The fourth, and last, qualifying event for the 2024 Seniors Snooker World Championship was played over the week-end in Jersey. Rodney Goggins once again is “Crucible” bound…

Here is the report by WSS:

JOY IN JERSEY FOR RODNEY GOGGINS

Rodney Goggins secured his place at the Crucible Theatre in May by defeating Nigel Howe 4-0 in the final of the fourth LLP Solicitors World Seniors Championship qualifier at the Jersey Mechanics Institute.

• Results

Goggins, a World Snooker Tour professional between 2004 and 2009, came through a field of 33 hopefuls which included 2018 World Seniors champion Aaron Canavan to book his place at snooker’s most iconic venue.

The 45-year-old got his weekend off to a strong start with back-to-back whitewash victories over Kieran O’Donovan and fellow Irishman Tony Corrigan.

In the quarter-finals he met Gary Filtness, who lifted the Super Seniors title in Jersey, and the Englishman twice moved ahead in the best-of-seven frame contest – including firing in an impressive 112 break in the third. Goggins ultimately proved too strong, however, and took the contest 4-2 to set up a last four meeting with Gary Britton.

Britton had already eliminated former champion Canavan at the last sixteen stage, and was looking to claim another scalp as he fought back from 2-0 down to level the contest after four frames.

Goggins was in fine form, however, having opened up the match with a stunning 128 break and eventually battled through a 4-2 victor to reach the title match.

There he met Howe, who had beaten John Leahy, David Brock, Simon Dent and Wayne Townsend to reach the final, but proved no match for Goggins as the experienced Irishman took the title with a comfortable 4-0 victory.

BACK-TO-BACK SUPER SENIORS GLORY FOR GARY FILTNESS

• Results

Gary Filtness followed up his recent Super Seniors victory in Ireland with further success in Jersey, as he defeated Simon Dent 2-0 in the final to claim the title.

Filtness, who lost out to eventual champion Rodney Goggins in the qualifying event, defeated former professional Andrew Norman 2-0 in his opening match of the Super Seniors and dropped just a single frame en route to the final as he later overcame Raymond Grall and Tony Corrigan.

His opponent in the title match was Dent, who had beaten John Leahy, John Hunter and Karl Townsend to reach the final.

Filtness proved too strong, however, as breaks of 58 and 72 secured the title for the 60-year-old.

Ken Doherty beat Jimmy White by 2-1 to win the first “Mr Vegas” Senior event played on Irish soil.

Congratulations Ken Doherty!

Here is the report by WSS:

Glory at Goffs for Ken Doherty

Ken Doherty defeated Jimmy White 2-1 in the final of the Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 at Goffs to lift the title on home soil.

Doherty was overcome with emotion following the victory in front of his home crowd, which sees him become the second winner of the Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 event following Stephen Hendry’s success in Epsom last December.

The 1997 world champion did not got off to the best of starts in this fast-paced event, losing his opening group stage encounter to fellow eventual finalist White, courtesy of a break of 47 from The Whirlwind.

White had already overcome Tony Knowles in his opening group game with a magnificent break of 96, meaning his place in the semi-finals was secured while Doherty and Knowles faced off in a ‘winner-takes-all’ final group contest.

Unfortunately for Knowles, who had been drafted in as a late replacement for Tony Drago, his trip to Ireland saw him fail to pot a single ball as Doherty fired in a break of 77 to book his place in the last four.

In the other group, Hendry and Fergal O’Brien had kicked off proceedings at Goffs with a hard-fought match that saw the Irishman run out the eventual winner on his debut in this format.

Both players would go on to defeat the 1985 world champion Dennis Taylor, with Hendry compiling an impressive 88 break in the final group game, to ensure both Hendry and O’Brien reached the knockout stage.

The semi-final line-up was a mouthwatering prospect for the excitable Irish crowd.

First up, an all-Ireland meeting pitted O’Brien and Doherty against each other on home soil – with ‘The Darling of Dublin’ hitting top form at just the right time as he fired in a break of 101, the highest of the day, to secure a place in the the title match.

Old foes White and Hendry met in the second semi-final for another dramatic chapter in their epic rivalry.

The two both had chances to secure the frame, but as the contest approached the final few balls, the tension was clear everyone in the packed-out venue to see. Ultimately, it was White who held his nerve to clear from blue to the final black and set up a final meeting with Doherty.

The final, a repeat of the 2020 World Seniors Championship final at the Crucible Theatre, saw the two legends of the game face off in a best-of-3 frame contest under the unique Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 format.

