Jack Lisowski is just two wins away from his first ranking title as he scored a tremendous 5-3 win over defending champion Kyren Wilson to reach the semi-finals of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
Widely considered the best player yet to win a ranking event, Lisowski has been runner-up in six finals and few can match the 34-year-old in terms of natural talent but he is still waiting to convert that into silverware. On Saturday from 1pm he will meet Tom Ford or Zhou Yuelong and will hope to move a step closer to a career-defining moment.
Lisowski’s father sadly passed away last March and he admitted in an interview with TNT Sports earlier this week that for a while he struggled to hold back tears while competing, but he is now “feeling stronger and enjoying snooker more.” The left-hander has played superbly to knock out Mark Selby, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and now world number two Wilson.
A break of 68 gave Wilson the opening frame and in the second he trailed 25-23 when he over-cut a tricky black to a top corner. Lisowski punished him with a run of 41 for 1-1 then compiled runs of 63 and 68 to go 3-1 ahead at the interval. Wilson pulled one back with a break of 70 before Lisowski’s 104 made it 4-2.
In frame seven, Lisowski trailed 56-33 when he missed a tough pot on the penultimate red along a baulk cushion, allowing his opponent to add the points he needed to halve the deficit. Wilson had an early chance in the eighth but missed an awkward red with the rest and Lisowski’s marvellous long red set up a winning 76.
“To beat Kyren, who was the best player in the world last season and won this last year, shows where my game is at,” said world number 29 Lisowski. “It was as hard a game as I could have had, a really big test and I stood up to it. I am hitting every shot well and felt great. I just need to concentrate and get focussed from the start of the match, after that it comes eaiser.”
Lisowski and his friend Giles Martin have been working on a new cue tip called Vortex and the Gloucestershire cueman believes that has been a key factor in his performances this week. “I have been trying for years to find the right one,” he added. “I am excited about it, it gets a lot of spin on the white, it’s very accurate and consistent. Finding the right tip has has been so frustrating, I have definitely lost matches because of it. Giles is the best tip fitter in the world in my opinion so with him I felt we had a chance of getting it right.”
Judd Trump scored his 13th consecutive ranking event win over John Higgins with a 5-2 success to reach the semi-finals and feels his game has “taken a step forward” this week.
Remarkably, Trump has won every ranking event match against four-time World Champion Higgins since 2019 and that sequence now covers 13 fixtures. With one century break and four more over 70 today, this was perhaps Trump’s best performance of the season so far and the world number one is into his first semi-final of the campaign.
Trump will meet Mark Allen or Jordan Brown at the Waterfront Hall on Saturday at 7pm and will be contesting the 70th ranking event semi-final of his career. He is chasing a fourth Alex Higgins Trophy, having lifted the crystal in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023, and a 31st ranking title in all. After a slow start to the season – he came into this week in 34th place on the one-year list – Trump now looks to be returning to his brilliant best.
Higgins took the first frame of a high quality contest with a break of 61, before 36-year-old Trump compiled runs of 93 and 82 to lead 2-1. A scrappy fourth when Higgins’ way but the veteran managed just 19 points after the interval as Trump fired runs of 72, 72 and 121.
“My scoring was the difference today,” said Trump. “After the interval my long potting was great and I scored heavily. The first time I won this I could feel the warmth of the crowd and every time I come back here it inspires me to play well. I could easily go the whole season without winning a tournament, there’s no guarantee. I would love to get that out of the way here so I can relax. I feel my game has taken a forward step here no matter what happens, I feel a lot more comfortable with my cue and how I am playing.”
Mark Allen managed to put friendship to one side to beat fellow local favourite Jordan Brown 5-2 in the quarter-finals, boosting his hopes of winning the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open for a third time.
Allen described the night as a “strange atmosphere” as he went head-to-head with best friend and practice partner Brown, but kept his focus to progress to the last four of his home tournament. The Pistol will meet world number one Judd Trump on Saturday evening at the Waterfront Hall, with the winner to go through to Sunday’s final to face either Jack Lisowski or Zhou Yuelong, who enjoyed a 5-4 success against Tom Ford.
World number eight Allen lifted the Alex Higgins Trophy in 2021 and 2022 and is now into a 44th ranking event semi-final and remains in the hunt for a 13th title. The Antrim cueman is also looking to strengthen his position at the top of the BetVictor Series rankings, having beaten Zhou in the final of the first event in Brentwood last month, with a £150,000 bonus up for grabs for the leading money winner across the four-event series.
After a raucous welcome into the bear pit for both players, Allen opened with a break of 101 then Brown responded with a 131 for 1-1. A scrappy third went Allen’s way, then in the fourth Brown trailed 57-20 when he missed the penultimate red to a top corner, and he found himself 3-1 behind.
