Q School becomes last chance saloon after four survive first event
Four survived the nerve-shredding tension of the first event on Monday, with the quartet of Liam Pullen, Alexander Ursenbacher, Mateusz Baranowski and Oliver Brown winning two-year tour cards in Leicester.
Poland's Baranowski is the only first-time professional of the four and caps off an impressive season on the amateur circuit with a move up to the elite level.
The 27-year-old credits his role as a coach with junior players in Poland for his improved temperament at the table.
Speaking to WST after securing professional status for the first time, he said: 'It is a crazy feeling. I didn't play my best game, but I was fighting and I was a lot more confident than last year. This is the first time I've come here and believed that I could do it.
'I've always wanted to play with professionals. This was my dream 20 years ago, when I started playing. To be honest I lost hope and I stopped playing in a lot of tournaments. It was always the same. I was going to tournaments and playing 10 percent of my game.
'In the past sometimes I have given up, but when I started coaching I knew they would be watching me. I needed to always play my best, even if I play badly. I tell them to focus and just give everything. I decided that I have to do the same. That has worked and I have been more focussed. I always say to my students, don't give up and fight. Make sure you do your best.'
"I have to do what I tell them… don't give up, fight!" ❤️Mateusz Baranowski coaches Poland's Junior Team — and it's their inspiration that helped secure a maiden pro tour card! 💪🇵🇱Watch interviews with all four #QSchool winners on WST Play. — WST (@WeAreWST) May 27, 2025
Switzerland's Ursenbacher has long been seen as a player who can do damage in the game, reaching a ranking semi-final as long ago as 2017, reaching number 41 in the world rankings and beating Ronnie O'Sullivan on tour three times.
However, this is now the third time the 29-year-old has come through Q School and he hopes that a change in mindset and discipline will mean he will not be back scrapping for professional status again.
'I've changed my mindset a bit. I just can't keep doing this for much longer. I don't know how I keep doing it, my record in Q School is quite good. I'm just really proud and I want to make the next step now,' he said.
'I want to do what I dreamed of as a kid. I'm getting older and I see all these youngsters achieving stuff. You see the likes of Xintong winning the World Championship. At some time you have to stop kidding yourself.
'You can talk all you want, but actions count and words mean nothing. I've always said what I think and what I feel, but discipline was a big problem for me. I know if I put the work in I will get results.'
30-year-old Brown is the oldest of a young set of winners in Q School Event 1, returning for a second stint on tour after dropping off in 2024.
Pullen, still just 19 years old, comes through Q School for a second time, immediately returning to the pro ranks after losing his place at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Both Asia-Oceania Q School events have now been completed as well, with Thailand's Chatchapong Nasa, 27, and the Chinese trio of Liu Wenwei, 21, Xu Yichen, 38, and Zhao Hanyang, 25, winning their places on tour.
All four will be making their debuts on the professional tour in the coming season.
Q School Event Two now runs from May 27 to June 1 in Leicester, with four more two-year tour cards available for the hopefuls.
Picking a quartet of survivors will be extremely difficult, with a number of hugely experienced former professionals still in the field.
The likes of Anthony Hamilton, David Grace, Alfie Burden, Barry Pinches, Hammad Miah, Stuart Carrington and Ian Burns all have a wealth of experience on the World Snooker Tour and are fighting to return there.
There are also plenty of players looking to join the professional circuit for the first time who are more than capable of doing so, with three of them losing in the final round of Event One. More Trending
Germany's Umut Dikme was beaten by Pullen, Ryan Davies lost to Ursenbacher and Patrick Whelan was downed by Baranowski.
The wide range of remaining contenders – from 14-year-old Shaun Liu to 69-year-old Tony Knowles – will be whittled down to just four survivors on Sunday.
After Q School is wrapped up, just one more place on the 2025/26 professional tour is still up for grabs, with the All Africa Championship played later in June and the winner offered a two-year tour card.
Table One of Q School is available to watch on WST's YouTube, while two tables are available to stream on WST Play.
