No Hang-ing Around

Ding Junhui's hopes of retaining his Wuzou International Group Jiangsu Classic title suffered an early blow as he lost 2-1 to Li Hang in his opening match in Wuxi, though he recovered by beating Stephen Hendry.

Wild card Li (pictured), who has shown his promise with some fine results in his debut professional season, took a scrappy opening frame on the pink before Ding levelled with a break of 117. Former UK champion Ding had the first clear scoring chance in the decider but could only make 33, leaving Li to take it with an excellent 65.

Home favourite Ding, who beat Mark Selby in last year's final, hit back with a 2-1 defeat of Hendry. He won the first and third frames on the colours, Hendry taking the second with a run of 60.

Scotland's Hendry also lost 2-0 to Mark Allen and now looks unlikely to finish in the top two in the group and qualify for Saturday's semi-finals.

Ryan Day made an impressive start against Peter Ebdon with a 132, then came from 51-0 down in the second frame, making a break of 60 before winning it on the pink.

Crucible runner-up Shaun Murphy has made a fine start in group two. He enjoyed a 2-0 victory over Jin Long, cleraring the colours to win the first frame on the black then adding the second with a 114. Murphy went on to beat Marco Fu 2-0 without conceding a single point.

Fu had previously beaten Joe Perry 2-0, while Mark Selby beat Ali Carter 2-0 with a best effort of 92.

(From Website : http://www.worldsnooker.com/2009_World_Snooker_Jiangsu_Classic_news-49200.htm?tid=139)

World Snooker 2009

World Snooker Championship
Date: 18 April-4 May Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
Coverage: Live coverage each day on BBC Two, BBC Red Button and BBC Sport website (UK only), updates on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Shaun Murphy overcame a stunning Neil Robertson fightback to win 17-14 and set up a World Championship final with two-time champion John Higgins.

Robertson started the evening trailing 14-10 and he carried on his earlier form to take the first four frames to pile the pressure on the 2005 champion.

After losing seven in-a-row Murphy hit back with a 106 and then a faultless 81 guided him to within one of victory.

The world number three finished up with a nerveless 94 to secure a gutsy win.

Higgins and Murphy last met at the World Championship in 2005 in the second round when the Englishman came through 13-8 and this year's final showdown promises to be a lively one.

After surviving Robertson's magnificent recovery, Murphy will be relieved just to be there.

The 26-year-old said: "I didn't think I did a lot wrong. Neil just played fantastically.

Shaun Murphy overcame a stunning Neil Robertson fightback to win 17-14 and set up a World Championship final with two-time champion John Higgins.

Robertson started the evening trailing 14-10 and he carried on his earlier form to take the first four frames to pile the pressure on the 2005 champion.

After losing seven in-a-row Murphy hit back with a 106 and then a faultless 81 guided him to within one of victory.

The world number three finished up with a nerveless 94 to secure a gutsy win.

Higgins and Murphy last met at the World Championship in 2005 in the second round when the Englishman came through 13-8 and this year's final showdown promises to be a lively one.

After surviving Robertson's magnificent recovery, Murphy will be relieved just to be there.

The 26-year-old said: "I didn't think I did a lot wrong. Neil just played fantastically.

The 2005 champion could only sit and watch Robertson's blonde locks flying round the table as he grew in confidence. He could even afford to play two showpiece shots at the end of another won frame, although his battered cue tip may not have been too grateful.

With the ecstatic crowd's applause still ringing in Robertson's ears, he overcame a 40 break by Murphy to snatch another to leave the deficit at just one.

Then the unthinkable became a reality, when Robertson eventually came through 15 minutes of dogged safety exchanges to head in at the mid-session break all-square at 14-14.

The match now had the potential to enter the ranks of The Crucible's greatest comebacks, alongside Nigel Bond's recovery from 9-2 down to beat Cliff Thorburn 10-9 in 1994, or even Dennis Taylor's epic fightback from 8-0 down to overcome Steve Davis 18-17 in the 1985 final.

Murphy, though, settled his nerves with a few minutes on the practice table, and eased much of the pressure by knocking in a fabulous 106 on the resumption - the tournament's 80th century - to edge ahead again 15-14.

"I was feeling terrible," he said about the interval. "I was all over the place and they do say that the intervals come at the right time or the wrong time, and I was like a heavyweight swaying on my feet.

"I'd lost seven on the bounce but it was the best-of-five for a place in the final and that thought completely changed my perspective.

"I decided I was going to try to win and that's what I did."

Murphy continued to keep his nerve with the balls starting to find the middle of the pockets as he notched an 81 to regain his two-frame lead and sniff victory.

