The scenes outside Beijing's University Students Gymnasium today resembled Oscar night as the red carpet was rolled out for snooker's great and good ahead of the China Open.
The popularity of the game in China seems to be growing all the time, as witnessed by the extraordinary reaction as players walked the short distance from car to venue.
Hundreds of fans cheered as photographers scrambled to take pictures.
There are photos on worldsnooker.com here: http://www.worldsnooker.com/interactive_photo_gallery.htm
25.3.07
TIME FOR RONNIE TO SHINE
There’s been much talk in the last week of the Crucible but before the 888.com World Championship next month the snooker circuit makes its annual trip to Beijing for the China Open.
The popularity of the game in China is rising all the time. One of Ding Jun Hui’s matches in January’s Saga Masters attracted 166 million TV viewers. If you wander around the Beijing University Student’s Gymnasium where the event is being held you will witness a kind of mania not usually seen in places like Newport or Aberdeen.
To the fans in China, snooker players are stars. Not just the big names but the rank and file too. Players can expect to be chased down corridors for their autographs and even local journalists want to pose for pictures with their heroes.
This isn’t something that naturally appeals to Ronnie O’Sullivan who, for all his flair and charisma, is actually rather shy.
He is uncomfortable with too much attention and perhaps this explains why he hasn’t won a frame of snooker in China for five years.
Ronnie lost 5-0 to James Wattana 12 months ago and pulled out of the Beijing tournament in 2005, which was the first in China since Mark Williams won in Shanghai in 2002.
Given all this, it perhaps seems odd that I’m tipping O’Sullivan to win the title, but I’m doing so on the law of averages: it’s two years since he last won a ranking title and something has to give.
More than that, because he has drawn Ding in the first round at the Crucible he knows his game has to be sharper than ever going to Sheffield and I expect him to have practised extra hard this last week.
Ronnie gets bored easily. The prospect of a 10-hour flight to China won’t have thrilled him and he won’t enjoy hanging around the hotel.
That said, he won this title in 1999 and 2000 and, at the end of the day, a snooker table is the same whether it's in China or Chigwell.
You can never really back Ronnie but it would equally be foolish to back against him. Part of his appeal is his unpredictability. Just this season he walked out of a match at the UK Championship – something I thought was an appalling thing for a professional sportsman to do. Then at the Masters he consoled Ding in one of the most gracious displays of sportsmanship you’re likely to see all year.
That’s the enigma, that’s why we’re all fascinated by him.
His last ranking title success was the Irish Masters in March 2005. Surely the wait for another will soon be over.
The China Open starts tomorrow and is live all week on CCTV in China and Eurosport in Europe
The popularity of the game in China is rising all the time. One of Ding Jun Hui’s matches in January’s Saga Masters attracted 166 million TV viewers. If you wander around the Beijing University Student’s Gymnasium where the event is being held you will witness a kind of mania not usually seen in places like Newport or Aberdeen.
To the fans in China, snooker players are stars. Not just the big names but the rank and file too. Players can expect to be chased down corridors for their autographs and even local journalists want to pose for pictures with their heroes.
This isn’t something that naturally appeals to Ronnie O’Sullivan who, for all his flair and charisma, is actually rather shy.
He is uncomfortable with too much attention and perhaps this explains why he hasn’t won a frame of snooker in China for five years.
Ronnie lost 5-0 to James Wattana 12 months ago and pulled out of the Beijing tournament in 2005, which was the first in China since Mark Williams won in Shanghai in 2002.
Given all this, it perhaps seems odd that I’m tipping O’Sullivan to win the title, but I’m doing so on the law of averages: it’s two years since he last won a ranking title and something has to give.
More than that, because he has drawn Ding in the first round at the Crucible he knows his game has to be sharper than ever going to Sheffield and I expect him to have practised extra hard this last week.
Ronnie gets bored easily. The prospect of a 10-hour flight to China won’t have thrilled him and he won’t enjoy hanging around the hotel.
That said, he won this title in 1999 and 2000 and, at the end of the day, a snooker table is the same whether it's in China or Chigwell.
You can never really back Ronnie but it would equally be foolish to back against him. Part of his appeal is his unpredictability. Just this season he walked out of a match at the UK Championship – something I thought was an appalling thing for a professional sportsman to do. Then at the Masters he consoled Ding in one of the most gracious displays of sportsmanship you’re likely to see all year.
That’s the enigma, that’s why we’re all fascinated by him.
His last ranking title success was the Irish Masters in March 2005. Surely the wait for another will soon be over.
The China Open starts tomorrow and is live all week on CCTV in China and Eurosport in Europe
20.3.07
THE CRUCIBLE DRAW SHOULD BE LIVE
There is a scene in the US drama The West Wing in which C.J. Cregg, the embattled White House press secretary, is reassured by a colleague that they have nothing to worry about if they’d done nothing wrong.
C.J. replies: ‘You don’t get it, do you? It doesn’t matter what the truth is. What matters is how it looks.’
These are words World Snooker might like to reflect on following the curious way in which we finally got to find out the draw for the first round of next month’s 888.com World Championship.
The draw was made yesterday morning by the presenters of BBC One’s Breakfast, Bill Turnbull and Sian Williams.
An interesting draw it is too, pitting O’Sullivan v Ding, Davis v Parrott, Murphy v Trump among the highlights. The 17-day Crucible marathon is shaping up to be a vintage championship and I’m sure all snooker fans are looking forward to it with relish.
This tournament has an 80-year history and means a great deal to a great many people.
This is why it deserved better than what we saw this morning.
It didn’t take long for the general jokiness and faux hilarity of the presenters that they would have to do anything as absurd as conduct a snooker draw to become jarring and this was before the item had even begun.
The draw itself got off to an inauspicious start when sports presenter Chris Hollins linked into it only for film of four teenagers sitting on a wall discussing knife crime to appear instead.
Finally, the first graphic appeared and Hollins made a reference to Stephen Hamilton (who he?) and his match against Marco Fu.
There then followed a series of graphics that flashed up so quickly that viewers could be forgiven for thinking the BBC was indulging in subliminal advertising.
