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Topic: *Industry News* 2015 - 2024

Wilson Thrilled By Centuries Record

Snooker ace Kyren Wilson described his record-breaking match with Anthony Hamilton as "phenomenal" after they made six consecutive centuries between them on Wednesday evening.

Wilson won the China Open qualifying match in Barnsley 5-3 after he made four centuries and Hamilton two. They eclipsed the previous record of five in a row set by Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry during the 2003 British Open final as well as Stephen Maguire and Neil Robertson in the quarter-finals of the 2009 Masters.

The heavy scoring started in the second frame when Wilson compiled breaks of 103 and 108 to lead 2-1. Hamilton levelled with 137, Wilson replied with 125 then Hamilton’s 123 made it 3-3. It was Kettering’s 24-year-old Wilson who made the record sixth ton with 100 in frame seven. He then won the match in the next with a run of 68.

"It's the best match I've ever played by far," said world number 20 Wilson, who won his first ranking title at the Shanghai Masters earlier this season. "It was good open snooker and the table was very reactive which made the conditions perfect for high scoring.

"Once a frame was won we were willing each other on to make centuries, although I didn't realise that six in a row was a record until after the match. I was actually gutted that I missed the last red in the final frame when I could have made it seven.

"Even if I had lost I still would have enjoyed it. Anthony was very gracious afterwards, he wished me luck and we agreed that it had just been a phenomenal match."

Wilson reached the semi-finals of the German Masters last week and he's now looking forward to the Coral Shoot Out in Reading this weekend, having also got to the last four in that event last year.

"I really enjoy the Shoot Out, it's great fun and I want to go even further this time," said the player nicknamed The Warrior. "I love it when the crowd gets behind me although I was probably guilty of playing to them last year when I had a chance to reach the final.

"Although I got to the semis in Berlin last week I didn't feel I played that well and I was straight back on the practice table when I got home. I made a small technical change and obviously that was working last night."

The Coral Shoot Out will be staged at The Hexagon in Reading for the first time, featuring 64 of the world's best players battling for the trophy and £32,000 top prize. Judd Trump, John Higgins, Shaun Murphy and World Champion Stuart Bingham are among the top stars in action.

All matches last a maximum of ten minutes, with a shot clock of 15 seconds for the first five minutes, then dropping to ten seconds.

Televised by ITV4, the event runs from Friday to Sunday. Tickets are still available and start at just £15. For details call 0118 960 6060 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Player of the Year 2015 - the vote is on!

The vote for this year's EPBF Player of the Year is on...

Starting today, the public voting can be done on europeanpocketbilliardfederation.com/player-of-the-year/

Nominees for this coveted trophy are:

Kamila Khodjaeva (BEL)
Niels Feijen (NED)
Jasmin Ouschan (AUT)
Jouni Tahti (FIN)
Francisco Diaz (ESP)

They have all performed extremely well in 2015 and would all deserve the trophy. However, there can only be one player holding the title in the end.

The voting consists of three parts:

The public vote
The website for the public vote will be open from now on until March 20th, 2016. The votes then will be counted and points will be awarded to the players, depending on how many votes they have received.

The member vote
All national federations will get a vote and can support the athlete of their liking.

The Sponsor/Board/Special vote
Special individuals will also get a voting card and can help their favorite through the card.

All points through the three channels will be added and lead to the winner who will be presented during the player's party of this year's European Championships for Men, Women and Wheelchair Players in St. Johann, Pg., Austria.

Support your personal favorite and give your vote TODAY!

Ponds Forge To Host World Qualifiers

Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield will host the qualifying rounds of snooker’s Betfred World Championship for the third consecutive year in April.

The qualifiers will run from April 6 to 13 with all players seeded outside the top 16 battling for one of 16 coveted spots in the final stages at the nearby Crucible Theatre.

Among those competing could be crowd favourite Jimmy White, former champions Ken Doherty and Peter Ebdon, up-and-coming talents such as Leeds cueman Oliver Lines and current Ladies World Champion Ng On Yee.

The cut-off point to determine the top 16 seeds falls on April 4th after the China Open. All other players will need to win three matches to earn a place at the Crucible for snooker’s biggest tournament.

Tickets for the qualifiers are ON SALE NOW and cost just £10 for an all-day ticket*. To book call the box office on 0114 2233777 or visit www.sivtickets.com. Purchase an all-day ticket for any 3 days for a reduced price of only £20*. Tickets are also available in person at the City Hall and from Ponds Forge.

STUDENT OFFER! Students can watch the action for just £5 all day* To claim this special offer quote STUDENT OFFER when booking tickets.

*price excludes booking fees.
Terms and Conditions apply.
Please note a limited number of tickets per day are available at this special price.
You may be asked to show your student ID when booking tickets or upon entry to the venue.