The further Robertson sunk lower in his chair, Murphy seemed to grow in confidence as he cruised to an impressive 94 to complete his own mini comeback and wrap up a hard-earned and entertaining victory.

Four years after picking up his first world crown as a 22-year-old, Murphy now has only Higgins standing in his way of a second title.

Murphy added: "To play someone like Higgins or Stephen Hendry here, when it matters, is what you dream of as a child.

"It is John's fourth final, and my second, and hopefully I don't get to experience what it's like to be a runner-up here."

(From Website : http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/8028089.stm)

Higgins or me to win - O'Sullivan

O'Sullivan fears Higgins the most

Ronnie O'Sullivan believes either he or John Higgins will win this year's World Championship if they find top form.

The world number one, aiming for a fourth Crucible crown, says only he and the Scot "can find an extra gear when needed" under the greatest pressure.

"We are probably the only two players that have the ability to do that," he told BBC Sport. "If we find our form, then it will be between me and John.

"If we don't find our game, then any one of 10 or 12 players can win it."

O'Sullivan opens the defence of his title against sometime practice partner Stuart Bingham a week on Saturday, 18 April.

Two-time champion Higgins, ranked number five in the world, plays Michael Holt in the first round.

"The top players always find that little gear when needed. That is what separates you from being number one to possibly number eight in the world," O'Sullivan said.

"I always believe that when my form's on, it just takes the opponent and the occasion to make you find that next gear.

"The two best players in the world and the two that are able to respond and raise the gear when needed are me and John Higgins.

"All the others are good, solid players but they are not used to raising that gear, or they can't."

The 33-year-old has endured a mixed season. After winning the opening tournament, the Northern Ireland Trophy, and then reaching the final of the Shanghai Masters, O'Sullivan has failed to progress past the quarter-finals in four other ranking events.

But he did win his fourth Masters title at Wembley with a 10-8 victory over Mark Selby.

"It has been a funny season," he added. "Last year I was much more consistent. This year I have still managed to win a few tournaments but I've just been a bit inconsistent.

"If I find a bit of consistency then I like my chances at The Crucible.

"But I don't want to put too much emphasis on it. I just want to go there and allow the moment and the occasion of the World Championship to bring out either the best or worst of me. That is how it is.

"I won't be getting too worried about anything. Hopefully when i am there the form will appear when it needs to be the most."

A fourth world title would see O'Sullivan move clear on his own as the fourth most successful player of the modern era, behind Stephen Hendry (seven titles), Ray Reardon (six) and Steve Davis (six).

Listen to the full Ronnie O'Sullivan interview on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport from 2130 BST

(From Website : http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/7993733.stm)

Betfred.com Named Title Sponsor for the World Snooker Championship

The sport's most prestigious tournament will now be known as the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship.

The event at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield runs from April 18 to May 4 and is one of the highlights of the sporting calendar and features all of snooker's top players, including defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, seven-times winner Stephen Hendry, John Higgins, Steve Davis, Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby and Ali Carter.

Announcing the deal Betfred boss Fred Done said:

“It’s always been an ambition of mine to sponsor a World Championship and this is a competition with so much history. When it comes to snooker this is the pinnacle of the sport and I look forward to watching the world’s greatest 32 players.”

World Snooker chairman Sir Rodney Walker said:

“We are extremely pleased to have entered into a long term partnership with Betfred.com. Betfred.com is a fantastic company for our sport to be associated with and once again they have demonstrated their support to the benefit of all fans. The fact that we have been able to secure a four year agreement within the current economic climate is testament to the popularity of snooker, in the UK and internationally. We look forward to working together with Betfred.com to build and develop the sport further over the coming years.”

Betfred.com are no strangers to the world of sport and have already secured deals with Wembley and Manchester United to be their exclusive online bookmaking and gaming partners.

After successfully sponsoring Snooker’s Premier League, the players are very pleased with the announcement.

Snooker legend Stephen Hendry said:

“I’m delighted that we have found a sponsor for the World Championship. I’ve known the people at Betfred.com for several years so I know that snooker will be able to build a great relationship with them.”

Last year’s Crucible runner-up Ali Carter said:

“It’s great news for snooker and all the players. The World Championship is our biggest event and having a major sponsor in Betfred.com adds to the prestige, so it’s brilliant to have that secured for the next four years.”
Rising star Mark Selby, last year’s Masters champion, added:

“So many millions of people in the UK and internationally love snooker. The amount of TV coverage and viewing figures are very strong, and obviously Betfred.com has realised that. Everyone can now look forward to a great tournament.”

