been beyond the last 16 since 2019. Standing in the way of the quarter-finals this time will be Shaun Murphy.
Despite his recent UK Championship record, Higgins arrives in good form having made the final of the recent International Championship in Nanjing, where he lost out to Wu Yize in the final.
Higgins says he’s still on cloud nine after celebrating Scotland’s 4-2 win over Denmark last week, which sealed World Cup qualification for the first time since 1998. The year he won the first of his four world titles to date.
Today’s defeat of Woollaston saw Higgins charge out of the blocks. Breaks of 66, 51, 84 and 58 saw him move into a 5-0 lead and one from the win.
Woollaston showed his steel and provided resistance in the sixth. Higgins was in first with 58, but a fine clearance of 70 saw the Leicester cueman steal on the black and keep the game alive. He then made it 5-2 with 65 in the seventh and apply some pressure. However, Higgins stood up to it and took a 21-minute eighth to get over the line.
“I’m hoping to come here and play well. It is a tough match with Shaun Murphy next but I’m into the tournament now. I’m going home for a couple of days then I’ll come back down and get ready for that match,” said 50-year-old Higgins.
“Shaun hits the ball like a dream. I managed to get the better out of him in Nanjing the last time we played but he beat me a couple of times before that. It is always a nice game. He goes for his shots and when you see that it makes you do it too. I can’t wait for it.
“Scotland qualifying for the World Cup has just given the country such a lift. Hopefully I will be out in a city in Mexico, Canada or America in the summer. I’d dearly love to go. The amount of people you speak to and they are all trying to get flights booked up. It will be an incredible atmosphere.
“One of the guys I went to Paris with in 1998 is no longer with us and it makes you think what a long time ago it was. A lot of things have passed under the bridge since then. It is great we are there again and I’d love to go and savour it again.”
On the other table, Murphy set up his mouth watering meeting with Higgins after taking five frames on the trot to defeat Lyu Haotian 6-2.
The Magician was trailing 2-1 when he stepped up with breaks of 58 and 63 on his way to moving 4-2 ahead. There was then a 147 attempt in the seventh, but his run ended on 80. It was enough to seal the frame and a contribution of 57 in the next saw the 2005 World Champion secure victory.
Murphy is also in fine form having won the British Open earlier this season and is savouring going toe to toe with Higgins.
Murphy said: “I was sat this morning having my breakfast watching the news and there was a lovely piece about the Class of 92. There is no escaping these guys and what they continue to achieve is remarkable. I’ve enjoyed watching John throughout my career. He has been a big help to me and helped me a lot as a junior player. I have watched him a lot, I just hope I don’t have to watch him too much in the next round!
“It has shown what the rest of us can do if we keep our heads down. When I started snooker you used to think your career would be over by 40. The Class of 92 have been trailblazers all of their lives and they continue to do that.”
In the evening I watched part of the Murphy v Lyu game. Shaun won the match by 6-2 with five breaks over 50 and yet the match was closer than what those numbers suggest. Lyu had chances in every frame, he potted some good balls but, for some reason, he appeared to struggle with his positional game and, of course, eventually it cost him. He isn’t the tallest guy and had to play a lot of shots with the rest. He’s not bad at it but it’s not the same as playing “naturally” without the implement.
SELBY DEFEATS WORLD NO.1 TO CLAIM FIRST CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS TITLE | 2025 SPORTSBET.IO CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS
Mark Selby produced a career-defining performance in front of an electrified home crowd at the Mattioli Arena, defeating World No.1 Judd Trump 10–5 to claim the 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions title — his first in the prestigious event.
Reflecting on the triumph, Selby said: “To win this title, here at home, means absolutely everything. Judd is the benchmark in the sport right now — you know you can’t give him an inch. I had to be solid from the first ball to the last. The atmosphere pushed me all the way, and lifting this trophy in Leicester is something I’ll never forget.
It was a final steeped in history as much as ambition — the first time Selby and Trump had contested a title since the 2011 China Open, where a young Judd Trump announced himself by claiming the first ranking trophy of his career. And from the very first shots in Leicester, it was clear this latest chapter would be worthy of the rivalry.
Trump struck first with a clinical 111 to take the opener, but Selby hit back immediately with a century of his own, a composed 102 to level. A missed cut on the black from Selby handed Trump the third frame, and the World No.1 followed it up with another century to stretch his lead to 3–1.
