Latest news with #snooker
The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Snooker star Chris Wakelin reveals body transformation as he sheds STONE & quits smoking to get revenge on Zhao Xintong
CHRIS WAKELIN reckons shedding the pounds and quitting smoking will enable him to ruin Zhao Xintong's world championship homecoming party. Xintong, 28, lifted the £500,000 Crucible title in May – he is China's first world snooker champion – and opens his season at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday. 3 3 Rugby cueist Wakelin, 33, top scored with a 83 break as he beat 17-year-old Chinese amateur Jinhao Zhou 6-3 to book a Last-16 date with the Cyclone. The pair met in Sheffield in the World quarter-finals but Wakelin struggled with 'fatigue' as he was knocked out 13-5 by the then amateur player. Since then Wakelin has shed nearly a stone in weight by running on the streets and even stopped smoking - he was often seen outside the Crucible with a cigarette in his mouth. And he is feeling the health benefits at the start of the new campaign. Though he will be the massive underdog, he hopes to incur the wrath of the home crowd by bursting the party balloons for the returning Asian superstar. Wakelin, the world No.16, said: 'Zhao represents one of the most ground-breaking, eye-catching matches there has been for a long, long time. 'This is the first time we have ever had a Chinese world champion and he is a great, great world champion as well. 'A phenomenal player. He's got buckets of style, on and off the table. Even the way he walks around the table. He's something really, really special. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 'It's incredible what he has achieved. I won't go down there, bow down to him myself and let him have the show. 'It's my job to put an end to the world championship party. He's going to have a lot of challenges ahead. A lot of pressure on his shoulders. Snooker fans baffled as star who's not won a match all year knocks in staggering 147 break 'I will give my best and prove why I am here in the first place. 'When he beat me at the World Championship a few months ago, I was really, really below par. I know I will have to play a lot better than I have done. 'We know what is in my tank. I believe and am really confident in what I can achieve. 'At the Worlds, he was super beatable in that match, which is the most disappointing thing from my perspective. I was so fatigued. 'I know Mark Williams spoke about it after the final. He's a lot older than me. "It catches up with you in the tournament. It happened to me in the quarter-finals. 'I have made a lot of positive changes in my life over the last few months. 'I said I would be out getting fitter. I have upped my mileage, dropped nearly a stone in weight. Stopped smoking as well. 'The reasons why I lost in the World Championship are nothing to do with on the table. It was purely my physical fitness as opposed to the mental side of it. 'That's something I am working on and getting towards that goal. I am improving. Hopefully that feeds into my game.' Seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan plays his first match as a married man when he takes on Barry Hawkins in the second round of the main draw over the best-of-11 frames on Wednesday. 3
The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Shanghai Masters snooker 2025 prize money: How much is Ronnie O'Sullivan and Co battling for?
ITS no secret that all of the world's best snooker players will be desperate to lift the 2025 Shanghai Masters title - but the prize money is a great incentive too. Judd Trump significantly increased his bank balance and stopped history from happening in front of our very eyes last year. 1 The World No1 earned a huge payday by beating Shaun Murphy 11-5 in the 2024 final. And he stopped Ronnie O'Sullivan from securing an unprecedented fifth consecutive title when he thrashed The Rocket in a dominant semi-final encounter. But if Trump is to receive another whopping pay cheque, he may have to fend off O'Sullivan, who is featuring in Shanghai once again. Plus the likes of Kyren Wilson, Ali Carter and World Champion Zhao Xintong will also have their eyes on the prize. SunSport can reveal exactly how much is in this year's Shanghai Masters prize pot. What is the Shanghai Masters snooker 2025 prize money? This year's winner will take home the same amount as Judd Trump did for beating Shaun Murphy in the 2024 final. And they'll also be a bonus for the person who secures the highest break. Here is the full breakdown: Winner: £210,000 Runner-up: £105,000 Semi-final: £70,000 Quarter-final: £35,000 Last 16: £17,500 Last 24: £10,000 Highest break: £10,000 Total: £825,000 How can I watch the Shanghai Masters snooker 2025? The Shanghai Masters will be broadcast LIVE on TNT Sports Fans can also stream the action on Discovery+ Alternatively, SunSport will cover the entire action through our live blog. It will get underway on Monday, July 28 before concluding on Sunday, August 3. What has been said? Judd Trump revealed the reason why his record in China is so good. Speaking after winning the title last year, the World No1 said: "The age of the crowd in China is so much younger than the rest of the world. "I always enjoy playing in front of a fanbase where I can inspire the next generation. I think that is why my record in China is so good,' said Trump. "I want to win as many big tournaments as possible this season. This is probably one of the top five events on the calendar. "To win this one early on is an amazing start. I would like to replicate what I did last season and get close to five wins or even more. I couldn't have dreamed of a better start."
The Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Shanghai Masters snooker 2025: Schedule, results, live stream, TV channel as O'Sullivan and champ Trump feature
SOME of the world's best snooker players return to the table for the highly anticipated 2025 Shanghai Masters - and the seven-day competition promises to be nothing short of thrilling. Ronnie O'Sullivan's dreams of clinching the title for an unprecedented fifth year in a row got shattered by Judd Trump during the 2024 competition. 1 The world No 1 dismantled The Rocket in a dominant semi-final, before going on to lift the trophy with an 11-5 win in the showpiece match against Shaun Murphy. But it was a final that began with an emotional minute's silence for snooker legend Ray Reardon who sadly passed away after having cancer. Fast forward a year later, the world's top 16 stars, the next four highest-ranked Chinese players, and four amateur wildcards all battle it out at the prestigious event. This includes the icons already mentioned and home favourite Zhao Xintong, who will play his first match as World Champion. SunSport brings you the full schedule for this year's Shanghai Masters which has a staggering prize pot awaiting the winner. When is the Shanghai Masters snooker 2025? The 2025 Shanghai Masters will get underway on Monday, July 28 It will run for seven days and conclude on Sunday, August 3. Sessions will start at 2:30am BST, 7am BST and 12:30pm BST. Luwan Gymnasium in Shanghai, China, is the chosen venue for this sensational spectacle. Judd Trump is the reigning champion after beating Shaun Murphy in last year's final. What TV channel is the Shanghai Masters snooker 2025 on and can it be live streamed? What is the format? All matches up to and including the quarter-finals will be played as the best of 11 frames. The semi-finals will be played as the best of 19 frames. And the final will be the best of 21 frames. Shanghai Masters snooker 2025 schedule and results All times BST Round One Barry Hawkins vs Wu Yize Si Jiahui vs Wildcard Zhang Anda vs Yuan Sijun Chris Wakelin vs Wildcard Neil Robertson vs Pang Junxu Shaun Murphy vs Wildcard Tuesday July 29 Round One Mark Allen vs Wildcard Xiao Guodong vs Lei Peifan Round Two Kyren Wilson vs Si/Wildcard Mark Selby vs Murphy/Wildcard Ding Junhui vs Zhang/Yuan Judd Trump vs Robertson/Pang Wednesday July 30
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Snooker legends meet seaside care home residents
Residents at a seaside care home have been treated to a visit from two former snooker world champions. Dennis Taylor and Ken Doherty visited Eversley Lodge Nursing Home in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to play snooker and share memories with residents. Their visit came 40 years after Taylor's big win in a memorable black-ball final at the 1985 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield. "Here we are still loving every minute of it... It's a great bit of fun," Taylor said. Both players said they were not sure what they were in for when they headed to the home. "We didn't know what we were coming to, really. When we turned up we were so surprised... What a beautiful place," Taylor said. Doherty said: "It's brilliant... We haven't done many exhibitions in care homes before. "A lot of people here would have watched snooker over the years and really enjoyed it, so it's great to see them in such a wonderful environment." The 1997 world champion reminisced about the last time he visited Norfolk's coastline. "It's been over 40 years since I was last here playing in the Home Junior International in Hemsby... I've always really enjoyed it here," he said. The care home's manager, Danielle Bullent, said a lot of work went into setting up the home for the exhibition. She said it took staff four hours to get the snooker table ready. Speaking about the anniversary of his championship win, Taylor, famous for his unique "upside-down" glasses, said he was glad people still talked about it. "Forty years on and people still turn their glasses upside down, raise an imaginary cue above their head and wag their finger at me," he said. "I hope they keep doing it for many more years to come." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More related stories Disabled snooker player 'blown away' by donations 'Snooker really saved my life' Snooker hopes to secure Paralympics return for 2032
BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Snooker champions meet Great Yarmouth care home residents
Residents at a seaside care home have been treated to a visit from two former snooker world champions. Dennis Taylor and Ken Doherty visited Eversley Lodge Nursing Home in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to play snooker and share memories with residents. Their visit came 40 years after Taylor's big win in a memorable black-ball final at the 1985 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield."Here we are still loving every minute of it... It's a great bit of fun," Taylor said. Both players said they were not sure what they were in for when they headed to the home. "We didn't know what we were coming to, really. When we turned up we were so surprised... What a beautiful place," Taylor said. Doherty said: "It's brilliant... We haven't done many exhibitions in care homes before."A lot of people here would have watched snooker over the years and really enjoyed it, so it's great to see them in such a wonderful environment."The 1997 world champion reminisced about the last time he visited Norfolk's coastline. "It's been over 40 years since I was last here playing in the Home Junior International in Hemsby... I've always really enjoyed it here," he said. The care home's manager, Danielle Bullent, said a lot of work went into setting up the home for the exhibition. She said it took staff four hours to get the snooker table ready. Speaking about the anniversary of his championship win, Taylor, famous for his unique "upside-down" glasses, said he was glad people still talked about it. "Forty years on and people still turn their glasses upside down, raise an imaginary cue above their head and wag their finger at me," he said."I hope they keep doing it for many more years to come." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
