This week’s round-up includes Judd Trump’s victory in the German Masters, Ng On Yee’s win over Reanne Evans, and the latest in the World Grand Prix.
Trump’s Tempodrom
Let’s start in Berlin, where just under a week ago Judd Trump emerged to claim his fourth ranking title of the campaign.
The world number one overcame the in-form Neil Robertson 9-6 in the final, winning seven out of the last nine frames against the Australian.
Trump collected £80,000 for his efforts at the Tempodrom, taking him into second behind Robertson on the inaugural European Series order of merit.
Two more events will count in the European Series this year, the upcoming Shoot Out in Watford before the Gibraltar Open.
The player who accumulates the most money across the four events will earn a tasty £100,000 bonus.
Both Trump and Robertson had joked after the German Masters final about hoping that the other would skip the Shoot Out, and it appears that they called each other’s bluff because neither ended up entering.
Ronnie O’Sullivan and women’s world champion Reanne Evans were among the participants named as entrants in this year’s draw at the Colosseum, though.
Ng On Yee’s Win
Speaking of Evans, the Englishwoman missed out on an opportunity to put more silverware in her cabinet at last weekend’s Belgian Women’s Open.
Evans was denied by long-term rival Ng On Yee in the final, with the Hong Kong cueist avenging last year’s defeat at the same stage with a 4-2 success.
It represents not only her first win on tour for 15 months, but also her first win against top ranked Evans since the 2017 Eden Masters.
Ng On Yee’s win also sees her join Evans and Nutcharut Wongharuthai as ranking event winners this season, consolidating her position in second place in the world rankings.
“It feels really good to win this title,” said Ng shortly after she completed the victory.
“The last time was 15 months ago and I have been questioning myself in the last year because I wasn’t doing so well in tournaments. Of course Reanne, Mink and other players are getting better so I have to improve myself too.”
“I didn’t play well in the first two rounds until I played Nutcharut, then I started to play a bit better. There were a few frames in the final where Reanne was 30 or 40 in front and I came back which were important.”
“There is a lot of negative news in Hong Kong and around the world so hopefully this is good news for Hong Kong!”
Painting a Picture at the Centaur
If anyone uses social media and follows the World Snooker Tour’s Twitter or Facebook pages, you’ll have had enough pictures painted for you already.
For the World Grand Prix this week in Cheltenham, the sport’s official channels unleashed a swathe of dreadful player caricatures.
It was obviously an innocent add-on to try and promote the Coral Series in a different way, but it backfired dreadfully.
The drawings? Well, go have a look for yourself because they are as equally dumbfounding as they are hilarious – never in a good way.
After a spate of online abuse – of the rational kind, for once – the World Snooker Tour thankfully toned down their use of the “art”.
As for the snooker itself, Graeme Dott became the first player to reach the final after a 6-4 triumph over Tom Ford in Friday’s first semi-final clash.
Neil Robertson will attempt to make it three ranking event title deciders on the spin when he takes on Kyren Wilson in the remaining last four encounter on Saturday evening.
What’s Coming?
The final of the World Grand Prix is on Sunday with £100,000 at stake, before the players immediately head to Cardiff on Monday for the start of the Welsh Open.
Those cartoons are hilariously awful. I wanted to see them all, but I can’t find where they may have published.
Seriously think ROS is finished as a top player, he just seems so disinterested& it amazes me as he enters so few tournaments these days ,he may as well retire as nobody is scared of him anymore and they all raise their game against him