MORE: Barry Pinches names career highlight, biggest regret and 'crying shame' in snooker
MORE: Alfie Burden talks World Seniors redemption, online abuse and Q School bloodbath
MORE: The 10 greatest graduates from snooker's Q School as latest hopefuls attend class
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Resurgent Neil Robertson reveals decision that has 'transformed his life'
Neil Robertson is back at the top of snooker after feeling that things could not get much worse just 18 months ago and he credits a transformative decision for his resurgence. The Thunder from Down Under edged Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-9 to win a brilliant Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters final on Saturday in Jeddah. After building a substantial lead at 7-2, Robertson found himself 9-8 down, before forcing a decider and making a good break to down the seven-time world champ. That saw the Australian pocket the £500,000 top prize and shoot up to number three in the world rankings after a fine week which also saw him beat the likes of Mark Selby and Ali Carter. It is a far cry from just last year when he missed out on a trip to the Crucible after falling out of the top 16 in the rankings and losing in World Championship qualifying. 'This is a huge rebound from right at the bottom,' Robertson said on Sunday night. 'Things couldn't have been any worse for me 18 months ago. So to be able to come back the way I have I think this is a feel good story.' Given the context of the victory and who it was against, Robertson reckons it is the finest of his career, and he is sure it could not have happened without the new team he has set up of sports psychologist Helen Davis and coach, mentor and friend Joe Perry. The 43-year-old especially heaped praise on Davis, who he started working with last season, as life-changing. 'I always thought I was really strong mentally, which I am, but I think when you see an actual specialist, a sports psychologist…and you look at tennis players and golfers, they're always thanking their team whenever they win you know that's the first people they thank is their team,' he said. 'That's what I've managed to set up with with Helen Davis, who's worked with Wimbledon champions, and with Joe. 'At the start of the summer the three of us were on a Zoom call and we talked for about two hours about what is the plan for the season, the mindset, the style of play, what we want to achieve and to see it all come together so quickly is amazing. 'Helen has just transformed my life, she really has. The first meeting with her I was just like: 'Wow I really want to do!'' Robertson has also been working on his fitness, which he feels helped him over the line on Sunday after O'Sullivan bounced back from 7-2 behind to draw level at 7-7 and then the match went all the way to a deciding frame. 'Physically I'm in the best physical shape I've ever been in,' he said. 'I lose that final all day long last year because I wasn't. 'Even though I had improved a lot in a lot of things I still wasn't physically where I'm at. Where I'm at now is really strong, I didn't feel tired at all or at any point this week and that's probably the first time I think I've won an event where that didn't happen.' Back among the very elite of the game, questions will again be asked of Robertson's Crucible credentials as he has not been to the World Championship final since he won the title in 2010. The Saudi Arabia Masters was Robertson's 26th ranking title so his relatively poor record in Sheffield is confusing and he admits doubts had crept in over whether he could overcome it. 'I'm not obsessed about winning another world title as probably I have been the last six or seven years but this was the type of win that tells me within myself I can definitely do it,' he said. 'There has been sort of some doubts. 'But to beat the players that I have this week, to beat Ronnie in a final when he comes back at you like that. I've never experienced anything like that before in my life.' The brilliant final was played between two players who have the utmost respect for each other and while O'Sullivan was obviously disappointed to lose, he does wish Robertson every success. 'He calls me pretty frequently,' Robertson said of the Rocket. 'He wants to see me win more world titles and more tournaments, he really wants to see me do well. To have that kind of relationship with him is incredibly special. 'He's one of the inspirations for me. Growing up as a kid there's no way I would have thought as a 14 or 15 year old that I'll be competing against Ronnie in major finals or I'll be where I am today 30 years later. More Trending 'It's got to go down as one of the greatest finals of all time. To be a part of that and to be on the right side of it as well. 'I also believe if he's playing anyone else in the world then he probably wins today. I think from 7-2 to 7-7. I'm not too sure…maybe Judd [Trump] or Kyren [Wilson] could possibly withstand that 'To be able to withstand the pressure and to be the first person who stood up to him this week when he's come back like an absolute freight train, that's more pleasing than if I went on to win the match 10-4 or 10-5. To win it in this this way from 9-8 down and the two breaks I made the last two frames, just amazing.' MORE: Ronnie O'Sullivan makes historic two 147s in stunning Saudi Arabia Masters semi MORE: Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters 2025 results, schedule, TV channel and prize money MORE: How Chang Bingyu has exploded back from match-fixing ban to become snooker force