Dennis Taylor was on hand for his comments, but chat soon turned instead to Strictly Come Dancing, on which both he and Turnbull appeared.
The worst thing was that the one element that make these draws compelling viewing was missing, namely the few seconds in between the first name and the second being drawn.
‘Ronnie O’Sullivan…will play…Ding Jun Hui’ would have been exciting. Trying to catch sight of this match before the next graphic flashed up was not.
The draw did not leak out into the public domain on Monday, but more people than intended got to find out after Radio 5 Live and BBCi were tipped off.
Several bookmakers suspended betting amid fears that those in the know may attempt to take advantage before the odds changed.
A spokesman for Ladbrokes told me: “Our decision was taken to avoid any skulduggery. We remain perplexed as to why they did the draw this way.”
Some odds did change yesterday, though this is not to say there was anything untoward going on. It is somewhat fanciful to suggest that the fragrant Ms. Williams hot-footed it down to her local Corals with a roll of used £20 notes.
However, World Snooker have left the sport open to all sorts of allegations for those who wish to see it suffer – and there are plenty such people in the national press – by doing the draw this way.
I sympathise with them in as much as it is hard to persuade broadcasters to carry the draw: Radio 5 Live won’t touch it after last year’s fiasco in which the same name was read out twice and Grandstand has been axed so there is no general sports programme available to show it.
At least this morning the sponsors got plenty of mentions and the sport received some coverage.
But there is a very easy way of doing the draw live in a very short space of time (one of the reasons it was recorded was because there was felt to be insufficient time to do it in full). The top 16 are already seeded into the first round. All that is needed is one bag containing the qualifiers. Then it’s a case of ‘Graeme Dott will play…and so on down the draw.
Surely the draw for such an important event should be conducted in an open, transparent and above all ‘live’ situation.
Anything else just looks bad. And it’s how it looks that matters.
C.J. replies: ‘You don’t get it, do you? It doesn’t matter what the truth is. What matters is how it looks.’
These are words World Snooker might like to reflect on following the curious way in which we finally got to find out the draw for the first round of next month’s 888.com World Championship.
The draw was made yesterday morning by the presenters of BBC One’s Breakfast, Bill Turnbull and Sian Williams.
An interesting draw it is too, pitting O’Sullivan v Ding, Davis v Parrott, Murphy v Trump among the highlights. The 17-day Crucible marathon is shaping up to be a vintage championship and I’m sure all snooker fans are looking forward to it with relish.
This tournament has an 80-year history and means a great deal to a great many people.
This is why it deserved better than what we saw this morning.
It didn’t take long for the general jokiness and faux hilarity of the presenters that they would have to do anything as absurd as conduct a snooker draw to become jarring and this was before the item had even begun.
The draw itself got off to an inauspicious start when sports presenter Chris Hollins linked into it only for film of four teenagers sitting on a wall discussing knife crime to appear instead.
Finally, the first graphic appeared and Hollins made a reference to Stephen Hamilton (who he?) and his match against Marco Fu.
There then followed a series of graphics that flashed up so quickly that viewers could be forgiven for thinking the BBC was indulging in subliminal advertising.
Dennis Taylor was on hand for his comments, but chat soon turned instead to Strictly Come Dancing, on which both he and Turnbull appeared.
The worst thing was that the one element that make these draws compelling viewing was missing, namely the few seconds in between the first name and the second being drawn.
‘Ronnie O’Sullivan…will play…Ding Jun Hui’ would have been exciting. Trying to catch sight of this match before the next graphic flashed up was not.
The draw did not leak out into the public domain on Monday, but more people than intended got to find out after Radio 5 Live and BBCi were tipped off.
Several bookmakers suspended betting amid fears that those in the know may attempt to take advantage before the odds changed.
A spokesman for Ladbrokes told me: “Our decision was taken to avoid any skulduggery. We remain perplexed as to why they did the draw this way.”
Some odds did change yesterday, though this is not to say there was anything untoward going on. It is somewhat fanciful to suggest that the fragrant Ms. Williams hot-footed it down to her local Corals with a roll of used £20 notes.
However, World Snooker have left the sport open to all sorts of allegations for those who wish to see it suffer – and there are plenty such people in the national press – by doing the draw this way.
I sympathise with them in as much as it is hard to persuade broadcasters to carry the draw: Radio 5 Live won’t touch it after last year’s fiasco in which the same name was read out twice and Grandstand has been axed so there is no general sports programme available to show it.
At least this morning the sponsors got plenty of mentions and the sport received some coverage.
But there is a very easy way of doing the draw live in a very short space of time (one of the reasons it was recorded was because there was felt to be insufficient time to do it in full). The top 16 are already seeded into the first round. All that is needed is one bag containing the qualifiers. Then it’s a case of ‘Graeme Dott will play…and so on down the draw.
Surely the draw for such an important event should be conducted in an open, transparent and above all ‘live’ situation.
Anything else just looks bad. And it’s how it looks that matters.
O'SULLIVAN TO FACE DING IN CRUCIBLE FIRST ROUND
Here is the draw for the first round of the 888.com World Championship:
Graeme Dott v Ian McCulloch
Anthony Hamilton v Marco Fu
Stephen Maguire v Joe Perry
Mark Williams v Joe Swail
John Higgins v Michael Holt
Barry Hawkins v Fergal O’Brien
Neil Robertson v Ryan Day
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Ding Junhui
Ken Doherty v Mark Allen
Matthew Stevens v Joe Delaney
Steve Davis v John Parrott
Shaun Murphy v Judd Trump
Peter Ebdon v Nigel Bond
Stephen Lee v Mark Selby
Ali Carter v Andy Hicks
Stephen Hendry v Dave Gilbert
The stand out tie is, of course, Ronnie O'Sullivan v Ding Junhui
Graeme Dott v Ian McCulloch
Anthony Hamilton v Marco Fu
Stephen Maguire v Joe Perry
Mark Williams v Joe Swail
John Higgins v Michael Holt
Barry Hawkins v Fergal O’Brien
Neil Robertson v Ryan Day
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Ding Junhui
Ken Doherty v Mark Allen
Matthew Stevens v Joe Delaney
Steve Davis v John Parrott
Shaun Murphy v Judd Trump
Peter Ebdon v Nigel Bond
Stephen Lee v Mark Selby
Ali Carter v Andy Hicks
Stephen Hendry v Dave Gilbert
The stand out tie is, of course, Ronnie O'Sullivan v Ding Junhui
16.3.07
TABLE OF REDS
Tonight on BBC1, sometime after 11.30pm, the comedians Mitchell and Webb will perform a parody of Chris De Burgh's Lady in Red for Comic Relief as the snooker commentators from their sketch show.
