The success saw the Brazilian secure back-to-back televised titles on the World Seniors Snooker tour as he followed up on his victory in the World Seniors Championship at the iconic Crucible Theatre back in May.

The unique event, which sees the competitors face off in single-frame shootouts of no more than 15 minutes (or 900 seconds) and was shown live on Channel 5, began with a repeat of the Crucible final from earlier this year as 900 format debutant Figueiredo took on Ken Doherty.

The man known as ‘The Darling of Dublin’ had arrived in England at around 5am that morning, following time as a player and pundit at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Riyadh, but showed no signs of fatigue as a break of 67 saw him gain revenge on his Brazilian opponent.

Doherty would follow this up with a further group stage victory over Barry Pinches, another debutant to the format, to secure his place in the semi-finals.

Malta’s Tony Drago was the first man to join him in the knockout stages as he secured a duo of impressive victories over four-time World Seniors champion Jimmy White and seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry.

Back-to-back victories for both Doherty and Drago meant that the final two group stage encounters were effectively knockout matches, with the two winners securing their places in the last four.

Breaks of 49 and 46 were enough for Figueiredo to overcome Pinches in the first of these contests, before White and Hendry renewed their famous rivalry in front of the Hull crowd – with a break of 66 from ‘The Whirlwind’ earning him the last semi-final spot.

The action continued to come thick and fast in East Yorkshire as the event entered the knockout stages and it was the two group runner-ups who set up a final meeting as White overcame Doherty in a repeat of the 2020 World Seniors Championship final, before Figueiredo continued his fine form by defeating Drago.

The title match saw the two most recent winners of the World Seniors Championship go head to head in a best-of-three frame contest.

White compiled the highest break of the day to take the opener with a 69 but, fittingly, the event would ultimately be decided by a final frame shootout as Figueiredo hit back with a 66 to restore parity.

‘The Whirlwind’, who has been defeated in the previous two Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 finals, look set to finally get his hands on the trophy as he was in the balls in the final frame on a break of 40.

Dramatically, however, White broke down allowing the Brazilian to clear up and seal the victory on the final black before letting out an ecstatic roar in celebration.

Post-match, Figueiredo said: “It’s a fantastic time for me, my career and for the Americas as well. I think it was a fantastic final, I feel over the moon with that clearance – I don’t believe it! I enjoy playing in the World Seniors events and I want to fix my place here and come back for every tournament.”

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Contested at the former home of the UK Seniors Championship, the event features a new and exciting format where anything can happen. Each match will last 15 minutes (900 seconds) and has a 20-second shot clock in play at all times, allowing for unmissable action that has proven a hit with fans and players alike.

Among those in action are seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, who won the inaugural staging in Epsom in December, and 1997 world champion Ken Doherty – who lifted the Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 title on home soil at the iconic Goffs venue earlier this year.

They are joined by reigning World Seniors champion Igor Figueiredo, four-time World Seniors champion Jimmy ‘The Whirlwind’ White, Malta’s Tony ‘The Tornado’ Drago and former ranking event winner Barry Pinches.

How It Works

All matches throughout the tournament are just a single frame and each of these frames has a time limit of just 15 minutes. Should the frame not be complete at the end of the allocated 15 minutes, whoever is leading the frame claims the win. 

Played with a spotted cueball, cueists have just 20 seconds per shot and there are no extensions or time-outs (unless at the discretion of the referee). 

For every shot played, either a ball must be potted, or a cushion must be struck with the cueball or an object ball. 

All fouls result in cueball in hand for the opponent. 

At the end of the 15 minutes, should the players be tied on points, a blue-ball shoot-out will be used to determine the winner. 

The six players will compete in two round-robin groups of three players, with the top two advancing to the semi-finals. The winner of Group A will face the runner-up in Group B, and the winner of Group B will face the runner-up in Group A in the last four.