Metro
6 hours ago
- Metro
Why Neil Robertson conquering Ronnie O'Sullivan in Saudi Arabia is his best win
Neil Robertson has won pretty much everything in snooker and he reckons his 10-9 victory over Ronnie O'Sullivan in Saturday's final of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters is his greatest acheivement. After O'Sullivan's double-147 masterclass in his semi-final win over Chris Wakelin, there was a lot of expectation on the showpiece between the Rocket and the Thunder from Down Under. It did not produce the same absurd level of quality as O'Sullivan's previous match, but it was still a very high standard and crucially delivered on drama as well. Robertson looked like he was going to extract any tension from the situation when he took a 7-2 lead, but the 49-year-old roared back to level the match at 7-7. O'Sullivan went ahead at 9-8 and looked likely to pull off an incredible comeback before the Australian forced a decider and got over the line with a great break in the last. The 43-year-old pockets a whopping £500,000 for his brilliant win in Jeddah, but it appeared to be the fact he had beaten O'Sullivan to do it, rather than the cash, that was stirring his emotions most. 'I can't possibly explain in words what it means,' Robertson said on TNT Sports after his win. 'To play Ronnie in a final of this magnitude, growing up as a kid in Australia there's no way in the world I could have dreamt of something like that. 'The way he came back, my god, being in this arena was probably the last place I wanted to be! From 7-2 to 7-7 was incredible, I barely did anything wrong. He was pretty unlucky in the last couple of frames there. 'I'm incredibly grateful to share the stage with him, it's not about winning or losing, it's about me doing my best and putting on a great match for everyone here in Saudi. They're definitely getting their money's worth in these finals the last two years.' Robertson was referencing the first edition of the Saudi Arabia Masters last year in Riyadh which saw Judd Trump beat Mark Williams on the final black in an even more dramatic showpiece. What was more surprising from the champion was that he then rated his Saudi triumph as his greatest, surpassing his 2010 World Championship win. 'I think it surpasses the World Championship because I've had to answer a lot of questions, like can I beat someone like Ronnie in a final of this magnitude?' Robertson explained. 'We've played in many finals before, he's probably won more than me. But to beat him here with so much on the line, it's definitely my best win.' Robertson further put into context what winning a huge tournament means after hitting something of a career low point only last year. Having slipped out of the world's top 16 after a disappointing season, Robertson went to qualifying for the 2024 World Championship and didn't make it through, losing to Jamie Jones in the final round. In Riyadh last year he was still well outside the top 16 and, although he has won the English Open and World Grand Prix since then to address that, this is the biggest success since that slump in his results. The huge top prize takes him back up to world number three, on which he said: 'It feels great. Coming into this tournament last year I was 28 in the world, provisionally 40-something. 'Hopefully my story can inspire younger generations. Never give up, you're going to get ups and downs in sport. It's not about how far you fall, it's about how far you bounce back.' It is easy to think that the money is why Robertson sees this as his best win. Financially it is comfortably his greatest triumph as the Jeddah top prize is double the £250,000 he won at the Crucible back in 2010. Money has to come into it because when he talks about 'a final of this magnitude,' the two-year old tournament, largely played in front of paltry crowds can only boast the magnitude it does because of the huge riches on offer. However, the context of his Saudi win in terms of when it has come in his career and who it came against seem to be more why Robertson puts this one at the top of his incredible CV. Ronnie O'Sullivan – 41 Stephen Hendry – 36 John Higgins – 33 Judd Trump – 30 Steve Davis – 28 Mark Williams – 26 Neil Robertson – 26 Mark Selby – 24 Ding Junhui – 15 Shaun Murphy – 12 Few genuinely thought he was finished as a force when he