There are a limited number of wheelchair places available at the venue, so please make your request clear when booking if you require one; essential carer ticket is free.

Following completion of the qualifying rounds, the 16 qualifiers will be drawn at random to play the top 16 seeds. The full draw will be announced on www.worldsnooker.com

The Betfred World Championship is supported by Sheffield City Council. The final stages at the Crucible run from April 16 to May 2.

Flying Finn Is Shoot Out King

Finland's Robin Hull won his first professional title by beating Luca Brecel in the final of the Coral Shoot Out in Reading.

Playing in the Shoot Out for the first time, world number 56 Hull snatched victory in dramatic fashion after Belgium's Brecel missed the last red at a crucial moment of the final.

Hull, age 41, claimed his career-high pay day of £32,000 after winning six matches at snooker's fast and furious one frame knock-out event.

He opened the final with a break of 29 and led by 43 points to 7 with less than two minutes to go. Brecel had a chance to clear, and made 29 before failing to pot the red to a top corner with just 30 seconds left. Hull took advantage to win the frame 50-36.

World number 28 Brecel, age 20, was denied a title for the second time in a week having lost to Martin Gould in the final of the German Masters.

Hull, Finland's best ever player, has never been past the quarter-finals of a ranking event. His career was interrupted by a life-threatening virus before the was forced to quit the sport in 2008, though he returned in 2013 after winning the European amateur title.

"I thought my chance had gone in the last frame," admitted Hull after becoming the sixth consecutive player ranked outside the world's top 16 to win the Shoot Out. "Each match is just a coin flip and I got very lucky.

"The money helps because it allows me to keep playing and I enjoy competing, especially in an atmosphere like this. To get paid for it is a privilege. I was twitching here for two days but I've ended up winning and this will give me a lot of confidence."

Earlier in the semi-finals, Brecel beat Joe Swail while Hull saw off Mark Williams.

Viersen, your next destination!

The best national teams are in the spotlights during the battle for the world title from February 18th to the 21st. The Festhalle, in Viersen Germany, welcomes the 24 teams, including the Belgian team that is the favourite with three time title winners Eddy Merckx and Frédéric Caudron, as well as star players from all over the world. Do not miss the show and watch it live on Kozoom.com

CSI Events Calendar – Current January 2016

Since this is a monthly rolling list, NEW or UPDATED items are listed with a DOUBLE ASTERISK, for your convenience.

ADDITIONS THIS MONTH:
18th Annual Black Gold BCAPL State 8-Ball Championships
2016 BCAPL Texas State Championships
2016 Florida Regional 9-Ball Championships
2016 US Open One Pocket Championship
2016 US Open Straight Pool Championship
2016 USAPL/BCAPL New England Regional 8-Ball Championships
Ohio State BCAPL Team Championship
11th MIBCAPL Michigan State Championships
2016 US Open 10-Ball Championship
2016 US Open 8-Ball Championship


02/20 – 21/2016
20th Jay Swanson "Swanee" Memorial 9-Ball Tournament
On Cue Billiards
8308 Parkway Drive
La Mesa, CA 91942
Contact: CueSports International
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

**03/01 – 06/2016
18th Annual Black Gold BCAPL State 8-Ball Championships
Grand Casino Hotel Resort
777 Grand Casino Boulevard
Shawnee, OK 74804
Contact: local OK BCA Pool League Operator

03/11 – 13/2016
3rd Annual Chinook Winds Open 8-Ball Championship
Chinook Winds Casino Resort
1777 NW 44th Street
Lincoln City, Oregon 97367
Contact: Western BCA
tr@westernbca.org
www.westernbca.org

03/13 – 20/2016
21st Annual Western BCA 8-Ball Championships
(Must be BCAPL and WBCA member to play)
Singles, Scotch Doubles & Teams
Chinook Winds Casino Resort
1777 NW 44th Street
Lincoln City, Oregon 97367
Contact: Western BCA
tr@westernbca.org
www.westernbca.org

03/16 – 20/2016
2016 BCAPL Wisconsin State Championships
Singles, Scotch Doubles & Teams
Chula Vista Resort
2501 River Road
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
Contact: CueSports International
Online Registration: www.playcsipool.com/2016-wi-state-championships.html
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

**04/04 – 10/2016
2016 BCAPL Texas State Championships
8-Ball & 9-Ball
Frank W. Mayborn Civic & Convention Center
3303 North 3rd Street
Temple, TX 76501
Contact: Bad Boys Billiard Productions

**04/15 – 17/2016
2016 Florida Regional 9-Ball Championships
Shea’s Fat Cats
2721 West Old US Highway 441
Mt. Dora, FL 32757
Contact: CueSports International
Online Registration: www.playcsipool.com/2016-florida-regional-9-ball.html
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