Group A

Sunday’s action will begin with a rematch of May’s World Seniors Championship final between Ken Doherty and Igor Figueiredo.

Brazil’s Figueiredo ran out a 5-2 victor at the Crucible Theatre to lift the prestigious trophy and will be looking to repeat the feat on his Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 debut in Hull.

The two recent World Seniors Championship finalists are joined by former ranking event winner Barry Pinches, who is also making his debut under the fast-paced and exciting format.

Group B

Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White will renew their storied rivalry at the Connexin Live in Hull as the two meet in the group stages.

The two contested the first ever Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 final in December, with Hendry coming out on top in Epsom, before White gained revenge at Goffs by eliminating the seven-time world champion at the semi-final stage.

Hendry and White are joined in the group by Malta’s Tony Drago, who reached the semi-finals of this year’s World Seniors Championship in Sheffield.

Schedule

The action gets underway at 13:00 BST on Sunday, broadcast live on Channel 5.

• Group Stages (Single-Frame Shootout)

• • (A) Igor Figueiredo v Ken Doherty
  • (B) Jimmy White v Tony Drago
  • (A) Barry Pinches v Winner of Match 1
  • (B) Stephen Hendry v Winner of Match 2
  • (A) Barry Pinches v Loser of Match 1
  • (B) Stephen Hendry v Loser of Match 2

• Semi Finals (Single-Frame Shootout)

• • Winner of Group A v Runner-Up of Group B
  • Winner of Group B v Runner-Up of Group A

• Final (Best of 3 Frames)

• • Winner of Semi-Final 1 v Winner of Semi-Final 2

Limited tickets remain available via the Connexin Live website – click here.

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The event, which will be broadcast live on Channel 5, will bring some of the most decorated names in the sport to the city for the third edition of the Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900, following victory for seven-time world champion Hendry in Epsom and an emotional success for Doherty on home soil at Goffs in March.

Reigning World Seniors champion Igor Figueiredo, ‘The Tornado’ Tony Drago and Barry Pinches also feature in the line-up at the former home of the UK Seniors Championship in East Yorkshire.

Jason Francis, Chairman of World Seniors Snooker said, “It is brilliant to return to Hull, a city that has welcomed World Seniors Snooker with open arms for many years. The field contains the four players who contested the semi-finals of the recent Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship at the iconic Crucible Theatre, as well as two icons of the game in Jimmy White and Stephen Hendry.”

Tickets start from just £10 and offer the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon of top class snooker played under the exciting ‘900’ format, with each frame only lasting a maximum of 15 minutes (900 seconds).

Former world champion Dennis Taylor will also be in Hull as part of the TV commentary team and will host a special ‘VIP Legends Lunch’ which will see snooker fans enjoy a champagne two course meal and a front row seat for the action.

To book tickets go to www.connexinlivehull.com.

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Both players are aiming to lift the World Seniors title for the first time in their career and they will face off on Sunday afternoon in a best-of-nine frame title match.

Doherty is now one victory away from the completion of an historic ‘grand slam’ which would see him add the Seniors crown alongside the World Under-21, World Amateur and World Professional titles he won in 1989 and 1997 respectively.

Meanwhile, Figueiredo becomes the first ever cueist from outside of Europe to reach the final of the tournament and success against Doherty would represent the biggest victory of the 46-year-old’s career.

Unstoppable Igor Fires Through

Figueiredo gave the finest performance of the tournament so far to wrap up a 4-1 victory over ‘The Tornado’ Tony Drago with back-to-back century breaks.

The high-scoring nature of the contest may have come as a surprise to those watching the opening frame which was a nervy affair and saw neither player able to build up any rhythm as the Brazilian took it on the final blue.

The break-building quickly arrived for both players as Drago levelled the game with a break of 69 before Figueiredo restored his advantaged with his first half-century of the afternoon.

A stunning break of 110 from Figueiredo, the first century break of this year’s tournament, moved the Brazilian one frame away from the final and he charged over the line in emphatic fashion by firing in a 119 to complete the victory with impressive back-to-back centuries.