Selby, refusing to be shaken, capitalised on a safety error to reduce the deficit before punishing a missed long red from Trump with a run of 99 to pull level at 3–3. A tense, tactical seventh frame tipped Selby’s way as he moved ahead for the first time, and he doubled his advantage moments later, outmanoeuvring Trump in another cagey battle for 5–3.
Trump responded with intent, closing the gap to one after Selby failed to escape a snooker, and then levelling the match again following yet another tight safety exchange. But Selby struck back, edging a tense tenth frame to retake the lead before an in-off from Trump in the next allowed the Leicester man to extend the gap once more.
From there, Selby surged.
A brilliant 138 — the highest break of the tournament — pushed him 8–5 ahead. Riding a wave of momentum and crowd energy, he closed out the match in spectacular fashion, producing back-to-back centuries of 101 and 136 to seal a commanding 10–5 victory and lift the Champion of Champions trophy for the first time.
Selby began the week as Leicester’s favourite; he ended it as Leicester’s champion. A perfect, poetic finish.
Selby Beats Trump To Become Champion Of Champions For First Time
Mark Selby landed the Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions title for the first time, and ended a nine-month barren streak, as he pulled away from 5-5 to beat Judd Trump 10-5 in the final.
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Four-time Crucible king Selby had never previously reached the final of this event but this time in Leicester he rose to the occasion in front of his home fans, knocking out Stephen Maguire, Mark Williams and Neil Robertson before dominating the second half of the final against world number one Trump, finishing in superb style with three consecutive century breaks.
It’s a first title for 42-year-old Selby since the Welsh Open in February and by far his highlight of the 2025/26 season so far as he had previously not reached a final. He will now go into the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship later this month with a massive confidence boost.
Trump, who remains without a title in 2025, held an early 3-1 lead with breaks of 111, 73 and 114, despite a 102 from his opponent in frame two. Selby then hit back with 70, 99, 65 and 64 to go 5-3 ahead, before Trump’s 71 gave him the last frame of the afternoon session.
Bristol’s Trump won the first of the evening session, then Selby took the 11th for 6-5, before crucially getting the better of a safety battle on the final pink in the 12th to extend his lead. A tremendous 138 total clearance, the highest break of the tournament, left Selby 8-5 up as they headed for the interval.
And Selby maintained his momentum when they returned as breaks of 101 and 132 allowed him to fly past the winning post.
“This event is only for the best players and it was a privilege to play Judd in the final,” said Selby, the tenth different winner in ten tournaments so far this season. “I played well from start to finish and I knew I had to because Judd is the man to beat. I have felt good about my game for the last few days, I have found something and I know I have to stick with it. It’s a while since I have felt like that so it was great to play to that standard in a big final.“
Trump, who lost 9-8 to Jack Lisowski in last month’s Northern Ireland Open final, appeared to suggest that he will ditch the cue he has used since the start of the current season. “I couldn’t win with that cue,” he said. “I gave it my all today, but I just can’t get used to it, I didn’t know where to aim. There are no excuses and congratulations to Mark because he was the best player all week and deserved to win. He scored very heavily, his safety was good and he showed why he is one of the all-time greats.“
“No excuses” he said …. before immediately blaming the cue 😇. Seriously, I’m just “teasing” here. Changing ones cue is not always straightforward, we know that.
Mark Selby was the better player all week, no doubts. He is the local boy and the crowd supported him throughout which probably helped. But it only helped because Mark was playing well. When a player struggles, the crowd willing them to win sometimes only adds pressure and makes things harder for them.
JUDD TRUMP STORMS INTO SEMI-FINAL AFTER DAY ONE DOMINANCE | 2025 SPORTSBET.IO CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS
World No.1 Judd Trump triumphed on day one, defeating China’s Bai Yulu and Lei Peifan to secure his place in a seventh Champion of Champions semi-final, taking another step towards lifting the title for a second time.
Reflecting on his success on day one, Trump said: “It’s always a great feeling to get off to a strong start in this event. Every player in the field is capable of beating anyone, so you have to be sharp from the very first frame. I felt good out there today, found my rhythm early, and hopefully I can carry that form through the rest of the week. I just tried to play my best, and I feel like I did that today.”
