Kyren Wilson leads the way in Group 7 of the 2022 BetVictor Championship League Snooker Invitational at the Morningside Arena, Leicester live on FreeSports in the UK and broadcasters worldwide.
The Warrior claimed the 2021 title and has collected the most prize money so far this year and continued his momentum with four wins from four dropping only one frame along the way with whitewashes over O’Sullivan, Gould, and Ding as well as a 3-1 win over Walden. Those four wins meaning he has already qualified for tomorrow evening’s playoffs.
Carter sits inside the playoff spots alongside Ding and Higgins with Carter overcoming Higgins and Walden so far. Ding meanwhile beat Gould and Carter by the scoreline of 3-1 on both occasions before falling to the imperious Wilson. O’Sullivan sits outside of the playoff places in fifth whilst Walden is all but out with four losses.
The tournament carries a prize fund of £205,000 with players earning £100 per frame won with significant bonuses for their final group position and increased prize money in the Winners’ Group. A place in the 2022 Cazoo Champion of Champions is also on the line with each group featuring seven players with matches being held over two days.
Winners’ Group gets underway on Thursday, 3 February to Friday, 4 February with Graeme Dott, Wenbo Liang, Zhao Xintong, Yan Bingtao, Stuart Bingham, and Scott Donaldson already booking their places.
Gould will meet Carter in tomorrow’s opening clash from 11 am on FreeSports in the UK and Ireland as well as networks worldwide. Table 2 is available globally on Matchroom.Live excluding the Nordic and Baltic regions with Wilson taking on Ding first up.
Where to Watch
Foxtel – Australia
FreeSports – UK and Ireland
Nova – Czech Republic & Slovakia
NTV – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenia, and Uzbekistan
Sky Network – New Zealand
SuperSport – Africa
Sportklub – Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, and Slovenia
TVP – Poland
Viaplay – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
Viaplay – Iceland
Viaplay – Scandinavia
Zhibo.TV – China
Matchroom.Live – Table 1 is available exclusively to those outside of the countries listed above. Table 2 will be available live on Matchroom.Live excluding the Nordic and Baltic regions
The tournament will also be live on betting websites around the world
Shaun Murphy won his third title of 2014 by beating Martin Gould 4-2 in the final of the Victoria Bulgarian Open in Sofia.
World number seven Murphy played superb snooker throughout the European Tour event in the Bulgarian capital, conceding just seven frames in seven matches on his way to the 25,000 Euro top prize.
After a barren spell of nearly three years, Murphy won the Gdynia Open and Haikou World Open last season, and now has his first title of the 2014/15 campaign.
Former World and UK Champion Murphy dominated the opening frame before Gould took the next two with breaks of 60 and 45. But Murphy then stepped up a gear and fired in breaks of 89, 99 and 63 to win the last three frames in style.
"Most of the matches this week have gone my way all the way through, but Martin really pushed me hard," said Manchester-based 32-year-old Murphy. "At 2-1 I had to get myself sorted. I played really well after that.
"It has been a brilliant year for me so far. I've been working very hard on my game and it's really nice to see the fruits of that. I'm a much better player now than I was when I won the world title nearly ten years ago. Hopefully there's more to come. I'm going to keep putting the hours in on the practice table and going for it. There will be no burn-out for me.
"I've been coming to Bulgaria for a few years now and I know how popular snooker is here. The fans are fantastic – they love the sport and I can't wait to come back next year."
Earlier in the semi-finals, Murphy beat Michael White 4-0 while Gould saw off Peter Ebdon 4-2.
The 2014/15 European Tour series comprises six events across the continent, with the top 24 in the final Order or Merit to go through to the Players Championship next March to battle for the £100,000 jackpot.
The next event is the Ruhr Open in Germany from November 19 to 23.
Mark Allen won his third European Tour title within the past year by beating Judd Trump 4-2 in the final of the Arcaden Paul Hunter Classic in Fürth, Germany.
World number nine Allen won two European Tour titles last season and has now won the second of the current campaign, and tops the Order of Merit having been runner-up to Mark Selby at the Riga Open.
Watched by a packed crowd at the Fürth Stadthalle, Northern Ireland’s Allen collected the trophy and a cheque for 25,000 Euros after getting the better of world number six Trump.
A dramatic opening frame came down to a respotted black after Trump had missed frame-ball green, and he was made to pay as Allen took it. Trump hit back with a break of 92 before a scrappy third frame went Allen’s way for 2-1.
In the fourth, Allen had a chance to clear but missed a tough last red to a baulk corner, and Trump took advantage to level the match. Allen regained the lead after a poor safety from his opponent on the last red in the fifth. And the 28-year-old from Antrim sealed victory in the next with a fine break of 88.
