Latest news with #WorldSnookerTour
Wales Online
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
World Snooker Championship star announces retirement after falling off the tour
World Snooker Championship star announces retirement after falling off the tour Anthony Hamilton, who won the German Masters in 2017 and was a former World Championship quarter-finalist, has retired from snooker after 34 years as a professional Anthony Hamilton has called time on his professional career (Image: Anna Gowthorpe/PA Wire ) Anthony Hamilton, once a practice partner of Ronnie O'Sullivan, has announced his retirement after a run of 34 years on the World Snooker Tour. Turning pro in 1991, just a year before O'Sullivan himself hit the professional scene, Hamilton has now brought down the curtain on his top-level career. The 'Sheriff of Pottingham' never quite lived up to what many believed was his full potential. Nonetheless, his career highlights include triumphing at the German Masters in 2017, where he bested Ali Carter in the final for his maiden ranking title. His record also boasts four appearances in the quarter-finals of the World Championship. The Nottingham native had already been contemplating retirement prior to bowing out of qualifying for the 2025 World Championship, which consequently led to the loss of his tour card. Reflecting on his experiences at Q-School, where he failed in his bid to regain his card, he said: "It felt strange playing there, knowing that these could be your last couple of matches. But I'm not going to miss it because the last few years have not been that enjoyable." However, he remains fond of the sport, adding: "I probably love it again now more than I used to. I appreciate it more. I watch it more now than I used to. I love it more and I love players now because I know what they're about. Article continues below Hamilton admits it is a relief to retire (Image: Getty ) "During my prime, I didn't really focus on snooker; my interests lay elsewhere in life. Now, as an older man, I've rediscovered my love for the sport and enjoy watching it again. I'm eager to see what the future holds." O'Sullivan once praised Hamilton, describing him as "phenomenal" and a "great practice partner". In 2021, the Rocket said: "He was phenomenal, still is, just goes ton, ton, ton, ton. It's good for you to play someone like that because it rubs off on you. He was a great practice partner. "He's won the German and had a very good career. It's a compliment, but with his game he should have won more really because he's a very heavy scorer. That's why he's still competing, because of his scoring power. "Plays the right shots, plays the right game, plays in the right spirit. A bit like [Anthony] McGill maybe, plays the game nicely, good cue action, everything's nice. When he does bring his best form, he's like that every day in practice. O'Sullivan rated his practice partner very highly (Image: Getty ) "If he could bring that regularly to the match table, he'd have won multiple titles. I don't know why he hasn't because he's got bottle, he's got everything. It's a strange one. Some players you look at and think they're too good not to have won more. He's definitely one of those." Meanwhile, O'Sullivan, 49, looks set to play on following his comeback at the World Championship, where he made the semi-finals despite complaining of chronic cue issues. How often fans will see the Rocket next season remains to be seen after he missed virtually half of last season. Speaking following his Crucible defeat to eventual champion Zhao Xintong, he announced plans to quit the UK for the Middle East. He said: "I'll still try and play snooker but I don't know what the future looks like for me really. Article continues below "I'm moving away soon so I'll just see how it goes. There's a lot of more important things in life to worry about than a game of snooker."