**April 18 – 21, 2016
2016 US Open One Pocket Championship
Pool Table Magic
75 Ella Grasso Turnpike
Windsor Locks, CT 06096
Contact: CueSports International
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

**April 20 – 24, 2016
2016 US Open Straight Pool Championship
Pool Table Magic
75 Ella Grasso Turnpike
Windsor Locks, CT 06096
Contact: CueSports International
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

** 05/13 – 15/2016
2016 USAPL/BCAPL New England Regional 8-Ball Championships
The Billiards Café
39 Main Street
Ayer, MA 01432
Contact: CueSports International
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

**05/18 – 22/2016
Ohio State BCAPL Team Championship
Hollywood Casino
200 Georgesville Road
Columbus, Ohio 43228
www.centralohiobca.com    
chriswilliams@centralohiobca.com

**06/08 – 12/2016
11th MIBCAPL Michigan State Championships
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
6800 Soaring Eagle Boulevard
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
Contact: CueSports International
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

06/08 – 12/2016
2016 CSI Arizona State Championships
Casino Del Sol Resort
5655 West Valencia Road
Tucson, AZ 85757
Contact: CueSports International
Online Registration: www.playcsipool.com/2016-az-state-championships.html
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

07/20 – 25/2016
6th USAPL National Championships
8-Ball, 9-Ball & 10-Ball Events
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
3700 W. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Contact: CueSports International
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

07/20 – 30/2016
40th BCAPL National Championships
8-Ball, 9-Ball & 10-Ball Events
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
3700 W. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Contact: CueSports International
Online Registration: www.playcsipool.com/2016-bcapl-national-championships.html
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

**07/22 – 24/2016
2016 US Open 10-Ball Championship*
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
3700 W. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Contact: CueSports International
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665
*Mosconi Cup Points Event

**07/27 – 29/2016
2016 US Open 8-Ball Championship*
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
3700 W. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Contact: CueSports International
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665
*Mosconi Cup Points Event

09/01 – 05/ 2016
2016 Southwest Regional Championships
We-Ko-Pa Resort & Conference Center
10438 North Fort McDowell Rd.
Scottsdale, Arizona 85264
Contact: CueSports International
Information & Entry Forms
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

USSA ANNOUNCES 2016 & 2017 US SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIPS

The United States Snooker Association (USSA) has announced the hosts for both the 2016 & 2017 United States National Snooker Championships, which have been awarded to 147 Snooker Club in Houston and the New York Athletic Club respectively.

With the past two Championships being hosted in New York City, the USSA Board of Directors felt this year that it was necessary to stage the event in a different location, and so the bid from the 147 Snooker Club was graciously accepted.

The 2016 United States National Snooker Championship will be staged at 147 Snooker Club over the Memorial Day weekend of May 27-30, and within the next few days the USSA will publish the Entry Document and players may then enter the Championship using the official entry form system on the SnookerUSA.com website.

The 147 Snooker Club, which is located in the west of the city at 3832 S. Dairy Ashford Road, opened its doors to the public earlier last year and has already played host to an event on this season's United States Snooker (USSA) Tour, and is also due to stage Event 13 from March 25-27 which should prove to be a very useful warm up for many players.

Mr. Mani Hassan, the proprietor of 147 Snooker Club, has hosted the United States National Snooker Championship before when it was played at his Houston Snooker Club back in May 2013, an event that was famously won by one of the top professional pool players, Corey Deuel.

The Championship will be played on the club's five Riley branded snooker tables imported from England, two of which are Aristocrat professional Championship standard, and all will be recovered in new Strachan 6811 Championship snooker cloth to insure the best possible playing conditions.

The club also specializes in American, Mediterranean and Pakistani cuisine, and so all players will be welcomed with a complimentary dinner prior to the start of the Championship.

Last year, Sargon Isaac of California won his second title after defeating the three times former champion Ahmed Aly Elsayed in the final at the Prince Snooker Club in Brooklyn, New York, and he is expected to be back to defend his title where he will be the number one seed.

With such a generous and keen bid also submitted from the New York Athletic Club (NYAC), the USSA Board of Directors also decided upon the unprecedented step of awarding next year's Championship to this most prestigious establishment in the heart of Manhattan.

The NYAC has previously hosted the playoff finals of this Championship back in 2004 when the qualifying rounds were split between the Embassy Billiards Club in California, so it will be the first time that the whole of the event will be contested there.

Alan Morris, the Executive Director of the USSA, said: "On behalf of the Board of the USSA, I would like to thank both Mr. Hassan and Ms. Kristin Barbato, the co-chair of the Billiards Room at the NYAC, for their wonderful bids and securing their support for this prestigious Championship.