dropped down the rankings, but as it came past the age of 40, it could not be entirely ruled out. Now to beat the sport's consensus GOAT in a huge final, in dramatic circumstances, when he had to face up to a great surge of a comeback from the Rocket, it proved to himself that he still has everything he has shown in the past to win the World Championship, UK Championship three times and Masters twice. Even for the ever-positive and confident Australian, doubts will have crept in and he appears to have silenced those voices with this victory. When he has hung up his cue in many years' time and looks back on one of the great careers, he may revert back to thinking becoming world champion was the pinnacle, but maybe not, that's up to him. With the renewed confidence that the Saudi trophy on his mantlepiece will give him, there could yet be another World Championship title to come as Robertson's solitary appearance in a Crucible final remains one of the major mysteries of the modern game. O'Sullivan's performance against Wakelin was as good as it gets and he understandably couldn't replicate that against Robertson. More Trending He is still clearly back to competing at the top level, though, after a disappointing last campaign and big changes in his life in and out of snooker. He is playing with a new cue, but more importantly has got married and moved to Dubai, with all these changes seemingly working very nicely for him on the table, despite the narrow loss. Taking defeat well, he said: 'Neil deserved his victory, he was the better player today. I just tried to hang on to him and make a bit of a game of it. I was pleased I did tonight. 6-2 down, he outplayed me, 7-2 down it looked like it could be an early night. I was pleased to take it a little bit longer. 'Neil played the better snooker, probably played the best snooker all week. I came here this week and I would have been happy to win a couple of matches so to get to the final I'm very happy, you can't be too greedy. I was pleased with my performances, disappointed I didn't win, but Neil deserved his victory.' MORE: Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters 2025 results, schedule, TV channel and prize money MORE: How Chang Bingyu has exploded back from match-fixing ban to become snooker force MORE: Ronnie O'Sullivan heaps praise on rival: 'Like playing Hendry in his prime'
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Lucy Charles-Barclay's career was dogged by injuries until she discovered why. Now she's back for another shot at the Ironman world title
Lucy Charles-Barclay is not a household name, and yet she might be the most complete female athlete on the planet. There is no purer sporting test than a triathlon, which makes demands on every muscle in the body, and the Ironman distance takes those demands to ludicrous extremes: running a full marathon after a refreshing 2.4-mile swim and an invigorating 112-mile bike ride, covering the distance from London to Sheffield in eight-and-a-half hours. Charles-Barclay won the Ironman World Championship in 2023 and broke the record for the iconic Kona course in Hawaii, in which the best long-distance triathletes compete through crystal blue waters and black lava fields. She will be back at Kona in a few weeks' time to try to regain the title, and the 31-year-old is in the form of her life after an emotional win at her home race in the London T100 last weekend. Yet the road to this point has been a brutal one, after three years spent battling a series of mysterious injuries from rib fractures to muscle tears to a rip in her hip cartilage, after which she was told she might never race again. She embarked on an investigation into her own anatomy, travelling to Red Bull's high performance centre near Salzburg to undergo testing. 'We really couldn't find a reason,' she says. Finally, last year, she received an answer: a diagnosis for Celiac disease, the serious autoimmune condition triggered by gluten. 'It was a lightbulb moment. Before a race I would carb load, so I would just eat pizza, pasta, all these things. I was basically poisoning myself before going into a big event.' Charles-Barclay had often competed through the pain. She won the Ironman world title after tearing her calf muscle at the start of the marathon, which crept open like a zip so that by the time she finished 26 miles later, it was 14cm long. So when she came to a halt on London's Victoria Dock during last year's T100 race – part of triathlon's new F1-style championship at glamorous locations all over the world – it had to be bad. Her achilles had blown and she was wheeled away on a golf buggy, past the fans who had come out to see her compete in the flesh. 