An excellent 120 saw Brown pull one back and he had a chance to snatch frame six from 65-4 behind but again missed the penultimate red, this time to a centre pocket on 28, allowing Allen to take advantage for 4-2. Again Brown had chances in frame seven, but when he failed to pot the black off its spot leading 41-0 that proved his shot as Allen cleared superbly with 71.
“I was relieved to get over the line, it was not a lot of fun playing Jordan,” said 39-year-old Allen. “It may have been a great occasion for the neutral as we had a lot of support, but it was a strange atmosphere because they want us both to do well. I don’t get much enjoyment out of beating Jordan because I always support him otherwise.
“He played a lot of good stuff, made two good centuries, he just missed one or two balls at key moments. If it had gone 4-3 he would have been confident. This is where he belongs. I have practised with him for 25 years and I know what he is capable of. But when you lose confidence in this game then things can get on top of you. I said to him at the end that he has had three good wins this week and he needs to take the positives forward because he is a class act.
“I am here to win the tournament and it would be great to do that in front of my home fans again. But I have two very tough matches ahead of me. I always look forward to games against Judd, I have a decent record against him (Allen has won their last three meetings). He brings the best out of me because he is in the top five or six players of all time so I am always focussed, I know I won’t get a second chance. I grew up with him through the junior ranks so I am not scared of what he can do because I back my own ability. If I play my best stuff, that will be good enough a lot of the time.”
China’s Zhou is into his eighth ranking event semi-final and will meet Lisowski at 1pm on Saturday. Both players are chasing a first ranking title and world number 30 Zhou is aiming to reach a fifth final and second of the season.
Breaks of 90 and 60 put Ford 2-0 ahead before Zhou battled back to 2-2. Ford regained the lead in the fifth then made an 82 for 4-2, then Zhou hit back again with 59 and 66 for 4-4. The decider looked to be going Ford’s way until he missed a red to top corner on 53, and Zhou pulled out a marvellous 77 clearance which included a tremendous pot on the last red along a side cushion.
“It’s a big win for me because I didn’t feel as if I had good touch today, to be able to turn things around,” admitted 27-year-old Zhou. “I have played Jack Lisowski many times, and his style is very distinctive, extremely fast and very precise. Against an opponent like that, all I can do is to focus on myself, control the pace, and play my own game.”
Again, those reports are comprehensive and I don’t have much to add to them.
I have a feeling that this may be Jack Lisowski week and that’s not just because I believe that he might want to win it to honour his late father’s memory. Watching him play this week, It seems to me that something has changed. He still attacks, but maybe he doesn’t take as many low percentage shots as he used to do? Maybe he looks more focussed? I’m not sure. At the time of writing, Jack has already booked his place in the Final. He beat Zhou by 6-1 this afternoon, and scored five breaks over 50 in the process, including three centuries. Of course, both Judd Trump and Mark Allen have won their fair share of tournaments while Jack is still to win his first and experience does matter. If Judd were to prevail tonight, it would probably make things even more difficult for Jack, as, for a long time they practiced together, and they are friends. But even so … I believe that Jack has a real chance tomorrow…1
Or am I blinded by “wishful thinking?” … who knows? ↩︎
BetVictor Northern Ireland Open Day Five Afternoon
Mark Allen boosted his hopes of winning the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open for a third time as he reached the quarter-finals with a 4-1 win over Aaron Hill – a player he believes is destined for the very top.
Local favourite Allen got the better of Cork’s up-and-coming Hill and will now meet either Shaun Murphy or another home hero Jordan Brown in the last eight at the Waterfront Hall at 7pm on Friday. World number eight Allen will be making his 70th appearance in the quarter-finals of a ranking event and the 39-year-old dreams of lifting the Alex Higgins Trophy again having won it in 2021 and 2022.
He came into the current season well outside the top 16 in the Race to the Crucible and facing the possibility of having to qualify for the World Championship, but having won the BetVictor English Open last month and with another run this week, the left-hander has regained his status as one of snooker’s toughest competitors.
A break of 137 gave Allen the opening frame before 23-year-old Hill levelled with a run of 65. World number 57 Hill had chances to take frame three but couldn’t convert and Allen eventually got the better of a safety battle on the last red and cleared for 2-1. That proved crucial as 12-time ranking event winner Allen took the last two frames with runs of 53 and 69.
“I know more than most how dangerous Aaron can be,” said Allen. “He could have gone 2-1 up, I pinched that frame and that turned the match. He let his head drop a bit and I played some good stuff after that. I think Aaron can go to the very top. He’s got a great head on young shoulders and he works hard. The biggest compliment I can pay him is that he will go away from the match today fuming because he would have fully expected to beat me even though I’m one of the top players. He is so confident in his own ability, he backs himself and plays the big shots.
