The Chalk - Issue 9 - January 2020 by The Chalk

>> PAGE 9

>> JANUARY 2020 | ISSUE 9 | £3 | FREE TO DOWNLOAD <<

YAN’S THE MAN!

>> WWW.THECHALK.CO.UK << Picture courtesy of World Snooker Tour

YAN BINGTAO BEATS JOHN HIGGINS TO WIN MASTERS TITLE

FULL REVIEW >> PAGE 4

INSIDE >> MAX POTTER >> INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL POOL ASSOCIATION >> BARRY STARK >> PLUS LOTS MORE! BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

Shop at www.lifeon.co.uk

I Beauty and Skin I Women’s Health I Men’s Health I Wellbeing I I Speciality Products I Weight Management I Pediatric Range I

Great People Need Great Care! 2

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE >> www.thechalk.co.uk <<

04 MAX POTTER 09 CARTOON SENIORS Q 10 SCHOOL WORLD GRAND 12 PRIX REVIEW COACH 15 BARRY STARK IPA 16 INTERVIEW VENUES THAT 18 NEED TO RETURN SCOTTISH OPEN 20 REVIEW WHAT WE 23 LEARNED IN 2020 MASTERS REVIEW

DONATE TO THE CHALK

we also understand selling advertising is hard at the moment, so we have added an option to donate to The Chalk via the donate button below to help with our costs. We hope you understand that we love providing the content and magazine but we need to start covering costs. Thank you! The Chalk Team

DONATE HERE >> WWW.THECHALK.CO.UK

WELCOME TO

ello and welcome to edition number nine of The Chalk. We hope you are all keeping safe and enjoy the read. As always thank you for taking the time to subscribe, download, open and flick through the digital pages of the sport’s newest, brightest, freshest publication. Every month we will aim to bring you insight into cue sports from around the globe. In this issue, Monique Limbos writes three great reviews. She covers the World Grand Prix, The Scottish Open and The Masters. International Professional Pool Association Chairman Kevin Barton chats to journalist Sean Trivass about what is going on at the IPA. We also cover the recent Seniors Q School, which was held in Reading recently. We welcome Alex Jerrard from A Cluster of Reds who has written a really interesting article about venues across the globe. Our thanks once again go to Steve© who has supplied us with another cracking Max Potter page. Max is proving a great hit with readers both young and old and we are delighted he is back to keep all you entertained. Feel free to give Max a follow on Instagram (@maxpotter_official), he has some great jokes! Tom Moorcroft also pens his monthly article and covers what we learned in 2020. You can support us online by liking us on Facebook (facebook.com/TheChalkMag) and by following us on Twitter @_TheChalk. Instagram more your thing? Give _TheChalk a follow. Our thanks as always go also to our advertisers and contributors, your support is really appreciated. If you would like to advertise please get in touch by emailing us at info@thechalk.co.uk. We have been asked if any readers would like to get involved in a weekly snooker radio show. If so please contact us and we will put you in touch. If you have any feedback, then please email us at the same address. Happy reading, stay safe and we hope you enjoy The Chalk.

The Chalk is designed by JRH Media. james@jrhmedia.co.uk www.jrhmedia.co.uk | 07881237868

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

THE 2021 MASTERS REVIEW >> BY MONIQUE LIMBOS - RETIRED MATHEMATICIAN WHO LOVES SNOOKER AND PHOTOGRAPHY <<

ST had hoped to be able to stage the 2021 Masters at its “home”, Alexandra Palace, with a limited crowd in attendance, but the surge of COVID-19 cases in the London area made this impossible. The event took place in Milton Keynes, under strict social distancing rules, from the 10th to the 18th of January 2021. Stuart Bingham was the defending champion. Yan Bingtao, the 20 years old debutant, won the tournament in sensational fashion. He beat John Higgins by 10-8 in the final. He became the youngest Masters Champion since Ronnie O’Sullivan in 1995. He became the first player born in the 21st century to win the Masters, before any player born in the 1990s did it. He also became only the second player from Asia to win a triple crown event. He became only the fifth player to win the Masters as a debutant: only Cliff Thorburn, Stephen Hendry, Paul Hunter and Mark Selby had done it before. Before it started Two players tested positive for covid-19 and were forced to withdraw: Jack Lisowski and Judd Trump. The friendship between the two is well documented, as is the fact that they shared a home a few years back. However, they had not spent time together over the previous weeks, therefore their “simultaneous” infections are coincidental. Obviously, nobody would want either of them to develop severe symptoms. Judd’s predicament though didn’t earn him much sympathy. During the Christmas break, Judd had flown to Dubai, where he had been partying in restaurants and bars. Videos were shared on Instagram, showing him enjoying himself, with a rather large group of young people, without social distancing or masks. Of course, he might not have caught the virus there, but what it showed, is that he wasn’t following the guidelines, nor was he taking the required precautions to avoid being infected. Judd is a very successful young sportsman, someone many young aspiring sportspersons look at. Under the circumstances, let’s hope that he didn’t inspire too many of them this time. Judd was replaced in the draw by Joe Perry, whilst Gary Wilson took Jack’s spot. Judd was the pre-tournament favourite. Following his withdrawal, this status went to Neil Robertson. I will look at each match in chronological order as the round unfolded. The last 16 round Kyren Wilson 6-2 Gary Wilson Kyren Wilson started the tournament in pretty confident mood. He had promised his mother to bring her the trophy. In a pre-tournament interview with Eurosport he had said: “For me, it’s probably the best looking trophy – it looks awesome.. I promised it to my mum one day, so I’m going to try to make it happen!”. He had prepared well and was looking forward to the event. For his opponent, Gary Wilson, it was an unexpected opportunity, and some good money: £15,000 was guaranteed to 4

Yan Bingtao celebrates his win. Picture courtesy of World Snooker Tour.

the first round loser. Gary however wasn’t coming into this event in a great mental shape. The previous week, he had been involved in a bizarre incident during a match against John Higgins as frustration got the better of him after a missed pot. On Twitter, he had admitted that his head was gone. The lockdown has affected many persons’ mental health and Gary had been struggling. In this match, he certainly tried his best but Kyren was too strong. After his win Kyren declared: “I work really hard and see myself lifting these titles, I don’t see myself losing in quarterfinals. It has been a consistent year and to be honest that is something I wanted to do. Previously it was either a first round defeat or the semis or a final. I’ve kind of found that level ground, I’m just coming up against really top professionals. I’ve lost to Judd Trump a couple of times, Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan.” (Source: WST) David Gilbert 6-2 Joe Perry By his own admission David Gilbert came into the event without any confidence: his season thus far had been a “stinker”. He hadn’t handled the lockdown well at all, but had started to turn things around over Christmas. Before the quarter-finals round, David gave Phil Haigh this very interesting and very honest interview. It explains a lot of what had happened in the previous months and weeks. All credits to David Gilbert for being so open. Joe Perry wasn’t expecting to play in the event and hadn’t prepared at all over Christmas. Gilbert lead 5-0, having scored breaks of 58, 62, 60, and 71. Joe briefly rallied, winning two frames, with breaks of 73 and 108, before David sealed the match aided by a break of 54. David though refused to be carried away. Speaking after the match he said: “I’ve been pretty poor for a long time now, so to get a win at the Masters feels good,” said 39-year-old Gilbert. “I think I played really well, considering I had no idea what I was

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

going to do. I’m hitting the ball pretty well in practice, but it is hard when you aren’t putting matches together and difficult to get your confidence up and believe in yourself. I won’t get carried away and think I will win the thing or anything daft. I’m not looking forward, I’m just trying not to look behind. I’ll put my head down and I want to make the most of the rest of the tournaments this season. I don’t know what happened to me a few months ago. I completely lost my head, I hated every bit of the first lockdown. It got to Christmas and I hoped Boris would shut sport off the other day. I thought if they postponed the Masters, I would be playing alright in a couple of months. It didn’t matter to me and I’ve just chilled out. What will be will be” (source: WST). Stuart Bingham 6-4 Thepchaiya Un-nooh The defending champion started very strongly: he took a 5-1 lead over Thepchaiya Un-nooh who was making his debut at the Masters. In the process, Stuart had scored breaks of 63, 114 and 95 whilst Thepchaiya, who looked tense, had not managed a single 50+ break thus far. The sixth frame though had been hard fought: it had gone to the last pink. In the 7th frame of the match, Stuart embarked on a maximum break attempt. After he went inoff on 64, Thepchaiya seized his chance: he took the frame with a good 68. From there he went on to win the next two, in no time, with breaks of 80 and 113. In the 10th frame, a rather relieved Stuart Bingham managed to stop the “onslaught”. He sealed the match aided by a break of 67. In his post-match interview, he admitted that it was a bit mad to have gone for that 147, and that it could have cost him: “I was probably a bit mad to go for the max at 5-1 up. I am a bit mad for them and when I get a few reds with blacks, I start going for more. I was a bit unlucky going in off. It gave him an easy starter and the onslaught started. He can make people look stupid with how quick and heavy he scores. I just tried to stay focussed and

hope I got a chance. Luckily for me I did. It puts me in good stead having played out there. I know what it is like now. Whoever I play I’ll be looking forward to it. I’m sure it will be tough and a good game.” (source: WST). Only the previous week, playing in the Championship League Snooker, Stuart had made his 8th competitive maximum and, amazingly, his opponent in that match had been none other than Thepchaiya Un-nooh. Shaun Murphy 6-4 Mark Williams Interviewed by Rachel for ES, Shaun had explained that the rules in Ireland have changed, and that, as an elite sportsman, he was now able to practice, and had been practicing over the Christmas break. It showed. This was a high quality, close match. Shaun lead 3-1 at the MSI, with breaks of 93 and 50. Mark at that stage had scored a 108 and a 54, and, yet, had only won one frame. After the MSI he restored parity, 3-3, aided by a second 108 break. They shared the next two frames, before Shaun took the last two, and the match on a 6-4 score. Mark had a 52 break in the last frame, but it wasn’t enough. After the match, Shaun said: “Any time you rock up against one of those players (the class of 92), they test every aspect of your game. I knew going into that match that Mark might shine a very bright light on any weaknesses I was showing. I was a bit frustrated through the game, because I made all of the running in the match and at 4-4, I was wondering how I’d only won four frames. I played really well and played all of the attacking shots. I put that to bed and I was very proud of myself the way I won the match.” (source: WST). I’m surprised that Shaun was frustrated by Mark’s completely predictable tactic when facing an ultra-attacking opponent. Surely he’s watched Mark play before? He’s a master opportunist at the table and very shrewd. Yan Bingtao 6-5 Neil Robertson The afternoon match on day 3 at the 2021 Masters brought the first real “shock”, as Yan Bingtao, the 20 years old debutant, came back from 3-1 down and 5-3 down, to beat the tournament’s favourite in a deciding frame that was a masterclass in tactical play. If you missed it, you can watch the decider by following this link. Speaking after the match, Neil said: “Yan did really well, especially in that last frame. It was like playing Steve Davis in his prime, tactically he was very good.”. Yan was quite humble in victory and unashamed about his tactics: “I am quite surprised that on my debut Masters appearance, I have also beaten Neil Robertson, who has just won the UK Championship. I am very happy with the result and also playing so well in the decider. I just go with the flow and do what I am supposed to do. That is what I did in the decider. Neil is the sort of player that takes a chance if you give it to him. I just played as much safety as I could. It was quite funny that all the colours were on the cushion. I did my best to mess up the table. I will do the best I can in the next round, but I have already gone beyond my expectations. I will try my best to relax and enjoy the match.”. (Quotes source: WST)

