Category: Snooker

‘I don’t want to talk about it’ – How O’Sullivan’s shock defeat to Brecel haunted snooker GOAT

April 12, 2024

O’Sullivan led 10-6 after the first two sessions a year ago, but was bundled out of the tournament after an astonishing collapse as he shipped the final seven frames in only 79 minutes before a stunned audience without making a break over 30.

Virgo, who has retired to live in Spain, admits the shock nature of his exit appeared to haunt O’Sullivan during the close season, but believes it should act as a warning ahead of the sport’s biggest event which begins on April 20 and runs until May 6 in Sheffield.

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‘I didn’t think it was possible’ – White and McManus analyse O’Sullivan’s surprise defeat to Brecel

“Funnily enough, he [O’Sullivan] came over to see me in the summer and I asked him what happened against Luca Brecel in that match,” said Virgo in the Metro newspaper.

“He said, ‘I don’t want to talk about it!’ So it still wrangles with him. For the greatest player we’ve ever seen to play seven frames and not make a 30 break, nobody could have foreseen that.

“He is human like the rest of us, but it was hard to believe. I can only assume it was the pressure of the tournament. Maybe he was looking too far ahead, who knows.

“But he can’t afford bad sessions like that because the competition is there. If you have a bad session you’re going to get walloped, so to speak, which is what he did.”

A frustrated O’Sullivan suffered a similar experience in losing the final seven frames against Mark Williams from 5-3 ahead in a surprise 10-5 reverse at the Tour Championship final in Manchester last Sunday.

Virgo feels the Rocket is favourite to add to his world victories in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2022, but also warns he cannot afford to go missing for sessions when the heat comes on.

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No Filter: Behind the scenes as O’Sullivan wins record eighth Masters crown

“It’s hard to look past Ronnie, as he’s proved in the UK and the Masters, on the big occasion he does really produce,” said Virgo. “He’ll be a little bit disappointed after his Tour Championship defeat. Very reminiscent of when he lost to Brecel in last year’s World Championship.

“He lost seven frames on the trot and never made any sizeable breaks, which is amazing. He did the same against Mark Williams in the final of the Tour Championship, with no sign of that coming at all.

“So for those people who think Ronnie’s only got to turn up and if he puts his mind to it he wins, that’s so far from the truth. He’s got to be at his best. Ronnie will know that, but it’ll be a shock to the system, losing as he did.”

O’Sullivan is chasing the modern-day record of eight world titles since the Crucible first housed the mammoth 17-day televised event in 1977.

“Ronnie’s entitled to be favourite, no one questions his ability, but as I say he’s got to put that last defeat out of his mind,” commented former world No. 10 Virgo, who completed wins over Tony Meo, Steve Davis, Dennis Taylor and Terry Griffiths to win the UK Championship in 1979.

“And of course, he’s got the added pressure of looking for the modern day record of eight world titles.

“So that puts him under a little bit more strain than he would normally be under. But he’s coped with things like that before, so I expect him to put up a good show.”

Stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on-demand on discovery+.

White’s Crucible hopes dashed after Liu Hongyu defeat, Wells overcomes Xing

April 11, 2024

Jimmy White’s hopes of reaching the World Championship are over after a sobering 10-3 defeat to Liu Hongyu in the second round of qualifying.

The six-time finalist first qualified for the tournament in 1981, but he will not be competing at the Crucible this year as Liu advanced to a tantalising third-round qualifier against Jack Lisowski.

The writing looked on the wall for the 61-year-old after Liu raced into a 5-1 lead, as the Chinese player won four consecutive frames after White levelled the scored with an impressive clearance of 81 at 1-1.

The match resumed on Thursday afternoon, with Liu pulling further clear in frames 10 and 11 thanks to breaks of 59 and 72 respectively to effectively put the kibosh on any slim hopes of a White comeback.

The four-time World Seniors Champion recovered admirably to make his second-highest break of the match at 69, and rallied well in the final frame of the contest before being edged out 64-54.

Elsewhere, David Grace is involved in a keenly contested second-round qualifier against Rory Thor at 6-5 after 11 frames.

Grace moved in a 2-0 lead, before the Malaysian player responded to take the following two frames to wipe out the Englishman’s lead.

After both players claimed a frame each at 3-3, Thor moved into a 5-3 lead, making a the first half-century clearance of the match at 68 in the seventh frame.

