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German Masters final: Judd Trump beats Si Jiahui to win record third title

Judd Trump beat China's Si Jiahui 10-5 to win a record third German Masters title.

The Englishman won five frames out of six in Sunday's evening session to claim the 27th ranking event of his career.

Trump, 34, showed his experience to ease away from 21-year-old Si, who was in his first ranking final.

"It's been an amazing season so far," said 2019 world champion Trump, after his fourth win from seven finals.

"Every tournament is special when you get to play in front of a crowd like this and lift the trophy, it's something you remember for the rest of your career."

Si threatened an upset in Berlin after narrowing the gap to 5-4 with a 123 break in the first frame of the evening, rekindling the form that took him to the World Championship semi-finals last season.

But Trump eased any nerves by replying with two century breaks of his own.

He made runs of 113 and 108 in the 10th and 11th frames, and reeled off three of the next four frames with breaks of more than 50 to seal a comfortable victory.

The world number two tops this season's prize money list after also winning the English Open, Wuhan Open and Northern Ireland Open.



BBC
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan has withdrawn from next week's Welsh Open to protect his mental health.

The world number one was due to compete at Llandudno but says he will be unable to do so because of "stage fright".

O'Sullivan, 48, withdrew from the German Masters in Berlin last week to prioritise his "health and wellbeing".

In a social media post he said: "It's hard to explain but for years I've suffered from stage fright brought on by anxiety."

The seven-time world champion added: "It's not something I can predict or control but I try to manage it as best as I can.

"I'm sorry to everyone who's bought tickets but I just can't get my cue out when I feel like this and I think this is what's best for me right now."


BBC
 
Former world champion Shaun Murphy went out of the Welsh Open after losing a final-frame decider against fellow Englishman Barry Pinches in round one.

Pinches trailed 3-2 and needed snookers in the final frame, but held his nerve to beat the 2020 Welsh Open winner 4-3.

Reigning champion Robert Milkins, who defeated Murphy in last year's final, edged past Jamie Jones 4-3.

Welshman Jones hit breaks of 72, 136 and 70 to lead 3-2 but Milkins hit back to progress.

Three-time world champion Mark Williams secured his place in the second round with a 4-2 win over John Astley.

China's Ding Junhui, who won this tournament in 2012, beat England's Jenson Kendrick 4-2.

Ding's compatriot Zhang Anda, ranked 13th in the world, saw off American Ahmed Aly Elsayed 4-1, while world number 17 Jack Lisowski beat fellow Englishman Oliver Brown 4-2.

Australia's 2010 world champion Neil Robertson racked up breaks of 50, 68, 57 and 103 in his 4-1 victory over Wales' Jackson Page.

Barry Hawkins compiled a break of 142 - the highest in Llandudno so far - on his way to a 4-0 win over He Guoqiang, while Welshman Alfie Davies beat Scotland's Liam Graham 4-1.

Mark Allen put together a 101 break as he also progressed in a 4-3 win over China's Cao Yupeng.


BBC
 
Defending champion Robert Milkins is through to the third round of the Welsh Open with a 4-1 win over Allan Taylor.

Milkins, after a scratchy 4-3 first round win over Jamie Jones, started with a superb 140 break in frame one.

Taylor hit back with a 75, before two tense frames and a break of 83 gave the 47-year-old Bristolian a place in the last 32.
 

Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters: New tournament to offer £2m prize fund and become 'fourth major'​

A newly-created Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters will offer a £2m prize fund and become the sport's 'fourth major', the World Snooker Tour has announced.

The world's best players will travel to Riyadh at the end of August for the inaugural tournament.

The prize pot makes it the second-richest event on the schedule, behind only the World Championship.

It will be a ranking event open to all tour players, plus six local wildcards.

With a 10-year deal agreed, the first tournament will take place in the Saudi capital from 31 August to 7 September, with the World Snooker tour putting it in the same category as the triple crown of the World Championship, UK Championship and Masters.

This follows the Riyadh Season World Masters, a non-ranking event for the world's top eight, in which there will be an extra 20-point golden ball for players who complete a 147.

The deal will also see this year's World Pool Championship take place in Jeddah in June.

Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn said in a statement: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has forged a reputation for growth and creating new opportunities for sports to grow in a new market to new fans.

"The country has hosted some of the world's premier sporting events in recent years, welcoming visitors from all over to experience its passion for sport and unique culture.

"The addition of both the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters and World Pool Championship over the next decade further enhances that as it heralds an exciting chapter for snooker and nine-ball pool.

"We have seen the incredible impact boxing has had in this region. Now, I believe we will see billiards cement its legacy here too, creating incredible opportunities and competition for the finest players on the planet."

Source: BBC
 
Five-time Welsh Open winner John Higgins is through to the last 32 after a 4-1 win against Tian Pengfei.

After winning the first frame, Higgins had a break of 54 on the way to taking a 2-0 lead, but Tian had his own half-century break to win the third frame.

But the 36-year-old from China only potted two reds in the following frame, as Higgins moved 3-1 ahead.

And the Scotsman sealed victory on the final black of the fifth frame to reach the third round in Llandudno.
 
Mark Selby was knocked out in the second round of the Welsh Open as Aaron Hill beat the four-time world champion 4-2 at Venue Cymru, Llandudno.

After losing the first frame, Hill won three in a row including a tense fourth frame which included over 10 minutes of safety shots on the final green ball.

Selby pulled one back to make it 3-2 before the Irishman hit a break of 42 on the way to winning the game.

Hill faces China's Zhengyi Fan in the third round on Thursday.

Elsewhere on Wednesday afternoon, Kyren Wilson suffered a shock defeat as he was beaten 4-1 by Anthony Hamilton.

There was success for Welsh pair Dylan Emery and Jak Jones, as they beat Noppon Saengkham and Anda Zhang respectively to reach the third round.

And Graeme Dott made it to the third round with a 4-2 win over Wu Yize and will face Luca Brecel, who beat Joe O'Connor 4-0.


BBC
 
Welsh Open: Mark Williams and Mark Selby knocked out in Llandudno

Two-time winner Mark Williams has been knocked out of the third round of the Welsh Open by Anthony McGill.

Williams missed a golden opportunity to take the opening frame, but bounced back in the second with a break of 91.

A run of 76 was enough for McGill to take the third while loose safety play from Williams allowed the Scot to pick up the pieces and go on to win 4-1.

Williams joins another former World Champion in Mark Selby in exiting the tournament in Llandudno.

Selby was knocked out in the second round as Aaron Hill beat the four-time world champion 4-2 at Venue Cymru.

After losing the first frame, Hill won three in a row including a tense fourth frame which included more than 10 minutes of safety shots on the final green ball.

Selby pulled one back to make it 3-2 before the Irishman hit a break of 42 on the way to winning the game.

Hill faces China's Zhengyi Fan in the third round on Thursday.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Kyren Wilson suffered a shock defeat as he was beaten 4-1 by Anthony Hamilton.

There was success for Welsh pair Dylan Emery and Jak Jones, as they beat Noppon Saengkham and Anda Zhang respectively to reach the third round.

But Welshman Duane Jones is out after losing 4-1 to Matthew Selt.

Graeme Dott made it to the third round with a 4-2 win over Wu Yize, and will face Luca Brecel who beat Joe O'Connor 4-0.

Mark Allen also progressed after a 4-1 win over Jiahui Si, while Robbie Williams was a 4-2 winner over Adam Duffy.

Earlier Dominic Dale fought back from 3-1 down to beat unranked fellow Welshman Alfie Davies and reach the third round.

Davies, 23, made a 125 break in frame one as he took control of the match, but Dale responded to level at 3-3 before edging a tense finale.

Also in Wednesday's morning session, 17-year-old Stan Moody came from 3-2 down to beat Northern Ireland's Jordan Brown 4-3.

And Hong Kong's Marco Fu posted a best break of 86 as he beat Englishman Zak Surety 4-3 to reach the next stage.

BBC
 
Welsh Open: Mark Williams and Mark Selby knocked out in Llandudno

Two-time winner Mark Williams has been knocked out of the third round of the Welsh Open by Anthony McGill.

Williams missed a golden opportunity to take the opening frame, but bounced back in the second with a break of 91.

A run of 76 was enough for McGill to take the third while loose safety play from Williams allowed the Scot to pick up the pieces and go on to win 4-1.

Williams joins another former World Champion in Mark Selby in exiting the tournament in Llandudno.

Selby was knocked out in the second round as Aaron Hill beat the four-time world champion 4-2 at Venue Cymru.

After losing the first frame, Hill won three in a row including a tense fourth frame which included more than 10 minutes of safety shots on the final green ball.

Selby pulled one back to make it 3-2 before the Irishman hit a break of 42 on the way to winning the game.

Hill faces China's Zhengyi Fan in the third round on Thursday.

BBC
 
Surprising to see Selby got out of the tournament that early... expectations were too high from him this time.
 
John Higgins once again revelled at the Welsh Open with a comfortable 5-2 win over world number three Mark Allen.

The Scot has won the Welsh title five times - more than any other player - and was never behind in his quarter-final at Llandudno.

He next faces in-form Gary Wilson who stormed into the semi-finals with a 5-0 victory over Anthony McGill.

And the 25-year wait for a home winner of the event continues after Dominic Dale was beaten by Elliot Slessor.

The quarter-finals began Higgins opening a two-frame lead with a 131 break and later won three in a row for a place in the last four.


BBC
 

Welsh Open: Martin O'Donnell beats Elliot Slessor 6-5 to reach final​

Martin O'Donnell won a tense deciding frame against Elliot Slessor to reach a first career ranking final at the Welsh Open in Llandudno.

After a tense safety battle, O'Donnell took his chance and made the first century break of the match - 133 - to win 6-5.

O'Donnell had built a 5-3 lead, but Slessor made breaks of 95 and 93 to set up the decider.