They will be joined by, among others, Shaun Murphy, Dominic Dale, Michael Holt, Tony Knowles, Joe Johnson and Hazel Irvine.
If that isn't the very definition of unmissable TV then I don't know what is.
They will be joined by, among others, Shaun Murphy, Dominic Dale, Michael Holt, Tony Knowles, Joe Johnson and Hazel Irvine.
If that isn't the very definition of unmissable TV then I don't know what is.
13.3.07
SLOW ON THE DRAW
Further to a previous post, the draw for the first round of this year's 888.com World Championship will be made next Monday, as I reported.
However, it won't actually be revealed until the following day because the BBC don't want to show it live (you may remember the fiasco on Radio 5 Live a year ago).
The draw details will be unveiled on BBC One's Breakfast programme at 7.30am on Tuesday, March 20.
Unless, this is, they get leaked beforehand.
However, it won't actually be revealed until the following day because the BBC don't want to show it live (you may remember the fiasco on Radio 5 Live a year ago).
The draw details will be unveiled on BBC One's Breakfast programme at 7.30am on Tuesday, March 20.
Unless, this is, they get leaked beforehand.
PARROTT SITTING PRETTY
John Parrott has achieved more than most snooker players can dream of.
A world champion, UK champion, winner of nine ranking events and for 14 years a member of the elite top 16: he's undoubtedly one of the sport's all time greats.
These days, at 42 and outside the top 32 in the world rankings, he's fully aware that he is no longer the force he was.
Pride, though, plays its part in such a successful sporting career and so Parrott was understandably delighted to have secured a 23rd appearance at the Crucible in his 24 years on the circuit after coming from 6-3 down to beat David Gray 10-7 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield on Monday.
“It’s great to be going back to the Crucible. It’s the home of Snooker and you really miss it if you’re not part of it," he said.
"I was clearing up in the last frame and missed a straight green because in my head I was saying, ‘you’re going back to the Crucible.’ Luckily he didn’t clear up.
“I had to fall over the line in the end. I kept getting chances and not putting them away but that’s because of the prize of being in the draw.
"I'm not going to be world champion again. I'm not like Steve Davis - he's just a freak. What he's doing is unbelievable.
"But's it great to be part of it."
A world champion, UK champion, winner of nine ranking events and for 14 years a member of the elite top 16: he's undoubtedly one of the sport's all time greats.
These days, at 42 and outside the top 32 in the world rankings, he's fully aware that he is no longer the force he was.
Pride, though, plays its part in such a successful sporting career and so Parrott was understandably delighted to have secured a 23rd appearance at the Crucible in his 24 years on the circuit after coming from 6-3 down to beat David Gray 10-7 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield on Monday.
“It’s great to be going back to the Crucible. It’s the home of Snooker and you really miss it if you’re not part of it," he said.
"I was clearing up in the last frame and missed a straight green because in my head I was saying, ‘you’re going back to the Crucible.’ Luckily he didn’t clear up.
“I had to fall over the line in the end. I kept getting chances and not putting them away but that’s because of the prize of being in the draw.
"I'm not going to be world champion again. I'm not like Steve Davis - he's just a freak. What he's doing is unbelievable.
"But's it great to be part of it."
5.3.07
SNOOKER'S TRUMP CARD
I first saw Judd Trump play when he was 10. It was in an English national junior final and he made a couple of 50 breaks as if he were a seasoned pro.
It was obvious then that he had bags of potential, which he further proved through his various junior title triumphs.
In 2003, he became the youngest ever winner at 13 of the annual Pontin’s Spring Open at Prestatyn, beating former top 16 player Mike Hallett 4-1 in the final.
There are no definitive stats for this, but I’d guess Trump was the first winner ever to celebrate by going on the swings.
He was given a wildcard for the main tour for the 2005/06 season in recognition of his junior accomplishments but it is, of course, a huge step up to the professional ranks.
His first match as a pro was against Fergal O’Brien, a vastly experienced former British Open champion, Masters finalist and ex-top 16 member.
His second was against Ding Jun Hui, already the winner of one ranking event who has gone on to win two more.
But Trump did qualify for the final stages of the Welsh Open and did enough to keep his place on the circuit – no mean feat in the dog-eat-dog scramble of Prestatyn.
At 14, he superseded Ronnie O’Sullivan by becoming the youngest person to compile a competitive 147 break.
Trump has been constantly compared to O’Sullivan, but to me he is more reminiscent of Stephen Hendry at the same age: shy, quietly driven and possessing bundles of talent.
Next week, Trump tackles James Wattana in the final qualifying round of the 888.com World Championship. If he wins he will become the third youngest player to compete at the Crucible when the Big One kicks off in Sheffield next month.
Hendry was the first 17 year-old to play there in 1986; O’Sullivan became the second in 1993.
Trump has already beaten Jamie Cope in the qualifiers and has every chance of beating Wattana, who has endured a poor campaign.
He will certainly add something to the final stages, representing as he does a bright future for the game. His prodigious talent suggests he will be around for many years to come.
The draw for the Crucible will be made live on BBC1’s Breakfast programme on Monday, March 19.
Will Trump be in it? If not this year then at some time very soon.
It was obvious then that he had bags of potential, which he further proved through his various junior title triumphs.
In 2003, he became the youngest ever winner at 13 of the annual Pontin’s Spring Open at Prestatyn, beating former top 16 player Mike Hallett 4-1 in the final.
There are no definitive stats for this, but I’d guess Trump was the first winner ever to celebrate by going on the swings.