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Despite dropping the opening frame against Women’s World Champion Bai Yulu, the World No.1 soon found his stride, producing a convincing 4–1 win to progress to the group final. There he faced Lei Peifan, who impressed on debut with a 4–1 victory over Masters champion Shaun Murphy in the opening match.
The pair met for the second time this season, having last faced off at this year’s Tour Championship. Trump took control early by claiming the opening frame, though Lei capitalised on an error from the Brit to level the scores. From there, the World No.1 shifted through the gears, displaying the class and composure that have defined his reign at the top of the sport, reeling off four consecutive frames to move 5–1 ahead.
Lei showed fight to pull one back, but Trump swiftly extinguished any hopes of a comeback in the following and final frame to seal a 6–2 victory and book his place in the semi-finals, where he will face the winner of day two.
The Trump v Lei match wasn’t as one-sided as the score may suggest. It was actually Lei who made the two highest breaks of the match, including the only century of the encounter. Trump highest break was only 60 (twice).
There are no details in this report about the 4-1 win by Lei Peifan over Shaun Murphy, a match and a result that left Shaun particularly aggrieved… as reported in this piece by Alex Livie:
‘Made an embarrassment of me’ – Shaun Murphy hits out at ‘despicable’ treatment by Champion of Champions organisers after early exit to Lei Peifan
Shaun Murphy crashed out of the Champion of Champions at the first hurdle, losing 4-1 to Lei Peifan, and he took a swipe at event organisers for placing him in the first match in Leicester on the back of his return from an event in China. Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
Shaun Murphy launched a withering attack on Champion of Champions event organisers following his defeat to Lei Peifan on Monday afternoon.
Murphy has been one of the form players of the season, with a title to his name at the British Open, but he looked well off the pace in a 4-1 defeat in Leicester.
The loss came on the back of his run to the quarter-finals of the International Championship in China last week, and Murphy took issue with Matchroom Sport for putting him on first on Monday.
“I have to say that I pride myself on conducting myself as professionally as I possibly can, and treat the game with an incredible amount of respect, and I think the way I’ve been treated by Matchroom in this tournament is nothing short of despicable,” Murphy told ITV Sport.
“In a tournament where they hand-pick the draw and hand-pick the groups, to find out that I was playing today – halfway through a 36-hour marathon journey home from China – just 48 hours ago…“
Mark Allen, Alfie Burden and defending champion Mark Williams did not play in China, and Murphy felt there was scope to have that trio plus a player who departed early last week to be on first.
“There were three other players in this tournament who were not even in China last week,” Murphy said. “For me to be thrown out first is nothing short of despicable.
“I think they have covered themselves in a huge embarrassment by treating me with such disrespect.”
Asked if he was given input on the scheduling, Murphy replied: “None whatsoever. In fact, I only found out today at breakfast that I was playing first at 1pm, so poor has been the communication.
“I am shocked. I have been used to Matchroom being a well-run organisation.
“The way they have treated me in this event with the format is extremely unprofessional.
“My beef is not with anyone else. My beef is that Mark Williams, Mark Allen and Alfie Burden were not even in China.
“Matchroom hand-pick this event. They had no need to pick the draws and make the format the way they did. They could have put those three in the same group with somebody else who was not in China as long as the rest of us. And they could have played today, and should have been playing today.
“It has made a total mockery of the event and an embarrassment of me.“
Matchroom were contacted for a response to Murphy’s interview and defended the process, while saying feedback would be used to improve the format.
The statement read: “We spoke with Shaun after his match and completely understand his frustrations.
“Our priorities are the players and we take pride in the fact they consider this event prestigious and want to prepare for it.
“For transparency and fairness, the groups are based on seeding. Scheduling is always a challenge every year and we take on board the points and will always strive to improve for next year and the future.”
Poor Schaun! For the record, Judd was also in Nanjing and lost in the International Championship only the day before Shaun lost. So, yes, he had one day more to “rest”, five rather than four… Does it really make such a huge difference? I’m not sure… 1
The problem for Matchroom is that they can’t wait until the last minute to publish the schedule, who plays who and when, because this is an event with spectators and most people will want to know who they will be watching before purchasing their tickets.
As for the matches … maybe I wasn’t in the mood but none of the players impressed me yesterday.