O'Donnell will face either John Higgins or Gary Wilson in Sunday's final.

"I was just enjoying it and I thought of all the hours you put in at the club, everything you do," O'Donnell said.

"I was like 'come on, let's see what you're made of here, let's see if you stand up to the task.'

"That is all I was concentrating on really.

"Weirdly enough it was probably the most composed I've felt in a match at five each."

World number 76 O'Donnell had stunned world champion Luca Brecel in the quarter-final to set up a meeting with Slessor, who dashed hopes of a first Welsh winner in 25 years when he beat Dominic Dale.

Five-time winner Higgins booked his place in the last four with a comfortable 5-2 win over world number three Mark Allen.

His opponent Wilson is in top form, having followed up knocking out defending champion Robert Milkins 4-0 with an equally emphatic 5-0 win over Anthony McGill.

Source: BBC
 
Welsh Open: Gary Wilson to face Martin O'Donnell in final

Gary Wilson will face fellow Englishman Martin O'Donnell in the Welsh Open final on Sunday after hanging on to beat five-time winner John Higgins 6-4.

Wilson's tally included a 147 as well as breaks of 104, 82 and 89 as he secured a tight victory in Llandudno.

The Englishman led 5-1 before Higgins reeled off three frames in a row - but Wilson went through with a break of 73.

In the first semi-final, O'Donnell hit a terrific break of 126 in the deciding frame against Elliot Slessor.

Higgins was seeking a sixth Welsh Open title but Wilson got off to a flying start as he opened with a century break of 104 before his 147 gave him a 2-0 lead.

Scottish Open winner Wilson took complete control at 4-0 before Higgins got a frame back with a break of 93.

Wilson replied to move to within one frame of the final but Higgins posted breaks of 69, 66 and 78 as he fought hard and brought the score back to 5-4.

However Wilson kept his cool with a break of 73 as he held on for victory on a night where he made the 199th maximum break in snooker history.

Wilson secured his fifth career maximum as he became the 13th player to reach that milestone.


www.bbc.com

Welsh Open: Gary Wilson to face Martin O'Donnell in final

Gary Wilson will face fellow Englishman Martin O'Donnell in the Welsh Open final after beating five-time winner John Higgins 6-4.
www.bbc.com
 

Welsh Open: England's Gary Wilson beats Martin O'Donnell 9-4 to win title​

England's Gary Wilson has clinched his first Welsh Open crown with a 9-4 victory against compatriot Martin O'Donnell in Llandudno, north Wales.

A break of 98 in the first frame set the tone for the final as Wilson raced into a 4-0 lead at Venue Cymru.

Both players won two frames in the middle session, giving Wilson a healthy 6-2 lead going into Sunday evening.

The 38-year-old then picked up where he left off, winning three of the next five frames to wrap up the title.

"What a mad few months I've had," said world number 16 Wilson after the win.

"Having won the Scottish Open I feel like I belong in these situations, but I never thought another one would come so soon.

"It was a scrappy game, not the best standard, but you have to battle on because you never know what is around the corner.

"I lost my cue action in the last few frames. You go through ups and downs all the time - I'm just happy to get over the line and get another tournament.

"Congratulations to Martin, he's had a great tournament and battled hard today."

Wilson went into Sunday's final in fine form, having completed a fifth 147 break of his career on the way to beating John Higgins in the semi-finals.

Confidence was also high for world number 76 O'Donnell, who had beaten world champion Luca Brecel in the quarter-finals.

But England's O'Donnell could do nothing to stop Wilson, who had breaks of more than 50 in each of the first three frames of the final.

Wilson, who never trailed in the final, topped 100 points in the third and fourth frames, to finish the opening session 4-0 up.

O'Donnell improved in the afternoon, and a break of 92 ensured he won his second frame of the game, but he still trailed 6-2 before the final session.

The lead was down to three when O'Donnell came out on top of a 41-minute ninth frame, but an early missed red in the 10th handed the initiative back to Wilson.

And Wilson took full advantage with a century break which restored his four-frame lead.

A break of 85 from O'Donnell once again reduced the deficit to three frames before Wilson moved one frame from the title with an 8-4 lead.

And after a short break in play, Wilson returned to the table to secure the Welsh Open title in the 13th and final frame of the match.

"Gary is class, he's won a few ranking events now, but it's a bit disappointing," said O'Donnell.

"I've played some good snooker this week, some of my best, so to play like that and not make it difficult for him is disappointing.

"He had plenty in the tank even if I came back, so congratulations to Gary."

Source: BBC
 
Mark Allen compiled three centuries in the first three frames to lay the platform for an impressive 6-3 win over Mark Williams in the first round of the Players Championship in Telford.

The Northern Irishman began the match with the fifth 146 break of his career and then added a 112 and 102.

Williams fought back to trail 3-2 and 4-3 with the help of 71 and 69 breaks.

Allen followed up his earlier tons with runs of 94, 70 and 68 to complete an ultimately comprehensive victory.


BBC
 
Awais Muneer reached the Asian Snooker Championship final currently taking place in Doha, Qatar.

In the semi-final, Awais defeated Iran's Amir Sarkosh. The Pakistani cueist won the semi-final battle 4-1.

Pakistani player displayed excellent control, defeating his opponent 4-1, denying him the opportunity to play in the fourth and overall fifth final. Awais won the first frame with a score of 57-36, but in the second frame, Amir Sarkosh made a brilliant comeback, not allowing Owais to pot a single ball.

With a defeat of 80-0 in the second frame, the competition was level at 1-1. After an equaliser, Awais once again took control of the game, winning the next three frames with scores of 75-17, 67-47, and 69-32, securing his qualification for the final.

Awais is the first Pakistani since 2015 to qualify for the final of the Asian Snooker Championship. In 2015, Pakistan's Hamza Akbar played in the event's final and won the title.

On February 21, Awais defeated India's former world champion Pankaj Advani to make it into the quarter-finals. Pakistan's other cueist Naseem Akhtar had also qualified for the top 8.

Awais defeated Pankaj Advani by 4-2. The match started with good competition, and the Best of Seven encounter was evenly poised at two frames each. Awais played a break of 112 in the fifth frame against Advani and secured victory, showcasing excellent control. In the sixth frame as well, he demonstrated superb control and clinched the win.

Meanwhile, Naseem faced a tough challenge against Qatar's Ali Aloubaidli in a thrilling encounter and lost 3-4. After the match was levelled at 3-3, Naseem played a decisive break of 94 in the final frame, sealing victory over his opponent.

Geo Super
 
Unfortunately, athletes in fields other than cricket from Pakistan often don't receive much media attention, which is quite disheartening.
 
Mark Selby produced a superb display to thrash Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-0 as he advanced into the semi-finals of the Players Championship in Telford.

Four-time world champion Selby compiled breaks of 65, 91, 81, 105 and 59 to race into a 5-0 lead.

World number one O'Sullivan made his first half century of the match in the sixth frame, but Selby overturned a 58-point deficit to seal his win.

Selby will face John Higgins or Zhang Anda in the last four.


BBC
 
winning a game against Ronnie is a big deal but winning with such margin is just remarkable by selby.
 
The World Snooker Tour has said the Players Championship will return to Telford International Centre in 2025 after the success of this year's event.

The tournament will be held 17-23 March 2025, with tickets on sale from Tuesday, 27 February.

It is one of three Players series events and features the top 16 players based on the one-year ranking list.

This year's competition is first snooker championship held in Shropshire since the UK Championship in 2010.


BBC
 

Players Championship: Mark Allen sees off Ali Carter to reach final​

Mark Allen booked his place in the Players Championship final after beating Ali Carter 6-3 in Telford.

A back-and-forth encounter saw the pair level at 2-2 at the mid-session interval, with both Allen and Carter struggling to find their rhythm.

It was all square after six frames, but Allen eventually settled and rattled off three in a row to seal the success.

"I wasn't on it tonight at all, my timing was awful. I thought Ali played better than me," Allen told ITV4.

Allen will face either China's Zhang Anda or England's Mark Selby in Sunday's final.

"If you think it looked like hard work, it felt a lot worse," Northern Ireland's Allen added.

"I'm not happy with how I felt and how I played out there, but it's all about results and I'm in the final."

Earlier on Friday, Zhang held his nerve to beat former world number one John Higgins 6-4.

Scotland's Higgins won a scrappy opening frame but lost the following five as China's Zhang compiled breaks of 102, 79, 84, 104 and 95.

Higgins, who won the competition in 2021, showed resilience to force his way back into the clash, winning three successive frames to cut the deficit to one, but Zhang found his flow again when it mattered to clinch victory.

Source: BBC
 
Players Championship: Zhang Anda beats Mark Selby to set up final with Mark Allen

China's Zhang Anda withstood a comeback from Mark Selby to beat the Englishman 6-5 and set up a Players Championship final against Mark Allen.

Zhang opened with a 129 break and added others of 80, 69 and 84 to take a 4-0 lead in Telford.

Selby then won five of the next six frames, which included breaks of 62, 84 and 114, to level the match at 5-5.

In the decider, Zhang made a 50 break before securing victory after Selby missed a brown.

"I'm just really happy I could win because he fought back when I had a 4-0 lead," Zhang, who has reached his third ranking final of the season, told ITV.

"I played very well in the deciding game, the first red into the centre pocket gave me a chance to make 50 points."

BBC
 
China's Zhang Anda withstood a comeback from Mark Selby to beat the Englishman 6-5 and set up a Players Championship final against Mark Allen.

Zhang opened with a 129 break and added others of 80, 69 and 84 to take a 4-0 lead in Telford.

Selby then won five of the next six frames, which included breaks of 62, 84 and 114, to level the match at 5-5.

In the decider, Zhang made a 50 break before securing victory after Selby missed a brown.