“For a while most of the best young players were Chinese and that’s all credit to them. Now we have some very good British, Irish and European players and hopefully there are more to come, so the future is bright.
“At the start of the season I hadn’t looked at the rankings. I was out having food with Stephen Maguire one day and he told me I was outside the top 16 in the Crucible race, I just wasn’t aware until then, I didn’t realise I was that far down. But I always back my ability. I try my best in every match and try to win tournaments, and that takes care of the rankings.
“Tomorrow night is going to be huge whatever happens. Shaun Murphy is the form player in the game at the moment and hard to stop. If Jordan gets through it will be two hometown lads and best friends.“
That won’t be the only blockbuster clash on Friday as at 12pm world number one Judd Trump will meet four-time World Champion John Higgins. Trump beat Gary Wilson 4-1 today with top breaks of 132, 95 and 83 to reach his first ranking quarter-final of the season and 104th of his career.
Higgins, who won his first ranking title exactly 31 years ago today, saw off Si Jiahui 4-1 with top runs of 54, 64, 64 and 58 and is into the last eight of a ranking event for the 153rd time.
“I played pretty solid, you need a good all-round game against Si because he’s such a dangerous player,” said Higgins, who has lost his last 12 ranking event meetings with Trump. “I had a few bits of luck during the game which helps in a best of seven. Judd is one of the hardest players in the world to beat, he’s got very few weaknesses. I’ll have to play my best to have a chance.“
Tom Ford continued to make progress despite a shoulder injury as he beat Yuan Sijun 4-2 with top breaks of 65, 53, 52 and 66. He now meets Zhou Yuelong at 7pm on Friday.
The Waterfront Hall will be packed to the rafters on Friday night in Belfast as Jordan Brown beat Shaun Murphy 4-2 to set us a massive quarter-final against fellow local hero Mark Allen.
The two Antrim cuemen will go head to head at 7pm on Friday evening with an electric atmosphere guaranteed. Brown has struggled on the table over the past two seasons and remains in danger of relegation from the tour, but his confidence has come flooding back this week with wins over World Champion Zhao Xintong, Ashley Hugill and now in-form Murphy who had won 15 of his previous 16 matches.
World number 55 Brown had won just three matches in eight other ranking events so far this season, but has now notched four victories in this event alone. Allen, who beat Aaron Hill 4-1 earlier today, won their only previous meeting by a 6-4 scoreline at the 2022 UK Championship.
Brown took the first three frames tonight with top breaks of 70 and 61 before Murphy hit back with 135 and 55 for 3-2. Frame six came down to the colours and, under intense pressure, Brown executed fine pots on green, brown, blue and pink to reach the fourth ranking event quarter-final of his career, pumping his fist as the last ball went in.
“I am over the moon, I was really up for it tonight with the crowd behind me,” said 2021 Welsh Open champion Brown. “I was so solid to 3-0, then I made a couple of mistakes and Shaun played well so at 3-2 I was under it. I stayed patient and disciplined and waited for a chance.
“I was nervous throughout, you need some nerves in this game. That’s why I am working with Fergal O’Brien this season, he has helped me massively to get through those tough moments. I’ve had some difficult times but I felt if could get one good win then I could go on a run, as I have done in past.”
Kyren Wilson continued the defence of his title with a 4-2 victory over He Guoqiang. World number two Wilson will now meet Jack Lisowski on Friday afternoon and victory would give him a first ranking event semi-final of the season.
“I was solid when I needed to be and scored heavily,” said Wilson, who fired breaks of 63, 75, 77 and 53. “I felt like I wasn’t going to miss which is a nice feeling to have, though I lacked a bit of concentration at times. This is a fantastic venue, it’s enjoyable to compete here.”
Lisowski beat Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 4-2 in an exciting contest where the six frames took just 60 minutes. From 2-1 down, Lisowski won three in a row with top breaks of 94 and 76 to reach his first ranking event quarter-final since the BetVictor Welsh Open in February.
Once again, the reports are extensive enough and I don’t have much to add.
But this morning I stumbled upon this article, published earlier this month. The title is the usual clickbait stuff and is misleading. However here is the interesting part:
… But the greatest player to ever grace a snooker table has no plans to call time on his career just yet, he revealed this week.
Speaking ahead of his return to the game at the Xi’an Grand Prix on Tuesday, O’Sullivan told The Express: ‘I’ve always said there’s nothing left for me to achieve in snooker, but that’s (an eighth win at the Crucible) all that’s left for me to achieve.