I have done my fair share of traveling across distant time zones. Jet lag is no fun but the secret to get over it as fast as possible is to get up and go to bed at your usual time in the new time zone, no matter how difficult the first day can be. ↩︎
China’s Wu Yize blitzed to a 10-6 victory over Scotland’s four-time World Champion John Higgins to capture his maiden ranking title by winning the International Championship in Nanjing.
The supremely talented 22-year-old’s potential has been clear for many years. He became World Under-21 Champion back in 2018, aged just 14. Four years later, in 2022, he was named Rookie of the Year after his debut season on tour.
However, this has been Wu’s coming of age week. Having also beaten the likes of compatriots Zhang Anda and World Champion Zhao Xintong, it was against two of England’s finest where he displayed his blistering best.
From 4-0 down in his last 16 tie with world number one Judd Trump, Wu strung together 12 consecutive frames to win 6-4 and then whitewash Barry Hawkins 6-0. Each of those frames contained a break over 60. The question was could he carry that form into his final with experienced 50-year-old Higgins?
Today’s clash was the fourth biggest ever age gap in a ranking final, the biggest was 30 years between Ding Junhui and Steve Davis in the 2005 UK Championship final.
Wu’s previous two final appearances ended in defeat. He lost 9-7 to Neil Robertson in the 2024 English Open final and a few months later was beaten 9-5 by Lei Peifan in the 2024 Scottish Open final.
This win makes Wu the ninth ranking event winner from mainland China and he pockets a £175,000 top prize. That catapults Wu from 22nd to 13th in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings. He now qualifies automatically for the UK Championship, at Chris Wakelin’s expense.
It’s a disappointing end to a very strong week for 33-time ranking event winner Higgins. He will have to settle for the £75,000 runner-up cheque in his 59th ranking final. His run included a 9-2 win over close friend Stephen Maguire in the semis and a 6-2 defeat of Shaun Murphy in the quarters.
The afternoon session saw Wu dominate large chunks of the play, but Higgins showed his grit and experience to claim the last two frames leave the match in the balance at 5-4 to Wu.
When play got underway this evening, Wu immediately regained the initiative with a break of 87 to go two ahead.
A dramatic 11th frame proved to be a crucial juncture in the match. Higgins had the frame under control when he missed a tricky brown to the left hand baulk corner. After a brief exchange, Wu took on a double which led to a tremendous clearance of 43 to steal on the black and move 7-4 ahead.
Wu compounded that frame with a maximum attempt in the 12th. His run ended on 80, but it left him needing just two frames for glory at 8-4 as they went in for the mid-session.
After play resumed, the next two frames were traded, as Wu moved to the verge of victory at 9-5. Higgins crafted a defiant 53 to make it 9-6, but this evening was Wu’s moment. He went out with a bang, hammering home 108 to get over the line and become the International Champion.
“Honestly, it feels unbelievable. After beating Judd Trump, I started thinking about the whole journey and it was surreal,” said an elated Wu.
“I think one of the good things was that I started both sessions of the final really well. Having a lead helped me to relax. Everything went pretty much the way I wanted.
“It has been a long wait since reaching the final at the Scottish Open and the English Open last year. At times I honestly felt quite desperate, but deep down I always believed I had the ability to win a title. Every day I kept thinking about it. I had a strong will to lift a trophy. That belief carried me through this week.
“My parents are everything. My dad (Wu Jiepin) has been with me since I was a kid, always by my side. He’s helped me so much, especially during difficult times in the UK. I’m so grateful for what he has done for me.”
Higgins said: “I was nowhere near good enough all day. He was striking the ball beautifully. He was by far the better player. It reminded me so much of playing Paul Hunter. The way he gets through the ball and gets so much action on it. He is a brilliant player.
“There’s no point in getting too down. I’ll get home and have a couple of days off before the Champion of Champions. After that it is the Riyadh tournament and then building up to the UK. I’m disappointed with how I played today.
“I’m delighted his mum and dad are here. It brings back memories for me. It could open the floodgates. It goes to show the good hands snooker is in. I’m glad that I’ll probably be retiring in a couple of years with guys like that potting them off the lampshades. He is a total star.“
I’m absolutely delighted for Wu, who I always enjoy watching.
It’s not like he had an easy route to the title either as he had to beat both the reigning World Champion, Zhao Xintong, and the World Number One, Judd Trump, as already mentioned in WST’s report. Playing in his own country, China, probably added pressure as well. He’s a special player, no doubts!
