Tuesday 31 March 2009

The China Open 2009 Day Carter & Ebdon win

Here are the results for the second day of snookers The China Open 2009.

Joe Swail 4-5 Robert Milkins

Stephen Maguire 0-5 Dave Harold

Peter Ebdon 5-3 Tang Jun

Joe Perry 2-5 Ricky Walden

Allister Carter 5-0 Nigel Bond

Neil Robertson 5-4 Gerard Greene

Ryan Day 5-2 Jamie Cope

John Higgins 5-4 Anthony Hamilton

Ding Junhui 3-5 Xiao Guodong

In one of the surprises of the day, Ding Junhui lost to unknown wildcard winner Xiao Guodong. Ding made several mistakes throughout the match, maybe due to his countries expectations of him.

This will be a blow for Ding, only a few weeks ahead of this years World Championship in Sheffield. A bad result at the World Snooker Championship in a few weeks may put Dings top 16 place at risk.

The high break of the match was a 127 by Ding in the 3rd frame. This was his only highlight of the match.

After the match, Ding conceded that he didn’t deserve to be in the top 16 if he plays like that.

Ali Carter performed well today, demolishing Nigel Bond by 5-0. His breaks were 84, 75, 69, 69 and 54.

Ryan Day beat Jamie Cope fairly easily by 5-2. Day also twitched on a black in frame 7. He was on for a 147.

Neil Robertson won Gerard Greene by 5-4, but Robertson was far from satisfied with the win. After the match he said his game was “awful”.

Monday 30 March 2009

The China Open 2009 Milkins & Walden win

Here are the results for the opening day of snookers The China Open 2009.

Liang Wenbo 2-5 Robert Milkins

Tang Jun 5-3 Judd Trump

Cao Kaisheng 0-5 Ricky Walden

Cao Yupeng 2-5 Stuart Pettman

Yu Delu 5-3 Rod Lawler

Cao Xinlong 5-0 John Parrott

Tian Pengfei 5-1 David Gray

Xiao Guodong 5-3 Michael Holt

On the opening day of the China Open 2009, there were surprise victories for five Chinese Players in the wildcard round.

They are Tang Jun, Xiao Guodong, Tian Pengfei, Yu Delu, and Cao Xinlong who got a bye after the withdrawal of John Parrott.

There was disappointment for Judd Trump early in the day as he lost 5-3 to Tang Jun.

Ding Junhui’s appointment tomorrow evening will be Xiao Guodong who had a surprise result over Michael Holt by the score of 5-3.

The match was evenly poised at 3-3. However, Xiao made good breaks of 74 and 108 and took the victory.

After, Holt said he was in good form, but had a run of bad luck through the match.

Saturday 28 March 2009

The China Open 2009 draw

Here is the complete draw for The China Open 2009, which starts this Monday 30th March.

Stephen Maguire v Dave Harold
Peter Ebdon v Tang/Trump
Joe Perry v Cao K/Walden
Stephen Hendry v Swail/Liang/Milkins
Ali Carter v Nigel Bond
Mark Allen v Cao Y/Pettman
Graeme Dott v Yu/Lawler
Mark Selby v Stephen Lee
Shaun Murphy v Cao Xinlong
Neil Robertson v Gerard Greene
Mark King v Mark Williams
Ryan Day v Jamie Cope
John Higgins v Anthony Hamilton
Marco Fu v Tian/Gray
Ding Junhui v Xiao G/Holt
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Fergal O'Brien

Monday 23 March 2009

Higgins receives MBE and backs Scots pair

John Higgins has now become an MBE. He received the honour from Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace a few weeks ago.

When asked about snooker, he backed the Scottish players Jamie Burnett and Stephen Maguire who have drawn each other of the first round of this years World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.

The pair are embroiled in controversy following their match in Decembers UK Championship. Unusual betting was noted on a score of 9-3 for Maguire to win, which was the final result.

Snookers governing body are still investigating the match, but their findings will not be made public until after the World Championship.

Higgins said that the matter was “blown out of all proportion” and that the two players will approach their match, as professionals should at this years World’s.

John Higgins has drawn Michael Holt in the first round of this years World Championship which starts on April 18th at The Crucible in Sheffield.

Wednesday 11 March 2009

World Snooker Championship Full Draw 2009

Here is the full draw for the World Snooker Championship, which starts on April 18th 2009.

Ronnie O'Sullivan v Stuart Bingham

Mark Allen v Martin Gould

Peter Ebdon v Nigel Bond

Ryan Day v Stephen Lee

John Higgins v Michael Holt

Joe Perry v Jamie Cope

Graeme Dott v Barry Hawkins

Mark Selby v Ricky Walden

Shaun Murphy v Andrew Higginson

Marco Fu v Joe Swail

Ding Junhui v Liang Wenbo

Stephen Hendry v Mark Williams

Ali Carter v Gerard Greene

Neil Robertson v Steve Davis

Mark King v Rory McLeod

Stephen Maguire v Jamie Burnett

World Qualifiers Davis Swail & Hawkins win

World Snooker Championship qualifying results for 10th March 2008.

