Latest news with #Woollaston
Daily Record
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Snooker star whose wife is World Championship referee gets new job away from the table
Ben Woollaston, who caused one of the biggest upsets at the 2025 World Championship by knocking out fellow Leicester star Mark Selby, has landed a new role with snooker's governing body Snooker star Ben Woollaston, the husband of a leading referee, has secured a new role after achieving his best-ever result at the World Championship. The Leicester potter reached the second round after pulling off a major upset by defeating Mark Selby before being eliminated by Si Jiahui in a 13-10 loss. Woollaston's wife, Tatiana, refereed at the Crucible this year, having made her debut at snooker's premier event in 2020. She also took charge of last season's UK Championship final in York. Naturally, she is not permitted to officiate her husband's matches, not that she would want. She said last year:"I don't spend time with Ben while he's practising to help me refereeing-wise. "He's on the circuit as a player, I'm on the circuit as a referee. We've never really mix that. I'm obviously not allowed to referee his games and I wouldn't want to, to be fair." Away from snooker, Tatiana works as a merchandiser at the head office of clothing retailer Next. Meanwhile, her husband has also taken on a new role away from the table, having been appointed to the WPBSA's governance board. The sport's governing body announced on Wednesday that Woollaston had been appointed as a non-executive director with immediate effect. WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said: "We are pleased to welcome Ben to the WPBSA board, which follows his election to the board of WPBSA players last December. "A professional for over 20 years, Ben has just enjoyed arguably the best season of his career, highlighted by his memorable victory against four-time world champion Mark Selby at the World Championship. Ben is ideally suited to this new role, as a player of great integrity and who is well thought of by his peers. "It has been positive to see him take a keen interest in coaching in recent years, becoming one of our WPBSA 1st4sport Level 2 Coaches and sharing his knowledge with aspiring players of all levels." Meanwhile, Woollaston, 38, said: "I am pleased to join the board of WPBSA Governance and be able to provide representation for player issues at the highest level of our sport. "As a professional snooker player for over 20 years, I have been privileged to see first-hand the development of our sport during that time and to live the highs and lows of competing on the World Snooker Tour. "I look forward to sharing my experience with the team at the WPBSA and to helping shape the future development of our sport, from grassroots level to the professional circuit." The governance board is chiefly tasked with the overall direction and management of the WPBSA, the global governing body for snooker and billiards. Woollaston joins the board as the second player-director alongside Mark Davis, who was appointed in January. The duo will work in tandem with Ferguson, vice-chairman and director Nigel Mawer and governance director Nigel Oldfield.
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Crucible return has built belief
Ben Woollaston says his impressive return to The Crucible after a 12-year gap will give him a much-needed confidence boost in the 2025-26 Leicester cueman's second appearance at the World Championship in Sheffield began with a brilliant victory over friend and practice partner Mark a slow start in his second round match against China's Si Jiahui left him cost him dear as he bowed out 13-10. "It was great to get here and get that monkey off my back," said Woollaston, whose only other outing at snooker's showpiece event saw him lose 10-4 to two-time finalist Ali Carter in the first round in 2013."It will give me more belief. I will remember it forever and it will give me confidence because I battled well. But I need to be more fluent for next season. If I'm faster I play better."His subsequent loss to Si in the last 16 meant he missed the opportunity of facing seven-time Crucible champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals."I see why people think the venue is special," 37-year-old Woollaston added. "It's the best place in the world when playing well - and the worst when you are not."In the first session [against Si] I felt like I didn't have my own arms. I got a bit bogged down in the first session and a half."I threw lots of frames away. At worst I should have been 10-6 up. I was 9-7 down and I didn't know how. It was my own fault."It's really disappointing knowing I could have been playing Ronnie. But beating Mark Selby, however he played, is always difficult."I did a lot of things well in that match and am very proud of that win. It was such a buzz seeing the crowd response and really emotional."