BBC
 
Northern Ireland's Mark Allen says he "dragged" Zhang Anda "down to my level" in the final of the Players Championship.

Allen was 3-0 and 6-5 down in the decider in Telford but came through to win 10-8 against China's Zhang, who had defeated John Higgins and Mark Selby to make the final.

An attritional victory earned Allen the 11th ranking title of his career.


BBC
 
Mark Allen says he has no reservations about competing in Saudi Arabia as he prepares for the inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker.

The Northern Irishman will be joined by the remainder of the world's top eight players, plus two local wildcards, for the event, which runs from 4-6 March.

LIV Golf is among the sporting bodies which have come in for criticism for hosting events in the country.


BBC
 
Joe O'Connor produced a milestone break during the latest round of Championship League matches as he made the 200th official 147 in snooker history.

It was the first maximum of the 28-year-old's career, with his previous top break being 143.

It gave the world number 30 a 2-1 lead in his group match against fellow Englishman Elliot Slessor on Thursday.

O'Connor went on to win 3-2 at the Mattioli Arena in his hometown of Leicester.

It is the 11th maximum of the 2023-24 season - six-time world champion Steve Davis scored the first ever at the Lada Classic in 1982.


BBC
 
John Higgins came close to becoming the first player to compile a 167 break - and win £395,000 - as the new golden ball was introduced at the inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker.

Four-time world champion Higgins, 48, converted 15 reds and blacks but overhit his approach to the yellow.

The golden ball has been brought in for the Saudi Arabia event, featuring the world's leading players.

If a player completes a 147, they have the chance to make a record 167 break.

The golden ball - worth 20 points - sits on the top cushion throughout the frame for as long as a player can still complete the maximum break and is removed when the opportunity is over.

On the opening day of the tournament, Scotland's Higgins looked on course to create history in the first frame of his second-round match against Wales' Mark Williams.

But the former world number one was unable to cut in the yellow, smiling and shaking his head as he finished with a break of 120.


BBC
 
Mark Allen battled back from 3-1 down to beat Mark Selby 4-3 in the quarter-finals of the inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker on Tuesday.

A break of 84 helped Selby move 2-0 ahead but Allen responded with a run of 73 to reduce the deficit.

Selby opened up another two-frame lead but Allen fought back to level and then clinched the final frame on the black.

Northern Ireland's Allen will face either Luca Brecel or Ali Carter in the semi-finals of the Saudi Arabia event.


BBC
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan won the inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker by beating Luca Brecel 5-2 in the final.

The score was 2-2 at the interval, with O'Sullivan making breaks of 95 and 94 and Brecel an 81.

A break of 121 put O'Sullivan 3-2 up and he also took the next frame before a 124 secured victory and the £250,000 top prize for the 48-year-old.
 
China's Bai Yulu claimed her maiden World Women's Snooker Championship title as she beat world number one Mink Nutcharut in a thrilling final.

The 20-year-old triumphed 6-5 after winning the deciding frame on the final pink in Dongguan Changping, China.

BBC
 
World number three Mark Allen exited the World Open in China at the first-round stage after losing 5-3 to Daniel Wells in Yushan.

Wells won the opening two scrappy frames before a break of 72 helped Northern Ireland's Allen draw level at 2-2.

Breaks of 63 and 78 put Wells 4-2 up but Allen cut the margin with a run of 103.

However, 80th-ranked Welshman Wells sealed victory with another 63 break.


BBC
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump both progressed at the World Open in China by winning their second round matches.

O'Sullivan, 48, knocked in breaks of 129, 106 on the way to going 3-1 up in Yushan before Michael White levelled at 3-3.

An 87 put world number one O'Sullivan back in front and he took the eighth frame to claim victory.

World number two Trump's highest break was 73 as he secured a 5-2 win against Sanderson Lam.

BBC
 

WORLD OPEN 2024: RONNIE O'SULLIVAN AND JUDD TRUMP REMAIN ON COLLISION COURSE AFTER REACHING LAST 16​


Ronnie O’Sullivan ran off three frames in a row to complete a 5-2 victory over Lyu Haotian and book his place in the last 16 of the World Open.

‘The Rocket’ was much improved from the previous round and made four 50-plus breaks, including a century, to set up a meeting with Hossein Vafaei.

Lyu played his part in a high-quality contest but was left to rue a simple miss on a yellow that would have drawn him level at 3-3 before a poor break-off shot allowed O’Sullivan to seal his progress in style.

O’Sullivan laboured against Michael White in a scrappy second-round contest but showed flashes of his best on Wednesday in Yushan, China.

Breaks of 64 and 99 put the seven-time world champion 1-0 and 2-1 clear, but Lyu hit back each time and levelled at 2-2 going into the mid-session interval with a composed knock of 82.

O’Sullivan restored his slender advantage with a sublime century when play resumed, although Lyu looked set to make it 3-3 and set up a tense finale.

A brilliant long red into the green pocket put the frame at his mercy but he inexplicably missed the simplest of yellows to fall 4-2 behind.

And that proved to be the key moment of the match. A poor break-off in the seventh frame left O’Sullivan a chance at a long red with his hand on the table and he made no mistake before composing a break of 96 to get over the line.

Up next for O'Sullivan is a clash against Vafaei, who earlier dispatched Robert Milkins by the same scoreline.

Judd Trump also booked his place in the last 16 with a 5-3 win over Fan Zhengyi.

The Englishman raced into a three-frame lead with breaks of 52 and 109, but Fan responded to get within one at 3-2 behind.

Trump restored his cushion in the next, but Fan kept his hopes alive by coming through a scrappy seventh frame.

However, the former world champion wouldn’t be denied. A fine cut helped Trump establish a 30-point cushion in the eighth frame before he returned to knock in a century to advance.

The 34-year-old will take on David Lilley next for a place in the quarter-finals after he earlier beat Dominic Dale.

Mark Selby made two breaks of 136 in a 5-2 victory against Long Zehuang.

The Jester from Leicester won the first three frames, and although he was pegged back to 3-2, breaks of 57 and 54 saw him into the next round.

It's a star-studded round of 16 line-up that also includes Neil Robertson. The Australian proved too strong for Yuan Sijun and completed a comfortable 5-2 win.

Robertson will next take on Chris Wakelin, who thumped Ali Carter 5-1 in a high-quality encounter that featured four centuries.

Elsewhere, Jackson Page and Elliot Slessor advanced to the last 16 with wins over Wu Yize and Matthew Stevens respectively.

www.eurosport.com

World Open 2024: Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump remain on collision course after reaching last 16 - Eurosport

Ronnie O'Sullivan was in action on day three of the World Open in Yushan, China, and booked his place in the last 16 with a victory over Lyu Haotian.
www.eurosport.com www.eurosport.com
 
Welsh pair Daniel Wells and Jackson Page, who knocked out top-10 stars Mark Allen and John Higgins in the previous round, backed up those notable wins as each beat Chinese opponents.

Wells won 5-3 against He Guoqiang, with Page beating Wu Yize by the same scoreline.

However, world number eight Ali Carter was another big-name exit on Wednesday. He lost 5-1 to fellow Englishman Chris Wakelin.

The fourth-round matches of the Yushan event, which has returned this year after a three-year hiatus because of the Covid-19 pandemic, take place on Thursday.


BBC
 

World Open: Ronnie O’Sullivan beaten by Hossein Vafaei in last 16​


Ronnie O'Sullivan is out of the World Open after a surprise defeat by Hossein Vafaei in the last 16 in China.

The world number one took the match to a deciding frame with a brilliant break of 125 in the eighth, which levelled it at 4-4 in Yushan.

But O'Sullivan missed a crucial black in a thrilling final frame, which allowed Vafaei back to the table to complete a 5-4 victory.

The Iranian will play Ding Jinhui or Shaun Murphy in the last eight.

Elsewhere, 2019 World Open champion Judd Trump will take on Kyren Wilson in the quarter-finals after his 5-3 win against David Lilley.

Trump, the world number two, is aiming for his fifth title of the season before next month's World Championships in Sheffield.

Stephen Maguire was unable to repeat his performance against reigning world champion Luca Brecel in the previous round as he lost 5-1 to Barry Hawkins.

Neil Robertson or Chris Wakelin await Hawkins in the quarter-finals.

www.bbc.com

World Open: Ronnie O’Sullivan beaten by Hossein Vafaei in last 16

Ronnie O'Sullivan is out of the World Open after a surprise defeat by Hossein Vafaei in the last 16 in China.
www.bbc.com
 
Judd Trump, Neil Robertson, Ding Junhui and Jackson Page each won their quarter-final at the World Open in China.

Trump reeled off three frames in a row to secure a 5-2 victory against Kyren Wilson and will play Page, who beat Elliot Slessor 5-2, in the semi-finals.

Ding knocked in breaks of 135 and 102 in a 5-0 win against Hossein Vafaei, who had knocked out Ronnie O'Sullivan.

He will play Robertson, who beat Barry Hawkins 5-2 in Yushan.


BBC
 
Judd Trump thrashed Ding Junhui 10-4 to win the World Open title in China and claim his 28th ranking title.

The world number two knocked in breaks of 88, 79 and 78 on the way to opening up a 7-2 lead at the end of the first session in Yushan.

The 34-year-old started the evening session with a 130 before a 106 and 85 helped him to clinch victory.

Trump's victory over China's Ding gave him a fifth title of the season and the £170,000 winnings.

It took Trump's prize money for the season to £1,061,000 and drew him level with Steve Davis on 28 title wins.

Only Ronnie O'Sullivan (41), Stephen Hendry (36) and John Higgins (31) have more titles.


BBC
 
Luca Brecel and Reanne Evans beat Mark Selby and Rebecca Kenna in the final to win the World Mixed Doubles Championship.

Reigning world champion Brecel and England's 12-time women's world champion Evans won 4-2 in Manchester.

