Snooker Loopy

A news story caught my eye this week and I felt I need to tell you about it. I am a passionate believer in promoting new talent in snooker and a player write up that has impressed me is the new and up and coming player, Liam Davies. Davies, a thirteen year old from Tredegar in South Wales has a dream of becoming a professional player and it looks like this may become a reality if he finishes in the top two of the 10-event Tour provided he receives home tutoring. Tredegar has a long history of nurturing great players with Ray Reardon, Cliff Morgan residing there. Perhaps now we can have another talented player from the Welsh valleys and maybe a future champion. Liam is already a Welsh Under-18 champion and has been given time off school to compete in events. His school, Tredegar Comprehensive has spotted this career potential and rather like the Head Master at Jimmy White's school did, given this teenager their full backing. This story is made even amazing by the fact that Davies

Players are starting to make their journey to Thailand for the next episode of the snooker tour with the start of the Six Reds World Championship beginning on 02/09/19. Played over a week, this tournament was won last year by Kyren Wilson and is a hybrid of snooker using six reds instead of fifteen.This version of snooker has survived to live the tale unlike its rival, Power Snooker that died the death after two tournaments. It is true to say that this not every player’s cup of tea and some choose to skip this event as a means of preparation for the Shanghai Masters and China Championship later in the month. However those that do, use it for actively playing snooker even not in its original form and hey even if they are knocked out, it is a week on a sun lounger for them beside a hotel swimming pool. With a total prize fund of £265,000 and a winner’s prize yet to be announced, this is definitely a tournament that can produce different winners. Mark Davis has won this event three time

The snooker calendar gathers pace next month with the return of two of the Chinese tournaments, the Shanghai Masters and the China Championship. Some of the tour will have competed in the Six Reds prior to these events in Thailand but whoever wins that will really have to go through his paces to make any significant inroads in these events. Ronnie O’Sullivan has already confirmed that he will take part in the Shanghai Masters but be prepared for him to be rusty in a match situation as the last time he was seen on television was at the World Championship. Make no mistake that Ronnie is however up for this as he wouldn’t have thrown his hat into the ring otherwise. O’Sullivan enjoys coming to China and spends time experiencing the culture off the table, have made friends with quite a few in the areas played. Judd Trump is the bookmakers’ choice and mine as well. Even if there is a Ronnie resurgence , he will be hard pressed to get past Judd. Trump has already won the World Championship

As Peter Ebdon celebrates his 48th birthday today so I would like to reflect on this great player’s career to date. Ebdon, a Londoner from Islington first appeared on our television screens in the early 1990s with his trademark long hair and ponytail. Often accused of being a slow and methodical player, Peter proved the critics wrong and won the World Championship in 2002, winning an epic battle against Stephen Hendry, 18-17. With nine ranking and four non-ranking titles to his name, Ebdon has stood the test of time. Although the hair and ponytail has disappeared, the middle aged Peter still plays to a high standard and can still act as a stumbling block to any player who wishes to progress. Often playing with a cue that has a tip resembling a fruit pastille, Ebdon is an expert at tying up his opponent in snookers and creating a dividend of points that wins him the frame. His memorable outburst of “Come on” is still replayed to this day as he released his tension on the baize and cro

Germany only hosts two of the twenty tournaments on the snooker tour but like a good Riesling  they are extremely special. Having experienced the atmosphere of the German Masters firsthand, the Paul Hunter Classic has become the German equivalent of the invitational Masters. The event is a fitting tribute to Paul Hunter who lost his battle to cancer in 2006. This tournament was originally part of the  PTC series but fortunately survived after the events were disbanded. Played over a weekend in Fuerth, the cream of the snooker crop slog it out to lift a title that still brings tears to the eyes as memories of Paul flood back. This year’s final did not disappoint with two of the greats vying it out for the title. Last year’s winner, Kyren Wilson again made the final stage and was pitched against Barry Hawkins. Hawkins has recovered well from a recent boating accident when he sustained a cracked rib. Wilson on the other hand was hoping that this tournament could further springboard him

As fans gather this weekend for the inaugural Paul Hunter Classic in Germany so we should take a moment to remember the great man himself. It seems like the other day that Paul was with us and what a player this man was. I never saw Hunter play live but watched all his matches avidly on television. Paul was the David Beckham of snooker and introduced fashion and flair to the game.Close friends with players such as Michael Holt, Matthew Stevens and Ronnie O’Sullivan, Paul was the first player to sport a hair grip in his blond hair and generated a rapturous applause every time he entered an arena. Winner of three Masters titles, Hunter found true love towards the end of his life and no one can forget his marriage, barefoot on a sandy beach in the Caribbean. Paul was an ambassador for snooker and showed once again that this is a sport and should be taken seriously. It takes great amount of skill and coordination to play snooker and only the gifted can play at the top of the sport. Paul

