Ronnie O'Sullivan has been named World Snooker Tour player of the year for the first time in 10 years after winning five titles during the season, including the Masters and UK Championship. 'The Rocket' also won the Shanghai Masters, World Grand Prix and Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker during a prolific season, collecting the main award for the first time since 2014. Essex cueman O'Sullivan also won the Fans' Player of the Year and Journalists' Player of the Year categories. Kyren Wilson won the Performance of the Year for his tremendous display at the World Championship, conquering the Crucible for the first time. Rookie of the Year is China's He Guoqiang, who climbed to 66th in the world during a promising debut season.
The 2021–22 snooker season was a series of snooker tournaments played from July 2021 to May 2022, including the professional World Snooker Tour but also featuring events for female, senior, and Q School players. The season saw a record five players claim their first professional ranking titles: David Gilbert, Zhao Xintong, Hossein Vafaei, Fan Zhengyi, and Robert Milkins. Nutcharut Wongharuthai won her first World Women's Snooker Championship, becoming the only player besides Reanne Evans and Ng On-yee to win the women's world title in 19 years. Ronnie O'Sullivan won the World Snooker Championship, equalling Stephen Hendry's modern era record of seven world titles and becoming the oldest world champion in snooker history at the age of 46 years and 148 days. Lee Walker won his first World Seniors Championship. Neil Robertson, who won four tournaments during the season, was named Player of the Year at the World Snooker Tour Awards. O'Sullivan was named the Snooker Journalists' Player of the Year, while Zhao was the Fans' Player of the Year. O'Sullivan won Performance of the Year for capturing his seventh world title, while Robertson won Magic Moment of the Year for making a maximum break at the Crucible. Evans and Allison Fisher were entered into the Snooker Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to the growth of snooker.
Ronnie O'Sullivan started his professional snooker career in 1992 and is widely considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. His play and accomplishments are described by some peers and pundits as being the greatest in the modern era of snooker. O'Sullivan is a seven-time world champion, and holds many records, including the fastest maximum break in professional competition; the highest number of century breaks; the highest number of maximum breaks, and the most Triple Crown event titles (23).
Ronnie O'Sullivan is through to the semi-finals of the World Masters of Snooker in Saudi Arabia after a 4-0 demolition of John Higgins. The victory saw the Rocket put in an extraordinary performance, rattling off three century breaks in succession with Higgins unable to pot a single ball in the contest. O'Sullivan won the opening frame with a terrific break of 135, before backing it up with another century break of 129 in double-quick time. A longer third frame was eventually closed out with a third consecutive century. Elsewhere, there was final-frame drama as Mark Allen completed a remarkable come-from-behind victory over Mark Selby in the quarter-finals.
Ronnie O'Sullivan says a record eighth World Snooker Championship win would clinch his best-ever season in the sport ahead of the tournament's start on Saturday. O'Sullivan won both the UK Championship and The Masters for the eighth time in December and January, respectively, and is now looking to repeat the feat at the Crucible to complete snooker's 'Triple Crown'. The 48-year-old feels his game is in good order going into his opening clash with Welsh qualifier Jackson Page on Wednesday , but adds a first-round exit is just as likely as him lifting the trophy for an eighth time to break the record he currently shares with Stephen Hendry. "The last few days, I've started to play alright and so I've started to fancy the job," O'Sullivan told Sky Sports . "I wouldn't be surprised if I win it but, equally, I wouldn't be surprised if I lost first round.
Ronnie O'Sullivan expresses confidence in his abilities at 48, targeting a record eighth World Championship title. Currently tied with Stephen Hendry on seven titles, O'Sullivan reflects on his successful career with 41 ranking tournament wins and contemplates competing for the title in his 50s. Despite a brief period of poor performance, he has regained form and looks ahead to potential future victories. O'Sullivan credits his coach Nic Barrow for his improved play, emphasizing his enduring skill and determination in the sport.
Ronnie O'Sullivan: The Edge of Everything is a 2023 documentary film produced by Studio 99 and directed by Sam Blair. The film gives insights into the life of Ronnie O'Sullivan and how he managed to reach the top of professional snooker. It highlights the hardships he faced as well as how his personal life has impacted his career, and shows the mental challenges O'Sullivan had faced during the 2022 World Snooker Championship, where he won his seventh World title to equal the record set by Stephen Hendry.
Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan (born 5 December 1975) is an English professional snooker player, and current world number one. Widely recognised as one of the most talented and accomplished players in snooker history, he has won the World Snooker Championship seven times, a modern-era record he holds jointly with Stephen Hendry. He has also won a record eight Masters titles and a record eight UK Championship titles for a total of 23 Triple Crown titles, the most achieved by any player. He holds the record for the most ranking titles, with 41, and has held the top ranking position multiple times.After winning amateur titles including the IBSF World Under-21 Snooker Championship, O'Sullivan turned professional in 1992, aged 16. He won his first ranking event at the 1993 UK Championship aged 17 years and 358 days, and remains the youngest player to win a ranking title. He is also the youngest player to win the Masters, having claimed his first title in 1995, aged 19 years and 69 days. Now also noted for his longevity in the sport, he is the oldest winner of all three Triple Crown events, having won his seventh world title in 2022, aged 46 years and 148 days; his eighth UK Championship title in 2023, aged 47 years and 363 days; and his eighth Masters title in 2024, aged 48 years and 40 days. As of 2023, he has made a record 31 appearances in the final stages of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible, surpassing the previous record of 30 appearances set by Steve Davis.O'Sullivan made his first competitive century break at age 10 and his first competitive maximum break at age 15. He is the only player to have achieved 1,000 century breaks in professional competition, a milestone he reached in 2019, and which he has since extended to over 1,200 centuries. He has made the highest number of officially recognised maximum breaks in professional competition, with 15, and holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest competitive maximum break, compiled in a time of 5 minutes and 8 seconds at the 1997 World Championship.During his career, O'Sullivan has experienced depression, mood swings, and drug and alcohol abuse. Known as a controversial and outspoken figure on the professional tour, he has been disciplined on several occasions by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association for his behaviour and comments. Outside his playing career, he works as a pundit for Eurosport's snooker coverage and has written crime novels, autobiographies, and a health and fitness book. He features in the 2017 miniseries Ronnie O'Sullivan's American Hustle, which shows him competing against pool hustlers in the United States, and in the 2023 documentary film Ronnie O'Sullivan: The Edge of Everything. He was awarded an OBE in 2016.
