The World Open

First Judd-Ding final since 2014, apparently. Judd made the last World Open final in 2019.

(23-03-2024 18:39 )Snooks Wrote:  Neil Robertson will now have to go through qualifying to make The Crucible for the first time in 18 years.

That's the effect of the Tour Championship being the cut off point for the World Championship, not the World Open.

On the face of it, there are only 12 players in the Tour Championship and they are all in the top 16 in the 2 year ranking list so it shouldn't make much difference. On closer examination, because the players all lose their ranking points for the 2022 Tour Championship at the start of the 2024 one it could make all the difference.

Neil Robertson will be 14th in the provisional rankings at the end of the World Open. He won the 2022 Tour Championship so after he loses all his ranking points for that he slips to 24th. He's not in the Tour Championship this year so he can't recoup his points. If anyone drops out of the Tour Championship, Hossein Vafaei will be next in line in the 1YRL to take their spot.

I wish it could have gone on longer, but Judd, with 2 century breaks and several frame winning breaks, wrapped up a one-sided 10-4 victory.

Judd has now won 5 professional tournaments this season, but unlike Ronnie, all Judd's victories have come in ranking tournaments.

Today is the last day of qualifying for the World Grand Prix. Qualifiers take place in Sheffield, the competition proper takes place from February 24 to March 2 in Yushan, China, and will be the last chance for players to get in to the top 32 before the Players series begins. Even top 16 players have to play a qualifier. but Ronnie, Judd, Ding, Zhang and the World Champion (Kyren) are seen as major attractions by the Chinese, so have their qualifier held over until the Yushan leg in February.

Even though Si Jiahui is a Chinese player in the top 16, he had to play his qualifier in Sheffield, and he's the only top 16 player so far who has been knocked out, going down 5-0 to Zak Surety. Sadly Hawkins and Craptain Carter both won.

There have been upsets against players just outside the top 16, Stuart Bingham and Neil Robertson both lost. However, Lisowski, Jak Jones, Wu Yize and Thepchaiya all won, as did Tom Ford and Rob Milkins to continue with their current revival. Anton Kowalski and Noppon Saengkham both won, Lei Peifan came back from 4-0 down to beat Anthony Hamilton 5-4.

One more top 16 upset today, Mark Williams, despite making a 141 break in frame 3, lost 5-2 to Sunni Akani. Maybe feeling the effects of returning from Riyadh.

Other players having to play after returning from Riyadh had close calls. Mark Allen beat Rory Thor 5-4 on the black. Mark Selby came back from 4-3 down to beat Artemijs Zizins 5-4, making a 144 break in the decider. There will be ranking points for Luca Brecel as he beat Julian Boiko 5-3. Sadly Tubbs beat Mustafa Dorgham 5-3.

Xiao Guodong is safetly through to play in Yushan, but David Gilbert and Matthew Selt both lost. All the female players lost, Jimmy White lost. The tournament resumes in Yushan with the heldover qualifiers on February 23rd.

Luca, Ronnie and Ricky Walden all withdraw from the World Open for medical reasons. Poor Luca can't make his bid for the Players Championship now, and his next possible tournament is the World Championship. Luca will lose his 500K ranking points for winning the 2023 World Championship at the start of this year's one so his ranking point situation looks dire.

Ronnie's not in such a dire position yet, but that's another missed tournament and another missed chance to get ranking points. However, he's confident he will be back in time for the World Grand Prix.

Easy wins for Judd, Ding and Kyren in their 1st round heldover matches, but Zhang Anda came a cropper, losing 5-3 to Stan Moody.

There was an upset in round 2 when Mark Selby, despite making a 141 break in frame 3, lost 5-2 to Liu Hongyu. Jak Jones also lost, Higgins and Carter won. In arguably the tie of the round so far, Wu Yize beat Jackson Page 5-4, making a 102 break in the decider.

Judd made 3 century breaks in his 5-1 demolition of Long Zehuang. The WST will pay a £100,000 bonus to any player who can make 100 centuries this season. Judd is now on 79 and needs 21 more for the bonus.

Mark Allen got upset by David Lilley. Lilley made a 77 break in the decider to win 5-4. Gary Wilson lost 5-4 to Daniel Wells. In the performance of the day, Welshman Duane Jones came back from 4-0 down to beat Xiao Guodong 5-4. He trailed 52-0 in the decider, but made a 56 break to win on the black.

Another 147 for Tubbs as he won 5-0 over Jinhao Zhou. Xu Si beat Milkins 5-3. Wins also for Jack Lisowski, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, Tom Ford, Ding, Kyren and Hawkins.

And McGill lost too The last 32 should sort some more big names out.

Another day for upsets. Joe O'Connor beat Judd 5-2. The centuries weren't coming for Judd, he just seemed to be opening up the reds for the Leicester cueman to make frame winning breaks. David Lilley's at it again, beating Wu Yize 5-4. Zhou Yuelong beat Kyren 5-4.

Sadly Hawkins, Tubbs and Carter all won. Tubbs beat Un-Nooh, the Craptain edged out Lisowski 5-4. Wins also for Ding, Higgins, Tom Ford, Pang Junxu and Xu Si.