Last year, the tournament received 127 hours of coverage from BBC Sport, with 24.5 million adults watching at least five minutes of consecutive action. It also received extensive coverage around the world with a reach of over 60 million individuals on Eurosport, and a peak audience of over 10 million CCTV5 (China) alone.

Betfred Company Facts
* Established 1967 by brothers Fred and Peter Done.
* World's biggest independent bookmaker and one of the top four in the UK.
* Official bookmaker and gaming partner of both Wembley Stadium and Manchester United.
* More bonuses, consolations and early-priced horse races than any other bookmaker.
* UK's biggest independent high street retailer with 800 shops across the UK.
* Annual turnover in excess £1.5 billion.
* Over 3,000 employees.
* £70 million being spent on expansion in next five years.

You can also follow the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship on Twitter @ BetfredSnooker ( http://twitter.com/BetfredSnooker )

Betfred.com World Snooker Championship Outright Odds:

O'Sullivan, Ronnie 9/4

Selby, Mark 7/1

Maguire, Stephen 8/1

Higgins, John 12/1

Carter, Allister 12/1

Murphy, Shaun 14/1

Junhui, Ding 16/1

Williams, Mark 25/1

Robertson, Neil 25/1

Day, Ryan 25/1

Ebdon, Peter 33/1

Fu, Marco 33/1

Perry, Joe 33/1

Allen, Mark 33/1

Hendry, Stephen 50/1

Cope, Jamie 50/1

Dott, Graeme 66/1

Walden, Ricky 66/1

Wenbo, Liang 80/1

Lee, Stephen 125/1

Swail, Joe 125/1

Hawkins, Barry 150/1

Holt, Michael 150/1

Bingham, Stuart 200/1

King, Mark 200/1

Higginson, Andrew 200/1

Greene, Gerard 300/1

Davis, Steve 300/1

Gould, Martin 300/1

Bond, Nigel 500/1

Mcleod, Rory 500/1

Burnett, Jamie 500/1

(From Website : http://www.worldsnooker.com/ws_championship_news-26204.htm?tid=124)

Ebdon outlasts Higgins in final

Peter Ebdon clinched the China Open title in Beijing with a hard-fought 10-8 victory over John Higgins.

The 38-year-old Englishman dominated without ever being able to stretch his lead to more than two frames.

He eventually saw out the match to claim his first ranking-event triumph in more than two years.

Higgins levelled the match at 8-8 by downing pink and black, but Ebdon won a cagey 17th frame and a break of 71 in the next sealed the contest.

After the first four frames were shared, Ebdon established daylight for the first time by pouncing on a lapse in concentration from the Scot in the sixth to go 4-2 up.

Higgins trailed by a single frame at 5-4 at the interval, courtesy of a 140 break in the ninth which ensured there was all to play for in the evening session.

Ebdon again gave himself a two-frame cushion immediately after the restart, but crucially missed a red to allow the 1998 and 2007 world champion to halve the deficit once again at 6-5.

Higgins, a thrilling 6-4 semi-final victor over Ryan Day on Saturday, then also won the 12th to get back to level pegging for the first time since the early stages.

From 7-7, Ebdon then secured the 15th frame in a tense finish to get his nose in front once more - Higgins letting in his rival with a missed brown, and the Kettering-born player making no mistake.

Though the Scot restored parity in a nail-biting end to the 16th frame, Ebdon was the stronger player during the conclusion.

Prior to this week, Ebdon had won just two matches in six ranking events this season, but his victory moves him five places up to 12th and reduces his fears of dropping out of the official top 16.

"I've turned my season around, and with two weeks of hard practice, and if I can keep the same character and spirit that I showed here, I'll prove difficult to beat at the Crucible," said the former world champion.

Sunday's final result (best of 19 frames):

John Higgins (Sco) 8-10 Peter Ebdon (Eng)
87-4 (60) 1-84 (84) 15-109 (108) 78-15 5-68 57-68 64-10 56-72 (56 Higgins, 54 Ebdon) 140-0 (140) 16-114 (52,57) 105-13 (62) 68-46 25-55 75-32 (51) 43-57 63-53 (Ebdon 52) 3-64 8-96 (71)

(From Website : http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/7984576.stm)

Higgins win sets up Ebdon final

John Higgins will meet Peter Ebdon in Sunday's China Open final after defeating Ryan Day 6-4 in Beijing.

Higgins was 3-1 down before staging a comeback that saw him clinch the match with a stunning century.

Earlier, Ebdon had thrashed Preston's Stuart Pettman 6-1 to claim his place in the final.

World number nine Ebdon was dominant throughout, opening the match with a quickfire century break following a nervy start by Pettman.