Ronnie O'Sullivan took full control of his first-round match against Jackson Page at the World Snooker Championship as he began his quest for a record eighth title in dominant style on Wednesday. But Ding Junhui's hopes are already over for another year after the 2016 finalist suffered his fourth successive first-round knockout at the Crucible by losing a final-frame decider in a 9-10 thriller against Jack Lisowski. O'Sullivan though is already on the brink of the second round after dropping just one frame to open up a 8-1 lead over Welshman Page in the best of 19-frame opening round. O'Sullivan looked up for the task from the off as he fired four half-centuries plus a break of 122 in the fifth frame as he left the young Welsh qualifier next to no chance of rescuing the situation when they resume to a conclusion on Thursday, from 1pm. Making his second appearance at the Crucible, the 22-year-old Page had plenty of early chances but careless errors cost him dear and he looked in real danger of losing the session to whitewash until he crafted a superb break of 142 in the seventh frame to clinch his only success of the day in style.
Kyren Wilson achieved his first World Snooker Championship title with an 18-14 victory over Jak Jones at the Crucible Theatre, marking a significant career milestone after previous setbacks. Wilson attributes his success to composure and emotional control during the final match. His journey to the top was characterized by challenges and sacrifices, including a period in the amateur ranks before breaking through professionally in 2013. Wilson's aspiration to become world No 1 and his parents' significant support are highlighted in his reflections.
The World Snooker Championship is the longest-running and most prestigious tournament in professional snooker. It is also the richest, with total prize money of £2,395,000 in 2023, including £500,000 for the winner. First held in 1927, it is now one of the three tournaments (together with the UK Championship and the invitational Masters) that make up snooker's Triple Crown Series. The reigning world champion is Luca Brecel.Joe Davis dominated the tournament over its first two decades, winning the first 15 world championships before he retired undefeated after his final victory in 1946. The distinctive World Championship trophy, topped by a Greek shepherdess figurine, was acquired by Davis in 1926 for £19 and continues in use to this day. No tournaments were held between 1941 and 1945 due to World War II, or between 1952 and 1963 due to a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC). The PBPA held an unofficial alternative, the World Professional Match-play Championship, between 1952 and 1957. The official championship was revived on a challenge basis in 1964.The World Snooker Championship reverted to a knockout tournament format in 1969, beginning what is now known as snooker's modern era. It has taken place annually since then, with every championship since 1977 staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Under a format that has remained largely unchanged since 1982, 32 players reach the Crucible each year; the top 16 players in the world rankings qualify automatically, while another 16 players win places through a qualification tournament. Only three qualifiers have ever won the tournament: Alex Higgins in 1972, Terry Griffiths in 1979, and Shaun Murphy in 2005.Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan have each won seven times to jointly hold the record of most world titles in the modern era. Ray Reardon and Steve Davis have won six titles; John Higgins and Mark Selby four; John Spencer and Mark Williams three; and Alex Higgins two. Hendry is the youngest champion in the tournament's history, winning his first title in 1990 aged 21 years and 106 days. O'Sullivan became the oldest champion in 2022 when he won his seventh title aged 46 years and 148 days. O'Sullivan also holds the record for the most Crucible appearances with 31, having taken part in the tournament every year between 1993 and 2023. Fourteen maximum breaks have been made in the history of the tournament, Cliff Thorburn compiled the first in 1983, and Mark Selby the most recent in 2023 which was also the first ever maximum break to have been made in a World Championship final. A record 109 century breaks were made at the Crucible in 2022. As of 2023, 27 players have won the World Snooker Championship.
Judd Trump (born 20 August 1989) is an English professional snooker player who is a former world champion and former world number one. Widely regarded as one of the sport's most talented players, he is currently tied for fourth place on the list of all-time ranking event winners with 28 ranking titles. He has also won four Triple Crown titles.After a junior career that included winning the English Under-13 and Under-15 titles, and reaching the World Under-21 Championship semi-finals aged 14, Trump turned professional in 2005. He won his maiden ranking title at the 2011 China Open, was runner-up to John Higgins at the 2011 World Snooker Championship, and captured his first Triple Crown title at the 2011 UK Championship. By the end of the 2017–18 season, he had won eight ranking titles, but was facing persistent criticism that he was underachieving in the sport, given his talent. In the 2018–19 season, he completed his Triple Crown by winning both the Masters and World Championship, won two other ranking events, and became the first player to win over £1 million in prize money in a single season. In the 2019–20 season, he won six ranking events, setting a new record for the most ranking titles in a single season. He added a further five ranking titles during the 2020–21 season. Voted the World Snooker Tour's Player of the Year for three consecutive years from 2019 to 2021, he was inducted into the Snooker Hall of Fame in 2021. He was World Championship runner-up for a second time in 2022 to Ronnie O'Sullivan, and was awarded an MBE in the same year. He won his second Masters title in 2023, making him the 11th player to win the tournament more than once.Trump has compiled more than 950 century breaks in professional competition, making him the third player, after O'Sullivan and Higgins, to reach this milestone. In the 2019–20 season, he became the second player, after Neil Robertson, to achieve 100 century breaks in a single season. He has made eight maximum breaks in his career. In 2022, he became the second player, after Shaun Murphy, to compile three maximums in a single calendar year, having made 147s at the 2022 Turkish Masters, the 2022 Champion of Champions and the 2022 Scottish Open.