He was given a wildcard for the main tour for the 2005/06 season in recognition of his junior accomplishments but it is, of course, a huge step up to the professional ranks.
His first match as a pro was against Fergal O’Brien, a vastly experienced former British Open champion, Masters finalist and ex-top 16 member.
His second was against Ding Jun Hui, already the winner of one ranking event who has gone on to win two more.
But Trump did qualify for the final stages of the Welsh Open and did enough to keep his place on the circuit – no mean feat in the dog-eat-dog scramble of Prestatyn.
At 14, he superseded Ronnie O’Sullivan by becoming the youngest person to compile a competitive 147 break.
Trump has been constantly compared to O’Sullivan, but to me he is more reminiscent of Stephen Hendry at the same age: shy, quietly driven and possessing bundles of talent.
Next week, Trump tackles James Wattana in the final qualifying round of the 888.com World Championship. If he wins he will become the third youngest player to compete at the Crucible when the Big One kicks off in Sheffield next month.
Hendry was the first 17 year-old to play there in 1986; O’Sullivan became the second in 1993.
Trump has already beaten Jamie Cope in the qualifiers and has every chance of beating Wattana, who has endured a poor campaign.
He will certainly add something to the final stages, representing as he does a bright future for the game. His prodigious talent suggests he will be around for many years to come.
The draw for the Crucible will be made live on BBC1’s Breakfast programme on Monday, March 19.
Will Trump be in it? If not this year then at some time very soon.
A NOVEL APPROACH TO SNOOKER
Lionel Shriver, author of the award winning We Need To Talk About Kevin, has made one of the main characters in her new novel a professional snooker player.
The Post Birthday World, published in May, centres on Irina, an illustrator, torn between her husband and the snooker champion, Ramsay.
"One reason I chose snooker is that it is very, very British," said Shriver. "There are not many things left that are, but last time I checked, snooker hadn't spread to the United States. It was a way of making Ramsay exotic and alien. When you go for the exotic, you have that kind of energy difference generates. It expands your world.
"But if you go for familiarity, you have comfort, companionship that comes perhaps a little more naturally. You have the prospect of both understanding and being understood."
By the way, Shriver changed her name to Lionel when she was 15 because she felt men had it easier.
The Post Birthday World, published in May, centres on Irina, an illustrator, torn between her husband and the snooker champion, Ramsay.
"One reason I chose snooker is that it is very, very British," said Shriver. "There are not many things left that are, but last time I checked, snooker hadn't spread to the United States. It was a way of making Ramsay exotic and alien. When you go for the exotic, you have that kind of energy difference generates. It expands your world.
"But if you go for familiarity, you have comfort, companionship that comes perhaps a little more naturally. You have the prospect of both understanding and being understood."
By the way, Shriver changed her name to Lionel when she was 15 because she felt men had it easier.
3.3.07
THE WORLD TURNS AND WHITE SPINS OUT
5.51pm was the time that Jimmy White finally offered his hand to Jamie Burnett having failed to extricate himself from a snooker he had inadvertently laid on the yellow.
Burnett won 10-4 and White failed to secure a place in the televised phase of the 888.com World Championship for only the second time in 27 years as a professional.
It was a miserable way to end a miserable day for the most popular player in snooker history. Jimmy was visibly dejected afterwards as he faced the prospect of having to watch the game’s showpiece event on television.
The Pontin’s qualifying venue in Prestatyn is a difficult place to have to go and get results for the rank and file but for Jimmy, who has played most of his snooker in big arenas, it’s akin to having the Rolling Stones play the back room of the Dog and Duck.
He was tense from the start and failed to find any sort of rhythm as Burnett did enough to pull away.
Farcically, a fire alarm caused a half hour hiatus late on in frame 2 as players, spectators and officials were ordered out of the building. It transpired that there was no fire, merely a safe had been opened incorrectly and triggered an alarm.
It was hard not to surmise that Jimmy’s career was slowly being extinguished as he fell 6-3 adrift after the first session, despite a 130 total clearance in the fifth frame.
There was to be no comeback and for the first time since 2001 this six times Crucible runner-up failed to reach the home of snooker.
Even the post match press conference seemed hopelessly small scale, conducted as it was in the tournament director’s office with only myself, Phil Yates of The Times, Peter Ferguson of the Daily Mail, Peter Higgs of the Mail on Sunday and World Snooker press officer Ivan Hirschowitz in attendance.
Jimmy was honest in assessing his performance: “I’m devastated that I couldn’t produce the form I’ve been showing in practice.
“I was 3-2 up and had two good chances in the balls but lost position and Jamie played quite well after that. He punished me but I struggled all day. It’s very disappointing.
“The championship will be hard to watch. I’ve not thought about what I’m going to do when it comes round because I wanted to be there but it’s just a game of snooker. I’ve lost before and I’ll be back to try again.”
Burnett, whose only Crucible appearance was back in 1996, could not have been warmer in his appreciation of White’s contribution to the sport and its leading event.
He said: “Jimmy has one of the best records at Sheffield even though he’s not won it. He’s more than a world champion. He’s different class and there’s a reason everyone loves him.
“He doesn’t need his name on a piece of silverware. People love him to death.”
Genuine those these words were, Jamie’s wrong: it is the name engraved on silverware that ultimately matters in sport and White, now 44, must surely acknowledge that his will never appear on the World Championship trophy.
It’s sad to see Jimmy in this state, clinging on to his place on the main tour, yet anyone seeking to pour scorn on him for carrying on in such a lowly position should understand one simple truth: Jimmy White loves snooker, as a game and a lifestyle, as a career and an all consuming passion.
He will not turn his back on it and in turn his vast army of supporters will never turn their backs on him.
Snooker owes him a great debt of gratitude. Never mind what happens to him now, Jimmy White has more than earned his place in the green baize hall of fame.
Burnett won 10-4 and White failed to secure a place in the televised phase of the 888.com World Championship for only the second time in 27 years as a professional.
It was a miserable way to end a miserable day for the most popular player in snooker history. Jimmy was visibly dejected afterwards as he faced the prospect of having to watch the game’s showpiece event on television.
