Prize money for the Roewe Shanghai Masters has been increased.
The total prize fund this season will be £300,000 with £55,000 going to the winner.
Last year, the total pot was worth £282,000, with Ricky Walden pocketing £52,000 as champion.
The tournament's prize fund and staging costs are paid by Chinese promoters under a five year deal with the WPBSA announced in 2007.
31.7.09
POLL TO POLL
So 45% voted the current decade as their favourite for snooker. 26% went with the 1990s, 25% the 1980s and 1% the 1970s.
The new poll asks whether you will watch the 110sport.tv coverage of the qualifiers.
The new poll asks whether you will watch the 110sport.tv coverage of the qualifiers.
30.7.09
MAGUIRE'S TITLE
It's interesting that the only top 16 player to enter the first Pro Challenge Series event ended up winning it.
Stephen Maguire is £5,000 better off for going to Leeds. Good luck to him. It's more profitable than knocking balls in at his home club.
Despite what people say, there is a clear difference in standard when you compare players at the top of the rankings with those lower down.
The top ranked players are where they are because they are better. They all started at the bottom and have risen through the ranks because of how well they have played.
I realise this sounds obvious but it is perhaps still worth saying.
Stephen Maguire is £5,000 better off for going to Leeds. Good luck to him. It's more profitable than knocking balls in at his home club.
Despite what people say, there is a clear difference in standard when you compare players at the top of the rankings with those lower down.
The top ranked players are where they are because they are better. They all started at the bottom and have risen through the ranks because of how well they have played.
I realise this sounds obvious but it is perhaps still worth saying.
29.7.09
QUALIFIERS TO BE STREAMED ONLINE
The WPBSA has signed a landmark deal with 110sport.tv to stream the qualifiers of all professional tournaments on the internet.
It means snooker fans will be able to watch every ball of every qualifying match live, starting with next week's Shanghai Masters qualifiers.
I understand 110sport will also inaugurate new events to be screened on their website.
This is, by anyone's definition, good news.
When I have more specific details I will of course report them here.
It means snooker fans will be able to watch every ball of every qualifying match live, starting with next week's Shanghai Masters qualifiers.
I understand 110sport will also inaugurate new events to be screened on their website.
This is, by anyone's definition, good news.
When I have more specific details I will of course report them here.
NOTES ON A STEEL CITY
I'm in Sheffield for a few days for reasons that need not detain us here.
Like any self-respecting snooker fan, I went to the Crucible yesterday. Except, it's like a mausoleum: wrapped in tarpaulin and covered in scaffolding.
This is all part of the ongoing renovation of the iconic venue but it was still odd to witness.
Far more seriously, Vijay's Indian restaurant up by the Grosvenor Hotel has shut down. For as long as I can remember, this was the traditional venue of choice for an eve of tournament nosh-up for journalists and officials relishing the 17 days of lunacy to come.
But no longer.
I can't help thinking that this is a metaphor for something.
Like any self-respecting snooker fan, I went to the Crucible yesterday. Except, it's like a mausoleum: wrapped in tarpaulin and covered in scaffolding.
This is all part of the ongoing renovation of the iconic venue but it was still odd to witness.
Far more seriously, Vijay's Indian restaurant up by the Grosvenor Hotel has shut down. For as long as I can remember, this was the traditional venue of choice for an eve of tournament nosh-up for journalists and officials relishing the 17 days of lunacy to come.
But no longer.
I can't help thinking that this is a metaphor for something.
27.7.09
END OF THE CUE...CONTINUED
Graeme Dott is the latest snooker player to suffer a mishap with his cue.
In fact, it was more than a mishap. The cue is broken beyond repair.
It was damaged - no surprise here - at an airport. Dott had used the cue to win the 2006 World Championship.
Then again, perhaps a new start is what the Glaswegian needs. He has endured a disappointing couple of seasons - in which he suffered from depression and broke his arm - and is now out of the top 16.
Dott has always been a fighter and I'm sure he'll be giving it everything with his new cue. Its first test comes in the new Pro Challenge Series, which starts tomorrow.
In fact, it was more than a mishap. The cue is broken beyond repair.
It was damaged - no surprise here - at an airport. Dott had used the cue to win the 2006 World Championship.
Then again, perhaps a new start is what the Glaswegian needs. He has endured a disappointing couple of seasons - in which he suffered from depression and broke his arm - and is now out of the top 16.
Dott has always been a fighter and I'm sure he'll be giving it everything with his new cue. Its first test comes in the new Pro Challenge Series, which starts tomorrow.
NEW SEASON BUILD-UP: THE YOUNG GUNS
Continuing my look ahead to the new season with a focus on the younger members of the professional circuit...
I’d back Mark Allen to kick on from his fine end to last season, when he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan en route to the Betfred.com World Championship semi-finals.
Allen has always been a great talent bestowed with considerable self belief. His confidence will be at an all time high right now – as he proved by winning the Jiangsu Classic in June – and he could well lift more silverware in the next year.
His downfall in the past has been keeping his frustration at bay, but there were few signs of self implosion at the Crucible and Allen must surely be one to follow this season.
Judd Trump has been thrown into the lion’s den of the Premier League, which will be a great experience for him playing live on television against some of the biggest names of the sport.
Trump’s chief problem thus far in his career has been reproducing the excellent form he’s shown at the qualifiers at the main venues.