The World Masters of Snooker is a professional snooker non-ranking tournament held at the Global Theatre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Organised by the World Snooker Tour and part of the Riyadh Season festival in the entertainment district Boulevard City within Riyadh, the inaugural 2024 event was the first professional snooker tournament held in Saudi Arabia. The tournament introduced a special 20-point gold ball called the "Riyadh Season ball", which could only be potted after a player had completed a maximum break of 147 to extend the break to 167.The event features a total prize fund of £785,000, with the winner receiving £250,000, the second highest top prize in professional snooker, tied with The Masters and after the World Championship. The 2024 event also had a $500,000 (about £395,000) prize for the first player to compile a 167 break, but it was not given as no players achieved the feat, and the prize was increased to $1,000,000 (about £785,000) for the 2025 event.The defending champion is Ronnie O'Sullivan, who defeated Luca Brecel 5–2 in the 2024 final, capturing his fifth professional title of the 2023–24 season.
The 2023 Shanghai Masters was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that took place at the Shanghai Grand Stage in Shanghai, China from 11 to 17 September 2023. The 13th edition of the Shanghai Masters, first held in 2007, it was the first professional tournament played in mainland China since the 2019 World Open, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It featured 24 players, the top 16 players in the world rankings, as they stood after the 2023 Championship League, and eight invited Chinese players. The tournament was broadcast by local channels in China, Thailand, and Hong Kong, by Eurosport and Discovery+ in Europe, and by Matchroom Sport in all other territories. The winner received £210,000 from a total prize fund of £825,000. The defending champion was Ronnie O'Sullivan, who defeated Shaun Murphy 11–9 in the 2019 final. After beating Ali Carter 6–3 in the last 16, John Higgins 6–5 in the quarter-finals, and Mark Selby 10–7 in the semi-finals, O'Sullivan defeated the reigning world champion Luca Brecel 11–9 in the final to win his fifth Shanghai Masters title, his fourth consecutively. The final was the 18th consecutive match he had won at the tournament since 2017. He also made the event's highest break, a 143 in the 16th frame of the final.
Mark Williams, a three-times champion, was defeated by Si Jiahui 10-9 in the first round of the World Snooker Championship. Despite leading 5-4 initially, Williams found himself down 8-5 before staging a comeback to level the match at 9-9. However, Si clinched victory in a decider with a break of 77. Williams expressed uncertainty about his future in the championship, stating that he will be 50 next year and is not considering retirement. Si's lightning-quick start and accuracy in crucial moments were key to his win.
The Shanghai Masters is a professional snooker tournament. Originally a ranking event, it became a non-ranking invitation event in 2018. Ronnie O'Sullivan is the reigning champion. Ronnie O'Sullivan won the 2018 title, the first time it has been defended.
Kyren Wilson won the World Snooker Championship after a dramatic final against Jak Jones, crediting his family's sacrifices and support for his success. Wilson's father, despite having multiple sclerosis, recognized his talent early on and made significant sacrifices to nurture it. Wilson's wife suffered a stroke and his son underwent surgery, highlighting the challenges he faced. Wilson dedicated his victory to his family and acknowledged their unwavering belief in him. The champion emphasized the importance of his family unit in his journey to success, drawing parallels to a Rocky Balboa story.
The 2023 World Snooker Championship (officially the 2023 Cazoo World Snooker Championship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 15 April to 1 May 2023 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 47th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship was staged at the venue. The qualifying rounds took place from 3 to 12 April 2023 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. The 15th and final ranking tournament of the 2022–23 snooker season, it was organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored for the first time by car retailer Cazoo. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC, in Europe by Eurosport, and elsewhere in the world by Matchroom Sport and other broadcasters. The total prize fund was £2,395,000, of which the winner received £500,000.Ronnie O'Sullivan was the defending champion, having defeated Judd Trump 18–13 in the 2022 final. He made a record 31st Crucible appearance, surpassing the 30 appearances by Steve Davis, and reached a record-extending 21st quarter-final—also becoming the first player to compete in 100 matches at the Crucible—but lost 10–13 to Belgian player Luca Brecel. Fan Zhengyi, Jak Jones, Pang Junxu, Si Jiahui, and Wu Yize all featured at the main stage for the first time. Si, aged 20, became the first debutant to reach the semi-finals since Andy Hicks at the 1995 event and the youngest player to do so since O'Sullivan at the 1996 event. Brecel came from 5–14 behind in the semi-finals to defeat Si 17–15, the first time a player had won a match at the Crucible after trailing by nine frames. Brecel went on to defeat Mark Selby 18–15 in the final, winning his first world title, first Triple Crown title, and fourth ranking title. He became the sport's first world champion from mainland Europe.The event's main stage produced 90 century breaks, including two maximum breaks, one by Kyren Wilson in his first-round match against Ryan Day, and the other by Selby, who became the first player to make a maximum in a World Championship final. O'Sullivan made both his 1,200th century in professional competition and his 200th Crucible century at the event. The qualifying rounds produced another 135 centuries, including a 115 break by Ng On-yee, the highest by a woman in the tournament's history.