The match was a high scoring affair: it had nine breaks over 50, 5 by Neil, 4 by Yan, including two centuries, a 121 by Neil and a 123 by Yan. With this victory, Yan became the youngest player to win a match at the Master since Ding Junhui in 2007. Stephen Maguire 6-3 Mark Selby In my eyes, Mark Selby was a strong favourite in this match. He had won two ranking events earlier this season, including the 2020 Scottish Open in December. He had beaten Ronnie O’Sullivan by 9-3 in the final. Stephen Maguire, in contrast, had done nothing since winning the 2020 Tour Championship in the summer, and he had a right meltdown at the Scottish Open. But Stephen came back from the Christmas break refreshed, whilst Mark Selby appeared quite poor by his standards. The first mini-session was shared, but after the MSI it was very much one-way traffic as Stephen won four of the last five frames and Mark failed to score a single 50+ break. The winner was delighted to have turned the corner: “That’s by far my best win of the season. It felt like a proper match out there and I thought I competed pretty well. Before Christmas I lost a little bit of will to win at the Scottish Open and the UK Championship. I wasn’t enjoying being here. I was still trying to get my head round it, but I wasn’t enjoying it. The Christmas break was good.”. He was full of praise for his next opponent, Yan Bintao: “I think Yan Bingtao and Zhou Yuelong are the next to come through and be top eight players and win tournaments. I think the two of them are unreal. I can’t split them. They are tough. Yan’s safety game, for being so young, is up there with the best of them. He’ll not be scared of me. I have it tough out there in the next match.”. (source: WST). It’s worth remembering that in 2015, at the World Cup in Wuxi, Yan and Zhou had beaten Maguire and Higgins by 4-1 in the final. Yan was only 15 years old, Zhou was 17. On the day of this match, the BBC had published this interview with Mark Selby. In it, Mark opens up about the impact that his father death has on his life and career. Mark was only 16 at the time, and he had previously suffered abandonment as his mother left the family, leaving her children behind, when he was still a very young boy. It certainly was a major trauma. The fact, however, that Mark discussed this particular subject shortly before that match, and his general demeanour during the match, made me consider the possibility that, maybe, Mark was struggling mentally, just like so many others caught in this sanitary crisis. Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-5 Ding Junhui This was certainly the match of the round. There was a 50+ break in every frame bar one, the 9th. There were four centuries: 103 and 100 by Ronnie, 128 and 129 by Ding. Ronnie found himself 3-0 down, 4-2 down and 5-3 down. With his back against the wall, he won the last three frames, just like he had done in his semi-final against Mark Selby at the Crucible in August. Ahead of the match, in the Eurosport studio, Ronnie said that he had put the work in, practicing 6-7 hours a day. After the match he thanked Martin Gould for

“THAT’S BY FAR MY BEST WIN OF THE SEASON. IT FELT LIKE A PROPER MATCH OUT THERE AND I THOUGHT I COMPETED PRETTY WELL.” Stephen Maguire following his 6-3 win over Mark Selby

the practice matches over the break. He also admitted that, having rediscovered his love for running during the lockdown, he had overdone it and was exhausted physically coming into matches before Christmas. Even when he was trailing by 3-0, one could see he had been preparing seriously for this one. It was strange really: he was playing his best snooker of the season so far, and yet trailing by 3-0, with a highest break of 27. Winning the last before the MSI, with a century was massive. After the match a delighted Ronnie reflected: “It was nice to make a bit of a game of it. Even if I lost 6-3, I played well and didn’t do a lot wrong. Ding played strongly, I’m just pleased to get over the line. It is a tough game. It is mental, physical and confidence – if you are lacking in any of those departments it is tough. You can play great for three quarters of the match, but if you can’t hold it together at the end that will be your Achilles heal. I enjoy every game I play, even if I play terribly. I’m not ferocious. I watched the Lance Armstrong documentary the other day and I just couldn’t relate to that intensity. I’m not that kind of character. I’m more chilled out.” (source: WST). You might also want to read this interview with Eurosport. Ronnie talks about finding balance in his life,: how to keep fit with running, whilst keeping competitive when playing snooker. John Higgins 6-5 Mark Allen John Higgins had played in three consecutive Championship League Snooker groups in the week before this tournament, winning the third. It was the ideal preparation. Mark Allen, on the other hand, had the worst possible preparation. He suffered from covid-19 over the Christmas break, and, although he was never in danger, it hit him pretty hard. He came into this match badly prepared and still tired. Despite this, the match went the distance. After the match Mark gave the Belfast Telegraph this interview. This is an excerpt: “I was surprised because at that time, I didn’t feel that bad, but then I had three days over New Year where I literally couldn’t get out of bed. And that has a knock-on effect of not being able to practice for the

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

next 10 days. It hit me worse than I thought. Even though I was never in any danger, I felt like even the week after, any little thing I did was taking my breath away a little bit. I didn’t feel like I had enough energy and I felt constantly tired. It will probably take a bit of time to get over but it’s absolutely no excuse for some of the shots I played badly tonight.”. Despite his refusal to make any excuses, the lack of preparation and aftermath of the illness surely didn’t help. John Higgins had a 50+ break in five of the six frames he won, Mark Allen himself had three 50+ breaks, including the only century of the match, a 106 in the second frame. The quarter-finals The quarter-finals round brought more surprises. David Gilbert 6-5 Kyren Wilson Kyren Wilson’s mum will have to wait another year for the opportunity to see the Paul Hunter trophy on her mantelpiece. Indeed, Kyren Wilson was beaten by David Gilbert in a rather terrible match by the usually high Masters standards. David Gilbert’s reaction tells the story: “I’ve certainly been losing games like that this season, when it’s not been too pretty, and chucking the towel in. It is about winning, that was pretty ugly at times. Either of us could have won, but I’m going to take it, that’s a great win for me. Kyren will definitely feel he should have won today. It is one of those horrible games where you feel you both should have done better. I’m just the lucky one that is through to the next round. I don’t think I’m playing that well, at all really, but I’m definitely thinking a lot better. It’s clearer and I’m trying. I think good things can happen if you are thinking better. I’m a long way off my A game, but the longer you are in, the more chance you have of it coming out. I just thought over Christmas it was time to cheer up a bit as I was just miserable. That was no good for myself or anyone, I kind of laugh about it now.” (source: WST). And here is more about Gilbert’s reaction and mindset, reported by Eurosport Stuart Bingham 6-3 Shaun Murphy Stuart Bingham kept his defence alive by beating Shaun Murphy in a match that offered few sparks or highlights except for Stuart’s 133 in frame 2. Again, the winner’s reaction summed it up: “We both gave each other a bit too much respect and we were both waiting for the other to start playing well. There were some good pots and bad misses, I think it had pretty much everything, I’m still in it and I’m improving. To win a battle with Shaun, of course I will get some confidence out of it. Whoever I play, Yan Bingtao or Stephen Maguire, it will be a tough game and I will probably need to play a little bit better and hopefully get through to another final. I feel like I’m pretty sharp at the moment, we had the Championship League last week and I think that has helped get my game into shape. I need to relax and let my game come out. Hopefully I’ll do that on Saturday.” (source: WST) Yan Bingtao 6-5 Stephen Maguire After taking Neil Robertson’s scalp in the previous round, Yan Bingtao got the better of Stephen Maguire in the quarter6

finals. He also managed to improve his personal highest break in main tour competition, from 135 to 141, and he did it in the deciding frame as well. At that time, it became the tournament highest break, bettering Maguire’s 139. Maguire can be temperamental at times, but he is a good guy and despite the defeat he was genuinely pleased for Yan. So much so that he forgot the social distancing… Yan was understandably very happy with the win: “I’m absolutely over the moon and really excited about the result. At the beginning I didn’t expect to get through the first round, now I am in the semi-finals. I won both matches on the deciding frame, so that is an achievement for me. To be the youngest semi-finalist since Ding makes me proud. He is my hero and I am quite satisfied to achieved what I have at my age. I know a lot of people my age haven’t had the chance to even play in events like this. I am just trying to do the best that I can. I will definitely use this run as a boost to my confidence and I will put more effort on the practice table and try to do more in the future.”. (source: WST) John Higgins 6-3 Ronnie O’Sullivan This quarter-finals match between John Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan was an extremely high quality contest. It’s not often you will see a player lose by 6-3, having a 95% pot success, and having scored two tons and a 97 but that’s exactly what happened to Ronnie that evening. He didn’t play badly at all, he actually played very well, but John Higgins was just incredible. Commentators and pundits reflected that this was the best they had seen from John for a very, very long time. Ronnie missed three balls all match. His safety wasn’t bad - 77% success - but it was the weakest aspect in his game and the one that made the difference. At one point they had five centuries in a row. Higgins 145 remained the highest break of the tournament. Here are both players’ reactions after

“THERE WILL BE A TIME SOONER RATHER THAN LATER WHEN WE WON’T BE PLAYING THESE GAMES, SO YOU HAVE TO ENJOY THEM WHILE YOU STILL CAN.”