After reaching Sunday’s final, Figueiredo said: “I am very happy – I played very well in the last two frames. Two century breaks is not bad for myself! I am very happy to get into the final.

The Brazilian credits his wife Camilla for his upturn in form and he said after the victory: “My wife is my heart, she inspires me a lot and gives me power and support. My life changed after my wife and I do everything for her.”

Crafty Ken Into Second Seniors Final

Doherty booked his place in a first Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship final since 2020 by defeating Barry Pinches 4-1 in the semi-final.

The Irishman offered his best performance of the event so far and will be aiming to quash the memories of his last World Seniors final, when he led Jimmy White 4-0 at the Crucible before succumbing to a 5-4 defeat.

There was clear tension early on in the contest with the first frame taking over half an hour before Doherty crucially took it on the final black.

The 1997 World champion ultimately needed three visits to take the second frame, but eventually got over the line, before an unexpected miss from an out-of-sorts Pinches allowed Doherty to move one away from victory at 3-0.

The Englishman briefly rallied to pull a frame back at 3-1, but it was too little too late as ‘The Darling of Dublin’ completed the victory in frame five to set up a Sunday afternoon final meeting with Figueiredo.

“I got off to a good start by winning that black ball game and I’m thrilled to bits to get through to the final” Doherty reflected post-match.

“It was a really tough match and I’m a bit jaded but just so excited about tomorrow and the final against Igor Figueiredo.

“I’m not going to count any chickens, I’m just going to go out and play my best and give it all I can. I definitely want to win this tournament, it’s one I want to tick off my list, but I have a very tough opponent in front of me.”

The final will take place on Sunday from 12pm and you can watch LIVE on Channel 5 in the UK.

Limited tickets remain available.

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The Brazilian will now face ‘The Tornado’ Tony Drago in the last four after he overcame Stuart Watson in the evening session, while Ken Doherty survived another scare against Dechawat Poomjaeng to set up a meeting with Barry Pinches on Saturday afternoon.

Figueiredo previously reached the last four at the Crucible Theatre in 2021, when it was ‘The Whirlwind’ who denied him a place in the title match, and so the Brazilian was out for revenge as he charged into an early lead without allowing his opponent a chance at a pot.

The second frame looked pivotal as White needed a snooker on the blue, but managed to get it, only to allow Figueiredo back in to pot a decisive pink and double his advantage.

White had managed to come from 2-0 behind in his opening match against Andrew Norman the previous day, but this time it wasn’t to be as the visibly frustrated 62-year-old missed a black off the spot to allow his Brazilian opponent in and he duly took advantage of the opportunity to wrap up the whitewash win.

The result means the event is guaranteed a new champion for the first time since 2022 after both former champions White and Darren Morgan fell within the first two rounds.

“It’s a very big victory and important both for myself and for the Americas” a delighted Figueiredo reflected post-match.

“I didn’t play fantastic and it was a nervous game but I think I played solid. I hope to win (the tournament), it would be very important for myself and my history, but also it would help a new generation in the Americas. I want to give this support and this belief to those players.”

Ken Survives Again

Doherty had to once again dig deep to keep his dreams of a maiden Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship crown alive as he came from 2-1 down to defeat Poomjaeng 3-2 and reach the semi-finals for the first time since his heartbreaking final defeat to White in 2020 from 4-0 ahead.

The Irishman, who fell at the first hurdle last year, got off to a slow start as his charismatic Thai opponent took the opener in two visits – but the 1997 World champion hit back in the next with a break of 45 to level the contest.

Poomjaeng moved within one of victory with a break of 50 in the third after Doherty was caught out by the shot clock when using the long spider on an awkward black, but Doherty once again showed his fighting spirit to force a deciding frame with a break of 51.

