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Twenty-eight players from the United Kingdom and Ireland, including notable names such as Fergal O’Brien, Michael Judge and Patrick Wallace, will battle it out over the weekend aiming to secure a coveted spot at the Crucible Theatre for the World Seniors Championship in May.

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The duo both came through semi-final tests during an intriguing afternoon session in Sheffield.

The prospect of a third consecutive world seniors championship title is now just a win away for the evergreen White who ended the campaign of Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo.

A break of 60 helped White take the opener before a couple of small contributions allowed him to move 2-0 up.

Figueiredo – the first South American to play a competitive match at the Crucible – registered runs of 36 and 44 to get on the board, but White chalked up an important frame four and then finished with a 47 clearance in the fifth to record a 4-1 victory.

Since the championship moved here in 2019, the popular Londoner has not lost a match in it. Should he win the title match, it would be his fourth triumph in the event overall.

Lilley showed no ill effects from his dramatic late-night victory over Ken Doherty as he strung together four consecutive frames to defeat Patrick Wallace 4-1 in the other last four tie. 

It was record eight-time Northern Irish national champion Wallace who opened his account first as he emerged from a scrappy opening frame, although Lilley levelled it with the help of runs of 65 and 34. 

A pivotal moment in the contest came in the third frame. Wallace was on the cusp of retaking the lead but broke down on a break of 56. Lilley stayed in, and later pinched the frame on the final black. 

The man from Washington near Newcastle didn’t look back, constructing breaks of 89 and 69 in the next two frames to seal a 4-1 success.  

Lilley was a qualifier for this event having come through the first Q-School held in Reading at the start of the year. In total, he has won eight matches to reach the final where he will attempt to halt White, who himself is on an 11-match winning streak. 

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In a clash of current main tour players, Brazilian Figueiredo reproduced the impressive form that saw him nearly qualify for the world professional championship here last month as he eliminated Stephen Hendry 4-1 with a string of breaks.

It was ‘King of the Crucible’ Hendry who held the upper hand early on in the contest, though, after registering a run of 76 to claim the opening frame.

However, that would be as good as it got for the Scot as the South American Crucible debutant levelled up with the help of 31 and 41 before really finding his scoring groove and taking the lead with an effort of 100 – the third century of this year’s competition so far.

Figueiredo broke down on a break of 30 in frame four but his opponent failed to capitalise and a returning contribution of 61 put him one away from victory at 3-1.

With his back against the wall, a determined Hendry looked like reducing his errors in the fifth, but he ran out of position on 62 and went in-off when attempting a tricky red. A clinical Figueiredo subsequently fashioned the perfect counter-attack, clearing up to and including the black for 68 to ice his eye-catching display.

The 43-year-old is now just one match away from his second final on the world seniors circuit having been runner-up to Ken Doherty in the 2018 UK Seniors Championship in Hull.

Twenty years on from losing a tight quarter-final at the Crucible Theatre in the world professional championship, Wallace this time finished on the correct side of a close last eight affair at the venue after ousting Barry Pinches 4-2.

The Northern Irishman took a protracted opening frame on the pink, and was set fare to extend his lead in frame two whilst on a break of 43 before missing and having to watch Pinches reply with a classy 83 clearance.

Wallace produced efforts of 55 and 59 to retake the lead with frame three, although Norwich cueman Pinches squared it again after a fragmented fourth frame.

For the third time in the match the former finalist went in front with the aid of a crucial break of 31 before getting over the line in a nervy sixth frame.

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A winner of the world professional championship on seven occasions, Hendry moved a step closer to a maiden world seniors final appearance as he dispatched 1977 UK Champion Patsy Fagan 3-0.

‘The King of the Crucible’ compiled a break of 44 on his way to claiming the first frame but he needed a few slices of good fortune to double his advantage in the second; eventually taking it on the black.

Hendry raised his game in frame three, crafting a break of 81 to complete the victory, although the Scot was downbeat about his performance in a post-match interview with Rob Walker. “Another day I lose that match – in the second frame I was very lucky. In the third frame my cueball was social distancing,” said a bemused Hendry.

When asked who he’d like to play in the quarter-finals, Hendry quipped “Let’s play JP!” John Parrott – his BBC commentary co-worker – plays Brazilian Igor Figueiredo on Friday night.