John Higgins after his win over Ronnie O’Sullivan

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

the match: John Higgins: “We’ve been playing each other for nearly 30 years at the top end of the game and I’m proud that I’m still competing. There will be a time sooner rather than later when we won’t be playing these games, so you have to enjoy them while you still can. I was really happy with the way I played. You can do it when you are practising, but it is doing it here against the best players. That is where you judge yourself and I’m delighted I did it.” Ronnie O’Sullivan: “I’d love to see John win it, for him and for snooker. It would be fantastic to see John pick up silverware, he is too good not to and if it wasn’t for Judd Trump he probably still would be. I’m going to have to keep putting in the hours on the practice table and hopefully things will turn around.” (Quotes source: WST) Those two have immense respect for each other and it’s a friendly rivalry. Ronnie’s reaction as reported by the media (here by the Express ) shows how annoyed with himself he was after the match: “I made too many unforced errors really, I know the breaks look good on the scoresheet but when you miss easy balls and unforced errors, I lacked some safety shots, you are not going to win. I am disappointed that I couldn’t cut out them errors really. It is no consolation to me. Centuries make a player look good but I made too many mistakes. He was grreat at potting and break-building. He is just going to out-school you and was just far too good for me tonight.” Actually he didn’t make that many mistakes, but he still made too many against a player in John Higgins who played almost perfect snooker and punished every error heavily. It is however a good sign for his fans that he was so disappointed. The will to win is still there, and still strong. The semi-finals Yan Bingtao 6-5 Stuart Bingham: Stuart Bingham’s defence came to an end in the semi-finals. Yan was by far the heavier scorer in this match. He had six 50+ breaks – 94, 62, 88, 63, 100 and 65 – for only two to his opponent – 87 and 57. Despite Yan’s superior scoring power, it went to a deciding frame, the third in a row for the young Chinese who came out the winner once again. Yan was delighted of course, but admitted that he felt quite nervous towards the end: “I didn’t expect to win another decider, but I was really pleased I got through. I was very nervous in the final frame. My body started shaking, but I’m happy I held my nerve. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. I will take tomorrow in the same way as the other matches. I am already happy to reach this far. All my family and my girlfriend were watching and they have already sent their congratulations. They are very happy for me.” John Higgins 6-4 David Gilbert This was another close and high quality match. It was only towards the end that John Higgins managed to pull away. David had breaks of 80 and 87, whilst John scored 106, 56, 107, 55 and 56. Despite the defeat, David Gilbert was very positive: “I’ve got nothing but positives

to take away. I didn’t know what would happen when I came here so I would have probably taken getting to the semi-finals. When you get here you want more. I am disappointed right now, I feel like I could have done a bit better.” John, on the other hand, admitted hating semi-finals. He was also well aware of the quality of his opponent in the final, but was determined to enjoy the occasion: “I’ve never enjoyed semi-finals. They are the worst games. You are so close to being in a big final. I’m over the moon to beat Dave. It would probably be one of my best ever wins, to win the Masters at this age. I will go in and enjoy it tomorrow and give it my best. Yan has a great all round game. He and Zhou Yuelong have the best all round games coming through from China. I think Yan believes he can win the event. He’s served his apprenticeship. He’s thinking he can win, I think I can win, so hopefully it will be a good match. I watched the UK Championship final between Judd and Neil. You are obviously a little bit jealous, because these guys are competing for the big events. To be honest I maybe wasn’t expecting to get to the final, but I went to the Championship League and played pretty well, it gave me a wee bit of extra confidence coming here. I’ll relish it tomorrow, I don’t know how many more big finals like this I’ll be in.”. (quotes source: WST). The Final Yan Bingtao 10-8 John Higgins: Here are some mind blowing facts about the two protagonists in this final. John Higgins turned professional in 1992, Yan Bingtao was born in February 2000, nearly eight years later. When Yan was born, John, 24 years old, had already won 13 ranking titles, including the World Championship (1998) and the UK Championship (1988). He had also won the Masters (1999), completing what is now known as the “Triple Crown”. In fact in those days the BBC was also airing a fourth “major” tournament, the Grand Prix. John had won that too, in 1994, it was actually his first ranking title. He was 19 years old. He had beaten Willie Thorne, Martin Clark, James Wattana, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Joe Swail and Dave Harold for the title. Just like John, Yan was 19 years old when he won his first title, the 2019 Riga Masters. When John won the last of his Masters titles, in 2006, Yan was still only 6 years old. Of the Class of 92, Mark Williams was the best potter, Ronnie the best break builder

and the most flamboyant, John the best match player. John was the first of the three to become World Champion. Yan, in my view, is very similar to the young John by many aspects. He’s very mature and has a natural tactical nous. He’s hard as nails at the table. The match itself was a hard fought quality affair, the advantage switching from one player to the other as it unfolded. There were 16 breaks over 50, 8 from each player, including two centuries, a 116 by Higgins and a 103 by Yan. The way Yan finished the match, with two big breaks, 70 and 64, is absolutely remarkable under the circumstances. Here are the players’ reactions (Quotes source: WST): Yan Bingtao: “After watching John’s quarter-final game against Ronnie, he looked like he was in his peak. I felt very tired in the last moments tonight. My heart was beating out on the last red, I was so close to the winning line and he kept fighting. That was the moment that I felt the most pressure. I just told myself to keep working and not give up. I controlled the cue ball. I just slowly finished the last three or four balls after potting the red. My mum and dad were watching on TV. They probably didn’t sleep tonight. They have always told me to never give up and to enjoy my life.” John Higgins: “It is incredible for someone so young. He just goes about his business. He is like a one off, the way he patrols about the table and you can’t fluster him at all. It is a great achievement winning the Masters at 20 years old. The sky is the limit for him.” Ronnie O’Sullivan was in the Eurosport studio and he also was full of praise for the young “Master”. Here is some of what he had to say as reported by Phil Haigh: “Not just to see a new winner but someone that you think he’s going to go on and win a lot more. “It’s like when Hendry come along, them type of players, John Higgins, Mark Williams, you thought, ‘this could go on for a while’. “To do it young and in the manner he does, it’s been a fantastic tournament and he’s done it the hard way, he’s had the hardest draw you could possibly get.”. Asked if he thinks that Yan may surpass Ding and has now a better chance than him to become the first Chinese World Champion, he answered: “I think he’s got more chance of doing it because he’s got a lot more time on his side. I think it’s a good time to be coming into snooker. It’s hard

to say because there might be another three or four come out the woodwork in one or two years and we might be saying the same about them. But at the moment he is the most mature, we’ve seen him do it under extreme pressure and you need to be able to perform under pressure to win the Crucible. I just think he’s going to get stronger and stronger and it will bring other players through as well. I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t win at least one or two world titles.” Conclusion Despite the absence of the World number one, Judd Trump, it has been a fantastic tournament, and one that could have a long term positive impact on the sport we love. This win is obviously very important for Yan’s career, but it could prove equally important for the future of snooker in China. What Yan has done in this tournament will inspire all the young Chinese players. It has shown them that it is possible, that they too can do it too. It might take a bit of pressure off Ding Junhui as well, and we could see him play better with more freedom again. He has carried the hopes a his nation since he was 18 years old. It’s been a lot of expectations to cope with for someone so young, probably too much to cope with actually and for too long as well. It will also boost China’s interest in snooker, which is particularly important at this time as the very lucrative tournaments in China have been canceled for the near future, and the travel restrictions have made it even harder for the young Chinese players, for those who current live as expats in the UK away from their families, as well as for those whose future and careers are in jeopardy as they are stranded in China. China has invested a lot in the sport in recent years, injected a lot of money in it too. Keeping the Chinese fans on board is crucial for the future of snooker. Rethinking the structure of the calendar to make snooker less “UK centric” is also important in my opinion. It’s absurd and unfair that the Chinese players have to come to play qualifiers in the UK for the events played in their own country. It’s time for a change surely? Do the Chinese authorities and the CBSA want to push for it? If the answer is yes, Ding now being on the WPBSA board and Yan’s successes may prove massive.

“I FELT VERY TIRED IN THE LAST MOMENTS TONIGHT. MY HEART WAS BEATING OUT ON THE LAST RED, I WAS SO CLOSE TO THE WINNING LINE AND HE KEPT FIGHTING.” Yan Bingtao after his final victory over John Higgins

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

SUCCESS FOR SENIORS Q SCHOOL >> To watch the matches following the link www.facebook.com/WorldSeniorsSnooker/videos <<

he ROKiT Phones World Seniors Q School event reached its conclusion in Reading with eight places at the venue stages of upcoming major tournaments decided. The event, which represented the first open-entry competition organised by the WPBSA following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, ran across seven days at the Crucible Sports and Social Club in Reading. Eight places at four tournaments were to be won, with a mix of current professionals and amateur players taking part. World Seniors Championship Barry Pinches and David Lilley both successfully came through an 86-player draw to secure their places at the venue stages of the World Seniors Championship this May. Pinches secured his place at the Crucible following a dramatic 4-3 victory against former World Seniors champion Darren Morgan in his final qualifying match. Welshman Morgan had led 2-0 and 3-2, but it was Pinches who claimed the last two frames to secure his return to a venue at which he competed three times as a professional, memorably reaching the last 16 in 2004. Three-time English Amateur Championship winner Lilley meanwhile produced a high-quality performance to defeat Wayne Townsend 4-2. Breaks of 72, 63, 60 and 60 were enough to see the 45-year-old prevail and earn a debut at snookerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous venue in just a few months time.