Just as he had in his opening round victory over debutant Tyson Crinis, the Irishman once again saved his best for last as a superb break of 70 put Doherty into the last four where he will face Pinches.

Following his victory, Doherty said: “I’m so relieved to be honest. Dechawat was playing really well and at 2-1 down it was looking a little bit dodgy but I’m delighted to come back and show a bit of character.”

The Tornado Weathers The Storm

An emotional Tony Drago reached the semi-finals of the Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship for a second consecutive year in dramatic fashion.

His meeting with Stuart Watson, who had beaten Tony Knowles in the previous round, saw the oldest and youngest competitors left standing in the competition go head to head and it was the Maltese cueist who made a dream start with a current tournament high break of 91 in the opener at an average of just 11 seconds per shot.

The next two frames were defined by crucial missed browns as both came down to the colours.

Watson looked set to level in the second, but a missed brown allowed Drago to force a respot and it was him who potted the black to double his advantage to 2-0. The roles were then reversed in the third, as Drago jawed a tricky brown to the middle pocket to allow Watson to clean up and keep his hopes alive.

It was a tight affair and the fourth frame also came down to the final colours.

The Englishman looked certain to be forcing a decider in the opening match of the evening session but he somehow missed a relatively simple black to the green pocket, leaving Drago the simplest of pots to wrap up the victory.

Drago was visibly emotional after the match and, with tears in his eyes, reflected: “It feels great but I am just a bit disappointed because I know I am playing well but all of a sudden you make a mistake and it’s game on.

“I’m one of those people – unfortunately, the performance means more to me than winning. I shouldn’t be going through the way I am playing, I should make it easier because it was all over the place – I was on top and then all of a sudden, if he didn’t miss that black, he probably would have won.”

Pinches Denies Wattana To Reach Last Four

Pinches battled through a late night contest against James Wattana to reach the semi-finals of the Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship.

Both players had chances to take the opener – Wattana opening with a 44 break before Pinches hit back with a 40 of his own, but it was the man from Norwich who eventually took it on the colours courtesy of an excellent long green.

The Englishman, who lost to Wattana in the 1988 World Amateur Championship final, doubled his lead with a break of 54 in the second frame but missed a pink off the spot in the next to allow the Thai cueiest to keep the match alive.

Ultimately, however, it was Pinches that was able to get over the line by the winning margin of 3-1 and he will now face 1997 World champion Doherty in the semi-finals.

Pinches said: “I think it was a decent performance. I missed a few balls, but not too many easy ones, but I just tried to make it difficult for James because I know he’s had a long trip from Thailand so if you can keep him off the table and not let him in the balls then that always helps and I think I did a fairly good job of that.”

Four nations will be represented in the semi-finals which take place on Saturday from 12pm and you can watch LIVE on Channel 5 in the UK.

Limited tickets remain available.

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The defending champion was one of four players, along with ‘The Tornado’ Tony Drago, Barry Pinches and Dechawat Poomjaeng, to book their places in the quarter-finals on the second day of action at the Crucible Theatre as the first round came to a dramatic conclusion.

‘The Whirlwind’ began the defence of his title in the second match of the afternoon session and it was former professional Norman, who was making his first ever appearance at snooker’s most iconic venue, who was standing in the way of the four-time and reigning champion.

Despite the occasion, Norman showed few signs of nerves as he took a scrappy opening frame before firing in a steely break of 65 when trailing by 48 points to double his lead and move one frame away from completing a first round upset.

White got in first in frame three and looked set to reduce his deficit before breaking down on a break of 54 and leaving Norman in the balls with a golden opportunity to earn a whitewash victory.

A missed black off the spot on 25 from Norman may haunt him for some time, as White capitalised to pull a frame back before winning a scrappy fourth frame to force a decider to close out the afternoon session.

Both players had their chances in the fifth, but after Norman missed a tricky final red with the spider while on 52, it was the defending champion who eventually cleared from brown to pink to salvage the win – much to the joy of the Crucible crowd who let out a roar as the winning ball found the pocket.

White, who was carrying with him a card from his grandson as a lucky charm, said: “I was very lucky to win the game. I was very glassy today, I was struggling and I didn’t feel good so I’m pleased.

“I’m playing some good stuff – that looked like a banana skin but I’m through now so hopefully I can play better next time.”

Drago Downs Judge

Drago booked his place in the Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship quarter-final for a second consecutive year courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Michael Judge in the first match of day two.

The Maltese cueist, who reached the semi-finals last year, was averaging 13 seconds per shot after three frames but struggled to offer sizeable contributions in a scrappy affair against the Irish former professional.

A break of 46 in the opener was enough for ‘The Tornado’ to take an early lead, despite Judge’s best efforts to find snookers late in the frame, and Drago then doubled his advantage in frame two on the final pink to move one away from victory.

Frame three was also decided on the colours as Judge took it on the last blue to reduce the deficit. The Irishman, who made three appearances at the Crucible during his professional career, looked on course to force a decider but a dramatic moment late in the fourth saw a blue that looked certain to drop freakishly bounce off the leather at the back of the pocket and land back on the baize.

Drago was able to capitalise and secure the victory, reflecting afterwards: “I could have won comfortably but in the end I won in a freakish way. It’s not my fault and if I say I am not happy to go on to the next round then I will be telling a lie – but I would rather Michael had missed by miles than the blue coming back out of the pocket.

“I didn’t make centuries but I scored fifties and that’s all you need in best of fives. I’m just going to chill out and be ready for tomorrow.”

Pinches Powers Through

An impressive display from Pinches saw him set up a quarter-final meeting with James Wattana by overcoming the 1986 World champion Joe Johnson 3-1.

The former English Amateur champion was utterly dominant in the early stages of the match, forcing his opponent to go more than 30 minutes without potting a ball as he charged into a 2-0 lead with breaks of 54 and 50.

Pinches would ultimately go 203 points without reply before Johnson finally got back into the game in frame three, as the Norwich cueist began to show signs of trying to defend his lead. A dramatic frame eventually went the way of Johnson, who potted the final black with a cross-double to reduce his deficit to 2-1.

It was Pinches, however, who managed to get over the line in the fourth and he now meets Asian superstar Wattana in Friday’s last eight.

Post-match, Pinches said: “I was really pleased with my scoring. The third frame went a little bit more scrappy and Joe made some good pots to win that frame on the black but I managed to build and early lead in the next and finish it off.

“Best-of-five frame snooker is just so tough. You’ve only got to lose that one frame and you’re bang under it, even if you’re 2-0 up that’s 2-1 and you’re under the cosh.

“I haven’t played James for a few years – I think we played once or twice as professionals but we did have a couple of really big amateur matches so it’ll just be great to play him again. I’ve always admired James, he was the trailblazer for Asian snooker so it’ll be nice to play him.”

Dechawat Delights Crucible Crowd

Thailand’s Dechawat Poomjaeng made a winning start to his maiden Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship campaign by defeating 2011 winner Darren Morgan 3-1.

Poomjaeng was making his first Crucible appearance since 2013, when he reached the last 16 of the World Championship, and he was determined to enjoy every second of the experience – arriving into the arena adorning two separate pairs of sunglasses to Robbie Williams’ “Let Me Entertain You” by Robbie Williams.

A break of 41 in the opener saw Poomjaeng take the frame and he quickly doubled his advantage with a solid performance in the second.

Despite missing the frame ball red, a whitewash looked inevitable when the Thai cueist compiled a 57 in the third. But Morgan, who up until this point had a high break of 9 and was visibly struggling with back issues, suddenly found a John Higgins style clearance of 68 from nowhere to keep his hopes alive.

Sadly for the Welshman, however, it wasn’t to be as Poomjaeng managed to reach the winning line in frame four and will now face 1997 World champion Ken Doherty on Friday afternoon.