Welshman Day, who whitewashed Shaun Murphy 5-0 in the quarters, won the first two frames against Higgins before a stunning century break saw the Scotsman take the third.

Day took the fourth, but the next four frames belonged to Higgins with the double-world champion growing in confidence as the match went on.

Despite Day winning the ninth frame, Higgins recorded a 110 break in the 10th to book his place in the final to face Ebdon, who breezed through his match against Pettman.

Pettman had briefly threatened to upset the odds in frame three after Ebdon potted the white and conceded.

But the attempted comeback was halted by an emphatic Ebdon in frame four, and the former world champion never looked back.

Pettman was a surprise contender at this stage of the competition, having never reached the last 16 of a ranking event before, while Ebdon's recent form had been patchy coming into this tournament.

After an impressive opening frame by Ebdon, the second frame proved a much tighter affair, with Pettman, ranked 62 in the world, amassing a total of 35 before being overcome by Ebdon's 57.

Following Pettman's third-frame victory, Ebdon made no mistake in the fourth, and was gifted the fifth following an error that left a crucial red over the pocket.

An incredible four-cushion shot in the sixth put Ebdon well on the way to victory, and Pettman was forced to concede in the seventh after being snookered behind the black.

(From Website : http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/7983123.stm)

Parrott withdraws from China Open

John Parrott has been forced to pull out of next week's China Open, the penultimate ranking event of the season, for medical reasons.

The former world champion is suffering from persistent back and neck problems and will not travel to Beijing.

Parrott had come through two qualifying rounds, but his wildcard opponent, China's Cao Xinlong, receives a bye into Round One to face Shaun Murphy.

The event is the last for players to hit form before the World Championship.

Stephen Hendry is one player desperate to string some wins together before the season finale at The Crucible starting on 18 April.

The seven-time world champion has only won four matches in ranking events all season, three of them in Bahrain where he reached the semi-finals.

But the Scot has dropped to 12 in the rankings after losing in the first rounds of the UK Championship and the Welsh Open, and could drop out of the elite top 16 if that sequence continues over the final two events.

Hendry will face either Northern Irishman Joe Swail, or the winner of the Liang Wenbo-Robert Milkins qualifier, in his first-round match.

Another former world champion, Peter Ebdon, is also in danger of losing his place among the elite after slipping to 17th in the provisional rankings.

Ebdon faces either emerging Bristol youngster Judd Trump or one of seven Chinese wildcards, Tang Jun, in his opening match.

Graeme Dott, who won in China two years ago, also needs a strong end to the season to have any chance of retaining his place among the elite, having dropped to 36 in the provisional list.

Defending champion Stephen Maguire, who beat Shaun Murphy 10-9 in last year's final, opens his campaign against Dave Harold while world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan starts against Irishman Fergal O'Brien.

O'Sullivan could face Chinese star Ding Junhui in the second round, with a potential quarter-final against John Higgins or Marco Fu.

China Open draw:

First round:

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

Wildcard round:

Tang Jun (Chn) v Judd Trump (Eng)
Cao Kaisheng (Chn) v Ricky Walden (Eng)
Cao Yupeng (Chn) v Stuart Pettman (Eng)
Yu Delu (Chn) v Rod Lawler (Eng)
Cao Xinlong (Chn) w/o John Parrott (Eng) * Parrott withdrew
Tian Pengfei (Chn) v David Gray (Eng)
Xiao Guodong (Chn) v Michael Holt (Eng)
Liang/Milkins v Joe Swail (NI)

Qualifying round:

Liang Wenbo (Chn) v Robert Milkins (Eng)

(From Website : http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/7963996.stm)

HIGGINS: DUO WILL FORGET CONTROVERSY

John Higgins has backed fellow Scots Stephen Maguire and Jamie Burnett to forget the controversy over their last match when they meet in the World Championships.

World Snooker is investigating claims of betting irregularities around their UK Championship meeting in December.

"I think of it has been blown out of proportion," said Higgins after receiving his MBE from Princess Anne.

"I am sure they will both approach it in a professional manner and the best man will win on the day."

The UK Championship saw Burnett lose 9-3 to close friend Maguire, a scoreline that had attracted heavy betting both before and during the match.

They have been drawn together in the first round of the World Championship and the investigation could still be hanging over them when they play next month.

Two-time champion Higgins will face Michael Holt and admits he could have had a tougher draw than the world number 34.

"I have played Michael there before and beat him and, no disrespect to him, I could have got the likes of two-time winner Mark Williams," the 33-year-old told BBC Scotland.

