Today is the last day of the tournament, the semi-finals were players this afternoon and yielded a “London Derby” … Jimmy White is in his sixth World Seniors final and he will face “debutant” (at this level) Alfie Burden
Jimmy White and Alfie Burden will contest the final of the 2023 LLP Solicitors World Seniors Snooker Championship after they won their respective semi-final encounters during Sunday afternoon’s session at the Crucible Theatre.
Three-time champion White was the first player to reach the showpiece match after he ended the run of an invigorated Tony Drago.
The Whirlwind won the opening frame with the help of a 64 break and doubled his advantage in the second. Drago – playing in this event for the first time in nearly four years – responded with a rapid 72 break in the third frame; nine reds and nine blacks before going in-off when potting the tenth red and trying to get position back at the top of the table.
However, an impressive White crafted breaks of 74, 56 and 68 as he claimed the next two frames for a 4-1 victory.
Since the tournament moved here in 2019, White has reached the final on every occasion. He will be looking to add to the titles he claimed in 2010, 2020 and 2021.
Burden will feature in his maiden world seniors final after he put on a brilliant performance to defeat Ben Hancorn 4-1 in a high-quality affair.
Breaks of 86, 72 and 56 were chalked up by the 46-year-old as he established a 3-0 lead before Crucible debutant Hancorn – who had done little wrong – kept his hopes alive and got on the board with an effort of 85 in the fourth frame. Burden, though, got over the line in the next, registering a run of 101 to set up a mouthwatering clash with fellow Londoner and good friend White.
Both White and Burden have dropped just two frames each in the event so far.
The best-of-nine frames final will take place from 19:00GMT on Sunday evening.
Here are more pictures taken during the semi-finals …
Ben Hancorn and Tony Drago are the first players through to the semi-finals of the 2023 LLP Solicitors World Seniors Championship after they emerged victorious from arguably the best session of world seniors action ever seen.
Both high-quality and entertaining matches went all the way at the Crucible Theatre on Saturday afternoon, with two century breaks and seven further contributions of 50 or more.
Former English amateur champion Hancorn ousted Gerard Greene 4-3 to set up a semi-final showdown with either Stephen Hendry or Alfie Burden.
Greene claimed the opening frame, but Crucible debutant Hancorn drew level with a classy 98 break. An effort of 73 helped the Northern Irishman go back in front, although his opponent squared it again before compiling a brilliant effort of 116 in frame five – the first century of this year’s event – to move one away from progression.
Deserved for a match of such class, Greene made sure it went the distance as he crafted a 73 to make it 3-3.
Both players had scoring opportunites early in the deciding frame but rattled reds in corner pockets. The telling shot would come later when Hancorn laid a very difficult snooker with the reds spread open. Greene escaped but left a red on, and Hancorn fully capitalised with a cool and decisive effort of 49 to come through an epic.
An even closer and more dramatic encounter ensued in the second match of the day as Maltese legend Drago rolled back the years to pip Mark Davis 4-3.
Aided by breaks of 50, 40 and 59 made in typical quick fashion, former International Open finalist Drago led 3-0 and stood one away from advancing.
However, 2016 champion Davis conjured up a stirring comeback, starting off with a 137 total clearance – the tournament’s highest break this year, so far – to get on the board.
In a remarkable fifth frame which saw Drago make a break of 63 and go within touching distance of victory, Davis somehow fluked a red along the top cushion when escaping from a snooker and went on to complete a clearance of 33. The Hastings cueist then registered a run of 98 to force the tie into a deciding frame.
In a memorable seventh and final frame, the contest went down to the colours. After potting a brilliant green, Drago missed a relatively straightforward brown under normal circumstances. However, Davis subsequently missed it himself, and the 57-year-old from Valletta slotted home brown to pink to record an emotional win and set up a date with either Jimmy White or Adrian Ridley in the final four on Sunday.
The Davis v Drago match was absolutely crazy. It was full of passion, great shots, mistakes, flukes and misfortunes. The whole media room here at the Crucible erupted in “Ohs”, “Aaahs”, “No way!” … everyone stopped typing and was watching, totally engrossed in the unfolding drama.
Mark Davis was in high spirits after the match, despite the defeat, whilst an emotional Tony Drago broke down in tears, dedicating his win to his closest friend who had passed away just the previous evening.
White and Burden complete World Seniors Semi-Finals
Jimmy White and Alfie Burden remain on course for LLP Solicitors World Seniors Snooker Championship glory as they both progressed to the semi-finals during Saturday night’s action at the Crucible Theatre.
White was in sizzling form as he dispatched Australia’s Adrian Ridley 4-0 in the opening tie of the evening.
The three-time champion – who finished with a very impressive pot success rate of over 97% – got the job done within 52 minutes and recorded breaks of 76, 103, 80 and 84. White has now won 16 of his 18 matches at the Crucible in this event since it moved here in 2019.
The Whirlwind will meet The Tornado Tony Drago on Sunday afternoon for a place in the final.
In the second match of the session, Burden ended the hopes of seven-time world professional champion Stephen Hendry with a 4-1 victory.