“I really enjoyed it and I am very happy to see the crowd happy.” Poomjeng said after the match.

“(Darren) has pain in his back and he still played like this – I don’t believe it! I have had pain before and I cannot play like that. He’s a very dangerous player.

“(Ken) is an amazing player. I will just play and have fun and be happy to play with Ken tomorrow.”

Tomorrow will see all four quarter-finals played across two sessions and you can watch LIVE on Channel 5 and 5 Action in the UK.

Limited tickets remain available.

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The tournament sees a global field of 16 cueists head to the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield aiming to secure the prestigious title at snooker’s most iconic venue. This year, for the first time, the Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship will be broadcast live on Channel 5 in the UK from 8-12 May.

First Round Schedule

Wednesday 8th May

• 12pm
• James Wattana (Thailand) vs. Rodney Goggins (Ireland)
• Ken Doherty (Ireland) vs. Tyson Crinis (Australia)
• 7pm
• Tony Knowles (England) vs. Stuart Watson (England)
• Igor Figueiredo (Brazil) vs. Tessa Davidson (England)

Thursday 9th May

• 12pm
• Tony Drago (Malta) vs. Michael Judge (Ireland)
• Jimmy White (England) vs. Andrew Norman (England)
• 7pm
• Joe Johnson (England) vs. Barry Pinches (England)
• Darren Morgan (Wales) vs. Dechawat Poomjaeng (Thailand)

Jimmy White arrives in Sheffield looking to secure a record-extending fifth World Seniors crown and he will begin his campaign against Andrew Norman in the second match of the afternoon session on day two, following Malta’s Tony Drago against Michael Judge.

The honour of opening the event falls to qualifier Rodney Goggins and James Wattana, who is competing in the Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship for the first time since 2019, who will be followed by 1997 World champion Ken Doherty against Australia’s Tyson Crinis on the first afternoon.

Wednesday evening sees former World number two Tony Knowles begin his campaign against Stuart Watson before Igor Figueiredo and World Women’s Snooker Seniors champion Tessa Davidson face off in the final match of day one.

Former World champion Joe Johnson then headlines the second evening, taking on veteran former professional Barry Pinches, before Darren Morgan and Dechawat Poomjaeng conclude the opening round of action.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 May.

The 2024 Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship final will get underway at Sunday 12 May at 12 o’clock.

Tickets are now on sale from just £17.50 via the Crucible on 0114 2496000 or online at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

The post Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship 2024 | Schedule appeared first on WSS | World Seniors Snooker.

The tournament will be held in Sheffield at snooker’s most iconic venue for the sixth consecutive year and will be broadcast live on Channel 5 in the UK for the first time.

A global field of 16 cueists will embark on the steel city where reigning champion Jimmy White, aiming for a record-extending fifth World Seniors title, will start his title defence against former World Snooker Tour professional Andrew Norman.

Former World champion Ken Doherty, who is looking to complete a unique grand slam by adding the Seniors crown to his World Under-21, World Amateur and World Professional titles, faces Asia-Pacific Seniors champion Tyson Crinis in the opening round while fellow former Crucible king Joe Johnson begins his campaign with a tough tie against veteran Barry Pinches.

One of the ties of the opening round sees 2011 World Seniors champion Darren Morgan face tournament debutant Dechawat Poomjaeng, while Asian superstar James Wattana meets Ireland’s Rodney Goggins to complete the bottom half of the draw.

Joining White and Norman in the top half are ‘The Tornado’ Tony Drago’ and former world number two Tony Knowles – who contest opening round ties against Ireland’s Michael Judge and England’s Stuart Watson.

The first round draw is completed by Pan-American Seniors champion Igor Figueiredo taking on World Women’s Snooker Seniors champion Tessa Davidson – with the winner set to potentially meet ‘The Whirlwind’ in the quarter-finals should he make it that far.