"I would love to win the title again and, if I can play as well as I can for the 17 days, I would fancy my chances.

"But there are about 10 other players who would say the same thing."

Higgins added of his trip to Buckingham Palace: "It was the most nerve-racking I have ever been.

"I was more worried about slipping up or saying the wrong thing, but it was a great honour and a great day for my wife and two boys.

"It was pretty humbling behind the scenes talking to all the people who served the army and what they went through when I am just a snooker player."

(From Website : http://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=snooker/09/03/12/SNOOKER_Higgins.html)

ROCKET HANDED BINGHAM TEST

World number one Ronnie O'Sullivan will kick off his bid for a fourth World Snooker Championship crown with a first-round tie against Stuart Bingham.

The defending champion was paired with the world number 21 at Wednesday's draw for the last 32 of the tournament, which gets under way on April 18 at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre.

Arguably the tie of the round sees seven-time champion Stephen Hendry meet two-time winner Mark Williams, who came through qualifying to reach this stage.

Ali Carter, last year's runner up, plays Gerard Greene, while Australia's Neil Robertson meets six-time champion Steve Davis, who booked his 28th appearance in the final stages of the tournament with a hard-fought qualifying win over Lee Spick on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, 2002 world champion Peter Ebdon will play 1995 finalist Nigel Bond, 2005 winner Shaun Murphy comes up against Andrew Higginson, and two-time champion John Higgins meets world number 34 Michael Holt.

The first-round draw has also thrown up an all-Chinese clash, with Ding Junhui paired against Liang Wenbo.

Full draw

R O'Sullivan (Eng) v S Bingham (Eng)
M Allen (NIr) v M Gould (Eng)
P Ebdon (Eng) v N Bond (Eng)
R Day (Wal) v S Lee (Eng)
J Higgins (Sco) v M Holt (Eng)
J Perry (Eng) v J Cope (Eng)
G Dott (Sco) v B Hawkins (Eng)
M Selby (Eng) v R Walden (Eng)
S Murphy (Eng) v A Higginson (Eng)
M Fu (HK) v J Swail (NIr)
D Junhui (Chn) v L Wenbo (Chn)
S Hendry (Sco) v M Williams (Wal)
A Carter (Eng) v G Greene (NIr)
N Robertson (Aus) v S Davis (Eng)
M King (Eng) v R McLeod (Eng)
S Maguire (Sco) v J Burnett (Sco)

(From Website : http://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=snooker/09/03/11/SNOOKER_World_Draw.html)

O’Sullivan Faces Bingham In Crucible Opener

Ronnie O’Sullivan will start the defence of his World Snooker Championship title against Stuart Bingham on April 18.

Click here to watch the draw being made

The Rocket, who beat Ali Carter 18-8 in last year’s final to land his third Crucible crown, was paired with fellow Essex cueman Bingham when the random draw for the last 32 was made on BBC Radio Sheffield this morning.

World No 21 Bingham beat Stephen Hendry in the first round in 2000 and hopes he can register another shock. “It’s obviously a very tough draw, but maybe the first round is the best time to play Ronnie,” said the 32-year-old from Basildon.

“It will be one of the highlights of my career to play Ronnie at the Crucible. I’ve played Hendry there, and last year I beat Steve Davis and said that I wanted to play the best players at the best venues. The atmosphere will be fantastic.

“I play Ronnie twice a week in practice – he wins more often then not but I tend to hold my own. I’m just relieved to have made it to Sheffield and happy to be in the draw,” added Bingham, who beat Alan McManus 10-6 in the final qualifying round on Sunday.

In arguably the tie of the first round, former champions Mark Williams and Stephen Hendry will go head to head. They met in the final in 1999 when Hendry won the last of his seven titles. Twice-champion Williams has since dropped out of the top 16 but made it through the qualifiers by beating Tom Ford 10-5.

Young Chinese stars Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo will meet for the first time in professional competition. Ding has won three ranking titles but has never been past the second round at the Crucible, while Liang enjoyed a memorable run to the quarter-finals on his debut last year. Both are based at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield.

Legend Steve Davis, who came from 5-0 down to beat Lee Spick 10-8 in the qualifiers last night, is rewarded with a tie against Australia’s Neil Robertson.

John Higgins, the 1998 and 2007 Champion, faces a tough test against Michael Holt in the opening round, while Shaun Murphy plays debutant Andrew Higginson. Another debutant, Roewe Shanghai Masters champion Ricky Walden, is up against former Masters winner Mark Selby.

The full draw is:

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

(From Website : http://www.worldsnooker.com/ws_championship_qualifiers_second_news-24400.htm?tid=122)