Well, it’s fair to say that the first round predictions didn’t go according to plan. There were a few near misses, like with Shaun Murphy, Ryan Day, and Graeme Dott bowing out in tight affairs with Jamie Jones, Anthony McGill, and Ali Carter respectively. But there were also some shockers,[Read More…]
Tag: Ricky Walden
Birthday Boy Barry Hawkins Through Turgid Test
Barry Hawkins is through to the second round of the World Snooker Championship after a hard-fought 10-7 victory over Stuart Carrington on Monday. With the match finishing just short of passing midnight, Hawkins was able to celebrate the final moments of his 39th birthday – well, by answering questions in[Read More…]
Matthew Stevens Among Experienced World Championship Qualifiers
Matthew Stevens booked his return to the Crucible with a 10-2 triumph over Ken Doherty in the final round of the World Championship qualifiers in Sheffield on Wednesday. The Welshman, twice a runner-up, coasted to victory against the 1997 world champion to secure his return to the venue stages for[Read More…]
Preview: German Masters
The first ranking event of 2018 gets under way on Wednesday with the start of the German Masters in Berlin. Ever since its relaunch in 2011, the German Masters has been one of the most popular tournaments on the calendar each year, primarily due to the endearing atmosphere that is[Read More…]
Mark Williams Wins Group 5 in Championship League Snooker
Mark Williams beat Ricky Walden to win Group 5 of the Championship League Snooker, in the process booking his spot in March’s Winners’ Group at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. The Welshman finished in third place behind Judd Trump and Ben Woollaston in the round-robin phase with four wins from[Read More…]
Anthony Hamilton Secures German Masters Return
Anthony Hamilton came from 4-3 down to beat Mitchell Mann in a decider to ensure his return as defending champion to the German Masters next month. The popular event in Berlin is one of only two ranking tournaments on the calendar that requires more than one qualifying round to be[Read More…]
Scottish Open: Quarter-Final Preview
Ronnie O’Sullivan heads a strong line-up that will contest the last eight of the Scottish Open this weekend in Glasgow. The Englishman, a winner of three ranking titles in the last couple of months including the UK Championship last week in York, was on the verge of falling asleep at[Read More…]
UK Championship: Last 16 Preview
Snooker legends Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins remain on course for a clash in the UK Championship final after emerging from their third round encounters on Tuesday in York. The pair represents two of only four top 16 seeds left in the last 16, a record low for the second[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…]
Rejigged Shanghai Masters Commences with Qualifying
The Shanghai Masters made its return on Wednesday as the qualifiers for the newly scheduled event began in Wigan. There had been a certain degree of shock and dismay earlier in the campaign when the powers announced that the World Open would take place during the Shanghai Masters’ familiar spot[Read More…]