The Pontin’s qualifying venue in Prestatyn is a difficult place to have to go and get results for the rank and file but for Jimmy, who has played most of his snooker in big arenas, it’s akin to having the Rolling Stones play the back room of the Dog and Duck.
He was tense from the start and failed to find any sort of rhythm as Burnett did enough to pull away.
Farcically, a fire alarm caused a half hour hiatus late on in frame 2 as players, spectators and officials were ordered out of the building. It transpired that there was no fire, merely a safe had been opened incorrectly and triggered an alarm.
It was hard not to surmise that Jimmy’s career was slowly being extinguished as he fell 6-3 adrift after the first session, despite a 130 total clearance in the fifth frame.
There was to be no comeback and for the first time since 2001 this six times Crucible runner-up failed to reach the home of snooker.
Even the post match press conference seemed hopelessly small scale, conducted as it was in the tournament director’s office with only myself, Phil Yates of The Times, Peter Ferguson of the Daily Mail, Peter Higgs of the Mail on Sunday and World Snooker press officer Ivan Hirschowitz in attendance.
Jimmy was honest in assessing his performance: “I’m devastated that I couldn’t produce the form I’ve been showing in practice.
“I was 3-2 up and had two good chances in the balls but lost position and Jamie played quite well after that. He punished me but I struggled all day. It’s very disappointing.
“The championship will be hard to watch. I’ve not thought about what I’m going to do when it comes round because I wanted to be there but it’s just a game of snooker. I’ve lost before and I’ll be back to try again.”
Burnett, whose only Crucible appearance was back in 1996, could not have been warmer in his appreciation of White’s contribution to the sport and its leading event.
He said: “Jimmy has one of the best records at Sheffield even though he’s not won it. He’s more than a world champion. He’s different class and there’s a reason everyone loves him.
“He doesn’t need his name on a piece of silverware. People love him to death.”
Genuine those these words were, Jamie’s wrong: it is the name engraved on silverware that ultimately matters in sport and White, now 44, must surely acknowledge that his will never appear on the World Championship trophy.
It’s sad to see Jimmy in this state, clinging on to his place on the main tour, yet anyone seeking to pour scorn on him for carrying on in such a lowly position should understand one simple truth: Jimmy White loves snooker, as a game and a lifestyle, as a career and an all consuming passion.
He will not turn his back on it and in turn his vast army of supporters will never turn their backs on him.
Snooker owes him a great debt of gratitude. Never mind what happens to him now, Jimmy White has more than earned his place in the green baize hall of fame.
28.2.07
DAZZLING DARREN
Darren Morgan has always loved snooker and though he dropped off the professional circuit last year the Welshman is continuing to play as an amateur.
He is currently competing for Wales in the European Team Championships in Ghent and marked his return to action by recording a 140 total clearance in his opening match.
Darren won the 1987 World Amateur Championship and would be among the favourites to win this year's IBSF event if he enters.
It's good to see him extending his career past the professional game. He was a fine player in his day, reaching a career best ranking of eighth and winning the 1996 Irish Masters.
He lost 9-8 on the black to Stephen Hendry in the final a year later but was never invited back.
In fact, Darren wasn't the luckiest player. He couldn't defend his Welsh Professional title in 1993 because it was made into a ranking event; the Pontin's Professional Championship was discontinued after he won it in 2000; the One-Frame Knockout tournament, staged in 1991, was never held again after he won it (with trademark absurdity, the WPBSA made the final a best of three).
Darren famously complained the the boxer Prince Naseem Hamed was putting him off when he sat in the front row at the Crucible.
He was always good fun on the circuit and I'm pleased to see he is still capable of producing high quality snooker.
You can follow the European Team Championships here: http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/2006-7/2007-ETChome.htm
He is currently competing for Wales in the European Team Championships in Ghent and marked his return to action by recording a 140 total clearance in his opening match.
Darren won the 1987 World Amateur Championship and would be among the favourites to win this year's IBSF event if he enters.
It's good to see him extending his career past the professional game. He was a fine player in his day, reaching a career best ranking of eighth and winning the 1996 Irish Masters.
He lost 9-8 on the black to Stephen Hendry in the final a year later but was never invited back.
In fact, Darren wasn't the luckiest player. He couldn't defend his Welsh Professional title in 1993 because it was made into a ranking event; the Pontin's Professional Championship was discontinued after he won it in 2000; the One-Frame Knockout tournament, staged in 1991, was never held again after he won it (with trademark absurdity, the WPBSA made the final a best of three).
Darren famously complained the the boxer Prince Naseem Hamed was putting him off when he sat in the front row at the Crucible.
He was always good fun on the circuit and I'm pleased to see he is still capable of producing high quality snooker.
You can follow the European Team Championships here: http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/2006-7/2007-ETChome.htm
26.2.07
HIGGINSON'S GREAT RUN CONTINUES
After his great run to the Welsh Open final earlier this month, Andrew Higginson was today back on familiar turf at the qualifiers for the 888.com World Championship in Prestatyn.
The Widnes pro won eight matches and led Neil Robertson 8-6 in their Newport final before losing 9-8.
The £39,500 he picked up, including £22,000 for a televised maximum, was more than 50% of his previous career prize money in 11 unproductive years on the circuit.
Higginson's final against Robertson was watched by a near capacity crowd and many more on television. For his match against Mark Boyle at Pontin's there were around 20 spectators in attendance to see him come through 10-4.
“I felt more pressure in this match than I did in the final," he told me. "I didn’t want to go from doing so well in Newport to falling at the first fence, so it was a really big game for me.
“It was also very important in terms of ranking points but hopefully I can relax a bit now. I’m playing well enough to get through the qualifiers and I’m full of confidence.
“The feedback has been unbelievable since Newport . I’ve had loads of text messages and people wishing me well. I think I’ve inspired a few players to carry on because I’ve shown what can happen.
“It’s still a weird feeling. As I’ve been practising for the World Championship for the last week I’ve not really been out so it’s probably not until this is over than I can sit down and look back at what I’ve achieved.”
Higginson needs to win three more matches to reach the Crucible. He will have a great number of new fans cheering him on.
The Widnes pro won eight matches and led Neil Robertson 8-6 in their Newport final before losing 9-8.