The 2023 UK Championship (officially the 2023 MrQ UK Championship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 25 November to 3 December 2023 at the York Barbican in York, England. The 47th edition of the UK Championship, first held in 1977, it was the eighth ranking event of the 2023–24 snooker season, following the International Championship and preceding the Snooker Shoot Out. It was also the season's first Triple Crown event, preceding the Masters and the World Championship. Organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored by online casino MrQ, the event was broadcast by the BBC domestically, by Discovery+ and Eurosport in Europe, and by other broadcasters worldwide. The winner received £250,000 from a total prize fund of £1,205,000.The event featured the top 16 players in the world rankings along with 16 qualifiers who came through a 128-player four-round qualifying tournament held from 18 to 23 November at the Morningside Arena in Leicester. Mark Allen was the defending champion, having defeated Ding Junhui 10–7 in the final of the 2022 event, but he lost 5–6 to Ding in the first round. After becoming the first player to win 100 matches at the tournament when he defeated Zhou Yuelong in the quarter-finals, Ronnie O'Sullivan progressed to the final, where he defeated Ding 10–7 to win a record-extending eighth UK Championship, his 22nd Triple Crown title and 40th ranking title. Aged 47 years and 363 days, he became the oldest winner in the tournament's history, surpassing Doug Mountjoy, who had been 46 years and 172 days old when he won the title at the 1988 event. O'Sullivan also holds the record as the tournament's youngest winner—set 30 years earlier at the 1993 event—which gives him the distinction of simultaneously being the youngest and oldest UK Champion. The main stage of the tournament produced a total of 63 century breaks, with a further 80 centuries made during qualifying. The highest was a maximum break by Xu Si in his second-round qualifying match against Ma Hailong. Judd Trump made his 950th century break in professional competition and recorded his 1,000th professional victory during the event. Ding and Mark Williams scored a record total of 195 points in frame eight of their quarter-final match, breaking the previous professional record of 192 points set by Peter Lines and Dominic Dale during the 2012 Wuxi Classic qualifiers.
Ronnie O'Sullivan will face Jackson Page in the first round of the World Snooker Championship when he will begin his quest for a record eighth title. The seven-time world champion will play the 22-year-old Welsh qualifier in the best-of-19 frame opening round on Wednesday, April 24 at The Crucible. Page, who reached the second round on his only previous appearance at the tournament in 2022, booked his place in Sheffield after winning a final-frame decider against Thailand's Noppon Saengkham in final qualifying. Reigning champion Luca Brecel has been drawn against David Gilbert in the match that will open the tournament at 10am on Saturday. Judd Trump, the 2019 champion and number three seed, has been drawn against Hossein Vafaei, while an eye-catching first-round tie will see seventh seed Ding Junhui take on Jack Lisowski, a runner-up in six ranking finals.
The 2020 World Snooker Championship (officially the 2020 Betfred World Snooker Championship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 31 July to 16 August 2020 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 44th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship was held at the Crucible. The final ranking event of the 2019–20 snooker season, the tournament was originally scheduled to take place from 18 April to 4 May 2020, but both the qualifying stage and the main rounds were postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was one of the first to allow live audiences since the onset of the pandemic, but on the first day it was announced that the event would be played behind closed doors for subsequent days. A limited number of spectators were allowed in for the final two days of the championship.The tournament was organised by the World Snooker Tour, a subsidiary of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, and was broadcast by the BBC, Eurosport and Matchroom Sport. The event had a total prize fund of £2,395,000, with the winner receiving £500,000. Qualifying for the tournament was due to be held between 8 and 15 April 2020 but instead took place from 21 to 28 July at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield. There were 128 participants in the qualifying rounds, with a mix of professional and invited amateur players, 16 of whom reached the main stage of the tournament where they played the top 16 players in the snooker world rankings. The event was sponsored by sports betting company Betfred.Judd Trump was the defending champion, having won his maiden world title at the previous year's event, defeating John Higgins 18–9 in the final. He lost in the quarter-final stage to Kyren Wilson, falling to the Crucible curse. Ronnie O'Sullivan won his sixth world title, defeating Wilson 18–8 in the final. This was O'Sullivan's 37th ranking event win of his career, the most of any player. Higgins made a maximum break in the 12th frame of his second-round loss to Kurt Maflin. This was Higgins' tenth career maximum break and his first at the World Championship; aged 45, he became the oldest player to make a maximum in a professional competition.
Kyren Wilson took a commanding 11-6 lead in the World Snooker Championship final after winning the first seven frames and compiling four century breaks, with Jak Jones mounting a comeback by winning 5-4 in the evening session. Despite a tense final frame, Wilson secured the win with a long pot. Wilson praised Jones' performance and Jones, trailing 7-0, expressed hope for a turnaround. Wilson started strong with multiple high breaks, matching a feat last seen in a final in 1993. Jones, the underdog, struggled in his first ranking final.
He Guoqiang (Chinese: 贺国强) is a Chinese professional snooker player. The IBSF World Under-18 Snooker Championship winner in 2018, Guoqiang has earned a two-year card on the World Snooker Tour from the 2023–24 snooker season.
World Snooker Championship favourites Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump are all square with their respective quarter-final opponents after an absorbing day 11 at the Crucible in Sheffield. Seven-time champion O'Sullivan is 4-4 with 2015 winner Stuart Bingham after their first session in the race to 13 frames, with 2019 champion Judd Trump tied at 8-8 with Jak Jones after two sessions. O'Sullivan looked out of sorts during the early exchanges against Bingham following some wayward cueing as his opponent took the first two frames with breaks of 55 and 75 and then appeared on course for a maximum in the third. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Bingham came up short of position off the seventh red, allowing O'Sullivan back to build a break of 66 and eventually get a first frame on the board and then after Bingham extended his lead to 3-1 with a break of 90 once the Rocket missed a black off the spot, O'Sullivan fought back, despite still not being at his best. He hit a 116 break - his 206th century at the Crucible - to reduce his deficit and then latched onto a missed pot to the middle pocket from Bingham to level the match before taking the lead for the first time with a break of 64, only for Bingham to restore parity with a break of 72 in frame eight.
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican, York. Ronnie O'Sullivan has won the tournament a record eight times, followed by Steve Davis with six titles and Stephen Hendry with five. O'Sullivan is the reigning champion, winning his eighth title in 2023.