Wallace Wins

A close friendship of 25 years was put on hold for a few hours in the evening’s second match as Wallace ousted Michael Judge via a deciding frame.

In a meeting of cueists from either side of the Irish border, Dungannon’s Wallace made an impressive start, registering a run of 67 to go 1-0 up.

Current UK Seniors champion Judge was unable to settle in the second frame – squandering a golden opportunity to tie the match up – and his opponent fully capitalised with a cool clearance of 36 to move further ahead.

It seemed as if Wallace was going to record a straight frames win but he failed to get position whilst on a break of 36 in frame three and Judge – with his back against the wall – produced an effort of 71 to get a foothold. The Dubliner then also chalked up the fourth to force the tie all the way.

However, a determined Wallace went on the attack in the decider, staying positive throughout a classy break of 85 to clinch a 3-2 triumph.

Over two decades on from his run to the last eight at the world professional championship here, Wallace can look forward to another Crucible quarter-final on Saturday against either fellow countryman Dennis Taylor or Barry Pinches.

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Over 90 players entered the week-long competition at the Crucible Sports and Social Club in Berkshire hoping to obtain one of the four remaining berths for the final stages of the championship that will once again be broadcast live on BBC platforms.

Following on from the year’s opening Seniors Q School in January, this second edition was split into two phases with 12 players emerging from the first six day’s action to contest ‘Judgement Day’ on Sunday.

The Qualifiers

Patrick Wallace is set to feature at the iconic Sheffield venue in this event for the second consecutive year.

The former world number 34 – who reached the quarter-finals of the world professional championship on debut in 2001 – got the better of current main tour player Gerard Greene whilst advancing from Thursday’s action. Returning a couple of days later, the 51-year-old from Dungannon was flawless, making breaks of 81 and 61 as he defeated Steve Crowley 4-0 before further runs of 100 and 73 in another 4-0 victory, this time over Stuart Watson.

Wallace will be hoping to go one better than 2018 when he lost to eventual champion Aaron Canavan in a deciding frame final in Scunthorpe.

Lee Walker was the only active professional to make it through this time in Reading, and he needed to endure deciding frame finishes in order to do so.

A graduate of the WST Q-School last summer, 45-year-old Walker came top of his initial group on Tuesday before having to win the final two frames of his playoff match with 2012 champion Nigel Bond in which he compiled runs of 91 and 89.

He recommenced his challenge with a 4-0 victory (breaks of 62 and 72) over Wayne Townsend, before crossing cues with Canavan in an all-or-nothing encounter.

Jersey national champion Canavan led the tie three times, crafting a 58 to move one away from qualification. However, faced with the same predicament he experienced earlier in the week, Walker constructed breaks of 62 and 55 to win 4-3.

It will be Walker’s first time in the main draw of the world seniors championship and he will return to the Crucible Theatre for the first time as a player since 2004.

Winner of this title in 2011, Darren Morgan will be back in Sheffield for the third year running after he eliminated another former champion in the shape of 2017 victor Peter Lines at the final hurdle.

The former world number 8 – who has made the final on two further occasions, including at the Crucible two years ago – finished top of his group on Tuesday before sweeping aside Alfie Burden 4-0 with breaks of 63 and 70 in the end-of-day playoffs.

On finals day he ousted Ant Parsons 4-3 on the final black – despite needing a snooker in the deciding frame – before efforts of 55 and 62 helped him deny main tour exponent Lines 4-2 in a winner-takes-all clash.

Qualification will be of relief to Morgan as he was pipped by Barry Pinches in the final round during January’s Q-School.

A former professional of nine seasons, Phil Williams will fulfil a lifelong dream when he plays at the Crucible Theatre for the first time next month.

The 53-year-old survived a deciding frame against Jonathan Bagley on Wednesday to reach the final day where he upset professional Rory McLeod 4-0 (75 break) and then defeated John Hunter 4-2 with a top run of 53 to head the group and secure his ticket.

It is the second time that Williams has qualified for the final stages of this championship – he did so in 2013 when it was held in Portsmouth under a different guise.

This successful quartet join January Q-School qualifiers David Lilley and Barry Pinches and the players automatically in the main draw for the championship.

Taking place from 6-9 May, the 2021 ROKiT World Seniors Snooker Championship features defending champion Jimmy White who is aiming to lift the trophy at the Crucible Theatre for a third consecutive year.

For the full results, please visit WPBSA SnookerScores.