The £39,500 he picked up, including £22,000 for a televised maximum, was more than 50% of his previous career prize money in 11 unproductive years on the circuit.
Higginson's final against Robertson was watched by a near capacity crowd and many more on television. For his match against Mark Boyle at Pontin's there were around 20 spectators in attendance to see him come through 10-4.
“I felt more pressure in this match than I did in the final," he told me. "I didn’t want to go from doing so well in Newport to falling at the first fence, so it was a really big game for me.
“It was also very important in terms of ranking points but hopefully I can relax a bit now. I’m playing well enough to get through the qualifiers and I’m full of confidence.
“The feedback has been unbelievable since Newport . I’ve had loads of text messages and people wishing me well. I think I’ve inspired a few players to carry on because I’ve shown what can happen.
“It’s still a weird feeling. As I’ve been practising for the World Championship for the last week I’ve not really been out so it’s probably not until this is over than I can sit down and look back at what I’ve achieved.”
Higginson needs to win three more matches to reach the Crucible. He will have a great number of new fans cheering him on.
WHEN THE CURTAIN FALLS
‘When the curtain falls, it’s time to get off the stage’ – so said John Major when Tony Blair was elected prime minister in 1997.
Sport can be even harsher than politics as great careers collapse in a matter of months – witness the current plight of Jimmy White.
For snooker’s journeymen there tends to be a more gradual decline: a fight for survival before relegation can no longer be staved off. Some buck the trend – Andrew Higginson an obvious example – while many others have to surrender to the inevitable.
The latest to do so is Paul Wykes, a professional since 1991, who has now retired after losing 10-3 to Alex Borg in the 888.com World Championship qualifiers.
Wykes was 90th in the provisional rankings before the match and is obviously not going to finish the campaign in the top 64.
“I thought I was off the tour last year and decided to carry on this season when I found out I was safe,” he said. “Looking back, that was probably the wrong decision because I’ve just been going through the motions really.
“But although it’s hard to say goodbye to the game, I’ve had a good innings. I could have done better in my career but I could also have done a lot worse.”
Wykes turned professional in 1991 and achieved a career highest ranking of 56 in 1999, twice reaching the final qualifying round of the World Championship.
He enjoyed victories over top names such as Paul Hunter, Joe Johnson, Neal Foulds and Willie Thorne and in 1999 reached the last 16 of the UK Championship in his home town, Bournemouth, where Stephen Hendry made a 147 on the way to beating him 9-3.
Over the last few years, snooker took second place to his business interests and family. The various financial cutbacks afflicting the game meant it was time to look for other sources of income.
As he puts his cue away for good, Wykes is pleased he saw the sport’s best years.
“I feel sorry for the young lads coming through,” he said. “It used to be that if you were in the top 64 in the world you could make a living. Now, you hear of guys in the top 32 struggling to make ends meet.
“I feel very lucky to have played snooker for a living and have had some good times. I’ve played most of the top names over the years and enjoyed myself a great deal.”
And with that, on a rainy Sunday evening in Prestatyn, Wykes got in his car for the long drive back to Bournemouth no longer a professional snooker player, the curtain having fallen on his career.
He won’t be remembered in the same way as the game’s stars – the likes of Davis, O’Sullivan and Hendry – but without the sport’s supporting cast there wouldn’t be much of a show.
Sport can be even harsher than politics as great careers collapse in a matter of months – witness the current plight of Jimmy White.
For snooker’s journeymen there tends to be a more gradual decline: a fight for survival before relegation can no longer be staved off. Some buck the trend – Andrew Higginson an obvious example – while many others have to surrender to the inevitable.
The latest to do so is Paul Wykes, a professional since 1991, who has now retired after losing 10-3 to Alex Borg in the 888.com World Championship qualifiers.
Wykes was 90th in the provisional rankings before the match and is obviously not going to finish the campaign in the top 64.
“I thought I was off the tour last year and decided to carry on this season when I found out I was safe,” he said. “Looking back, that was probably the wrong decision because I’ve just been going through the motions really.
“But although it’s hard to say goodbye to the game, I’ve had a good innings. I could have done better in my career but I could also have done a lot worse.”
Wykes turned professional in 1991 and achieved a career highest ranking of 56 in 1999, twice reaching the final qualifying round of the World Championship.
He enjoyed victories over top names such as Paul Hunter, Joe Johnson, Neal Foulds and Willie Thorne and in 1999 reached the last 16 of the UK Championship in his home town, Bournemouth, where Stephen Hendry made a 147 on the way to beating him 9-3.
Over the last few years, snooker took second place to his business interests and family. The various financial cutbacks afflicting the game meant it was time to look for other sources of income.
As he puts his cue away for good, Wykes is pleased he saw the sport’s best years.
“I feel sorry for the young lads coming through,” he said. “It used to be that if you were in the top 64 in the world you could make a living. Now, you hear of guys in the top 32 struggling to make ends meet.
“I feel very lucky to have played snooker for a living and have had some good times. I’ve played most of the top names over the years and enjoyed myself a great deal.”
And with that, on a rainy Sunday evening in Prestatyn, Wykes got in his car for the long drive back to Bournemouth no longer a professional snooker player, the curtain having fallen on his career.
He won’t be remembered in the same way as the game’s stars – the likes of Davis, O’Sullivan and Hendry – but without the sport’s supporting cast there wouldn’t be much of a show.
23.2.07
THE LONG ROAD TO THE CRUCIBLE
The first of seven qualifying rounds for this year's 888.com World Championship has been completed at Pontin's, Prestatyn with three times semi-finalist Tony Knowles losing 5-4 to Del Smith.
Former Welsh Open quarter-finalist Bradley Jones compiled a break of 111 in the first frame of his 5-0 defeat of Neil Selman.
The qualifiers run until March 2 and include Jimmy White, John Parrott and surprise Welsh Open finalist Andrew Higginson, who plays Mark Boyle on Monday.
The 16 players left standing go to the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield in March to face the players ranked 17-32 in the final qualifying round, from where 16 qualifiers go to the Crucible to tackle the top 16 in the televised phase.