Time is on a side – he’s still a teenager – but those who love to carp from the sidelines will soon be on his back if he doesn’t continue his upward progress this season.
The Bristol lad is in the top 32 for the first time. His target this year must surely be a top 16 place.
Jamie Cope seems to have stalled a little since he appeared in two ranking finals during the 2006/07 campaign.
He looked a certainty for the top 16 back then but hasn’t quite made the breakthrough. Like many players of his age, Cope is a frighteningly good long potter and break-builder but is yet to develop the sort of all round game a player can fall back on when they are not firing on all cylinders.
Liang Wenbo is another good example of this. When it all works for him, he looks deadly but, when it doesn’t, he can look average.
Liang won the £50,000 first prize in the recent Beijing Challenge and has the potential to be a top 16 player but this, of course, does not mean that he will be one.
His fellow Chinese Ding Junhui feels like a veteran but is still only 22. In beating Liang at the World Championship he suggested he had finally got himself out of a worrying slump in form but could not sustain this in the second round against Stephen Hendry.
You don’t win the UK Championship at the age of 18 without being an excellent player. Ding’s problems are not with his game but his mental state. If he can sort them out he will be a winner again.
Daniel Wells won three matches 10-9 before losing another to be denied a place at the Crucible in his debut season.
Wells does mix attack and defence and this was one of the reasons he managed to carve out enough results to keep his place on the tour.
David Morris is yet to set the world alight but has crept up to 58th in the rankings and has the ability to go further but needs a breakthrough – a good run in a big event.
Snooker needs its young players to be doing well. Sports need to renew themselves with fresh faces to avoid the accusation they have stagnated.
For this reason, I wish the circuit’s young guns all the best for the coming season.
I’d back Mark Allen to kick on from his fine end to last season, when he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan en route to the Betfred.com World Championship semi-finals.
Allen has always been a great talent bestowed with considerable self belief. His confidence will be at an all time high right now – as he proved by winning the Jiangsu Classic in June – and he could well lift more silverware in the next year.
His downfall in the past has been keeping his frustration at bay, but there were few signs of self implosion at the Crucible and Allen must surely be one to follow this season.
Judd Trump has been thrown into the lion’s den of the Premier League, which will be a great experience for him playing live on television against some of the biggest names of the sport.
Trump’s chief problem thus far in his career has been reproducing the excellent form he’s shown at the qualifiers at the main venues.
Time is on a side – he’s still a teenager – but those who love to carp from the sidelines will soon be on his back if he doesn’t continue his upward progress this season.
The Bristol lad is in the top 32 for the first time. His target this year must surely be a top 16 place.
Jamie Cope seems to have stalled a little since he appeared in two ranking finals during the 2006/07 campaign.
He looked a certainty for the top 16 back then but hasn’t quite made the breakthrough. Like many players of his age, Cope is a frighteningly good long potter and break-builder but is yet to develop the sort of all round game a player can fall back on when they are not firing on all cylinders.
Liang Wenbo is another good example of this. When it all works for him, he looks deadly but, when it doesn’t, he can look average.
Liang won the £50,000 first prize in the recent Beijing Challenge and has the potential to be a top 16 player but this, of course, does not mean that he will be one.
His fellow Chinese Ding Junhui feels like a veteran but is still only 22. In beating Liang at the World Championship he suggested he had finally got himself out of a worrying slump in form but could not sustain this in the second round against Stephen Hendry.
You don’t win the UK Championship at the age of 18 without being an excellent player. Ding’s problems are not with his game but his mental state. If he can sort them out he will be a winner again.
Daniel Wells won three matches 10-9 before losing another to be denied a place at the Crucible in his debut season.
Wells does mix attack and defence and this was one of the reasons he managed to carve out enough results to keep his place on the tour.
David Morris is yet to set the world alight but has crept up to 58th in the rankings and has the ability to go further but needs a breakthrough – a good run in a big event.
Snooker needs its young players to be doing well. Sports need to renew themselves with fresh faces to avoid the accusation they have stagnated.
For this reason, I wish the circuit’s young guns all the best for the coming season.
26.7.09
BOND'S GOLDFINGERS
Former British Open champion Nigel Bond beat David Grace 3-0 in Taiwan today to land the gold medal at the World Games.
Bond, the runner-up to Stephen Hendry at the Crucible in 1995, outpointed Grace 237-26 to wrap up a comfortable win.
Bond, the runner-up to Stephen Hendry at the Crucible in 1995, outpointed Grace 237-26 to wrap up a comfortable win.
POLL POSITION
John Higgins will finish the season as world no.1 according to 47% of those who voted in our poll.
28% thought it would be Ronnie O'Sullivan, 9% Ali Carter and 14% someone else.
The next poll asks which era was your favourite for snooker.
28% thought it would be Ronnie O'Sullivan, 9% Ali Carter and 14% someone else.
The next poll asks which era was your favourite for snooker.
24.7.09
TRACKING DOWN TONY MEO
If I had a pound for every time someone asked me where Tony Meo is these days and what he's doing now I'd have...well...several pounds.
Well, at last we have an answer!
Roger Lee has been to interview him for the August issue of Snooker Scene (out on August 5) and has taken a picture of how he looks now.
I must admit I did a double take before recognising him.
Roger has also been to interview Patsy Fagan, the 1977 UK champion.