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Reigning champion White began his title defence with a 4-1 victory over 1986 world professional champion Joe Johnson in the evening session.

Johnson defeated White here on his way to winning last year’s Seniors Masters, and the Yorkshireman briefly threatened a replay when he claimed a scrappy first frame of the match on the pink. However, ‘The Whirlwind’ managed to relax, making a 90 break to get on the board himself before racking up further contributions of 73, 41 and 71 to run out a 4-1 victor with an impressive 92% pot success rate.

In the competition’s curtain-raiser, 1997 world professional champion Ken Doherty survived a mid-match blip and a deciding frame climax to oust fellow Irishman Rodney Goggins 4-3.

‘The Darling of Dublin’ pounced on his opponent’s nervy start to take a 2-0 lead, but looking like going one frame away from progression, an unexpected miss from Doherty seemed to turn the match. Crucible debutant Goggins – who started the frame with a 41 – finished it with a 58 clearance to open his account and settle down. The former professional from Wexford continued to grow in confidence, winning the next two frames to go one away from producing an upset.

Well known for his determination when behind – especially at this venue – Doherty bounced back with a 68 to force a decider and then crafted a gutsy match-clinching break of 48 to ultimately go through.

“For a couple of frames there I was gone. I just tried to dig myself out of it and I was delighted with the 60 break in frame six and some of the pots at the end.” said Doherty to Rob Walker after the match.

Doherty is seeking to create history later this week by becoming the first person to win the world junior, amateur, professional and seniors championships.

After enduring a slow start to his match with Northern Ireland’s Patrick Wallace, 2011 winner and a further two-time finalist Darren Morgan found his groove with a string of soul boosting breaks to come through 4-2.

The former world number eight fashioned efforts of 73, 75 (twice) and a 70 in a frame that the Welshman lost on the black despite his opponent needing penalty points. Morgan – who will face Doherty in the quarter-finals – said “from nowhere it clicked”.

The final player to book a last eight berth was 2018 winner Canavan, who once again showed his baize battling qualities to overcome Leo Fernandez in a post-midnight finish.

Having started in the afternoon but pushed into an unscheduled second session, Fernandez led the match on three occasions but the Jersey cueist pegged him back each time, assisted by breaks of 69, 53 and a match-saving break of 30 to pink in frame six to take it all the way.

Canavan then scored first in the decider with a 48, and after his rival missed a routine red later on, he held his nerve to complete a dramatic recovery and avenge his loss to Fernandez here last year.

Fans around the world can watch the event live. For the first time the 16-player event will be broadcast live on BBC digital platforms with selected matches available on the ‘Red Button’. Coverage in China will be shown on major digital TV platforms and elsewhere the event will be available on the  Matchroom.Live network.

Go to Matchroom.Live to register. The Matchroom Live platform was launched in May, giving fans across the planet the chance to watch live content from the outstanding portfolio of Matchroom sports, including snooker, darts, boxing, pool and many more. There is also a wealth of classic archive content featuring great moments from the past 40 years.

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Played behind closed doors, for the first time the 16-player event will be broadcast live on BBC digital platforms with selected matches available on the ‘Red Button’. Coverage in China will be shown on major digital TV platforms and across the USA via the Matchroom.Live network.

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on major sporting schedules all over the globe and although the World Seniors Snooker Tour (WSST) has not been immune either, it is able to stage its annual flagship tournament, building on the success of recent editions.

With certain international competitors unable to travel and qualifying events cancelled, this year’s qualification process has changed, but there is no substitute for the drama, entertainment and quality we expect throughout the four days in Sheffield.

The Top Half

Defending champion Jimmy White has been the dominant force on the seniors scene in recent years having collected several titles including the big one last summer at the Crucible after a tense 5-3 victory over Darren Morgan in the final. Aiming for a hat-trick of world seniors crowns – he also won it in 2010 – White begins against fellow Eurosport colleague Joe Johnson.

The pair last met here in 2019 during the Seniors Masters where Johnson won via a black ball tiebreaker. Like his 1986 world professional triumph, the Yorkshireman went on to defy the odds by lifting the trophy on that occasion too.

Former world number two Tony Knowles will strut his stuff on snooker’s grandest stage again when he faces Peter Lines. In a recent change to tour eligibility, world number 120 Lines earns his spot here by virtue of claiming this accolade in Scunthorpe in 2017 when he didn’t drop a frame en route.