The tournament was brought back to the World Snooker Tour in 2022 having previously been played once before in 1991.

It features pairings made up of four of the world's best players in the men's and women's game in a round-robin group stage, with the top two teams qualifying for the final.

Selby and Kenna beat Brecel and Evans 3-1 in their final group game on Sunday afternoon to top the table on seven frames won.

Brecel and Evans finished level on six frames won with Judd Trump and Thailand's 2023 women's world champion Baipat Siripaporn, but qualified for the final thanks to a superior head-to-head record.

Defending champions Neil Robertson and women's world number one Mink Nutcharut, also of Thailand, finished bottom following two draws and a defeat.


BBC
 

Tour Championship: Mark Selby considers future after loss, Ali Carter takes control​

Mark Selby says it's "maybe time to do something else" after losing 10-8 to Gary Wilson in the first round of the Tour Championship.

Four-time world champion Selby, 40, won the Championship League in March, but has largely struggled due to inconsistent form this term.

"I battled but it was terrible. If I carry on playing like that, that will be it for me for sure," said Selby.

His only ranking final came at the British Open in October.

"I've always said if it gets to a point where I stop enjoying it and it doesn't matter whether I am number one in the world or 128, I won't carry on playing," added Leicester-born Selby.

"I am putting the work in, but then if you are putting it in for performances like that it seems pointless really."

Selby has fought to overcome well-documented mental health issues during his career and recently spoken of other personal struggles, external away from snooker, due to the death of a family friend from cancer - the same illness his wife Vikki has battled against.

"I felt flat out there," he said. "It is a big competition and if you can't get yourself up for competitions like this there is something wrong.

"My performances this year have been like night and day. There has been no consistency. I started the season off OK and then was pathetic midway through. You think you've found something and the next game you are back to where you were.

"It is not enjoyable. I am putting the work in and working hard and nothing is happening so maybe it is time to do something else.

"If I put in the same performance in Sheffield [at the World Championship] that will be me done."

Source: BBC
 
Tour Championship: Ronnie O'Sullivan thrashes Ali Carter to reach semi-finals

Ronnie O'Sullivan said he has had to change his thinking and "go back to basics" following a "hard year" after he thrashed Ali Carter 10-2 to reach the Tour Championship semi-finals.

The world number one, 48, got the better of Carter again after their ill-tempered Masters final in January, when O'Sullivan claimed his eighth title.

He will play Gary Wilson or Zhang Anda, who will resume tied 4-4 on Thursday.

Ding Junhui leads Mark Allen 5-3 overnight in Manchester.

The winner of that match will face Judd Trump or Mark Williams, whose quarter-final also takes place on Thursday.

Before their latest meeting, seven-time world champion O'Sullivan refused to speak about Carter, who he described as "not a nice person" and "a nightmare" to play against following their previous encounter.

But, after taking a commanding victory on Wednesday, O'Sullivan opened up about a difficult period which prompted him to speak to renowned psychiatrist Steve Peters.

"It's been a hard year, drove myself pretty much insane really - it's just got to me," O'Sullivan, who withdrew from this year's Welsh Open to protect his mental health, told ITV4.

"I had to go back to basics and get my head right. Deal with it because doing it the other way round isn't working.

"Just getting my head around it is the only option I have left. I've driven myself mad for the last two years and not enjoyed any of it."


BBC
 
World number one Ronnie O'Sullivan hit three century breaks as he reached the final of the Tour Championship with a high-quality 10-7 win over Gary Wilson.

O'Sullivan hit breaks of 102 and 110 to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead in Manchester but Wilson compiled runs of 83, 84, 82 and 96 to level at 7-7.

However, he barely got a look-in from there as O'Sullivan won the final three frames, helped by visits of 98 and 129.

The 48-year-old faces either Mark Allen or Mark Williams in Sunday's final.


BBC
 
Mark Williams produced a vintage performance to beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-5 in the final of the Tour Championship in Manchester.

Williams, 49, who had trailed 5-3, compiled two century breaks and three half-centuries as he reeled off seven consecutive frames to triumph.

Victory secured him a 26th ranking title of his career in front of a capacity crowd.

The Welshman also collects the £150,000 cheque for winning the tournament.

Williams had come into the contest with an unenviable record against the Englishman, a fellow member of snooker's famed Class of '92, having lost 22 of his previous 24 meetings against O'Sullivan.

But he has now triumphed against all of the world's top three players - O'Sullivan, Judd Trump and Mark Allen - on his way to a second ranking title of the season, having won the British Open in October, and his first success in the Tour Championship.

While seven-time world champion O'Sullivan was unable to record a sixth title in a remarkable season to date, the 48-year-old is certain to head to the Crucible for the World Championship in two weeks as the world number one and is enjoying an unbroken spell of 734 days at the top of the rankings.


BBC
 

Ronnie O'Sullivan demands major change to snooker World Championship "circus"​


Ronnie O'Sullivan has demanded that Sheffield's Crucible be stripped of the Snooker World Championship and the tournament be moved to Saudi Arabia or China.

The Crucible is the traditional home of the sport's showpiece event and has a contract to host the tournament until 2027. O'Sullivan has won seven world titles at the historic venue and is aiming for his eighth this year.

But The Rocket has now launched an extraordinary attack on the Crucible's facilities. He has taken aim at the benefits offered to the players taking part compared to foreign venues.

O'Sullivan has insisted that the facilities in Sheffield are now so dated that it is time to move the World Championships to somewhere else. The snooker icon has instead tipped Saudi and China as the perfect location.

"I think definitely it’s a wise decision to take it away from Sheffield. Still have a tournament there. Why not? But just not the world championship over 17 days. It’s a massive circus and you need a massive space to accommodate it," he told The Sun.

“I think Saudi Arabia would be great. They’ve got the resources and would do it great. If you’re going to take it to China, you’d have to take it to Shanghai. Or another major city like Shenzhen or Guangzhou. It’d be done properly. Courtesy cars will be laid on.

"Food will be there. Hotels will be great. Everything would be paid for. Prize money would be astronomical. I know at the Crucible you get nice tea there, you might get lasagne if the guys are cooking. But that’s about it.

O'Sullivan played in the Saudi capital of Riyadh just last month and has frequently played in China. Fellow star Judd Trump haspreviously spoken in favour of the atmosphere created in Saudi venues, following the Saudi Arabia World Masters of Snooker.

“It’s a really good atmosphere, especially when I walked in. I was very happy out there, they (the crowd) brought the best out of both of us, so it’s a lot better than a lot of atmosphere we play in the UK," he said.

www.mirror.co.uk

Ronnie O'Sullivan demands major change to snooker World Championship "circus"

Ronnie O'Sullivan has won seven World Snooker Championships, but believes the sport's flagship event needs to move away from the Crucible and to a different country altogether
www.mirror.co.uk www.mirror.co.uk
 

World Snooker Championship: Neil Robertson wins in qualifying as Noppon Saengkham hits 147​

Neil Robertson reached the final round of qualifying for the World Snooker Championship on Monday while Noppon Saengkham hit a maximum 147 break.

Robertson, the 2010 world champion, must qualify for the first time since 2006 having dropped out of the world's top 16.

But the 42-year-old Australian beat Zak Surety 10-2 in Sheffield.

Saengkham earlier scored the second maximum break of his career as the Thai number one beat Andy Hicks 10-5.

The world number 22 will now play Jackson Page of Wales for a place in the main tournament, which begins at the Crucible on Saturday.

Robertson, currently ranked 24, led Surety 7-2 overnight and breaks of 90 and 117 meant he quickly finished the job, setting up a match with Jamie Jones or Alfie Burden.

Saengkham, 31, is now one more 147 break away from a £147,000 bonus payout, which is on offer to any player who makes two maximums across this season's Triple Crown events.

Mark Allen and Ding Junhui are the other two players currently in the running, having both made maximums at the Masters in January.

Saengkham has already secured a £10,000 bonus for scoring a maximum in World Championship qualifying and is in contention for the £15,000 high break prize, which also covers the main event.

It is the 202nd official 147 of all time and the 13th scored this season.

Source: BBC
 
Neil Robertson reached the final round of qualifying for the World Snooker Championship on Monday while Noppon Saengkham hit a maximum 147 break.

Robertson, the 2010 world champion, must qualify for the first time since 2006 having dropped out of the world's top 16.

The 42-year-old Australian beat Zak Surety 10-2 in Sheffield.

Saengkham earlier scored the second maximum break of his career as the Thai number one beat Andy Hicks 10-5.

The world number 22 will play Jackson Page of Wales on Wednesday for a place in the main tournament, which begins at the Crucible on Saturday.

Former number one Robertson, currently ranked 24, led Surety 7-2 after their opening session and breaks of 90 and 117 meant he quickly finished the job so he will also face a Welshman on Wednesday - Jamie Jones.

Last year's surprise semi-finalist Si Jiahui survived a scare as the 21-year-old came back from 9-7 down to beat Ben Mertens 10-9 and set up an all-Chinese affair with Wu Yize.

Saengkham, 31, is now one more 147 break away from a £147,000 bonus payout, which is on offer to any player who makes two maximums across this season's Triple Crown events.

Mark Allen and Ding Junhui are the other two players currently in the running, having made maximums at the Masters in January.

Saengkham has already secured a £10,000 bonus for scoring a maximum in World Championship qualifying and is in contention for the £15,000 high break prize, which also covers the main event.

It is the 202nd official 147 of all time and the 13th scored this season.


BBC
 
World Snooker Championship: Mark Allen says 'career will be disappointment without world title'

Mark Allen says that his career will have been "a disappointment" if he does not win the World Snooker Championship.

The Northern Irishman has racked up 20 titles as a professional, including 11 ranking events, but has yet to collect the biggest prize in the sport.

He begins his campaign for the 2024 title at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on Tuesday, 23 April.