There will be a lot of snooker - and much heartbreak - before we know the line-up for snooker's 17-day marathon of the mind.
More here: http://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=snooker/07/02/23/SNOOKER_Prestatyn.html
Former Welsh Open quarter-finalist Bradley Jones compiled a break of 111 in the first frame of his 5-0 defeat of Neil Selman.
The qualifiers run until March 2 and include Jimmy White, John Parrott and surprise Welsh Open finalist Andrew Higginson, who plays Mark Boyle on Monday.
The 16 players left standing go to the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield in March to face the players ranked 17-32 in the final qualifying round, from where 16 qualifiers go to the Crucible to tackle the top 16 in the televised phase.
There will be a lot of snooker - and much heartbreak - before we know the line-up for snooker's 17-day marathon of the mind.
More here: http://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=snooker/07/02/23/SNOOKER_Prestatyn.html
COLIN BRINDED FUNDRAISER
A tournament will be staged in Norfolk this weekend in memory of Colin Brinded, who was one of snooker's leading referees until his death from cancer in November 2005.
A total of 44 players will be in action at Riley's, Norwich, including the current Norfolk champion David Swinburn and former professional Nick Spelman.
Simon Carpenter of the Norfolk and district snooker and billiards league said the tournament has attracted interest from across the county. “It is going to be a great event," he said. "It started off as a 32-man tournament but because of all the interest it attracted we made it a 44-man event.
"Some of the best players from across the county will be playing and we are expecting some great breaks. Colin was really well known and he refereed great players such as Stephen Hendry. A lot of people want to come along and pay their respects.”
Each player will be charged £15 to join the event and £5 of this will go to the Sandra Chapman Unit at the James Pagett Hospital in Gorleston, which cared for Colin.
Members of the public will be asked for a minimum £1 donation on entry and can then enter raffles with prizes including cues autographed by Steve Davis and Jimmy White.
Colin refereed the 1999 Crucible final that yielded Stephen Hendry's seventh world title. He was hugely respected as a referee and regarded as one of the circuit's good guys.
Later this year, a junior tournament will be staged in his memory by the Snooker Writers Association.
A total of 44 players will be in action at Riley's, Norwich, including the current Norfolk champion David Swinburn and former professional Nick Spelman.
Simon Carpenter of the Norfolk and district snooker and billiards league said the tournament has attracted interest from across the county. “It is going to be a great event," he said. "It started off as a 32-man tournament but because of all the interest it attracted we made it a 44-man event.
"Some of the best players from across the county will be playing and we are expecting some great breaks. Colin was really well known and he refereed great players such as Stephen Hendry. A lot of people want to come along and pay their respects.”
Each player will be charged £15 to join the event and £5 of this will go to the Sandra Chapman Unit at the James Pagett Hospital in Gorleston, which cared for Colin.
Members of the public will be asked for a minimum £1 donation on entry and can then enter raffles with prizes including cues autographed by Steve Davis and Jimmy White.
Colin refereed the 1999 Crucible final that yielded Stephen Hendry's seventh world title. He was hugely respected as a referee and regarded as one of the circuit's good guys.
Later this year, a junior tournament will be staged in his memory by the Snooker Writers Association.
22.2.07
JAM TOMORROW...OR MAYBE THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
Snooker players seem to be an astonishingly patient bunch as a rule.
Every year, their governing body promises good times around the corner. Every year, they fail to materialise.
A few years ago, I attended a press conference at Wembley given by World Snooker and two men from Brazil. They were promoting a tournament to be staged in Recife. Posters were handed out, promises were made and we all looked forward to the trip.
It never happened.
Shortly after this, World Snooker sent out a press release announcing an Asian Tour of China, Thailand and Macao.
Great, we all thought again. At last, snooker is going international.
The tour never happened.
And yet, the talk of better times ahead continues. Last season, there were just six world ranking events. This season, there are seven. In the 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons there were ten.
Next season, there will be an additional ranking event in Germany. Or will there? It's been announced to the media out there but World Snooker cannot confirm its existence.
There is talk of a second ranking tournament in China but, as of yet, no confirmation.
The best guide to what will be happening during 2007/08 is the Betfred Premier League dates, which have been announced by the promoters, Matchroom and are available to view here:
http://matchroomsport.com/sportMain.asp?sport=7
As you will see, the dates make a professional tournament impossible between the week beginning September 9 and the first weekend of December, apart from the week in October set aside for the Grand Prix.
So there we have it confirmed: there will be no tournaments in November, leaving a huge gap yet again between the Northern Ireland Trophy (assuming it is on again) and the Grand Prix and then the Grand Prix and the UK Championship.
If - and it's a huge if - there are a series of new tournaments they appear to be slated for the first four months of 2008, which already accomodates the Masters, Malta Cup, Welsh Open, China Open and 888.com World Championship.
The circuit is clearly lopsided and players not involved in the League find momentum impossible to attain. There are far too many weeks when nothing at all is happening in the professional game.
A sport as popular and well supported as snooker deserves better than this.
Every year, their governing body promises good times around the corner. Every year, they fail to materialise.
A few years ago, I attended a press conference at Wembley given by World Snooker and two men from Brazil. They were promoting a tournament to be staged in Recife. Posters were handed out, promises were made and we all looked forward to the trip.
It never happened.
Shortly after this, World Snooker sent out a press release announcing an Asian Tour of China, Thailand and Macao.
Great, we all thought again. At last, snooker is going international.
The tour never happened.
And yet, the talk of better times ahead continues. Last season, there were just six world ranking events. This season, there are seven. In the 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons there were ten.
Next season, there will be an additional ranking event in Germany. Or will there? It's been announced to the media out there but World Snooker cannot confirm its existence.
There is talk of a second ranking tournament in China but, as of yet, no confirmation.
The best guide to what will be happening during 2007/08 is the Betfred Premier League dates, which have been announced by the promoters, Matchroom and are available to view here:
http://matchroomsport.com/sportMain.asp?sport=7
As you will see, the dates make a professional tournament impossible between the week beginning September 9 and the first weekend of December, apart from the week in October set aside for the Grand Prix.