But Grace hit back to make his first half-century break of 52 in the ninth frame, before taking the 10th with relative comfort at 64-10.

Meanwhile, Daniel Wells booked his place in the next round of qualifying after claiming a 10-5 victory against Xing Zihao.

However, it was all looking very different after four frames as Xing overturned a 1-0 lead for the Welshman by taking the subsequent three frames.

This included a near-maximum break of 140 from the 19-year-old in the fourth frame, but the response from Wells was emphatic.

Wells would take the next five frames, where he made clearances of 75 and 55 in the seventh and ninth to move 6-3 in front and turn the tide of the match in his favour.

The following three frames alternated between the two players, but Wells took the next three to secure victory.

Ben Woollaston and Jenson Kendrick are involved in a closely fought match, with the latter leading 8-7 and making sizeable breaks of 55, 69, 55 and 52 in the first, third, seventh and 12 frames.

Woolaston has made the highest two breaks of the match so far with clearances of 101 and 123 in the fifth and 15th frames.

Jamie Clarke leads Andres Petrov 5-4 in another tight match which included a resounding 80-0 win the ninth frame.

Petrov remains well in the hunt though, and has taken the highest two breaks of the match so far with 81 and 86 in the second and third frames.

Nothing currently separates Anthony Hamilton from Swiss player Alexander Ursenbacher, with the two players locked at 3-3 after six frames.

Stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live on Eurosport, discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com

‘I got slaughtered for it’ – Robertson on why he was forced to hold O’Sullivan peace talks

April 11, 2024

Neil Robertson has revealed he spoke to Ronnie O’Sullivan after suggesting the snooker GOAT had been playing “pretty awful” in some tournaments this season.

O’Sullivan is enjoying one of the most productive campaigns of his 32-year career after winning the Shanghai Masters, UK Championship, Masters, World Grand Prix and Riyadh World Masters ahead of this month’s 48th World Championship in Sheffield (April 20 – May 6).

But Robertson admits he encountered some serious heat for suggesting O’Sullivan had not been playing well in the early part of some events.

“We’ve probably seen that with Ronnie recently, let’s have it right he’s played pretty awful, but he’s been able to keep winning because people keep missing blacks off the spot, pinks off the spot.

“He’s gained that reputation of being unbeatable this season even though he’s played awful.”

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Watch as O’Sullivan clinches glory in final of Riyadh Season World Masters

Robertson insists his opinion was taken out of context as he set the record straight during a discussion with O’Sullivan’s fellow seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry.

“I got slaughtered earlier in the season for saying Ronnie was playing awful in the tournaments early on,” said Robertson, who has dropped to 25th in the latest provisional rankings after starting the season as world No. 6. “It was a compliment, but a couple of papers ran with it saying I thought he was terrible which was nonsense.

“Actually to the point when I spoke to Ronnie, and I said you know what I’m saying, and he just laughed it off.

“He knew what I was saying. When you get to the semis and final, that’s when you really take the tournament on.”

Robertson will have to negotiate two qualifiers to reach the World Championship this year after dropping out of the world’s top 16 amid a form slump, but admits he was impressed by Mark Williams’ 10-5 win over O’Sullivan in the Tour Championship final on Sunday from 5-3 behind.

“Mark is the sort of character who will finish the job. He’s got the mentality to do that. There’s only a few in the game who can.”

‘Class of ’92’ icons O’Sullivan and Williams have claimed seven trophies between them this season with the Welshman also lifting the British Open.

John Higgins also remains inside the top 16 despite struggling for major silverware over the past two years.

Four-time world champion Robertson feels the secret to their ongoing success is the ability to adapt to conditions and handle the pressure.

“Ronnie refers to it a lot. There’s a lot of truth in it. When we all started playing, we all played in the clubs and the pro-ams,” said the Australian.

“We had to find ways to win when conditions weren’t playing great. You had to find ways to win. Those three have got an amazing ability to win matches when they are not playing particularly well.

“Those three have always been great at winning matches, winning deciders, clearing up from behind, sensing weakness in the opponent. They’ve always maintained that.

“Ronnie has stayed at the highest level consistently with John and Mark dipping in and out a bit, but they’ve always had that killer instinct to sense weakness in the opponent.

“I’ve heard John talk a bit negative recently. I thought he was unlucky two years ago when he lost five finals and reached the semi-finals of the World Championship.

