World Championship Qualifiers: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Kurt Maflin

The 2nd round of the World Championship qualifiers, starting tomorrow, will see big Norwegian Kurt Maflin begin his bid to reach the Crucible for the first time, taking on Daniel Wells. After a decent couple of years, I certainly think he has a fantastic chance of qualifying. Here though he is brutally honest about himself, what he's achieved and aims to achieve and has his opinions on some of the changes to the tour.

Thanks very much for agreeing to do this interview Kurt, firstly how would you evaluate your season so far as we head towards the World Championships?

I would say my season so far has been up and down, won some good matches and lost some bad ones. I don't feel like I have played well this season apart from a couple of matches.

In terms of your performances this season, you’ve consistently qualified for the venue, making 3 Last 16’ s in the International Championship, the Haikou World Open and the German Masters, is it pleasing for you that you’ve been more consistent this season?

Yes it is definitely pleasing but I need to be a lot more consistent, for me I will take it as a POSITIVE when I feel like I haven't played well this season really and I am ranked 34 I think from next season.

Your best ranking performance came in last season’s PTC Grand Finals where you reached the semi-finals, so how much of a disappointment was it not to qualify this season?

It was fairly disappointing, I really enjoyed it last year and was hoping to go two better this year + It’s a good chance to earn a few quid.

You’re up to 40 in the World rankings now (at the time of writing), so you’re very much an established pro. Do you think this reflects the hard work you’ve put in to the game?

Both yes and no i haven't really worked hard enough previous seasons excluding last season. I feel like sometimes ability has got me through.

The tour actually switches to a money list ahead of next season, where you are currently 33^rd (at the time of writing). Do you think this switch is for the benefit of the game and its players?

To be honest I don't really know time will tell.

You’ve never actually qualified to play in the final stages of the World Championship at The Crucible, so is this now a major goal of yours?

Yes it is a major goal. I think it’s every players dream as a youngster to play at the crucible and obviously win it.

You actually came relatively close to qualifying last season, losing 10-8 to Peter Ebdon in the final qualifying round. Did it hurt to come so close to playing at the Crucible, and are you confident that you can go one better this year?

Yeah it was painful losing 10-8 but I mean Ebdon is a great player and a very tough opponent, I had my chances and didn't take them earlier in the match. Yeah I'm confident I can go one better and hopefully kick on from there.

Despite this, is the World Championship still a very special event for you, and is it made even more special now by the fact that it’s longer format is not replicated anywhere on the snooker calendar?

Of course the Worlds has always been special for me and always will be, I haven't given much thought to it about being the only long distance format, It’s just a special tournament.

There have been a lot of changes recently to the tour, not least that all 128 players are in from the first round, but this is not so for the World Championships. Do you think that this is reward for the hard work of the players throughout the year, or that all players should start from an even playing field in the first round at The Crucible as well?

Yeah I think everyone should start in the same round if you’re going to have a money list, if its fair or not on the top boys I don't know, one thing that’s certainly not fair is I am in the top 48 and still have to play three matches and where the money list is concerned I start on 1000 pound where No. 32 starts on 8500 pound, for me that’s just idiotic. So after my little rant, money list if everyone starts in the first round if not leave the rankings as it is.

Do you ever think that, at times, your approach to the game is a little bit too aggressive or borderline reckless, because you know that you can score as heavily as you can, and you perhaps take on some shots which you shouldn’t do?

I really don't know how to answer that because I truly do believe I am going to pot every ball I go for and my % is pretty high on difficult or really tough shots but I suppose I could turn it down a notch or two.

Having never played in the World Championships at the Crucible, what is your favourite venue that you have played in?

I genuinely don't have one (yet anyway).

As the current Norwegian ambassador for snooker if you like, do you ever hear aspiring young players in Norway say that they look up to you, and do you ever feel any added pressure because of this?

Yes I have had fathers come up to me and tell me that their sons are great admirers of me and they would love to meet me and that I am their favourite player. Never feel any added pressure no.

Are there many up and coming plays in Norway, and what would say to any player now that’s thinking of going professional?

No, none that I have heard of yet, it’s just not big enough in Norway yet. I would say to any up and coming player that it’s very tough and demands all your attention, not to take it too lightly and stay focused and I am sure the rewards will come.

What has been your hardest ever defeat to take, and equally what in your mind has been your best ever victory?

