Masters champion Mark Allen returned to action for the first time since his landmark triumph in London with a hard-fought 6-4 success against Allan Taylor in qualification for the China Open on Monday. The Northern Irishman, who produced a terrific week of snooker to claim his maiden Triple Crown title[Read More…]
Tag: Fergal O’Brien
Mark Selby Nears German Masters Return
Mark Selby comfortably won his opening qualifying round fixture for the German Masters with a 5-0 drubbing of Sam Baird in Barnsley on Tuesday. Selby, who has been the constant world number one ever since his 2015 triumph in Berlin, knocked in runs of 94 and 80 as he put[Read More…]
Ronnie O’Sullivan Coasts Through Shanghai Masters Qualifier
Ronnie O’Sullivan scored his second successive whitewash win in qualifying after a 5-0 schooling of Christopher Keogan on Friday. The 41 year-old made it a Chinese double, reaching the main event of the Shanghai Masters after last week inflicting a heavy 6-0 defeat on Gerard Greene to similarly make the[Read More…]
China Championship: Quarter-Final Preview
The China Championship is down to the last eight as the players prepare for the business end of proceedings in Guangzhou. Rather unusually, Sunday will see the quarter-finals being contested rather than the final showdown that is the norm in most snooker tournaments. Ronnie O’Sullivan remains the overwhelming favourite, although[Read More…]
Fergal O’Brien and Mark Allen Qualify for India
Irish duo Fergal O’Brien and Mark Allen both reached the main draw for the upcoming Indian Open after contrasting preliminary round victories in Preston. O’Brien joined fellow Republic players Ken Doherty and Josh Boileau in the last 64 with a comprehensive 4-0 drubbing of Craig Steadman at the Guild Hall.[Read More…]
Fin’s Fables: The 1996 Snooker World Cup
By Fin Ruane Just over two months ago the snooker world was fixated on Sheffield as the blue riband event of the season took place. This year, the World Championship was even more special as it was the 40th anniversary of the prestigious event being held at the iconic Crucible[Read More…]
Ricky Walden Suffers Second Whitewash
Three-time ranking event winner Ricky Walden exited the China Championship at the qualifiers stage after a heavy 5-0 defeat to Ian Preece on Sunday. The whitewash reverse was his second in succession after losing 4-0 Cao Yupeng in the Riga Masters preliminaries. Walden has been in bad form for the[Read More…]
Fergal O’Brien Battles into the World Championship
Fergal O’Brien has qualified for the World Championship for the first time in seven years after a marathon 10-9 victory over David Gilbert on Wednesday. Trailing 6-3 overnight, O’Brien won the first four frames of the second session to lead 7-6 only to lose the following three to go to[Read More…]
Mark Williams Struggling to Qualify from Final Round
Mark Williams has left himself with work to do in the final qualifying round for the World Championship in Ponds Forge. The two-time former world champion trails Stuart Carrington 6-3 after the opening session on Tuesday. Williams began the encounter well, compiling a break of 112 in the first frame,[Read More…]
Ken Doherty Falls off Tour with World Championship Defeat
Ken Doherty has dropped off the Main Tour after a 10-4 defeat to Ben Woollaston at the penultimate stage of World Championship qualifying on Monday. The Irishman, for whom this year marks the 20th anniversary of his world title glory in 1997, couldn’t find the form to avoid dropping outside[Read More…]