Hereafter you will find the reports shared by WST on what happened on the quater-finals day in Nanjing.
The Wu Yize v Judd Trump match was truly remarquable and will do nothing for Judd’s confidence. I’m not sure if it ever happened to him during his professional career to be beaten by 6-4 having led by 4-0!
Anyway it happened today … and I’m not too sorry for him. I haven’t forgotten how he came on social media in the early days of his career, after beating Ronnie a couple of times. “Ronnie who?” is what he posted.
No matter how great a player is, they all go through lean spells during their career, especially when they get a bit older. Judd is going through that now and I’m not sure how he would feel if the young Wu Yize was posting “Judd who?” on social media. Somehow, I doubt he would be happy
Having said that what Judd did back then was nothing new under the sun and maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh. Homer, in the Odyssey, wrote something along the line that it’s the privilege of the youth to judge without knowing and to believe they know before they learned … 1
China’s Zhao Xintong reached his first ranking semi-final since becoming World Champion, beating Mark Selby 6-5 at the International Championship.
The 28-year-old made history by becoming Asia’s first Crucible king back in May, beating Mark Williams 18-12 in the final. Since that landmark moment, Zhao has had a mixed start to the new campaign.
He had a 6-1 win over compatriot and icon Ding Junhui to reach the semis at the invitational Shanghai Masters, before losing out to Kyren Wilson. However, he has failed to go beyond the last 16 since then.
Today’s result also marks a first ever win over four-time World Champion Selby. The Leicester cueman had won all five of their previous meetings to this point.
It had looked as if Selby was set or another win when he charged to a 4-2 advantage this afternoon. However, breaks of 68, 97 and 55 helped Zhao to three in a row and a 5-4 lead.
A gutsy run of 81 in the tenth saw Selby force a decider, but it was Zhao who got over the line to secure a semi-final clash with compatriot Wu Yize.
“That was unbelievable. It was my first time beating Mark Selby and I had to come back from behind. I am so proud of myself,” said three-time ranking event winner Zhao.
“I’ve been enjoying being World Champion and I the pressure of it. I have enjoyed playing out there on the table.
“It will hopefully be a good game with Wu. He is a very good player and can pot anything. I will try my best to beat him. Chinese snooker now is really good. Every Chinese player is capable of winning trophies.”
Wu blitzed to a stunning 6-0 whitewash win over Barry Hawkins, extending his frame winning streak to 12 in a row.
The 22-year-old trailed world number one Judd Trump 4-0, before a blitz of six on the bounce saw him score an unlikely win. Remarkably, he’s now made a break over 50 in all of his last 12 frames.
Victory sees Wu reach the fifth ranking semi-final of his career. He’s made title matches on two occasions, at the 2024 English Open and the 2024 Scottish Open, but fell short against Neil Robertson and Lei Peifan respectively.
Wu crafted runs of 66, 64, 73, 85, 111 and 86 en route to today’s win. The world number 22 knows he must win the event in order to dislodge Chris Wakelin and make the top 16 in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings to qualify automatically for the UK Championship.
He and Zhao will meet over 17 frames and two sessions tomorrow.
Stephen Maguire and John Higgins set up an all-Scottish semi-final at the International Championship in Nanjing, after scoring respective wins over Zak Surety and Shaun Murphy.
A 6-1 victory over Surety sends Maguire through to the 38th ranking semi-final of his career. He’s gunning for a second ranking crown of the campaign, having won the season opening Championship League, and an eighth ranking crown in total.
Having won his first three matches this week all by a 6-4 scoreline. Today’s more straightforward win was a welcome one for the 44-year-old. Maguire looked by far the more comfortable of the two players and crafted breaks of 50, 94 and 59 on his way to victory.
Tougher tests lie ahead for the 2004 UK Champion in the last four against his close friend. He will be aiming to arrest a four match losing streak against fellow Glaswegian Higgins and beat him for the first time since 2014.
His experiences sharing a practice unit with Higgins and Anthony McGill have left Maguire under no illusions of the task which faces him.
Maguire said: “I don’t think there’s much help for anyone who isn’t playing well when we are practising. You are just handing over fivers constantly! You are a victim if you aren’t playing well in there and you need to be sharp. You have to get up early in the morning and be sharp in that unit.
“A best of 17 against John. I will be nervous, I know that, because there will be a lot of bragging rights on it. I think I will be more nervous about that than the actual semi-final itself.”