The 1993 UK Championship (officially the 1993 Royal Liver Assurance UK Championship) was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place at the Guild Hall in Preston, England. The event started on 12 November 1993, and the televised stages were shown on BBC between 20 and 28 November 1993. The highest break of the tournament was a 141 made by David Roe.Ronnie O'Sullivan became the youngest winner of a ranking event at the age of 17 years and 358 days by defeating Stephen Hendry 10–6 in the final; as of 2023 this record still stands. This was the first of O'Sullivan's record eight titles at the tournament.
Judd Trump rejected offers to join a rival snooker tour, expressing his preference for tournaments with history and heritage. He emphasized the importance of playing for titles and having something on the line. Trump believes the sports biggest names are essential for the tour's success, with Ronnie O'Sullivan being a significant figure. Trump advanced to the quarter-finals at the World Championship, where he will face Jak Jones. Meanwhile, Stephen Maguire leads Shaun Murphy 10-6 in their match. John Higgins dismissed retirement rumors, stating he will continue playing even if the iconic Crucible venue changes.
Ronnie O'Sullivan opened up a 10-6 lead on Ryan Day to move within three frames of another World Championship quarter-final appearance. O'Sullivan, aiming for a record-breaking eighth Crucible success, built on a 5-3 first-session lead by making Day pay for a succession of missed chances. A missed yellow from Day proved costly as O'Sullivan made an 82 clearance and, although the Welshman replied by winning a scruffy frame, the seven-time world champion did not have to get out of second gear to dominate. 'The Rocket' reached the break 8-4 ahead as Day's carelessness was further punished with breaks of 65 and 89. The pattern remained the same after the interval as O'Sullivan cashed in on Day mistakes with frame-winning breaks of 56 and 96.
The World Snooker Championship is an annual snooker tournament founded in 1927, and played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England since 1977. The tournament is now played over seventeen days in late April and early May, and is chronologically the third of the three Triple Crown events of the season. The event was not held from 1941 to 1945 because of World War II and between 1958 and 1963 due to declining interest from players.As of 2021 the governing body that organises this event is the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). Prior to the WPBSA assuming control of the professional game in 1968, the world championship was organised by the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC), except for between 1952 and 1957 when the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) staged their own event, the World Professional Match-play Championship, following a dispute with the BACC.As of 2023, 27 players have won the World Snooker Championship. The most successful player at the World Snooker Championship is Joe Davis, who won fifteen consecutive titles between 1927 and 1946. The record in the modern era, usually dated from the reintroduction in 1969 of a knock-out tournament format, rather than a challenge format, is shared by Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan, both having won the title seven times.
Kyren Wilson defeated David Gilbert 17-11 in the World Snooker Championship semi-final to secure a spot in the final for the second time, facing either Jak Jones or Stuart Bingham next. Wilson demonstrated strong performance, benefitting from sessions with a hypnotherapist. Gilbert put up a game effort but fell short, reflecting on his defeat and questioning luck and sportsmanship. Wilson denied any issues with his opponent. In the other semi-final, Jones leads Bingham 13-10. Wilson aims to claim his sixth ranking title, potentially becoming the lowest-ranked player to win since 2006.
Ronnie O'Sullivan, the world number one snooker player, has announced his withdrawal from the upcoming Welsh Open in Llandudno due to stage fright brought on by anxiety. O'Sullivan, who has a history of mental health struggles, expressed his inability to predict or control his stage fright but stated that he will continue to be present at the tournament through his work with Eurosport. This marks the seventh ranking tournament that O'Sullivan has decided not to participate in this season, citing health concerns as the reason.
Ronnie O'Sullivan claimed he needed persuasion from a new sponsor to appear in the World Snooker Championship after seeing his quest for a record-breaking eighth title shattered by Stuart Bingham in a major quarter-final upset at the Crucible. The 48-year-old recently signed a deal with the Saudis which ironically commits him to signing a new contract with World Snooker Tour, in order to fulfil his obligation to play in the inaugural Saudi Masters in Riyadh at the end of August. O'Sullivan was beaten 13-10 by Bingham on Wednesday, ending his hopes of a clean sweep of Triple Crown trophies in one season, with the Englishman revealing post-match that he only committed to playing in the event after persuasion from a new sponsor. "I wasn't going to playing in this one until a new sponsor came along, and they twisted my arm," O'Sullivan told reporters. "If I hadn't have come here I would have done (punditry) days with Eurosport.
Snooker (pronounced UK: SNOO-kər, US: SNUUK-ər) is a cue sport played on a rectangular billiards table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six pockets, one at each corner and one in the middle of each long side. First played by British Army officers stationed in India in the second half of the 19th century, the game is played with twenty-two balls, comprising a white cue ball, fifteen red balls, and six other balls—a yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, and black—collectively called the colours. Using a cue stick, the individual players or teams take turns to strike the cue ball to pot other balls in a predefined sequence, accumulating points for each successful pot and for each time the opposing player or team commits a foul. An individual frame of snooker is won by the player who has scored the most points. A snooker match ends when a player reaches a predetermined number of frames.In 1875, army officer Neville Chamberlain, stationed in India, devised a set of rules that combined black pool and pyramids. The word snooker was a well-established derogatory term used to describe inexperienced or first-year military personnel. In the early 20th century, snooker was predominantly played in the United Kingdom where it was considered a "gentleman's sport" until the early 1960s, before growing in popularity as a national pastime and eventually spreading overseas. The standard rules of the game were first established in 1919 when the Billiards Association and Control Club was formed. As a professional sport, snooker is now governed by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.The World Snooker Championship first took place in 1927. Joe Davis, a key figure and pioneer in the early growth of the sport, won fifteen successive world championships between 1927 and 1946. The "modern era" of snooker began in 1969 after the broadcaster BBC commissioned the television series Pot Black, later airing daily coverage of the World Championship, which was first televised in 1978. The most prominent players of the modern era are Ray Reardon in the 1970s, Steve Davis in the 1980s, and Stephen Hendry in the 1990s, each winning at least six world titles. Since 2000, Ronnie O'Sullivan has won the World Championship seven times, most recently in 2022. Top professional players compete in regular tournaments around the world, earning millions of pounds on the World Snooker Tour, a circuit of international events featuring competitors of many different nationalities. The World Championship, the UK Championship, and the Masters together make up the Triple Crown Series, considered by many players to be the most highly valued titles. The main professional tour is open to both male and female players, and there is a separate women's tour organised by World Women's Snooker. Competitive snooker is also available to non-professional players, including seniors and people with disabilities. The popularity of snooker has led to the creation of many variations based on the standard game, but using different rules or equipment, including six-red snooker, the short-lived "snooker plus", and the more recent Snooker Shoot Out version.