“We just have to see how it runs its course, and next season could be different for him. Those three have been amazing to have played as long as they have. It’s remarkable really.”

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The moment Neil Robertson won the Masters

Robertson admits he is not overly fussed to be forced to return to the qualifiers only two years after lifting the English Open, Masters, Players Championship and Tour Championship.

“Two years ago, I had that unbelievable season,” he said. “I won four massive titles, but then I mostly took five months off and over-enjoyed how great a season I had when everyone else is working hard.

“I completely butchered a few semi-finals. When you get content and satisfied, that’s what happened to me. Two years ago when I was winning tournaments, people make so many mistakes against you. They are so worried, and leave you in.

“This season, it hasn’t happened. I have to practice even harder. But my game is back in great shape,” said the Melbourne man after losing 6-5 to Ding Junhui in the sem-finals of the World Open last month.

“The good thing is it is the best of 19 frames, and they’ve done up the numbers one and two tables at the qualifiers like a venue. From a positive outlook, I’m treating it like two best-of-19 frame matches before the Crucible.

“I felt being a seed over the past four or five years is really dodgy. There’s a lot of guys you don’t want to be playing first round.”

Stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on-demand on discovery+.

White faces uphill battle to keep Crucible dream alive at World Championship qualifying

April 10, 2024

Jimmy White first qualified for the Crucible in 1981, but the prospects of the six-time world finalist returning to the sport’s biggest stage 43 years later look bleak.

White was given a bye to the second round of qualifying after fellow Londoner Martin Gould withdrew from the competition, but the former UK champion endured a tough time in falling 7-2 behind to 19-year-old Chinese player Liu Hongyu at the English Institute of Sport.

A fine 81 break saw White level up at 1-1, but he shipped the next four frames with world No. 80 Liu producing runs of 74, 60 and 135 in moving 5-1 ahead.

The Tooting player won the seventh frame, but Liu claimed the next two to leave himself three frames short of victory when the match resumes on Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old former world junior champion Stan Moody suffered a 10-6 defeat after losing the last five frames to Mohammed Shehab in a 10-6 loss.

Elsewhere, world No. 64 Mark Davis boosted his hopes of securing his tour card for next season as he built up an 8-1 overnight lead against Andrew Pagett while former European Masters winner Jimmy Robertson leads Liam Davies 7-2.

Latest World Championship results

  • Mohammed Shehab 10-6 Stan Moody
  • Gao Yang 10-6 Ishpreet Singh Chadha
  • Peng Yisong 10-5 M Phetmalaikul
  • Ashley Carty 10-4 Liam Graham
  • Liam Pullen 10-3 Anton Kazakov
  • Alfie Burden 10-1 Rebecca Kenna
Stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on-demand on discovery+.

O’Brien brings curtain down on 33-year career after defeat in Crucible qualifier

April 9, 2024

Former British Open champion Fergal O’Brien will hang up his cue after losing 10-8 to Egypt’s world No. 125 Mostafa Dorgham in his opening World Championship qualifier.

World No. 106 O’Brien led 3-0, but was pegged back to 4-4 with his opponent claiming three of the final four frames from 7-7 to advance to the second qualifying round at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

The Irishman reached No. 9 in 2000/01, two years after winning the British Open in 1999 with a 9-7 win over Anthony Hamilton, while he also lost a memorable Masters final 10-9 to Paul Hunter in 2001.

He also reached the last eight of the World Championship in 2000, losing 13-5 to Mark Williams in the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere, former Crucible semi-finalist Marco Fu completed a 10-1 win over former women’s world champion Baipat Siripaporn boosted by seven plus-50 breaks, while record 12-time women’s world champion Reanne Evans endured a forgettable day in losing 10-0 to Oliver Brown.

Latest World Championship results

  • Jiang Jun 10-6 Amir Sarkhosh
  • Bulcsu Revesz 10-8 Sean O’Sullivan
  • Haydon Pinhey 10-2 Hammad Miah
  • Long Zehuang 10-1 Sydney Wilson
  • Marco Fu 10-1 Baipat Siripaporn
  • Ma Hailong 10-1 Victor Sarkis
  • Oliver Brown 10-0 Reanne Evans
  • Andrew Higginson 10-7 Duane Jones
  • Stuart Carrington 10-5 Himanshu Jain
  • Allan Taylor 10-6 Vladislav Gradinari
  • Adam Duffy 10-5 Mink Nutcharut
  • Louis Heathcote 10-4 Oliver Sykes
  • Andres Petrov 10-1 Ahmed Aly Elsayed
  • Alexander Ursenbacher 10-0 Iulian Boiko
Stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on-demand on discovery+.