Aaron Canavan was the somewhat unexpected victor in 2018 following a memorable comeback in the final. The Jersey cueist will be out for revenge when he faces Leo Fernandez in the first round. Attempting to retain the title here 12 months ago, Canavan was dethroned by former professional and English amateur champion Fernandez in the last eight.

Another duo with Crucible history are seven-time world professional champion Stephen Hendry and Nigel Bond, who is the fourth person in this half to have this title already on his resume.

Known as the ‘King of the Crucible’, Hendry owned this venue in the 1990s, denying Bond in the 1995 final and also getting the better of him in the semi-finals the subsequent year. Despite being a WSST regular, Hendry has yet to reach a final on it and there would be no better time to end that run than here.

World Seniors champion in 2012, 54-year-old Bond is still enjoying the sport’s top tier – an unbroken 31 years on since his debut debut – and will have fond memories of their last Crucible clash in 2006 when he memorably won 10-9 on a dramatic re-spotted black.

The Bottom Half

The first match in a distinctly Irish themed bottom half of the draw is an all-Republic clash between Ken Doherty and former main tour exponent Rodney Goggins.

Doherty – winner of the UK Seniors Championship in 2018 – will be looking to add a fourth segment to his world junior, amateur and professional championships portfolio. Second in the world seniors rankings, Goggins will be making his Crucible debut.

In yet another hard-to-call opening round affair, Wales’ 2011 champion and last year’s runner-up Darren Morgan will be seeking to go one further here but first has to negotiate 2018 defeated finalist Patrick Wallace. The Northern Irishman will be setting foot back in the arena for the first time since his run to the world professional quarter-finals over 19 years ago – his only previous appearance.

Two players ready for a big opportunity and their maiden Crucible berths are this season’s Super Seniors number one ranked player Gary Filtness and Sheffield’s own Wayne Cooper, who recently replaced Tony Drago after the Maltese legend made the difficult decision not to travel on health grounds.

Number two seed for this event, but number one in the world seniors rankings, Michael Judge will be a serious contender for this crown having won the UK Seniors Championship at the Bonus Arena in Hull back in October. Judge’s bid to complete a unique world and UK double starts with a meeting against 1985 world professional champion Dennis Taylor.

All matches throughout the championship are the best of seven frames, except for the final which will be the best of nine.

Follow updates here at wpbsa.com, or view tournament information online via WPBSA SnookerScores.

Article by Michael Day.

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Held at the First Tower Billiards and Snooker Club in St. Helier, a quality field assembled for what was the penultimate opportunity to clinch a place in the main draw at the Bonus Arena.

The former Crucible quarter-finalist opened up with victories over Andrew Millard and Jon Charlton before coming through against Stuart Watson in arguably the match of the tournament. Wallace capped a 2-0 lead with a break of 72 only to see Watson salvage his hopes with runs of 70 and what would be the tournament’s highest; 141. Watson’s comeback was in vain, though, as Wallace won the decider to set up a date with recent World Seniors Championship semi-finalist Leo Fernandez in the last four, whom he comprehensively brushed aside 4-0.

In the opposite chair for the final was local star, current Jersey and Channel Islands champion Gary Britton, who had seen off Rodney Goggins, Tony Knowles and fellow islander and 2018 World Seniors winner Aaron Canavan in the other semi-final affair. However, Wallace crafted a 3-0 lead in the final with the aid of 53 and 61 breaks, and although Britton avoided the whitewash in frame four when constructing an effort of 59, the Northern Irishman took the frame afterwards to secure a 4-1 triumph. Wallace joins Republic of Ireland duo Goggins and Michael Judge as other qualifiers guaranteed of their invites for the weekend of the 24^th and 25^th October.

The event saw the ROKiTPhones.com World Seniors Snooker Tour debut of Rory McLeod who compiled a trio of centuries before bowing out in the last eight to Fernandez. In only the second ever ‘Super Seniors’ competition for players over the age of 55, former world number two Knowles won the title following a defeat of fellow professional ranking event winner Mike Hallett in the final. Hallett was also making his first appearance on the ever-expanding circuit.

Only one more chance remains for players to reach the UK Seniors Championship venue stages; the final qualifying event will take place across the long weekend of 27^th-29^th September at the Tradewell Snooker Centre in Hull.