White moved into the ascendancy with a break of 77, but Doherty hit back with a 71 of his own to ensure that the final would, suitably, be decided by a one-frame shootout.

In front of his home crowd and at a venue where he used to work as a boy, it was Doherty who got over the line to complete the victory and lift the title at the iconic Goffs venue.

World Seniors Snooker returns in May with the World Seniors Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for ticket details.

And some more images shared on social media during the event.

It was great entertainment as always although the players were giving it their all at the table. Neal, Rachel and Lee were at their best enthusiast self! The channel 5 coverage was good. There was a big crowd, very lively, as you would expect in this area and arena. Phil Seymour was the MC and excellent as ever.

Great job by Jason Francis and the WSS team! Thank you guys!

The event will start on Saturday at the iconic arena of Goffs. The arena is getting ready…

Also it has been announced that Tony Drago will be replaced in the draw by Tony Knowles

Tony can still play! He qualified into the later stages of the World Amateur Championships in Albania recently. Also, he’s already got a taste of the Mr Vegas format … he will be a contender.

The event will be live on Channel 5.

This was shared by World Seniors Snooker

Tyson Crinis – Wins the Asia-Pacific Seniors Championship.

Tyson Crinis is the latest to add their name to the entry list for the 2024 World Seniors Snooker Championships. Tyson hails from Wollongong which is South of Sydney along the Grand Pacific Drive, he recently moved to Canberra for work.

He defeated Hassan Kerde 4-1 in the final of the Asia-Pacific Seniors and locked in his spot for the Seniors Championship which will take place at the Crucible Theatre from the 8-12th May

On securing his spot he said…

“I grew up watching Stephen Hendry at the crucible on VHS tapes passed on from snooker enthusiasts and always dreamed of going even just to be a part of the crowd – now I could get to play him – its a dream come true“

Tyson started playing as a junior at just 12 which is when he first met Neil Robertson. They both played at the national championship.

He fondly recalls that The Thunder lost the semi and he lost the final, which was probably the first and last time I got one up on Neil.

Tyson joins names already confirmed which include Jimmy White, Ken Doherty, James Wattana, Joe Johnson, Tony Drago, Darren Morgan and Igor Figueredo

Tyson Crinis is 41 years old and has never been a professional.

You will find all the results of the 2024 Asia-Pacific Seniors Championship on Cuetracker.

You will also find more information on Tyson amateur snooker “history” on Cuetracker

Michael Judge has won the third 2024 World Seniors Snooker Championship qualifying event and will return to the Crucible come May.

Congratulations Michael Judge!

Here is the report shared by the WSS on their web site

Michael Judge defeated fellow Irishman Fergal O’Brien 4-2 in the third LLP Solicitors World Seniors Championship qualifying event to book his place at the Crucible Theatre in May.

• Results

The victory means 2019 UK Seniors champion will return to the Crucible following a one-year absence from the LLP Solicitors World Seniors Championship, having last played at the 2022 event.

The qualifying event, held in Carlow, Ireland, saw twenty-eight players from the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland competing for a coveted spot at the most famous venue in the sport.

Judge, who made three appearance at the Crucible Theatre during his professional career, began his campaign with comfortable 3-1 victories over fellow countrymen James Darcy and Dylan Rees.

The 48-year-old then whitewashed Englishman Neal Jones before another comfortable victory over Tony Corrigan saw him book his place in the final.

On the opposite side of the draw, veteran professional O’Brien was in rampant form as he dropped just two frames on his way to the last four, with a stunning break of 135 completing a 4-1 quarter-final victory over Neil Craycraft. Despite losing the opener in the semi-final, a 4-2 defeat of Englishman Matt Wilson then set up a final meeting with Judge.

The final was a high-qualify affair that featured four half-centuries in six frames, but with breaks of 66, 68 and 71 it was Judge who secured his place at the showpiece event of the World Seniors Snooker calendar.

SUPER SENIORS SUCCESS FOR FILTNESS

• Results

England’s Gary Filtness was victorious in the Super Seniors 3 event, open to all entrants over-55 years old, which was held alongside the main LLP World Seniors Championship qualifier in Carlow, Ireland.

Filtness, who was eliminted in the last eight of the qualifying event, whitewashed John Maher in the Super Seniors quarter-final before defeating Northern Ireland’s Gregory Cooke to reach the final.

There, he would meet John McCarthy, who had beaten Keith Thomas 2-1 to reach the Super Seniors title match.

Filtness, who reached the last 16 of the 2022 World Seniors Championship, proved too strong in the final and ran out a 2-0 victor to secure the title.

Congratulations Gary Filtness