Well, at last we have an answer!
Roger Lee has been to interview him for the August issue of Snooker Scene (out on August 5) and has taken a picture of how he looks now.
I must admit I did a double take before recognising him.
Roger has also been to interview Patsy Fagan, the 1977 UK champion.
NEW SEASON BUILD UP: THE LEGENDS
Continuing my preview of the new season with a look at the likely prospects of the game's veteran brigade...
There’s something genuinely heart-warming about a great player in any sport, apparently past their prime, coming up on the rails to produce a performance worthy of their heyday.
That’s why Tom Watson’s adventures at the Open last week caught the imagination. At 59, he had been rated a 1,500/1 shot before play began on the first day. As it transpired, he had a putt on the last to win it.
It didn’t go in, of course, and it is rare for a champion of the past to return and recapture former glories in this manner.
Doug Mountjoy did it in snooker in 1988 when he won the UK Championship for a second time, ten years after his first triumph. He went on to win the next ranking event, the Mercantile Classic, as well.
Steve Davis played superbly to reach the 2005 UK final, beating Mark Allen, Stephen Maguire, Ken Doherty and Stephen Hendry before coming up short against Ding Junhui.
So, what are the prospective fortunes of the game’s elder statesmen next season?
Stephen Hendry has fallen out of the top eight in the world rankings for the first time in 22 years.
Is this significant? Well, the amazing thing is that he was in there for 22 years when so many players have come and gone during the same time. There’s no disgrace being ranked 10th at the age of 40. The question is whether Hendry can climb back up.
He might well do because he is still so driven. He’s not the sort to be content with turning up and receiving grand applause, effectively making up the numbers.
No, when he thinks he can’t compete at the top level any longer he will retire.
Hendry last won one of snooker’s ‘big three’ titles – the world, UK or Masters – ten years ago. His last ranking title came four and a half years ago.
But if he can get some consistency back there’s no reason why he can’t be a winner again. This happened only rarely last season but there were a few signs – not least at the Crucible that he can turn it on for prolonged spells.
Steve Davis, that other great multi-champion of the modern age, starts his 32nd season as a professional at 13th in the provisional rankings. He will be 52 next month.
This old warhorse has stuck around so long because he changed his game and came to rely more on his safety than breakbuilding. There’s no reason why this won’t continue to work. Indeed, I’d argue it has been so effective because of the way snooker has become so open and attacking.
There's not many who can compete with the Nugget in the tactical stakes.
Steve loves snooker. I think you really will have to scrape him off the table and if he’s still on the tour when he’s 60 it wouldn’t be any great surprise. In January, he will have played professional snooker in five different decades.
What of Jimmy White? He starts in 56th place and so is excused one round of qualifying compared to last season.
There are times when he still produces excellent snooker but it’s hard to imagine White ever returning to the top 16. The top 48 is a possibility and so too, at a push, is the top 32. As ever, though, this may just be wishful thinking. I hope not.
John Parrott, I rather suspect, will be the next snooker ‘legend’ to hang up his cue. JP doesn’t need to be going to Prestatyn and has nothing else he wants to accomplish on the table. As he slides down the rankings it must become less and less fun.
Ken Doherty, who is 40 in September, has fallen at an alarming rate. Doherty is now 46th after a wretched season and desperately needs some confidence.
This will only come from winning matches. I wouldn’t be surprised if he started to turn it around now he’s used to the qualifying set up, but it’s a long way back to the top.
Peter Ebdon won seven matches in ranking events last season, five of which were in the China Open, a title which he of course captured.
It was only this that kept him in the top 16, but he had off table problems and he may be more settled going into the new campaign. If anyone is going to make an effort to keep his place in the elite, it’s Ebdon.
Looking at some of the older players, Tony Drago and James Wattana return. The best they can really hope for is to keep their places on the circuit. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.
Nigel Bond had a poor season saved by him reaching the last 16 of the World Championship. How much longer can he hold off Old Father Time?
Nobody goes on forever, but the old guard will be determined to go on for as long as they possibly can.
There’s something genuinely heart-warming about a great player in any sport, apparently past their prime, coming up on the rails to produce a performance worthy of their heyday.
That’s why Tom Watson’s adventures at the Open last week caught the imagination. At 59, he had been rated a 1,500/1 shot before play began on the first day. As it transpired, he had a putt on the last to win it.
It didn’t go in, of course, and it is rare for a champion of the past to return and recapture former glories in this manner.
Doug Mountjoy did it in snooker in 1988 when he won the UK Championship for a second time, ten years after his first triumph. He went on to win the next ranking event, the Mercantile Classic, as well.
Steve Davis played superbly to reach the 2005 UK final, beating Mark Allen, Stephen Maguire, Ken Doherty and Stephen Hendry before coming up short against Ding Junhui.
So, what are the prospective fortunes of the game’s elder statesmen next season?
Stephen Hendry has fallen out of the top eight in the world rankings for the first time in 22 years.
Is this significant? Well, the amazing thing is that he was in there for 22 years when so many players have come and gone during the same time. There’s no disgrace being ranked 10th at the age of 40. The question is whether Hendry can climb back up.
He might well do because he is still so driven. He’s not the sort to be content with turning up and receiving grand applause, effectively making up the numbers.
No, when he thinks he can’t compete at the top level any longer he will retire.
