Latest news with #WeAreWST
Metro
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Q School becomes last chance saloon after four survive first event
The final Q School event begins on Monday as the remaining players enter the last chance saloon to join the World Snooker Tour for next season. 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
The National
06-05-2025
- Sport
- The National
Zhao Xintong becomes China's first world snooker champion
Resuming the final session one frame short of victory, Zhao was forced to wait for his history-making moment as the Welsh veteran reeled off four in a row to stretch the match beyond a mid-session interval. Williams, at 50 the oldest finalist in Crucible history, had his chances to further reduce the deficit before Zhao recovered his poise to rocket in match-clinching break of 87, before celebrating by raising the Chinese flag. ZHAO XINTONG IS THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD! 🏆#HaloWorldChampionship — WST (@WeAreWST) May 5, 2025 In doing so Zhao, who earns the famous trophy and a cheque for £500,000, also became the only the third qualifier and the first amateur player to triumph at the Crucible, having lost his tour card in January 2023 for his part in a match-fixing scandal. Zhao had admitted being party to an effort to fix or contrive to fix two matches involving his compatriot Yan Bingtao, the former Masters winner, and despite frequently expressing contrition for his involvement there may be some who believe his triumph is a tainted one. His win over Williams was Zhao's ninth of the tournament, a record for any champion, and his 47th in 49 matches since he embarked on his comeback with a 3-0 whitewash of Lithuanian Vilius Schulte-Ebbert in the inauspicious surroundings of a Q Tour event in Sofia in September. Zhao Xintong denied Mark Williams a fourth Crucible crown (Mike Egerton/PA) Two hundred and twenty-seven days later, Zhao went one better than Ding Junhui, who kick-started the Chinese snooker revolution when he swept to his first of three UK titles in 2005 but had never quite managed to emulate that achievement at the Crucible. Zhao has long been touted as Ding's heir apparent, with Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jimmy White singling him out as a future star soon after he was handed his first tour card in 2016, and three-time winner Williams added to the praise shortly after the bruising afternoon session, describing his opponent as 'probably the best potter I've ever seen'. Williams had defied his own low expectations by forcing his way into his fifth Crucible final and eclipsing the previous record set by his fellow Welshman Ray Reardon who was 49 when he lost the 1982 final to Alex Higgins. Blighted by eye problems and booked in for lens replacement surgery this summer, Williams nevertheless dredged up every inch of his vast experience to edge past fellow veteran John Higgins in a quarter-final classic, then recovered from a 5-1 deficit to sink world number one Judd Trump in the last four. Zhao's lightning start to their seventh career meeting – Williams got the better of a first round qualifying clash in 2017 when he had temporarily slid out of the world's top 64 – effectively ended any hopes the Welshman had of clawing his way back to wrest a fourth world crown. A 7-1 deficit instead raised the prospect of Zhao, who had hammered O'Sullivan with a session to spare in the last four, repeating the feat and becoming the first man to lift the title in an afternoon since Stephen Hendry obliterated Jimmy White in 1993. Mark Williams ran out of steam in his Crucible final against Zhao Xintong (Mike Egerton/PA) Those fears were not eased after a second session that left Williams five frames adrift overnight at 11-6 and it was not until a gutsy break of 67 in the 23rd frame that the Welshman guaranteed the fans – who had forked out for tickets for the Championship's final session – would at least get to witness the historic moment. When Zhao ran aground on a break of 30 in the opener, Williams proceeded to give them more than their money's worth, earning a standing ovation at the interval after reeling off four frames in a row, including his sole century of the final, to reduce the deficit to 17-12. Williams had two chances to further reduce the deficit, before Zhao held his nerve to wrap up a victory that was watched by an estimated 150 million television audience in his homeland.