Kyren Wilson has taken a commanding lead of 14-10 over David Gilbert in the World Snooker Championship semi-final. Wilson won six of the eight frames in the evening session after being tied at 8-8 with Gilbert. Gilbert fought back with a break of 101 in the last frame of the night. Stuart Bingham and Jak Jones are tied at 8-8 in the other semi-final, with the winner facing the victor of the Wilson-Gilbert match in the final.
The 2021 UK Championship (officially the 2021 Cazoo UK Championship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 23 November to 5 December 2021 at the York Barbican, in York, England. The event was the first Triple Crown and fifth ranking event of the 2021–22 snooker season. The tournament featured a prize fund of £1,009,000, with the winner receiving £200,000. It was sponsored by car retail company Cazoo and broadcast in the UK by the BBC and Eurosport.Neil Robertson was the defending champion, having defeated Judd Trump 10–9 in the 2020 final, but he lost 2–6 in the first round to amateur John Astley. Many other top seeds exited the tournament in the early rounds, with 11 of the world's top 13 ranked players eliminated before the last-16 stage. For the first time in the tournament's history, no top-16 player reached the final, which was contested between China's Zhao Xintong and Belgium's Luca Brecel, both of whom made their first appearances in a Triple Crown final. Zhao won the event with a 10–5 victory in the final to claim his first ranking title. The event featured 119 century breaks, with Gary Wilson making the highest, his fourth career maximum break, in his first-round match against Ian Burns.Aged 24, Zhao became the youngest winner of the UK Championship since Trump in 2011. He became the fourth non-British winner in the tournament's history, after Ireland's Patsy Fagan, China's Ding Junhui, and Australia's Robertson. He also became the fourth player from mainland China to win a ranking title, after Ding, Liang Wenbo and Yan Bingtao. His win enabled him to enter the top 16 for the first time and secure a place in the second Triple Crown event of the season, the 2022 Masters.
Kyren Wilson (; born 23 December 1991) is an English professional snooker player from Kettering and a five-time ranking event winner. He has been a runner-up at two of the three Triple Crown events, having reached the final at the 2018 Masters and the 2020 World Snooker Championship. Wilson reached his highest world ranking of fourth in 2020. He is a prolific break-builder, having compiled more than 400 century breaks including five maximum breaks.Wilson turned professional in 2010 after finishing fifth in the 2009–2010 International Open Series rankings. After failing to retain his spot on the World Snooker Tour in 2011, he regained his tour card in 2013 and has been a professional ever since. Wilson won his first ranking title at the 2015 Shanghai Masters when ranked 54th in the world; he defeated Judd Trump 10–9 in the final. Wilson has won an additional four ranking events: at the 2018 Paul Hunter Classic, defeating Peter Ebdon 4–2; at the 2019 German Masters, defeating David Gilbert 9–7; at the 2020 Championship League, again defeating Trump, this time by a score of 3–1; and at the 2022 European Masters, defeating Barry Hawkins 9-3.
The Triple Crown in professional snooker refers to winning the sport's three longest-running and most prestigious tournaments: the World Snooker Championship (first held in 1927 and staged as a knockout tournament continuously since 1969), the invitational Masters (held annually since 1975), and the UK Championship (held annually since 1977). In January 2020, the three tournaments were formally named the Triple Crown Series.Any player who has won all three Triple Crown tournaments at least once over the course of their career is said to have won a "career Triple Crown", and they gain the right to wear an embroidered crown on their waistcoat to reflect the achievement. As of 2023, eleven players have won a career Triple Crown: Steve Davis, Terry Griffiths, Stephen Hendry, Alex Higgins, John Higgins, Shaun Murphy, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby, Judd Trump, and Mark Williams. O'Sullivan has won the most Triple Crown titles, with 23; Hendry has won 18, and Davis 15.Davis, Hendry, and Williams are the only three players to have won all three Triple Crown events in a single season (Davis in 1987–88, Hendry in both 1989–90 and 1995–96, and Williams in 2002–03). Hendry is the only player to have accomplished this feat twice.
Jak Jones, a qualifier in the World Snooker Championship final, faces an uphill battle as Kyren Wilson dominates the opening session, leading by a significant margin. Wilson's prior final experience and Jones' fatigue from extensive play contribute to the lopsided start. Despite Jones winning the last frame of the session, Wilson's strong performance hints at a challenging road ahead for Jones in the final days of the championship.
Reigning victor Luca Brecel was defeated 9-10 by David Gilbert in the World Snooker Championship, with a comeback by Gilbert leading to Brecel's elimination; Judd Trump took a 6-3 lead against Hossein Vafaei, aiming for his second Championship title; Ali Carter leads Stephen Maguire 5-4, Jak Jones leads Zhang Anda 5-2; off-table discussions focus on the uncertain future of the Crucible Theatre as the tournament venue post-2027.
The 2008 Roewe Shanghai Masters was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 29 September and 5 October 2008 at the Shanghai Grand Stage in Shanghai, China. It was the second ranking event of the 2008/2009 season and was the second annual edition of the tournament.Former World Champion Graeme Dott withdrew from the competition after breaking his left arm on 30 September, during an informal football match with other snooker players. As a result, Jamie Cope, who was due to play Dott in the first round, received a bye to the last 16, where he made the 64th official maximum break against Mark Williams.Qualifier Ricky Walden won in the final 10–8 against World Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan to win his first ranking title.