UK Seniors Championship Four places at the UK Seniors Championship in Hull were decided with Barry Pinches, David Lilley, Phil Williams and Kuldesh Johal all making it through to the final four of this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s qualifying tournament. For Pinches and Lilley their victories ensured that it was a near-perfect week of snooker as the pair qualified for two of the three available events, with 4-1 victories against Stuart Watson and Mark Gray respectively enough to secure their places at the Bonus Arena. Both Williams and Johal however were pushed all the way, Williams defeating former world number 42 Andrew Norman in a deciding-frame, while Johal was also a 4-3 winner against Wayne Cooper. Seniors Masters Also up for grabs last week were two places at the upcoming Seniors Masters tournament, scheduled to be held at the Alexandra Palace. The first was claimed by Darren Morgan, who won seven matches, including four against current professional players to win the Masters qualifying tournament. Having defeated Peter Lines, Nigel Bond and Andy Hicks to reach the final, he would deny David Lilley a qualification hattrick by coming through a decidingframe to claim the place. He will be joined there by Gary Filtness (pictured), who overcame recent back problems in recent weeks to defeat Ashley Beal 4-0 in the final of the Super

Seniors tournament for players aged 55 or over. The WPBSA and World Seniors Snooker would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the tournament during these most challenging of times, including the players, officials and venue staff, without the cooperation of which the event would not have been possible.

The Crucible Sports and Social Club in Reading went to great lengths to ensure COVID procedures were in place throughout the whole tournament

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

>> Watch David Lilley, Barry Pinches, Phil Williams and Kuldesh Johal chat about qualifing for the 2021 UK Seniors Championship as they spoke to us following their quarter-final victories at Q School! <<

An emotional Gary Filtness reacts to winning the over 55s Super Seniors and securing a place at Alexandra Palace next year with the legends.

“32 years in the waiting, I’m over the moon!” David Lilley reacts to securing his place at the World Seniors Championships.

ADVERTISE IN THE CHALK If you would like to advertise in forthcoming editions of The Chalk please get in touch. info@thechalk.co.uk BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

THE 2020 WORLD GRAND PRIX – REVIEW

>> BY MONIQUE LIMBOS - RETIRED MATHEMATICIAN WHO LOVES SNOOKER AND PHOTOGRAPHY <<

he World Grand Prix was the last tournament of the year 2020 and was played at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes from 14 to 20 December 2020. This tournament featured the 32 most successful players of the season so far, i.e., those who had earned the most ranking points up to and including the 2020 Scottish Open. The seeding was determined strictly by the players’ positions in the one-year list. The £5000 prize money earned by losers in the last 32 round doesn’t count towards their ranking points. Judd Trump won the event, beating Jack Lisowski by 10-7 in the final. This was Judd’s 6th ranking title of the year, his 3rd of the season in progress and his 20th in total. To this day, only five players have won more ranking titles: Ronnie O’Sullivan (37), Stephen Hendry (36), John Higgins (30), Steve Davis (28) and Mark Williams (22). It was also the 3rd time that Judd won the World Grand Prix. The last 32 The matches in this round were best of seven, first to four. Given that this tournament features the 32 in-form players of the season, and the short format, no result can be seen as a real “shock”. The first day of the tournament actually provided the biggest surprise of the round as Neil Robertson, the defending champion, went out, beaten by 4-2 by Robert Milkins who was extremely happy with his performance. This is what he had to say after the match: “I played really well, I was fluent in the balls and scored well, I was very nervous at the start of the match but when Neil missed a red in the first frame and I managed to clear up, that was a big settler for me. Neil is a class player and you always have to play well to beat him because you don’t get many second chances. Today was the best I have played against him.” (source: WST). Neil Robertson’s woes didn’t stop there, as his car ran out of petrol on the way home. To his own admission, it was his own fault … he took a gamble too many. Neil is a bit of a specialist when it comes to travel troubles. Two other members of the top 16 fell at the first hurdle: Shaun Murphy lost by 4-2 to Jack Lisowski, and Mark Allen lost by 4-3, from 3-0 up, to Martin Gould. Given Shaun’s form in recent months, and his well documented problems to get adequate practice, his defeat is no real surprise. What happened to Mark Allen, who scored a 142 in the second frame, is 12

harder to explain and even Martin Gould, his conqueror, was in a bit of disbelief: “I never felt involved in the match, I didn’t think I could win until the last ball, I was getting agitated with myself because I know how well I have been playing but I am not showing it on the match table. I told myself to knuckle down because Mark was missing a few so I knew I would get chances. Hopefully tomorrow I can come out all guns blazing and make some bigger breaks.” (source: WST). Judd Trump, the World number one was pushed very hard by Michael Holt, the number 32 in the one-year list at this point. Judd won by 4-3, but admitted that it had not been easy: “It was a tough game from the start, he made things hard for me. He had a chance at 3-2 and he was a bit unlucky. I had to dig deep and make two good breaks to finish it off. Michael can take a lot of credit for how he performed because I had to play my best to get over the line. He just needs to keep giving himself those chances and eventually he’ll break through.” (source: WST). Ronnie O’Sullivan, the reigning World Champion, had an easier passage to the second round as he beat Ali Carter by 4-1. Ronnie was playing his sixth tournaments in two months and admitted that he was feeling fatigued: “Yesterday I was absolutely butchered, I felt exhausted. I don’t have the energy that I had years ago, I have noticed that whenever I reach a final it takes me two or three days to feel as if I want to do anything. After the World Championship it took ten days. I don’t have the stamina that I used to have, it takes me longer to recover.” He also felt that his opponent had been struggling: “Ali missed a lot of balls tonight, more than he usually would. When you are struggling at this game, your timing goes and anything is missable. It’s a confidence game – when you are confident you can attack the balls.” (source: WST). The last 16 There were two surprise results: Hossein Vafaei beat Ding Junhui by 4-1 and Zhao Xintong beat John Higgins by 4-3. Actually, the first result is only half a surprise as Hossein is a very, very good player and Ding hasn’t been consistent over the last couple of years. Hossein was very happy with his win: “I played really well today, I found my game. Ding is such a star in China, I really respect him. A lot of people are going to be sad tonight

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

but I’m a fan of his as well. I like to play on the big stage in the big tournaments. It’s all about confidence. I lost in the first round of seven tournaments in a row last season, I was struggling. I’m delighted to get back on track.” Asked about the impact his success could have on the sport in his country, Iran, he added: “You can’t imagine what would happen! So many people are following me. Snooker is a new sport in Iran so it needs time to grow there. When I win it’s a story in the newspapers and people will follow it more. If I lose, snooker is never going to grow. I have to keep winning to open a new market for the sport and the players. No one in Iran wants me to lose. We are good at sport there, people support us. They love me to play well.” (source: WST). I really didn’t expect Zhao Xintong to beat John Higgins. Zhao is an excellent potter, but he isn’t renowned for his all-round game and he’s prone to the unexpected mistake. There is no one better than Higgins to pounce on such things, even when he’s not at his best. That Zhao managed to win the decider, after surrendering a 3-1 lead is truly remarkable. Chinese players were seldom interviewed after their matches until recently, but now we hear from them more often. Zhao was happy but not carried away: “John missed a lot of easy balls and that gave me chances. I should have won 4-1 but I got nervous in the fifth frame. I told myself ‘no problem’ and still thought I could win. I played well in the last frame. Every time I win a match I have more confidence in the next one. I believe that I can win a tournament but I need to work hard.” (source: WST). Judd Trump was pushed hard by Stuart Bingham. The match went the distance, and Judd had to fight back from 3-1 down. Reflecting on the win he said: “I was relieved to see him miss that pink in the last frame because if that had gone in it was game over. I have lost two deciders recently so it was important to win that one. Stuart put me under pressure and I was pleased by the way I dealt with it. I am very proud of my record so far this season. I have lived up to the standards I set in the previous two seasons.” (source: WST). Ronnie O’Sullivan beat Barry Hawkins by 4-1, without playing well: “I struggled to string pots together tonight. My bad game was just a bit better than Barry’s.” was his assessment of their match. (source: WST).

Mark Selby, Kyren Wilson, Martin Gould and Jack Lisowski also booked their places in the quarter-finals. For Jack it was a bitter-sweet victory over Robert Milkins, who has been a kind of snooker father figure for him since he was a child. The Quarter-finals The quarter-finals didn’t yield any surprises. All four matches were won by the highest seed. Ronnie beat Kyren Wilson by 5-3 from 3-1 down. He was able to relax after the MSI and played better but freely admitted that he would need to improve to stand any chance in the semi-finals, where he knew that he was set to face Judd Trump: “When you are 3-1 down in a best of nine, you come out after the interval less tense, going for it a bit more. That helps because it sets your frame of mind. … We have had a lot of good battles. I’ll have to raise my game to have a chance to beat him because he is playing to a very high level a lot of the time.” Judd Trump had a far easier passage against Martin Gould, beating him by 5-2, with a top break of 142. Mark Selby lead 4-1 against Hossein Vafaei. Hossein managed to win the next two frames, feeding on Mark’s mistakes, But then pressure seemed to come back on Hossein and he couldn’t “finish the job”. Mark Selby wasn’t happy with his performance, but was delighted with the win. Jack Lisowski versus Zhao Xintong was an entertaining match to watch. It was played in very good spirit. Jack managed to win the last two frames to win by 5-3. Somehow the “highlight” of it was a strange incident,: Jack potted two reds consecutively, “forgetting” the mandatory colour in-between. This is what he had to say about it after the match: “It was a Jack Lisowski moment – pure stupidity. It was unforgivable. I saw the funny side of it and we were both cracking up, but then I was stewing over it during the interval. It was a massive frame, but I’m glad I was able to forget about it and go on to win.” (source: WST). The Semi-finals Judd Trump predictably beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-finals. The 6-1 score was harsh though, as in my opinion, the match was closer than the score suggests. In their report, WST wrote that Judd “blitzed” to victory. It must have been a slow variety of blitz before the MSI as the four first frames were long and very hard fought. Judd lead 3-1 at the interval. After the MSI, Judd stepped up another gear and simply dominated. Ahead of the match, sports journalist Nick Metcalfe on twitter had reflected on Ronnie’s attitude this season: “There are things you can criticise Ronnie O’Sullivan for this season, but not his resilience on the table. He’s so clearly not flowing, but he’s applying himself when it counts and