Joe Swail 10-1 Matthew Couch

Steve Davis 10-8 Lee Spick

Ian McCulloch 7-10 Rory McLeod

Barry Hawkins 10-9 Daniel Wells

Ken Doherty 5-10 Gerard Greene


In today’s qualifiers, there were wins for Steve Davis, Joe Swail and Gerard Greene.

In match 2 of the day, Steve Davis beat Lee Spick by 10-8.

Davis will now make an incredible 28th appearance at the Crucible this year.

All was not well with Davis, as at one stage he was 5-0 down. Many fans turned up to watch Steve and must have wondered if he was in with any chance.

However, frame 6 turned the match when Spick missed a pink and Davis won the frame. He then fought back to 5-5.

The next few frames were shared, until Davis pulled away to go 9-8 up with a possible 2 frames to play. He clinched the last frame and goes into the last 32.

Afterwards, he said he doesn’t try as hard as he used to, but considers himself an ok player. “Losing still hurts” he said.

Highest breaks:

Steve Davis 74, 92
Lee Spick 55, 61, 65, 66

Monday 9 March 2009

World Qualifiers Lee Williams & Walden win

World Snooker Championship qualifying results for 9th March 2008.

Stephen Lee 10-8 Judd Trump

Mark Williams 10-5 Tom Ford

Anthony Hamilton 5-10 Ricky Walden

Dave Harold 3-10 Liang Wenbo

Fergal O'Brien 6-10 Jamie Burnett


In today’s qualifiers, there were wins for Stephen Lee, Mark Williams and Ricky Walden.

Mark Williams scored a very important win as he beat Tom Ford by 10-5. He later described the victory as his most important over the last few years.

Williams has had to qualify this year as he is out of the Top 16. He won the World Championship in 2000 and 2003. He is hopeful he can bounce back into the Top 16 now.

Williams later remarked that he played well and that it had been a difficult season. He said he was looking forward to the Crucible and only wanted to avoid playing Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Highest Breaks:

Williams 76, 80, 145, 72, 51, 73
Ford 105, 88, 52

World Qualifiers Cope Bond & Holt win

World Snooker Championship qualifying results for 8th March 2008.

Michael Judge 4-10 Andrew Higginson

Jamie Cope 10-5 Paul Davies

Nigel Bond 10-7 Mike Dunn

Dominic Dale 7-10 Michael Holt

Stuart Bingham 10-6 Alan McManus

Matthew Stevens 4-10 Martin Gould


Nearing the end of the qualifying stages, there were wins today for Andrew Higginson, Jamie Cope and Nigel Bond.

In the biggest upset of the day, Matthew Stevens lost 4-10 to Martin Gould. Stevens will now miss out on the Crucible this year.

This will be the first year that Stevens has not been to the Crucible since 1998.

For Gould though, this is another big win after beating Stephen Hendry last month at The Welsh Open.

After the match, Gould said he would be going to the Crucible to enjoy it and not have too high expectations.

Highest Breaks:

Gould 70, 108, 113, 51, 72, 100
Stevens 55, 69

Thursday 5 March 2009

World Qualifiers McManus Holt and Spick win

World Snooker Championship qualifying results for Wednesday 4th March 2009

John Parrott 3-10 Matthew Couch

Adrian Gunnell 2-10 Lee Spick

Liang Wenbo 10-8 David Morris

Jamie Burnett 10-8 Simon Bedford

Andrew Higginson 10-8 Jamie Jones

Jimmy Michie 6-10 Paul Davies

Mike Dunn 10-7 Jin Long

Michael Holt 10-9 Mark Davis

Alan McManus 10-8 Stuart Pettman

David Gilbert 8-10 Martin Gould

World Qualifiers Greene Trump and Walden win

World Snooker Championship qualifying results for Tuesday 3rd March 2009

Rory McLeod 10-8 Andy Hicks

Marcus Campbell 9-10 Daniel Wells

Gerard Greene 10-6 Liu Song

Judd Trump 10-1 Joe Delaney

Tom Ford 10-8 Patrick Wallace

Ricky Walden 10-1 Rod Lawler

Tuesday 3 March 2009

World Qualifiers 1st and 2nd March 2009

World Snooker Championship Qualifying results for Sunday 1st March 2009.

Andrew Norman 4-10 Matthew Couch

Barry Pinches 5-10 Lee Spick

Andy Hicks 10-8 Jimmy White

Ian Preece 9-10 Daniel Wells

Liu Song 10-9 Supoj Saenla

Joe Delaney 10-8 Wayne Cooper


World Snooker Championship Qualifying results for Monday 2nd March 2009.