Worst defeat would probably be losing to Ding 5-4 from 4-1 ahead in the china open 2010/2011 season live on Eurosport. Best victory apart from winning the world amateurs it would probably be beating Neil Robertson 4-3 from 3-0 down live on Eurosport.

Who are your favourite and least favourite players that you have ever played against and why?

My favourite players to play against are Jimmy White well because he's an absolute legend in the game good pal of mine and he's my hero and favourite player of all time. Graeme  Dott he is a great all round player and tough to beat we normally have a good game, least favourite players well I don't have any because that would just be showing weakness.

Finally, you’re 30 years old now, and your 31^st birthday isn’t far off, so what do you make of what you’ve achieved in the game so far, and what are your goals for the rest of your career?

I think personally I have under achieved massively, I have let myself down by not working hard enough on the table (and those around me), Goals: Be World Champion, win a few ranking events, make the top 16, make a few more 147´s and set up a life for my son and my retirement.

I'd like to say a big thanks to Kurt there for agreeing to do the interview, and for being so honest with a lot of his statements about both himself and the tour.

Stick around because before the World Championships gets under way at the Crucible I should have some more interviews to bring you from some of the World's top stars.

World Championship Qualifiers Preview

It's that time of the year again, now that the China Open is over in Beijing, the World Championships is well within sight now, starting with the qualifiers Ponds Forge starting on the 8th and running to the 16th of April before the doors open at the Crucible on April 19th. 112 men will turn up at the qualifiers over the next 8 days of play, with 16 spots on offer for the Last 32 of the World Championships, but who will those 16 men be?


It's time for me to try and predict who those 16 will be:

Section 1

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Zhang Anda Vs Andrew Pagett plays Dechawat Poomjaeng
Craig Steadman Vs Jak Jones plays Steve Davis
Winner plays Ken Doherty


This little section, like most of the ones in the draw will be, is crawling with players that need the wins for their places on the money list. Craig Steadman's form has gradually improved as the season has gone on, and if he can get over a short turnaround he'll be a big favourite to beat Jak Jones who has had a very poor season. Whoever wins that though, I'd still back Steve Davis to win that match, desperately needing a victory or 2 in this qualifying event after a poor year from the senior champion has seen him drop just outside the top 64. Zhang Anda and Andrew Pagett have both had fairly inconsistent seasons, with some good results along the way. I fancy Zhang to win that one, but I certainly think that Poomjaeng (one of last years qualifiers) will probably beat the winner of that one, and is probably most likely to end up in the final qualifying round, however determined Davis may be with a tour place at stake. In that final round, Ken Doherty hasn't had his greatest season ever, getting quite badly beaten up in a lot of matches this season, but he was very unlucky last year losing to Matt Selt having come from quite a long way behind, and that will make him more determined to qualify this year, and he certainly won't want to spend the entire of the 17 days with Hazel and the BBC pundits in the Winter Gardens.


Section 1 Qualifier: Ken Doherty

Section 2

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Liam Highfield Vs Khailed Abumdas plays Jimmy Robertson
Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon Vs Sanderson Lam plays Anthony McGill
Winner plays David Gilbert


Liam Highfield looks to have a certain win in the opening round against our Libyan friend Abumdas, unless he's dramatically improved in the last month or so. Liam has put a lot of hard work in this season to try and keep his tour spot, but he's going to need some wins here to have any chance of surviving. However, if he plays well he will have every chance against Jimmy Robertson who you'd say has had another average season. Meanwhile, Thanawat also needs a lot of wins here, starting with a tough match against promising amateur Sanderson Lam, and I think that Lam will give that one a real good go to be honest. Meanwhile, I certainly fancy Anthony McGill to beat the winner of that opening round tie, and looking at the other mini section, I'd put McGill as favourite to make the final qualifying round because for me, McGill is a very promising young player who has consistently given the top players a challenge over the last year or 2, pulling off the odd good result. Meanwhile, in the final round will be David Gilbert, who hasn't had the most consistent back end to the season, and McGill will certainly give him a good match here. Gilbert will certainly have to improve on some of his recent form to have any chance, but McGill has played nicely this season so a Crucible spot is certainly within his grasp now.