Hendry last won one of snooker’s ‘big three’ titles – the world, UK or Masters – ten years ago. His last ranking title came four and a half years ago.
But if he can get some consistency back there’s no reason why he can’t be a winner again. This happened only rarely last season but there were a few signs – not least at the Crucible that he can turn it on for prolonged spells.
Steve Davis, that other great multi-champion of the modern age, starts his 32nd season as a professional at 13th in the provisional rankings. He will be 52 next month.
This old warhorse has stuck around so long because he changed his game and came to rely more on his safety than breakbuilding. There’s no reason why this won’t continue to work. Indeed, I’d argue it has been so effective because of the way snooker has become so open and attacking.
There's not many who can compete with the Nugget in the tactical stakes.
Steve loves snooker. I think you really will have to scrape him off the table and if he’s still on the tour when he’s 60 it wouldn’t be any great surprise. In January, he will have played professional snooker in five different decades.
What of Jimmy White? He starts in 56th place and so is excused one round of qualifying compared to last season.
There are times when he still produces excellent snooker but it’s hard to imagine White ever returning to the top 16. The top 48 is a possibility and so too, at a push, is the top 32. As ever, though, this may just be wishful thinking. I hope not.
John Parrott, I rather suspect, will be the next snooker ‘legend’ to hang up his cue. JP doesn’t need to be going to Prestatyn and has nothing else he wants to accomplish on the table. As he slides down the rankings it must become less and less fun.
Ken Doherty, who is 40 in September, has fallen at an alarming rate. Doherty is now 46th after a wretched season and desperately needs some confidence.
This will only come from winning matches. I wouldn’t be surprised if he started to turn it around now he’s used to the qualifying set up, but it’s a long way back to the top.
Peter Ebdon won seven matches in ranking events last season, five of which were in the China Open, a title which he of course captured.
It was only this that kept him in the top 16, but he had off table problems and he may be more settled going into the new campaign. If anyone is going to make an effort to keep his place in the elite, it’s Ebdon.
Looking at some of the older players, Tony Drago and James Wattana return. The best they can really hope for is to keep their places on the circuit. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.
Nigel Bond had a poor season saved by him reaching the last 16 of the World Championship. How much longer can he hold off Old Father Time?
Nobody goes on forever, but the old guard will be determined to go on for as long as they possibly can.
23.7.09
GOING FOR GOLD
The big surprise of the World Games so far has been the defeat of Shanghai Masters champion Ricky Walden.
He lost 3-1 to Wu Yu Lin of Taiwan today.
Another professional, Mike Dunn, was beaten 3-2 by Egypt's Mohammed Awad yesterday.
It leaves us with a quarter-final line-up as follows:
Shu Hun Lin (Taiwan) v David Grace (England)
Soheil Vahedi (Iran) v Mohammed Awad (Egypt)
Nigel Bond (England) v Thepchaiya Un Nooh (Thailand)
Mohammed Shehab (UAE) v Wu Yu Lin (Taiwan)
Gerard Greene, who won the gold four years ago, withdrew for reasons unknown.
He lost 3-1 to Wu Yu Lin of Taiwan today.
Another professional, Mike Dunn, was beaten 3-2 by Egypt's Mohammed Awad yesterday.
It leaves us with a quarter-final line-up as follows:
Shu Hun Lin (Taiwan) v David Grace (England)
Soheil Vahedi (Iran) v Mohammed Awad (Egypt)
Nigel Bond (England) v Thepchaiya Un Nooh (Thailand)
Mohammed Shehab (UAE) v Wu Yu Lin (Taiwan)
Gerard Greene, who won the gold four years ago, withdrew for reasons unknown.
PAST MASTERS#10
This week, a TV commentator and former player who remains one of snooker's best known figures...
Willie Thorne is one of the best talents ever to have played the game but he failed to marshal his ability to become a regular tournament winner.
In an era where century breaks were far less commonplace than today, Thorne compiled a total of 126. He is still 20th on the all time list, with 29 players having made a century of centuries.
But he never quite delivered on his considerable potential and ended his career with only one ranking title to his name.
He was a talented teenager and won the English under 16 title at snooker and billiards in 1970.
Thorne turned professional in 1974 when the circuit offered few playing opportunities and was one of the original 16 to play at the Crucible when the World Championship moved there in 1977.
He became established as one of snooker’s biggest names during the boom years of the 1980s. With his bald pate and bushy moustache, he was instantly identifiable and a regular face on TV.
His best ranking was seventh, which he reached in the 1986/87 season and again in 1993/94, but his form could be erratic and he was relegated from the top 16 on four separate occasions.
Thorne appeared in seven ranking event semi-finals and converted three of these into appearances in finals, a low return given his obvious ability. Indeed, he only twice reached the World Championship quarter-finals.
But he had off table distractions, not least a gambling addiction he went on to describe in his entertaining autobiography, ‘Double or Quits.’
Thorne’s best moment came at the 1985 Mercantile Classic, in which he beat Kirk Stevens, John Virgo, Steve Davis and Cliff Thorburn to register his sole ranking success.
But he will always be remembered for missing the blue when leading Davis 13-8 in the UK Championship final later the same year.
Had it gone in, Thorne would surely have gone on to win his biggest ever title and who knows what may have followed?
