• Results from the opening weekend of World Seniors action here

A former professional player of 12 seasons, Norman agonisingly missed out on the Crucible Theatre main event last season when he lost to Peter Lines in the final of qualifying event four. However, after an intriguing long weekend where he showed his class, Norman made sure that his name will be the draw this time around. 

The 43-year-old began his campaign with 3-1 victories against Michael Judge and Ant Parsons in the last 32 and 16 respectively to make it through to Sunday’s last eight. 

The 2022 English Seniors Snooker Champion recovered from 2-0 down as he defeated Dharminder Lilly 4-2 (77 break, frame six) in the quarter-finals before denying two-time Crucible qualifier for this event Stuart Watson 4-1 in the last four. 

Coming through the other side of the draw was Hancorn, who was trying to repeat the feat of winning the opening qualifier of the season, which he did last year on his debut. The former English Amateur Snooker Champion eventually went all the way to the semi-finals at the Crucible. 

Hancorn survived deciding frames against Neal Jones and Patrick Wallace before returning for Finals Day where he eliminated Rodney Goggins 4-2 and then Gerard Greene 4-1 in the semi-finals during a display in which he compiled breaks of 76, 62 and 52. 

In the final Hancorn established a 2-0 advantage, but Norman responded as he levelled at 2-2. Hancorn went back in front and one away from victory although Norman recovered again, hitting a 59 break on his way to forcing a seventh and final frame which he emerged from. 

Brilliant Beal Secures Super Seniors Success 

In the opening Super Seniors event of the campaign, Ashley Beal defeated John Hunter 2-1 in the final. 

It means back-to-back event titles for Beal who also won last season’s final event. 

The former English Over-55 Snooker Champion won three consecutive deciding frame matches – against Simon Brooks, Patsy Fagan, and then Hunter. 

The next weekend of World Seniors qualifying and Super Seniors action takes place at the North East Snooker Centre in North Shields between October 6-8. You can enter via snookerscores.net here.

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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. 

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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.

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• View the draw and schedule here

The pinnacle of the World Seniors Snooker Tour, it is the fifth consecutive year that the event will be held at the iconic Sheffield venue. Following the completion of several qualifying competitions across the season, this year’s field looks to be the strongest yet with nine nationalities represented in the 16-player main draw. 

Some tickets are still available for the Championship via the Sheffield Theatres website here, but if you’re not able to be there in person, details on how to watch the live coverage throughout can be found here. 

The draw was conducted during the professional championship a few weeks ago; let’s check out the ties we can look forward to…

Top Half 

Heading the top of the draw and helping break off the tournament on Wednesday night is reigning and defending champion Lee Walker. 

The Welshman memorably ousted Jimmy White in last year’s final to win the biggest title of his career. He faces a very tricky opening round tie against Gerard Greene, who has been competing on the professional circuit this season. 

Throughout the history and different iterations of the world seniors snooker championship, only one player has successfully defended, or even just won the event more than once – White in 2010, 2019 and 2020. 

Champion in 2017 and one of the most decorated players in seniors tour history, Peter Lines is back for another tilt at the title. The Leeds cueist meets former English amateur champion Ben Hancorn, who will be making his Crucible Theatre bow.

Seven-times world professional champion Stephen Hendry is aiming for his maiden world seniors crown, although the Scot has a tough first rounder against former winner Darren Morgan, who also has a further two final appearances in this event to his name, including here in 2019. 

An intriguing tie, Hendry defeated Morgan here four times in the professional championship during the 1990s – contributing to a very one-sided head-to-head career record. However, Morgan did get the better of Hendry the last time they dueled here in this tournament four years ago in the last eight. 

Completing the top half of the bracket is Ken Doherty versus Alfie Burden. 

Having won world junior, amateur and professional championships throughout his illustrious career, Doherty is still looking to achieve an unprecedented quadruple. He very nearly did so three years ago but agonisingly lost 5-4 to White in the final having been 4-0 up. 

Burden will make an emotional return to Crucible, a quarter of a century on from his sole appearance there in 1998. 

Bottom Half 

The World Seniors Snooker Tour’s most successful player, three-time champion White has reached the final in all four previous editions of the event here – winning 14 out of his 16 matches in total.

Off the back of his best season on the professional circuit in several years, the 61-year-old plays Golden Ticket event winner Philip Williams on Friday night in Sheffield. The final slot in the draw to be filled, Williams booked a third successive appearance here when he caused somewhat of an upset by defeating Craig Steadman in the event final. 

Professional champion in 1986, Joe Johnson has also tasted glory here on the seniors circuit when he claimed the Seniors Masters in 2019. Now aged 70, JJ is 30 years older than his opponent in the first round, Adrian Ridley. 

The Yarrawonga-based star has travelled across the world to perform under the Crucible Theatre lights for the first time; the Australian qualified after winning the Asia-Pacific Seniors Championship in March – dropping just two frames in seven matches.

The popular Tony Drago will make his return to the tournament for the first time since 2019 when the Maltese legend plays Canada’s Vito Puopolo on Thursday night in a cosmopolitan clash. Puopolo – making his debut at the venue – qualified courtesy of claiming the 2022 PABSA Pan-American Seniors Snooker Championship in Toronto last October.

Completing the draw is 2016 winner Mark Davis – five players in this year’s main event have been the champion – versus two-time ranking event winner and three-time Crucible semi-finalist Tony Knowles, who was a late replacement for Egypt’s Mohamed Khairy who withdrew due to visa issues.

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• View full results from Qualifier 1

Held at the Crucible Sports and Social Club in Reading, 73 players representing 11 different nations entered the qualifier which was open to all players aged 40 or above who weren’t ranked inside the world’s professional top 64.

Hancorn – winner of the 100th English Amateur Snooker Championship in early 2020 – was playing in his first seniors event. He began his campaign with a comeback 3-2 win over Adrian Morrissey before eliminating current main tour professionals Michael Judge 3-0 and Craig Steadman 3-1 to reach Sunday’s last eight.

The Portishead potter then dispatched Lee Richardson 4-1 and Daniel Ward 4-0 to reach the title match.

On the other side of the draw, world number 96 Burden was aiming to make a return to the Crucible. The 45-year-old Londoner survived three consecutive deciding frame finishes before stopping Wayne Townsend 4-2 in the semi-finals.

Burden twice led the final early on, but Hancorn was not to be denied his ticket to Sheffield as he strung together the final three frames for victory.

The venue stages of the 2023 World Seniors Snooker Championship are due to take place between the 3-7 May 2023.

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