First round matches will take place on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 May, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals taking place on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 May before the Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship final takes place on Sunday 12 May.

Tickets are on sale and can be purchased from just £17.50 at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

The post Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship 2024 | Draw Announced appeared first on WSS | World Seniors Snooker.

The tournament will take place at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 8-12 May with a global 16-player field representing five continents competing for the coveted World Seniors Championship crown at the home of snooker.

Channel 5, which has shown live coverage of the two Mr Vegas Snooker 900 events staged this season, will provide live coverage of the World Seniors Championship for the first time.

Defending champion Jimmy White will be searching for a record-extending fifth World Seniors title while former World champions Ken Doherty, winner of the recent Mr Vegas Snooker 900 event at Goffs, and 1986 Crucible king Joe Johnson among those aiming to stop the Whirlwind.

Other notable names include former world number two Tony Knowles, ‘The Tornado’ Tony Drago from Malta and Asian superstar James Wattana – who returns to the event for the first time since 2019.

Asia will be further represented by Dechawat Poomjaeng, who competes in a World Seniors Championship for the first time, while reigning European Seniors champion Darren Morgan will be looking to regain the crown he won back in 2011.

Regional seniors champions Igor Figueiredo (Brazil), Mohammed Khairy (Egypt) and Tyson Crinis (Australia) will also compete at the Crucible, as will two-time and reigning World Women’s Seniors champion Tessa Davidson.

The line-up is completed by veteran former professionals Barry Pinches, Michael Judge, Rodney Goggins and Andrew Norman, who earned their spots via qualifying events held across the season.

The winner will take home £20,000 and earn a spot in the Champion of Champions event later in the year.

Jason Francis, Chairman of World Seniors said “It is fantastic to welcome Mr Vegas as our title sponsor for the World Championship following our partnership on the two recent Mr Vegas Snooker 900 events. We are also delighted to secure a major free to air broadcaster in Channel 5.”

Ulle Skottling, deputy CEO of Videoslots, the UKGC-licensed online casino company running the Mr Vegas brand, said “We are pleased to continue our partnership with World Seniors Snooker. We like to bring a bit of Vegas in our sponsored events and we’re sure that the snooker at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield will rock and roll.”

Tickets are now on sale via the Crucible on 0114 2496000 or online at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

To find out more about Mr Vegas please visit www.mrvegas.com

The post Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship To Be Shown Live on Channel 5 appeared first on WSS | World Seniors Snooker.

• Results from LLP Solicitors World Seniors Snooker Championship Qualifying Event 2

The experienced cueman from Norwich – who has previously played at snooker’s most iconic venue in both the professional and seniors world championships – joins last month’s event one winner Andrew Norman on the list of confirmed qualifiers. 

Held at the North East Snooker Centre in North Sheilds, 53-year-old Pinches began his campaign with victories against Ant Parsons (3-0) and Gareth Edwards (3-1) before he defeated multiple-time World Seniors Snooker Tour major event finalist Johnathan Bagley 4-1 in the last eight along with breaks of 90 and 81. 

In the semi-finals Pinches went behind early on to opponent James McGouran but he strung together the next four frames for a 4-1 win.

Coming through the other side of the draw was 2022 world seniors champion Walker. The Welshman recovered from 2-0 down to deny former qualifier Rodney Goggins 4-2 in the quarter-finals and then registered runs of 126 – the highest break of the event – and 78 during a 4-0 success against 2018 champion Aaron Canavan in the last four. 

A decorated final did not disappoint. Walker deposited the opening frame with a 103 clearance although Pinches responded with efforts of 87, 83 and 68 in the next three frames as he went 3-1 up. Professional PTC event winner Pinches then claimed a low-scoring fifth frame to complete victory and book a ticket to Sheffield for the spring. 

The third qualifying event of the season is set to take place across the Irish Sea at the Snooker & Billiards Ireland Academy in Carlow between February 23-25. 

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