"I've won the UK Championship and the Masters, two other majors, but you turn pro to win the Worlds," said Allen.

"I'll see it as disappointing if I don't win a world title. More than anything that's what I want to do.

"You dream as a young kid starting out to be world champion, having that final black to win a world title. That dream is still there and I believe I have got a good chance," the world number three told BBC Sport NI.



www.bbc.com

World Snooker Championship: Mark Allen says 'career will be disappointment without world title'

Mark Allen has won two of snooker's Triple Crown titles but says he turned professional to win the World Championship.
www.bbc.com
 

RONNIE O'SULLIVAN REVEALS WHICH WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP LOSSES LEFT HIM 'MOST GUTTED' - 'I COULD HAVE WON IT'​


Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed the two defeats that left him “most gutted” at the World Snooker Championship, as well as his proudest moment at the tournament when "everything clicked".

O’Sullivan has won the world title seven times, putting him level with Stephen Hendry for the most all-time victories.

He also lost in the final in 2014 and has been beaten in the semi-finals on five occasions.

However, it is two matches from 2017 and 2016 that stick out for O’Sullivan when asked about the toughest contests he has played at the Crucible.

In 2017, O’Sullivan recovered from 3-0 behind to level at 4-4 with Ding Junhui in the quarter-finals, but was beaten 13-10.

Reflecting on the match, O’Sullivan told Eurosport: “He got a good lead, I shouldn’t have let him get that lead as I had chances, but there was someone in the crowd that I didn’t want there and it played on my mind a bit and I thought get him out, once he was out I was fine.

“I came back at him but every time I was two or three frames behind. I thought I was playing well and I’m going to get level and just try to get ahead, but he kept pulling away. I was a bit shocked.

“I thought I haven’t broke him yet, I kept coming at him, I was striking the ball really well and I came out thinking I don’t know really how I’ve lost that other than he just had a lead and played really well and performed really well that day. I came away thinking I could have won that tournament.”

It was a similar feeling for O’Sullivan a year earlier in 2016 when he was beaten 13-12 by Barry Hawkins in the second round.

“I had been playing loads of exhibitions so I had no safety game really, I couldn’t win a close game,” reflected O’Sullivan.

“I must have had 13 or 12 breaks over 70, but I just couldn’t win the close ones. But towards 9-9 I think there was a point where I found my safety shots and I thought if I win this I could win the tournament. My game was coming good at the right time but he won the last frame and I was gutted.

“Those were probably the two matches when I have been most gutted because I thought if I got through them I fancied it. When you start to fancy it that’s when it gets exciting.”

One of O’Sullivan’s more infamous matches at the Crucible was his defeat to Peter Ebdon in 2005.

Ebdon fought back from 8-2 down to win 13-11 and reach the semi-finals, but was criticised for his slow play in the match.
“That was hell,” says O’Sullivan about the contest.

“Not because of him, I just couldn’t pot a ball. If I could have potted a ball I would have got rid of him and maybe beaten him 13-6.

“It was frustrating, it was boring, I was playing badly and getting no enjoyment from my own performance and getting no enjoyment from watching him and the way he is playing.

“f I played well I could have coped with what he was doing, but if I’m not playing well I at least want to enjoy what my opponent is doing and have a bit of respect for the shots they are playing. Then you have a chance to find your form, but there was nothing. It was double pain, pain on pain. That was awful.”

O’Sullivan won the first of his world titles in 2001 and followed up with further successes in 2004 and 2008.

But it is his fourth victory in 2012 that he picks out as his proudest moment at the tournament.

“I think I felt like the complete player for the first time,” he says.

“I know I had won the World Championships three times before that but it felt like everything came right, my game was right, I was hitting form and won it through pure talent and skill.

“There were times when I would get beat because my game wasn’t right but this was the first time where my game was OK all season, didn’t go into the World Championships with much form, and then I got to Sheffield and it just clicked, but I still had these mental skills to fall back on as well so I was using them.

“It was the first time I won a tournament and felt like the complete player. It wasn’t just talent that won it, it was talent and skill, but there were times I had to use my head, not panic, not get stressed, and I was able to think my way out of it.”

O’Sullivan started with victory over Ebdon, then beat Mark Williams, Neil Robertson and Matthew Stevens.

In the final he overcame Ali Carter 18-11 to clinch the title.

“It all fell into place and then against Neil Robertson it just clicked,” he says.

“I played great against Williams, I played alright against Ebdon, then against Robertson I had a bit of a sticky session then I remember the last session of that match everything was out of the sweet spot. I just thought ‘wow’, the game was easy.

“I put all the hard work in mentally, I had that there in the bank and it was all coming together. It wasn’t easy, playing Matthew Stevens, who plays well at the Crucible, I thought I had a big lead and he started potting mad balls, but I just kept not panicking and won it by eight or nine.

“Even though I won it by loads of frames there were times when I thought this could get away from me, then Ali in the final, same thing, it’s just tough, but that was my most accomplished performance in Sheffield.”

www.eurosport.com

'I could have won it' - O'Sullivan reveals which Crucible losses left him 'most gutted'

Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed the two defeats that left him “most gutted” at the World Snooker Championship, as well as his proudest moment at the tournament.
www.eurosport.com www.eurosport.com
 
World Snooker Championship draw: Ronnie O'Sullivan to face Jackson Page in first round

Ronnie O'Sullivan will play Jackson Page in the first round of the World Championship as he bids for a record eighth title in the modern era.

O'Sullivan, 48, is also aiming to become the fourth player to win all three Triple Crown events in a season.

Defending champion Luca Brecel will play David Gilbert, while 2019 winner Judd Trump faces Hossein Vafaei.

The tournament begins on Saturday at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, with live coverage across the BBC.


BBC
 
Selby unsure of snooker future after round-one loss

Four-time world champion Mark Selby said he will consider his future in snooker after he lost 10-6 in the first round against Crucible debutant Joe O’Connor.

O’Connor, 30th in the world, held a commanding 7-2 lead after Sunday’s first session, only for Selby to make breaks of 112 and 91 to claim three of the opening four frames on Monday.

A break of 57 in the 14th frame took O’Connor one frame away and he clinched the victory two frames later.

Earlier this month, 40-year-old Selby hinted at retiring and said it is "maybe time to do something else" after losing 10-8 to Gary Wilson in the first round of the Tour Championship.

Selby lost in last year's world final but this was the first time he had been eliminated in the first round since 2018.

He told BBC Two: "I will definitely still review it [my future] because I stopped myself from playing well when I had my chances and I can't keep doing that because it makes me ill and gets me down mentally.

"I will sit down with [wife] Vikki and see what the options are. It will be a big decision but if I carry on playing I need help, probably on the mental side of it, to enjoy the game a bit more."

In the media conference, Selby added: "I don't want to go through the motions and feel like playing is a chore. I will take a long time to think about it over the summer. Away from snooker I'm happy, then when I come to snooker it's the opposite.

"It [his performance] was pathetic from start to finish. The damage was done from 2-2 to 7-2, I made it easier for Joe and gave myself too much to do."



www.bbc.com

World Snooker Championship 2024: Selby loses to debutant O'Connor

Four-time world champion Mark Selby says he will consider his future in snooker after losing 10-6 in the first round against Crucible debutant Joe O’Connor.
www.bbc.com
 
Job done for Stuart Bingham, the 2015 champion, as he clinches a deserved 10-5 success over Gary Wilson and another seed falls.

Source: BBC
 

I'm not the best snooker player ever - O'Sullivan​

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan does not think he is the greatest snooker player of all time, even as he bids for a record-breaking eighth Crucible title.

O’Sullivan, 48, begins his first-round match against 22-year-old Welsh qualifier Jackson Page on Wednesday (14:30 BST), with the second session on Thursday afternoon.

Another world title would move O’Sullivan one clear of Stephen Hendry’s seven Crucible successes in the 1990s.

O’Sullivan has already won the other two events in snooker’s Triple Crown – the UK Championship and the Masters – this season, the eighth time he has lifted each trophy, more than any other player.

Asked if he considered himself as the best ever, O’Sullivan said: “I don’t regard myself as the greatest. I’m one of them, maybe. You’ve got Hendry, [six-time world champion Steve] Davis, and my hat’s in the ring with them. I’ve had a different career to them. They did it over a ten-year period, whereas I’ve sort of gone off track, got myself together, back off track, then got myself back together.

“I’ve had to go on longer to get what I’ve got. I was a bit all over the show at times with stuff going on off the table and that can affect how you perform on it. Hendry and Davis pretty much had everything fitted around them to be focused on snooker and I didn’t have that.”

Source: BBC
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan made a fine start to his bid to win a record-breaking eighth world title as he dominated the first session against Welsh qualifier Jackson Page.

O'Sullivan, 48, is looking to move clear of Stephen Hendry's seven Crucible successes and holds an emphatic 8-1 lead over 22-year-old Page, the world number 43.

Breaks of 54, 56, 81, 122, 66 and 53 left O'Sullivan needing to win only two frames when the match resumes on Thursday afternoon.
 
David Gilbert moved into the quarter-finals of the World Snooker Championship with a 13-4 win over struggling 16th seed Robert Milkins, who threw his cue to the ground at one point.

Milkins missed a red when 7-4 down and showed frustration by hurling his cue down.

Gilbert ended the second session with a 12-4 advantage, before quickly getting the one frame he needed at the start of Friday's evening session.

After the match, Milkins revealed he had been struggling with a back injury that hampered his performance.


BBC
 

RONNIE O'SULLIVAN INTO QUARTER-FINALS WITH COMMANDING VICTORY OVER RYAN DAY AT THE WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP​


Ronnie O'Sullivan continued his charge to become the eight-time king of the Crucible as he wrapped up a 13-7 victory over Ryan Day in round two of the 2024 World Snooker Championship.