still putting victories on the board. You have to admire it.” Ronnie certainly tried his hardest in this match as well. He had no complaints: “I’ve got no complaints. I didn’t give him a game and even if was on my game, I maybe still wouldn’t have given him a game, He was potting them off the lampshades. Scoring for fun, very good safety – there’s not a lot you can do about it when your opponent plays perfect snooker. Whenever you get chances against Judd, you have to take them these days. If you don’t take them, it’s going to be your last one.” and about Judd’s potential opponents chances in the Final he added “He is beatable, but you have to play very well to beat him. He’s playing flawless snooker. The guys that are left in are capable of beating him, but whether they can do that remains to be seen. It will be interesting to watch.” Jack Lisowski beat Mark Selby by 6-4 and that came as a real surprise to me. A good one, because I like Jack, and like the way he plays the game. Incredibly, Mark Selby was the heavier scorer of the two: he made two centuries in the four frames he won, including a 143 that proved to be the highest break of the tournament. Understandably, Jack was over the moon: “That’s the best performance of my career – to beat Mark in a big tournament. It’s the most satisfying feeling I have ever had after a game of snooker, because I held it together when I needed to in the last frame. I couldn’t believe it when I was 5-1 up and everything was going in. Then Mark gathered momentum and I was getting worried. He shut me out and he’s the best in the world at doing that. If it had gone 5-5 then it wasn’t looking too pretty for me. I will be the underdog tomorrow, Judd has been the best player in the world by far over the last two years. It’s a big test for me. I’m going to keep going for my shots, I’ll need to play well and keep my cool.” (source: WST) The Final Judd Trump beat Jack Lisowski by 10-7 in the final. He did however lead 7-2 and had to fight with all he had to withstand Jack’s comeback. From 7-2 down Jack stormed back with breaks of 99, 122, 87 and 95 to reduce the gap to just one frame. Eventually it wasn’t enough, Interviewed after the match, Judd said: “It was an extremely good game, Jack made it very hard for me,” said. He played some of the best snooker I have ever seen, everything he looked at was going in. I had to make a couple of really good clearances. The clearance to go 8-6 was massive because I didn’t want him to get back level. I had to stay patient tonight and capitalise on the tiny mistakes he made. I’m proud of the way I held myself together and barely missed a ball. That shows the level I had to play to because I still lost the session 5-4. If he keeps playing like that I have no doubt

he will be in the top five in the world in no time.” Despite the defeat, Jack was upbeat: “I upped my game tonight and put him under pressure, I was on a roll. But I lost a couple of frames from 50 or 60 ahead. The clearance he made to go 8-6 was ridiculous. I’m pleased to have pushed the best player in the world and made him work for it. It has been an amazing week and my game is going in the right direction.” (source: WST) Speaking on ITV, after the match, Judd compared Jack to some of the greatest players in the game: “In the end it was an amazing game, I can’t actually remember missing a ball tonight. It’s probably up there…I’ve played Ronnie at his best, John Higgins a couple of times has played like that. Over nine frames, the standard, I’ve only ever played against Ronnie and John, that’s how good he was tonight. He was taking everything on, it was all going in. It’s very intimidating when that happens. I’m glad he showcased how he can play on the biggest stage. I’ve seen it my whole life, I’ve practiced against him. When he gets on a run, there’s only, I think, Ronnie that makes the game look so easy. I had to be at my absolute best, clearing up from nowhere. I don’t think I got in the balls in all the frames.” (source: Phil Haigh for Metro.co.uk) Judd and Jack are close friends, they have shared a home for years. There is no doubt that the praise is genuine, and that Judd will be very happy for his friend when he will eventually lift a trophy. His day will come. In recent months and in this tournament in particular, Jack has shown great maturity and a high level of consistency, something that was missing before. All detailed results are available on snooker.org

“I’M PLEASED TO HAVE PUSHED THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD AND MADE HIM WORK FOR IT. IT HAS BEEN AN AMAZING WEEK AND MY GAME IS GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.” Jack Lisowski following his final defeat to Judd Trump

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

COACH BARRY STARK >> www.patreon.com/barrystarksnookercoach <<

RESIDENT COACH BARRY STARK GIVES HIS MONTHLY ADVICE TO THE CHALK READERS Here at The Chalk we are delighted to have Barry Stark as our resident coach. Every month we will feature two videos from Barry’s YouTube page to help you improve your snooker game. To watch the videos just click the images below.

Barry coaches ten year old Westley. In this part one video Westley helps Barry explain the importance of health and wellbeing for a snooker player with some useful advice on warming up and physical exercise, especially for a young player whose anatomical physique is still developing.

Continuing from the previous video, Barry, with the able assistance of young ten-year-old Westley, describes a system for checking straight cueing and looks at a beginner’s routine for taking a sequence of red and blacks. This is also a good warm up routine for getting the arm. BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

IPA CHAIRMAN KEVIN BARTON TALKS TO JOURNALIST SEAN TRIVASS ON BEHALF OF THE CHALK FOR THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW. >> For more information about the IPA go to www.ipapool.com << IPA PARTNERS

IPA Chairman Kevin Barton.

s 8-ball pool garners more and more exposure, we talk to the man at the helm of the sports’ professional body to find out what the future holds for the popular sport. Despite hoping to see a crystal clear “tree” of the workings of 8 ball pool in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, it is more of a tangled bramble – where does the IPA sit in the great scheme of things? Yes, the pool world can seem quite confusing, even to those in the know, but one thing is for certain and hasn’t changed - the IPA still sits at the top of the tree and is THE only driving force for the sport, and the only officially recognised Professional Organisation. It is the IPA that has the long term strategy to ensure sustainability and viability going forwards and the proof is there for all to see. Whilst there will always be pretenders to the throne who want to be the ‘next big thing’, they just come, and they go. The IPA leads, and others try (unsuccessfully) to follow, though I suppose imitation if the sincerest form of flattery. I am quite sure that many of our readers will have noted the different rule sets played in leagues and pubs around the United Kingdom – what rule set do the IPA play and why? The IPA adopted blackball rules way back in around 2013, and they are the official rule set of the World Pool Association, and the only official rules of the sport. Whilst they are dynamic, attacking and allow the players to play pool how they have always wanted to, they are also very easy to understand for the average tv viewer or newcomer to the sport, which the IPA see as vital as we move 16

towards more coverage on mainstream tv channels. We have read elsewhere that pool has been described as “small snooker” – how do you react to that statement? Pool is its own sport with its own identity thanks to the work and brave decisions the IPA has undertaken over the last few years. I think the people previously in charge of the sport had tried to imitate snooker - waistcoats, green cloth to name but a few examples, but that was not the best image. We have never allowed waistcoats and moved to blue cloth which are just two of the important elements of our rebranding of the sport. To give the sport a chance to flourish and achieve its huge potential, we had to distance ourselves from the snooker comparison and create our own identity as a sport, and that is precisely what we did. Blackball is the “20/20” of cue sports - fast, exciting, dramatic, and that’s how it should be portrayed. Please think darts, not snooker. COVID. Naturally, all sports have been badly affected by the rules we currently live by, but how much have they affected the IPA plans and what does the future hold while this outbreak remains at the front of everyone’s minds? Covid has indeed taken over all our lives in some way, and the IPA is no exception. We have obviously had to cancel most of our events from 2020 and the upcoming World Championships in February this year have also been postponed. Hopefully, by the middle of the year we will be able to resume our fantastic Tour weekends and the bespoke Pro events as life gradually gets back to normal. In terms of future plans, it has actually helped us to have the time and resources to focus on some new developments and

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

Onboard Sportswear will be the official IPA clothing partner for the next two seasons. The two year deal will see the IPA Tournament Officials sporting the uniquely designed attire at all IPA events and in addition, another exclusively designed tournament shirt will be provided for all the Premier League players.

contracts, which we will be launching in the coming weeks and months. These are very exciting, and will ensure the IPA remains the frontrunner for everything pool related for years to come. We are also hoping to stage an event late in January, but I am hoping that will be covered in one of your later questions. I note that you have been Chairman of the IPA since 2012, what would you say have been your proudest moments in that time and how have you progressed the IPA during your tenure? To be honest it has flown by, and whilst we have achieved so much - probably more than the sport could ever dream of - there is still a long way to go. Despite the financial challenges that we have had to overcome, we have delivered the Professional World Championships - the most prestigious event on the pool calendar - a new branding for the sport driven by the superb Strachan blue cloth, events overseas via the World Series, live tv, and probably the biggest fish to date, all the Tour events being shown live on the BBC Sport website, though there are many other aspect we can be proud of. Whilst these are huge breakthroughs for the sport of pool, I’m not really one for thinking we have done well, as I am always focussing on the next part of the long term strategy. Maybe in a few years when I have hung up my Chairman’s hat I will look back with pride, but now isn’t the time just yet. My understanding is that there are far more pool players worldwide than snooker players, which I think will surprise some of our readers – on a global scale what sort of numbers play on a regular basis do you think and why? I would say that even including China

Emma Cunningham

Adam Bassoo

(where snooker is massive), there are more pool players (in the various formats) than most other sports, let alone snooker. There is some research from a wellrespected source that indicated (preCOVID) that there were 4 million people who played pool every week in the UK alone. We know anecdotally and from our experiences with the World Series overseas, that blackball is certainly up there in terms of participation numbers across the globe. Probably only Chinese pool has greater numbers, but blackball is far more widespread - UK, Europe, Africa & now Australia are strongholds for the sport and in some countries, second only to football. You can’t have it all your own way Kevin, so if you had to name one player (and upset a few others!), who is the most naturally gifted player you have seen on the IPA events in recent years? That is a genuinely tough question. I would have to name two I’m afraid, Jordan Shepherd has got to be up there as well as another Jordan - Jordan Church. Both are very quick and easy on the eye, as well as being fantastic players, but there are probably a dozen others who could be included. Having talent is one thing, but to win an IPA event takes more than just talent, so anyone who wins always has my utmost respect. And with betting on many of the events these days can you give us a name to look out for as the next big thing? At every IPA Tour weekend, we

Jordan Church

Liam Dunster

invariably see a new name come to the fore from the amateur ranks - the last event at Bournemouth was a typical example when Tour debutant Adam Bassoo took the spoils with an impressive performance. He could be one to look out for along with 20-30 others, such is the strength in depth of the players these days. Christmas and New Year have passed, so no more presents, but if you were given one wish for the sport of pool, what would that be please? In an ideal world, everyone would be working together within the existing structures, for the greater good of the sport. The reality is that this is not going to happen any time soon, unfortunately. So, my wish is that the business conversations we are having with various partners all come to fruition, which will enable us to take the sport to the level it deserves. After that then the “poolatics” will be irrelevant. I also understand that the Ladies tour is going from strength to strength year on year – do you also feel that is the case? Absolutely. We as an organisation have made great strides on the Ladies tour which has got both bigger and stronger in recent years, and that is something we are justifiably proud of. We have had plenty of help along the way which has been both needed and welcomed (a shout out here for Viv Ruscoe and others for all their efforts), and I would confidently add that Ladies pool has never been of a higher standard than it is now – and long may that continue.