Londoner Burden claimed the opening frame with the help of a 64 break, but Hendry replied with a 62 in the second frame as he levelled the match.
Burden secured frame three on the colours after Hendry left himself hampered on the final red, and the 46-year-old extended his advantage with the next after both players had made errors during it.
Hendry scored first in frame five but missed, bringing Burden to the table who – assisted with a fluke near the start of the effort – constructed a frame and match winning break of 85.
‘The AB of London’ faces Ben Hancorn in the last four.
Stephen Hendry, for some reason, was unable to reproduce the form he had shown in his first match earlier this week.
Crucible Debutants Ridley and Hancorn Progress in World Seniors
Crucible Theatre debutants Adrian Ridley and Ben Hancorn are the latest players to book quarter-final berths in the 2023 LLP Solicitors World Seniors Snooker Championship after they won their respective matches during Friday afternoon’s session.
In front of a packed audience in Sheffield, Australian Ridley produced a very impressive display to dispatch 1986 world professional champion Joe Johnson, 3-0.
The Yarrawonga cueist – who qualified by virtue of claiming this year’s Asia Pacific Seniors Championship in March – looked comfortable as he rattled in breaks of 46, 57 and 73 to set up a date with either Jimmy White or Philip Williams on Saturday.
The second match of the session between Hancorn and Peter Lines yielded the first deciding frame finish of this year’s event.
Former English amateur champion Hancorn claimed the opening frame, but 2017 title winner and current UK seniors champion Lines levelled up and then went in front. Lines held a small lead in the fourth frame and had chances to go through but was unable to convert; Hancorn punished and took the tie all the way.
In the deciding frame, Lines failed to successfully lay a snooker behind the yellow ball. Hancorn immediately potted a brilliant long-distance red from the error and went on to make a cool 78 clearance to go through.
The Bristolian is set to face Gerard Greene in the quarter-finals tomorrow.
Everyone in the media room was impressed by Adrian Ridley. Nobody knew what to expect as nobody had seen him play before … well he’s seriously good!!!
Here are my images of these two matches
Adrian Ridley 3-0 Joe Johnson
Ben Hancorn 3-2 Peter Lines
Evening Session
That session was eagerly anticipated and attracted the biggest crowd ever for a session of “Seniors Snooker” so far. The Crucible was practically full …
Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White completed the quarter-finals line-up for the 2023 LLP Solicitors World Seniors Snooker Championship after they both won in front of a packed Crucible Theatre audience on Friday night.
Seven-time world professional champion Hendry is looking to secure this title for the first time, and the Scot is still on course this year after an entertaining 3-2 victory over 2011 winner Darren Morgan.
The opening two frames were shared, but Hendry went back in front with frame three after successfully laying a required snooker with just pink and black left – subsequently gaining the penalty points and later potting the final two balls for a steal.
Morgan bounced back from that disappointment by claiming the next frame without allowing his opponent to score a point to force a deciding frame. However, it was a vintage Hendry in the fifth frame, as he potted a beautiful long-distance red with his first shot and went on to make a quality frame and match winning break of 79 to set up a tasty meeting with Alfie Burden.
Off the back of his best season on the professional circuit in several years, three-time champion White was patient and resilient as he recovered from the loss of the opening frame to end the run of Philip Williams.
Golden ticket event winner Williams – appearing here for a third consecutive year – took the lead with the help of a 61, and was close to doubling his advantage as he held a handy lead in frame two with just one red left. White, though, gave himself a confidence booster as he doubled the last red and cleared up with a 34 to pinch it and level.
Frame three was also in the balance late on before White claimed it on the colours, but the 61-year-old found his groove in the fourth as he constructed a nice clearance of 70 to win the encounter 3-1.
White will face Australia’s Adrian Ridley for a place in the final four.
All four quarter-final matches will take place on Saturday in Sheffield with afternoon and evening sessions scheduled for 12:00GMT and 19:00GMT starts respectively.
This is by far the best I have seen Hendry play for many years. He’s clearly inspired by the Crucible and highly motivated for this event. I didn’t expect him to play for snookers with only pink and black on the table in frame 2 but he did and won that frame. That was a statement and it rattled Morgan a bit, you could sense it.
There was a good crowd in the Crucible on the second day of the 2023 World Seniors Snooker Championship and the fans were treated with two entertaining – albeit one-sided – matches.
Burden and Drago Excite on Day Two of World Seniors
Alfie Burden and Tony Drago both put on impressive performances as they booked their places in the quarter-finals of the 2023 LLP Solicitors World Seniors Snooker Championship following victories at the Crucible Theatre on Thursday night.
A quarter of a century on from his other appearance at the home of snooker, it looked as if a very fluent Burden had never been away as he dispatched 1997 world professional champion Ken Doherty 3-0.
The Londoner hit breaks of 56 and 30 to claim the opening frame and never looked back, giving his opponent few chances throughout the match as he crafted further efforts of 43, 60 and 51 in a resounding win.
The player that defeated Burden here back in 1998 was Drago, and the Maltese icon continued the quick green baize entertainment in Sheffield as he ended the journey of Crucible debutant Vito Puopolo inside 37 minutes.
