Mark Allen will challenge defending champion Mark Selby in the International Championship final after beating Yan Bingtao 9-2 on Saturday in Daqing. The Northern Irishman was in blistering form as he schooled the 17 year-old, who was featuring in a maiden ranking event semi-final. Allen, who has won two out[Read More…]
Tag: International Championship
Soulless Daqing to Stay International Championship Host
World Snooker announced on Friday that the International Championship will remain in Daqing for at least the next three seasons. Already the most lucrative event staged outside the United Kingdom, its total prize fund will rise from the £750,000 that has been provided for this edition to a whopping £825,000[Read More…]
Mark Selby Strolls into International Championship Final
Mark Selby is through to the final of the International Championship after a 9-3 thrashing of Martin Gould on Friday. Selby moved a single victory away from repeating his success in Daqing from twelve months ago after a dominant display against his fellow Englishman. Both cueists were making a first[Read More…]
International Championship: Semi-Final Preview
The International Championship is down to its final four contenders with Mark Selby leading a strong semi-final quartet in China. The defending champion is back into the last four of a ranking event for the first time since his third World Championship triumph in early May and will play Martin[Read More…]
International Championship: Quarter-Final Preview
Eight players remain in the hunt for the £150,000 top prize that’s on offer for the International Championship this week in China. The quarter-finals take place on Thursday as the tournament reaches the business end of proceedings. Daqing as a venue has been much-bemoaned over the last few days, mostly because[Read More…]
Kyren Wilson Makes Halloween 147 – Amid Eerie Silence in Empty Venue
It’s more the Championship League than the International Championship. This week’s ranking event in China is supposed to be the biggest in the country and, upon its inception five years ago, once made serious claims that it could act as the sport’s fourth major tournament. But one would hardly recognise[Read More…]
Yan Bingtao and Oliver Lines Leave Fans Shell-Shocked
Fan favourites Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ding Junhui both exited the International Championship in the last 64 on Monday in Daqing. The pair each fell to emerging young talents in the game, albeit under vastly different circumstances. While O’Sullivan didn’t have much to offer in response to a scintillating performance from 17 year-old[Read More…]
Comebacks Galore as International Championship Commences
Ryan Day, Kyren Wilson, and Ricky Walden all produced terrific comebacks on the opening day of the International Championship on Sunday. The trio highlighted the beauty of the longer encounters, with the format for this lucrative ranking event in China increased to the best of eleven frames. Riga Masters champion[Read More…]
Preview: International Championship
The action returns on Sunday with the start of the International Championship in Daqing. The lucrative ranking event, arguably the most prestigious in China, is back on the calendar for the sixth time with a whopping £150,000 again on offer for the champion. Mark Selby is the defending champion and[Read More…]
Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump Coast into International
Ronnie O’Sullivan breezed into the main draw of the International Championship as the qualifiers reached its conclusion in Preston on Friday. The “Rocket” wasted little time as he demolished Gerard Greene 6-0 in less than 90 minutes at the Guild Hall. O’Sullivan, without a ranking event victory since the 2016[Read More…]