Somewhat belatedly after the season’s second mid-season seedings revision earlier this month, here is my round-up of all the key changes to the seedings following PTC12 which will take effect for the World Open, Welsh Open and China Open tournaments…
- Click here to view the final standings at the second mid-season seedings revision
- Click here to view the new projected seedings list, looking forward to revision three
The Top 16
No Change
There was to be no change to the members of the top 16 at the season’s second seedings revision, however there were to be a few near misses, none more so than Mark Davis who leading Anthony Hamilton 3-2 at PTC11 required just one more frame to claim a place among the elite place at the expense of Ronnie O’Sullivan, only to lose 4-3.
Ricky Walden was another who gave himself a chance, but was not able to gain the points needed from the final two PTC events to usurp O’Sullivan.
17-32
IN
Having knocked on the door of a top 32 place for some time now, Rory McLeod managed to take the final spot at the second seedings revision thanks largely to his successful qualification for the UK Championship with wins against Adam Duffy and Barry Hawkins.
Though he lost narrowly at the venue to Scotland’s John Higgins, he had done just enough to edge out former world champion Ken Doherty.
OUT
Having started the season in fine form, Ken Doherty has dropped outside of the top 32 for the first time since the 2009/10 season, primarily due to his last-gap defeat to Peter Lines in qualifying for the UK Championship in a match that he had at one stage led 5-3.
He is however currently back inside the top 32 on the latest projected seedings list thanks to his dramatic 5-4 victory against Sam Craigie to qualify for the German Masters, having trailed 4-0 at the mid-session interval.
33-48
IN
With nothing to defend on the two-year anniversary of his stint on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, crowd-favourite Jimmy White is back up inside the top 48 for the first time since the 2006/7 season.
While he could not qualify for the televised stages of the UK Championship, an opening match win against Passakorn Suwannawat followed by a steady accumulation of points in the PTC events were enough to see him up to 47th place.
OUT
Despite a run to the quarter-finals of PTC10, dropping out of the top 48 is Stoke Potter Dave Harold who crucially lost out to Adrian Gunnell in qualifying for the UK Championship.
With the points from his only successful venue qualification of the 2009/10 season to be deducted at the next cut-off, Dave will require a strong run at the Welsh Open if he is to stand any chance of reclaiming that place in time for the World Championship.
49-64
IN
Having come so close at the season’s first seedings revision, Michael White has now moved up firmly into the top 64 in 57th place, thanks largely to a semi-final appearance on home soil at the PTC7 event in Gloucester, as well as a run to the last 48 of the UK Championship in December. Can he now stay there?
Joining him is another man who excelled at the UK Championship, China’s Li Yan who without doubt has been the most impressive newcomer so far this season. Winning four matches to make it through to the venue stages in York, he showed enough promise for Shaun Murphy to label him as the most naturally gifted player to have come out of China that he has seen.
OUT
Having struggled for consistency for a while, both Alfie Burden and Joe Swail dropped out of the top 64 at the second mid-season seedings revision having lost their opening matches at the UK Championship qualifiers in Gloucester.
Can they reclaim their top 64 places before the end of the season or will the be forced to enter the Q School if they are to remain on the main tour in 2012/13?