"We look forward to what I know will be a fantastic festival of snooker in Houston this year, and next year in Manhattan."

The Champion and runner-up will be automatically selected to represent the United States in this year's International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Snooker Championships in the fall.

Ladbrokes Pockets World Grand Prix and Players Championship

LADBROKES HAS signed a deal with Barry Hearn's World Snooker to sponsor both the World Grand Prix and Players Championship tournaments for this year.

The deal gives the bookmaker exclusive naming rights to the tournaments due to take place in Llandudno between the 8th and 13th of March (Ladbrokes World Grand Prix) and Manchester between the 22nd and 27th of March (Ladbrokes Players Championship), with both competitions broadcast live on ITV4 in the UK.

For both tournaments, Ladbrokes will double the bonus paid by World Snooker to any player for a successful 147 break.

The agreement follows on from Ladbrokes' backing of the Masters tournament at Wembley in 2012 and bolsters the bookmaker's portfolio of sporting sponsorships which already includes Rugby League's Challenge Cup and the Scottish Professional Football Leagues.

Snooker's popularity as a betting sport continues to increase, particularly in-play, with almost 80% of total stakes in 2015 wagered during matches.

Kristof Fahy, Ladbrokes CMO said: "We're bolstering our sponsorship portfolio all the time and the addition of two popular snooker tournaments will serve us well. We are building our brand in a sport which has proven in-play betting appeal. Sponsorship at Ladbrokes is much more than sticking ribbons on a trophy and we're looking forward to working with World Snooker to raise the profile of these events even further."

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn added: “We’re delighted to bring in Ladbrokes as title sponsor for both of these world ranking events. They are a fantastic team and we look forward to working with them.

“Both the Ladbrokes World Grand Prix and the Ladbrokes Players Championship will see many of the world’s best players competing for a prestigious title and a top prize of £100,000. The fans watching live in the arena as well as the millions watching on ITV4 will see snooker of the highest quality.”

The Ladbrokes World Grand Prix at Venue Cymru in Llandudno will feature 32 leading players from a one-year ranking list. Judd Trump beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final last year.

The Ladbrokes Players Championship comes to Event City in Manchester for the first time and features 32 players from the European Tour and Asian Tour Order of Merits.

Tickets for both tournaments are on sale, for details see www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

2016 World Snooker Calendar

The provisional World Snooker Tour calendar up until December, showing the first half of the 2016/17 season, is attached.

Below is the seeding structure for tournaments in 2016/17.

World Championship
Top 16 seeded at the final venue. Remaining 128 players compete in qualifying, flat draw with top 64 seeded, as is the case for this season.

UK Championship
Flat draw with 128 players. Number 1 plays number 128, 2 v 127, 3 v 126 and so on as was the case this season.

International Championship, China Open, Indian Open and potential new tournament in China
Flat draw with 128 players. The first round will see seeds 65-128 drawn at random against seeds 1-64. The top 64 will be placed in the draw so that Number one is seeded to play number 64 in second round, 2 v 63, 3 v 62 and so on.

The Home Nations series (Welsh Open and new English Open, Scottish Open and Irish Open)
Flat draw with 128 players. Top 16 seeds placed into the draw, as they were for this season's Welsh Open. Remaining 112 players drawn at random.

German Masters and new European Championship
Flat draw with 128 players. Top 32 seeds placed in the draw. Remaining 96 players drawn at random.

Shanghai Masters
Top 16 seeded at the final venue. Seeds 17-32 in fourth qualifying round. Seeds 33-64 in second qualifying round. Seeds 65-128 in first qualifying round as was the case this season.

Paul Hunter Classic, Riga Open and Gibraltar Open.
Completely open first round draw with no seeding.


Click here to see the full size calendar on screen - use your "back" button to return here.

New Event

Dear All

Please be advised that we have reached an agreement with people in Kuwait to host the Kuwait 9-Ball Open for men, 6 - 17 September 2016. This event will be a WPA Ranking event for a field of 128 players and will offer US $275,000 prize money. It is hoped that the event will run back-to-back with the men’s 9-Ball World Championship in Qatar (19 - 30 Sep proposed) which would be of great benefit for the players, especially the international ones, who could play in two big events for not much more than the regular price of one air ticket. More details will be announced soon.

Regards - Ian Anderson

Top Stars Set For Llandudno

Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy, Stuart Bingham and John Higgins are among the leading snooker stars who have entered next month’s Ladbrokes World Grand Prix in Llandudno.

The tournament at Venue Cymru runs from March 8 to 13 and it will be a world ranking event for the first time this year.

O’Sullivan had to win last week’s Welsh Open in order to climb into the top 32 on the World Grand Prix ranking list and qualify for the event, and he did just that, beating Robertson 9-5 in the final in Cardiff on Sunday.