Featuring in the world seniors for the first time since 2019, 57-year-old Drago had an average shot time of just 12.96 seconds and a pot success rate of 94.74%.
PABSA Pan-American Seniors Champion Puopolo from Canada showed flashes of his quality, but Drago displayed some brilliant shotmaking and rattled in breaks of 50, 35 and a 73 clearance as he recorded a 3-0 victory.
Burden and Drago will return Saturday for the last eight; Burden meets either Stephen Hendry or Darren Morgan, while Drago faces Mark Davis.
Every time I watch Alfie Burden play I wonder why he hasn’t got a better career. He’s brilliant to watch when on form. Yesterday he gave Ken Doherty very few chances. As for Tony Drago … what can we say? We neatly lost him when he had a heart failure, and the road to recovery was a long one, but here he is, being is good old self again and brilliant at the table. As much as I enjoyed watching Tony, I felt for Vito. He came all the way from Canada. He didn’t do much wrong. He never really got a chance to settle on the biggest scene of all. I hope he enjoyed the experience despite the heavy defeat. At least the Grinder, Cliff Thorburn, was there supporting him!
The Crucible Theatre welcomed snooker again yesterday, as the 2023 World Seniors Snooker Championship got underway. Lee Walker is the defending Champion, but his defence was short-lived…
Gerard Greene and Mark Davis were both winners during the opening session of the 2023 LLP Solicitors World Seniors Snooker Championship on Wednesday night at the Crucible Theatre.
In the tournament’s curtain-raiser, Greene dethroned reigning champion Lee Walker 3-1.
Walker – who memorably ousted Jimmy White in the final here 12 months ago – looked sharp in the first frame as he made breaks of 52 and 31.
However, Greene responded well, registering an effort of 45 early on in frame two before potting a red from long range and making a 28 clearance to pink to level the match. Despite missing pots that his opponent could not fully capitalise on, Greene largely continued his momentum and claimed the next two frames to set up a date with either Peter Lines or Ben Hancorn in the last eight on Saturday.
The winner of this title in 2016, Davis is in contention to be crowned again following a 3-0 victory against two-time ranking event champion Tony Knowles.
With the opening frame in the balance come the final stages, late replacement to the event Knowles let slip a safety shot which Davis punished to go in front.
Davis would go on to compile runs of 59 and 51 in frames two and three respectively to help complete a 3-0 win and book his berth in the quarter-finals.
Action in the 2023 LLP Solicitors World Seniors Snooker Championship resumes on Thursday night in Sheffield as Ken Doherty faces Alfie Burden, and Tony Drago meets Vito Puopolo. The winner of the latter match will be scheduled to play Davis on Saturday.
I’m at the Crucible and I was made to feel very welcome as I reconnected with friends who I hadn’t seen for many years … and, of course I took loads of pictures. Interestingly, although there is no Chinese player in the draw, the Chinese media is well represented on site and the event is streamed in China.
Here are three photo albums telling the story of the first day…
The 2023 World Seniors Championship starts this evening in Sheffield. Mohamed Khairy unfortunately couldn’t make the trip and is replaced in the draw by Tony Knowles. Tony will play Mark Davis in the first round.
The 2023 LLP Solicitors World Seniors Snooker Championship runs from May 3-7, with an all-star field including the likes of Stephen Hendry, Ken Doherty, Joe Johnson and Jimmy White. So even when the Cazoo World Championship finishes, you’ll still be able to watch snooker at the Crucible.
For the draw and ticket details click here and here are the broadcasters:
Philip Williams will be back at the Crucible, after winning the “Golden Ticket” yesterday. He beat Craig Steadman in the Final. He will play Jimmy White in the first round at the Crucible.
Congratulations Philip!
This is now the complete line-up and round one schedule
The only spot still to be filled is the “Golden Ticket” Winner. The Golden Ticket event will be played over the coming week-end in Reading, and you will be able to follow the event and find all results here.
We have some very interesting match-ups but the match that caught my eye is
Stephen Hendry v Darren Morgan
Those two have played each other 16 times during their professional careers, Hendry prevailing 15 times. Darren’s only win over Stephen came at the 1990 British Open. Their first professional match dates back to 1988 at the New Zealand Masters. Their last professional match was played at the Crucible: Stephen beat Darren by 13-10 in the quarter-finals of the 1997 World Snooker Championship. That said, Darren, unlike Stephan has continued to play competitively on a regular basis in recent years, and still plays at a very high level. I have to make Darren favourite here.
I’m also very happy to see Mark Davis in the draw. After the heartbreaking way he lost his tour card only last week, this is something he can look forward to and, in my opinion, he’s a very serious contender for the title.
Also intriguing is the match between Ken Doherty and Alfie Burden. Although they have both played on the main tour for a very long time they have only met each other four times, Ken prevailing three times. Their first encounter dates back to the 1999 British Open. Alfie’s only win came at the 2015 Shoot Out which is also the last time they played each other.
The WPBSA World Seniors Tour 