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ronnie O'Sullivan's 'phenomenal' ex-practice partner retires from snooker at 53
Anthony Hamilton, who was once described as "phenomenal" by Ronnie O'Sullivan, has called time on his 34-year snooker career after failing to regain his tour card One of Ronnie O'Sullivan's favourite practice partners has announced his retirement from snooker after 34 years at the top level. Anthony Hamilton turned pro in 1991 - a year before O'Sullivan and fellow greats John Higgins and Mark Williams - and has been a constant presence on the World Snooker Tour ever since. Although he may not have reached the heights he was capable of, Hamilton's career was still marked by notable achievements, including a ranking title win at the 2017 German Masters and four World Championship quarter-final appearances. Following a loss of form and his tour card, Hamilton attempted to regain his place at Q-School but was defeated by Germany's Umut Dikme, prompting his decision to retire at 53. Hamilton said: "It felt strange playing there, knowing that these could be your last couple of matches. But I'm not going to miss it because the last few years have not been that enjoyable." However, his love for the game remains. He added: "I probably love it again now more than I used to. I appreciate it more. I watch it more now than I used to. I love it more and I love players now because I know what they're about. "Back in my prime, snooker wasn't always on my mind as I had other interests. But now I'm older, I've rediscovered my love for the game and I'm eager to see what the future holds." Hamilton was once praised by O'Sullivan, who described him as "phenomenal" and a "great practice partner" in 2021. The Rocket said: "He was phenomenal, still is, just goes ton, ton, ton, ton. It's good for you to play someone like that because it rubs off on you. He was a great practice partner. "He's won the German and had a very good career. It's a compliment, but with his game, he should have won more, really, because he's a very heavy scorer. That's why he's still competing, because of his scoring power. "Plays the right shots, plays the right game, plays in the right spirit. A bit like [Anthony] McGill maybe, plays the game nicely, good cue action, everything's nice. When he does bring his best form, he's like that every day in practice. "If he could bring that regularly to the match table, he'd have won multiple titles. I don't know why he hasn't because he's got bottle, he's got everything. "It's a strange one. Some players you look at and think they're too good not to have won more. He's definitely one of those." O'Sullivan, four years Hamilton's junior, looks set to play on following his comeback at the World Championship, where he made the semi-finals despite complaining of cue issues. Exactly how often fans will see the Rocket next season is unclear, though. Speaking following his Crucible defeat to eventual champion Zhao Xintong, he announced plans to quit the UK for the Middle East. The Rocket, who has a snooker academy in his name in Saudi Arabia, added: "I'll still try and play snooker but I don't know what the future looks like for me really. "I'm moving away soon so I'll just see how it goes. There's a lot of more important things in life to worry about than a game of snooker."
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Mark Allen makes £100,000 point as he issues proposal to snooker bosses
Mark Allen makes £100,000 point as he issues proposal to snooker bosses Rather than offering snooker's elite their chance at another massive payday, Mark Allen has controversially called for the World Snooker Tour to scrap its latest idea Mark Allen has been praised for calling to scrap one of the World Snooker Tour's latest big ideas (Image: Getty Images ) Snooker star Mark Allen has shown his solidarity with the sport's less celebrated players in response to one of its latest big ideas. That's after advocating for a prize fund to be shared among lower-ranking competitors rather than offering another opportunity for the elite to increase their earnings. The World Snooker Tour (WST) has revealed the 'century of centuries' initiative will return in the 2025/26 season. This scheme, which debuted in the 2024/25 season, awards a £100,000 jackpot to the first player to achieve 100 centuries. The inaugural winner was world No. 1 Judd Trump, who reached his 100th century of the season at the Crucible in April. The Bristolian therefore added a substantial sum to his already considerable wealth, mopping the floor with the competition. However, Allen believes the money would be better spent supporting those further down the rankings. And his call for revolution has been championed by many fans who agree it would be a better spend of the funds. Snooker journalist Phil Haigh commented on the renewal of the 'century of centuries' campaign, suggesting it incentivises top players to participate in as many tournaments as possible. Yet considering Trump's recent dominance, Haigh questioned whether the initiative might simply become "a 'Can Judd Trump Buy Himself Another Car?' campaign." Article continues below In response, Allen suggested on X (via the Daily Express): "Why not take the 100k and run a side event during one of the players series tournaments for those not qualified? I think there's loads on offer for the top players as it is." Judd Trump won the inaugural 'century of centuries' prize fund (Image: Getty Images ) The remark puts the WST under scrutiny to reassess its player reward system and consider how many players can realistically benefit from such funds. There's an onus on the organisation to reward its biggest stars, but many smaller-profile players may struggle to maintain a career at all without lower-scale prizes on their level. To put the figures into perspective, only twice before this season has anyone completed 100 centuries in a season. Neil Robertson was the first to do so in 2013/14 before Trump managed the feat six years later in the 2019/20 campaign. 'The Ace In the Pack' has significantly outperformed his rivals in this area this season. He has racked up 107 centuries to date for the 2024/25 campaign, with Mark Selby trailing behind as his nearest competitor on just 73. While it's true such substantial rewards may encourage all players to participate regularly and perform at a high level, Allen's concern for those lower down the pecking order is warranted. And it points to his moral fibre that he's willing to forgo potential winnings in an effort to see his peers thrive as a whole. Article continues below Allen has been lauded for thinking of snooker's smaller-profile stars (Image: Getty ) Many supporters concurred with 'The Pistol' and praised him for considering the underdog. Despite an unexpected second-round departure at this year's World Snooker Championship, Allen pocketed a £45,000 bonus for making the 15th maximum in Crucible history. "Well said Mark, couldn't agree more," wrote one snooker fan in response to Allen's comment. And another replied: "Well said. Among fans nobody cares about whether Judd, Ronnie, yourself or whoever wins this cash. It's a sideshow."