The Rocket then had to rearrange an exhibition in Casablanca in order to clear his diary, and he confirmed today that he will be in Llandudno. It will be his last televised tournament before the World Championship in April.

O’Sullivan reached the final last year, though he was denied the £100,000 top prize by potting sensation Trump, who came from 7-4 down to win the final 10-7.

The World Grand Prix ranking list runs from the start of the season until the final qualifying event in Poland, the Gdynia Open, which finishes this Sunday. The top 32 on the list are then eligible for the ITV4-televised tournament at Venue Cymru.

Stephen Maguire currently lies in 32nd place on the list and will be hoping to win matches in Gdynia to fend off the chasing pack.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “I’m delighted to see such a strong field for the Ladbrokes World Grand Prix, it will be a fantastic tournament.

“Ronnie is the man in form having won the Masters and Welsh Open in recent weeks. The fact that he has earned a place in Llandudno with victory in Cardiff shows that success is rewarded. The opportunities are there for everyone to win big prizes and jump up the ranking lists.

“It will be fascinating to follow the action in Gdynia from Friday and see if anyone currently outside the top 32 can grab a spot.

“Anyone who hasn’t booked their tickets yet for Llandudno needs to do so fast, as with such a strong line-up many sessions will be selling out soon.”

The final line up for the Ladbrokes World Grand Prix as well as the draw and format will be announced on Monday.

Tickets are available and start at just £10, for details call 01492 872 000 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Current top 32 on World Grand Prix ranking list, ahead of the Gdynia Open.

1 John Higgins
2 Neil Robertson
3 Kyren Wilson
4 Martin Gould
5 Liang Wenbo
6 Mark Allen
7 Mark Selby
8 David Gilbert
9 Judd Trump
10 Marco Fu
11 Ronnie O’Sullivan
12 Luca Brecel
13 Joe Perry
14 Shaun Murphy
15 Matthew Selt
16 Ryan Day
17 Ben Woollaston
18 Ali Carter
19 Ding Junhui
20 Michael White
21 Michael Holt
22 Mark Williams
23 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
24 Stuart Bingham
25 Barry Hawkins
26 David Grace
27 Graeme Dott
28 Jamie Jones
29 Tom Ford
30 Tian Pengfei
31 Peter Ebdon
32 Stephen Maguire

Bingham Targets Gdynia Success

World Champion Stuart Bingham is determined the get the results he needs at the Gdynia Open this weekend to book a place in the Ladbrokes Players Championship.

The Gdynia Open in Poland runs from Friday to Sunday and it’s the final event of the 2015/16 Kreativ Dental Clinic European Tour series.

The top 24 on the final Order of Merit will be sure of a place at the Players Championship, which takes place at Event City in Manchester for the first time from March 22 to 27, with a top prize of £100,000 up for grabs.

Bingham currently stands 23rd on the list and in danger of being overtaken by players behind him. He faces Fraser Patrick in his opening match on Saturday morning.

“I know I probably need to win two matches to be safe for the Players Championship,” said Bingham. “It won’t be an easy first match as Fraser beat me 4-0 the last time we played. But I’m going there with the intention to win the tournament. There’s no point following other results to see who might overtake me in the top 24, I just need to go and win matches myself.

“I’ve always been one to play in as many tournaments as I can so I want to make sure of my place in Manchester. It’s a big event with huge prize money and it’s one of the main tournaments in the build-up to the World Championship.”

Basildon’s Bingham has not won a title since lifting snooker’s most famous trophy at the Crucible last May. Semi-final runs at the Shanghai Masters, Gibraltar Open and The Masters are his best showings so far during the 2015/16 campaign.

“It has been an up and down season,” said the 39-year-old. “I have been disappointed with some of my results. This week I made three 147s and a 145 within five frames in practice so it shows I am still hitting the ball well. I just need to prove it on the match table.”

The top 24 from the European Tour Order of Merit will be joined at the Players Championship by two players from the Asian Tour Order of Merit plus six more from a combination of the two lists.

The tournament in Manchester will be televised by ITV4. Tickets are ON SALE NOW and start at just £10, for details call 0871 620 7052 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

The full line up of players will be confirmed after the Gdynia Open.

Rolling 147 Prizes For Ladbrokes World Grand Prix and Ladbrokes Players Championship

Next month’s Ladbrokes World Grand Prix and Ladbrokes Players Championship will both be included in the ranking event schedule for the rolling 147 prize, for the first time.

The 147 rolling prize goes up by £5,000 each ranking event. Ding Junhui made a maximum at the Welsh Open, so the 147 prize for the Ladbrokes World Grand Prix will be £5,000. If there is no 147 at that event then it will go up to £10,000 for the Ladbrokes Players Championship.