'The Rocket' held a 10-6 advantage from Sunday evening, with Day having dragged himself back into proceedings by winning the final two frames of the weekend.

A cagey opening in Monday afternoon's session eventually led to the Welshman squandering a simple safety shot thanks to a double-kiss, and it looked as though his esteemed opponent would be allowed to pounce.

But as the break reached 22, he missed a red, and Day capitalised by swerving the black and picking up the leftovers. O'Sullivan gifted the underdog another pot moments later, and the failure to exploit mistakes continued to swing back-and-forth until the superstar missed a long green at 35-14 up.

Day didn't let that one slip, clearing the reds and moving 22 ahead. But after a series of safeties on the colours, Day again suffered a double-kiss and was ruthlessly punished, as O'Sullivan rattled in from the yellow onwards.

O'Sullivan would not make such a meal of the penultimate frame. He surged into a break of 42, with his final red being a superb effort off two cushions into the middle pocket. One failed safety from Day and the English icon was back in business, and his second break saw the frame end in a 127-point shutout.

An early missed red from O'Sullivan in the next frame rocked the jaws of the pocket and the table looked so well set up for a shot at a maximum. Yet after a break of just 16, Day put too much elbow grease into a simple single.
But again O'Sullivan didn't capitalise, with a kick while using the rest seeing his visit end on five points, and the man on the brink of elimination went on to build a lead of 48. Following a bout of safeties, Day was allowed back in and held his nerve to win a seventh frame.

Day's lingering hopes of making the last eight for the first time since 2011/12, or even making the mid-session interval, were then brutally extinguished. O'Sullivan was forced to wait several minutes for the first pot of frame No. 20, but once it came, he moved north up the table to put the displaced blue away, and never looked back.

A man who has been typically accused of playing in second or third gear over the last 24 hours cruised into a break of 67, and then after a mere few seconds out of the chair for Day, speedily sunk a further 53 to clinch the game.

'The Rocket' is now into a 22nd quarter-final, as he sits three victories away from breaking the tie with Stephen Hendry for seven trophy lifts in Sheffield. He'll face either Jack Lisowski or Stuart Bingham in the next round.

www.eurosport.com

Ronnie O'Sullivan into quarter-finals with commanding victory over Ryan Day at the World Snooker Championship - Eurosport

Ronnie O'Sullivan continued his charge to become eight-time king of the Crucible, wrapping up a 13-6 win over Ryan Day at the 2024 World Snooker Championship.
www.eurosport.com www.eurosport.com
 
Ronnie is getting his form back, a month ago he was struggling and now came back strongly!

the way he played this game I m sure nobody can really give him any competition.
 
O'Sullivan level with Bingham in quarter-finals

Ronnie O’Sullivan cut a frustrated figure despite coming from 3-1 down to end the opening session of his World Championship quarter-final level at 4-4 with Stuart Bingham.

The seven-time world champion missed several uncharacteristic pots and rapped his cue against the table in the seventh frame.

Bingham the winner in 2015, made four half-century breaks, while 'The Rocket' knocked in two and the only century of the match in the fifth frame.


BBC
 

WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP 2024: JAK JONES REACHES SEMIS WITH SHOCK WIN OVER OUT OF SORTS JUDD TRUMP​


Jak Jones pulled off the biggest win of his career by knocking out a lacklustre Judd Trump to reach the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship for the first time.

Resuming at 8-8, the Welsh qualifier won 13-9 in a final session which was riddled with errors from both players at The Crucible, closing out with a century break. Jones will face the winner of the match between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stuart Bingham.

It was a nervy start, with Jones missing what was described as the “easiest blue ever” during commentary on Eurosport and discovery+. But although Trump had a chance to take advantage, a missed pink allowed Jones back in to take the opening frame 60-27.

The second frame of the day was just as scrappy, but Trump was keeping Jones at arm’s length. But a gift from the Welshman - a foul while potting the pink - cleared a path for the 2019 winner to level things up again at 9-9 by taking the frame 59-24.

If Trump was hoping that could kickstart a run of form to the semi-finals, that was not immediately the case. Jones bounced back impressively for a man who is yet to reach the last four at the Crucible, with a break of 87 doing the damage to lead the match.

By this point, Trump’s highest break of the session was just 22 and another miss of the pink let Jones back in again. “The interval needs to come for Trump” said Joe Johnson on commentary. Jones was not playing like a man who had come through qualifying and he did the necessary, moving to move to within two frames of victory with another half century break.

The interval gave both players a chance to re gather their thoughts but the 15 minutes seemed to make little difference to Trump. Jones was also missing, but his higher-ranked opponent missed an easy yellow.

Jones missed two chances to close out the frame, leading to a tense back and forth of each player trying to snooker the other - “this is like watching a horror film” said Dave Hendon on commentary, before the qualifier finally put the world number two away.

Trump now needed to win four straight frames to avoid an early exit, which had not looked likely based on form throughout the session. But another miss on a brown opened the reds up for Jones, who finished with a break of 106.

www.eurosport.com

Jones reaches semis with shock win over out of sorts Trump

In a World Snooker Championship which has been full of shocks, Jak Jones pulled off the latest surprise with victory over Judd Trump in the quarter-finals.
www.eurosport.com www.eurosport.com
 
O’Sullivan & Trump suffer shock quarter-final defeats

Seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump both suffered shock defeats in the quarter-finals of the World Championship.

O’Sullivan fell to a 13-10 loss against Stuart Bingham, while world number two Trump was beaten 13-9 by Jak Jones.

On the other side of the draw David Gilbert advanced into the semi-finals with a 13-8 win over Stephen Maguire.

And he will now play fellow Englishman Kyren Wilson, who beat Scotland’s four-time winner John Higgins 13-8.

Trump and O’Sullivan had been cast as favourites to triumph at the Crucible Theatre prior to the tournament.

And the draw had left open the prospect of a mouthwatering last-four meeting between the pair, with O’Sullivan also chasing a record eighth world title in the modern era having drawn level with Stephen Hendry on seven in 2022.

But it was simply not to be for ‘The Rocket’, who was unable to pull away from 2015 winner Bingham, who held his nerve and made a superb break of 104 as he took three consecutive frames to seal his victory.

Bingham, Gilbert and Jones' successes mean it is the first time since 1977 that three qualifiers have reached the last four of the tournament.


BBC
 
O'Sullivan casts doubt on UK appearances next season

Ronnie O’Sullivan has cast doubt on whether he will play in the United Kingdom next season after his hopes of a record eighth world title in the modern era were dashed by Stuart Bingham.

O’Sullivan was beaten 13-10 in the quarter-finals of the World Championship.

‘The Rocket’ also saw his hopes of becoming only the fourth player to win all three Triple Crown events in a single season end on Wednesday at the Crucible Theatre.

“I am aware of my value, of my time and what I bring to the sport,” said O’Sullivan.

“As long as those needs are met I will keep playing.”

The 48-year-old recently signed a three-year ambassadorial agreement with Saudi Arabia, requiring him to playing in all World Snooker Tour events in the nation.

As part of that deal he will also undertake coaching trips and set up an academy in the Middle East to help develop the game in the region.

“There are only so many days I allow myself to be away from home,” he added.

“World Snooker is a commercial business and I decided I had to be commercial to enjoy being on the Tour.

"I don’t just turn up to events, there is a tax to be paid and if people are prepared to pay it I will get my cue out of its case. If not I am content to never ever play again and do other stuff.”


www.bbc.com

World Championship: Ronnie O''Sullivan casts doubt on UK appearances next season

Ronnie O'Sullivan casts doubt on whether he will play in the UK next season after his hopes of a record eighth world title in the modern era are dashed by Stuart Bingham.
www.bbc.com
 
Clinical Wilson pulls clear against Gilbert in semi-final

Kyren Wilson produced a clinical display of potting to open up a 14-10 lead over David Gilbert in their World Championship semi-final.

Having resumed at 8-8, both players compiled half-century breaks in a continuation of a fiercely contested and high-quality affair, in front of a capacity crowd at the Crucible Theatre.

World number 12 Wilson then pulled clear with breaks of 93, 51 and 88 as he punished uncharacteristic errors from his opponent to win five consecutive frames before Gilbert replied with a superb 101.

Their best-of-33 encounter will be played to a conclusion on Saturday from 14:30 BST.

Meanwhile, 2015 champion Stuart Bingham and Wales' Jak Jones are level at 8-8 after two hard-fought sessions of their last-four match.


BBC
 

Wilson beats Gilbert to reach second Crucible final​

Kyren Wilson claimed a comfortable 17-11 win over David Gilbert as he reached his second World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre.

Wilson, 32, laid the platform for his success with a clinical display on Friday evening when he opened up a 14-10 advantage, then continued in the same vein in Saturday’s concluding session.

While Gilbert took the first with a wonderful break of 70, Wilson - the only seed left in the tournament - punished his opponent's errors as he took the next two.

He sealed his victory with a break of 67 after Gilbert missed a red to the right corner on 49.

"I didn't even know what it was first to, I just kept playing," Wilson told BBC Sport

"It felt like I broke the back of the match yesterday and I was very focused on hitting home the advantage. It was nice to kill off the match in one clean hit."

The world number 12 will now face Jak Jones or 2015 champion Stuart Bingham in the showpiece match - remarkably also his first final of the season.

Source: BBC
 
Kyren Wilson produced a scintillating display of potting as he swept into a 7-1 lead over Jak Jones in the final of the World Championship.

The Englishman got under way in fine style by compiling the first century break in the opening frame of a Crucible final since Stephen Hendry made 136 against Jimmy White in 1993.

His 129 clearance set the tone as Wilson took complete control with further breaks of 52, 66, 62, 90 and another century.


BBC
 
Kyren Wilson holds an 11-6 lead after a Jak Jones fightback on day one of the World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre.

Having trailed 7-1 from the opening session, Jones found his rhythm and compiled four half centuries as he won five of Sunday evening’s nine frames.