The Herald Scotland
06-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Zhao Xintong becomes China's first world snooker champion
Williams, at 50 the oldest finalist in Crucible history, had his chances to further reduce the deficit before Zhao recovered his poise to rocket in match-clinching break of 87, before celebrating by raising the Chinese flag. ZHAO XINTONG IS THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD! 🏆#HaloWorldChampionship — WST (@WeAreWST) May 5, 2025 In doing so Zhao, who earns the famous trophy and a cheque for £500,000, also became the only the third qualifier and the first amateur player to triumph at the Crucible, having lost his tour card in January 2023 for his part in a match-fixing scandal. Zhao had admitted being party to an effort to fix or contrive to fix two matches involving his compatriot Yan Bingtao, the former Masters winner, and despite frequently expressing contrition for his involvement there may be some who believe his triumph is a tainted one. His win over Williams was Zhao's ninth of the tournament, a record for any champion, and his 47th in 49 matches since he embarked on his comeback with a 3-0 whitewash of Lithuanian Vilius Schulte-Ebbert in the inauspicious surroundings of a Q Tour event in Sofia in September. Zhao Xintong denied Mark Williams a fourth Crucible crown (Mike Egerton/PA) Two hundred and twenty-seven days later, Zhao went one better than Ding Junhui, who kick-started the Chinese snooker revolution when he swept to his first of three UK titles in 2005 but had never quite managed to emulate that achievement at the Crucible. Zhao has long been touted as Ding's heir apparent, with Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jimmy White singling him out as a future star soon after he was handed his first tour card in 2016, and three-time winner Williams added to the praise shortly after the bruising afternoon session, describing his opponent as 'probably the best potter I've ever seen'. Williams had defied his own low expectations by forcing his way into his fifth Crucible final and eclipsing the previous record set by his fellow Welshman Ray Reardon who was 49 when he lost the 1982 final to Alex Higgins. Blighted by eye problems and booked in for lens replacement surgery this summer, Williams nevertheless dredged up every inch of his vast experience to edge past fellow veteran John Higgins in a quarter-final classic, then recovered from a 5-1 deficit to sink world number one Judd Trump in the last four. Zhao's lightning start to their seventh career meeting – Williams got the better of a first round qualifying clash in 2017 when he had temporarily slid out of the world's top 64 – effectively ended any hopes the Welshman had of clawing his way back to wrest a fourth world crown. A 7-1 deficit instead raised the prospect of Zhao, who had hammered O'Sullivan with a session to spare in the last four, repeating the feat and becoming the first man to lift the title in an afternoon since Stephen Hendry obliterated Jimmy White in 1993. Mark Williams ran out of steam in his Crucible final against Zhao Xintong (Mike Egerton/PA) Those fears were not eased after a second session that left Williams five frames adrift overnight at 11-6 and it was not until a gutsy break of 67 in the 23rd frame that the Welshman guaranteed the fans – who had forked out for tickets for the Championship's final session – would at least get to witness the historic moment. When Zhao ran aground on a break of 30 in the opener, Williams proceeded to give them more than their money's worth, earning a standing ovation at the interval after reeling off four frames in a row, including his sole century of the final, to reduce the deficit to 17-12. Williams had two chances to further reduce the deficit, before Zhao held his nerve to wrap up a victory that was watched by an estimated 150 million television audience in his homeland.
Rhyl Journal
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Zhao Xintong withstands fightback to become China's first world snooker champion
Resuming the final session one frame short of victory, Zhao was forced to wait for his history-making moment as the Welsh veteran reeled off four in a row to stretch the match beyond a mid-session interval. Williams, at 50 the oldest finalist in Crucible history, had his chances to further reduce the deficit before Zhao recovered his poise to rocket in match-clinching break of 87, before celebrating by raising the Chinese flag. ZHAO XINTONG IS THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD! 🏆#HaloWorldChampionship — WST (@WeAreWST) May 5, 2025 In doing so Zhao, who earns the famous trophy and a cheque for £500,000, also became the only the third qualifier and the first amateur player to triumph at the Crucible, having lost his tour card in January 2023 for his part in a match-fixing scandal. Zhao had admitted being party to an effort to fix or contrive to fix two matches involving his compatriot Yan Bingtao, the former Masters winner, and despite frequently expressing contrition for his involvement there may be some who believe his triumph is a tainted one. His win over Williams was Zhao's ninth of the tournament, a record for any champion, and his 47th in 49 matches since he embarked on his comeback with a 3-0 whitewash of Lithuanian Vilius Schulte-Ebbert in the inauspicious surroundings of a Q Tour event in Sofia in September. Two hundred and twenty-seven days later, Zhao went one better than Ding Junhui, who kick-started the Chinese snooker revolution when he swept to his first of three UK titles in 2005 but had never quite managed to emulate that achievement at the Crucible. Zhao has long been touted as Ding's heir apparent, with Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jimmy White singling him out as a future star soon after he was handed his first tour card in 2016, and three-time winner Williams added to the praise shortly after the bruising afternoon session, describing his opponent as 'probably the best potter I've ever seen'. Williams had defied his own low expectations by forcing his way into his fifth Crucible final and eclipsing the previous record set by his fellow Welshman Ray Reardon who was 49 when he lost the 1982 final to Alex Higgins. China's first World Champion 🏆 🇨🇳#MagicMoments | @midnite — WST (@WeAreWST) May 5, 2025 Blighted by eye problems and booked in for lens replacement surgery this summer, Williams nevertheless dredged up every inch of his vast experience to edge past fellow veteran John Higgins in a quarter-final classic, then recovered from a 5-1 deficit to sink world number one Judd Trump in the last four. Zhao's lightning start to their seventh career meeting – Williams got the better of a first round qualifying clash in 2017 when he had temporarily slid out of the world's top 64 – effectively ended any hopes the Welshman had of clawing his way back to wrest a fourth world crown. A 7-1 deficit instead raised the prospect of Zhao, who had hammered O'Sullivan with a session to spare in the last four, repeating the feat and becoming the first man to lift the title in an afternoon since Stephen Hendry obliterated Jimmy White in 1993. Those fears were not eased after a second session that left Williams five frames adrift overnight at 11-6 and it was not until a gutsy break of 67 in the 23rd frame that the Welshman guaranteed the fans – who had forked out for tickets for the Championship's final session – would at least get to witness the historic moment. When Zhao ran aground on a break of 30 in the opener, Williams proceeded to give them more than their money's worth, earning a standing ovation at the interval after reeling off four frames in a row, including his sole century of the final, to reduce the deficit to 17-12. Williams had two chances to further reduce the deficit, before Zhao held his nerve to wrap up a victory that was watched by an estimated 150 million television audience in his homeland.