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Fergal Quinn secures two-year WST tour card through Q School
Fergal Quinn has secured a two year card on the World Snooker Tour after coming through Q School over the weekend. He defeated world number 96 Dean Young 4-1 in Leicester in the deciding match, having earlier seen off Ashley Carty - who finished last season at 68 in the world rankings - Keith Keldie, Sean O'Sullivan and Ronnie Sullivan. It gives the Tyrone native the opportunity to compete at the elite level of the sport as he looks to build on his progress in the amateur game, including reaching the semi-finals of the WSF World Amateur Championship in Morocco in January. Speaking after securing the tour card, he admitted that he had contemplated his future in the game after so much disappointment over the last half decade. "I'm just so excited to see what the next two years has to offer, to be honest," he told "After this Q School I was genuinely unsure what direction I was going to go down with my life path. I'm 25 years-old, another year, 26, 27... I have big ambitions for myself in my life in general. "Sometimes it's hard to know and eventually you have to trust that snooker is for me. This game keeps pulling me back in. Maybe I was going to walk away from this game for six months "Now it's pulled me back in, I'm on the tour - it's a bit crazy, to be honest. Now it gives me something to focus on for the next two years, simplifying my life a lot. "I'm a professional snooker player now and that's all I have to focus on." Quinn has been trying to secure a tour card since 2018 and becomes the second Irish player to earn a debut season on the tour after Leone Crowley, who managed it by winning the WSF Junior Championship in January. Antrim's Mark Allen is the top ranked Irish player at number 10, with Cork's Aaron Hill set to start the new campaign at 49 in the world. Also on tour in the 2025/2026 season will be Jordan Brown, Robbie McGuigan and 1997 world champion Ken Doherty.
Metro
7 days ago
- Sport
- Metro
Which players could actually win World Snooker Tour's huge centuries bonus?