While Wilson was unable to maintain the scintillating form he exhibited in the early part of the match, he still made superb breaks of 125, 60 and 122.

The world number 12 also crucially clinched a potentially pivotal 17th frame when both players had chances to pot the final black, celebrating emotionally with a fist pump as he left the auditorium.

"Jak played really well tonight. It's not all about the scoreline, it's about how the frame was won and there was obviously a lot of tension in there," Wilson told BBC Sport.

"I'm proud of the way I held it together. I had in my head I wanted to get to 11 tonight having been on seven. I'm just loving every minute out there."

The best-of-35 final resumes on Monday at 13:00 BST and will be shown live on BBC Two.


BBC
 
Kyren Wilson has won the World Snooker Championship for the first time, beating qualifier Jak Jones 18-14 in the Crucible final.

KUvImN7.png

The Warrior was competing in his second World Championship showpiece after falling short against Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2020, but was never behind in this win over the world number 44, although it got nervy late on.

The runner-up fought hard after a disaster of an opening session to make the game competitive, but ultimately could not recover from the nightmarish start which saw him lose the first seven frames.

The Welshman got within three frames at points and Wilson was certainly feeling the pressure at 17-14 ahead, but he found his way over the finish line.

Jones enjoyed a highly unexpected run to the final after coming through qualifying, shocking the likes of Judd Trump and Stuart Bingham along the way.

The Welshman’s £200,000 prize money for finishing runner-up is four times his previous biggest payday, while he also enters the world’s top 16 for the first time, so it has been a monumental time for him, regardless of defeat.

The champion, though, pockets £500,000 for his exploits, climbs to a career high of world number three and takes home the iconic silver trophy.

metro.co.uk

Kyren Wilson survives Jak Jones fightback to win World Snooker Championship

The Warrior claims the Crucible crown.
metro.co.uk metro.co.uk
 
O'Sullivan named Player of the Year

Ronnie O'Sullivan has been named the World Snooker Tour Player of the Year for the first time since 2014.

The 48-year-old won five titles during the 2023-24 season, including the UK Championship and Masters.

O'Sullivan, who was beaten in the quarter-finals of the World Championship by Stuart Bingham, was also crowned winner in the fans' and journalists' player of the year categories.

Having won the main Player of the Year prize in 2012 and 2014, it is the third time O'Sullivan has won the category in its current form.

He was first named Player of the Year in 1994, when the prize was overseen by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA).

O'Sullivan won the award four times in eight years between 2001 and 2008, when it was under the Snooker Writers' Association and then the WPBSA again.

Kyren Wilson, who won the World Championship on Monday, took the Performance of the Year prize for his displays at the Crucible.

Luca Brecel, the 2023 winner, was inducted into the Hall of Fame.


BBC
 

Just Stop Oil pair guilty over Crucible protest​


A Just Stop Oil activist who jumped on a table during the World Snooker Championships and covered it with orange powder has been found guilty of criminal damage.

Edred Whittingham, 26, disrupted a match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on April 17, 2023

He was found guilty of causing criminal damage after a one-day trial at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Friday,

A fellow protester, 53-year-old Margaret Reid, who tried to do the same thing on the theatre's other table, was convicted of attempting to cause criminal damage.

A video clip played to the court showed Whittingham, known as Eddie, releasing the orange substance, which he said was dyed corn starch powder, and kneeling amid the balls on the table before being hauled off by security.

The defendant told the court he believed his actions were "reasonable and proportionate in the light of the greater threat we are facing from the climate crisis".

www.bbc.com

Just Stop Oil pair guilty over Crucible snooker protest

Eddie Whittingham and Margaret Reid are found guilty following a one-day trial in Sheffield.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 

Mann wins back World Snooker Tour place​

Mitchell Mann has won back his place on the World Snooker Tour - 12 months on from giving up the game again.

After losing his tour card last year, then failing at qualifying school, the 32-year-old Midlander was so fed up with snooker that he packed in the sport for a second time.

But he opted to return to have another crack at this year's Q-School in Leicester - and this time he succeeded.

Birmingham's Mann fired match-winning breaks of 65, 76 and 51 to help secure an emotional 4-2 final-round victory over Manchester's Josh Thomond.

Along with Lancashire's Farakh Ajaib, Scotland's Chris Totten and 20-year-old Pole Antoni Kowalski, it earns Mann a spot back on the professional tour for the next two years.

"It is absolutely amazing," said Mann. "If I rewind the clock to 12 months ago, I'd quit the game and got a job. I fell out of love with it [snooker] and didn't want to play.

"Getting a job changed my mind. I realised how good you have it playing on tour. It has all worked out nicely."

Mann, who has a highest world ranking of 70, is an experienced campaigner, having competed in the World Championship at The Crucible in 2016.

He reached a ranking event semi-final when he made the last four at the 2017 Paul Hunter Classic, in which he lost to eventual winner Michael White.

But he has faced his demons away from the snooker table - and this is not the first time he has come back to the game after quitting.

Source: BBC
 
'Heartbreak' over as Pinhey finally bags tour spot

Haydon Pinhey says he is feeling "pure relief" after ending a string of near-misses by finally claiming a place on the World Snooker Tour.

The Plymouth-based player ended a run of four successive final-round losses as he beat Gerard Greene 4-2 at Q-School last month to earn his tour card.

It means the 27-year-old will have two years on the professional tour and the chance to regularly face the biggest names in the sport.

"I lost four last rounds. It was heart-breaking, blood, sweat and tears, but it's worth it in the end," he told BBC South West.

"It's been tough, but the game is tough, so it was just pure relief in the end."

Promotion on to the tour means Pinhey is among the world's top 128 players and has the chance to qualify for all the major championships.

If he can get into the top 64 by 2026 he will keep his place on the tour - a feat he has dreamed about since he was seven years old.

But he says it has been hard, especially in the past four years where each time he has stumbled at the final hurdle in his bid for the big time.

"The third year I lost in a row was the biggest one, I was actually thinking that I couldn't take any more last-round losses," Pinhey added.

"I've got to be realistic, it is tough to stay on after two years, so who knows, I can just try and enjoy it.

"I think I'll be a dangerous draw. I've had a lot of pro events, so to try and stay on there for two years is the first aim, but it's tough."

But Pinhey knows he is capable of mixing it with the best - he beat Luca Brecel just four weeks before the Belgian won the 2023 World Championship and has had wins over other highly-ranked players too.

"Snooker's all about belief," he said. "We all can play, it's about believing you can beat the top guys and that was amazing."


BBC
 
Hendry declines two-year tour card from World Snooker

Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry has declined a two-year invitational card from World Snooker.

The Scotsman retired from the sport in 2012 but reversed that decision to return in 2020.

Hendry accepted two-year invitational cards in 2020 and 2022 but World Snooker said "he is unable to commit to the tour due to other priorities".

The 55-year-old has won 36 ranking titles, including winning his then record seven world titles between 1990 and 1999 - a number since matched by Ronnie O'Sullivan.

The Scot last featured on 25 January when he lost against compatriot Ross Muir during qualifying for the Welsh Open.

Hendry told the Daily Record: "Let's be honest, I wasn't pulling up any trees, was I?

"I was a little bit surprised with how good the standard was, but I've just got so many other work commitments, I won't be able to dedicate enough time to practising.

"I know the game inside out, I still know all the shots, but unfortunately the body is not performing like my brain wants it to."

Ireland's Ken Doherty has accepted a two-year invitational card, which will extend his stint on the tour to 36 years.

The 54-year-old, who won the world title in 1997, made his debut on the tour in 1990 and would have lost his card this year due to his performances.


BBC
 
Ahsan Ramzan, Hasnain Akhtar reach final of Asian U21 Snooker Championship

Two Pakistanis, Mohammad Hasnain Akhtar and Ahsan Ramzan, have qualified for the final of the Asian Under-21 Snooker Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Hasnain defeated Shawn Lee of Hong Kong. The semi-final, which consisted of best-of-seven frames, saw Akhtar emerge victorious with a score of 4-1. Hassan's victory came with scores of 54-64, 21-59, 61-15, 10-86, and 35-63

Meanwhile, Ahsan defeated Iran's Tirdad Azadipour with a scoreline of 4-1. Ahsan's scores against the Iranian competitor were 2-108, 24-61, 1-55, 56-48, and 7-63.

On the other hand, Pakistan's Awais Munir qualified for the final of the Asian 6-Red Snooker Championship. He beat compatriot Asjad Iqbal 5-2 in the semi-final.

Awais secured victory by winning five consecutive frames after initially trailing 0-2. In the final, Awais will face Hong Kong's Nansin Wan.

Munir defeated Hong Kong China’s Fung Kwok Wai 5-2 in the quarter-final.

It must be noted that all four Pakistan players remained unbeaten during the group stage matches of the tournament as well.

Following the outstanding performance, Pakistan are assured of one gold medal, two silver medals, and one bronze medal in the ongoing competitions in Saudi Arabia.

The finals of the senior and U19 events will be held tomorrow.


Geo Super
 

Awais Munir wins Asian 6-Red Snooker Championship​

KARACHI: Pakistan's Awais Munir won the Asian 6-Red Snooker Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday after beating Hong Kong's cueist Nansen Wan.

Munir secured a 6-3 victory against his opponent. The game was tied at 2-2 and Munir won three sets straight and made his lead 5-2. In the eighth frame, Nansen made a comeback.

However, in the ninth frame, Munir displayed excellent control and potting to clinch the victory. Munir won the match with the scores 0-65, 35-26, 27-36, 38-20, 0-65, 13-46, 8-60, 34-0, 27-40.

Remember, Munir defeated countryman Asjad Iqbal 5-2 in the semi-final yesterday. He secured victory by winning five consecutive frames after initially trailing 0-2.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Mohammad Hasnain beat compatriot Ahsan Ramzan 4-3 in the final of the Asian U21 Snooker Championship. Ramzan was the defending champion after winning the trophy in Iran last year.