'It was devastating,' she says. It took nearly a year after her diagnosis to feel fully healthy, but a change in diet – swapping out gluten for rice, chicken and eggs – transformed her body's resilience. Last weekend, in almost exactly the same spot where she had broken down the year before, Charles-Barclay overtook her rival Kate Waugh to lead the London race. She reached the finish straight alone, with just enough time to hype a giddy crowd inside the ExCel Centre before lifting the finish tape over her head in triumph. Then she collapsed into the arms of her coach and husband Reece, and the tears flowed. 'It doesn't quite feel real,' Charles-Barclay says, watching back the footage of her winning moment. She is talking to The Independent after a hard morning's training at the London Aquatics Centre in Olympic Park, four days after that T100 victory. 'There's so much emotion in that video. It feels a little bit weird, like it was like a real 'moment', a turning point, proving to myself that I'm back to my old ways and feeling strong again.' There was a poignancy, too, after Charles-Barclay's grandfather died in December. 'He watched all my races, most of them online because I don't race in the UK, so London last year was the final race that he actually came to watch me, and obviously I had to pull out. So it was really, really sad. We had all the family there this year apart from him, but it definitely felt like he was there with me.' Triathlon remains a fringe sport outside of its place in the Olympic Games, but T100 is bidding to change that. Its world tour operates like a Formula One season, with 20 contracted triathletes competing for points and prize money at nine destinations around the world. Races are staged in Miami, San Francisco, Ibiza and Dubai, and the champion at the end of the season scoops £150,000. The 100km competition – somewhere between a regular triathlon and an Ironman – was launched last year as a ploy to build a more consistent narrative, with the best athletes regularly going head to head. The event has lured plenty of big names including Olympic champions Flora Duffy and Alistair Brownlee, while Alex Yee is considering joining the championship next year, which would be a major coup. Triathlon is increasingly attracting the executive class, usurping golf as the go-to hobby of the CEO, but it also has a growing grassroots following. Charles-Barclay has amassed a small army of fans with half a million followers on Instagram, and a line of mostly young girls queued up after her London win to get selfies with their hero. Quietly, she is blazing a trail. 'It makes it all feel so worth it,' she says. 'Sport at this level is incredibly tough, you make a lot of sacrifices, you often feel like it's quite a selfish pursuit training all the time and not seeing family and friends very often. So to feel like you're doing it more than just for yourself, you're inspiring others – hopefully those young kids will grow up and try triathlon or get into sport, so it feels a lot bigger than just swim, bike, run.' Many of her fans were sporting the familiar 'battle braids' hairstyle that has become an essential part of the Charles-Barclay image. 'In my first ever triathlon I just decided to braid my hair to keep it out of the way, and then it became a good luck charm and I would braid my hair before every race,' she says. 'It's like I'm going into battle every time that I'm going to line up for a competition, so it's almost like a confidence thing. It's inspired young girls to braid their hair, whether it's sports day at school, or I've had young women who sit exams and they'll braid their hair just to feel a bit more confident doing it. It's become a real movement that I didn't expect and every time someone shares it online, it's just so amazing to see that.' The Olympics remains triathlon's biggest stage, and there is talk of the 100km format making its debut at the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane. That may come too late for Charles-Barclay, who has never competed at the Games, and she admits it is frustrating not to get the same recognition as those who race over the shorter Olympic distance. 'We deserve it, we work so hard,' she says. 'I definitely don't do it for [recognition] but I feel like if we were given the platform, with more mainstream media sharing that journey, we've got the capacity to inspire so many new people to get involved in this fantastic sport. That's one of the main reasons why I do it.' And, of course, to win. Charles-Barclay is heading to Lanzarote for a five-week training camp before returning to Kona in October, the scene of her greatest triumph. She is, technically, the defending champion on that particular course after the World Championship made an unpopular detour to France last year, when she was out injured. It will be back in Hawaii, and so will Charles-Barclay – somehow, after everything, feeling stronger than ever. Her course record – 8hr 24min 31sec – could even be under threat. 'Hawaii's all about the conditions, so if it's super windy it will be slow on the bike,' she says. 'But I managed to win there with a torn calf, so I do believe I can go faster. I just really want to go there and get the win again.'