Emma Cunningham continues to head the rankings and is a class act, though the likes of Vicki Lomax and others are chasing hard, and it will be interesting to see who comes put on top in 2021 when we get the tour up and running once more. To wrap things up, a little birdie tells us you have a major new event coming up at the end of January – tell us all the details please as I am sure plenty of our readers will be interested? Yes, we are excited to announce we are hoping to stage an 8-person event in late February (COVID permitting) that will feature 7 of the top IPA Professionals (Ben Davies, Tom Cousins, Mark Farnsworth, Gavin Robinson, Mark Boyle, Liam Dunster, and Clint I’Anson) alongside snooker icon Jimmy White. More details will be forthcoming but it is envisaged this will the first in a series of events that will feature some of the big names from the world of snooker, after all we have seen Mark Allen, Jamie Burnett, Alfie Burden, and Tony Drago taking part with some success in the past. This will undoubtedly raise the profile of the IPA and help bring the sport to a new audience, with new sponsors Onboard Sportswear joining us for the first time, and legendary commentator Jim Wych in charge of the mic, so if you want to know more please go to propool.live for full details (dates, prices, format etc) – I can also tell you that there is an earlybird discount price, so do register your interest before the 21st of January, and fingers crossed any lockdown conditions allow us to get the go ahead!

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

VENUES THAT NEED TO RETURN >> Alex Jerrard - Cluster of Reds Snooker Blog | www.clusterofreds.com <<

hen we return to normality, there will be a lot of catching up to do. Snooker will need to show that it is a truly global sport when it is allowed to. So, now that we are in 2021 and I feel the need to be optimistic, let’s imagine we are back to normal and we can visit great venues across the world on the main tour again. Ronnie O’Sullivan raised the issue of the quality of venues going downhill over the past few years and said he would sacrifice playing opportunities if he could see more ‘class’ put back into the sport. Ronnie requested greater investment into sporting arenas rather than a sole focus on profit. The Rocket said that playing in leisure centres and retail parks instead of iconic arenas has damaged snooker’s image and is one of the reasons behind the sport’s SPOTY drought. I think his arguments are actually justified. Ronnie singled out the K2 Leisure Centre in Crawley in particular, describing it among other things as “a bit of a hellhole”. I went to watch the English Open there two years ago. I enjoyed it there, but it was strange hearing a teacher shouting at her pupils in a different room in the same building while watching the matches. There was a professional event going on! That’s not to say that World Snooker hasn’t tried to bring in newer and different venues. They include the Globus Circus in Bucharest, The Centaur in Cheltenham and Brazil’s Costão do Santinho Resort. Preston Guild Hall, which is one of the sport’s most iconic venues, was reintroduced but the problem, in addition to the inevitable issue of money, is finding places of the appropriate size. It is difficult to find a venue large enough to fit spectators and 128 players, as well as tables, practise facilities, etc. Here is my list below. If you have any more thoughts on which other venues should be brought back once this sorry business is over, let me know. 5. Newport Centre, Wales Newport Centre became one of the first casualties in favour of larger venues to fit in an entire tour of players. Terry Griffiths supported the move, due to better and closer facilities and “the capital city is a more attractive venue 18

for some people”. But on Cardiff’s debut in 2015, Ronnie compared playing at Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff to a shopping mall and nowhere near as good as the Newport Centre. So, what makes the Newport Centre better? The Newport locals are more snooker-savvy and “far more vociferous and supportive to the players”. It also has a history, hosting the Welsh Open seventeen times between 1992-1998 and 2005-2014. Probably the most memorable moment that comes to mind is O’Sullivan’s maximum during his 9-3 victory in the 2014 final. Some even regarded the screw-back on the last red with his opposite hand to be one of the best shots in his career! Problems with bringing back this venue are its size and increased Welsh competition. The Welsh Open has settled in Cardiff and doesn’t look to be moving anytime soon. Venue Cymru in Llandudno could’ve staged a tournament for the sixth consecutive year last year. But the 2020 Tour Championship moved to Milton Keynes due to the pandemic. 4. Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Hong Kong The Queen Elizabeth Stadium has hosted just one snooker event in its

lifetime but it left a lasting impression. The birth of the Hong Kong Masters in 2017 provided its audience with an absolute treat. The eight-man tournament had players from the Top 16 at the time, including Mark Selby, Marco Fu and Ronnie O’Sullivan. The event ended with Neil Robertson beating O’Sullivan 6-3 in the final. It was very lucrative too - £100,000 went

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

to the winner from the £315,000 prize fund. Also included were exhibition matches featuring legends of the sport including local star and multi World Women’s Champion Ng On Yee. A sell-out crowd in the final capped off a captivating tournament debut. Champion Robertson said then that to beat a world-class line-up in front of three thousand people was the best playing experience of his career. It is quite a statement from a player of Neil’s calibre. I’ve been to Hong Kong once and it’s a beautiful city. How can you not love a place where you can see the mountains, the sea, the countryside and the city all in one view? Why haven’t we seen this stage more often? A congested calendar in Asia doesn’t help and travel and costs are also obvious issues. Maybe a tournament every 3 to 5 years might work, otherwise what alternatives might they suggest? 3. Hi-End Snooker Club, Thailand I didn’t know much about the HiEnd Snooker Club in Thailand until two years ago. Both WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson and Vice Chairman Nigel Mawer visited it back in 2017 and Ferguson said that the club “is a shining example of a smoke-free, safe and clean environment where athletes can practice snooker at the highest level”. The venue’s biggest moment was when it hosted the 2019 Women’s World Snooker Championship. Reanne Evans won her record-extending 12th World title, beating Thai hot prospect Nutcharut “Mink” Wongharuthai 6-3 in the final. Evans was highly complimentary about the venue, saying that “the facilities have been top class, the hospitality has been fantastic, it has been well-run and all the people have been brilliant.” Two-time ranking semi-finalist Noppon Saengkham, former professional Kwan Poomjang and Mink regularly practice there. Jimmy White said in his Eurosport interview with Saengkham that Hi-End is one of the clubs he most enjoys going to. As a 19-year-old, Mink compiled her first career maximum at the same club in 2019. The biggie is what tournament to

use the venue for. When it hosted the Women’s World Championship in 2019, it made a statement that the Women’s Tour is getting better and better. The club is world-renowned and certainly one to look out for when the most elite level snooker can be played in that continent again. 2. Stadthalle Fürth, Germany Aside from the German Masters, Germany hosted the Paul Hunter Classic, which has been a pro-am, a PTC and then a ranking event renamed in memory of the late, great, Paul Hunter who won the event in 2004. The prestigious and popular event at Stadthalle Fürth became something that everyone wants to protect. Many players from the very top of the sport have won there, including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Allen, Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy. Sadly, when the Paul Hunter Classic became a ranking event between 2016-18, things began to decline. People seemed to regard it as a ‘lesser’ ranker because of its short format, its Bo7 final and relatively little prize money. The top players chose not to participate in favour of, understandably, much more lucrative events. It was demoted to an invitational, non-televised, 16-man event and then cancelled the following year due to the pandemic. The community living around the Stadthalle thoroughly enjoyed the Paul Hunter Classic. The audiences are incredibly passionate and knowledgeable. Michael Holt remarked that 2,000 people watched the final in 2006 and the 2019 champion Barry Hawkins even went as far as to say

that the fans there “are some of the best in the world.” Even during its PTC days, over 200 professional and amateur snooker players turned up with amateurs getting great experience and exposure playing against the professionals. 13-year-old amateur Ben Mertens made his debut at a professional ranking tournament there with a win over then professional Adam Stefanów in 2018 and hot prospect Iulian Boiko qualified a year later. I think Stadthalle should focus on being a really significant part of the amateur circuit. It’s easily accessible for European amateurs, Fürth has a phenomenal fanbase and has a prestigious history for the entrants to live up to. The incentives could include the inclusion of some professionals and a place in the Speed Snooker Challenge, which they had in 2019, for the most successful. It does have the basis of a brilliant snooker festival. 1. Goffs, Republic of Ireland Goffs was the former home of the Irish Masters between 1987-2000. Many world champions and other legends have won at this venue including John Spencer, Terry Griffiths, Alex Higgins, Ken Doherty and Stephen Hendry. Steve Davis dominated the Irish Masters, winning it eight times between 1983 and 1994. Tobacco sponsorship was outlawed in the Republic of Ireland in 2000, forcing the Irish Masters to move to Citywest Hotel, Saggart, where it stayed till 2005. It hasn’t been used on the main tour for over ten years now. Since 2017, the Seniors Irish Masters has been ever-present, except 2020

for obvious reasons. White won the 2019 title and Davis lifted the trophy the year before, whitewashing Jonathan Bagley 4-0. This was Steve Davis’s last competitive outing. It’s amazing how many players rate the venue so highly. In his book, Me And The Table, Stephen Hendry gives Goffs a place among the Top 5 venues he played in. Ronnie O’Sullivan admitted that it is the best venue he has ever played in. O’Sullivan said: “It’s the only time where I’ve played when you hear people say ‘the hairs on the back of your neck stand up’ that was the one time it did.’” Bringing Goffs back feels like a no brainer but it won’t be big enough to fit two tables. As a result, Goffs wouldn’t have the potential for hosting the European Masters but its 12-man invitational format was always a roaring success. They could bring in the best Irish talent alongside some of the best players in the world. It would be brilliant!

