Only one player currently ranked inside the top 16 in the world features in the last eight as a surprise line-up contends for Northern Ireland Open glory this weekend in Belfast. Mark Williams has been an onlooker this season as his contemporaries Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins continued to notch[Read More…]
Tag: Mark Williams
Shanghai Masters: Quarter-Final Preview
Blink and you’ll miss him. That’s usually emcee Rob Walker’s final build-up before introducing Ronnie O’Sullivan into the arena for an important match. Well, for the snooker at present it’s more a case of blink and you’ll miss it – such is the speed that we are hurtling through these[Read More…]
Sweet 16 Left Standing in Shanghai
A fantastic looking last 16 line-up remains in the hunt for Shanghai Masters glory in China this week. By the end of Thursday’s order of play, only four contenders will remain as the manic schedule continues apace with Saturday’s final showdown in sight. Perhaps indicative of how the Shanghai Masters is[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…]
Maximum Magic from Liang Wenbo in English Open
Liang Wenbo fired in a maximum 147 as he fought from behind to beat Tom Ford in the English Open on Wednesday. The defending champion looked in trouble when he trailed 3-1 but forced a deciding frame with the perfect break that pocketed the Chinese number two a neat £40,000 from[Read More…]
European Masters: Quarter-Final Preview
Eight players remain in the hunt for the European Masters title as the competition reaches the business end of proceedings in Belgium. Defending champion Judd Trump and world number one Mark Selby head a high-quality field that will attempt to land the £75,000 champion’s cheque on Sunday. Trump reached the[Read More…]
Big Names Continue to Roll in Lommel
Mark Selby survived a scare before advancing to the third round of the European Masters on Wednesday following a 4-3 victory over Lu Haotian in Belgium. John Higgins crashed out, though, becoming the biggest casualty of the tournament so far after a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Mark Davis.[Read More…]
Marco Fu Taken by Akani
Former runner-up Marco Fu crashed out of the International Championship in qualifying at the Guild Hall on Wednesday. The world number six became the highest profile casualty of the preliminaries so far in Preston as he succumbed to a 6-4 defeat to Thailand’s Akani Songsersmawad. The 39 year-old led 3-1[Read More…]
World Open: Quarter-Final Preview
David Gilbert produced a terrific display to beat John Higgins 5-2 and reach the quarter-finals of the World Open in China. It marked the first time the Englishman had beaten Higgins in a tournament carrying ranking points after four previous failed attempts against the world number two. With breaks of[Read More…]
Ding Junhui Gathers Momentum with Whitewash Win
Ding Junhui secured his place in the last 16 of the World Open with a convincing 5-0 victory over Xiao Guodong on Wednesday. The Chinese number one wasn’t at his absolute best but was clinical enough to take the chances that were presented to him by his countryman. Ding, who[Read More…]