Mark Joyce 6-10 Patrick Wallace

Rod Lawler 10-4 Matthew Selt

David Morris 10-3 James McBain

David Roe 7-10 Simon Bedford

Robert Milkins 7-10 Jamie Jones

Paul Davies 10-7 Lewis Roberts

David Gray 8-10 Jin Long

Mark Davis 10-6 Peter Lines

Stuart Pettman 10- 3 Andrew Pagett

Martin Gould 10-7 Rodney Goggins

Sunday 1 March 2009

World Qualifiers Wallace Selt and Goggins win

World Snooker Championship Qualifying results for Saturday 28th February 2009.

Patrick Wallace 10-2 Neil Selman

Matthew Selt 10-3 Robert Stephen

James McBain 10-2 Chris McBreen

Simon Bedford 10-6 David Grace

Jamie Jones 10-9 Atthasit Mahitthi

Lewis Roberts 10-8 Aditya Mehta

Kuldesh Johal 8-10 Jin Long

Peter Lines 10-8 Andy Lee

Paul Davison 5-10 Andrew Pagett

Rodney Goggins 10-4 Tony Knowles

Snooker History

The game is generally regarded to have originated in the latter half of the 19th century. Billiards had been a popular activity amongst British Army officers stationed in India, and variations on the more traditional billiard games were devised.

One variation, devised in the officers' mess in Jabalpur during 1874 or 1875, was to add coloured balls in addition to the reds and black which were used for pyramid pool and life pool. The word snooker also has military origins, being a slang term for first-year cadets or inexperienced personnel.

One version of events states that Colonel Sir Neville Chamberlain of the Devonshire regiment was playing this new game when his opponent failed to pot a ball and Chamberlain called him a snooker. It thus became attached to the billiards game now bearing its name as inexperienced players were labelled as snookers.

The game of snooker grew in the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th century. By 1927, the first World Snooker Championship had been organised by Joe Davis. As a professional English billiards and snooker player, he moved the game from a pastime activity into a more professional sphere.

Joe Davis won every world championship until 1946 when he retired. The game went into a decline through the 1950s and 1960s with little interest generated outside of those who played. Things saw some improvement when in 1969, when

David Attenborough who was then a top official of the BBC, commissioned the snooker tournament Pot Black to demonstrate the potential of colour television, with the green table and multi-coloured balls being ideal for showing off the advantages of colour broadcasting.

The TV series became a ratings success and was for a time the second most popular show on BBC Two. Interest in the game increased and the 1978 World Championship was the first to be fully televised. The game quickly became a mainstream sport in the UK, Ireland and much of the Commonwealth and has enjoyed much success in the last 30 years, with most of the ranking tournaments being televised.

In 1985 a total of 18.5 million viewers watched the concluding frame of the world championship final between Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis.

Ronnie O'Sullivan wins The Masters 2009.

World Snooker Champions

World Snooker Champion 1977 - John Spencer
World Snooker Champion 1978 - Ray Reardon
World Snooker Champion 1979 - Terry Griffiths
World Snooker Champion 1980 - Cliff Thorburn
World Snooker Champion 1981 - Steve Davis
World Snooker Champion 1982 - Alex Higgins
World Snooker Champion 1983 - Steve Davis
World Snooker Champion 1984 - Steve Davis
World Snooker Champion 1985 - Dennis Taylor
World Snooker Champion 1986 - Joe Johnson
World Snooker Champion 1987 - Steve Davis
World Snooker Champion 1988 - Steve Davis
World Snooker Champion 1989 - Steve Davis
World Snooker Champion 1990 - Stephen Hendry
World Snooker Champion 1991 - John Parrott
World Snooker Champion 1992 to 1996 - Stephen Hendry
World Snooker Champion 1997 - Ken Doherty
World Snooker Champion 1998 - John Higgins
World Snooker Champion 1999 - Stephen Hendry
World Snooker Champion 2000 - Mark Williams
World Snooker Champion 2001 - Ronnie O'Sullivan
World Snooker Champion 2002 - Peter Ebdon
World Snooker Champion 2003 - Mark Williams
World Snooker Champion 2004 - Ronnie O'Sullivan
World Snooker Champion 2005 - Shaun Murphy
World Snooker Champion 2006 - Graeme Dott
World Snooker Champion 2007 - John Higgins
World Snooker Champion 2008 - Ronnie O'Sullivan
World Snooker Champion 2009 - John Higgins
World Snooker Champion 2010 - Neil Robertson
World Snooker Champion 2011 - John Higgins
World Snooker Champion 2012 - Ronnie O'Sullivan