Higgins scored a superb 6-2 win over recent British Open champion Murphy to book his last four slot.
Victory sees the Wizard of Wishaw into an incredible 90th career ranking semi-final. He’s gunning for his 34th title.
Breaks of 77, 112, 67 and 116 helped Higgins ease to victory this evening. Afterwards, he admitted he’s thrilled to claim victory against such stern opposition, as well as stating that he’s relishing his last four showdown with Maguire.
“It was all about me today. I had to play at the top of my game to have a chance against Shaun. I felt I did that. My safety was pretty good and when I got my chances I scored pretty well. When I play these top guys now I’ve got to be on my game to win,” said 50-year-old Higgins.
“There are certain players that make you feel inadequate when you are out at the table with the way they hit the ball. Shaun is one of them. It is very important to get a toehold in the game and just work from there.
“I’m delighted to be playing Stephen. It is the same with Anthony McGill, he’s back doing well this season and Stevie has been putting the work in over the summer as well. We will be fighting like cat and dog out there. If I win then great, if I don’t then I’ll be willing him on to win the title. It is such a tough game and I know how good he is.
“It was the same with Anthony (in the British Open semi-finals). I was trying my hardest but he played better. I shook his hand and said on you go, hoping he would win the title. It will be the same again. There will be bragging rights, so we will wait and see.”
Higgins and Maguire will do battle over the best of 17 frames on Saturday for a place in the final against World Champion Zhao Xintong or Wu Yize.
Yes, I went through the classic curriculum at school, learning Latin and ancient Greek. The “school for girls” I was sent to didn’t offer a strong scientific curriculum because, you know, that’s not for girls… I begged to differ, studied maths at Uni, got a PhD and made a career in IT 😇. Having said all that, I absolutely loved Homer, especially the Odyssey… ↩︎
There have been quite a few withdrawals from the 2025 International Championship, as reported by WST:
Withdrawals From International Championship
Mark Williams, Ali Carter, Sam Craigie, Ken Doherty and David Gilbert have pulled out of next week’s International Championship in China.
Williams has withdrawn due to illness and his opponent Anthony McGill receives a bye to the last 32.
Doherty has withdrawn due to illness and his opponent Neil Robertson receives a bye to the last 32.
Craigie has withdrawn for medical reasons and his opponent Jimmy Robertson receives a bye to the last 32.
Carter has withdrawn for personal reasons and his opponent Aaron Hill receives a bye to the last 32.
Gilbert has withdrawn for personal reasons and his opponent, either Thepchaiya Un-Nooh or Xu Jiarui, will receive a bye to the last 32.
That’s a lot of withdrawals… but of course, this time of the year, colds and flu are not uncommon and traveling when already unwell usually only makes it worse.
The 2025 Northern Ireland Open final will be contested today between two close friends. Indeed Judd Trump will face Jack Lisowski in Belfast today. Here is how we got there as reported by WST:
Jack Lisowski kept his tremendous run going at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open as he made three centuries in a 6-1 thrashing of Zhou Yuelong to reach his seventh ranking event final and raise his hopes of a first title.
One of the best natural talents in the sport, Lisowski produced a wonderful display of long potting and break-building as he dismissed Zhou in less than two hours at the Waterfront Hall. In his six previous ranking finals, which all came between 2018 and 2021, 34-year-old Lisowski was up against Judd Trump three times, Neil Robertson twice and Mark Selby once. And the left-hander is sure to face another huge test on Sunday as he will meet either world number one and close friend Trump, or home favourite Mark Allen.
First to nine frames will earn £100,000 and lift the Alex Higgins Trophy, and victory would be a career-best moment for Lisowski, particularly given the challenges he has faced away from the table in recent months as his father sadly passed away in March.
Coming into this week there were few signs that Lisowski was a title contender as he had not previously reached a quarter-final this season and had slipped to 29th in the world, but he is playing with a new cue tip and working with coach Chris Henry for the first time which – so far – has created a perfect storm. In five matches this week he has fired six centuries and 12 more breaks over 50.
The opening frame today came down to the colours and Lisowski, leading by 15 points, laid a clever snooker on the brown, which Zhou missed twice and he was soon 1-0 down. China’s Zhou, who was runner-up to Allen at last month’s BetVictor English Open, registered just five points in the next three frames as Lisowski piled in breaks of 125, 124 and 66 for 4-0.