‘I’m going to aim for another two or three world titles, knowing I won’t get three, I probably won’t get two but I might get one.
‘I’m going to aim high and I always think if you aim well above what you want to achieve and if you don’t reach it, you reach somewhere you think you’re happy with.
‘There’s no point saying I’d like to make the quarters of the worlds because that’s probably all I’d do. But if I say I want to win another two or three then I might win one. It’s about pushing my mind beyond the end line to make it possible.’
At his last attempt to conquer the Crucible back in March, O’Sullivan was knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual winner Zhao Xintong.
Speaking about his performance in the tournament, the Brit added: ‘I was close even though I wasn’t playing great. I didn’t have a good cue, I had problems with my tip, it was all over the place. I’m not making excuses.
‘Now I can just play snooker for the next two or three years, there’s only one thing left that anyone talks about which is winning another world title.’
Ronnie seems to be pretty happy in Dubai and in his private life. I can totally relate to what he says about how the climate in England weights you down, physically, mentally and emotionally. I opted to live in Greece for the same reasons. I got stuck here in Santorini during the lockdown, alone with my cats, in a small condo that had very little comfort. Despite this, I felt happier than in Brussels, where in winter, the days are very short, even in daytime the light is poor, and it rains nearly every day. You can go for weeks without seeing the sun. It is very debilitating.
BetVictor Northern Ireland Open Day Four Afternoon
Jack Lisowski is working with renowned coach Chris Henry for the first time and that seems to be paying off already as he beat Mark Selby 4-2 to reach the last 16 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.
Lisowski will now meet Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in a mouth-watering tie on Thursday between two of the fastest players in the sport. In today’s battle with Selby, Lisowski lost the opening frame on the final black but then fired breaks of 61, 103 and 51 to lead 3-1. Selby pulled one back with a 65 before Lisowski settled the result with a 65 in frame six.
World number 29 Lisowski’s father sadly passed away in March and he told TNT Sports today: “I didn’t have a lot of fight in me for the first few months. When I played a month after my dad died, in every frame I felt so emotional. I wish I had taken longer off, but I kept going. It doesn’t get easier, but I am getting used to it.“
Asked about his work with Henry, Lisowski added: “It is quite different for me, it has given me things to work on. Chris is helping me to understand the science of the white ball and the way you strike it, how side throws the ball in different ways. I didn’t know that before, I didn’t have a clue. That has been cool to learn, it took a while to get into my brain but it will give me a bit more solidity when I am struggling, because my good game is really good but my bad game is a weakness. It was a great win today. I know if I practise hard and strike the cue ball well I have always got a a chance.”
Shaun Murphy, British Open champion and Xi’an Grand Prix finalist, notched another win with a 4-2 success against Elliot Slessor. The key moment of the tie came in the second frame when Slessor, leading 1-0 and on a break of 55, missed a short range red to a top corner. Murphy cleared with 68 then went 3-1 up with 81 and 82, and later finished the job with a 60 in frame six.
“It was a tough game, Elliot is a player I have a lot of respect for and I think it’s only matter of time before wins come his way,” said Murphy. “He had the advantage early on but I managed to get myself into the game and take my chances.
“I am chasing my own goals, I have some personal goals I am after. I am working very hard in between matches and there is plenty left in the tank. It’s a long time since I played in the one-table set up here, it has not been a happy hunting ground for me. I can’t wait to try to go further in the tournament, it’s one of my favourite venues and crowds and I hope I can do them justice.“
Un-Nooh top scored with 94 in a 4-1 defeat of Mark Davis while He Guoqiang got the better of a Chinese derby with Wu Yize, winning 4-2 with top runs of 67, 64, 77 and 120.
World number 17 Si Jiahui, the highest ranked player yet to win a ranking title, stormed to a 4-0 win over Stephen Maguire with top breaks of 69, 64 and 55. Gary Wilson top scored with 79 in a 4-2 win over Martin O’Donnell.
Home stars continued to shine at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast as Mark Allen beat Ben Woollaston 4-3 while fellow Antrim cueman Jordan Brown saw off Ashley Hugill 4-0 to reach the last 16.
Allen now faces a huge clash with Cork’s Aaron Hill on Thursday afternoon, then Brown will meet form-player Shaun Murphy at 7pm on what promises to be a sensational day of snooker at the Waterfront Hall.
Having won the BetVictor English Open last month, Allen is unbeaten in the Home Nations Series this season and has now won seven consecutive matches in deciding frames in those events. The world number eight looked in danger tonight at 2-1 down but then made breaks of 135 and 100 to lead 3-2. Woollaston recovered to 3-3 and had first chance in the decider but missed an attempted plant on a red to a top corner. Once again Allen remained calm under pressure and a break of 57 helped him to the winning line.