For full results from this weekend’s ROKiT Phones.com Seniors events please click here.

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Jimmy White has defeated Jersey’s Aaron Canavan 4-2 to win the inaugural ROKiT 6-Red World Seniors Championship and bank the £20,000 winner-takes-all first prize following a dramatic evening at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

Victory for ‘The Whirlwind’ represents back-to-back successes on the World Seniors Snooker circuit following his triumph at the Seniors Irish Masters in January. Overall it is his fourth title at this level with the 2010 World Seniors Championship and 2017 UK Seniors Championship also on his CV.

56-year-old White opened the one-day tournament with a 4-1 win against dangerous qualifier Jonathan Bagley. Returning for the evening session he then eliminated career-long adversary Stephen Hendry by the same scoreline in the semi-finals, fashioning a 70 break in the process. A few hours previously seven-times world champion Hendry had ousted Joe Johnson, 4-3.

White’s opponent in the final was Jersey based Aaron Canavan, the reigning world seniors champion. Canavan’s bid for a second world title inside the space of twelve months began positively as he dispatched the returning Tony Drago, 4-1. In the last four he faced pre-tournament favourite Ken Doherty, who had earlier recovered to see off Northern Irish wildcard Patrick Wallace, 4-2.

There was never more than a frame between the pair and the match duly went to a deciding frame. Doherty was poised to advance when he led by 27 points, but the Irishman missed a tricky red along the top cushion that would have left his counterpart needing snookers. In an exciting finish, Canavan took advantage of the error and coolly cleared with a break of 30 to book his berth in the championship match.

The final was a nervy affair as both players struggled to take control. White claimed the opener when he capitalised from an in-off by Canavan, eventually back-doubling the pink for the frame. However, Canavan got a foothold when he crafted a 46 break to square it, and after both players had made small contributions in frame three, it was the amateur’s turn to steal one on the pink.

Canavan then had a glorious chance in frame four to extend his lead and move one away from glory, but an unexpected miss on the brown allowed White to pounce and level it at 2-2.

Whilst there would be plenty more drama to come, Canavan’s failed conversion felt like a momentum shifter. Aided by several impressive single-ball pots, it was White who came through a post-midnight climax as a 4-2 victor and later lifted the Dennis Taylor Trophy.

2019 ROKiT 6-Red World Seniors Championship – Results

Quarter-finals

Jimmy White (England) 4-1 Jonathan Bagley (England)

Stephen Hendry (Scotland) 4-3 Joe Johnson (England)

Ken Doherty (Republic of Ireland) 4-2 Patrick Wallace (Northern Ireland)

Aaron Canavan (Jersey) 4-1 Tony Drago (Malta)

Semi-finals

White 4-1 Hendry

Canavan 4-3 Doherty

Final

White 4-2 Canavan

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Staged at the iconic Goffs venue, the event was the second of this season’s World Seniors Snooker Tour (WSST), following the UK Seniors Championship won by Ken Doherty last October.

Like Doherty, White continues to ply his trade on the professional circuit and made an impressive start to the tournament with a comfortable opening day victory against Willie Thorne, before he edged out Northern Ireland’s Patrick Wallace 3-2 to progress to the final.

Awaiting the six-time world championship finalist was Ireland’s Rodney Goggins, who having lost to Doherty at the quarter-final stage at the previous event, turned the tables with a 3-1 victory against the 1997 world champion to reach the semi-finals. There he took out another former world champion in Joe Johnson to set up a title match against White.

Although Goggins was to make the perfect start by taking the opening frame of the match, it was White who would eventually power to a 4-1 victory with a top break of 96 in the fourth frame to claim victory in Ireland.

The title is the third Seniors event victory for White following previous successes at the 2010 World Seniors Championship and more recently the 2017 UK Seniors Championship.

Together with event title sponsor insuremyvan.ie, the tournament was also supported by WSST partners Wyldecrest Homes, Voofoo Studios and Victor Wood Kia.

Results

Final
Jimmy White 4-1 Rodney Goggins

Semi-finals
Rodney Goggins 3-0 Joe Johnson
Jimmy White 3-2 Patrick Wallace

Quarter-finals
Rodney Goggins 3-1 Ken Doherty
Joe Johnson 3-1 Dennis Taylor
Jimmy White 3-0 Willie Thorne
Patrick Wallace 3-0 Aaron Canavan

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