Section 2 Qualifier: Anthony McGill

Section 3

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Barry Pinches Vs Hammad Miah plays Alfie Burden
Kyren Wilson Vs Chris Norbury plays Rod Lawler
Winner plays Graeme Dott


This section sees a lot of good players on their day battling it out for a place in the last qualifying round against former champion Graeme Dott. Barry Pinches has improved well as the season has gone on, and I certainly fancy him to beat Miah in the opening round, but Burden has also had a good season in parts so he should come through that into the 3rd qualifying round. Kyren Wilson has also had a very good season, and has showed time and time again why he is a promising young talent. I certainly think he will beat Norbury in the opening round, and from there he will give Rod Lawler a very good match, and it would be incredibly tough to call that one. Whoever does come through into the final qualifying round to play Dott, I don't see any of them really beating him, and has to be said that he's had a couple of good weeks in China making the quarters of the World Open and China Open, so a man with Dott's experience and decent seasons form shouldn't be losing here.


Section 3 Qualifier: Graeme Dott

Section 4

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Martin O'Donnell Vs Shane Castle plays Andrew Higginson
Daniel Wells Vs Ryan Clark plays Kurt Maflin
Winner plays Dominic Dale


Martin O'Donnell and Daniel Wells in this section both need brilliant runs this week to have any chance of staying on the tour, although Wells situation certainly looks like one which can't be salvaged so there will be a lot less pressure on him than will be on Martin O'Donnell. Martin O'Donnell probably has one of the worst possible draws in talented youngster Shane Castle, who certainly impressed me when he played Selby at the UK Championships. He's actually come very close to taking a big scalp a couple of times this season, and I have a sneaky feeling that he will get his scalp this time. Whether either O'Donnell or Castle could then beat Higginson is another question, however Higginson hasn't had the best couple of years and I don't see any way that he will qualify. Kurt Maflin is very dangerous in this section, having only just missed out last year, and having another good season to build up to the Crucible. I don't think he'll have any problems against Wells or Clark, and I'm pretty certain that he will make the final qualifying round. There waiting will be Dominic Dale who, despite his obvious experience, I make vulnerable as he isn't always the most consistent player, and can always throw in the odd bad session, which is no good in a best-of-19 match. I thought even before the draw came out that Kurt would be one of my players to look out for in terms of Crucible qualification, and there is nothing in front of him that makes me change my mind.


Section 4 Qualifier: Kurt Maflin

Section 5

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Jamie O'Neill Vs Cao Xin Long plays Peter Lines
Paul Davison Vs Chris Wakelin plays Alan McManus
Winner plays Mark Williams


The experienced face of Mark Williams would be very difficult to look past in any section for qualification, but this section looks particularly inviting for the former World Champion. Firstly, I fancy Jamie O'Neill to beat Cao Xin Long after improving his form in the last few months, especially at the China Open, and he would certainly provide a very big test for Peter Lines in the next round who is hovering around the 64 line in the end of season money list and will be under pressure to get the win. Paul Davison will also need a few wins this week, but certainly has a tough starter against Chris Wakelin, who has impressed me this year with some of his results, and I think he will get another good one here. Alan McManus has to be the favourite to make the last qualifying round here, especially with his experience and another nice season under his belt, he's also probably the only man in this section that has any chance of beating Mark Williams, but in the best-of-19 format I can't see the Welshman being beaten.


Section 5 Qualifier: Mark Williams

Section 6

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Michael Leslie Vs Christopher Keogan plays Aditya Mehta
Joel Walker Vs Allan Taylor plays Jamie Jones
Winner Plays Michael Holt


This qualifying section could certainly be looked at several different ways with some of the players in it, and with my choice of qualifier, it has to be said that I've taken a bit of a punt. Firstly, Michael Leslie hasn't had a very impressive 2 years on tour it has to be said, but I'd still expect him to beat Christopher Keogan. However, Aditya Mehta has had a very nice season making the final of the Indian Open and he will be a very hot favourite to dispose of Leslie or Keogan there. Meanwhile, Joel Walker's run to the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open (where he nearly beat Ding Junhui) along with some more good results in other events over the course of the season, and the fact that he comes highly recommended by Ronnie O'Sullivan and Shaun Murphy, gives me every confidence that it will only be a matter of time before he qualifies for the Crucible. His first round opponent Allan Taylor has had an average season with the odd good result, but not really a great deal to shout about, so I certainly fancy Joel Walker to beat him there. Next up for the winner would be Jamie Jones, who has admitted on a number of occasions that he has been struggling in recent months, and it has to be said that things have only gone downhill since his 2012 World Championship quarter-final. So, if Walker can bring out the game that got him to the Welsh Open quarter's, then there's no reason why he couldn't get into the final qualifying round. Waiting there would be Michael Holt, who's had another decent season but his former has also dipped a touch in the last few weeks so I certainly think that he will a little bit vulnerable, even though he has a lot of experience in the World Championship format.