The 1984 World Snooker Championship (also referred to as the 1984 Embassy World Snooker Championship for the purpose of sponsorship) was a ranking professional snooker tournament that took place between 21 April and 7 May 1984 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The event was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, and was the eighth consecutive World Snooker Championship to be held at the Crucible since the 1977 event. The event featured 94 participants, of which 78 players competed in a qualifying event held at the Redwood Lodge in Bristol from 1 to 13 April. Of these, 16 players qualified for the main stage in Sheffield, where they met 16 invited seeds. The total prize fund for the event was £200,000, the highest total pool for any snooker tournament at that time; the winner received £44,000.The defending champion was English player Steve Davis, who had won the title twice previously. He met fellow-countryman Jimmy White in the final, which was played as a best-of-35-frames match. Davis took a significant lead of 12–4 after the first two sessions; although White battled back into the match, Davis eventually won 18–16, becoming the first player to retain the title at the Crucible. Rex Williams secured the championship's highest break, scoring a 138 in the 12th frame of his first-round loss to White. Eight century breaks were made during the competition, the fewest since the 1978 event. The tournament was sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Embassy, and broadcast by BBC.
The 2007 Shanghai Masters was the inaugural edition of the Shanghai Masters snooker tournament and the first ranking event of the 2007/2008 season. It took place between 6–12 August 2007 at the Shanghai Grand Stage in Shanghai, China.Dominic Dale won in the final 10–6 against Ryan Day.
The 2024 World Masters of Snooker (officially the 2024 Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker) is a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that is taking place from 4 to 6 March 2024 at the Global Theatre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Organised by the World Snooker Tour and part of the Riyadh Season festival in the entertainment district Boulevard City within Riyadh, the event is the first professional snooker tournament to be held in Saudi Arabia. It introduces a new 20-point gold ball called the "Riyadh Season ball", which can only be potted after a player has completed a maximum break of 147 to extend the break to 167. The event is being broadcast locally in the Middle East and North Africa and worldwide. The winner will receive £250,000 from a total prize fund of £785,000.The event features 12 players, including the top ten players on the snooker world rankings, with the reigning World Champion, Luca Brecel, as the top seed, as well as two local wildcard players (Ali Alobaidli from Qatar and Omar Alajlani from Saudi Arabia).
The 2022 UK Championship (officially the 2022 Cazoo UK Championship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 12 to 20 November 2022 at the York Barbican in York, England. The fifth ranking event and first Triple Crown event of the 2022–23 snooker season, the tournament was the 46th edition of the UK Championship, which was first held in 1977. Organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored by car retail company Cazoo, the event was broadcast domestically by the BBC and Eurosport. The winner received £250,000 from a total prize fund of £1,205,000.The tournament organisers changed the format for the 2022 event, replacing the flat-128 draw that had been used from 2013 to 2021 with a format that closely resembled that of the World Snooker Championship. The top 16 players in the world rankings were seeded through to the last-32 stage, where they were joined by 16 qualifiers from a 128-player qualifying tournament that took place from 5 to 10 November at Ponds Forge in Sheffield. Aged 60, Jimmy White became the oldest player to qualify for the tournament's final stages since 63-year-old Eddie Charlton in 1993.The defending champion was Zhao Xintong, who defeated Luca Brecel 10–5 in the final of the 2021 event. Zhao lost 2–6 in the first round to Sam Craigie. Mark Allen reached his third UK Championship final, having been runner-up in 2011 and 2018, where he faced three-time winner Ding Junhui, who reached his first ranking final in three years. Allen trailed in every match he played in the tournament, and fell 1–6 behind in the final, but he won nine of the last ten frames to clinch a 10–7 victory. He became the second Northern Irish player to win the UK Championship, after Alex Higgins in 1983; his comeback from 1–6 behind saw him overcome the largest deficit in a UK Championship final since Higgins came from 0–7 behind to defeat Steve Davis 16–15 in that year. It was Allen's eighth ranking title and second Triple Crown title, following his win at the 2018 Masters. Cao Yupeng made the tournament's highest break of 144 in his second-round qualifying match against Callum Beresford.
My tombstone will not say This is the man who took the World Championships away from the Crucible. The words of now-retired World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn when a contract was signed in 2017 to keep the World Snooker Championship at Sheffields Crucible theatre. How much longer the sport's most prestigious event will remain at the venue which has hosted it for 47 years is again being debated though, with the existing hosting and broadcast contracts up for renewal in three years' time. The news ahead of this year's World Championship, which starts on Saturday, that Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Season has become a commercial partner of the tournament and Ronnie O'Sullivan has signed a three-year ambassadorial agreement to help grow the sport in the nation has many now wondering whether the event could move to the Middle East. So, how realistic is it that Sheffield may not be the home to the biggest tournament in snooker for much longer? By the time the current contract with Sheffield City Council expires, the Crucible will have hosted the World Championship for half a century, being instituted there by promoter Mike Watterson on the suggestion of his wife after she had watched a play at the venue and felt it would be ideal for snooker.
The 2004 UK Championship (officially the 2004 Travis Perkins UK Championship) was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 15 and 28 November 2004 at the Barbican Centre in York, England.During the qualification Jamie Burnett compiled a 148 break, the only break exceeding 147 in professional competition.Matthew Stevens was the defending champion, but lost his first round match to Barry Pinches.Stephen Maguire won his first UK Championship, beating David Gray 10–1 in the final. During the tournament Gray compiled his first maximum break, the 50th ever made in professional play.
Iranian snooker player Hossein Vafaei expressed discontent with the Crucible venue in Sheffield, calling it 'smelly' and comparing the practice room to a 'garage'. Vafaei suggested that the World Snooker Championship should be relocated to Asia for a more pleasant player experience, echoing sentiments shared by Ronnie O'Sullivan. The World Snooker Tour defended the historic venue, citing limitations in backstage areas while striving to make it welcoming for players. Judd Trump and other players continue to compete in the ongoing World Snooker Championship at the Crucible.
The 2024 World Snooker Championship (officially the 2024 Cazoo World Snooker Championship) is a professional snooker tournament that is taking place from 20 April to 6 May 2024 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 48th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship has been staged at the venue. The qualifying rounds took place from 8 to 17 April at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. The 17th and final ranking event of the 2023–24 snooker season, it is organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored by car retailer Cazoo. The event is being broadcast domestically in the United Kingdom by the BBC, Eurosport, and Discovery+, as well as by other broadcasters worldwide. The winner will receive £500,000 from a total prize fund of £2,395,000.Luca Brecel was the defending champion, having defeated Englishman Mark Selby in the 2023 final. Brecel lost 9–10 in the first round against David Gilbert. As a first time champion, he was unable to pass the Crucible curse as he was the 19th first time champion who was unable to defend his title at the venue. In the third round of qualifying, Noppon Saengkham made a maximum break.
The World Snooker Tour (WST) is the main professional snooker tour, consisting of approximately 128 players competing on a circuit of up to 28 tournaments each season. The World Snooker Tour is administered by World Snooker Ltd, the commercial arm of professional snooker, which introduced the World Snooker Tour name, logo, and revised website as part of a 2020 rebranding. The principal stakeholder in World Snooker Ltd is Matchroom Sport, which owns 51 percent of the company; the sport's governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), owns 26 percent. To compete on the World Snooker Tour, players must be WPBSA members.
The 2023–24 snooker season is an ongoing professional snooker season with tournaments played between 26 June 2023 and 26 May 2024.
Victor Wembanyama, a 20-year-old center-forward for the San Antonio Spurs, becomes the NBA's Rookie of the Year, making history as the first player from France to win the award. He averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game, finishing the season as the first player in NBA history to achieve over 1,500 points, block at least 250 shots, and hit 100 3-pointers in a single campaign. Wembanyama's performance ranks among the best for a rookie since Blake Griffin in 2010-11, and he is the first international player since Luka Doncic in 2018-19 to win this accolade.
Jimmy White's hopes of reaching the World Championship ended with a 10-3 defeat by Liu Hongyu in the second round of qualifying at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. White, who has been a runner-up at the Crucible six times, found himself trailing 5-1 as 19-year-old Liu soon took control of the match, which had started on Wednesday, making a break of 135 in the sixth frame. Liu maintained his momentum and went into the end of the first session with an overnight lead of 7-2. The match resumed on Thursday afternoon, when Chinese teenager Liu further extended his advantage over the 61-year-old veteran with breaks of 59 and 72. Although White, a four-time World Seniors Champion, made a run of 69 to claim the 12th frame, Liu secured victory with a break of 64 in the next.
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) is the governing body of professional snooker and English billiards. It is headquartered in Bristol, England. Founded as the Professional Billiard Players Association (PBPA) in 1946, with Joe Davis as chairman, it was revived in 1968 after some years of inactivity and renamed the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association in 1970. Its current chairman is Jason Ferguson.The WPBSA devises and publishes the official rules of the two sports. It promotes their global development at the grassroots, amateur, and professional levels; enforces conduct regulations and disciplines players who breach them; and works to combat corruption, such as by investigating betting irregularities. Additionally, it is involved in coaching development and the training of referees.The WPBSA owns a 26 per cent share of World Snooker Ltd, which organises the professional World Snooker Tour. It also supports World Women's Snooker, World Disability Billiards and Snooker, and English billiards through World Billiards.
The 2024 Championship League Invitational (officially the 2024 BetVictor Championship League Invitational for sponsorship reasons) was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament, which took place from 2 January 2024 to 13 March 2024 at the Leicester Arena in Leicester, England.John Higgins was the defending champion, having won the tournament for the fourth time after beating Judd Trump 3–1 in the final of the 2023 event. He was defeated 3–0 by Joe O'Connor in the Winners' Group semi-finals.There were three maximum breaks achieved during the tournament, by Kyren Wilson in Group 3, by John Higgins in Group 5, and by Joe O'Connor in Group 7. This is only the third time that three maximums have been made in an event, the first being at the 2012 UK Championship, and the second at the 2017 German Masters.Mark Selby won the tournament, beating Joe O'Connor 3–1 in the final.
The UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award (previously known as the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award) is an association football award given to the footballer playing for a men's football club in Europe that is considered the best in the previous season of both club and national team competition. The award, created in 2011 by UEFA in partnership with European Sports Media (ESM) group, was initially aimed at reviving the European Footballer of the Year Award (Ballon d'Or), which was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year Award in 2010 to become the FIFA Ballon d'Or. It also replaced the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award.Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award the most time with 3 awards and is the only player to win it twice in a row. Female players are awarded the UEFA Women's Player of the Year Award, introduced in 2013.
Former Ryder Cup player and much-loved television commentator Peter Oosterhuis has died at the age of 75, the PGA Tour has announced. Oosterhuis, who topped the European Tours Order of Merit from 1971-1974 and twice finished runner-up in the Open Championship, had been suffering from Alzheimers since 2014. He died on Thursday, a day before what would have been his 76th birthday. Following a successful amateur career, Oosterhuis turned professional in 1968 and quickly made his mark with a tie for sixth in the 1970 Open at St Andrews, where Jack Nicklaus defeated Doug Sanders in a play-off. He finished top of the European Tours money list for the first time in 1971 and had a great chance to win the Masters in 1973 when he took a three-shot lead into the final round, but a closing 74 left him in a tie for third, two shots behind winner Tommy Aaron.
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