The quarter-final line-up in Sheffield was completed by the close of play on Thursday as Burden and Jonck were joined by Tony Drago, who dramatically defeated Gerard Greene in a deciding frame, and Hassan Kerde – who whitewashed Tony Knowles on his Crucible debut.

A blockbuster afternoon session saw four-times World Seniors Snooker champion White and 1997 world champion Doherty in action in front of a buzzing Yorkshire crowd at snooker’s most iconic venue.

An all-London affair saw ‘The Whirlwind’ taking on Burden in a repeat of the 2023 World Seniors Snooker Championship final and it was the ‘Golden Ticket’ play-off qualifier who made a strong start to move into a 2-0 lead.

White hit back with an 82 break to reduce the deficit but never truly got going in his pursuit of a record-extending fifth title and it was opponent who comfortably got over the line a 4-1 victor with a concluding break of 92.

Post-match Burden reflected: “I first practiced with Jimmy when I was a 15-year-old boy. We’ve had this amazing friendship for many years and I don’t get any pleasure in beating Jimmy but I was focused on winning and I had to blank out who I was playing. I know he wants me to win it now.”

In one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Championship, South African qualifier Jonck overcame former world champion Doherty 4-2 on his Crucible debut.

The opening exchanges were scrappy but Doherty was able to move into a 2-0 lead before Jonck hit back and a break of 64 restored parity at 2-2.

From there, the reigning African Seniors champion visibly grew in confidence and ran out a 4-2 winner with a further contribution of 63 in the penultimate frame.

“That was surreal. It was the lifelong ambition becoming a reality” Jonck said, adding: “The crowd were electric and it was the best feeling ever. Everybody loves an underdog story, don’t they?”

After defeating White in the opening match of the afternoon, Burden will next face Malta’s Drago in the quarter-finals after ‘The Tornado’ came through a dramatic encounter with Greene in the evening session.

The Maltese cueist took the opener with a break of 75 and looked set to double his advantage before Greene managed to get two snooker’s and steal the second with a calm colour clearance.

The next four frames were shared, resulting in the tournament’s first decider, and it was Drago who fired in a break of 68 to reach the last eight.

Drago said: “At one time it looked like I might win easily and have an early night but then I collapsed in nearly every frame. I couldn’t have done this before, missing so many balls and then coming back from 3-2 down to win, so I think in my old age I am doing something right that I didn’t do before!”

The quarter-final line-up was completed by Australia’s Kerde as he impressed on debut to whitewash former world number two Knowles.

The Asia-Pacific Seniors champion will now face Jonck on Friday in a international clash after breaks of 53, 62, 66 and 59 gave Kerde victory in one of the finest performances of the opening round.

“I’m over the moon. I’ve watched the Crucible for the last 20 years and to just come and watch a match would have been awesome. This is everything, I consider myself one of the top amateur players in Australia and this is a world stage so to go all the way would mean everything for my life.” Kerde said following his victory.

The quarter-finals take place tomorrow from 12:00 BST  live on Channel 5 and 5Action.

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Over 160 people from the aging population of Hull, who are often vulnerable and living in isolation, were invited along to the event to watch Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo successfully come through a field that included former world champions Stephen Hendry and Ken Doherty as well as four-time World Seniors champion Jimmy White.

Prior to action getting underway, volunteers and members of Age UK Hull and East Yorkshire met with former world number two Tony Knowles, who famously defeated Steve Davis 10-1 in the first round of the 1982 World Championship at the Crucible Theatre.

Andy Haynes, CEO of Age UK Hull and East Yorkshire, said: “The event was excellent. It has been great for our clients, many of whom only come out of their houses or flats once or twice a week. Many were quite worried about coming into the city centre and the event today was a really good encouragement for many of them. Thank you to Jason Francis, Rohit Sagoo and everyone at WSS.”

Rohit Sagoo, WSS Director, said: “It is wonderful to hear how our Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 event positively impacted the Age UK members in Hull. Knowing that it encouraged them to come out and feel comfortable again is truly heartwarming. We are incredibly grateful to have been part of something so meaningful!”

The event was the second of its kind, following a similar initiative held during the World Seniors Snooker Championship in support of Age UK Sheffield.

Learn more about Age UK.

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Doherty was one of four victors on a dramatic opening day of the event – as Asian superstar James Wattana, England’s Stuart Watson and Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo also booked their places in Friday’s quarter-finals stage.

The Irishman arrived at the Crucible Theatre aiming to complete a unique grand slam by adding the World Seniors crown to the World Professional, World Amateur and World Junior titles already in his trophy cabinet.