“I’m very grateful for the support I get here and it’s nice that we are giving them something back this week,” said Allen, who won this title in 2021 and 2022. “I don’t do things the easy way, I would love to see what it’s like to win 4-0! But I always feel comfortable in deciders and fancy my chances.”
Looking ahead to his meeting with practice partner Hill, he added: “Aaron is a great kid and is showing in matches now what I have seen in practice for a few years. His confidence is high and he is destined for great things.”
Brown beat World Champion Zhao Xintong 4-0 in the opening round and built on that with another whitewash over Hugill, capped by runs of 73 and 94. Down in 64th place in the projected end of season rankings, Brown is in danger of tour relegation at the end of this season, but his run in this event is a vital boost and he is into the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time since the 2023 International Championship.
“It’s nice to play somewhere near the way I can, especially as the crowd has been amazing this week,” he said. “To walk into the arena alongside Mark Allen was very special. Before we went out, we said to each other ‘it’s not going to be quiet tonight!’ These are memories that I won’t forget. There haven’t been many good times for me over the last couple of seasons and at times I have questioned my future. I have had to reflect on things like winning the Welsh Open and beating Neil Robertson here two years ago to give myself a lift. Hopefully I can put on a show tomorrow.”
World number two Kyren Wilson earned a 4-1 success over Ryan Day with top runs of 135 and 93. China’s Zhou Yuelong, runner-up to Allen in Brentwood last month, enjoyed a 4-2 victory over David Grace with top breaks of 64, 73 and 59. Jimmy Robertson came from 3-0 down to 3-3 only for his opponent Ali Carter to make a tremendous 135 total clearance in the deciding frame to win 4-3.
Local hero Jordan Brown channeled the energy of his home crowd in a sensational 4-0 victory over World Champion Zhao Xintong on the opening day of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.
…
Brown won the Welsh Open in 2021 and climbed as high as 22nd in the world, but a poor run of results in recent seasons has left him in danger of relegation from the pro tour as he lies 64th in the projected end-of-season list. In that context, today’s result is one of the best of his career and he’s into the last 32 of a ranking event for the first time in 20 months. The popular 38-year-old from Antrim will meet Ashley Hugill next at the Waterfront Hall.
Crucible king Zhao has been suffering from illness and looked out of sorts today. Brown took a scrappy opening frame then won the second on the colours, then took the next two with the highest breaks of the match, 48 and 51.
“It was fantastic out there, I absolutely loved it out and I want to thank everyone for their support. This is a special place to play,” said Brown. “I haven’t given them much to shout about recently. I beat Neil Robertson here two years ago and I had to try to bring back those memories today and produce something similar. When you play Zhao you have to go for your shots. I kept him cold, especially in the first couple of frames.
“It has been very difficult over the last couple of seasons. It’s just confidence, I am a confidence player and when that goes, everything goes. I have been working with Fergal O’Brien on the mental side and trying to get things right again. If I play like that again there’s no reason why I can’t go further. I’ll have a pint of Guinness tonight, or maybe two! You have to celebrate moments like this with family and friends.”
Mark Selby is yet to reach the final of a ranking event this season but started strongly here with a 4-1 win over Ian Burns, highlighted by a break of 129 in the second frame.
“I actually love coming here, even though my record over the years has not been good,” said Selby. “I’ve only experienced the one-table set-up once here (in 2018 when he lost 6-5 to Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-finals) and the atmosphere was great. But just the layout of the arena, how it’s tiered, it’s definitely up there as one of the best on tour for sure.”
Amateur Hugill scored a 4-2 success against Noppon Saengkham. Chris Wakelin, runner-up here two years ago, saw off Lan Yuhao 4-1 with a top break of 85, while China’s Wu Yize edged out Scott Donaldson 4-3. Ben Woollaston enjoyed a 4-2 victory over Hossein Vafaei while Pang Junxu beat Robbie Williams 4-1.
Judd Trump remains optimistic that he will end his ten-month title drought as a 4-2 victory over Anthony McGill put him into the last 32 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, a tournament he has won four times since 2018.
…
Usually a prolific winner of titles, Trump hasn’t lifted a trophy since the UK Championship last December. Though he retains his position at the top of the official Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, on this season’s list he is down in 34th spot and must get into the top 32 before Christmas to earn a place in the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong in February.
Handed a tricky opening tie against British Open runner-up McGill, Trump came through the test to book a meeting with Jackson Page. After losing the opening frame, Trump hit back to take three in a row with breaks of 62, 68 and 67. He had a clear chance to win 4-1 but missed the final green to a baulk corner and his opponent capitalised to take frame five on the black. McGill also led 36-1 in the sixth, but Trump saved his best until last with an excellent 82 clearance.