'All or nothing' – Snooker Q School begins with Holt and Maflin chasing tour survival

May 15, 2022

The final action of the 2021/22 season begins on Monday when a number of prominent potters attempt to secure their professional future in Sheffield.

Former Shoot Out winner Michael Holt, 2020 Crucible quarter-finalist Kurt Maflin and 1999 British Open champion Fergal O’Brien are three of the names bidding to recapture their respective playing rights on the main World Snooker Tour circuit for the next two years.

Holt needed to finish inside the top 64 to extend his 24-year stay on the tour, but finished the season in 65th spot after a 6-3 loss to Tom Ford in the third round of World Championship qualifying last month at the English Institute of Sport.

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Maflin finished his campaign at 66th in the rankings with O’Brien at 79th.

“I was disappointed, but I can’t put it on that match,” said Holt on WST.

I shouldn’t have been in that position going into the World Championship. It is my own fault and it is heartbreaking to have dropped off. I am where I am.

“I now have to go to Q School and get through. My game is still there. What can I do? I just have to prepare for it and see how I go.

“The situation completely took away any thoughts about the Crucible. All I wanted to do was to win my next match and be safe. If I’d got to Judgement Day, then I’d have thought about it. All I wanted was to save my tour spot and it was all or nothing.

“You have to win your matches and I didn’t. It happens every year to players and this time it happened to me. I tried and I failed.”

12 tour cards are available in Sheffield. Three events are staged at Ponds Forge between 16th May until 2nd June with four semi-finalists from each tournament earning a tour card.

Holt begins his campaign on Tuesday needing to win six matches to secure his future. If he falls shorts in event one, he will move onto event two of Q School.

An Asia-Oceania Q School will also take place in Bangkok for the first time starting on 1st June with another four tour cards on the line.

Two events are to be hosted Thailand’s capital city with the finalists from both earning a two-year card to the elite circuit.

19-year-old Julien Leclercq of Belgium clinched a two-year tour card last week with victory at the Q Tour play-offs.

‘Magnificent seven’ – O’Sullivan lifts Crucible trophy

FULL DRAW DETAILS HERE

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Blackwell handed 18-month suspension from snooker

May 14, 2022

Simon Blackwell has been hit with an 18-month suspension from snooker after being found guilty of an attempt to fix the outcome of a match, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) said.

The 29-year-old, who was playing under amateur status, was competing in the EPSB Open Series – where the carrot for a top-four finish would have been a place at Q School – when he approached another player and offered £200 to ensure he won the two frames he required to guarantee a spot in the top four.

The player approached by Blackwell did not take up the offer and reported it to WPBSA officials.

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Blackwell was handed an immediate suspension by WPBSA chief Jason Ferguson, pending a disciplinary hearing.

At the hearing, Blackwell was found in breach of three WPBSA rules:

  • 2.1.2.1 to fix or contrive, or to be a party to any effort to fix or contrive, the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match;
  • 2.1.2.2 to seek or accept or offer or agree to accept any bribe or other reward to fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match;
  • 2.1.2.4 to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or facilitate any Member to breach any of the foregoing provisions of this paragraph 2.1.2.
The panel handed down an 18-month suspension “from playing or being involved in all snooker events for a period of 18 months effective from 14 April 2022 (the date of his suspension by the chairman of the WPBSA) until 23.59 on 15 October 2023.”

Blackwell was also ordered to pay costs of £1,400.

WST confirmed Blackwell has until May 27 to lodge an appeal.

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Blackwell handed 18-month suspension from snooker

May 14, 2022

Simon Blackwell has been hit with an 18-month suspension from snooker after being found guilty of an attempt to fix the outcome of a match, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) said.

The 29-year-old, who was playing under amateur status, was competing in the EPSB Open Series – where the carrot for a top-four finish would have been a place at Q School – when he approached another player and offered £200 to ensure he won the two frames he required to guarantee a spot in the top four.

The player approached by Blackwell did not take up the offer and reported it to WPBSA officials.