Jordan Brown is not an instantly recognisable name in snooker but in recent months is becoming a rising star. Having been on the main before between 2010-11, the 31 year old lad from Antrim in Northern Ireland was only to last one season before dropping off and so had to regain his place by working his way through the infamous Q School recently. Jordan is a constant practice partner of Mark Allen and paired Allen in this year’s World Cup, having a very good run. Nicknamed “Bomber Brown”, his best  achievement so far has been a last 32 place at the Paul Hunter Classic and the English Open in 2018. He has also won the Northern Ireland Amateur Championship on four separate occasions, 2008, 2009, 2017 and 2018 with runner prizes in the same event, four times too. Perhaps the fact that is so impressive so far is that he didn’t gain his place easily at Q School and initially lost to Jak Jones in the final round of the first event. He then played against and beat Andy Hicks and Jamie Cope b

Snooker doesn’t get any better especially when it is played at the Crucible and so these last few days have proved with the World Seniors event. Players old and new battled it between Thursday and Sunday for the chance to win the top prize of £25,000 and to raise the golden claret jug that accompanies the prize. As many struggled to come to grips with the super thin cloth of the table, the field quickly thinned out and on Sunday night we were left with the two gladiators who would fight it   out for the title, Darren Morgan and Jimmy White. It was clear that both were hungry for victory and had a point to prove. Morgan who has been retired from the professional tour for many years, Still is very active on the amateur circuit and has a host of silverware to prove it. Making an emotional return to the venue, Darren played well to get to the final and showed flair and glimpses of his past glory whilst playing in this tournament. With perspiration on his brow, he slugged it out and after a

If you ask any player in the modern game what is their least favourite experience and the response would be the qualifiers. Whether you are a player who is fighting to get onto the tour or remain on it, the nerves start to jangle when they have to travel to a venue where in reality they would rather escape through the nearest fire exit. History has produced the likes of the Norbreck Hotel or Prestatyn holiday camp where players were cramped into qualifying cubicles in large, cold rooms for hours on end, playing multiple opponents that ultimately could lead to defeat when they crawl though, mentally battered and bruised to the first round. Another location that has made the headlines in recent days is the Barnsley Metrodome. This is a place that people loathe to travel to but unfortunately if they want to get to the first round of the China Championship, this is a must. With qualifiers come heartache and several of the greats have fallen by the wayside as a result. Early casualties ha

Nothing beats the atmosphere and environment of a live venue and this weekend I have travelled to the Crucible in Sheffield for the World Seniors. Moving between the theatre and the player’s lounge, I have again experienced what it is like to see how a tournament functions front and back of  house. It is very different to what you see on your television screens but works to a tight schedule with a multitude of staff, from a seamstress sewing sponsorship logos onto a player’s waistcoat to the press team typing away on their laptops as they create their latest piece for the national press. I have been coming to snooker tournaments for over five years now and still nothing ceases to amaze me when I travel to various locations. It is daunting walking into a room where you are faced by players who you have supported for years and now you are able to converse with them face to face. As I write this, I have Reanne Evans, the Ladies’ World Champion being interviewed in front of me and Tony K

Once in a while, history Is written before your eyes. Today this happened in snooker with a player that has long been admired but has had to go on a progressional journey before finding himself. The name of this player Is Judd Trump. A player that had cultivated a brand of snooker that harnesses the game play of Tony Drago, Alex Higgins and Jimmy White, that has been into a mixing bowl, stirred and poured out onto the green baize in front of viewers across the world. This young man represents someone who has raw talent but had to have the avenue to channel his skill. Long gone are the days when a young faced Judd Trump first emerged  onto the snooker scene, a child who could barely reach the table to play a shot but who had the cue on a piece of virtual string, creating virtual angles that produced century breaks. Today’s 10-3 victory over Shaun Murphy shows us that Trump believed in himself and put himself in the zone, a place that is required to be in when killing off frame and mat

Today we turn our attention to the other semi-final with Mark Allen up against his good friend of the green baize, Shaun Murphy. On paper, it looked like at the start of this match that Allen was the clear favourite, having won the title last year. However snooker is a game within a game and prides itself on unpredictability. Rather like a play, these two friends would have to adopt a part of for the duration of this match, that being one of a foe. Perhaps the pressure of this meeting and the fact that it was his path to attempt to retain the title, got to Matk. Natural burnout is prevalent in these long events and especially when the players have to travel long distances from home. Not an excuse but definitely a fact. Perhaps Mark should have had an energy drink before this match because it was his eyes that were forced to work on overdrive as Shaun dominated the table and left Allen urgently requiring a mental pit stop. Allen ran on empty for what seemed like for ages and before

So we reach the semi-final stage of the International Championship and first up was a mouthwatering battle between two of the greats of the game, Judd Trump v Mark Selby.. Prior to this match, I was nervous for Judd as Mark Selby definitely is a player that no one wants to play in a hurry and you will certainly feel the strain once he or yourself has won. On the day though, Selby thought he could just turn up and reduce Trump into submission but for me this is a dangerous tactic as it can always backfire on you and today it did. Judd is playing at the moment is playing the best snooker in his career and  so anyone who wants to beat must play their A game plus another A for any chance of victory. Trump is clearly in the zone and is in no mood  to hang around in a match, potting when he can at the earliest stage and building a winning break. If you could translate the text book on snooker onto the table, Judd is playing it with perfect timing and splitting the balls to score. Selby in