Rhyl Journal
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Sky's the limit for China's first world champion Zhao Xintong
Williams, a member of the fabled 'Class of '92', conjured comparisons with a young Ronnie O'Sullivan after Zhao withstood a gutsy fightback from the veteran Welshman to wrap up an historic 18-12 victory. Williams said: 'He (Zhao) is as good to watch as O'Sullivan was when he was younger. He just strolls around the table and pots balls from anywhere as if he doesn't have a care in the world. ZHAO XINTONG IS THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD! 🏆#HaloWorldChampionship — WST (@WeAreWST) May 5, 2025 'Xintong is going to be a national hero now. He'll be on the front page of every news outlet going and I'm sure there are Chinese companies ready to throw zillions at him. 'It's great for our sport to have someone at the top who is so attacking and so young.' Resuming the final session one frame short of victory at 17-8, Zhao remained unflappable watching Williams, at 50 the oldest Crucible finalist, reel off four frames in a row to force a mid-session interval. The 28-year-old from Xi'an duly responded with a match-clinching break of 87 before celebrating by wrapping himself in a Chinese flag. 'It's like a dream – I can't believe it,' said Zhao, who also became only the third qualifier and the first amateur player to triumph at the Crucible, having lost his tour card in January 2023 for his part in a match-fixing scandal. Zhao had admitted being party to an effort to fix or contrive to fix two matches involving his compatriot Yan Bingtao – the former Masters winner – and despite frequently expressing contrition for his involvement, there may be some who believe his triumph is a tainted one. 'There was big pressure and I was a bit nervous because I knew I couldn't miss,' Zhao added. 'I knew he could come back so quickly so I had to concentrate and be very careful.' Referencing his 20-month ban that expired in September, Zhao added: 'I had nearly two years not playing in tour competitions and that's why I said my first target was to get through qualifying to the Crucible. 'I can't believe I went on to be champion, but I am back now and I want to keep going.' Zhao's win over Williams was his ninth of the tournament – a record for any champion – and his 47th in 49 matches since he embarked on his comeback with a 3-0 whitewash of Lithuanian Vilius Schulte-Ebbert in the inauspicious surroundings of a Q Tour event in Sofia in September. Two hundred and twenty-seven days later, Zhao went one better than Ding Junhui, who kick-started the Chinese snooker revolution when he swept to his first of three UK titles in 2005 but had never quite managed to emulate that achievement at the Crucible. Zhao has long been touted as Ding's heir apparent, O'Sullivan and Jimmy White singling him out as a future star soon after he was handed his first tour card in 2016. Williams had defied his own low expectations by forcing his way into his fifth Crucible final and eclipsing the previous record set by his fellow Welshman Ray Reardon who was 49 when he lost the 1982 final to Alex Higgins. Blighted by eye problems and booked in for lens replacement surgery this summer, Williams nevertheless dredged up every inch of his vast experience to edge past fellow veteran John Higgins in a quarter-final classic, then recovered from a 5-1 deficit to sink world number one Judd Trump in the last four. But Zhao's lightning start to their seventh career meeting – Williams got the better of a first round qualifying clash in 2017 when he had temporarily slid out of the world's top 64 – effectively ended any hopes the Welshman had of clawing his way back to wrest a fourth world crown. A 7-1 deficit first session instead paved the way to victory for Zhao, who was one frame short of becoming the first man to lift the title in an afternoon session since Stephen Hendry obliterated Jimmy White in 1993. Williams, who is now considering postponing scheduled lens replacement surgery after his surprise run to a fifth Crucible final, added: 'I played well all tournament but unfortunately I was never in the final from the first few frames. 'Some of the balls Zhao potted were unbelievable. I used to feel like that at 27 or 28. To do what he's done, having been out for 20 months then come back and won every game, come here and bashed everyone up in a major tournament, is unbelievable.'