Title sponsor Ladbrokes has also pledged to double the prize if a 147 is made at either of those two events.

The rolling prize for European Tour events is £500 per tournament. The current pot of £500 will be rolled forward to next season, when the relevant events will be the Riga Open, Paul Hunter Classic and Gibraltar Open.

The rolling prize for qualifiers is £500 per event and currently stands at £8,500 for the Betfred World Championship qualifiers in April.

The Ladbrokes World Grand Prix runs from March 8-13 in Llandudno, followed by the Ladbrokes Players Championship at Event City in Manchester from March 22-27. Tickets for both are on sale now, for details see www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Official 147 occurrence year by year:

1982: 1
1983: 1
1984: 1
1987: 1
1988: 2
1989: 2
1991: 2
1992: 5
1994: 1
1995: 2
1997: 3
1998: 3
1999: 10
2000: 7
2001: 3
2002: 1
2003: 3
2004: 2
2005: 2
2006: 2
2007: 6
2008: 7
2009: 2
2010: 7
2011: 9
2012: 11
2013: 6
2014: 8
2015: 6
2016 (so far): 2

Belgian Aramith Ball sponsors the Chinese 8 ball Dream Team

Aramith, the Belgian Billiard Ball, is proud to announce the sponsorship of the Chinese 8 ball Dream Team.

Ma Zhiyu, Shi Hanqing, Wang Peng and Liu Chuang, 4 of the most talented Chinese 8-ball players, will be great ambassadors of the Belgian Aramith Balls which have enjoyed a legendary reputation for outstanding endurance and uncompromised quality.

The Aramith ball sets are the reference, used in virtually all events and tournaments worldwide, whether in pool, snooker, carom and Chinese pool.
"We are very fortunate to have a great partnership with the Chinese 8 ball Dream Team composed of wonderful players Ma Zhiyu, Shi Hanqing, Wang Peng and Liu Chuang." said Yves Bilquin, COO of Aramith. He added "We are delighted to support great players and Chinese pool".

Also welcome you to meet us at the 10th China Guangzhou Billiards Exhibition (March 9-11, 2016). Our stand No. is T016.

GBE Committee

Gdynia Glory For Selby

Mark Selby won his first title of the season by beating Martin Gould 4-1 in the final of the Gdynia Open in Poland, the final event of the 2015/16 Kreativ Dental Clinic European Tour series.

Gould had been going for his second title of the month having won the German Masters three weeks ago, but he was outplayed in the final by world number one Selby, who captured the trophy and 25,000 Euro top prize.

Until now it had been a barren campaign for Leicester’s Selby, his best runs taking him to the semi-finals of the International Championship and UK Championship. Today’s victory gives him a shot of confidence going into the crucial last few months of the season.

There was a significant consolation for Gould as his run to the final earned him a place in next month’s Ladbrokes Players Championship.

Londoner Gould won the opening frame of the final before Selby hit back to win four in a row with breaks of 92, 69, 51 and 62.

"It's nice to get a win under my belt," said 2014 World Champion Selby. "I rode my luck a bit in this event, I should have lost to Luca Brecel in the last 32 when I was 3-0 down and came back to win 4-3. But it's rare to have a tournament where you steam-roller everyone, when you win a title you often get through a match you should lose. I will go into the next event with a lot more confidence."

The tournament was the final qualifying event for both the Ladbrokes World Grand Prix and the Ladbrokes Players Championship, two ranking events to take place in March.

Gould started the event in 73rd place on the Kreativ Dental Clinic European Order of Merit but his final run saw him leap into the top 24 and gain a place at the Ladbrokes Players Championship, which will take place at Event City in Manchester from March 22 to 27.

The line up (subject to entries) will comprise the top 24 from the European Order of Merit, plus two from the Asian Tour and six more from a combination of the two Order of Merits. Matthew Selt was the player squeezed out by Gould.

The Ladbrokes World Grand Prix runs from March 8 to 13 at Venue Cymru in Llandudno. The top 32 players on a ranking list running from the start of the season to the Gdynia Open have qualified. Stephen Maguire clung on to the 32nd and last spot throughout the event in Poland. Andrew Higginson could have knocked him out by winning the tournament but lost 4-2 in the semi-finals to Selby.

