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World number one Ronnie O'Sullivan has withdrawn from the Northern Ireland Open for "medical reasons".

BBC
 
Northern Ireland Open: Jordan Brown shocks Neil Robertson in last 64 in Belfast

Antrim's Jordan Brown delighted the home crowd at the Northern Ireland Open by beating former world champion Neil Robertson 4-1 in the last 64.

The 2021 Welsh Open champion compiled a 94 break to win the first frame and led 3-0 before a 125 in the fourth saw 41-year-old Robertson claw one back.

A run of 51 in the fifth proved enough to secure Brown's passage at the expense of the world number six.

Brown, 36, will face Jamie Clarke or Yuan Sijun in the next round.
 
Northern Ireland Open: Judd Trump continues fine run of form in progressing to third round

Judd Trump scored two centuries as he advanced to the third round of the Northern Ireland Open by defeating Belgian Julien Leclercq 4-0 in Belfast.

The world number three knocked in breaks of 108 in the opening two frames and followed that up with a 55 before tying up the win in just 45 minutes.

Trump is targeting a fourth NI Open title, having lifted the Alex Higgins Trophy in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

He is also aiming for a third consecutive ranking title this season.


BBC
 
Mark Williams: Welshman beaten by namesake Robbie Williams at Northern Ireland Open

Mark Williams became the latest big name to be knocked out of the Northern Ireland Open as he was beaten by England's Robbie Williams in Belfast.

Welshman Williams, 48, took the opening frame after a 120 break but runs of 87, 55 and 53 helped the world number 51 clinch a 4-2 second-round win.

Home man Mark Allen's hopes of a third consecutive Belfast title were ended on Monday as Neil Robertson also exited.

The tournament got under way on Sunday without six of the world's top 16.
 
Northern Ireland Open: Judd Trump beats Stephen Maguire to reach Belfast semi-finals

Judd Trump kept alive his hopes of a third successive ranking title as he battled past Stephen Maguire to reach the Northern Ireland Open semi-finals.

The English star trailed the Scot 3-1 and 4-3 but breaks of 71 and 54 in the final two frames edged him ahead.

A break of 74 contributed to Maguire's 3-1 advantage, and while runs over 109 and 81 drew Trump level, the Scot moved ahead again before being pipped.

Trump will face compatriot Barry Hawkins in Saturday's semi-finals.

World number three Trump's victory was his 18th straight win following his triumphs at both the English Open and Wuhan Open in China.

Trump was the only member of the world's top 10 to reach the quarter-finals of the Belfast event.
 
Northern Ireland Open: Judd Trump stages fight back to set up final against Chris Wakelin

Judd Trump has reached the final of the Northern Ireland Open after recovering from a poor start to beat Barry Hawkins in their semi-final in Belfast.

World number three Trump was 3-0 and 4-1 down before winning five frames in a row to claim victory.

He will meet fellow Englishman Chris Wakelin in Sunday's decider.

Wakelin, who saw off China's Yuan Sijun in the quarter-final, earned an easy 6-1 victory over compatriot Jack Lisowski in the last four.

The Belfast showpiece will be only the 31-one-year-old's second ranking event final, having won his first event in the Shoot Out in January, and progresses having reeled off five frames in a row to beat world number 13 Lisowski.

"I've never played that well on such a big occasion, especially given how talented and dangerous Jack is," Wakelin told reporters.

Trump, meanwhile, is aiming to win his third ranking event in a row after triumphing at both the English Open and Wuhan Open in China.

He completed his comeback victory over Hawkins in style with a 128 clearance in the 10th and final frame.


BBC
 
Judd Trump won his third straight ranking title with a commanding 9-3 victory against Chris Wakelin in the Northern Ireland Open final.

World number three Trump has now won 20 matches in succession.

Victory in Belfast follows his titles at the English Open and Wuhan Open.

Leading 6-2 after the afternoon session, the Englishman registered three centuries in four frames in the evening to lift the Alex Higgins Trophy for a fourth time.

It made him just the fifth player to land three consecutive ranking title wins, after Ray Reardon, Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis and Ding Junhui.

Trump collected £80,000, taking earnings from his three trophy runs to £300,000.

The 34-year-old took the first frame, before compatriot Wakelin fought back to lead 2-1 at the Waterfront Hall, helped by an 87 break.

Wakelin, 31, was hoping to win his first ranking multi-frame tournament, in what was only his second ranking event final, but the match soon ran away from him.

Trump had won all 11 previous contests in this rivalry and breaks of 51, 97, 63 and 96 eased him into a 6-2 lead at the end of the afternoon session.

The 2019 world champion saved his fireworks for the evening, as breaks of 101, 125 and 129 saw him crush Wakelin's hopes of a fightback and wrap up a 26th ranking title.

Trump said: "Things have happened so fast over the last three weeks. It feels surreal now and it has not sunk in. The last session tonight was the best I have felt in the whole 20-match run, I felt really sharp."

He now sits fifth on the all-time list of ranking event winners, nudging ahead of Mark Williams. Ronnie O'Sullivan heads the list with 39 titles.


BBC
 
International Championship: Wang Xinzhong, 12, beaten by Judd Trump in China

Judd Trump won his 21st consecutive match as he defeated 12-year-old Wang Xinzhong at the International Championship in China.

The world number three beat the Chinese amateur wildcard 6-0 in round two.

Trump is bidding to become only the second player after Stephen Hendry to claim four successive ranking titles.

Wales' Liam Davies was a few weeks younger than Wang when he became the youngest player to compete in a ranking event in the Shoot-Out in 2019.

Trump came into the International Championship on the back of winning the Wuhan, English, and Northern Ireland Opens and as defending champion, having taking the title when it was last held in 2019.

He showed no mercy to his young opponent with breaks of 116, 109, 67 and 89 sealing victory.

Wang, born in December 2010, had beaten Gong Chenzhi 6-5 to set up his meeting against 2019 world champion Trump in Tianjin.

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan also went through as he recovered from the loss of the opening frame to beat veteran Ken Doherty 6-1.

John Higgins beat David Grace 6-1, while current world champion Luca Brecel overcame Daniel Wormersley 6-2.
 
International Championship: Stephen Maguire ends Trump's 22-match winning run

Judd Trump's hopes of a fourth successive world ranking tournament triumph were dashed as he was beaten 6-3 by Scotland's Stephen Maguire at the International Championship in China.

Trump had won the English Open, Wuhan Open and Northern Ireland Open, beating Maguire in the Belfast quarter-finals.

Maguire led 2-0 and 3-1 as breaks of 56, 69 and 88 helped clinch victory.

Ronnie O'Sullivan progressed to the last 16 as he defeated Jak Jones 6-4, but Mark Allen was among the losers.

A run of 68 in frame two helped O'Sullivan move 2-0 up, and while Welshman Jones cut the deficit with a 77 break, the seven-time world champion edged a tight fourth frame to restore a two-frame margin.

Breaks of 130 and 83 helped Jones level at 44, but O'Sullivan won a scrappy ninth frame before finishing the contest in style with a run of 130.

The 47-year-old will meet Anthony McGill next, after the Scot defeated England's Jack Lisowski 6-2.

Last season's player of the year Allen's disappointing start to the campaign continued as he was beaten 6-3 by Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.

Allen led 1-0 and 3-2 following breaks of 60, 58 and 72, but the Thai, whose only previous ranking tournament triumph came in the 2019 Shootout, produced runs of 60, 72 and a closing 141 to seal victory.

There was better luck for Allen's compatriot Jordan Brown, who defeated world number eight Kyren Wilson 6-4 to set up a last-16 meeting with John Higgins.

Wilson hit breaks of 106, 93 and 104, but 2021 Welsh Open champion Brown fought back from 3-1 down to clinch victory, aided by runs of 54, 91, 77 and 78.

Higgins beat Dylan Emery 6-1 while Mark Selby, Ali Carter, Barry Hawkins and home hero Ding Junhui were among other players to reach the last 16 in Tianjin.


BBC
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Ali Carter to reach International Championship last four in China

Ronnie O'Sullivan will face China's Zhang Anda in the semi-finals of the International Championship, while Jordan Brown plays Tom Ford in Tianjin.

Seven-time world champion O'Sullivan beat fellow Englishman Ali Carter 6-4.

Zhang awaits in the semi-finals after he defeated compatriot Ding Junhui 6-3.

Northern Ireland's Brown overcame Scotland's Stephen Maguire 6-5 to reach the last four, where Ford awaits him following a 6-4 victory over fellow England player Barry Hawkins in China.

O'Sullivan, 47, hit the side of the table with his cue during a frustrating contest against Carter - but managed to complete a hard-fought win despite recording a highest break of 60.

Brown, meanwhile, made breaks of 78, 102 and 69 to establish a 5-2 lead against Maguire before the Scot won three consecutive frames - including a 115 break - to draw level.

But Brown held his nerve to secure the final frame 65-27, with a break of 57.

Hawkins, who recovered from 5-1 down to beat Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 6-5 in the last 16, fell short of another fightback against Ford.

He came back from 4-1 down to level before Ford took the last two frames for victory.


BBC
 
International Championship: Six centuries as Tom Ford beats Jordan Brown 9-6 to reach final in China

England's Tom Ford battled back from 3-0 down to beat Jordan Brown 9-6 and book his place in the International Championship final in China.

A high-quality contest in Tianjin saw Ford compile four centuries, while Brown made two tons of his own.

The players were tied 4-4 after the first session of their match but, despite again trailing twice, Ford, 40, emerged the victor.

Ronnie O'Sullivan and Zhang Anda meet in the second semi-final on Saturday.


BBC
 
Cricket Warrior said:
International Championship: Six centuries as Tom Ford beats Jordan Brown 9-6 to reach final in China

England's Tom Ford battled back from 3-0 down to beat Jordan Brown 9-6 and book his place in the International Championship final in China.

A high-quality contest in Tianjin saw Ford compile four centuries, while Brown made two tons of his own.

The players were tied 4-4 after the first session of their match but, despite again trailing twice, Ford, 40, emerged the victor.

Ronnie O'Sullivan and Zhang Anda meet in the second semi-final on Saturday.


BBC
Click to expand...
it would be an interesting final if Ronnie reaches in finals as he is in the incredible form right now and favourite to win the title.

Keeping my finger crossed!

Go Ronnie Go!
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan out in International Championship semi-finals after losing five straight frames

World number one Ronnie O'Sullivan lost five consecutive frames in a shock defeat by Zhang Anda in the semi-finals of the International Championship in China.

O'Sullivan was denied a place in Sunday's final against fellow Briton Tom Ford after losing 9-6.

Home favourite Zhang recovered from 6-4 down to win the next five frames.

"When I was 6-4 behind, I tried not to think about the result and slowly adjusted my mentality," said Zhang.

The 31-year-old added: "When you are behind, you try to slowly get yourself back into the game. If you do that, you rarely think about winning or losing, you will not be afraid of mistakes and you will be less nervous.

"I personally like to play the long matches, because my performance in these matches is quite good. It makes it easier for me to feel involved and it will slowly get me into the rhythm of the game."

Speaking after his defeat in Tianjin, O'Sullivan, 47, said: "He [Zhang] played well and deserved to win. He was the better player on the day, so fair play to him.

"I expected him to be like that as I've played him a few times, he was solid. He is a fantastic player, I don't know where he has been for the last 10 years."



BBC
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Ronnie O'Sullivan out in International Championship semi-finals after losing five straight frames

World number one Ronnie O'Sullivan lost five consecutive frames in a shock defeat by Zhang Anda in the semi-finals of the International Championship in China.

O'Sullivan was denied a place in Sunday's final against fellow Briton Tom Ford after losing 9-6.

Home favourite Zhang recovered from 6-4 down to win the next five frames.

"When I was 6-4 behind, I tried not to think about the result and slowly adjusted my mentality," said Zhang.

The 31-year-old added: "When you are behind, you try to slowly get yourself back into the game. If you do that, you rarely think about winning or losing, you will not be afraid of mistakes and you will be less nervous.

"I personally like to play the long matches, because my performance in these matches is quite good. It makes it easier for me to feel involved and it will slowly get me into the rhythm of the game."

Speaking after his defeat in Tianjin, O'Sullivan, 47, said: "He [Zhang] played well and deserved to win. He was the better player on the day, so fair play to him.

"I expected him to be like that as I've played him a few times, he was solid. He is a fantastic player, I don't know where he has been for the last 10 years."



BBC
Click to expand...
GOAT lost the game by one of the future GOAT.

What a player Zhang Anda is, purely a master class!
 
Champion of Champions: Mark Allen and Ali Carter will contest Group Four final

Mark Allen recovered from losing the opening frame to beat Jimmy White 4-1 in the first group semi-final at the Champion of Champions event in Bolton.

White won a scrappy first but a break of 76 drew Allen level, then a run of 84 edged the Northern Irishman ahead.

As in frame three, Allen came from behind to win the fourth, before a 108 break saw him clinch victory.

Ali Carter beat Mark Selby 4-3 in the second Group Four semi-final and will face Allen in Monday night's final.

A break of 68 helped world number 10 Carter win frame one, but four-time world champion Selby fought back to take the next two, including compiling a 97 in the third frame.

A run of 76 saw Carter draw level, before an 87 helped Selby move in front again in the contest.

Breaks of 121 and 58 in the final two frames proved enough to get the 2023 German Masters champion over the line.

World number four Allen has struggled to find his best form so far this season, with his best result to date being a quarter-final appearance at the Wuhan Open.

The 37-year-old won the Champion of Champions in 2020 and qualified for this year's tournament thanks to successes in the Northern Ireland Open, UK Championship and World Grand Prix last season.

Six-time World Championship runner-up White, 61, secured his passage to compete in the invitation event as a result of securing his fourth World Seniors Championship title earlier this year.

A field of 16 players is contesting the Champion of Champions, including Ronnie O'Sullivan, who won the title and the £150,000 first prize 12 months ago.

The winner of Monday's Group Four final between Allen and Carter will face the victor of Group One, which includes O'Sullivan and Higgins, in the semi-finals on Saturday.


BBC
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Champion of Champions: Mark Allen and Ali Carter will contest Group Four final

Mark Allen recovered from losing the opening frame to beat Jimmy White 4-1 in the first group semi-final at the Champion of Champions event in Bolton.

White won a scrappy first but a break of 76 drew Allen level, then a run of 84 edged the Northern Irishman ahead.

As in frame three, Allen came from behind to win the fourth, before a 108 break saw him clinch victory.

Ali Carter beat Mark Selby 4-3 in the second Group Four semi-final and will face Allen in Monday night's final.

A break of 68 helped world number 10 Carter win frame one, but four-time world champion Selby fought back to take the next two, including compiling a 97 in the third frame.

A run of 76 saw Carter draw level, before an 87 helped Selby move in front again in the contest.

Breaks of 121 and 58 in the final two frames proved enough to get the 2023 German Masters champion over the line.

World number four Allen has struggled to find his best form so far this season, with his best result to date being a quarter-final appearance at the Wuhan Open.

The 37-year-old won the Champion of Champions in 2020 and qualified for this year's tournament thanks to successes in the Northern Ireland Open, UK Championship and World Grand Prix last season.

Six-time World Championship runner-up White, 61, secured his passage to compete in the invitation event as a result of securing his fourth World Seniors Championship title earlier this year.

A field of 16 players is contesting the Champion of Champions, including Ronnie O'Sullivan, who won the title and the £150,000 first prize 12 months ago.

The winner of Monday's Group Four final between Allen and Carter will face the victor of Group One, which includes O'Sullivan and Higgins, in the semi-finals on Saturday.


BBC
Click to expand...
Could be an interesting one.

But my pick is Ali Carter as he is in good form these days.
 
World No 1 Ronnie O'Sullivan has withdrawn from the Champion of Champions snooker event in Bolton, three days after playing at the International Championship in Tianjin, China; O'Sullivan pulled out of other events earlier this season.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has pulled out of the Champion of Champions snooker event to look after his mental health.

O'Sullivan was playing in China last week where he reached the semi-finals of the International Championship and was scheduled to face Zhang Anda in Bolton on Wednesday.

Zhang beat O'Sullivan in the last four in the International Championship and went on to win the event, the first tournament victory of his career.

Seven-time world champion O'Sullivan has withdrawn from three other events this season and has struggled with an elbow injury. He stated before this campaign that he would play less of the UK tournaments, instead focusing on the events in China as snooker makes a full return to the country after the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Hi guys, just wanted to let you know I'm unfortunately withdrawing from the Champions of Champions event tomorrow," wrote O'Sullivan on X, previously known as Twitter.

"Mentally I feel a bit drained and stressed and I want to look after my mental health and my body. I'm sorry to all the fans but I'll be back stronger."

O'Sullivan won the Shanghai Masters title last month, beating world champion Luca Brecel 11-9 in the final.

He is expected to return at the UK Championship, the first of snooker's Triple Crown tournaments this season, which begins on November 25 in York.

Source: Sky Sports


www.skysports.com

Ronnie O'Sullivan: Seven-time world champion withdraws from Champion of Champions to look after mental health

Ronnie O'Sullivan has pulled out of the Champion of Champions snooker event to look after his mental health.
www.skysports.com
 
John Higgins thrashed Ding Junhui 6-1 in their Group One decider to reach the Champion of Champions semi-finals.

The 48-year-old Scot was on for a maximum 147 break in the opening frame but missed the 13th red when on 96.

China's Ding levelled with a 106 break but that was the only frame he won as Higgins claimed the next five.

"I felt good out there and I really enjoyed it," said Higgins, who will play Northern Ireland's Mark Allen in the last four in Bolton.

"Me and Mark always have great matches. Last time he pipped me 9-8 in the Northern Ireland final so maybe I owe him one back. I can't wait to play him."


BBC
 
Mark Allen says the "players ultimately hold the power" over the future of snooker following his criticism of the World Snooker Tour.

The world number four recently apologised for lambasting the tour and saying the sport was in "disarray".

But Allen, who plays John Higgins in the Champion of Champions semi-final on Saturday, believes snooker is a "long way away" from being its best self.

"I believe so," said Allen, when asked if changes should be player led.

"I think the players ultimately hold the power. Without the top players, the game doesn't survive, so I think changes are needed.

"I think the sport is a long way away from being what it can be. I'm happy to sit down with the people that make those decisions in a quiet room and discuss it.

"Hopefully we can sit down and amicably come to a good settlement."

The 37-year-old won the Northern Ireland Open title, the UK Championship title and the World Grand Prix title last season.

His success on the table earned him the World Snooker Tour player of the year award for the 2022-23 season.

Allen will attempt to defend his UK Championship title in York later this month as he he hopes to top off a stellar year.

"It's been the best 12 months of my career and it would be nice to finish it off with a win - Champion of Champions or UK Championships, I'll take any of them," added Allen.