DONATE TO THE CHALK

We hope you’ve been enjoying The Chalk, the first ever digital magazine in snooker. As you can imagine it takes a lot of time and effort from everyone here to produce the magazine and we could not do it without the great team of writers who contribute to the columns each month. We never want to set a price for the magazine, or charge, but we also understand selling advertising is hard at the moment, so we have added an option to donate to The Chalk via the donate button below to help with our costs. We hope you understand that we love providing the content and magazine but we need to start covering costs. The Chalk Team

CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR VISIT WWW.THECHALK.CO.UK

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

THE 2020 SCOTTISH OPEN – REVIEW

>> BY MONIQUE LIMBOS - RETIRED MATHEMATICIAN WHO LOVES SNOOKER AND PHOTOGRAPHY <<

ark Selby successfully defended his Scottish Open title, beating Ronnie O’Sullivan by 9-3 in the Final. This victory brought Mark’s tally of ranking events to 19. Mark has now won his last 11 ranking finals, tying Stephen Hendry’s record. It also means that he remains undefeated in the Home Nations Scottish Open, having now won 14 matches consecutively in that particular event1. As usual, I will now look at each round’s highlights and talking points. The last 128 Neil Robertson, who had beaten Judd Trump in a deciding frame to win the 2020 UK Championship, in the small hours of the morning this tournament was due to start, understandably withdrew. Judd Trump though didn’t, which is very much to his credit. He was due to play on the first day, Monday, but, quite rightly his first round match was postponed to the Tuesday. Their home tournament didn’t bring any good luck to the Scottish lads, as only John Higgins and Alan McManus progressed to the next round: Fraser Patrick, Michael Collumb, Scott Donaldson, Graeme Dott, Anthony McGill, Gary Thompson and Stephen Maguire all lost their opening match. Stephen Maguire took it particularly badly: after his defeat he slammed the “snooker bosses”, claiming that they don’t care for the Scottish players and never did: “They don’t care about Scottish people, do they? Let’s be honest, they never have and they never will. We just have to follow those guidelines, travel wherever they say we have to travel, and that’s part of the job. They don’t care about Scottish people. There’s too many bigger players in England, or the world, to care about us. I knew I shouldn’t have come down. “I wasn’t ready to come down and I got what I deserved there. I’ve just had enough of the hotel – it’s too much for me. It’s too much to be away locked in a room. I’ve asked but I’m not allowed to stay in an apartment for some reason, whereas other boys are all mixing. I’m not allowed to stay away and keep myself safe. Whatever the guidelines are, they’re all messed up, but I got told the tournament’s bigger than me and I’d be withdrawn if I stayed in an apartment. In a way, I wish I did. I might as well have been withdrawn the way I played. I’m not saying I’d play better snooker, but I’d be 20

a lot happier. That room, in there, takes a strong mind to stay in there all the time, and I’ve obviously not got that. I just can’t wait to go home and relax and get away from this place for a while. It is tough. I’ve just had enough. I’ll enjoy Christmas, forget about it, and it’s not a big deal. I’ll come back and refresh next year.” (Source: The Scotsman). Clearly, the current situation and Milton Keynes are taking their toll on some players. Whilst this is understandable, I don’t think it’s anything to do with being Scottish. Only a few English players probably live close enough to Milton Keynes to be able to drive, alone, to the venue before, and back home after every match, and even when it’s possible, surely it isn’t ideal when it comes to match preparatio?. The Ronnie O’Sullivan v Alan Taylor match provided another talking point. Indeed, Alan went 2-0 up and in each frame Ronnie played on, despite needing too many snookers to realistically have a chance to rescue the frame. The pundits made it clear that he was within his rights, but many fans didn’t like it, some branding it disrespectful. This was Ronnie’s explanation when asked about it in the Eurosport Studio: “I just use the matches as practice now. I had done about two hours [practice before the tournament] and I would rather play in all the tournaments and use them as practice. I haven’t got a practice facility. I just need table time. I have got an hour and 50 minutes in

tonight, and that means I have just got to get another six hours and that is a good week for me. I wanted Allan to carry in playing in the third frame I was gutted when he conceded. I just enjoy playing. “I like being able to play some safeties without the pressure of thinking if I miss I will lose the frame. These tables play so good that if you can get as many shots in as you can, why not? We are not going anywhere are we? I enjoy being out there when the tables are so fantastic. There is no better place to get practice than on a match table.” Most fans would assume that Ronnie has a table at home. This isn’t the case (anymore). Some players prefer to keep their job separated from their family life, for various reasons, and Ronnie is one of them. One Scotsman who was happy though is Craig Williams. Craig had only recently been able to don the white gloves after a horrific car accident that left him with brain injuries and he was the man in the middle when Zhou Yuelong made a 147 in the third frame of his match against Peter Lines. It was the first 147 for Craig Williams, the second2 for Zhou, and you can watch it online. Other than Stephen Maguire two more members of the top 16 fell at first hurdle: Yan Bingtao and David Gilbert. There were also unexpected defeats for: Gary Wilson, Martin Gould, Ryan Day, Kurt Maflin and Joe Perry. Judd Trump defeated Alexander Ursenbacher, Ronnie’s conqueror at the 2020 UK Championship, by 4-1.

“THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT SCOTTISH PEOPLE, DO THEY? LET’S BE HONEST, THEY NEVER HAVE AND THEY NEVER WILL. WE JUST HAVE TO FOLLOW THOSE GUIDELINES, TRAVEL WHEREVER THEY SAY WE HAVE TO TRAVEL, AND THAT’S PART OF THE JOB.”

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

Stephen Maguire following his defeat in the Scottish Open

The round also produced two remarkable scorelines: Mark King beat Chen Zifan by 4-0, denying his young Chinese opponent a single point, and Steven Hallworth beat young French amateur Brian Ochoiski, by 4-1, in a match that featured seven half centuries in five frames. 1. Mark Selby had never entered the Scottish Open before last season, in 2019 2. The first came at the 2019 Indian Open, against Lyu Haotian. The last 64 The second round saw the last standing Scots exit the tournament as John Higgins was beaten by Noppon Saengkham (4-2) and Alan McManus lost to Lyu Haotian (4-2). Jack Lisowski was forced to withdraw, suffering from a bout of food poisoning. As a result Sunny Akani got a bye to the last 32. Other than John Higgins, from the top 16, only Thepchaiya Un-nooh fell at this stage, losing 4-1 to Lu Ning. It was an unremarkable round overall. One match though was of particular importance for both players involved: Mark Allen versus Joe O’Connor.. Indeed, the 2020 Scottish Open was the last event counting towards the 2020 World Grand Prix. The World Grand Prix is a ranking event, and a lucrative one. It is contested between the top 32 players on the one year list at that stage of the season. Ahead of their match, Allen was provisionally 31th on that list and Joe O’Connor 33th. Mark Allen prevailed by 4-2, but he knew full well that he wasn’t “safe” just yet, and he made that clear in his post-match interview: “He made it very tough for me and on another day he would have been on the right end of that result, he looked sharp and the only balls he missed were very tricky and from under the cushion. I still scored reasonably well, but I need to sharpen up over distance. I obviously have one eye on the World Grand Prix, I’m not going to lie. I have to take care of business here. I am trying to win the Scottish Open and if I get close to doing that it will take care of next week.” The last 32 Of the 16 matches in this round, 13 were won by the highest seed. The most notable exception was Jamie O’Neill’s 4-2 win over Shaun Murphy whose preparation so far this season has been seriously disrupted by the social distancing and quarantine rules enforced in Ireland. Barry Hawkins had to fight hard to beat Liam Highfield: the match went the distance and both players had two centuries: Barry had a 103 in frame 1, Liam replied with a 126 in frame 2, in frame 5, Barry bettered that with a 132, only for Liam to respond with a 140. That 140 was a very special break: indeed, it was a rare 16-reds clearance. With all reds still on the table, Barry failed to make contact

with a ball on whilst attempting a “thin” safety but still snookered Liam on all reds. Liam was awarded a free ball, nominated brown, and cleared the table from there. The last 16 Five of the last 16 matches went to a deciding frame and the round produced a couple of upsets, albeit no major ones. Ricky Walden beat Mark Allen by 4-3. It’s easy to forget how good Ricky was around 2014-2015 because, since then, his career has been completely derailed by back injuries. Ricky has won three ranking events: the 2008 Shanghai Masters, beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the Final, the 2012 Wuxi Classic, beating Stuart Bingham, and the 2014 International Championship, beating Mark Allen. He also won the 6-reds World Championship in 2008. In March 2015 he was ranked 6th in the World. When on form, he’s a very entertaining player to watch. His ranking – 46th at the time of this match – is not a fair reflection of his ability. Li Hang is unspectacular but extremely capable and very apt at hard match play: he beat Stuart Bingham by 4-3. Ronnie beat Robbie Williams fairly easily, by 4-1, but felt that playing on the main table made things unfairly difficult for his opponent. In his post-match with Eurosport, he pleaded for lower ranked players to have the opportunity to practice on the main table, because, as it is, they are put at a disandvantage. This is what he said: “I feel sorry for Robbie, as I think they should change it. He has played all his matches on the outside tables, he’s grafted for four days and come on now. If he comes up against someone who has been playing their matches on there and he hasn’t he has no chance. They should at least be given an hour, two hours. “I felt sorry for him as I could see he was cueing well. Some of the shots he was hitting, it’s just because of the table. It’s like playing golf at your local course and then going out and being stuck on Augusta and you are hitting it in the lake. It is impossible. They need to change the rule. They work hard for three or four days and are then stuck on that, they have no chance.There was time between my match and tonight. He should be given that chance. He could have gone on after my match. If you’d asked him he would have taken that table time. If they are coming from an outside table to that one – you can’t adapt that quickly, it is impossible.”. Ronnie can be very critical towards the lower ranked players at times, but he’s also one of the very few who speaks for them, asking for changes when he feels that they are put at a disadvantage because of circumstances completely out of their control. This is a fair comment. The quarter-finals Not many would have predicted the quarter-finals line-up, never-mind the