In frame five, Lisowski led 54-37 when he missed the final green to a centre pocket and Zhou later got the better of a safety battle on the blue then cleared to pull a frame back. Lisowski regained momentum with a run of 125 in frame six and looked set to finish the tie in the seventh until he missed a red to centre on 40. Zhou made 59 then played safe, and Lisowski enjoyed a slice of good fortune as his attempted long pot on the last red rattled it in the jaws and dropped into the opposite baulk corner. From there he added the points he needed to delight the fans in Belfast who are backing him this week.
“It was really good today, it has been a great week so far and now obviously it’s all about tomorrow,” said Gloucestershire’s Lisowski. “I feel like I can pot any ball at the moment, I’m more surprised when I miss. I have been putting the work in and when it comes off out there it’s a great feeling. I have changed my cue, changed my tip, and got a coach with new ideas so maybe it’s a new version of myself. My game is heading in the right direction which is a relief because I have had a quiet couple of seasons where I have played some really good games but not put a run together.
“I think I’m way better than I was when I was last in a final. My good game is much stronger and my bad game is a bit better too. I haven’t got a clue who will win tonight, it doesn’t make a difference to me. It would be so special to beat either of them. If I apply myself well I’ve got a chance.”
Judd Trump came from 3-2 down to beat local favourite Mark Allen 6-3 at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, setting up his 50th ranking final and a clash with friend Jack Lisowski.
Trump and Lisowski have been close since their junior days and Sunday’s final could be an emotional occasion, particularly given that Lisowski’s father passed away earlier this year. Both will be determined to get to nine frames and finish the night with the Alex Higgins Trophy in his hands, and Trump has the added motivation of ending a streak of ten months without a title.
The pair have met in three ranking finals, Trump winning 10-7 at the 2020 World Grand Prix, 9-2 at the 2021 German Masters and 4-0 at the 2021 Gibraltar Open. All three of those were played behind closed doors in Milton Keynes during the Covid era, so this will be their first final in front of a crowd – and what better setting than the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
Bristol’s 36-year-old Trump will be aiming for a 31st ranking title and first since the 2024 UK Championship last December. Number one in the official Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, he was down in 34th place on this season’s rankings prior to this week, but will now shoot up that list especially if he banks the £100,000 top prize.
The 2019 World Champion has shown only flashes of his best this week, making just two centuries compared to Lisowski’s six, but his exceptional safety game has helped him into the final.
Both players struggled to settle into tonight’s contest and after 79 minutes of play the score was 1-1. Trump was first to find some rhythm with a break of 73 to take the advantage, before Antrim’s Allen hit back with 68 and 135 to lead 3-2. The crucial sixth frame came down to a safety battle on the green and Trump trailed 52-46 when he laid a tough snooker, and he took the chance that followed to square the tie.
A break of 82 gave Trump the lead and in frame eight he was 62-0 ahead when he missed the black to a top corner. Allen had a chance to counter but ran out of position with two reds left, and Trump later converted a clever cross double on the last red to go 5-3 ahead. Early in frame nine, Allen missed a tough mid-range red to a top corner and handed Trump the chance to make 66 which proved enough for victory.
“It was a tough game, Mark never makes it easy for you,” said Trump, who won this title three times in a row from 2018 to 2020 and again in 2023. “That’s his game plan, he is very patient and his safety is good. It’s hard to get any rhythm against him at the start, plus I missed a few easy balls. The sixth frame was massive, that was the turning point. I got some momentum after that and my game was a bit more attacking.
“I will be giving it my all tomorrow, it will be an incredible final. It’s brilliant to see Jack playing this well, he has had a tough time. Everyone is glad to see him back. We grew up together and played in pretty much every junior final, so it’s amazing to be playing him in this final 20 years later. An arena like this deserves a great final.”
Once again with only two matches played yesterday, the above reports are comprehensive enough.
According to Cuetracker Judd and Jack have played each other 24 times in professional tournaments before their encounter today, Judd winning 16 times and Jack winning 8 times. Before today, they have met in a final three times and Judd has won each of those three finals, two of them quite comprehensively. All three finals came during the 2020/21 season. Looking at those stats, you have to make Judd a clear favourite today … but I’d love to see Jack “upset” the odds and lift the trophy tonight!
Ronnie O'Sullivan 