"I want to be world number one. I want to be world champion. It hasn't been the best start to the season but there is a long way to go, a lot of tournaments to go.

"I still believe I can finish [the season as world number one]. If I win the world championship, that takes care of both.

"They are the ultimate goals. When I first lifted a cue at 12 years of age, that's what I wanted to be - world number one and world champion.

"They are within my grasp now. They weren't a few years ago but they are now. I keep working hard and I believe I can get there."


BBC
 
Judd Trump produced a battling performance to beat Shaun Murphy 6-4 in their group decider and reach the semi-finals of the Champion of Champions.

Murphy knocked in breaks of 107 and 67 on the way to going 3-1 up before Trump levelled with the help of an 84.

A frame-winning 56 and victory in the eighth frame, when he needed snookers, put Trump 5-3 in front before he went on to seal victory with a 107.

Trump went on to produce a 56 clearance, which started with a double, to win the frame by two points.



BBC
 
Northern Ireland's Mark Allen clinched his first title of the season by defeating Judd Trump 10-3 in the Champion of Champions final in Bolton.

Allen, 37, led 7-2 after the afternoon session, and while Trump's 77 break cut the margin, runs of 57 and 62 helped the Antrim player clinch victory.

Trump has been the dominant player on the circuit so far this season but was outplayed by Allen in Sunday's final.


BBC
 
Mark Allen says he will begin the defence of his UK Championship title in a positive frame of mind after winning the Champion of Champions tournament.

The Northern Irishman beat Judd Trump 10-3 in Sunday's final in Bolton to win the event for the second time.

The 37-year-old world number four will play his first-round match in the UK Championship on Saturday.

"If I don't get confidence from that I'm never going to get confidence," said Allen of his most recent triumph.

Allen saw off Jimmy White and Ali Carter in the group stage of the Champion of Champions, before defeating John Higgins in the last four and then running out a convincing winner over in-form Trump.

His previous success in the tournament came in 2020, behind closed doors at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Trump had already won the English Open, Wuhan Open and Northern Ireland Open this season.

In contrast, Allen's victory signals a return to form following an indifferent start to the campaign which saw him battle against a "technical kink" in his game and struggle to recapture the performances which saw him pick up three titles and reach the semi-finals of the World Championship in 2022-23.


BBC
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan: Seven-time world champion says he could quit over row with governing body

Ronnie O'Sullivan says he is at a "crossroads" with snooker's governing body and could quit the sport if he has to reduce the time he spends in China.

The seven-time world champion, 47, is facing disciplinary action for publicly criticising the World Snooker Tour.

His comments related to five players being threatened with punishment for playing in an exhibition event in Macau instead of the Northern Ireland Open.

"I know that they're going to throw the book at me," O'Sullivan told the BBC.

"I can't speak out. I've accepted that. So that's the situation that I'm in. I'm under disciplinary," he said in an extensive interview for BBC Two.

Disciplinary action against the five players - world champion Luca Brecel, four-time world champion John Higgins and Mark Selby, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Ali Carter - was averted when the event in Macau, a special administrative region of China, was moved to December, with World Snooker Tour (WST) permission.

O'Sullivan backed the players in their dispute with WST in October.

Specially organised events in East Asia are a lucrative proposition for stars like O'Sullivan, who can attract large crowds whenever they play.

"I have no option now," O'Sullivan added. "If I can't go out and do what I need to do - which is play a lot in China - then I won't ever play again.

"We are at a sort of crossroads now.

"There's not enough here for me in the UK to justify the effort that I put in. When I go to China I play in great venues, great crowds, great prize money. And I love it.

"If that gets to the point where I'm not able to do that or I'm not allowed to do that, then I probably won't play. I'll probably go and play Chinese 8 ball (pool) because I still want to play snooker. I still want a cue in my hand."

In response, WST said: "While we are delighted for Ronnie to build his profile in China, and to play in his private exhibition events, our priority is to protect the interests of all players."



www.bbc.com

O'Sullivan future in doubt as he hits 'crossroads'

Ronnie O'Sullivan says he is at a "crossroads" with snooker's governing body and could quit the sport if he has to reduce the time he spends in China.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Northern Ireland's Mark Allen will begin his title defence at the UK Championship against Ding Junhui - the player he beat in last year's final.

World number four Allen, 37, overcame China's Ding 10-7 to lift the trophy for the first time 12 months ago.

The pair will meet again in the first round of this year's main draw at York's Barbican Centre on Saturday.

Three-time UK champion Ding, 36, had to qualify on Wednesday having slipped out of the world's top 16.

Allen heads into the event on a high after winning the Champion of Champions event in Bolton on Sunday, beating Judd Trump 10-3 in the final.

Thursday's UK Championship draw also pitted world champion Luca Brecel against Yuan Sijun on Sunday, while world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan will face Anthony McGill on Tuesday.

The final eight qualifiers are being decided in Leicester on Thursday, with Joe O'Connor setting up a clash against John Higgins by getting the better of 2004 champion Stephen Maguire.



BBC
 
Mark Allen: World number four targets 'peaceful resolution' to player contract concerns

Mark Allen is seeking a "peaceful resolution" to contract concerns when he and other players meet with snooker bosses during the UK Championship.

Allen recently criticised World Snooker Tour (WST), saying the game was in "disarray" and that player contracts were "very restrictive".

He later apologised on X, saying: "I regret and sincerely apologise for making these comments."

Allen said he wants "all our cards on the table" in the meeting.

The world number four added: "Some of the issues I have are the same things that Ronnie [O'Sullivan] has said, so hopefully we can get a peaceful resolution because it's obviously not ideal.

"It's not ideal for me to be sitting here doing an interview when I can't speak about things and be open and honest and I feel at the moment I can't be."

In response to Allen's latest comments, WST said: "We have given all the players the chance to sit down with us this week and raise any concerns they have, and are always open to dialogue with them."



www.bbc.com

Allen to meet with World Snooker Tour over player concerns

Defending UK champion Mark Allen hopes a meeting with World Snooker Tour in the coming days leads to a "peaceful resolution" over player contract concerns.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Ding Junhui considered giving Mark Allen "a walkover" because he was feeling ill before fighting back to beat the defending champion 6-5 in the first round of the UK Championship.

The result means Ding exacts a measure of revenge for last year's final, when the Northern Irishman overturned a 6-1 deficit to triumph 10-7 in York.

Breaks of 67, 106 and 60 had helped Allen establish a commanding 4-2 lead.

However, China's Ding took four of the last five frames to seal his victory.


 
World champion Luca Brecel moved into the second round of the UK Championship with a 6-4 win over Yuan Sijun in York.

A mixed display from the Belgian saw him construct sublime breaks of 127 and 108 but also make a series of errors.

It allowed China's Yuan, who at times also struggled among the balls, to come from 4-2 down to level at 4-4 before Brecel again pulled clear.

Brecel will face Yuan's compatriot Zhang Anda next after he won a final-frame decider against Elliot Slessor.



BBC
 
Sunday evening's session of the UK Championship was delayed by a fire at the Barbican Theatre in York.

World Snooker confirmed that the building was evacuated and that the fire brigade put out a small blaze in the reception area of the building.

The venue was deemed safe for fans and players to return to.

Matches between Shaun Murphy and Hossein Vafaei, and Ali Carter and Matthew Selt, which were due to start at 19:00 GMT resumed at 20:00.


BBC
 
Judd Trump produced a dominant display to thrash Pang Junxu 6-1 in the first round of the UK Championship in York.

England's Trump signalled his intent with a wonderful break of 114 in the opening frame.

While a half century briefly helped China's Pang draw level, the world number two then went through the gears with runs of 124, 68 and 50 as he completed his victory.

Trump will meet Jack Lisowski or Jamie Jones next.
 
Two-time winner Mark Selby clinically dispatched Mark Joyce 6-0 as he reached the second round of the UK Championship in York.

The four-time world champion dominated throughout and rattled in breaks of 82, 61, 75 and 80 on his way to victory.

It was a ruthless performance from Selby who barely missed a ball and restricted Joyce to just 30 points across the final five frames.
 
Seven-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan claimed a comfortable 6-2 first-round victory over Anthony McGill in the UK Championship in York.

A 116 clearance and a half-century had given McGill an early 2-0 lead.

However, world number one O'Sullivan then took charge - compiling five half-centuries as he reeled off the next six frames to seal his victory.

Three-time UK champion John Higgins beat Joe O'Connor 6-3 in Tuesday afternoon's other match.

Scotland's Higgins will meet Australia's Neil Robertson or China's Zhou Yuelong in the next round.

O'Sullivan will face fellow Englishman Robert Milkins or Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the last 16.



BBC
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan: Seven-time world champion says he was asked to 'consider future' by governing body

O'Sullivan, 47, is facing disciplinary action for publicly criticising the World Snooker Tour over its stance on five players appearing in an exhibition event in Macau earlier this season.

He has also threatened to quit snooker over the row.

The WST has been asked to respond to O'Sullivan's latest comments.

"The letter they've sent me has not been very nice," the Englishman said.

"I think I've done a lot of good for this game. I'd expect someone to come out and say, 'you know what, we think you've done great for the game, we love what you give'.

"I never get a 'well done' letter. All I get is a letter saying I've done this and that wrong. I've not spoken to anyone at World Snooker for 10 years and I won't ever reach out to them again because I know the culture is not for me."

Disciplinary action against the five players - current world champion Luca Brecel, four-time world champions John Higgins and Mark Selby, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Ali Carter - was averted when the event in Macau, a special administrative region of China, was moved to December, with WST permission.