round’s outcome. Ronnie O’Sullivan beat Ding Junhui, and Mark Selby beat Ricky Walden, both matches going the distance. The unexpected though came in the two other matches. Jamie Jones faced Kyren Wilson and beat him very convincingly, by 5-1. It later transpired that Kyren had suffered a car accident shortly before his match. The car was a write-off. Fortunately, Kyren wasn’t badly hurt but still suffered from shoulder and neck pain. Jamie however was unaware of that, and was, understandably, very happy to reach the semi-finals for only the third time of his career. Jamie has only recently regained his tour card via the Q-school, having been suspended for breaching the sports betting rules.3 After this win, he explained how his attitude towards the sport has changed (source WST): “I am very happy with the way I finished the match off. Someone like Kyren can always come back at you. It was a very big game for me. I am used to playing out the back, and being on the TV table was a bit strange. I thought I handled it all very well. My attitude these days, is that I come to the tournament and try my best. If it isn’t good enough I go home and re-gather. In years gone by I was quite hard on myself and if I had a couple of bad results it would affect me for the next tournament. I just try my best, I give 110% every round and I feel my attitude is great now.” Li Hang beat Judd Trump by 5-4. Li Hang came into the match with a game plan and managed to stick to it, despite feeling very nervous towards the end of the match, as he explained in his postmatch interview (source WST): “I was quite nervous towards the end. My hand started shaking, but I have experienced some quite big tournaments in the past years and I tried to settle myself down to get over the line. I did a lot more safety today, because I know Judd is the kind of player that will finish the match in the blink of an eye if he gets the chance. I just focussed more on safety to play against him. I cannot quite believe that I have got a win over Judd. He is in his peak and he keeps winning. I knew I was the underdog, but I feel really relieved and I cannot believe I have beaten him.” To be fair to Judd Trump he had played so much snooker since the start of the season that fatigue was inevitably going to catch him at some point. It probably was a factor in this match. 3 Jamie was NOT found guilty of match fixing, but failed to report an approach he had been aware of. The semi-finals Li Hang went on to give Ronnie O’Sullivan a very stern test in the semifinals round. He lead 4-1, with breaks of 51, 77, 62, 73 and 66, whilst his opponent had a 123 in the only frame he had won at that stage. However, Ronnie turned

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

things around, winning five consecutive frames, with breaks of 84, 87, 93 and 59. After the match Ronnie admitted that he wasn’t sure how he managed that comeback (source WST): “I don’t know how I’ve come out winning that one. I’m really shocked to be honest with you. I’ll take it and it is nice to be in the final. If the other guy is penetrating through the ball and you’re not, then he is always going to boss you about a bit. I had to compete, which I’m quite good at, I’m a bit of a competitor. That gave me a chance to stay in the game. The minute I sensed that something could be turning, I was ready. I’m sure at some point down the line this will do me good. I haven’t played in a lot of tournaments over the last five or six years, I’ve picked and chose. Maybe that has caught up with me a little bit. I’ve never really doubted myself, maybe twice in my career. I get thoughts now that maybe I’m not capable of dominating like I used to. I still do alright and it will be interesting to see if my game can get a bit stronger from playing a few more matches.” The other semi-final was pretty onesided as Mark Selby outplayed Jamie Jones: he won by 6-1, scoring three centuries (123, 128, 101) and a 94. Jamie salvaged some pride with a good 99 in the only frame he won. Understandably, Mark was very happy with his form: “It was more or less a faultless performance. The first frame was a bit edgy, but after that every time I got a chance, I won the frame. It was pretty much the perfect performance. I’m very close to my best form. If you play like that then you can beat anybody on your day. It is good to know my game is still there. Sometimes you question yourself when you are struggling, but I think I’ve been really consistent this season and played well the majority of the time. It has taken a good performance to beat me.” (source: WST) The Final The final was a pretty one-sided affair. The second session didn’t feature an MSI as Mark Selby won the match by 9-3. He quite simply outplayed Ronnie. Maybe, given their respective form throughout the tournament, this was to be expected. Ronnie had no complaints. He battled all week, and did the same in the final, he tried very hard but he made too many mistakes, and Mark was far too good. A delighted Mark Selby declared (source: WST): “To win any tournament is fantastic, but when you are going back as defending champion, it is always nice to try and win it again. You never want to go out early as a defending champion. Thankfully for me, I’ve managed to come here and do a good job. I think I’m 100% in the Scottish Open. I’ve only played in it twice and won it twice. It is fantastic to equal Stephen Hendry’s record for consecutive wins in finals. He is one of 22

“TO WIN ANY TOURNAMENT IS FANTASTIC, BUT WHEN YOU ARE GOING BACK AS DEFENDING CHAMPION, IT IS ALWAYS NICE TO TRY AND WIN IT AGAIN.” Mark Selby after his Scottish Open Final win

the all-time greats and was one of the players I looked up to as a young lad growing up. To equal a record of his is amazing. I had a phase many years ago when I was getting to ranking finals and not converting them into wins. Now it is going the other way. I am a perfectionist and if I’m not doing something how I want it to be, then I get down on myself. I’m always striving to get better. I’m not getting any younger, but there is no reason while you are healthy that you can’t try to get better. That’s what I’m aiming for so I will still be back on the practice table tomorrow working hard for the World Grand Prix.” The tip saga and the confidence game Ronnie used four different tips during the tournament. He bit his tip off after his second round match, got a new one and changed it after the last 16 round, and again after the quarter-finals. After his hard-fought win over Tian Pengfei in the last 32, he was particularly unhappy (source Eurosport): “The tip is not great, I don’t want to make excuses but in the first match I kind of felt I was cueing well so you can override it but when you know something is not right with it, it starts to dent your confidence. I want to put some headphones on as the noise is so bad. When you have a good tip the noise is beautiful. I play snooker by sound and if it sounds good I get a bit of a buzz, but if it sounds bad it’s a hard day at the office.” The bit about the sound might seem weird to the non-player, but the commentators on duty, and Reanne Evans on Twitter mentioned the “bad sound” during the match. After beating Robbie Williams in the

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

last 16 he added (source WST): “Really happy to come through considering the tip. I’ve just got no touch and feel, so mentally you are always battling, no matter how well you play. You can’t hit every shot perfectly and this tip requires you to hit every shot perfectly. There’s no forgiveness in it at all. I was cueing alright, so I could have little spells where it was ok, but I couldn’t keep it going for long enough.” And after the final he declared (source WST): “From that moment onwards I’ve had tip problems and it was like I was on a slide downwards, rather than one going upwards. Each match got worse and worse. It is really hard to turn that around.” It’s clear that the issues with the tip undermined Ronnie’s confidence, and became a bit of an obsession. It’s not the first time that Ronnie has been obsessed with tip issues: during the 2006 World Championship he infamously used 21 of them. Confidence, and a positive frame of mind are extremely important in snooker. Mark Selby had a long lean spell after winning the 2017 World Championship. It all started with a foot injury that disrupted his practice. Earlier in the season, the 2020 European Masters and Scottish Open champion, had mentioned how he changed his approach, trusting his natural ability more, and he praised his coach Chris Henry for the way he transformed his mindset coming into matches. After winning his first match at the 2020 English Open he had said (source: WST): “If you play on instinct it gives you a better chance of playing well. Otherwise you can over-think and that can lead to anxiety and muscle tension. I am trying to just see the shot and play it, rather than having a look around the table first and trying to work the break out. I have never done that in the past so it was alien to me at first, but I am getting used to it now. “On the practice table I play with a nice rhythm, then in the past I was getting to tournaments and trying too hard, as if it was life or death. There are a lot worse things going on in the world than a game of snooker. So I’m just trying to bring that same rhythm and attitude that I have in practice out there on the match table.”. He’s now firmly back in the winning circle and, in my opinion, much more entertaining to watch.. Snooker is played between the ears as much as on the table. When a player struggles with their confidence, for whatever reason, every issue is magnified and it can easily create a downwards spiral. They start looking for solutions to inexistent problems. Those who read Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry biographies will know that it happens even to the best. All detailed results can be found on snooker.org

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM SNOOKER IN 2020 >> BY TOM MOORCROFT <<

ast year is one which will be etched in our memories for ages to come. Thinking twice before walking up to someone on the same side of the road, making sure you have a mask on you before leaving the house and dreaming of being in the pub with a pint in your hand are all things we hope will be left behind as we start up this new year. However, as everyone around the world learned to deal with this sudden change, so did the wonderful game of snooker. When the future of sporting events was hanging in the balance around March, and we were left numb at the thought of no World Championship, millions of people thought our favourite sport may well and truly be left in the dust. This wasn’t the case, as the last eight months we came to evolve, adapt, and most certainly overcome. This was all thanks to one place, which is going to go down in snooker folklore as saving our year. This place was Milton Keynes. I must admit having the Marshall Arena as a hub for world snooker was an uncomfortable sight at first. Having the sanctity of such legendary arenas

as The Crucible and Alexandra Palace traded in for a former basketball arena in South-East England made for unsettling news. However, as we soon learned to understand, having a strong home for world snooker helped solve a world of problems. Goodbye travelling across the UK to attend big ranking events. Hello COVID secure-bubble with on-sight hotel and a guarantee that all safety guidelines were going to be met. Sure, having the Northern Ireland open on English soil was the most unusual sight of all, but with safety at the front of everyone’s minds this was a necessary decision. Hang on, what about not having an audience in the crowd? Well, unlike the high attendance rates of football or rugby across the UK, snooker has always boasted a small and personal crowd. Not having them in for matches was an unfortunate announcement earlier on in the year, but with BBC, ITV and Eurosport gaining rights to stream straight to our living room, it was a small price to pay. I think that one of the best things to come out of this year would be an

understanding that snooker has retained the quality and impact that it always did. Sure, players have been affected by the lack of a crowd, for better or for worse, but they still tied their bowties, polished their shoes and blew the socks off everyone at home. We had a stellar shoot-out between Robertson and Trump in the final frame of the UK Championship, we had an unbelievable 6th World Championship win for Ronnie O’Sullivan, and a fantastic final frame decider between Wilson and McGill which, for many, has been deemed the most dramatic snooker frame of all time. We all watched this from the comfort of our homes, while hundreds of people worked extremely hard behind the scenes to make sure everything was running to plan. With COVID regulations coming and going as quick as London buses its unsure what twists and turns 2021 has in store. But one thing’s for certain, as long as we have snooker on the TV it’s sure to be an exciting year.

james@jrhmedia.co.uk | 07881 237868

www.jrhmedia.co.uk

GOT A STORY? HOLDING AN EVENT?

Get in touch with The Chalk at info@thechalk.co.uk BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

Joe Johnson

Picture by Andy Chubb

1986 World Champion

Snooker Legends

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk