The fourth, and last, qualifying event for the 2023 World Seniors Snooker Championship at the Crucible took place over the week-end and was won by Peter Lines. He beat Andrew Norman in the final.
This was announced yesterday by Jason Francis on Facebook
MARK DAVIS INVITED TO SENIORS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.
The World Seniors Snooker Tour is proud to announce that Mark Davis, the 2016 World Seniors Champion has accepted an invitation into the 2023 Event.
Current World Number 66 Davis has been a professional since 1991, making him one of the games longest serving players. As well as the Seniors Crown in 2016 the ‘Battler from Hastings’ has won multiple World 6 Reds Titles and achieved a highest ranking of 12 in 2013.
Mark said ‘I’m really proud to be a former World Seniors champion and although my aim is still to play on the professional tour I think the opportunities the seniors tour has given to amateurs and the lower ranked your players has been brilliant’
Jason Francis said “In some ways Mark becoming eligible for an invitation means his current professional status is in peril which is a shame for someone who has been on tour for over thirty years, that said the chance to compete at the Crucible Theatre in the single table set up is still one of the greatest things a snooker play can do and I am sure Mark will embrace it”
The World Seniors Snooker Championship is being staged from the 3rd to the 7th May and is live on BBC Digital Channels. The field already contains former World Champions Stephen Hendry, Ken Doherty and Joe Johnson as well as 3 times World Seniors Champions Jimmy White. Tickets can be purchased by going to https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/…/world-seniors…
Should Mark Davis regain his professional status before the event, his place will be taken by multiple event winner, and former World Number 2 Tony Knowles.
Burden ousted fellow main tour professional Peter Lines 4-3 in the final at the Crucible Sports and Social Club in Reading to reach the venue stages of the Championship for the first time in his career, and make up for losing in the final of the first qualifying event in October.
The 46-year-old Londoner made it through to Sunday’s last eight after opening round wins against Minesh Doshi 3-0 (where he made the event’s highest break of 138), Andrew Pagett 3-2, and Philip Williams 3-0. He then came from behind to defeat Rory McLeod 4-2 in the quarter-finals and saw off Luke Simmonds 4-0 in the last four.
On the other side of the draw, former champion Lines advanced to the last eight without dropping a frame before eliminating James McGouran 4-1 and pipping Dharminder Lilly 4-3.
‘The AB of London’ made a statement in the opening frame of what would be a close and compelling final by clearing up with a 59 break to take an early lead, although Lines responded by securing the next two frames – which were also decided on the final black ball.
A pot on the final pink at the end of frame four levelled the match for Burden, but Lines was the first to move one away from qualification as he claimed the fifth to move 3-2 ahead.
Having suffered disappointment in the past being close to returning to the iconic Sheffield venue, Burden stayed resolute, taking the match into a deserved deciding frame where he sank brown, blue and pink – after Lines had missed the brown – to book a place in the main draw.
Victory for Burden means an emotional return to the Crucible Theatre for the first time in what will be over a quarter of a century. His previous appearance in 1998 was a memorable one, where he made two centuries on debut before narrowly losing 10-8 to Tony Drago – another player in this year’s seniors main draw.
Burden is the third qualifying event winner this season after successes for Ben Hancorn and Gerard Greene.
This was announced by World Seniors Snooker Tour on social media:
A storm is coming…. World Seniors Snooker are delighted to announce the TORNADO Tony Drago has been invited into the 2023 World Championships which will be played from the 3rd-7th May at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Join us there https://t.co/laG4Sk3TYapic.twitter.com/5aJ5WdyEjb
The Dazzler Darren Morgan has been nominated as the EBSA Seniors Champion and will take his place at the Crucible Theatre for the 2023 World Seniors Championship.
Darren is a former seniors champion. Well done Darren, he will join PABSA Seniors Champion Vito Puopolo as one of the WSF Continental Invites
This nomination came shortly after Darren won the IBSF Amateur World Championship (Masters) in Turkey last week. Congratulations Darren … 11 World titles and counting!
Snooker legend James Wattana claims SEA Games gold for Thailand
Thai snooker legend James Wattana claimed his first Southeast Asian Games gold medal on Sunday.
The 52-year-old Thai overcame stiff resistance from young Malaysian Lim Kok Leong in the men’s final at Ha Dong Gymnasium in Hanoi.
Kok Leong, 27, drew first blood in the best-of-seven-frames showdown, winning the opener 75-24.
Wattana won the next 88-34 to level the match but the hot-potting Malaysian edged ahead by clinching the third frame 70-25.
However, 2-1 was as good as it got for Kok Leong as the Thai cue-master found another gear and began schooling the young upstart.
Wattana took the next three frames 65-48, 83-33 and 67-42 to grab the gold medal.
The victory was also sweet revenge after Kok Leong crushed Thailand’s Passakorn Suwanawat 4-0 in the semi-final.
Meanwhile, the Thai Billiard Sports Association celebrated its first SEA Games gold, having won five bronze medals at previous editions.
At press time, Thailand was in second place with 293 medals – 77 gold, 91 silver, 125 bronze. Host Vietnam tops the table with 401 medals – 185 gold, 108 silver, 108 bronze. Indonesia is in third with 211 medals – 61 gold, 80 silver, 70 bronze.
Recently crowned World Seniors Champion Lee Walker will continue his bid to regain professional status at Q School tomorrow, but the Welshman admits that his place on the main circuit is no longer the be all and end all.
Walker secured a dream victory at the Crucible earlier this month, beating Jimmy White 5-4 in a thrilling final to win the seniors title. That came in the aftermath of a disappointing end to the regular season, which resulted in his relegation from the World Snooker Tour.
The 46-year-old faces Ashley Carty in the next round of Q School event one tomorrow, but he does so in the knowledge that he has held aloft silverware in snooker’s most prestigious venue. It was the first time he had performed in front of a Crucible crowd since 2004 and his first ever appearance in the single table setup with fans. Walker’s best World Championship performance dates back to 1997, when he made the quarter-finals.
He clinched his recent glory in style, firing home a nerveless break of 83 to capture the title. Reflecting on that winning moment, he admits he proved a lot to himself with regards to his ability to function under the most severe pressure.
Walker said: “I haven’t done as well as I thought I would do in my career and haven’t been on the verge of winning a tournament before. I’ve always wondered what I would do and whether I would be able to get myself over the line. To win it the way that I did, with one chance and an 83 break in the decider, was very pleasing to me and I showed myself that I could do it under the pressure. Although there was a lot of pressure out there, I felt pretty calm.
“I was determined to enjoy every moment. I played Ken Doherty in the UK Seniors and at 2-0 down, I was a bit of a spoiled brat and I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I asked myself what I was doing and decided I needed to enjoy it more. I played Stephen Hendry at the World Seniors and obviously Jimmy White in the final. If you can’t enjoy playing those guys at the Crucible, then you might as well put the cue away and not bother playing ever again. It was just a great experience.
“When I did win, my son Noah came down and it was fantastic to share it with him. I looked at him and thought to try and not get upset, Mark Williams would have taken the mick out of me for the next 30 years if I did! Rob Walker asked me about Noah being there and I thought he was about to set me off, but I held myself together. It was a bit of an emotional moment, but it is one that I will cherish forever now.”
Much of Walker’s focus has been away from his own game in recent times. He now works alongside best friend Williams as his coach and he has also been teaching 15-year-old prospect Liam Davies for the last nine years. That has made for an eventful few weeks for Walker.
Walker has been working with 15-year-old Liam Davies for nine years.
Davies made history last month, when he became the youngest ever player to win a World Championship match. He defeated Aaron Hill in the first round of qualifying, before adding another win against Fergal O’Brien. The teenager was denied a Judgement Day place after a 6-5 loss against Jordan Brown. Williams, who is now 47 years old, followed up Davies’ exploits by going all the way to the semi-finals, where he was beaten 17-16 in an epic showdown with Judd Trump.
Considering he is now in the twilight period of his playing career, Walker now sees coaching at the core of his profession. He is relishing working with two players at very different stages in their own journeys.
“Mark has played so well this season. Himself, Higgins and O’Sullivan are amazing to still be playing at that level despite their age. He was so close to getting to the final of the Masters and he was so close to getting to the final at the Crucible. That is some achievement in the two biggest tournaments we have. I think those three could probably keep playing until the age of 75 the way they are going.