Metro
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Woollaston rates Si's chances against O'Sullivan after Crucible scrap
Ben Woollaston is not convinced Si Jiahui is ready to win the World Snooker Championship and he will have to up his game to have a chance against Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals. Si got the better of Woollaston in the second round, coming through a lengthy scrap to win 13-10 and book a showdown with the Rocket. Neither player was at their best in the last 16 contest and Woollaston did not feel like he was beaten by the world champion in waiting. He did, however, rate Si's safety game and could not fail to be impressed by his stunning long potting. Asked if the 22-year-old is ready to life the trophy in Sheffield, the Englishman said: 'I'm probably wrong but I don't think so. 'He's hard to play, some of the balls he pots are just unbelievable. It felt like the whole match he went for so many and I can only remember a couple of times he left me in. I just thought, he can't get away with so many every day. 'His safety was actually better than a few of the Chinese players, I'd say. That's probably why he's done well here. Unless you're [Zhao] Xintong, ridiculously special, over these matches you do need some safety game and he has got that.' Woollaston was impressed with how Si seemed to get stronger at the business end of the contest, playing his best stuff when many would be hit by nerves at 10-10. 'Against Ronnie, every day is different, but he will have to play better,' Woollaston said. 'But he was good from 10-all, I thought he'd be maybe edgy, but that was the strongest he played in the whole match. 'That gives him a chance, if he gets better at the hardest time in the match, that's a sign of a great player. He's done well here three years in a row and he's so young. The long potting is what I'll remember, I think I can pot some silly balls, but he's something else. 'The frustrating thing for me was that tactically I was all over him the whole match, I just couldn't convert my chances.' Si has already established a brilliant Crucible pedigree, reaching the semi-finals on debut in 2023 and beating Mark Williams in his opening round last year. Capable of mind-boggling potting, Si will be a threat to O'Sullivan having beaten him already this season, but he too knows he will have to improve. 'It was tough, because neither of us played very well. It was exhausting — mainly mentally exhausting. In the end, I relied entirely on my willpower to win,' said Si after his win over Woollaston, but before O'Sullivan had won his second round match over Pang Junxu. More Trending 'I think I wanted to win too badly. I put too much pressure on myself, which made my performance worse. To be fair, my opponent was also playing in the last 16 at the Crucible for the first time, and he wasn't playing very well either. Overall, both of us didn't play to a high standard. 'No matter who my next opponent is, I hope I can show my best level. That would make me very happy. If it's Ronnie, I think I will feel much more relaxed mentally. Losing to him would be very normal — it wouldn't be upsetting. 'If my mindset is right, I'll be able to play more freely and aggressively. I hope I can perform better in the next round.' Steve Davis picked out Si as the 'weakest performer' of the quarter-finalists, but the Chinese star has the chance to turn all that around against the Rocket, starting at 2.30pm on Tuesday. MORE: Judd Trump defends Luca Brecel from criticism ahead of mouth-watering Crucible clash MORE: Ronnie O'Sullivan speaks out on 'worst thing I've ever done in snooker' MORE: Mark Williams boasts brilliant record against John Higgins at World Snooker Championship
Daily Record
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
I shocked Mark Selby at the World Snooker Championship and won't be texting him for advice
Ben Woollaston has joked that he won't be asking Mark Selby for advice, after knocking his pal out of snooker's World Championship. The two Leicester potters met in the first round at the Crucible, with Woollaston shocking four-time world champ Selby 10-8 after a mammoth two frames. That sets up a second round clash with Si Jiahui for Woollaston, but he admits it's probably a bit too soon to ask his pal - who boasts as flawless record against the Chinese player - for advice. Speaking to SportsBoom , Woollaston said: "Mark didn't play his best, but that doesn't matter at all. He's still really, really difficult to beat, especially here. 'It's the best win I've ever had. Everyone says when I got to the final of the Welsh Open, which was massive. I'd say my biggest win was beating Mark Williams in that full house in Wales. But this was far, far bigger. "I won't be messaging him for a few weeks," he laughed. 