The full lists of players who have qualified for each event are below, and the draws will be announced shortly. Tickets for both events are ON SALE NOW – for details see www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Ladbrokes World Grand Prix:

John Higgins
Neil Robertson
Kyren Wilson
Martin Gould
Liang Wenbo
Mark Allen
Mark Selby
David Gilbert
Judd Trump
Marco Fu
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Luca Brecel
Joe Perry
Shaun Murphy
Ben Woollaston
Matt Selt
Ryan Day
Ding Junhui
Michael White
Barry Hawkins
Ali Carter
Michael Holt
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Mark Williams
Stuart Bingham
David Grace
Graeme Dott
Tom Ford
Jamie Jones
Tian Pengfei
Peter Ebdon
Stephen Maguire

Ladbrokes Players Championship:

Barry Hawkins
Marco Fu
Mark Allen
Rory McLeod
Ali Carter
Shaun Murphy
Ding Junhui
Mark King
Ryan Day
Tom Ford
Michael White
Tian Pengfei
Mark Selby
Mark Williams
Ben Woollaston
Ricky Walden
Mike Dunn
Liang Wenbo
Martin Gould
Dominic Dale
Andrew Higginson
Michael Holt
Kyren Wilson
Judd Trump
Jimmy Robertson
Alan McManus
David Gilbert
Sam Baird
Luca Brecel
Graeme Dott
Robert Milkins
Mark Davis

The Gdynia Open was also vital for players battling to earn new World Snooker Tour cards if they finish the season outside the top 64 on the main ranking list. Malaysia’s Thor Chuan Leong secured his place with a run to the last 16 while Mitchell Mann, Scott Donaldson and Anthony Hamilton also won vital matches to earn spots in the current list of eight players:

Thor Chuan Leong
Ian Burns
Lee Walker
Mitchell Mann
Aditya Mehta
Scott Donaldson
Hammad Miah
Anthony Hamilton

USSA Tour event 8 press release

Raymond Fung has claimed a season double on the 2015-16 United States Snooker Association (USSA) Tour, sponsored by Aramith Billiard Balls, Sterling Gaming and the Tweeten Fibre Co., as he pocketed Event 8 at the New Top 147 Snooker Club in Brooklyn, New York.

Fung has now won both of the Tour events which have been hosted at the New Top 147 Snooker Club this season, which make him by far the most prolific winner in the eight seasons of USSA Tour history.

After a suffering disappointing defeat however in the final of Tour event 6 at the Carom Café Billiards in Flushing last month, the twice United States National Snooker Championship runner-up was back in fine form in a full-field of players as he cruised through four matches to win the title without losing a single frame.

In this single-elimination event with all the matches being contested over the best-of-five frames, Fung proceeded to easily overcome Liu Changxiang, Peter Chen and Wei Zeng respectively, before then scoring yet another 3-0 defeat in the final this time of Vincent Liao.

Liao's progress to the final was portrayed in a much more difficult fashion, as he carved out a 3-1 defeat of Joe Lai, a 3-0 win over the runner-up of the previous Tour event played at this host, Raimond Cheung, and a tight 3-2 semifinal tussle over Wu Zhen.

The USSA would like to thank the New Top 147 Snooker Club for their continued support toward the USSA Tour, and much gratitude also goes to the Tour sponsors, Aramith Billiards Balls, Sterling Gaming and the Tweeten Fibre Co.


2015-16 USSA Tour event 8 winner, Raymond Fung (right), pictured with runner-up, Vincent Liao

Ladbrokes World Grand Prix Draw

The final line up for the 2016 Ladbrokes World Grand Prix has been confirmed, and the draw and format released.

Defending champion Judd Trump will face Mark Williams in the opening round, with that match to take place on the afternoon of Wednesday March 9.

Masters and Welsh Open champion Ronnie O'Sullivan will be up against Michael Holt on the evening of Tuesday March 8, the opening day of the tournament.

The event at Venue Cymru in Llandudno runs from March 8 to 13 and will be televised by ITV4.

The field comprises the top 32 players from a unique ranking list which ran from the start of the season to last weekend's Gdynia Open.

Tickets for the tournament are STILL ON SALE and fans are advised to book fast as sessions will sell out now that the draw and format have been released. Tickets start at just £10, for details call 01492 872 000 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets


John Higgins v Stephen Maguire
Matthew Selt v Ryan Day
Judd Trump v Mark Williams
David Gilbert v Stuart Bingham
Mark Selby v Tom Ford
Luca Brecel v Ali Carter
Joe Perry v Barry Hawkins
Kyren Wilson v Jamie Jones
Martin Gould v Tian Pengfei
Shaun Murphy v Michael White
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Michael Holt
Liang Wenbo v Graeme Dott
Mark Allen v David Grace
Marco Fu v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Ben Woollaston v Ding Junhui
Neil Robertson v Peter Ebdon

Wilson Targets Top 16

Kyren Wilson is determined to continue his rapid rise up snooker’s ranking list and gain a top 16 place in time for the World Championship.

Wilson started the season 56th in the world but has now climbed to 19th, having captured his first ranking title at the Shanghai Masters in September.