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Blackwell was handed an immediate suspension by WPBSA chief Jason Ferguson, pending a disciplinary hearing.

At the hearing, Blackwell was found in breach of three WPBSA rules:

  • 2.1.2.1 to fix or contrive, or to be a party to any effort to fix or contrive, the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match;
  • 2.1.2.2 to seek or accept or offer or agree to accept any bribe or other reward to fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match;
  • 2.1.2.4 to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or facilitate any Member to breach any of the foregoing provisions of this paragraph 2.1.2.
The panel handed down an 18-month suspension “from playing or being involved in all snooker events for a period of 18 months effective from 14 April 2022 (the date of his suspension by the chairman of the WPBSA) until 23.59 on 15 October 2023.”

Blackwell was also ordered to pay costs of £1,400.

WST confirmed Blackwell has until May 27 to lodge an appeal.

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World Championship qualifiers to be played over 19 frames

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Blackwell handed 18-month suspension from snooker

May 14, 2022

Simon Blackwell has been hit with an 18-month suspension from snooker after being found guilty of an attempt to fix the outcome of a match, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) said.

The 29-year-old, who was playing under amateur status, was competing in the EPSB Open Series – where the carrot for a top-four finish would have been a place at Q School – when he approached another player and offered £200 to ensure he won the two frames he required to guarantee a spot in the top four.

The player approached by Blackwell did not take up the offer and reported it to WPBSA officials.

World Championship

Key dates and schedule for 2022-23 snooker season as O’Sullivan defends world crown

YESTERDAY AT 11:44

Blackwell was handed an immediate suspension by WPBSA chief Jason Ferguson, pending a disciplinary hearing.

At the hearing, Blackwell was found in breach of three WPBSA rules:

  • 2.1.2.1 to fix or contrive, or to be a party to any effort to fix or contrive, the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match;
  • 2.1.2.2 to seek or accept or offer or agree to accept any bribe or other reward to fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match;
  • 2.1.2.4 to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or facilitate any Member to breach any of the foregoing provisions of this paragraph 2.1.2.
The panel handed down an 18-month suspension “from playing or being involved in all snooker events for a period of 18 months effective from 14 April 2022 (the date of his suspension by the chairman of the WPBSA) until 23.59 on 15 October 2023.”

Blackwell was also ordered to pay costs of £1,400.

WST confirmed Blackwell has until May 27 to lodge an appeal.

Snooker

World Championship qualifiers to be played over 19 frames

YESTERDAY AT 07:43

Snooker

Opinion: O’Sullivan has found a formula for success that can bring more glory

12/05/2022 AT 13:11

Blackwell handed 18-month suspension from snooker

May 14, 2022

Simon Blackwell has been hit with an 18-month suspension from snooker after being found guilty of an attempt to fix the outcome of a match, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) said.

The 29-year-old, who was playing under amateur status, was competing in the EPSB Open Series – where the carrot for a top-four finish would have been a place at Q School – when he approached another player and offered £200 to ensure he won the two frames he required to guarantee a spot in the top four.

The player approached by Blackwell did not take up the offer and reported it to WPBSA officials.

World Championship

Key dates and schedule for 2022-23 snooker season as O’Sullivan defends world crown

YESTERDAY AT 11:44

Blackwell was handed an immediate suspension by WPBSA chief Jason Ferguson, pending a disciplinary hearing.

At the hearing, Blackwell was found in breach of three WPBSA rules:

  • 2.1.2.1 to fix or contrive, or to be a party to any effort to fix or contrive, the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match;
  • 2.1.2.2 to seek or accept or offer or agree to accept any bribe or other reward to fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match;
  • 2.1.2.4 to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or facilitate any Member to breach any of the foregoing provisions of this paragraph 2.1.2.
The panel handed down an 18-month suspension “from playing or being involved in all snooker events for a period of 18 months effective from 14 April 2022 (the date of his suspension by the chairman of the WPBSA) until 23.59 on 15 October 2023.”

Blackwell was also ordered to pay costs of £1,400.

WST confirmed Blackwell has until May 27 to lodge an appeal.

Snooker

World Championship qualifiers to be played over 19 frames

YESTERDAY AT 07:43

Snooker

Opinion: O’Sullivan has found a formula for success that can bring more glory

12/05/2022 AT 13:11