'If I didn't draw him, I'd be willing him on. I think it's about time he won a fifth world title, so yeah if I hadn't played him, I'd be willing him on to win it." A gutted Selby meanwhile branded his own showing "pathetic" but was delighted for Woollaston. He said: "I didn't deserve to win. Ben played some great stuff, his safety was unbelievable at times but I still had my chances. It was pathetic really from me, to play like that is disappointing. "It's the same old story, I try too hard and stop myself from playing. I love Ben to bits, I've known him for years. I grew up with him and have seen him progressing. "It was tough. From start to finish I didn't play anywhere near where I can play. I probably didn't deserve to win throughout the match the way I played. "I was poor from start to finish and Ben played well, he played some good match snooker. His safety was second to none." Follow Record Sport on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the-minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here . Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football. Listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On , every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
Telegraph
25-04-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Snooker player who blamed Covid vaccine on health issues knocks out Mark Selby
The Crucible produced another extraordinary story on Thursday night as Ben Woollaston, a journeyman player who claims to have suffered long-term health issues following a Covid vaccination four years ago, dumped out four-time world champion Mark Selby 10-8 in a late-night thriller. Woollaston, 37, who was making a first Crucible appearance in 12 years, has faced a lengthy battle to return to snooker's top tier after what he says was a direct reaction to a Covid jab in May 2021. He said has suffered 'blackouts' and being 'unable to stand for about six months'. Although not officially diagnosed, the Leicester-born qualifier says he 'passed out' soon after the jab, adding his symptoms continued once he made it home. It eventually led to him 'sleeping 18-20 hours a day'. Even today, he says he cannot bowl more than a few balls at his son in the garden before he needs to lie down. 'It's from the vaccine, it happened from that day, May 2021,' Woollaston claimed in an interview earlier this season. 'I passed out after having it. I couldn't stand for about six months. I'd never passed out in my life but I had that same feeling for about six months. Standing in the garden, standing in the shower, I felt like I was going to pass out. 'I couldn't sleep enough. I literally woke up to eat because I was sleeping 18-20 hours a day. I put loads of weight on because I was just eating and sleeping. It was awful. I'd hit the ball and forget, just for a split second. 'I could miss absolutely anything, it was a bit of a lottery. I was playing with closed eyes on a few shots. I have it less frequently now but it's frustrating because it's unpredictable. I was in the top 32 for about six years in a row. I'd never thought about dropping off the tour but, at one time, I couldn't see how I could stay on.' Despite undergoing an array of scans and tests, doctors have yet to pinpoint Wollaston's precise condition. Woollaston, who is married to referee Tatiana Woollaston, added: 'To be honest, they don't really have a clue. It's been hard on my wife. To be sincere, only my wife and my mum genuinely grasp what it's like. 'I probably wouldn't believe it if it was someone else [because], it's weird, isn't it? It's hard to understand because the specialists don't even understand it. They don't know what to do. 'I don't know if it's chronic fatigue syndrome. That's only what one doctor has told me but that was on video call, so how would he know? Something's made me poorly from the vaccine but I don't know what.' Woollaston's victory was well received by the crowds at the Crucible who were all well-aware of his health issues. He was introduced at the start by presenter Rob Walker, who referred to him as 'the flame-haired assassin of Leicester'. 'How fantastic to see this player healthy again following long-term issues following his Covid jab,' Walker added. "𝗪𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲!" Ben Woollaston defeated four-time world champion Mark Selby 10-8 in a late-night Crucible thriller 🔥 #WorldChampionship — TNT Sports (@tntsports) April 25, 2025 Six-time world champion Steve Davis also picked up on Woollaston's story in commentary, referring to an interview Woollaston had given when he recalled his hand 'shaking a lot' and said there was 'no sign of that now, which is good'. He also told the story of Wollaston collapsing immediately following his Covid jab, and then again after getting home. Woollaston, whose only ranking event final came at the 2015 Welsh Open, in which he lost to John Higgins, was trailing 5-4 in his first-round match against his friend and fellow Leicester native Selby following Wednesday's opening session. But he started his fightback by taking the first two frames on Thursday evening's resumption. And he then emerged victorious from a topsy turvy session in which both men had their chances. Selby eventually offered his friend a handshake in a tense 18th frame in which he was left needing two snookers. Woollaston was understandably emotional after the biggest win of his career. 'I'm in shock really,' Woollaston said to BBC Four. 'I never thought this day would come, winning a match at the Crucible, and against Mark, who except for Ronnie O'Sullivan is probably the king of the Crucible in recent times. It's an amazing win for me.'