But it didn’t go in and Davis fought back to beat him 16-14 and deliver a lethal blow to his future career prospects in a sport where mental scars take a long time to heal.
Despite this, Thorne did enjoy some success in non ranking events, winning the 1986 Kong Kong Masters, 1987 Kent Cup, 1986 Matchroom League and 1989 New Zealand Masters.
He was runner-up in the Irish Masters in 1986 and 1987. In 2000, he won the Seniors Masters title.
He hardly discouraged his nickname of ‘Mr Maximum’ having reputedly made hundreds in practice. His only 147 in tournament play came in the non-televised phase of the 1987 UK Championship.
Under any definition of the word ‘character,’ Thorne would qualify. He would play up to an image of himself as flash and big headed but was actually self deprecating, with the other players in on the joke.
For example, it wasn’t unheard of for Willie to enter a practice room at a tournament and say something like, “so, who was the best player in here until I walked in?”
In the 1993 UK Championship, he led Drew Henry 7-1 at the halfway stage and made great play of making sure everyone knew he had booked a restaurant for 8.30pm following the 7pm start.
Henry beat him 9-8 at gone 11pm.
At the Crucible in 1996, he was involved in an argument with referee John Williams, who wanted to re-rack a frame with Thorne around 50 points ahead against Andy Hicks.
Hicks won the match and afterwards said Thorne may have done better had he not spent his time “huffin’ and puffin’ around the table.”
He had his disappointments but Thorne, as he always was, remains a friendly, laidback character who played a significant role in the 1980s boom. He even appeared on Chas ‘n’ Dave’s ‘Snooker Loopy’ where he was called upon to sing the immortal line “perhaps I ought to chalk it” (referring to his head).
Thorne is now the BBC’s principal commentator with a forthright style that divides opinion.
He has always been conscious of his celebrity status and has maintained his profile in a number of ways, not least by taking part in the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing two years ago.
In the last few months he has appeared on ITV’s Mr and Mrs and on the BBC’s Cash in the Attic.
Now 55, Thorne is still one of snooker’s most recognisable figures, a regular at charity golf days, sportsman’s dinners and in the media, even though he has not played professionally for seven years.
Perhaps that is his greatest victory of all.
Willie Thorne is one of the best talents ever to have played the game but he failed to marshal his ability to become a regular tournament winner.
In an era where century breaks were far less commonplace than today, Thorne compiled a total of 126. He is still 20th on the all time list, with 29 players having made a century of centuries.
But he never quite delivered on his considerable potential and ended his career with only one ranking title to his name.
He was a talented teenager and won the English under 16 title at snooker and billiards in 1970.
Thorne turned professional in 1974 when the circuit offered few playing opportunities and was one of the original 16 to play at the Crucible when the World Championship moved there in 1977.
He became established as one of snooker’s biggest names during the boom years of the 1980s. With his bald pate and bushy moustache, he was instantly identifiable and a regular face on TV.
His best ranking was seventh, which he reached in the 1986/87 season and again in 1993/94, but his form could be erratic and he was relegated from the top 16 on four separate occasions.
Thorne appeared in seven ranking event semi-finals and converted three of these into appearances in finals, a low return given his obvious ability. Indeed, he only twice reached the World Championship quarter-finals.
But he had off table distractions, not least a gambling addiction he went on to describe in his entertaining autobiography, ‘Double or Quits.’
Thorne’s best moment came at the 1985 Mercantile Classic, in which he beat Kirk Stevens, John Virgo, Steve Davis and Cliff Thorburn to register his sole ranking success.
But he will always be remembered for missing the blue when leading Davis 13-8 in the UK Championship final later the same year.
Had it gone in, Thorne would surely have gone on to win his biggest ever title and who knows what may have followed?
But it didn’t go in and Davis fought back to beat him 16-14 and deliver a lethal blow to his future career prospects in a sport where mental scars take a long time to heal.
Despite this, Thorne did enjoy some success in non ranking events, winning the 1986 Kong Kong Masters, 1987 Kent Cup, 1986 Matchroom League and 1989 New Zealand Masters.
He was runner-up in the Irish Masters in 1986 and 1987. In 2000, he won the Seniors Masters title.
He hardly discouraged his nickname of ‘Mr Maximum’ having reputedly made hundreds in practice. His only 147 in tournament play came in the non-televised phase of the 1987 UK Championship.
Under any definition of the word ‘character,’ Thorne would qualify. He would play up to an image of himself as flash and big headed but was actually self deprecating, with the other players in on the joke.
For example, it wasn’t unheard of for Willie to enter a practice room at a tournament and say something like, “so, who was the best player in here until I walked in?”
In the 1993 UK Championship, he led Drew Henry 7-1 at the halfway stage and made great play of making sure everyone knew he had booked a restaurant for 8.30pm following the 7pm start.
Henry beat him 9-8 at gone 11pm.
At the Crucible in 1996, he was involved in an argument with referee John Williams, who wanted to re-rack a frame with Thorne around 50 points ahead against Andy Hicks.
Hicks won the match and afterwards said Thorne may have done better had he not spent his time “huffin’ and puffin’ around the table.”
He had his disappointments but Thorne, as he always was, remains a friendly, laidback character who played a significant role in the 1980s boom. He even appeared on Chas ‘n’ Dave’s ‘Snooker Loopy’ where he was called upon to sing the immortal line “perhaps I ought to chalk it” (referring to his head).