Earlier, Hasnain defeated Shawn Lee of Hong Kong in the last four clash. The semi-final, which consisted of best-of-seven frames, saw Akhtar emerge victorious with a score of 4-1. Hassan's victory came with scores of 54-64, 21-59, 61-15, 10-86, and 35-63

Hasnain had also defeated Ranveer Duggal of India 4-3 in the quarters.

Hasnain also remained undefeated during the group stage of the tournament.

Ramzan also didn't lose a single match in the championship before the final against Hasnain.

Source: GEO
 
RONNIE O'SULLIVAN wants to launch a career in pool after he finally decides to hang up his snooker cue

The 48-year-old has won a record 23 Triple Crown titles and now dreams of becoming the world champion of Chinese 8-Ball pool.

O'Sullivan opened up about his potential future career ahead of this week's Shanghai Masters.

He told Shanghai Let's Meet: "Any cue sport fascinates me, so I’m looking at how popular Chinese 8-Ball is in China now. It’s huge, it’s massive.

"Obviously, I want to finish my snooker first - but I’ve got one eye on it maybe.

"I don’t know when - three, four, five, six years, I don’t know when that will be. But definitely when I finish snooker it’ll be something I want to go into and play some pool.

"Maybe give it a go and see if I can win the World Championships and be the best pool player in the world. That would be a challenge."

O'Sullivan has even began thinking of the logistics ahead of his possible career change.

He said before the UK Championships last year: "I can’t keep playing snooker against the young guys, getting up for it, match-in-match-out. I don’t want to be playing just for the sake of it.

"I want to keep playing for the next 10-15 years, earning a living, having a good time. China’s a place I like to go, obviously it’s a very popular sport out there.

"But I’ll just have to see what my sponsors are like because at the moment they’re sponsoring me as a snooker player. I’m trying to see if they’ll sponsor me as a pool player."

It is not just the chance to be a world champion of two sports which could be tempting O'Sullivan into a switch, with pool a lucrative business.

The winner of the World Heyball Championships earlier this year pocketed a whopping £567,000.

www.thesun.co.uk

Ronnie O'Sullivan reveals dream of becoming world champion in different sport

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN wants to launch a career in pool after he finally decides to hang up his snooker cue. The 48-year-old has won a record 23 Triple Crown titles and now dreams of becoming the …
www.thesun.co.uk www.thesun.co.uk
 
Trump leads Murphy in Shanghai Masters final

Judd Trump is four frames away from winning the Shanghai Masters after opening up a 7-3 lead over Shaun Murphy in the final.

World number two and former world champion Trump continued the brilliant form that helped him beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-3 in the semi-finals with another slick opening session.

Trump won five frames in a row to lead 7-1 with breaks of 59, 55, 100 and 122, before fellow Englishman Murphy took the final two frames.

Play resumes at 12.30 BST.

BBC​
 
Trump sees off Murphy to win Shanghai Masters

Judd Trump won his first Shanghai Masters title by beating fellow Englishman Shaun Murphy 11-5 in the final.

The world number two, who thrashed seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-final, was in scintillating form, scoring three centuries as he took the £210,000 prize.

Trump, who led 7-3 after the morning session, put himself within a frame of the title with a break of 110 - his 10th century of the tournament.

Murphy responded with two centuries to close the gap to 10-5 before Trump sealed his first title of the 2024-25 season.


BBC
 
I want to stay world number one as long as possible – Allen

Mark Allen says he wants to "stay as world number one as long as possible" after reaching the summit of the rankings on the completion of this year's World Championship in Sheffield in early May.

Allen has yet to win the biggest prize in the sport but his career victories to date have included successes in the Masters, the UK Championship and the Champion of Champions.

The 38-year-old from Northern Ireland defeated Liu Hongyu 5-2 in the first round of the Xi'an Grand Prix in China on Monday.

That tournament will be followed by the lucrative Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters from 30 August to 7 September.

Allen's nearest challenger in the world rankings, Judd Trump, won last month's Shanghai Masters.

"I know Judd Trump is not far behind me and if he wins titles then there won't be much I can do," Allen told the World Snooker Tour website, external.

"But I'm here to win the tournament too. I know I have a lot of points to defend from two years ago so I need to keep winning.

"Saudi will be huge in terms of the number one ranking, because the money there is so big. But it's nice to be the one they are all chasing."

'A chance to gain momentum'

The tournament in Saudi Arabia will be followed by further significant events in the autumn such as the English Open, British Open and Northern Ireland Open in the United Kingdom, plus the Wuhan Open and International Championship in China.

"This is a good time for me because I like a run of tournaments without gaps in between," explained Allen.

"We have this one, then Saudi Arabia, then a few in the UK and then another one in China so it's a busy spell and a chance to gain momentum and hopefully pick up a few titles."

Allen's opening victory over Liu Hongyu included breaks of 66, 58, 111 and 70.

"I was fortunate to be 2-0 up, Liu struggled early in the match," he added.

"Then he showed what he can do when he came from 4-0 to 4-2 and I had to make a good break in the end to win 5-2."

Also on the opening day of the new Xi'an Grand Prix, Ronnie O'Sullivan completed a 5-0 whitewash of Wang Yuchen while world champion Kyren Wilson secured his first win in a knockout match this season as he beat Haris Tahir 5-2.

Mark Selby compiled breaks of 136 and 11 as he defeated Wang Xinbo 5-3 and Gong Chenzhi, a 17-year-old tour rookie from China, caused an upset by seeing off world number 13 Tom Ford 5-1.

BBC
 
Pakistan to miss IBSF World U17, U21 Snooker Championship after New Delhi denies visa

Pakistan's snooker team was forced to miss the IBSF World U17 and U21 Snooker Championship in Bangalore after Indian authorities denied the necessary visas to the contingent.

Confirming the development, the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) has expressed deep regret over the missed opportunity.

The PBSA's confirmation comes as the national contingent, which included body's Chairman Alamgir A Shaikh, referee Naveed Kapadia, and three young players Ahsan Ramzan, M Hasnain Akhtar, and M Hamza Ilyas was all set to participate in the prestigious event.

It is to be noted that despite receiving clearance from the Pakistan Sports Board and other relevant authorities, the team was unable to proceed due to the visa refusal for the event which is slated to commence today and will continue till August 31.

Meanwhile, the PBSA has lodged a formal protest with the Billiard and Snooker Federation of India and the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF), criticising the decision to withhold travel documents from the Pakistani team.

The body has expressed disappointment over the situation, as they were eager to represent Pakistan on the global stage.

"This is a significant setback not only for our team but also for the international snooker community," said a PBSA spokesperson.

"Our players had a strong chance of securing medals, and their absence is deeply disappointing," he added.

www.geo.tv

Pakistan to miss IBSF World U17, U21 Snooker Championship after New Delhi denies visa

KARACHI: Pakistan's snooker team was forced to miss the IBSF World U17 and U21 Snooker Championship in Bangalore after Indian authorities denied the necessary visas to the contingent. Confirming the development, the Pakistan...
www.geo.tv www.geo.tv
 
Wilson beats Trump to win Xi'an Grand Prix final

Kyren Wilson claimed a hard-fought win over fellow Englishman Judd Trump to become the inaugural winner of the Xi'an Grand Prix in China.

The reigning world champion beat the new world number one 10-8 to secure the £177,000 top prize in the second ranking event of the season.

The pair were not separated by more than a frame until Wilson took control from 8-7 down to clinch three in a row and seal victory.

The 32-year-old, who beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-4 in the semi-finals on Saturday, now has seven career ranking titles, moving ahead of Ken Doherty, Stuart Bingham, Stephen Maguire and Ali Carter on the all-time list.

Trump's semi-final win over Daniel Wells ensured he would replace Mark Allen as world number one and regain top spot for the first time since 2021.

The 35-year-old was hoping to secure a 29th ranking title, which would have taken him clear of Steve Davis in fourth on the all-time list.

The 2019 world champion won the Shanghai Masters last month, although that is not currently a ranking event.


BBC
 
'It's no fun for me' - O'Sullivan on comeback win

Ronnie O'Sullivan says there is "no fun" in the way he is playing after coming back from three frames down to beat Zhang Anda 6-5 and reach the quarter-finals of the inaugural Saudi Arabia Masters.

It looked like China's Zhang, 32, was going to beat the seven-time world champion after going 3-0 up before O'Sullivan hit back.

"The way I've been playing, it's no fun for me," he said afterwards. "I just want to play well for seven, eight or nine matches on the bounce."

With the match poised at 3-3, Zhang took the seventh frame before O'Sullivan made it 4-4.

Zhang then moved to within one frame of victory but O'Sullivan used his experience to come through and win.

'I'm better than I have ever been'

Elsewhere, world number one Judd Trump eased past Jack Lisowski 6-1 to set up a quarter-final with Neil Robertson, who beat Gary Wilson 6-1.

"I’m a better player than I ever have been," said Australia's Robertson afterwards in reference to his form compared to that during a disappointing 2023-24 season.

"I probably haven’t said too much about my game over the last 18 months, but I’ve got that sense of pride again with my safety game."

Meanwhile, Shaun Murphy defeated Elliot Slessor 6-3, Scotland's Scott Donaldson lost a thriller with Xiao Guodong 6-5 and Jimmy Robertson edged past Kyren Wilson 6-4.

Robertson faces a last-eight showdown with Mark Williams after brushing aside Stuart Bingham 6-2.

The Saudi Arabia Masters, which has been given the unofficial title of being the sport's 'fourth major' by organisers, is the biggest ever tournament staged outside the UK.

With a £2.3m prize fund and £500,000 winner's cheque, only the World Championship in Sheffield is comparable.

BBC
 
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