The 2025/26 season will see £100,000 on offer for the first player to make 100 centuries, just as it was last campaign, but how realistic is it as a target? Well, it happened last season, so for at least one player it is very much achievable. Judd Trump landed the £100,000 bonus by storming past the century of centuries target during the World Championship, ending his campaign on a record 107. It was the second time he had reached the remarkable hundred hundreds, having also done so in 2019/20. Three times it has happened in total, with Neil Robertson the first to reach the milestone in the 2013/14 season. On the announcement of the bonus returning for the 2025/26 season, World Snooker Tour CEO Simon Brownell said: 'We will start the new season with a fresh slate and all players have an opportunity to shoot for the stars and see if they can make it to a century of centuries.' In reality, though, is is a very small number of players who are in the running. Speaking during the World Championship, Mark Williams said of the target: 'There's only three players who've got a chance of getting that: Judd, Neil Robertson and [Ronnie] O'Sullivan if he played in every tournament. 'There's no other player who has got a sniff of winning that £100,000 bonus.' After the announcement of this season's bonus, last season's World Championship runner-up posted on X: 'Only 2 or 3 players can possibly get it. 'I'm number 3 in the world and I have zero chance of getting that if I played in every comp.' It does seem like stats back up Williams' point, with no one other than Trump and Robertson ever coming close to the landmark tally. Trump managed 90 centuries in 2020/21 and Robertson hit 84 in 2018/19 and these represent the closest any player has come other than when the 100-mark has been reached. Judd Trump – 2024-2025 – 107 Neil Robertson – 2013-2014 – 103 Judd Trump – 2019-2020 – 102 Judd Trump – 2020-2021 – 90 Neil Robertson – 2018-2019 – 84 Judd Trump – 2018-2019 – 83 Judd Trump – 2014-2015 – 82 Judd Trump – 2023-2024 – 79 Ronnie O'Sullivan – 2017-2018 – 74 Kyren Wilson – 2020-2021 – 74 The nearest anyone else has got to 100 centuries in a season was Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2017/18 and he finished on 74. Speaking after defeat to Trump at the Crucible, Masters champion Shaun Murphy felt like he'd had a good campaign and finished way short on 58. 'We called it the Judd Trump-Neil Robertson Award when it was announced at the start of the season,' said the Magician. 'I was chasing it myself and fell some way short. 'I think I've had a really good season and I think I've made 50-odd. I've never got anywhere near 100 and I think I'm one of the best break-builders in the game!' Murphy made the point that the statistics show just how spectacularly good Trump and Robertson – but especially Trump – has been in recent years. 'It's an incredible achievement that perhaps doesn't get the national or international recognition it ought to,' said Murphy. 'It's a phenomenal achievement and it will be going on my own to-do list next season. 'I think all these initiatives are great. Anything that creates a bit more interest and talking points in the game is good.' Judd Trump – 107 Mark Selby – 73 Kyren Wilson – 62 Shaun Murphy – 58 Jak Jones – 56 Xiao Guodong – 54 Mark Allen – 47 John Higgins – 44 Wu Yize – 44 Neil Robertson – 43 Of course there are plenty of players with the capability of reaching huge break-building landmarks, but the likes of O'Sullivan, Murphy, John Higgins, Mark Selby and Kyren Wilson have not got particularly close to the century of centuries in a season before, so it would be a huge leap in tons to get there this season. The wildcard this campaign coming will be the world champion, Zhao Xintong, despite the fact he has never made more than the 31 centuries he managed in the 2020/21 season. Back on tour after his ban from the sport, coming into the new season as world champion and in the top 16, he will likely play in almost every event and could become a challenger for the bonus. In the eight matches he played in World Championship qualifying and the main stages he made 18 centuries, showing off his immense break-building skills. Trump should remain favourite to reach the century of centuries but Zhao may well now be the likeliest contender to beat him to the bonus, if anyone can. For all the hopefuls, the key to success is likely to be found in a low-key environment – the Championship League Invitational in Leicester. The unique event sees players able to compete in multiple groups dependent on performance and play on tables with seemingly very generous pockets – Trump described them as 'playing very, very large' – so it has become the perfect place to rack up the tons. Jak Jones set a record for most centuries ever in a single tournament last season when he made 32 in the Championship League Invitational. Trump's record-breaking season tally of 107 was heartily boosted by his 23 in Leicester. More Trending In comparison, Murphy didn't play in the event, which partly explains why he fell so far short of the century of centuries. So in conclusion, with O'Sullivan very unlikely to play enough to contend, we're looking at Trump, Robertson and Zhao and we will only keep looking at them if they play in the century bonanza that is the Championship League in January. It's looking like a three-horse race which could have no winner, but with the carrot dangling, top players could look to fight their way into that race by entering every event possible. That is ultimately the aim of the bonus for World Snooker Tour, and as Murphy says: 'Anything that creates a bit more interest and talking points in the game is good.' MORE: Liam Pullen: In snooker only the strongest survive so you have to become one of them MORE: China's Bai Yulu retains World Women's Snooker Championship MORE: Q School becomes last chance saloon after four survive first event