So there we have it confirmed: there will be no tournaments in November, leaving a huge gap yet again between the Northern Ireland Trophy (assuming it is on again) and the Grand Prix and then the Grand Prix and the UK Championship.
If - and it's a huge if - there are a series of new tournaments they appear to be slated for the first four months of 2008, which already accomodates the Masters, Malta Cup, Welsh Open, China Open and 888.com World Championship.
The circuit is clearly lopsided and players not involved in the League find momentum impossible to attain. There are far too many weeks when nothing at all is happening in the professional game.
A sport as popular and well supported as snooker deserves better than this.
21.2.07
KILKENNY MASTERS DRAW MADE
Here are the playing times at the forthcoming Kilkenny Masters:
March 9
9.30am
Gerard Greene v Michael Judge
Fergal O'Brien v Mark Allen
11.30am
Barry Hawkins v David Morris
Matthew Stevens v Joe Delaney
1.30pm
Gerard Greene v John Higgins
Mark Allen v Neil Robertson
3.30pm
Jimmy White v Barry Hawkins
Joe Delaney v Joe Swail
5.30pm
John Higgins v Michael Judge
Neil Robertson v Fergal O'Brien
7.30pm
David Morris v Jimmy White
Matthew Stevens v Joe Swail
March 10
11.00am
Graeme Dott v Group Winner
Ken Doherty v Group Winner
2.00pm
Stephen Hendry v Group Winner
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Group Winner
6pm
Semi Finals
March 11
3pm
Final first session
7.30pm
Final second session
For further news on this new event, check out its website: http://www.kilkennymasters.net/
March 9
9.30am
Gerard Greene v Michael Judge
Fergal O'Brien v Mark Allen
11.30am
Barry Hawkins v David Morris
Matthew Stevens v Joe Delaney
1.30pm
Gerard Greene v John Higgins
Mark Allen v Neil Robertson
3.30pm
Jimmy White v Barry Hawkins
Joe Delaney v Joe Swail
5.30pm
John Higgins v Michael Judge
Neil Robertson v Fergal O'Brien
7.30pm
David Morris v Jimmy White
Matthew Stevens v Joe Swail
March 10
11.00am
Graeme Dott v Group Winner
Ken Doherty v Group Winner
2.00pm
Stephen Hendry v Group Winner
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Group Winner
6pm
Semi Finals
March 11
3pm
Final first session
7.30pm
Final second session
For further news on this new event, check out its website: http://www.kilkennymasters.net/
ODD QUESTION
I was listening yesterday to The Kinks track 'The Village Green Preservation Society' and it occurred to me that this may be the only song ever to mention billiards.
Does anyone know?
Does anyone know?
19.2.07
THE TWO WINNERS IN WALES
Confidence is rarely lacking in Australian sportsmen but when Neil Robertson announced to his family at the age of just 11 that he would one day be world snooker champion it must have sounded a fanciful proposition.
Fast forward 14 years, though, and Robertson will be one of the favourites at the Crucible in April after producing another top drawer performance to beat Andrew Higginson 9-8 in a gripping Welsh Open final at the Newport Centre tonight.
Robertson has now won two ranking titles this season, having captured the Royal London Watches Grand Prix in Aberdeen last October.
Then, he became the 42nd player to win a ranking event and now becomes the 22nd to win more than one.
In truth, though, there were two winners at Newport. It was Robertson's title but the week belonged to Higginson.
His inspirational run from the first qualifying round to the final - with a televised maximum along the way - was extraordinary. Furthermore, it was a timely counter to the complacency of some of the game's top players who don't seem especially interested at the moment.
Some 11 years in the making, Higginson deserves much praise for his exploits. He's back in action in a week's time when he tackles Mark Boyle in the first qualifying round of the 888.com World Championship at Prestatyn.
It was a good tournament, though the crowds were generally poor. This has not happened before in Newport and could in part be due to extensive work going on outside the venue.
One final thing: the tournament desperately needs a new trophy to replace that aesthically displeasing piece of slate.
As Joe Johnson said in his Eurosport commentary: "It looks like it's fallen off my roof."
Fast forward 14 years, though, and Robertson will be one of the favourites at the Crucible in April after producing another top drawer performance to beat Andrew Higginson 9-8 in a gripping Welsh Open final at the Newport Centre tonight.
Robertson has now won two ranking titles this season, having captured the Royal London Watches Grand Prix in Aberdeen last October.
Then, he became the 42nd player to win a ranking event and now becomes the 22nd to win more than one.
In truth, though, there were two winners at Newport. It was Robertson's title but the week belonged to Higginson.
His inspirational run from the first qualifying round to the final - with a televised maximum along the way - was extraordinary. Furthermore, it was a timely counter to the complacency of some of the game's top players who don't seem especially interested at the moment.
Some 11 years in the making, Higginson deserves much praise for his exploits. He's back in action in a week's time when he tackles Mark Boyle in the first qualifying round of the 888.com World Championship at Prestatyn.
It was a good tournament, though the crowds were generally poor. This has not happened before in Newport and could in part be due to extensive work going on outside the venue.
One final thing: the tournament desperately needs a new trophy to replace that aesthically displeasing piece of slate.
As Joe Johnson said in his Eurosport commentary: "It looks like it's fallen off my roof."
16.2.07
HATS OFF TO HIGGINSON...AGAIN!
What a week Andrew Higginson is having.
The 29 year-old from Widnes is today appearing in his first ranking event quarter-final and has just compiled the 56th maximum break in professional snooker history.
His 147 came in the second frame of his match against Ali Carter and was the 33rd to be made in a ranking event, the 29th on television and the third in the Welsh Open.
It earns Andy £22,000 - easily his highest ever cheque.
Will he complete the fairytale by winning the tournament?
The 29 year-old from Widnes is today appearing in his first ranking event quarter-final and has just compiled the 56th maximum break in professional snooker history.
His 147 came in the second frame of his match against Ali Carter and was the 33rd to be made in a ranking event, the 29th on television and the third in the Welsh Open.
It earns Andy £22,000 - easily his highest ever cheque.
Will he complete the fairytale by winning the tournament?
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