“As soon as I saw it was Anthony I knew I would have to be on top of my game and sometimes that helps,” said Trump. “I wasn’t at my best tonight but it was a pretty solid performance. He had chances to go 3-3 and in the end I made a good break to finish it.
“It’s just a matter of time before I have a deep run. You have to patient, there are so many great players out there. If I was getting smashed 5-0 or 5-1 in every tournament I’d be worried, but it’s just the odd decider in most of the events and hopefully that will turn around.“
Asked about his position on the one-year rankings he said: “Hong Kong is the one I definitely want to be in. If I don’t make the other two (in the Players Series) I’d only have myself to blame. If that happens then maybe it’s the break I need and it would be a different avenue into the World Championship. I’m just concentrating on trying to have some good events, keeping positive no matter what happens.”
Trump won this event thee times in a row from 2018 to 2020 and lifted the Alex Higgins Trophy again in 2023, naming Belfast’s Waterfront Hall as one of his top three venues on the circuit. He added: “The people are so friendly here and everyone is excited to play in this event. I had some unbelievable finals against Ronnie.”
John Higgins looked sharp in a 4-0 win over Louis Heathcote, firing runs of 84, 95 and 61. Page beat Steven Hallworth 4-0 with a top break of 73, while China’s He Guoqiang top scored with 99 in a 4-2 win over David Gilbert. Jack Lisowski earned a huge last-32 clash with Mark Selby by beating Haris Tahir 4-0 in just 47 minutes with a top break of 112.
WST mentions that Zhao Xintong has been suffering from illness, without being more specific. I’m not the kind of fan who believes that we “have a right to know”. We don’t, it’s a private matter, but I wonder if that illness is just some kind of viral/microbial infection that will almost certainly go away after a few days, or if is something more “long lasting” like glandular fever for instance. If it were to be the latter, it would explain a lot about Zhao’s miserable season so far.
I don’t have much to add.
Just one thing that isn’t snooker related. I wish that Scott Donaldson would get a short(er) haircut. I do understand that hair loss isn’t an easy thing to accept and to deal with, and I’m sorry for Scott who is only 31, a young age to go through that kind of thing, but IMO the longer haircut he is sporting right now doesn’t make things look better, on the contrary, it makes him look unkempt.
Here is the (short) report by WST on what happened on the fourth and last day of the 2025 Scottish Open Qualifiers:
BetVictor Scottish Open Qualifiers Day Four
Liam Pullen scored a 4-0 whitewash win over Daniel Wells to earn his place in the final stages of the BetVictor Scottish Open.
The 20-year-old Yorkshireman is in a rich vein of form, having made a maiden quarter-final at the recent Xi’an Grand Prix, where today’s opponent Wells was a beaten semi-finalist.
Breaks of 72, 50 and 72 helped Pullen to a comfortable win today. He now progresses to the final stages, which take place in Edinburgh from Monday December 15th.
Quickfire Thai Thepchaiya Un-Nooh scored a 4-1 win over compatriot Chatchapong Nasa. He averaged just 17.1 seconds a shot in a win where he top scored with a stunning run of 144.
Robbie Williams beat Women’s World Champion Bai Yulu 4-0, while Poland’s Antoni Kowalski qualified with a 4-2 win over David Lilley.
And, as always, a lot of interesting results have been “overlooked” by the guy or gall in charge of reporting for WST.
Luca Brecel didn’t show up, giving Steven Hallworth the first win of the day. No explanation has been given so far. Steven won’t care and his fans didn’t complain too much … 😉.
Chang Bingyu whitewashed Xu Si in style: he produced a break over 50 in every frame.
As mentioned by WST Robbie Williams whitewashed Bai Yulu. What they didn’t mention is that Bai actually scored the only break over 50 in that match…
Ishpreet Sing Chada beat Dylan Emery by 4-3 in a quite extraordinary match. Dylan lead by 3-0. He had scored breaks of 73, 67 and 70 by that point, and had another 58 break in frame 4, a frame he lost by 60-58. Ishpreet also got a 58 break in that pivotal frame, and then went on to win the three remaining frames without any big break. Dylan may have felt that he was the better player out there, he was certainly the heaviest scorer but a big break wins you only one frame…
Antoni Kowalski beat David Lilley by 4-2, with break of 64, 66 and 52, as mentioned by WST. This is a very good result for Antoni because David is the kind of hard match player who usually causes problems to the young ones who are not used to that type of match.