And he is 18th on the projected list which will come into effect when the World Championship seeding axe falls after the China Open, which finishes on April 3rd. The top 16 will then get an automatic spot at the Crucible, with all other players needing to win three matches in the qualifying rounds at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.

“It’s very close between me and the two players just ahead of me, Stephen Maguire and Liang Wenbo, there is less than £1,000 between us,” said Kettering’s 24-year-old Wilson, nicknamed The Warrior. “It looks like it’s going to be a very close race and there are three big events left now. Anyone behind who wins one of those events can jump ahead into the top 16.”

Next week in Llandudno, Wilson will be competing in the Ladbrokes World Grand Prix and faces Jamie Jones in his opening match on Wednesday evening.

He has also qualified for the Ladbrokes Players Championship in Manchester later in March, thanks to a run to the semi-finals of the last qualifying event in Poland last weekend.

“That was so important for me because I’m guaranteed another £4,000 for the Players Championship and it means I’ve got three events left before the World Championship, rather than two,” said Wilson. “Stephen Maguire hasn’t made it to Manchester so it will be chance for me to catch him.

“I don’t want it to go down to one match at the China Open. If I can win a tournament before then I won’t have to worry about it. If I did have to qualify it would be very tough and I think it would be hard for someone to win three best of 19 matches and then do well at the Crucible, because it takes a lot out of you.

“Last year I lost in the first round against Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon. There is so much strength in depth on the tour now that nearly every draw is tough. It’s our biggest event and everyone wants to get to the Crucible so it’s very intense. The year before that I made it to the Crucible and having got a taste of it I would love to be back this time.

“A year ago I was on the borderline of the top 64 and in danger of losing my tour card. That brought a lot more pressure than being on the fringes of the top 16 so I am not as worried now. This season has been a whirlwind for me in terms of the progress I have made. I feel my game has always been there, it was a case of proving it. Only three years ago I was off the tour so if I could get into the top 16 in that short space of time it would be a great achievement.”

The Ladbrokes World Grand Prix runs from March 8 to 13 at Venue Cymru in Llanduno. Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, John Higgins, Shaun Murphy and Stuart Bingham will be among the top stars competing for the £100,000 top prize.

Tickets for the tournament are STILL ON SALE and fans are advised to book fast as sessions will sell out now that the draw and format have been released. Tickets start at just £10, for details call 01492 872 000 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Paul Collier To Referee World Final

Paul Collier has been selected to referee the final of the Betfred World Championship for the second time.

The 45-year-old Welshman first took charge of snooker’s biggest match in 2004 when Ronnie O’Sullivan beat Graeme Dott in the final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. And he’ll don the white gloves again for this year’s final on May 1 and 2.

Collier, from Newport, first refereed on the pro tour in 1992 and is one of the sport’s most experienced officials. In recent years he has worked as a tournament director for World Snooker at various events.

“Even though I’ve been refereeing for a long time, to be chosen to do the World Championship final is still a great honour and it is something very special,” said Collier. “It’s the match that everyone wants to do. There have been a lot of very good referees who have only done one world final so now I’ll be moving ahead of them.

“I was the youngest referee to take charge of the world final in 2004 at the age of 33 and that record still stands, though I’m sure it will be beaten soon. There are a lot of excellent young referees coming through now and that has happened through all of the European Tour events we have staged in recent years.

“I still love refereeing and I plan to be doing it for a good few years yet. I enjoy being involved full time with World Snooker and working as a tournament director at certain events gives me variety. It has also really helped me to understand a lot more about how tournaments run.”

The Betfred World Championship runs from April 16 to May 2 at the famous Crucible. The top 16 seeds will be joined by 16 more players who come through the qualifying rounds at Ponds Forge from April 6 to 13. Ticket details for both the final stages and the qualifiers are available at www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Supercup and Player of the year in Anvers

The Gala of the Supercup, organized under the leadership of Ludo Dielis, will take place at the Hilton hotel in Anvers on Saturday March 5th. A Replay of the event will be available on Kozoom shortly after.
A match with the reigning World Champion Torbjörn Blomdahl and the winner of the 2015 World Cup tour Dani Sanchez will take place in innings of 7 points. This unusual race promises an exciting show.
In the evening, the two living legends Raymond Ceulemans and Ludo Dielis will compete against the Swedish and Spanish players. The player of the year, elected by the top 50 ranked players in the world and the federations will be unveiled: Blomdahl, Sanchez and the Turkish player Tayfun Tasdemir are the nominated players.

The winner of the Gala match between Blomdahl and Sanchez, as well as the Player of the Year will win 5000€ each, and a trophy of a 50.000€ value will be announced for players to compete for. This trophy can find its future owner if he becomes Player of the Year three times in a five consecutive year timeframe.