“I’m glad I won this one, having been 3-0 up on Selby in the final in Riga and lost 4-3,” said the player nicknamed the Pistol. “It shows that I’m going in the right direction, having got to the last two finals.
“I’ve actually played poorly this weekend so I’m glad the final was a bit scrappy – if it had been open then Judd would have scored heavily.
“I still feel I need to get more consistent. I don’t know why I do better in the European Tour events than the main ranking events because I don’t prepare any differently.
“The crowds here are amazing, everything about the tournament reflects well on the name of Paul Hunter and the players feel proud to be a part of it.”
Earlier in the semi-finals, Trump beat Ricky Walden 4-1 while Allen edged out veteran Rod Lawler 4-3.
The 2014/15 European Tour series comprises six events across the continent, with the top 24 in the final Order or Merit to go through to the Players Championship next March to battle for the £100,000 jackpot.
The next event is the Bulgarian Open in Sofia from October 2-5.
Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Mark Selby 10-4 in the final of the Dafabet Masters to win the title for the fifth time.
O'Sullivan did most of the damage in the first session by taking a 7-1 lead, and despite a few late wobbles, he clinched victory with plenty to spare to win the £200,000 top prize.
The 38-year-old from nearby Chigwell received vibrant supported from a packed house at Alexandra Palace during his record tenth final appearance. His fifth victory in snooker's most prestigious invitation event brought him within one of Stephen Hendry's record of six.
Matching the imperious form which gave him the World Championship crown in 2012 and 2013, O'Sullivan conceded just seven frames during the tournament, beating Robert Milkins 6-1, Ricky Walden 6-0 and Stephen Maguire 6-2. His performance against Walden was one of the most devastating displays ever seen in a televised event. Over his four matches he made two centuries and 19 more breaks over 50.
It was his third final against Selby; in 2009 O'Sullivan won 10-8 and a year later fierce competitor Selby gained revenge with a 10-9 success. O'Sullivan's work with psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters in recent years has helped him cope with the frustrations of not having everything his own way during matches, and the challenge of tussling with never-say-die opponents like Selby.
This time last year, O'Sullivan was doing voluntary work on a farm in Essex, during a long sabbatical from snooker. He now seems to have found a balance in his life on and off the table which has enabled him to play the best snooker of his career over the past two years.
With five World titles and four in the UK Championship, O'Sullivan now has 14 'triple crown' victories and it is conceivable that he could beat Hendry's record of 18.
Leicester's Selby was playing in his fifth Masters final in seven years and chasing his fourth title, but had to settle for the £90,000 runner-up prize.
Encouraged by a vast entourage including Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, artist Damien Hirst, actor Marc Warren, and girlfriend Laila Rouass, as well as his kids Lily (7) and Ronnie Jnr (6), O'Sullivan started the evening session 7-1 up following breaks of 97, 70, 96 and 53 during the afternoon. He quickly extended his lead tonight with a run of 90.
A 9-1 lead looked certain until, in a bizarre end to the tenth frame, O'Sullivan missed a sitter of a brown off the last red. Selby cleared to the black then rattled it in the jaws, only for O'Sullivan's attempt to finish hanging over a top corner. Selby tapped in the black for 8-2, then made an impressive 67 to win the next after his opponent had failed on a red at 27-0.
Selby had a clear chance in the next as he threatened a trademark fight-back, but missed the pink off its spot on 23. O'Sullivan edged ahead and potted the last red to make it 9-3 at the interval.
When they returned, a run of 67 from Selby saw him pull one back, but a clinical 72 from O'Sullivan in the next sealed the title.
"It's a great feeling," said O'Sullivan. "I expected it to be 10-9 or 10-8 because Mark is such a competitor and there's not much between us. He plays better when he's behind and you're never over the line against him until you pot the last ball.
"I missed an awful brown to go 9-1 and then I was concerned he would get it back to 8-4, so I was pleased to win the frame to go 9-3 at the interval. I told myself to just keep competing. The match against Ricky Walden was a one-off, I was never going to be able to do that against Mark.
"I've got five World, five Masters and four UKs now and I never dreamed I would do this well. It's just nice to be playing and competing at 38 because most of the others now are in their late 20s or early 30s. I have set myself a target of winning the world title when I'm in my 40s. Tom Watson nearly won the Open at 59.
"I'm competing with the players from the new era and the standard is high. To beat Mark 10-4 after the epic finals we have had is great. The way I've played in the last two years is how I wanted to play for the previous 18. Better late than never I suppose."