Wang Yuchen also got a good result: he beat the experienced Ricky Walden by 4-3. Ricky made two centuries in that match, 112 and 113, in frames 3 and 6. All the other frames were closely contested. Wang’s only break of note was a 67 in frame 5.
Stan Mood and He Guoqiang won the two last matches on the day, both by 4-1. He’s opponent was Alex Ursenbacher who had a 81 break in the only frame he won but other than scored only 25 points in the four frames he lost.
Shaun Murphy remained on target to win back-to-back ranking titles as he made three centuries in a 6-4 defeat of Gary Wilson to set up a final clash with Mark Williams at the Xi’an Grand Prix in China.
…
A match of outstanding quality included four breaks over 130 plus a further four over 70 within the ten frames, but Murphy proved unstoppable as he came from 3-1 down to take five of the last six.
Having won the Unibet British Open in Cheltenham 14 days ago, Murphy could become the first winner of consecutive ranking titles since Judd Trump took three in a row in October 2023. The Magician will meet Williams over 19 frames on Monday, with the trophy and £177,000 top prize on the line.
World number 12 Murphy briefly dropped out of the top 16 earlier this season but has responded to the setback with a dramatic return to form. The 43-year-old is set for his 28th ranking final and will be looking for a 14th title which would leave him just one behind Ding Junhui on the all time list. It would also continue his record of winning each of his ranking titles on one occasion only.
Today’s result has already come with a huge bonus for Murphy as his run to the final this week has earned him a place in next month’s Riyadh Season Snooker Championship at the expense of Mark Selby.
A run of 91 gave Murphy the opening frame before Wilson responded to take three in a row with top breaks of 81 and 139. After the interval, Murphy stormed back with 81, 131 and 140 to go 4-3 ahead, then crucially he took a tight eighth frame on the colours. World number 17 Wilson, whose run this week will take him back into the elite top 16, pulled one back with a 74, but Murphy finished in style with a 141 total clearance.
“I felt I hadn’t done that much wrong at 3-1 down,” said Murphy, who has won his last 13 consecutive matches. “Gary played very well all the way through. In frame five he broke off and forced me to go for a long red, I potted it and won the next three frames. I had a bit of luck at the right times, on another day I could have easily lost that match. The eighth frame I knew was really important. As I have got older and got more maturity in my game you sense those moments. I haven’t always had that awareness to stick a ‘Mark Selby’ or ‘John Higgins’ frame in there. I have been a bit slow to the party but I am learning.
“This vein of form won’t last forever but I am enjoying it. I played well in Brentwood, played well in Cheltenham and I was delighted to lift the trophy. Here this week I’ve got another chance. But I have got one of the best of all time in my way and he will give me nothing. We have had some great matches over the years and I am sure tomorrow will be no different.“
Asked about earning a place at the event in Riyadh, where a $1 million bonus will be on offer for making a ‘super maximum’ of 167 by potting the unique gold ball, Murphy added: “I am really pleased to get myself back into the top ten and to qualify for that event. What an achievement it will be for whoever makes the first 167.”
Mark Williams is just one win away from becoming the oldest ever ranking event winner as he came from 3-2 down to beat Daniel Wells 6-3 and reach the final of the Xi’an Grand Prix in China.
Williams will meet Shaun Murphy or Gary Wilson in the final on Monday with a top prize of £177,000 up for grabs. As it stands the oldest ranking event winner is Ray Reardon who was 50 years and 14 days when he landed the 1982 Professional Players Tournament, but Williams could extend that record to 50 years and 206 days. He could also become the first player to win a title in every decade from his teens through to his 50s.
The three-time World Champion will be playing in the 44th ranking final of his 33-year career and aiming for a 27th title, which would leave him just one behind Steve Davis on the all-time list. Runner-up to Zhao Xintong at the Crucible last season, Williams remains a strong contender for titles and is into his first final of the new campaign.
An all-Welsh battle saw world number 47 Wells contesting his fourth ranking event semi-final, and he is still yet to reach a final. After sharing the first four frames, Wells edged ahead by potting the final blue and pink to take the fifth. Williams won a scrappy sixth for 3-3, at which point the highest break of the match was just 42.
World number five Williams finally found some rhythm as a superb run of 129 gave him the lead, and a 53 in the next helped make it 5-3. In frame nine, Williams led by 33 points with just the colours left, then Wells got the snookers he needed on the yellow. But Williams later laid two tough snookers on the brown and when Wells missed the second, he offered the handshake.
“Most of my games this week have been the same, pretty poor,” admitted Williams. “I scraped over the line again, I’m glad to win. Apart from the one century break, it was tough out there. I might have looked calm but you wouldn’t want to know the names I was calling myself in my head. I struggled all match, I just stuck in there. Honestly, I don’t know how I am in the final. Can I do it once more? Probably not, I would have to play a lot better otherwise I’ll get trampled on. I will try my best.