Thorne is now the BBC’s principal commentator with a forthright style that divides opinion.
He has always been conscious of his celebrity status and has maintained his profile in a number of ways, not least by taking part in the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing two years ago.
In the last few months he has appeared on ITV’s Mr and Mrs and on the BBC’s Cash in the Attic.
Now 55, Thorne is still one of snooker’s most recognisable figures, a regular at charity golf days, sportsman’s dinners and in the media, even though he has not played professionally for seven years.
Perhaps that is his greatest victory of all.
22.7.09
ALEX V ANNE
Alex Higgins, the combative, combustible former world champion, may finally have met his match.
The 'Hurricane' will face Anne Robinson on BBC1's Weakest Link at 5.50pm this coming Saturday.
It will be interesting to see how this angry, argumentative character fares.
I'm also looking forward to seeing how Higgins does.
The 'Hurricane' will face Anne Robinson on BBC1's Weakest Link at 5.50pm this coming Saturday.
It will be interesting to see how this angry, argumentative character fares.
I'm also looking forward to seeing how Higgins does.
21.7.09
PODCAST#11...CLIVE EVERTON ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
In the latest Snooker Scene podcast, our editor Clive Everton answers readers questions.
You can listen to it here.
We mention Gordon Burn during one of the answers. This was obviously recorded before his death.
You can listen to it here.
We mention Gordon Burn during one of the answers. This was obviously recorded before his death.
THE END OF THE CUE
Poor old Ken Doherty has had his cue impounded by customs officers at Heathrow following the six reds event in Thailand, presumably because of some meaningless red tape that has to be sorted out.
After the season he’s just had, this is the last thing Ken needs.
Of course, it was at Heathrow that the cue with which Stephen Hendry won seven world titles was destroyed beyond repair back in 2003.
He’s never been the same since. I didn’t think it would affect him that badly after watching him beat Ronnie O’Sullivan to win the British Open shortly afterwards in what was probably Hendry’s best performance of the decade.
But it was clear when he turned up at the 2007 World Championship with a cue he’d had for less than a month that he wasn’t happy.
Hendry wouldn’t blame losing the old cue, and it’s worth remembering that he reclaimed the world no.1 spot in 2006, but, put it this way, it didn’t help his career.
The irony, of course, is that his old cue wasn’t reckoned to be up to much. But players get used to a cue and, in a game that relies so much on mental resilience, it can be hard adjusting to a new one, especially when you have to.
This is why O’Sullivan’s capture of the Masters title last season was so remarkable. Ronnie had smashed up his previous cue a few days before Wembley but played brilliantly in the final.
That said, he struggled for the rest of the season. This was not necessarily down to the new cue. Indeed, I’d back him to make a century with any old bit of wood, but there are so many factors that can alter the way a player is feeling that you want to limit them to as few as possible.
Sometimes damage to a cue can end up being a positive, though.
John Spencer had his broken in a car accident in 1977. He went on to become the first Crucible world champion not long afterwards.
After the season he’s just had, this is the last thing Ken needs.
Of course, it was at Heathrow that the cue with which Stephen Hendry won seven world titles was destroyed beyond repair back in 2003.
He’s never been the same since. I didn’t think it would affect him that badly after watching him beat Ronnie O’Sullivan to win the British Open shortly afterwards in what was probably Hendry’s best performance of the decade.
But it was clear when he turned up at the 2007 World Championship with a cue he’d had for less than a month that he wasn’t happy.
Hendry wouldn’t blame losing the old cue, and it’s worth remembering that he reclaimed the world no.1 spot in 2006, but, put it this way, it didn’t help his career.
The irony, of course, is that his old cue wasn’t reckoned to be up to much. But players get used to a cue and, in a game that relies so much on mental resilience, it can be hard adjusting to a new one, especially when you have to.
This is why O’Sullivan’s capture of the Masters title last season was so remarkable. Ronnie had smashed up his previous cue a few days before Wembley but played brilliantly in the final.
That said, he struggled for the rest of the season. This was not necessarily down to the new cue. Indeed, I’d back him to make a century with any old bit of wood, but there are so many factors that can alter the way a player is feeling that you want to limit them to as few as possible.
Sometimes damage to a cue can end up being a positive, though.
John Spencer had his broken in a car accident in 1977. He went on to become the first Crucible world champion not long afterwards.
NEW(ISH) LOOK!
So the blog has had a radical redesign, by which I mean it's now red and includes a weekly poll.
If I were one of those people paid thousands to spout marketing speak I would come up with a highly annoying reason for the change to red.
But I'm not so I'll just tell the truth: I quite like the colour.
I well remember the controversy when the set for 1987 World Championship changed colour but it didn't do any long term damage to the tournament.
Then again, a year later it reverted back to its original colour and was never spoken of again.
If I were one of those people paid thousands to spout marketing speak I would come up with a highly annoying reason for the change to red.
But I'm not so I'll just tell the truth: I quite like the colour.
I well remember the controversy when the set for 1987 World Championship changed colour but it didn't do any long term damage to the tournament.
Then again, a year later it reverted back to its original colour and was never spoken of again.
20.7.09
'POCKET MONEY' AUTHOR DIES
Gordon Burn, author of Pocket Money, one of the best books ever written about snooker, has died of cancer at the age of 61.
