Snooker

Mark Selby continued his good form in the run up to the World Championship by winning the Championship League, beating Joe O'Connor 3-1 in the play off final. Although he gets no ranking points for it, he should have enough points to qualify for the Tour Championship as long as he doesn't have a first round disaster at next week's World Open.

The WWS Women's World Snooker Championship Final is on today between Mink Nutcharut and Bai Yulu at the Changping Gymnasium, Dongguan, China.

In a dramatic semi-final Bai Yulu was losing 3-0 against Reanne Evans but won 5 frames in a row to win 5-3. Frame 6 was extraordinary because it went to a respotted black. Reanne went for a long black and potted it, but watched helplessly on as the cue ball also found its way into a pocket.

Bai Yulu from China is the current IBSF Women's Champion. She is widely regarded as the best woman player in the world but because she's preferred to enter the IBSF Women's tournaments rather then the WWS ones she can't pick up enough WWS ranking points to qualify for the men's tour, the WST, by that route. If she wins today she will get a 2 year tour card for the WST tour for the first time.

Mink Nutcharut is the 2022 WWS Women's World Champion and the current World no.1 on the WWS Rankings so she is bound to have her 2 year tour card for the WST renewed whatever happens today. She crushed her long time rival Ng On Yee 5-0 in the semi final. She will have to prove she is the best to beat the highly regarded Bai Yulu today to claim her 2nd World title.

Bai Yulu is the new Women's World Champion after beating Mink Nutcharut 6-5 in a closely fought final. the match between the 2 giants of women's snooker lived up to it's billing as it went to the wire with Bai winning the decider after a safety duel on the final pink that showed how far the women's game has progressed on safety play. Bai gets a 2 year tour card for the WST so next season she can show the men how it's done. Can she be the woman that makes the breakthrough?

It's a shame Mink had to lose such a close match but she can console herself by thinking of the the payday she's going to get from defending her mixed doubles title with Neil Robertson on the weekend of March 30/31.

Luca Brecel and Reanne Evans beat Mark Selby and Rebecca Kenna 4-2 in the World Mixed Doubles final.

A player of the tournament performance by Luca as he found himself up against the man he beat in the World Championship Final around 11 months ago. He carried Reanne a bit with his performances yesterday, but Reanne put in a good shift today. Each get a share of the £40,000 first prize, which is great considering Bai Yulu only got £10,000 for winning the Women's World Championship a couple of weeks ago.

Reanne has won 61 women's tournaments, but her £20,000 share today makes it her biggest payday ever. This tournament makes it well worthwhile for a female player to get a tour card from the WST.

Alternative snooker commentary.......by the late, great Murray Walker

https://youtu.be/zl-oAsDCGNA?si=vw5xHCYXf4bn6Prd

The 2023/24 season is now complete and the 2024/25 season is due to begin on June 26th with the version of the Championship League that carries ranking points.

In the interim there are still places on the Tour for the 2024/25 season to play for.

From May 20th to June 2nd, the European and Asian Q schools will run. There are 8 tour cards to play for in the European Q School and 4 to play for in the Asian one.

In addition, unless they change the rules to allow more women on the tour, then there is one remaining place on the tour for the woman who is highest in the rankings that doesn't already have a tour card. Mink Nutcharut's tour card has expired but she is no.1 in the rankings, and as long as she stays ahead of her closest rival Ng On-Yee after the Women's British Open, from 24-26 May, her tour card will be renewed for another 2 years.

The World Seniors Championship starts tomorrow from The Crucible.
This year coverage reverts to Channel 5.
Defending champion is Jimmy White.

(07-05-2024 19:07 )Snooks Wrote:  The World Seniors Championship starts tomorrow from The Crucible.
This year coverage reverts to Channel 5.
Defending champion is Jimmy White.

Is there a thread? Make it so

All told a fascinating season of snooker comes to an end.
Story of the season for me was the emergence of Zhang Anda who aside from the World Championship had a breakthrough season.

Ronnie got his 8th Masters and UK titles.
Mark Williams won a couple of big ones.
Judd Trump had a stunning season.
Gary Wilson had an excellent home nations campaign. Mark Allen shot to world number one after a stellar season.
Kyren Wilson won the jackpot and Igor Figueiredo sealed a place in the Champion of Champions by winning the World Seniors.

Let's hope the 2024/25 season has more thrills and spills.
As long as Misery Maguire loses in the first round in every event of course

I hope Maguire can consolidate his good performance at the World Championship with some good performances next season.
I hope Ronnie and Judd have another good season.
I hope Ronnie can keep going, even when he turns 49 in December, and that before he retires he does get his record breaking 8th world title.
I hope the Saudis will give up trying to pinch snooker's finest for a breakaway league and work with the WPBSA instead.
I hope Hearn and Tubbs stop being such holier than thou arseholes and don't drive the top players away to a breakaway league.
I hope Tubbs has another poor season, and, when he loses his ranking points for the 2023 Players Championship and Tour Championship, he drops out of the top 16.