“I have played some unbelievable matches this season and lost 5-4 or 5-3. In this tournament I haven’t looked like making breaks but I’m in the final. I’ll take winning like this over playing out of my skin and losing.
“I suppose if I take that record as the oldest winner, Ronnie or John Higgins will beat it in a few months time. It’s just nice to be in a final, and to win a tournament would be great. At the start of this week if you had offered me the quarter-finals I would have bitten your hand off, so for the final I would have bitten your whole body off“.
I don’t really have anything to add about the matches.
The Final today will be contested between two players with a combined age of 93. Snooker at the top nowadays is definitely not exactly a “young man’s game”, despite the fact that we do have some very good youngsters on the tour. But those “darn oldies” refuse to go away!
The conditions in Xi’An have been problematic all week. WST will probably say that the number of centuries and high breaks say otherwise, but what we have seen and the reactions of the commentators witnessing the outcome of some shots do tell a different story. It’s a shame for the players, but it probably can’t be helped.
Normally, the monsoon season should be over by now and the conditions should be dryer but it seems that the snooker gods have decided otherwise. Indeed, this is the weather forecast for this week in Xi’An …
It was an eventful day in Xi’An , with some really unexpected results coming our way. Indeed, as we enter the round of 32, only 8 of the top 16 players are still in the draw.
Robert Milkins boosted his tour survival hopes with a stunning 5-2 win over World Champion Zhao Xintong at the Xi’an Grand Prix.
Milkins first turned professional in 1995, but he now finds himself ranked 56th in the world. He’s currently projected to end the season in 74th position on the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings and faces potential relegation.
A miserable current campaign had seen Milkins only manage to register three match wins heading into today. However, four frames on the bounce, from 2-1 down, saw him overcome China’s first ever Crucible king. He now faces close friend Jimmy Robertson.
2023 Welsh Open winner Milkins said: “It does feel good. I was expecting Zhao to play better, but he struggled. You just have to take it. I’ve lost a lot of deciders this season and it has put me in a bad position. I’ve really been struggling and everything is like a pint of blood at the moment.
“I’ve been playing well when practising. I’ve been waiting for something to happen, but I haven’t taken it into any matches at all this year. It has been a bit of a shambles. A couple of deciders the other way and it could be different.
“Tournaments are very tough to win nowadays. I was lucky to win a couple and I’ll never forget that. I could do with winning one now. I don’t want to be going into the World Championship knowing I have to win matches to stay on tour.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan admitted he is hitting the ball the best he has in 13 years, after a 5-1 demolition of Yao Pengchang.
The Rocket hammered home two 147 breaks during a remarkable semi-final win over Chris Wakelin at the recent Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, exhibiting his brilliant best on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Breaks of 63, 128, 53 and 54 helped him to victory today and earned a last 32 clash with Stephen Maguire.
O’Sullivan said: “I feel like I’m cueing as well as I have done since 2012. I played well between 2016 and 2019, but the last few years were pretty awful. I know I had some good wins but I was struggling with ball striking. At the moment I’m hitting the ball so pure and so clean. Sometimes when I’m practising I hit the ball so well I feel bored.”
Teenager Stan Moody continued his tremendous start to the season with a 5-3 win over two-time world finalist Ali Carter at the Xi’an Grand Prix, but played down headlines dubbing him the “Luke Littler of snooker”.
World number 49 Moody went on a stunning run to the quarters of the Wuhan Open earlier in the campaign and followed that up by making the same stage at the British Open. That has sparked a frenzy of media interest in the talented Englishman.
Next up this week for Moody is 2015 World Champion Stuart Bingham. After today’s game he was keen to talk down the Littler links and admitted the recent surge in 147s has left him craving one of his own.
“I’ve seen a few of the headlines. I’ve got a long way to go to be a Luke Littler of snooker yet, but I’m on my way,” said 19-year-old Moody. “I want to be top 32 by the end of the season and go deeper in tournaments. I’m doing alright.
“I want one. I’ve only ever had one 147 which is a bit mad, but if I get a chance I’ll go for it. I only made my first one about five months ago, in a practice match, which is a bit mad.”
.World number one Judd Trump did make a maximum yesterday, but he tumbled out 5-4 at the hands of Matthew Stevens today, while Mark Selby suffered a shock 5-4 exit against Mark Davis
Strangely not mentioned in the above report is the 5-4 victory by Oliver Lines over Mark Allen.
Here, two more videos shared on Youtube and some pictures shared on social media. The first of the two videos presents the same frame as the one in the above WST report, but in full.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 