His first round opponent was 41-year-old Crinis, who earned a maiden appearance at snooker’s most iconic venue by winning the Asia-Pacific Seniors Championship earlier in the year.

Despite a nervy start that even saw Crinis unsure of where to go during his entrance into the arena, it was the Australian who took a nervy opening frame on the blue.

The 1997 World champion, who joked post-match that he would be “sleeping under the practice table” in order to get in as much preparation in as possible ahead of his quarter-final, will have been relieved to level the contest and went on to steal a vital third frame on the final black after requiring a snooker.

A break of 68 was enough for Doherty to reach the last eight where he will meet the winner of 2011 World Seniors champion Darren Morgan and Thailand’s Dechawat Poomjaeng.

Post-match, Doherty reflected: “I was rusty, I didn’t get off to a good start at all. Tyson potted some great balls and it was nerve-wracking, but I managed to hold myself together and won third frame after needing a snooker.

“I’ve been here for three weeks commentating on other players, giving it out about other players – I was out there and they must have been laughing their heads off watching me play!”

Wattana Wins on Crucible Return

Thailand’s Wattana battled to victory on his first appearance at the Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship since 2019, when he reached the semi-final stage.

The three-time ranking event winner took on Irish qualifier Rodney Goggins and stormed into a 2-0 lead in a rapid fashion that highlighted why he is known to many as ‘The Thai-phoon’.

Goggins, who earned his place at the Crucible via one of the four qualifying events held across the year, was determined to leave his mark on the tournament and fought back with a break of 68 to reduce his deficit before potting a mid-distance final pink under monumental pressure to force a decider.

There was no sign of nerves from the Thai cueist in the decider, however, and a break of 55 was enough for Wattana to set up a last eight meeting with either Joe Johnson or Barry Pinches.

“Anything can happen but I said if I can get rid of my first match, then I can enjoy the rest of the tournament” Wattana said after the match.

“Nothing can be expected (in the quarter-finals) because it is only best of five but I hope I can get in and score heavily. I hope I can do it like I did today.”

Watson Whitewashes Knowles

Watson made a dream start to the 2024 Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship with a whitewash victory over three-time World Championship semi-finalist Tony Knowles.

The Englishman, who is ranked top of the World Seniors ranking list, was a last-minute replacement for Egypt’s Mohamed Khairy but made it count as he secured a quarter-final place at the Crucible Theatre.

Pre-match, Watson had described his opponent as his “my hero growing up”, but he didn’t appear phased by the occasion as he took a tight opening frame and followed this up with a magnificent break of 82 to move one away from the last eight.

The third frame was a more nervy affair but it was Watson who took it by a scoreline of 64-26 to get over the line and he will now face either Tony Drago or Michael Judge on Friday.

“Once I wont the first frame, I calmed down a bit and made a good break.” Watson reflected after the contest.

“I started to feel quite good and I’m just so pleased to win. (Tony) is not only a legend, he’s a character, so playing him out here – it’s something special.”

Brilliant Brazilian Denies Defiant Davidson

Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo was the final player through on the opening day of the Championship as he overcame World Women’s Seniors champion Tessa Davidson 3-1.

Davidson arrived at the event as only the second female player, after Maria Catalano in 2022, to play in the televised stages of the Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship and she made further history in the second frame as a break of 47 helped her to level the scoreline at 1-1 and become the first female player to win a frame at the event.

Figueiredo, who reached the semi-finals in 2021, managed to hold his nerve to move 2-1 ahead before taking the fourth frame on the colours to get over the line. He now faces the prospect of playing either Andrew Norman or Jimmy White, the player who eliminated him in 2021, in the quarter-finals.

Following his victory, the Brazilian cueist said: “I am very happy to be back and to have won my first match. I was nervous but I hope to improve in the next game.

“(Tessa) played very well, she’s a very good player – very smooth and I like her technique.”

Reflecting on a return to snooker’s most iconic venue, Figueiredo said: “It’s a sensation, my heart nearly stopped! The people have seen the best time of my life!”

The Mr Vegas World Seniors Championship returns tomorrow at 12pm for the conclusion of the opening round and you can watch it 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

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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

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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

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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.

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The event is the second instalment of this 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.

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

Stephen Hendry, champion of the inaugural Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 in Epsom in December, headlines Group A alongside local favourites Dennis Taylor and Fergal O’Brien.

Hendry, who won the Irish Masters at the iconic Goffs venue on three occasions, kicks off the event on Saturday against veteran Irish professional and former ranking event winner O’Brien.

1985 world champion Taylor completes the group line-up with the top two players in the final standings qualifying for the semi-finals.

Group B

Jimmy White, a back-to-back Irish Masters champion at Goffs in 1985 and 1986, is joined in Group B by 1997 world champion Ken Doherty and former world number two Tony Knowles – who replaces the initially announced Tony Drago in the draw.

Four-time World Seniors champion White will kick off the Group B action in Saturday’s second match, taking on Knowles, before Doherty faces the two legends of the game on home soil as they compete for two semi-final places.

Schedule

The action gets underway at 12 o’clock on Saturday, broadcast live on Channel 5, with the champion expected to be crowned at around 5pm.

• Group Stages (Single-Frame Shootout)
  • Stephen Hendry v Fergal O’Brien
  • Jimmy White v Tony Knowles
  • Dennis Taylor v Winner of Match 1
  • Ken Doherty v Winner of Match 2
  • Dennis Taylor v Loser of Match 1
  • Ken Doherty 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

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Held at the famous Epsom Racecourse, this unique, one-day World Seniors Snooker Tour event featured six of the sport’s most iconic characters competing in single-frame matches with a 20-second shot-clock in operation throughout.

Split into two round robin groups of three players with the top two from each progressing to the knockout semi-finals, Hendry and White both qualified from Group A earlier in the day. 

The duo initially met in the second match of the tournament with Hendry coming out on top with the help of a 55 break after White had broken down on 46.

Hendry also came from behind to defeat 1985 World Champion Dennis Taylor in his other group match, registering a run of 56 during the tie. That result set up a winner-goes-through contest between White and Taylor which the former won without conceding a point. 

There was a grandstand finish to Group B as all three contestants finished level on one victory each. 

In a meeting of former world champions to break the tournament off, Ken Doherty countered with a decisive 60 break to get the win against Joe Johnson. 

Former world number two Tony Knowles entered the fray and impressed as he dispatched Doherty, but in the final fixture of the group, Johnson responded from his opening loss to pip Knowles in a close encounter and put everyone level on wins. However, due to the highest break tiebreak rule, it was Doherty and Johnson who both advanced to the last four.

In the semi-finals – pitching group winners against runners-up from the other group – Hendry eliminated Johnson, and White constructed a break of 59 during his frame success against Doherty. 

That meant a new chapter to the Hendry-White career rivalry would be written as they squared off in yet another televised final. 

Hendry potted the opening red of the title match but was unfortunate to go in-off after deliberately colliding with the pack of reds. However, after receiving cueball in hand for his opponent’s foul, White unexpectedly missed a black off its spot when on a break of 17 to present Hendry with a scoring opportunity.

The seven-time World Champion duly obliged, although whilst on a run of 62, he too missed a relatively straightforward pot, with the winning line very close. 

White had a chance to counter-attack with the final three reds remaining, but – despite knocking in a fantastic long pot on the final red – he was unable to convert, and after some subsequent dramatic moments Hendry managed to secure victory on the colours and claim his maiden title on the World Seniors circuit.

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Held at the famous Epsom Racecourse – home to the prestigious Derby Festival – six snooker icons will perform throughout the one-day spectacular in an innovative format consisting of 15-minute, one-frame matches under shot-clock conditions. 

Jimmy White, Stephen Hendry, Dennis Taylor, Ken Doherty, Tony Knowles and Joe Johnson are all set to compete in the one-day spectacular.

Mr Vegas Snooker: Playing Rules 

All matches throughout the tournament are just a single frame, although 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. 

A very different mentality to that of traditional matchplay snooker, competitors will need to think and act fast on the Mr Vegas Snooker stage. 

Mr Vegas Snooker: Tournament Format

The six competitors have been drawn into two round robin groups of three. 

In each group, the players will face each other once. 

The top two players from each group will advance to the knockout semi-finals which will commence following the completion of the groups stage. 

The winner of Group A will play the runner-up of Group B, the winner of Group B will play the runner-up of Group A. The two winning semi-finalists will then meet in the final.

Should all players be level on one win each following the completion of the group, the player who compiled the highest break in that respective group will finish top of the group. The player who made the second highest break of the group will qualify as the runner-up.

Mr Vegas Snooker: Draw and Schedule

Group A

• Jimmy White
• Stephen Hendry
• Dennis Taylor

Group B

• Ken Doherty
• Tony Knowles
• Joe Johnson

The 2023 World Seniors Mr Vegas Snooker begins at 12 noon (GMT) on Friday 29th December. The order of play is below:

Mr Vegas Snooker: How to Watch

The 2023 World Seniors Mr Vegas Snooker is live and exclusive on Channel 5. Please visit the Channel 5 website here for more information on how to access their platforms.

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