“I started working with Liam when he was six and he is like a son to me. I hope he feels the same, but I think we have a very special relationship. Watching him and watching Mark isn’t very nice. When you are out there playing you have control. When you are watching from the side and you are desperate for someone to win, it is very difficult. It is something I will have to get used to. Not only does Liam have a great future ahead of him, but he is a great lad as well. I am very proud of him. He lost his first match at Q School to Fergal, but whether he gets on now or in the future, it is just a matter of time.”
Walker hasn’t had long to prepare for Q School this year. In the immediate aftermath of the seniors, he went on a trip to Las Vegas with Williams, Mark Davis and all three of their wives. The former Gibraltar Open semi-finalist admits that he was seriously considering not entering Q School, but was persuaded to throw his hat in the ring and have another shot at the professional tour.
“It was a good trip. After winning the seniors, I didn’t get home until 5am. I picked Mark Williams up at 11am, so I barely got any sleep. Then we had the flight and arrived in Vegas at about 8pm. The full intention was to go out, have two drinks and then go to bed. We left the bar at 6:30am!
“It has been a mad month. I arrived with Mark in Sheffield on April 14th. We didn’t leave until he got knocked out in the semi-finals, I was then back up a couple of days later for the seniors. I then went to Vegas and here I am again competing in Q School. It has been crazy, but after this it will settle down and get back to normal.
“I really wasn’t sure whether or not I’d play in Q School. I am never going to give up playing completely, but the last couple of years as a professional haven’t been that profitable. I have other things I want to do in the coaching side of it. I take Mark’s advice on playing matters, both he and my dad said that if I play in it and don’t get through then my mind is made up for me. They thought it was worth giving it a go this year. Never say never, but if I don’t get through I’d be surprised if I was ever in Q School again. I obviously want to qualify and when I get on the table I will be giving it 100%, but if I don’t get through I wont be devastated. If that is the end of it, then I will be just as happy playing in amateur events and the seniors.”
Lee turned professional in 1994, aged 18. His best ever ranking was 41, his best result was a semi-final at the 2018 Gibraltar Open. Yet, Lee certainly can play to a very high standard. You don’t become the trusted coach of a multiple World Champion if you don’t know how to play the game inside-out. His achievements may look modest, but that’s because the standard at the top is incredibly high.
Lee truly loves his sport and will do anything to help aspiring players, no matter their level and abilities. When the first World Disability Snooker event was held in Wales, Lee and Michael White drove to the venue to support the event. It wasn’t close to their place – over 2 hours drive if my memory serves me well – but they came and spent several hours helping, chatting to the players, giving advice. They had a lot of time for everyone.
Winning the Seniors World Championship at the Crucible is, so far, the highlight of Lee’s career, a well deserved, unique moment that made years of hard graft worth it.
All the best in the future Lee
and enjoy your time as the Seniors World Champion!
Lee Walker came back from two down with three to play to oust Jimmy White 5-4 in the final at the Crucible Theatre and win the Ways Facilities Management World Seniors Snooker Championship for the first time.
The 46-year-old raised the tournament curtain on Wednesday night and he was the last player standing in Sheffield on Sunday evening, with the title representing the biggest accolade of his career so far.
Walker, who qualified for the main draw in February, began his campaign in the preliminary round with a 3-0 victory over Tony Knowles before an impressive elimination of Stephen Hendry by the same scoreline in the last 16, a result which included a break of 121.
However, the Welshman needed to show different qualities during the latter stages of the championship as he became a master of brinksmanship.
He came back from 0-2 down to deny Ken Doherty 4-2 in the quarter-finals and was even further adrift as he dethroned defending champion David Lilley in the semi-finals – stringing together four frames as he memorably turned a 0-3 deficit into a 4-3 success.
His opponent in the title match was three-time winner Jimmy White, who was appearing in his fourth consecutive world seniors championship final.
A vintage White had produced some of his best form in recent years to get there, dropping just one frame in three matches. During his 4-1 win over Rory McLeod in the last eight, The Whirlwind constructed a total clearance of 138, an effort which would stand as the event’s highest this year. He also compiled another total clearance – a 132 – as he saw off reigning UK seniors champion and former winner of this title, Peter Lines, 4-0 in the last four.
The ever-popular Londoner started the final well, registering a run of 64 in the opening frame and carving out a 3-1 lead going into the mid-session interval.
On resumption, Walker made a 72 break to take frame five and reduce his arrears, but White went on the brink of a fourth title as he claimed the sixth frame to move 4-2 up in the race to five.
