Mark Selby is the 2014 Riga Open champion, the new world champion coming back from 3-0 down to defeat Mark Allen in a deciding frame this evening and get his season off to a flying start in Latvia.
Click below for more, including a round-up of the key stories from this season’s first European Tour event…
We might still be in June as I write this, but little over a week from now will come the first seedings revision of the 2014/15 season, following the final of the Australan Goldfields Open in Bendigo.
Determining the seedings for this season’s Shanghai Masters, one of just three events remaining under the ‘non-flat’ draw structure, the cut-off marks the first mid-season revision under the new prize money based ranking list.
Click below for my analysis…
So it begins again. Less than a couple of weeks after Mark Selby’s Crucible triumph, the draw is now available for the first event of the new season, the 2014 Wuxi Classic, which you can view here at snookerorg.
While there are a few notable absentees, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Allen, Mark Davis and Pankaj Advani from the top 64 at first glance, otherwise there is a strong field as Neil Robertson looks to defend the title that he won 12 months ago.
It is unclear as to whether any of the three ‘invitations’ will be taking part (eg Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis or James Wattana), it would appear as though the spaces will be there should they want them, otherwise the places will be awarded to the best performing players at the ongoing Q School events.
Five years ago following John Higgins’ victory at the 2009 World Championship at the Crucible, following a similar feature prepared by the BBC, I wrote a blog, predicting how the top eight of the world rankings would look in 2014.
Having been reminded of the article earlier during this year’s World Championship, now exactly five years on I take a look back at accurate my predictions were, all well as attempting to predict how the top eight will look in another five years in 2019…
As the dust settles on Mark Selby’s memorable World Championship victory at the Crucible Theatre, it’s time to look back on the best of my photos from this year’s tournament, including those of the venue, backstage and the people involved in the action…
Day six at the Crucible at after all of the events and announcements yesterday from Barry Hearn (hence no diary), as well as victories for Barry Hawkins, Judd Trump, Marco Fu and Mark Allen as the first round approaches its end.
Click below for a brief look back at yesterday, as well as the latest from day six at the Crucible as the last 16 line-up is completed…
Day four at the Crucible, and following yesterday’s shock win for Michael Wasley against Ding Junhui, the action continued as Alan McManus completed a terrific victory against John Higgins, while Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins also got their campaigns underway…
The three day gap between the conclusion of the final qualifying round for this year’s World Championship and the start of play tomorrow morning at the Crucible makes the job of previewing the tournament ever-more difficult.
But this year I am hopeful that I have been able to do the tournament justice, thanks to the help of former world number 3, turned highly respected snooker analyst Neal Foulds, who spoke with me this morning to help preview each of the 16 opening round matches and offer his thoughts as to who will be lifting the famous trophy on 5th May 2014…