So as we reach the final phase of this tournament, we now know who the runners and riders will be who have the opportunity to capture this Chinese crown. Some players like Bingtao, Higgins and Lisowski have fallen by the wayside and with Neil Robertson losing to Shaun Murphy in a decider, it seems likely that the drama in China hasn’t subsided quite yet. With the cream of the crop on show, it was a tough ask for Gary Wilson to slay Selby as he is known to dig in deep in a match and rarely leaves without being prised from the table. We know that Gary Wilson is oozing with talent and his moments came when he nearly got to the final of the World Championship earlier in the year. In the match itself both players proved that they were not prepared to give up this journey without a fight and like so many of these matches this week was on the day, all down to a deciding frame. Perhaps this is another example of an expert playing his protégé. Clearly Wilson has evolved as a player but like so

It only seems the other day that the players were walking down the red carpet for this tournament’s inaugural ceremony but today left us with just 16 players left in the competition. This was a crucial day for Judd Trump as in the afternoon session he had the opportunity to climb to the number 1 spot, overtaking Ronnie O’Sullivan if he could just get past Joe Perry. On the day, it was like Trump’s play button had just been paused because the match was a replica of the last with Trump picking up the same excellent pace of form as before. Perry was disappointing as I know he can play a lot better than he did. However Trump is certainly on form and it will someone with a similar game to beat him. At this stage, I could only see Mark Allen being capable of it. So Judd inflicted a 6-2 defeat on Perry and with it guaranteed prize money of £21,500 for reaching the quarter finals. Elsewhere Mark Selby had a hard slog with Dave Gilbert. Gilbert is a dangerous player and never rolls over easil

Time is flying and we are already on day three of this prestigious tournament in the snooker calendar. First up was Judd Trump who is currently riding on the crest of a wave in this competition. His opponent Scott Donaldson got off to flying start and before long had a 2-1 advantage over Judd. However with Donaldson needing all the remaining balls in the third frame, Judd upped his game and  potted the crucial yellow that Donaldson needed to stay in the frame and after two snookers needed Scott conceded the frame, 2-2. After the interval, a close match ensued with both players vying for the lead and with a 4-3 lead, Trump got locked into a safety battle with opponent, nestling on the baulk cushion at every opportunity. However Scott made the first mistake and stuck a red up but Trump missed a cut back black and so a safety battle occurred once again. Trump got back and killed off the frame to make it 5-3 after Donaldson conceded. In the next, Scott had it all his way with one way tra

After the first day of thrills and spills at this tournament, we can see how fragile and unpredictable a match can be. John Higgins and Ding Junhui both had shaky starts yesterday and could have easily have been boarding a plane today but as I said before, experience saved them from the jaws of defeat. So let’s fast forward to today and Mark Allen drew Sam Craigie. This match was a pretty one sided affair and Allen is obviously in the zone as he wants to retain the title. Craigie looked out of his depth in this match and the television table probably didn’t help his cause as on the day he was a bit like a fish out of water. Allen proved his class and before you know it the score line was 5-1 to Allen. However on the day, Allen had the upper hand and left the table with a comfortable 6-1 win and The highest break of the tournament so far, 141. Elsewhere Jak Jones was put up against Mark Williams and this match was full of complications for Mark with Jak now starting to show signs of h

As players assemble in Daqing to compete for the International Championship, I will be spending the week giving you highlights and analysis of some of the televised matches. This tournament is the start of the heart of the season with every player bar those who didn’t get through the qualifying stage, battling it for the famous jug trophy and a reward of £175,000 for the victor. First up was the World Champion Judd Trump against Jordan Brown in a carry over match in what the Chinese describe as the “oil city”. Brown ranked 80 in the World rankings and who fell off the tour in 2009 after only just becoming a professional player and has only just regained his place via the Q School last year. Judd was always favourite for this match and had his eyes on a clear win with a target of reaching the quarter-final stage, a progression that would be rewarded with becoming number one in the rankings. No one could discredit Jordan Brown from this match as fans will know that his ranking doesn’t

This Sunday the tour moves back to China with start of the prestigious International Championship. Billed as one the five major tournaments that take place in China, this event was won last year by Mark Allen. However this year the field is wide open with all the players taking part apart from Ronnie O’Sullivan. Allen will have to watch his back if he is to retain his title and we really haven’t seen much him so far with lower ranked players being able to have the advantage of more table time. This event poses a snooker mine field even before it starts with 8 held over qualifying  matches to be played even before the competition begins. Two potential trip hazards from these matches are the ones between Peter Lines and Mark Allen and Yan Bingtao  has to play Alfie Burden. This will also be the first time we have seen Judd Trump play since winning the World Championship. Bookmakers would have him as the firm favourite to win this event but as we know snooker often produces strange outc