Current world number one O'Sullivan backed the players in their dispute with the WST in October.

More recently, Northern Ireland's Mark Allen said he was hoping for a "peaceful resolution" to contract concerns when he and other players meet with snooker bosses during the UK Championship.

Specially organised events in East Asia are a lucrative proposition for stars such as O'Sullivan, who can attract large crowds whenever they play, and he believes that contracts to play on the main professional tour should offer more flexibility to allow that to happen.

"Sharing a slice of cake with 130 players [on the main tour] is difficult," O'Sullivan said.

"When I go to China, they are paying me 10 to 15 times the amount I can get to play here. At this stage of my career, I have to think of what is right for my family. I want them to have a comfortable life."


www.bbc.com

Snooker bosses 'asked me to consider my future'

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan says he was asked to "consider future" in a recent letter from snooker's governing body.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Judd Trump says he will have to improve significantly to stand any chance of winning his second UK Championship.

The 2011 UK champion thrashed Jamie Jones 6-0 to secure a quarter-final place in York.

Breaks of 100, 59, 51 and 47 saw the world number two dominate to reach only his second UK quarter-final since 2014.

"It's going to get a lot harder than that. I know if I perform like that against one of the top, top players, then I'll be going home," he said.

"It [the scoreline] was a bit flattering. He didn't really turn up. When someone misses chances against you it's important to punish them - and that's what I did.

"I don't know whether it was a just a bad day at the office for him, but I'm sure he'll be disappointed with how he played."

Trump opened with a fine century break before Welshman Jones missed chances to level, allowing his opponent to cruise into a 4-0 interval lead.

It was also one-way traffic following the resumption as Trump claimed the two frames he needed for a routine victory and a meeting with either Mark Selby, a two-time UK champion, or Barry Hawkins on Friday.



www.bbc.com

Trump seeks improvement despite easy victory

Judd Trump, the 2011 champion, says he will have to 'significantly improve' despite a comprehensive 6-0 victory over Jamie Jones at the UK Championship.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Robert Milkins 6-5 to reach UK Championship quarter-finals

Ronnie O'Sullivan says he "can't be bothered any more" with snooker despite securing a UK Championship quarter-final place.

The seven-time UK champion fought back from 2-0 down to beat Robert Milkins 6-5 in York.

But the frustrated world number one was far from happy with his performance.

"I had to grind out another win for my sins. It's a crazy game, it still torments me after 30 years," O'Sullivan told BBC Sport.

"I thought he deserved to win. I couldn't feel anything, I was just all over the show. I haven't got a clue any more, I don't understand how this game works.

"I gave up a long time ago, I just keep turning up and stinking out gaffs. I stunk it out today and I'll probably stink it out tomorrow."

O'Sullivan, 47, is facing disciplinary action for publicly criticising the World Snooker Tour over its stance on five players appearing in an exhibition event in Macau earlier this season.

He has threatened to quit snooker over the row.




BBC
 
UK Championship 2023: Ronnie O'Sullivan survives scare against Zhou Yuelong to reach semi-finals

Ronnie O'Sullivan branded himself "awful" despite keeping alive his hopes of a record-extending eighth UK Championship crown.

The world number one beat China's Zhou Yuelong 6-5 in a gripping quarter-final in York.

O'Sullivan led 4-1 but slipped 5-4 down, before winning the final two frames for a fine comeback win.

"I felt a bit embarrassed at times - it was just desperation I started to play all right," O'Sullivan told the BBC.

"I was just going through the motions and plodding away. I was just so frustrated with how poorly I played, there really was no pressure on me.

"I was awful. Technically I'm all over the gaff."

O'Sullivan, 47, started with a superb break of 125 - the 1,267th century of his career - as he laid an early marker of intent to 25-year-old Zhou, an opponent he beat 6-0 in their previous two meetings.

A break of 68 followed as Zhou failed to pot a ball in the opening two frames, before a run of 47 saw the 39-time ranking event winner extend his lead.

O'Sullivan, appearing in his 20th UK quarter-final in 30 appearances at the tournament, used sandpaper to rectify a problem with his cue tip in the fourth frame.

His brief loss of concentration allowed Zhou to pull a frame back, but a composed 60 break looked to have put the seven-time world champion back on course for victory.

Zhou bravely rallied to win four frames in a row, but O'Sullivan made his vast experience count and held his nerve to close the match out in style with breaks of 77 and 122 to reach a 12th UK semi-final.

"Ronnie was fantastic in that last frame - that's why he's world number one," said Zhou.

"He just played perfect in the last two frames, but I'm proud of the way I played."

O'Sullivan will play Hossein Vafaei on Saturday in the first of this year's semi-finals.

Iran's Vafaei battled back from 4-3 down to beat China's Zhang Anda courtesy of three century breaks.



BBC
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Hossein Vafaei and Ding Junhui defeats Judd Trump to reach UK final

Ronnie O'Sullivan marched into the UK Championship final with a comprehensive 6-2 victory over Hussein Vafaei.

The seven-time world champion, 47, proved too strong for Iran's Vafaei to reach his ninth UK final in York.

He will play Ding Junhui on Sunday for the £250,000 first prize after he beat Judd Trump 6-4 in their semi-final.

"Sometimes survival is just the difference, it can help you win tournaments," O'Sullivan told the BBC.

"He missed a few balls, let me off the hook a few times and didn't put any pressure on me.

"I just want to do myself justice in matches and play well.

"Playing well under pressure is important, but I'm just motivated by cash."

Breaks of 113 and 54 enabled world number one O'Sullivan to lead 2-0, but Vafaei, 29, rallied with a century and won a scrappy fourth frame to restore parity.

It was one-way traffic after that as the seven-time world champion showed his pedigree with breaks of 90, 60, 52 and 50 to secure a spot in his ninth UK Championship final.


www.bbc.com

O'Sullivan and Ding to contest UK final

Ronnie O'Sullivan defeats Hossein Vafaei 6-2 and Ding Junhui beats Judd Trump 6-4 to set up a meeting in this year's UK Championship final in York on Sunday.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Masters 2024 draw: Judd Trump to face Kyren Wilson in first round

Reigning champion Judd Trump will play Kyren Wilson in the first round of the 2024 Masters at Alexandra Palace.

The tournament, in which only the top 16 in the world rankings compete, will run from 7-14 January.

England's Trump, 34, beat Wales' Mark Williams 10-8 in the 2023 final to lift the trophy for the second time.

World number one Ronnie O'Sullivan will face either Williams or Ding Junhui in the last 16, depending on the outcome of Sunday's UK Championship final.

Should O'Sullivan win his eighth UK title against Ding, the pair will meet again at the Masters.

However, if Ding clinches his fourth UK crown, he will climb high enough up the rankings to become a seeded player in the Masters draw and will therefore take on Ali Carter.

World champion Luca Brecel will play Jack Lisowski in his first-round match, while debutant Zhang Anda will face 2015 Masters winner Shaun Murphy.


Masters first-round draw:

Mark Williams/Ding Junhui v Ali Carter

Mark Selby v Robert Milkins

Judd Trump v Kyren Wilson

Mark Allen v John Higgins

Ronnie O'Sullivan v Mark Williams/Ding Junhui

Neil Robertson v Barry Hawkins

Shaun Murphy v Zhang Anda

Luca Brecel v Jack Lisowski



BBC
 
Ronnie wins his 8th UK championship, 30 years after his first one. What a player! The greatest sportsman in British history, in my opinion.
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan became the oldest-ever UK champion with a 10-7 victory over Ding Junhui as he claimed a record-extending eighth title in York.

O'Sullivan's triumph has come two days before he turns 48 and three decades on from being the youngest player to win the UK Championship, aged 17.

The match was delicately poised at 4-4 heading into Sunday's final session.

But O'Sullivan pulled clear with four half-centuries and two centuries to secure the £250,000 top prize.

O'Sullivan's remarkable longevity at the top of the game means he eclipses Doug Mountjoy's long-standing mark from 1988, when he won his second UK title, aged 46, against Stephen Hendry.
 
Snooker Shoot-Out: Shaun Murphy hits first 147 in tournament history

Shaun Murphy made the first 147 break in Snooker Shoot-Out history as he beat Hungarian teenager Bulcsu Revesz.

The competition involves matches being played for a maximum of 10 minutes, with players having 15 seconds a shot in the first five minutes and 10 seconds in the final five minutes.

Revesz, 16, left Murphy with a chance from the break and the 2005 world champion took full advantage.

"On the [final] blue a fella shouted out 'don't bottle it'," said Murphy.

"Goodness me, my heart's going. It was great fun."

Murphy's maximum in the first-round match in Swansea was the eighth of his career and will earn him £5,000 unless it is equalled.

Speaking to Eurosport, he added: "I love the event and can't believe what's just happened. It was a real buzz. You get excited out there playing this event, win or lose.

"I've done both, played really nicely and really badly, but for the fans here, they've seen something special, it was a pleasure to play for them."

The previous highest break in the competition, which has been running since 2011, was 142 by Mark Allen.

"Honestly one of the best things I've ever seen in snooker. Simply ridiculous," wrote Allen on X, formerly Twitter, in response to Murphy's maximum.



www.bbc.com

Murphy hits first 147 in Shoot-Out history

Shaun Murphy makes the first 147 break in Snooker Shoot-Out history as he beats Hungarian teenager Bulcsu Revesz.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Mark Allen has become the first player ranked inside the world's top 16 to win the Snooker Shoot Out

Northern Ireland's Allen defeated China's Cao Yupeng 65-4 in the final in Swansea.

Allen, who was the top seed, claims the £50,000 first prize and his 10th ranking title.

Snooker Shoot Out is a single-frame game with a maximum length of 10 minutes and players facing a shot clock.

Allen, who defeated amateur Steven Hallworth in the semi-finals, built 16-0 and 31-4 leads over Cao but the Chinese player remained in contention until a number of errors late in the frame put his opponent in control.

"It's just so hard," Allen told Eurosport.

"The easiest of shots turns into the most difficult and you feel more pressure here in a 10-minute frame than you would do in the final frame of a big ranking tournament final at 9-9 or something.

"It just does crazy things to your brain."



www.bbc.com

Allen becomes first top-16 player to win Shoot Out

Mark Allen becomes the first player ranked inside the world's top 16 to win the Snooker Shoot Out by defeating Cao Yupeng in Swansea.
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Scottish Open: Judd Trump suffers surprise exit to Zhang Anda

World number two Judd Trump has made an early exit at the Scottish Open, with the Englishman losing 4-2 to Zhang Anda.

Chinese player Zhang hit breaks of 114, 82, 81 and 71 to progress to the last 32 in Edinburgh.

World champion Luca Brecel, who won the Scottish Open in 2021, beat England's James Cahill 4-3 with a 133 clearance in the final-frame decider.

Four-time world champion John Higgins beat China's He Guoqiang 4-1.

Liam Graham, the 19-year-old Scot who received a bye into the last 64 after world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan's withdrawal, progressed further by beating Belgian Ben Mertens 4-2.

Fifth-ranked Englishman Mark Selby beat Wales' Matthew Stevens 4-3 in a late-night finish.



www.bbc.com

Trump suffers surprise Scottish Open exit to Zhang

World number two Judd Trump makes an early Scottish Open exit in Edinburgh, with the Englishman losing 4-2 to China's Zhang Anda.
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BETVICTOR GERMAN MASTERS DRAW

The draw for the world ranking event has been made, and with a new format this season, matches involving the top eight seeds will be held over to the final stages in Berlin, to run from January 29 to February 4.

Kleckers will compete at the Tempodrom for the first time in his career, against Trump who won the title in 2020 and 2021. Ali Carter lifted the Brandon Parker Trophy last season after beating Tom Ford in the final, and the Captain will begin the defence of his title against two-time ranking event winner Michael White.

The eight held over matches are:

Ali Carter v Michael White
Shaun Murphy v Xu Si
Mark Allen v Manasawin Phetmalaikul
Judd Trump v Lukas Kleckers
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Julien Leclercq
Mark Selby v Marco Fu
Neil Robertson v Sanderson Lam
Luca Brecel v Ishpreet Singh Chadha


All other first round matches will take place in the qualifiers which run from December 18 to 22 at Ponds Forge in Sheffield. Fans will be welcome for just £10 per day. Notable fixtures include:

Pang Junxu v Jimmy White
Hossein Vafaei v Mink Nutcharut
Mark Williams v David Grace
Stephen Maguire v Rebecca Kenna
John Higgins v Daniel Wells
Ryan Day v Stan Moody
Ding Junhui v Yuan Sijun
Kyren Wilson v Oliver Lines


wst.tv

BetVictor German Masters Draw - World Snooker

Germany’s top player Lukas Kleckers will meet Judd Trump in the first round of the 2024 BetVictor German Masters at the Tempodrom in Berlin. CLICK HERE FOR THE DRAW CLICK HERE FOR THE QUALIFYING FORMAT The draw for the world ranking event has been made, and with a new format this season, matches...
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Scottish Open 2023: John Higgins loses with Gary Wilson to meet Noppon Saengkham in final

John Higgins missed out on a Scottish Open final date with Gary Wilson after losing to Noppon Saengkham.

The Scot took the opening frame and led 3-1 but Thailand's Saengkham took the next five frames to win 6-3.

Four-time world champion Higgins' wait to win his home event continues, with Saengkham taking on defending champion Wilson on Sunday.

In Saturday's earlier semi-final, it took all 11 frames for Englishman Wilson to defeat China's Zhou Yuelong.

Zhou made a break of 69 in the decider and celebrated after potting the green to lead by 31 points with just 22 remaining.

However, Wilson got the two snookers he required - one on the brown and another on the blue - to force a re-spotted black, which he eventually potted.

"To somehow win is unbelievable," Wilson told Eurosport. "Every now and again something miraculous happens so you've got to keep digging in and battling.

"I felt like I was struggling to get any kind of run, I was struggling to get on a ball and make anything easy. I thought, 'surely something's got to turn a little bit here' and I felt at points towards the end it was starting to."



BBC
 
Govt receives meagre 2,800 Haj 2024 applications in sponsorship scheme

Despite allocating 25,000 seats for Haj 2024 in the sponsorship scheme, the government has so far received a mere 2,800 applications in the said category as the December 22 application submission deadline closes in.

The government, to attract valuable foreign exchange amid depleting reserves, has announced that those paying their dues in dollars from abroad will be exempted from ballotting and will be declared as "winners" without the need for ballotting.

Geo News reported that after assessing the dire situation amid a low application count in the sponsorship scheme — coupled with 58,000 applications received under the regular scheme — the Ministry of Religious Affairs has written to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis to enlighten Pakistanis living abroad about the Haj application filing process.

Furthermore, the ministry — after approaching interior and foreign ministries — has also decided to seek the assistance of the Ministry of Information in this regard.

The development comes as the government extended the Hajj application deadline by 10 days from December 12 to 22 earlier this week.

The applications can be submitted on a passport valid till December 16, 2024, and the Haj application can also be processed on a passport application token.

Around 89,605 Pakistanis are expected to perform Haj under the government scheme which will cost around Rs1,075,000 — Rs100,000 less than that of the previous year.

Furthermore, the government has also introduced both long and short-term packages spanning over 38 to 42 and 20 to 25 days, respectively.

Meanwhile, women, for the first time in history, will have the opportunity to undertake the sacred journey without the traditional requirement of a male companion.

Furthermore, the government would provide free-of-cost mobile SIMs with roaming internet packages to the Pakistani pilgrims.

It is pertinent to know that Pakistan has secured 179,000 Haj seats, with half reserved for private Haj operators.



www.thenews.com.pk

Sponsorship scheme: Govt receives only 2,800 Haj applications

Around 89,605 Pakistanis to attend Haj 2024 under government scheme with 25,000 seats reserved for sponsorship scheme
www.thenews.com.pk www.thenews.com.pk
 
Gary Wilson retained the Scottish Open title in style with a 9-5 win over Thailand's Noppon Saengkham

Yet the 38-year-old Englishman admitted to Eurosport that he does not like Edinburgh as "the city is a nightmare to get around".

"But there's certain places where you feel comfortable and happy," he said. "I felt like that last year - and I felt like that this year."

Wilson was never behind in the final after winning the first three frames.

Victory means he collects £80,000 and keeps hold of the Stephen Hendry Trophy.

At 6-1 and 7-2 adrift, Saengkham looked to be out of the running in his tour final debut.

The 31-year-old, who is ranked six places below Wilson at world number 26, fought back to 7-4 and 8-5 before the Briton clinched victory.

"I'm very proud," said Wilson, who had a top break of 105 and nine other 50-plus visits.

"I have been struggling a lot, but my family has stood by me forever. I found a game out of nowhere."


Saengkham added: "I have to give credit to Gary - he deserved to win the trophy. He controlled the game."


BBC
 
SCHEDULE CONFIRMED FOR SNOOKER’S WORLD GRAND PRIX IN LEICESTER​

The full first round schedule is:

Monday January 15

7pm
Judd Trump v Jamie Jones
Chris Wakelin v Lyu Haotian
Followed by
Mark Selby v Yuan Sijun
Ali Carter v Wu Yize

Tuesday January 16

1pm
John Higgins v Shaun Murphy
Stephen Maguire v Zhou Yuelong
Followed by
Gary Wilson v David Gilbert
Hossein Vafaei v Matthew Selt

7pm
Mark Williams v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Tom Ford v Jordan Brown
Followed by
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Pang Junxu
Barry Hawkins v Cao Yupeng

Wednesday January 17

1pm
Ding Junhui v Ricky Walden
Noppon Saengkham v Xiao Guodong
Followed by
Mark Allen v Jack Lisowski
Zhang Anda v Dominic Dale
 
The 2024 Masters - the second of this season's Triple Crown events - gets under way at Alexandra Palace in London on Sunday, 7 January and you can watch live coverage across the BBC.

World champion Luca Brecel gets the 50th Masters under way on Sunday afternoon when he plays Jack Lisowski for a place in the last eight.

World number one Ronnie O'Sullivan, who beat Ding Junhui to win the UK Championship in December, opens his bid for an eighth Masters crown against Ding on Monday.

Defending champion Judd Trump fought back to beat Mark Williams 10-8 in last year's final and he plays Kyren Wilson on Tuesday.

World number three Mark Allen faces John Higgins in Wednesday's opening match.

China's Zhang Anda, winner of the International Championship in November, is the only Masters debutant this year.

Only the top 16 players in the world rankings at the conclusion of the UK Championship will compete.
 
Masters 2024: Jack Lisowski comfortably beats world champion Luca Brecel to advance

Jack Lisowski claimed a 6-2 win over world champion Luca Brecel as the 50th edition of the Masters got under way in stunning fashion at Alexandra Palace.

Breaks of 70, 100, 96 and 69 gave England's Lisowski a commanding 4-0 lead at the mid-session interval.

The Belgian rallied with runs of 80 and 72 but Lisowski sealed his win with breaks of 63 and 68.

Lisowski will now play compatriot Shaun Murphy or Chinese debutant Zhang Anda in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

He has reached just one semi-final this season but he enjoyed a confidence-building run to the final of a lucrative exhibition event in Macau over the festive period which appears to have stood him in good stead coming into the second of this term's Triple Crown events.



BBC
 
John Higgins still in love with snooker 30 years on from first ranking title

John Higgins insists he remains very much in love with snooker despite a frustrating season and bouts of self-doubt creeping in as he gets older.

The Scot, a four-time world champion, is 12th in the rankings going into the 50th edition of the Masters.

Higgins, 48, meets Mark Allan at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday.

Reflecting on his first title success in 1994, Higgins told BBC Scotland: "I don't think I'd shaved yet - it seems like a lifetime ago."

On his way to that Grand Prix final at the age of 19, Higgins edged past Willie Thorne in the first round and thrashed Ronnie O'Sullivan 5-0 in the last eight before beating Dave Harold in the trophy match.

"When you're younger you don't feel any nerves, but when you get a bit older you start to think of things that can go wrong," said Higgins, who won the Masters in 2006 and has been a runner-up on three occasions.

"You're fighting your own self sometimes rather than the opponent.

"It's a sport you can play at a good level when you're nearly hitting 50, as long as your eyesight is all right.

"I try to be more aggressive but it's difficult when you're out there under the lights in the bear pit.

"I've been to four semi-finals this season and just not been able to get over that hurdle. But I still love it.

"Most of the players are working-class guys and there are incredible riches to play for. That keeps us level headed and I've been lucky enough to have had some good times.

"I've been incredibly lucky to play a sport I love and provide for my family."


BBC
 
Ding Junhui made sublime 147 maximum break against Ronnie O'Sullivan but fell to a 6-3 defeat in the Masters first round at Alexandra Palace.

Ding's effort was his second 147 at the prestigious event and the fourth ever.

Kirk Stevens in 1984 and Marco Fu in 2015 have also achieved the feat in this Triple Crown event.

It helped Ding come from 4-0 down to trail 4-3 before O'Sullivan pulled clear again to reach his 25th Masters quarter-final.


BBC
 
Judd Trump came from 3-0 down to win a final-frame decider against Kyren Wilson as he began the defence of his Masters title at Alexandra Palace.

Wilson enjoyed runs of 65 and 76 to establish a healthy lead as Trump struggled to find his rhythm early on.

However, Trump then made breaks of 52, 101 and 83 as he reeled off the next five frames.

Wilson took the next two before the world number two made a 65 clearance to seal a thrilling 6-5 win.

The two-time winner will now face Ali Carter in the last eight on Friday.


BBC
 
Masters 2024: Mark Allen edges John Higgins to reach quarter-finals

Mark Allen kept his hopes of winning a second Masters title alive with a fine 6-5 comeback victory over John Higgins.

Northern Ireland's Allen rallied from 3-1 down to win a thrilling final-frame decider and secure a place in the quarter-finals at Alexandra Palace.

"We were both very edgy, that's a big hurdle for me," he told BBC Sport.

The 2018 Masters champion will now play either Mark Selby, a triple Masters champion, or Robert Milkins on Friday night.

Allen, 37, added: "It wasn't the normal match between me and John, it was a bit scrappy and balls were missed.

"But any win against John is a good win - so I'll take it."



BBC
 

Masters 2024: Ronnie O'Sullivan defeats Barry Hawkins 6-3 to reach Masters semis​

Ronnie O'Sullivan labelled himself "awful" despite beating Barry Hawkins 6-3 to stay on course for a record-extending eighth Masters crown.

O'Sullivan rallied from 3-2 down to secure a place in his 15th Masters semi-final at Alexandra Palace.

Hawkins started brightly, but O'Sullivan finished stronger and will play Shaun Murphy or Jack Lisowski on Saturday afternoon (13.00 GMT).

"I'm lucky to get through," O'Sullivan told BBC Sport.

"I felt bad for Barry, I just dragged him down to my level. It's a funny old game.

"I didn't feel any pressure at all to be honest, maybe that's why I played like I did. I think you need that pressure sometimes to get you motivated."

O'Sullivan won the opening frame with an 88 break, but Hawkins, twice a beaten Masters finalist, replied with runs of 74, 56 and 47 to lead 3-2 shortly after the interval.

However, the left-hander missed a string of good chances to extend his lead further and O'Sullivan, who has not won the title for seven years, pounced in typical predatory fashion to progress.

Fine breaks of 77 and 60 allowed him to close out the match in style as he moved within two wins of the £250,000 first prize.

"That's the most awful standard of snooker," added O'Sullivan. "I just said to Barry at the end: 'Sorry mate.'

"I've just got this ability with certain players where if I play bad, then they play even worse.

"Some of the other guys will punish me, but I've just had it all through my life."

Hawkins was hammered 10-1 by O'Sullivan when the pair met in the 2017 Masters final and he had not beat him since the 2016 World Championship in Sheffield.

His record of just three wins from 20 meetings between the pair didn't bode well - and so it proved as O'Sullivan, by no means at his best, registered yet another victory.

"I let him [Ronnie] off the hook - I had enough chances," said Hawkins.

"For some reason your mind wanders when you play Ronnie. I've got no complaints."

It does seem, occasionally, Ronnie gets into the zone where he doesn't want to be bogged down with tactical play, so he prefers to be much more aggressive.

In the end he did a good job. It always feels like Ronnie wants to entertain, but I don't think that's really the most important thing.

He'll probably feel he's let people down, but in the end he finished the job - and that's all that matters.

But Barry Hawkins will be going back to his dressing room and saying: "I had so many chances - and I threw them all away."

Source: BBC Sport

www.bbc.com

Masters 2024: Ronnie O'Sullivan defeats Barry Hawkins 6-3 to reach Masters semis

Ronnie O'Sullivan branded himself "awful" despite beating Barry Hawkins 6-3 to move a step closer a record-extending eighth Masters title at Alexandra Palace.
www.bbc.com
 
Masters 2024: Ali Carter beats defending champion Judd Trump to reach semi-finals

Ali Carter beat reigning champion Judd Trump 6-5 to reach the semi-finals of the Masters at Alexandra Palace.

A see-saw encounter saw Carter establish a 4-2 advantage with three half-centuries and a break of 103.

Trump then made a sublime 129 as he began a fightback, reeling off three frames in a row to lead 5-4.

However, Carter took a nervy 10th frame with a superb 43 clearance to level and sealed his victory with a fine run of 64 in the decider.



BBC
 
Seven-time Masters champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has criticised tournament venue Alexandra Palace, saying it is "disgusting" and makes him "feel ill".

O'Sullivan, 48, added that the iconic north London venue is "dirty" and that he "can't wait to get out of here".

The world number one made the comments after beating Barry Hawkins 6-3 on Thursday to reach the semi-finals.

The World Snooker Tour (WST) said "other players have spoken with unanimous positivity" about the venue.

O'Sullivan, who has also finished Masters runner-up six times, said: "I just don't like this place. I find it disgusting.

"Everywhere is dirty. It's cold. It's freezing, I have to wear my coat everywhere. You go through car parks. There are bins. Honestly, it just makes me feel ill.

"I'm a bit of a clean freak and when I come in here it gives me the heebie-jeebies. I just can't wait to get out of here."


BBC
 

Masters 2024: Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Shaun Murphy 6-2 to close on eighth title​

Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Shaun Murphy 6-2 to reach his 14th Masters final and close in on a record-extending eighth title.

The world number one took the first two frames and the fourth to lead 3-1 after Murphy compiled a superb 131 break.

While another Murphy century brought him within a frame, O'Sullivan then went through the gears with runs of 90, 71 and 62 as he sealed his victory.

O'Sullivan will now face either Mark Allen or Ali Carter in Sunday's final.

As at the UK Championship in December, O'Sullivan, 48, now has his sights on the £250,000 top prize after a five-year absence from the showpiece match.

Already the tournament's youngest winner almost 29 years ago, he could now become its oldest too, eclipsing Stuart Bingham, who won his only Masters title, aged 43, in 2020.

"At the start there were a few mistakes but I cleaned it up a little bit - and I need to do that these days, because I can't pot as well as these guys but I can make breaks among the balls and make up for it that way," O'Sullivan told BBC Sport.

"I don't feel that old. I feel young in my mind. I feel a lot younger round the table when I play these younger players. They look old and their brains are quite slow. I still feel my brain is pretty quick round the snooker table, which is enough.

"They need to get their acts together because I am going blind, have got a dodgy arm and they still can't beat me."

Source: BBC
 
Watched some action from the match between Ronnie and Murphy. Ronnie looked top of his game and it would be very difficult for Mark or Ali to beat him in the final.
 
Ali Carter opened up a 5-3 lead over Ronnie O'Sullivan in the opening session of Sunday's Masters final at Alexandra Palace.

O'Sullivan, 48, who is chasing a record-extending eighth title, and Carter, 44, both made century breaks as they shared the first four frames.

Carter then enjoyed a sublime run of 122 and won two of the next three frames to establish an advantage.

The best-of-19-frames final will resume at 19:00 GMT.
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan fought back to claim a record-extending eighth Masters title with a thrilling 10-7 victory over Ali Carter at a raucous Alexandra Palace.

1705270180845.png
 
Ali Carter has criticised "some morons" in the crowd at London's Alexandra Palace during his 10-7 defeat by Ronnie O'Sullivan in Sunday's Masters final.

At the start of the 14th frame with Carter leading 7-6, the referee reminded fans not to shout out when the players were about to take a shot.

"It's hard enough to beat him," said Carter. "But when you've got people shouting when you are on your shot and saying stupid things at important times because half of them haven't got enough brains, it's ridiculous."

The 44-year-old, who was trying to win the Masters for the first time, added: "There are some morons in the crowd. It is just unbelievable really."



BBC
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan: Masters winner responds angrily after being criticised by Ali Carter

Ronnie O'Sullivan has called Ali Carter "not a nice person" and "a nightmare" to play against after being criticised by the beaten Masters finalist.

On Sunday, O'Sullivan rallied from 6-3 down to beat Carter 10-7 and win a record-extending eighth Masters title.

Afterwards, Carter accused the world number one of "snotting" - clearing his nose - "all over the floor".

A World Snooker Tour spokesperson said the whole incident between the two players was "under review".

The WST did not go into what the ramifications could be or a timeframe.

In response to Carter's comments, O'Sullivan said: "He (Carter) has got issues. He's got to go and sort his life out.

"He's got to go and see a counsellor or something. He's got to deal with that because that isn't any good."

Carter, 44, criticised "some morons" in the crowd at Alexandra Palace in London and also called out 48-year-old O'Sullivan's behaviour during the match.

"It's just disgusting, no one wants to say anything though do they?" said Carter.

"Snotting all over the floor and all that, it's outrageous behaviour from a top professional and if it gets swept under the carpet then it's not good."

Carter did beat his fellow Englishman in the second round of the same tournament in 2018 when they were involved in a "shoulder barge" incident during the match.

"I don't talk to him. I haven't spoken to him for 20 years. I played with him when he was a kid, shared a lot of stuff with him," said O'Sullivan, who swore repeatedly in his response.

"For him to come out and trash talk me like that, everybody knows what he's like, he's got issues. Why has he got issues with me? I'm not having it. I don't care.

"I will not skirt around it any more, tiptoeing on egg shells around someone like that.

"He's a nightmare. To have to play snooker against someone like that is a nightmare. [He's] not a nice person, not a nice vibe that he leaves around the table.

"That's it, I've said my piece. I've said it now, done."

Carter hit back again on Tuesday, telling ITV: "Ronnie is entitled to his opinion. I just said what it is and how it was and I talk facts. It is as simple as that.

"It makes no difference to me what he says - he says different things on different days. I don't think he even knows what is going to come out of his mouth at certain times.

"I actually feel a bit sorry for him. I don't think he is that well. So we move forward and we go again this week."

Former world champion Ken Doherty said the ongoing row was not a good look for the sport.

Speaking on ITV4's coverage of this week's Grand Prix event, Doherty said: "There is history behind it with the shoulder barge at the World Championship and it goes from there.

"It is bad blood and [O'Sullivan] was reacting to what Ali said in the press conference as well.

"I am sure World Snooker will review it and we'll see what happens, but not great headlines really."


BBC
 
I have never seen Ronnie that angry and responding to such events but Ali was very rude. He should have shown some respect to the GOAT and avoided engaging in such arguments.
 

Ronnie O'Sullivan: World number one and Masters champion again questions his future in snooker​


Ronnie O'Sullivan again questioned his snooker future after beating Zhou Yuelong 4-3 to reach the last eight at the World Grand Prix in Leicester.

World number one O'Sullivan is attempting to win his 41st ranking event title this week.

He claimed a record-extending eighth Masters crown on Sunday but despite that success is far from happy with his current form.

"The worst thing is you're winning tournaments," O'Sullivan told ITV4.

"If I was getting pumped every round playing like that, it would be an easy decision to make.

"I've got to really consider whether I can carry on feeling how I'm feeling out there - I just don't get any enjoyment from the way I'm hitting the ball. I feel like it's just hard work, I haven't a clue where the balls are going, and a lot of it's just guess-work."

O'Sullivan made breaks of 67, 107, 50 and a match-winning 90 to defeat China's Zhou and will now face Gary Wilson in the best-of-nine quarter-finals after the Scottish Open winner saw off Tom Ford 4-2.

In November, a dispute with snooker's governing body left O'Sullivan threatening to quit the sport if he has to reduce the time he spends in China.

But despite reducing his schedule this term, success in the UK Championship and Masters has given him the opportunity to win all three of snooker's Triple Crown events in the same season for the first time in his career.

"It's the only thing I've known and it's hard not to do this because it's my job, it's all I know, so I've struggled through it," O'Sullivan added.

"But I can't accept bad cueing, I'd rather cue well and lose than cue awful and win tournaments. I get no satisfaction out of it, I really don't.

"I'd give everything I've got to enjoy the game but I have not had that for a long time."

Meanwhile, reigning champion Mark Allen lost 4-2 to China's Zhang Anda.

Zhang opened with a run of 95 and took the first three frames before Allen responded with a superb 137 break. The Northern Irishman also took the fifth frame before Zhang sealed his win.


BBC
 
Saudi Arabia is now actively involved in taking control of all sports events. Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, and the current World Champion Luca Brecel will all be there.

20240119_160717.jpg
 
The World Snooker Tour has announced a first TV event in Saudi Arabia, where there will be an extra 20-point golden ball for players who complete a 147.

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, 2019 winner Judd Trump and current holder Luca Brecel will play in the event from 4-6 March.

The other seven players and schedule will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Games will follow current rules but with a 23rd "Riyadh Season ball" pottable on completing a maximum break.

It is not clear at this stage if the ball will be on the table throughout the game, if there will be any penalty for hitting it too early or what a player gains for potting it other than extra points in an already-won frame.

Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's general entertainment authority, said: "We are thrilled to be hosting our first-ever professional snooker tournament in the Kingdom.

"Snooker is watched and played by millions around the world and we look forward to welcoming some of the greatest players and snooker fans to our country and showing them what Saudi Arabia and Riyadh Season has to offer."

Chairman of World Snooker Tour Steve Dawson called it a "great privilege" to stage an event in Saudi Arabia, adding: "This is a huge breakthrough for snooker into a new territory, and we see this as the beginning of a new adventure for our sport in the region."

In a post on X,, external formerly known as Twitter, promoter Eddie Hearn said: "Major news for snooker tonight as we confirm the first major TV tournament in Saudi Arabia! The Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker will feature the top eight players in the a world with two wildcards and $1m prize pool! March 4-6 let's go!"

It continues Saudi Arabia's investment in sport with football's Saudi Pro League seeing huge investment with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez and Sadio Mane among the players to go.

England midfielder Jordan Henderson signed a three-year deal, thought to be worth £700,00 per week, in July but left Al-Ettifaq on Thursday for Dutch side Ajax after failing to settle.

The region has also held a number of boxing fights including Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, while there have been Formula 1 races there in the past three seasons.

Tennis have signed a five-year deal for the Next Gen ATP finals to be held there, while there has also been significant investment in golf with the LIV Golf setup and ongoing talks with the American-based PGA Tour.

They are also the sole bidders for the 2034 Fifa World Cup after Australia pulled out.

BBC Sport

www.bbc.com

Saudi event to feature 20-point golden ball with 167 break possible

The World Snooker Tour announces its first TV event in Saudi Arabia, where there will be an extra 20-point ball for players who complete a 147.
www.bbc.com
 

World Grand Prix: Judd Trump sets up final against Ronnie O'Sullivan or Ding Junhui​

Judd Trump will play either Ronnie O'Sullivan or Ding Junhui in the final of the World Grand Prix after beating Cao Yupeng 6-2 in Friday's semi-final.

Earlier in the day O'Sullivan thrashed Gary Wilson 5-1 in the quarter-finals, while Ding Junhui defeated Chinese compatriot Zhang Anda 5-2.

World number one O'Sullivan plays Ding in Saturday's second semi-final in Leicester, in a repeat of their UK Championship final in December.

They also met at last week's Masters.

O'Sullivan was victorious in both, claiming record-extending eighth triumphs in the process, and looked in fine form as he made three half-centuries and a century to reel off five consecutive frames after Wilson took the opener.

Meanwhile, Ding, who also lost the first frame of his contest against Zhang, compiled breaks of 102, 51 and 73 on his way to establishing a 4-1 lead.

Zhang briefly reduced the deficit with a break of 101 before the world number 11 got over the line with a run of 76 in the seventh frame.

Source: BBC
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan thrashes Ding Junhui to set up final with Judd Trump

Ronnie O'Sullivan thrashed Ding Junhui 6-1 at the World Grand Prix to set up a final against Judd Trump.

The world number one hit four centuries, with breaks of 135, 128, 128 and 124, in an imperious display.

The 48-year-old also knocked in breaks of 79 and 90 as he won in just one hour and 12 minutes in Leicester.

"I felt all right. It was tidy. Every shot felt in control. I felt relaxed and confident," seven-time world champion O'Sullivan told ITV3.

On his meeting with world number two Trump, he added: "I'm looking forward to it, playing Judd, who's been one of the players of the season.

"He's playing fantastically well."

O'Sullivan, who claimed a record-extending eighth Masters crown last week, again questioned his snooker future after beating Zhou Yuelong to reach the last eight at the World Grand Prix.

"It's hard because when I've come and said what I've said this week, saying I'm not bothered if I win or lose, people pay good money to come and watch and when I say that I just mean that I'm struggling with myself," said O'Sullivan.

