Tom Ford won Group 8 of Championship League Snooker at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester on Friday.
The Englishman was by far the highest-ranked player in his group but still only managed to survive in the competition through frame difference.
Ford, last year’s Shoot Out champion, and amateur top-up Simon Blackwell ended the round-robin phase with the same record of one victory and two draws.
But Ford’s 3-0 triumph over Mink Nutcharut ultimately bettered Blackwell’s 3-1 defeat of the same opponent, which proved to be the determining factor in the group’s outcome.
Ford started the new season with a world ranking of number 19 so will be hoping to use this first ranking event, with so many star names absent, as a possible platform to regain his spot among the top 16 this term.
Elsewhere, Liu Hongyu had a much more comfortable time of it in Group 21.
The Chinese competitor was already through to Stage Two of the tournament after the second round of fixtures.
Liu’s respective 3-0 and 3-1 victories over Ian Burns and Patrick Whelan gave him an unassailable buffer on six points.
There wasn’t much to play for in his last game against Noppon Saengkham, who disappointed in drawing all three of his league ties.
Both Tom Ford and Liy Hongyu will return to the action at the end of next week when Stage Two finally begins.
Before that, there are still ten groups from Stage One to be completed with another couple on Saturday’s schedule.
Si Jiahui is in Group 4 alongside Artemijs Zizins, Farakh Ajaib, and Kayden Brierley while Ben Woollaston contests Group 30 against Robbie Williams, Iulian Boiko, and Florian Nuessle.
Championship League Snooker represents the opening ranking event of the fledgling 2025/26 snooker season.
The overall winner on July 23rd will take home £33,000 worth of prize money and ranking points, plus a ticket to the lucrative Champion of Champions invitational later this year.
Live coverage is available for Ireland and UK viewers on the Matchroom Multi Sport and Matchroom Pool YouTube channels.
Friday’s Results
Group 8
Tom Ford 2-2 Simon Blackwell
Allan Taylor 2-2 Mink Nutcharut
Allan Taylor 2-2 Simon Blackwell
Tom Ford 3-0 Mink Nutcharut
Simon Blackwell 3-1 Mink Nutcharut
Tom Ford 2-2 Allan Taylor
Table
1. Tom Ford – 5 points
2. Simon Blackwell – 5 points
3. Allan Taylor – 3 points
4. Mink Nutcharut – 1 point
Group 21
Noppon Saengkham 2-2 Patrick Whelan
Liu Hongyu 3-0 Ian Burns
Liu Hongyu 3-1 Patrick Whelan
Noppon Saengkham 2-2 Ian Burns
Ian Burns 3-0 Patrick Whelan
Noppon Saengkham 2-2 Liu Hongyu
Table
1. Liu Hongyu – 7 points
2. Ian Burns – 4 points
3. Noppon Saengkham – 3 points
4. Patrick Whelan – 1 point
Featured photo credit: WST