However, Walker was to conjure up yet another recovery, finding his scoring groove when it mattered the most to become the 11th different winner of this prestigious title.
He chalked up frame seven and then forced a deciding frame with a clearance of 79 in the eighth. Walker would save his highest effort of the contest until last, though, grabbing his opportunity in the decider by crafting a classy break of 83 to lift the trophy.
After his win, Lee declared that he will “cherish this forever”. Of course, he should!
He’s been a dedicated professional since 1994. He’s dropped off the tour a few times and came back. He had little success as a professional but still loves the game with a passion. He’s a well respected coach, he’s been helping Mark Williams for years. And now, he has finally won an event beating a legend of the game in the final, at the Crucible, no less. And he has done it the hard way.
He will be at the 2022 Champion of Champions.
In a few days he will head to the Q-school, where he will try to regain his tour card once more. Good luck Lee.
Jimmy took the high break prize for his marvellous 138
Jimmy played some marvellous snooker during the event. He was probably the best player out there but he couldn’t sustain his highest level in the latter stages of the final. Maybe, at 60, this is what happens. Consistency is hard to retain and tiredness may be a factor. But he delighted the crowd, and I hope he can take some satisfaction from that.
It was, once again, a great event. It was well supported by the fans.
Rob Walker, as usual, was a dynamic and enthusiast presence on the floor, be it to introduce the players or to interview them post-match.
The commentary team – John Virgo, Mike Dunn, Dennis Taylor, Stephen Hendry and Cliff Thorburn – did a sterling job.
The streaming on Matchroom.live was excellent too. The service had been terrible earlier in the season but it seems that the issues have now been adressed successfully.
They are: David Lilley, the defending champion, Jimmy White, the legend, Peter Lines the Seniors UK champion and Lee Walker, newcomer in this comp and “Willo”‘s coach.
Only four players remain on course for the 2022 Ways Facilities Management World Seniors Snooker Championship title as the event heads into its final day.
The best of seven semi-finals will take place at the Crucible Theatre on Sunday afternoon from 1300GMT with the best of nine final scheduled to start in the evening at 1900GMT. The final four consists of the defending champion, two former champions and someone aiming to claim the title for the first time.
That person is qualifier Lee Walker who was the first player through to Finals Day after he defeated Ken Doherty, 4-2.
Walker – who won both his opening matches 3–0 – found himself 2-0 down to the 1997 world professional champion. However, with the help of two breaks of 56 and a 52, the Welshman turned things around to move in front before holding his nerve by sinking blue and pink in frame six to complete victory.
Defending champion David Lilley still has the opportunity to become the first maiden winner to successfully retain the title after he dispatched tournament favourite Michael Holt, 4-0.
Lilley took the first frame on the pink before restricting his opponent to just 13 further points as he registered top runs of 50 and 58.
The evening session got off to a flyer as three-time world seniors champion Jimmy White conjured up one of his best performances in recent times to eliminate Rory McLeod, 4-1.
The Whirlwind was in vintage scoring form as he racked up breaks of 53, 138, 71, 74 and 48 to reach the semi-finals of this event for the seventh time. The century in frame two was a total clearance and the new highest break for the tournament.
Since the championship moved here in 2019, White has lost just once in 14 matches.
Reigning UK Seniors Champion Peter Lines completed Sunday’s cast at the Crucible following a 4-1 success over fellow former winner of this title, Nigel Bond. The Leeds-based professional top scored with 93.
Lines lifted the world seniors trophy in Scunthorpe in 2017, and he is now two more wins away from raising it again on Sunday night. As yet, no player has held both the UK and World Seniors Championship titles at the same time.
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Ken Doherty, who had his wife and son sat in the crowd, completely lost his ways after the first two frames. It was another case of a match turning on one shot. I’m not sure that having his family there helped him. He looked very nervous.
All four remaining players impressed in their quarter-finals match. It’s hard to predict a winner really. David Lilley looks absolutely determined to defend his title, both Lee Walker and Peter Lines played reliable, solid snooker and neither missed much once they got going. Jimmy was in scintillating form yesterday; he delighted the crowd.
Recently crowned World Seniors Champion Lee Walker will continue his bid to regain professional status at Q School tomorrow, but 
The WPBSA World Seniors Tour 