Burn followed the 1985/86 season, a magical boom time for snooker which was vividly brought to life by his excellent writing.
He also wrote books on Peter Sutcliffe, Fred and Rose West and 24-hour rolling news.
If any snooker fan is yet to read Pocket Money, I recommend it as one of the few essential snooker books.
Burn followed the 1985/86 season, a magical boom time for snooker which was vividly brought to life by his excellent writing.
He also wrote books on Peter Sutcliffe, Fred and Rose West and 24-hour rolling news.
If any snooker fan is yet to read Pocket Money, I recommend it as one of the few essential snooker books.
THIS WEEK'S ACTION
There's more snooker underway this week.
At the Northern in Leeds it's the Paul Hunter English Open, which includes players such as Stephen Lee, Ryan Day, Michael Holt, Stuart Bingham, Dave Harold and Tony Drago.
And out in Taiwan Gerard Greene is defending his World Games title against the likes of Ricky Walden, Nigel Bond and Thepchaiya Un Nooh.
Global-Snooker.com has coverage of both events.
Next week the first Pro Challenge Series tournament is played and a fortnight today the qualifiers for the Shanghai Masters will be underway.
At the Northern in Leeds it's the Paul Hunter English Open, which includes players such as Stephen Lee, Ryan Day, Michael Holt, Stuart Bingham, Dave Harold and Tony Drago.
And out in Taiwan Gerard Greene is defending his World Games title against the likes of Ricky Walden, Nigel Bond and Thepchaiya Un Nooh.
Global-Snooker.com has coverage of both events.
Next week the first Pro Challenge Series tournament is played and a fortnight today the qualifiers for the Shanghai Masters will be underway.
19.7.09
NEW SEASON BUILD UP: THE DEBUTANTS
Over the next couple of weeks I will be building up to the start of the new professional season. First up, a look at the main tour newcomers...
With only six ranking events scheduled this season it will be difficult for most of the new intake to survive.
The problem with starter points is that they aren't a fixed figure but completely arbitrary – the new players receive the same amount of points as the lowest ranked survivor from last year.
This season that is David Roe, who has 4,320 points to carry into the new campaign. Last season new players got 5,088 points.
[Edit: this is nonsense! They actually get points equivalent to the lowest ranked of the eight players on the one year list who kept their places, so it's 5,850, the same number as Atthasit Mahitthi.]
Personally, I feel it would be fairer to double the number of points earned by newcomers to give them more of a chance.
Now, I know what many of you are thinking: if you’re good enough, you will stay on.
There’s a glimmer of truth in this. Mark Allen is the best recent example of a player who came fresh to the tour and made the most of it.
But the fact remains that life in the professional game takes some getting used to, even for those who have gone on to be greats of the sport.
You need time to get used to your new status and the step up in standard required.
The worst thing a debutant can allow themselves to think is that it will be easy. Many of them come to the pro ranks having experienced success as juniors with the feeling – often subconscious – that some of the old sweats of the tour will be easy to roll over.
They will soon learn the truth. We may never see a whole group of main tour players on TV but, at Prestatyn, they know what they are doing. Young players coming through are often lambs to the slaughter.
The modern game is all about attack, but it’s hard to do this when you are constantly on the back cushion or up behind a baulk colour. I think this is why Daniel Wells stayed on last season: he said before the start of the campaign that he was going to be more cautious than many of his contemporaries.
Anyway, step forward the players about to experience professional snooker for the first time...
Thepchaiya Un Nooh
David Hogan
Sam Baird
Jordan Brown
Mei Xiwen
Anda Zhang
Brendan O’Donoghue
Craig Steadman
Stephen Rowlings
Of these, Thepchaiya Un Nooh is the most obvious newcomer to follow as reigning IBSF world amateur champion.
One current player told me that the “world amateur title isn’t what it was” but, even if this is true, and many would disagree, it doesn’t alter the fact that the Thai won it.
For years, Thailand has been looking for a successor to James Wattana and has never quite found one (indeed Wattana himself returns to the main tour this season). I’ve never seen Thepchaiya play but those who have are excited about his emergence. He won one of the PIOS events last season and can rekindle interest in snooker back home if he does well this term.
But what does ‘doing well’ mean? Well, for all of the above it has to be merely staying on the circuit. To do this they must finish either in the top 64 in the official rankings or in the top eight on the provisional list of those not already qualified.
To put this into context, 24 players will be relegated at the end of the season. How many of these will come from the new intake?
In Snooker Scene, we will be following the fortunes of Jordan Brown in a new monthly column.
He is, as you would expect, very excited but also realistic about his chances. There is no big talk about getting on TV or to the Crucible. He just wants to keep his place.
In common with many young players, Brown relies on support from his parents and also his employer who gives him time off work to play.
Players who have jobs of course have less time to practice but this is an economic reality not helped by the fact that they need to win two matches in ranking events to earn any prize money.
Brown is the Northern Ireland no.1. Brendan O’Donoghue is the Republic of Ireland’s top amateur.
In his favour is the thriving scene in Ireland, with regular tournaments affording competitive opportunities. The same applies to his compatriot David Hogan, winner of the European amateur title.
Sam Baird, winner of the English play-off, lives in the South West, which has only ever produced a handful of top players, but practises with Judd Trump and, like all the newcomers, will be playing more than ever before the Shanghai Masters qualifiers on August 3.