"Sometimes it's hard to just keep that stamina and focus. No matter what I say and feel, I always put on a professional display mentally. Whether I play well or not is out of my control.

"I don't want people to think that I'm not trying, because I'm trying my hardest. Tonight was nice."
​
Source: BBC
 
I personally think the sport will die when Ronnie retires, he literally puts bums on seats and eyes on the TV when he plays, he is a once in a lifetime genius but also someone that the average person can relate to.
 
AAli98 said:
I personally think the sport will die when Ronnie retires, he literally puts bums on seats and eyes on the TV when he plays, he is a once in a lifetime genius but also someone that the average person can relate to.
Click to expand...
Judd Trump and Neil RObertson are fantastic players of this game. This sport is not gonna die anytime soon.
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Judd Trump 10-7 to win World Grand Prix final


Ronnie O'Sullivan came back from 4-0 down to beat Judd Trump 10-7 in the World Grand Prix final.

Trump took all the frames of the first session but O'Sullivan recovered to end the afternoon's play 5-3 down.

The world number one fell 6-3 behind before reeling off six frames in a row with the help of Trump missing a black in frame 14 and a brown in the next.

O'Sullivan, who won the Masters last Sunday, lost the next frame but took the 17th to seal victory in Leicester.

O'Sullivan won £100,000 for a victory which gave him a 41st ranking title.



BBC
 

Ryan Thomerson: Australian hopes for upturn to keep WST card​

Australia's Ryan Thomerson is hoping for a change of fortunes in the coming months to enable him to keep his place on the World Snooker tour.

The 29-year-old earned a two-year tour card by winning the 2022 Asia-Paciific Championship in New South Wales.

Cambridgeshire-based Thomerson spent several years on and off living with ex-world champion Neil Robertson.

"I love being on tour - but I haven't really had many wins," he told BBC Essex's Framed podcast.

"It's a bit disappointing being a season and a half in and being where I am on the rankings [114].

"It's a different game when you turn pro, it's a big step up and that's where I've found it tough in matches, just getting a bit nervous and just not getting the results."

A guaranteed £20,000 available to WST players has helped keep the wolf from the door for Thomerson, who started playing when he was 12 years old after the family moved to Australia from the UK.

But he has again found wins hard to come by this season, and was beaten twice by Robertson at the last 128 stage of the Wuhan Open and International Championship.

"I didn't want to set a goal of getting to the top 64 or whatever in my first couple of years on tour.

"I just wanted to try and get a few wins instead of saying 'I need to do this' and 'I need to do that' to stay on tour," Thomerson said

"At the end of the day, there's not many players who stay on tour after their first stint. I'll be disappointed if I drop off after my first two years, but I wasn't thinking 'right, this is going to be a piece of cake'.

"There's not many tournaments left before the World Championship [qualifiers] and I just want to play well. I showed it [in the second match] against Neil, I made three or four breaks over 50 and I lost 6-4.

"They're the sort of games, if you can be consistent with [that form] when you're playing someone lower down the rankings, something's going to happen and you're going to start getting wins."

Thomerson, who practises at the home of another Cambridgeshire player, Joe Perry, started a car valeting business just before Covid was at its height in 2020 to help ease the financial pressure as he tried to establish himself as a professional snooker player.

"I was living with Neil and I had no money - and I'm not someone that would ask for money," he said.

"The neighbours that I was really good friends with, they volunteered their cars to be the first ones to get done. I was charging 10 to 20 quid to do their cars and it just got bigger and bigger, it became a five days a week thing.

"I was doing that till August of 2022 and then I thought it's just not gonna work if I'm doing valeting and snooker. It was then I found out about the £20,000 guaranteed, and I've not had to get a job again."

Tomerson admits he has not "kicked on" in the way he thought he would and needs to find the right "headspace" in the weeks to come.

He added: "You've got to practice, no matter what, but I'm not a massive believer in hours and hours and hours on the table.

"I'm mentally quite negative... if I'm not in a positive mindset or happy with what's going on in my life, I don't play very well.

"If the wins aren't going to come, they're not coming. But I'm trying to put myself in a place where I think it's going to help me get the wins."

Source: BBC
 
Ben Woollaston says he is starting to believe he is capable of breaking back into world snooker's top 30 after years of struggling with chronic fatigue.

The 36-year-old, who has previously reached a world ranking of 27, has had his career stalled in recent years by illness.

He says he feared for his future at times, but an upturn in results in the past year and improved health in recent months has him optimistic once more.


www.bbc.com

Ben Woollaston: World number 57 eyes snooker revival after chronic fatigue struggles

Ben Woollaston believes he is capable of breaking back into world snooker's top 30 after years of struggling with chronic fatigue.
www.bbc.com
 

Ronnie O'Sullivan withdraws from German Masters for 'health and wellbeing' reasons​

Ronnie O'Sullivan says he must prioritise his "health and wellbeing" after withdrawing from the German Masters in Berlin.

The world number one has already won the Masters and UK Championship this season.

O'Sullivan, an outspoken critic of the snooker schedule, says it has been a demanding season.

"I'm sorry I won't be there and I hope to see you all soon," the 48-year-old wrote on X.

"I love the event and fans in Germany but I have to make my health and wellbeing the priority.

"It's been a tiring and challenging season for me so far, despite how it may seem with the tournament wins so hope you understand."

The seven-time world champion has lost just three times in 33 matches this season, winning the past 15 in a row.

He followed up last week's World Grand Prix win with a spirited victory against Alfie Burden in a World Open qualifier in Barnsley on Wednesday.

Barry Pinches will take O'Sullivan's place in the German Masters draw and will play Julien Leclercq in the tournament, which starts on Monday.

Source: BBC
 
So, it will give someone else a chance to win something because he seems unbeatable in recent times.
 
AAli98 said:
I personally think the sport will die when Ronnie retires, he literally puts bums on seats and eyes on the TV when he plays, he is a once in a lifetime genius but also someone that the average person can relate to.
Click to expand...
I disagree. While Ronnie is the most popular player, snooker was fine before Ronnie and it will be fine after Ronnie too.

You have great shot makers like Trump, Bracel playing and they will no doubt attract audiences if they start to win big titles more consistently. And there is an influx of Chinese players coming through, so the sport of snooker will be fine after Ronnie.
 
Ronnie is a living legend and he has done so much for this sport that it is not going to perish. This sport has earned massive watch just because of these guys like Ronnie and Judd Trump, Higgins, and Robertson.
 

World champion Luca Brecel beaten by Ishpreet Singh Chadha in first round of German Masters​

World champion Luca Brecel was knocked out of the German Masters after suffering a 5-2 first-round loss to India's Ishpreet Singh Chadha.

The Belgian, who has struggled since winning the world title last year, hit breaks of 84 and 77 as he went 2-1 up.

Chadha, who had beaten Stuart Bingham in qualifying, then reeled off four frames in a row to secure victory.

There were also upsets as Mark Selby was beaten 5-1 by Marco Fu, while Shaun Murphy lost 5-3 to Xu Si.

Mark Allen was given a scare before producing a break of 100 in the deciding frame to earn a 5-4 victory against Manasawin Phetmalaikul.

Judd Trump and Neil Robertson also progressed with respective 5-0 and 5-1 wins against Lukas Kleckers and Sanderson Lam.

Source: BBC
 
German Masters: Neil Robertson vows to return to 'brutal' best after resounding second-round win

Neil Robertson says he is determined to return to his "brutal" best after thrashing Jimmy Robertson 5-0 in the second round of the German Masters.

Australia's 2010 world champion is in the midst of one of his worst seasons, having suffered five first-round exits from ranking events.

However, runs of 87, 78, 135 and 86 helped the 41-year-old whitewash world number 36 Jimmy in Berlin.

"I want the worst for my opponent on the table," Neil said.

"I need to get back to being brutal and burying opponents. There are no more happy, smiley handshakes anymore. Away from it [the table] fine, but on the table I want them to suffer."

While he is currently ranked seventh in the world, the Australian's dismal campaign to date means he is projected to lose his spot in the top eight and miss out on the lucrative Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker in Saudi Arabia.

He is also on course to drop out of the top 16 and is likely to have to qualify to reach the World Championship at the Crucible in April.

"I'm just really focussed on getting the best out of my performances and doing the best that I can do," said Neil, who will face Joe Perry in the third round.

"That is super hard work, eating well, sleeping well, diet and physical exercise. There is absolutely no stone which is going to be unturned from now until the rest of the season."



BBC
 
German Masters semi-finals: Judd Trump beats Sam Craigie to reach fourth final

Judd Trump reached his fourth German Masters final with a 6-2 semi-final victory against Sam Craigie in Berlin.

Fourth seed Trump lifted the trophy in 2020 and 2021 and did enough to progress against fellow Englishman Craigie despite a number of errors.

The 34-year-old will face China's Si Jiahui, who is seeded 27th, on Sunday.

Si, 21, overcame England's Kyren Wilson 6-3 in the other semi-final to secure his first appearance in a ranking event final.

Craigie made the last four of a rankings event for the first time after dominating top seed and defending champion Ali Carter 5-1 in the quarter-finals.

But the 31-year-old showed early nerves and world number two Trump was able to build a 3-1 lead at the interval, before finally seeing off Craigie with three frames after the break.

Meanwhile, 2019 champion Wilson, 32, was two frames up on Si before the Chinese player won five consecutive frames on his way to victory.


BBC
 
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