Selby said: "There's no one who wins frames in one visit like Ronnie, and makes it look so easy. I should have won the fourth frame and it might have been different if it had gone 3-1. Even at 7-1 I never felt I was out of it and believed I could win. I tried to put pressure on him and build my own confidence.
"I'm disappointed to lose in the final of both the UK and the Masters but if I keep working hard hopefully I'll be winning again soon. I have won this before so it doesn't hurt as much."
Snooker’s most prestigious invitation tournament, The Masters, will be sponsored by Dafabet for the first time this season.
The Dafabet Masters runs from January 12 to 19 at Alexandra Palace in London and features the world’s leading 16 players, including defending champion Mark Selby, World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, world number one Neil Robertson, Chinese ace Ding Junhui, Judd Trump, John Higgins and many more.
The players will be chasing a top prize of £200,000 in the BBC-televised tournament, which will also be broadcast live in 68 countries with highlights coverage in seven others, reaching millions of viewers around the world.
World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are delighted to bring Dafabet on board as title sponsor for what is one of the highlights of the sporting calendar. The Masters has such a special feel to it because it’s an elite field and the tournament has a rich history going back to 1975.
“Dafabet sponsored the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals last season so they are aware of the massive global audience they can reach out to through snooker. The Masters will provide tremendous worldwide exposure for their brand.
“I’m looking forward to experiencing the incredible atmosphere at Alexandra Palace and working alongside the Dafabet team at this outstanding event.”
Dafabet Managing Director of online betting and gaming, Dimitris Karatzas, said: “We’re very proud to be title sponsor of such a recognised and traditional event of the sporting year. We are all looking forward to what is bound to be a tournament of the highest quality that will be viewed worldwide, such is the following of Snooker."
John Cruces, Head of sports marketing and sponsorships at Dafabet, added: “2014 is going to be a huge year for sport, sponsoring the Masters is a great way for us to kick the year off. It’s a genuine pleasure to be working with the World Snooker team again."
Tickets for the Dafabet Masters are still on sale, though many sessions are selling out fast. They start at just £10, amazing value for money, and there are also some superb VIP and corporate hospitality packages available. To book call 0871 620 7052 (calls cost 10p per minute, plus network extras) or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets
The world's best snooker players will be at Alexandra Palace in North London in January, and several sessions are selling out fast.
Tickets are the perfect Christmas present for anyone who loves live sport so book them NOW while they are still available. Snooker's most prestigious invitation tournament runs from January 12 to 19 and features the elite 16 players including World Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, world number one Neil Robertson, defending champion Mark Selby plus Judd Trump, John Higgins, Mark Allen, Shaun Murphy, Ding Junhui and many more.
Tickets start at just £10, fantastic value for money, and there are also some amazing VIP and corporate hospitality packages available. To book call
Selby won the title for the third time last year by beating Robertson 10-6 in the final, and the Leicester man dreams of defending the crown and taking the £200,000 top prize. Steve Davis, Cliff Thorburn and Paul Hunter all won it three times while only Stephen Hendry (six) and Ronnie O'Sullivan (four) have surpassed that total.
"To defend the title and join Ronnie on four titles would be unbelievable," said Selby, who plays in the opening match of the tournament on Sunday January 12. "The Masters makes you feel special because it's only the best 16 players so you know that every match is going to be against another top player, and you will have to be at your best to win. And if you do win the title you know you've really earned it because you've beaten the best.
"I was gutted to lose to Neil Robertson in the UK Championship final last week but winning the Masters again would be the perfect way to bounce back from that. Ally Pally is brilliant for snooker, it really works as a venue and the atmosphere is fantastic."
World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will face debutant Robert Milkins in the first round of the Masters next month.
Snooker’s most prestigious invitation tournament runs from January 12 to 19 at Alexandra Palace in London, with a top prize of £200,000 and the famous trophy to be contested by the top 16 seeds.
The draw for the opening round was made today live on the BBC and it pitched Londoner O’Sullivan against Gloucester’s Milkins, who will play in the tournament for the first time having climbed into the top 16.
Tickets start at just £10, fantastic value for money. Fans are advised to BOOK FAST as many sessions are selling out. Call 0871 620 7052 (calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras) or go towww.worldsnooker.com/tickets
There are also some stunning VIP and Corporate Hospitality packages available including lunch, sparkling wine, a photo with the Masters trophy, prime view seating and much more! For full details seewww.worldsnooker.com/tickets
Kyren Wilson leads the way in Group 7 of the 2022 BetVictor Championship League Snooker Invitational at the Morningside Arena, Leicester live on FreeSports in the UK and broadcasters worldwide.