The two Chinese debutants – Mei Xiwen and Anda Zhang – will presumably be practising at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield, a first rate venue that gives them the chance to play alongside several world class players, including Ding and Peter Ebdon.
But they will have to adjust to life in the UK and, with the exception of Liang Wenbo, none of Chinese players to emerge in recent years, have really threatened to emulate any of Ding’s feats.
Craig Steadman and Stephen Rowlings have more experience, having played on various circuits for a number of years. Perhaps this will be in their favour. Experience is key in any sport, although ultimately snooker comes down to who can pot the balls no matter how long they’ve been playing.
So how many will survive?
It’s impossible to say. I certainly hope some of them do but, inevitably, they won’t all make the cut.
But I wish them all well. They have practised for years for this chance.
Turning professional is a dream for many thousands of players. Even if it turns into a nightmare for some, to have made it this far is a fine achievement in itself.
With only six ranking events scheduled this season it will be difficult for most of the new intake to survive.
The problem with starter points is that they aren't a fixed figure but completely arbitrary – the new players receive the same amount of points as the lowest ranked survivor from last year.
This season that is David Roe, who has 4,320 points to carry into the new campaign. Last season new players got 5,088 points.
[Edit: this is nonsense! They actually get points equivalent to the lowest ranked of the eight players on the one year list who kept their places, so it's 5,850, the same number as Atthasit Mahitthi.]
Personally, I feel it would be fairer to double the number of points earned by newcomers to give them more of a chance.
Now, I know what many of you are thinking: if you’re good enough, you will stay on.
There’s a glimmer of truth in this. Mark Allen is the best recent example of a player who came fresh to the tour and made the most of it.
But the fact remains that life in the professional game takes some getting used to, even for those who have gone on to be greats of the sport.
You need time to get used to your new status and the step up in standard required.
The worst thing a debutant can allow themselves to think is that it will be easy. Many of them come to the pro ranks having experienced success as juniors with the feeling – often subconscious – that some of the old sweats of the tour will be easy to roll over.
They will soon learn the truth. We may never see a whole group of main tour players on TV but, at Prestatyn, they know what they are doing. Young players coming through are often lambs to the slaughter.
The modern game is all about attack, but it’s hard to do this when you are constantly on the back cushion or up behind a baulk colour. I think this is why Daniel Wells stayed on last season: he said before the start of the campaign that he was going to be more cautious than many of his contemporaries.
Anyway, step forward the players about to experience professional snooker for the first time...
Thepchaiya Un Nooh
David Hogan
Sam Baird
Jordan Brown
Mei Xiwen
Anda Zhang
Brendan O’Donoghue
Craig Steadman
Stephen Rowlings
Of these, Thepchaiya Un Nooh is the most obvious newcomer to follow as reigning IBSF world amateur champion.
One current player told me that the “world amateur title isn’t what it was” but, even if this is true, and many would disagree, it doesn’t alter the fact that the Thai won it.
For years, Thailand has been looking for a successor to James Wattana and has never quite found one (indeed Wattana himself returns to the main tour this season). I’ve never seen Thepchaiya play but those who have are excited about his emergence. He won one of the PIOS events last season and can rekindle interest in snooker back home if he does well this term.
But what does ‘doing well’ mean? Well, for all of the above it has to be merely staying on the circuit. To do this they must finish either in the top 64 in the official rankings or in the top eight on the provisional list of those not already qualified.
To put this into context, 24 players will be relegated at the end of the season. How many of these will come from the new intake?
In Snooker Scene, we will be following the fortunes of Jordan Brown in a new monthly column.
He is, as you would expect, very excited but also realistic about his chances. There is no big talk about getting on TV or to the Crucible. He just wants to keep his place.
In common with many young players, Brown relies on support from his parents and also his employer who gives him time off work to play.
Players who have jobs of course have less time to practice but this is an economic reality not helped by the fact that they need to win two matches in ranking events to earn any prize money.
Brown is the Northern Ireland no.1. Brendan O’Donoghue is the Republic of Ireland’s top amateur.
In his favour is the thriving scene in Ireland, with regular tournaments affording competitive opportunities. The same applies to his compatriot David Hogan, winner of the European amateur title.
Sam Baird, winner of the English play-off, lives in the South West, which has only ever produced a handful of top players, but practises with Judd Trump and, like all the newcomers, will be playing more than ever before the Shanghai Masters qualifiers on August 3.
The two Chinese debutants – Mei Xiwen and Anda Zhang – will presumably be practising at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield, a first rate venue that gives them the chance to play alongside several world class players, including Ding and Peter Ebdon.
But they will have to adjust to life in the UK and, with the exception of Liang Wenbo, none of Chinese players to emerge in recent years, have really threatened to emulate any of Ding’s feats.
Craig Steadman and Stephen Rowlings have more experience, having played on various circuits for a number of years. Perhaps this will be in their favour. Experience is key in any sport, although ultimately snooker comes down to who can pot the balls no matter how long they’ve been playing.
So how many will survive?
It’s impossible to say. I certainly hope some of them do but, inevitably, they won’t all make the cut.
But I wish them all well. They have practised for years for this chance.
Turning professional is a dream for many thousands of players. Even if it turns into a nightmare for some, to have made it this far is a fine achievement in itself.
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