Section 6 Qualifier: Joel Walker

Section 7

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
James Wattana Vs Alex Borg plays Marcus Campbell
Sam Baird Vs John Astley plays Jamie Cope
Winner plays Mark King


Looking at the opening qualifying round here, James Wattana's form has certainly improved lately and you have to fancy him to beat Alex Borg quite comfortably, given the fact that Borg hasn't really impressed at all this season. Meanwhile, Sam Baird is one player who has certainly impressed me at times this year, particularly in the ET events, so if he can transfer such form and ability into the longer format, I'd certainly back him to beat John Astley, who's had an average year himself, and then to beat the horribly out of form Jamie Cope, who has been suffering a bit over the last 2 years thanks to a tremor in his cue arm, seeing him drop rather quickly down the rankings, and you really do have to feel quite sorry for him. The experience of Marcus Campbell, who will play the winner of James Wattana and Alex Borg, and Mark King who is waiting in the final qualifying round, do stand out somewhat in this section, with both qualifying last season where Campbell was unlucky enough to get Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark King made it to the last 16 before losing to Ding Junhui. Campbell hasn't been in great form recently though, while Mark King comes into this fresh from a run to the quarter-finals of the China Open and another overall decent season. King is usually quite consistent when it comes to qualifying, and if he can keep his form up, I can't see anyone stopping him here.


Section 7 Qualifier: Mark King

Section 8

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Gary Wilson Vs James Cahill plays Tom Ford
Luca Brecel Vs Lee Page plays Yu De Lu
Winner plays Matthew Stevens


The stand out name in this section of qualification is former World Championship runner-up Matthew Stevens, and he will be one of the comfortable favourites to qualify here. Looking at the opening round you have to expect Gary Wilson and Luca Brecel to come through their matches. Gary has had a very good season so far, with a place in the Players Championship probably featuring as a highlight after a semi-final place in the 2nd Euro Tour event. His opponent James Cahill doesn't appear to have settled on to the tour particularly well so far this season, with nothing really to show for his seasons efforts, so Wilson will be a massive favourite to win there. Meanwhile, 2012 Crucible qualifier and 2012 UK quarter-finalist Luca Brecel will be another big favourite to beat Lee Page, who hasn't had a particularly sparkling first season of his 2 year tour card, despite beating Brecel in a ET event. Brecel hasn't had the most consistent season himself, but a run to last weeks China Open last 16 will provide him a much needed boost, just at the right time. Yu De Lu will be awaiting the winner of that match, and he's in some really good form at the moment making the China Open last 16 and the Players Championship quarter-finals, and I have to favour him to make the final qualifying round here, ahead of the likes of Gary Wilson and the out of form Tom Ford, who really seems to have struggled badly for results this season. De Lu would certainly be a surprise package if he qualified for the Crucible, and Stevens has struggled at points this season, but you'd think a man of Matthew's experience would just have a bit too much for De Lu and everyone else in this section.


Section 8 Qualifier: Matthew Stevens

Section 9

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Chen Zhe Vs Anthony Parsons plays Mark Joyce
Michael Wasley Vs Sydney Wilson plays Rory McLeod
Winner plays Robert Milkins


Once again, Robert Milkins is a massive stand out name in this qualifying section, with Mark Joyce and Rory McLeod looking like the only other players that could offer him a real challenge in this section. In the opening round, 2 good amateur players in SB Classic winner Anthony Parsons and SB Classic grand-finalist Sydney Wilson will certainly push Chen Zhe and Michael Wasley all the way. Chen Zhe hasn't had the best season, and seems pretty resigned to the fact that he will have to go through Q School to retain his tour place, and Parsons will certainly push him all the way there. Meanwhile, Wasley does seem to have been working really hard this season, and he should re-qualify for next year via the EOoM, and I think he will just have enough to get past Sydney in round 1. However, I do expect that both Mark Joyce and Rory McLeod will come through and meet in the penultimate qualifying round, and if so, Joyce would probably be the slight favourite especially after his run to the quarter's in Haikou in March, and coming back from 8-0 down to end up only losing to Michael Holt 10-7 in last years final qualifying round. Despite a recent dip in form since the new year, I still think Milkins should qualify for the Crucible, having had a lot of time off to go away and work hard for the World Championships, and he'll be full of confidence after beating Neil Robertson in the first round this year.


Section 9 Qualifier: Robert Milkins

Section 10

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Robbie Williams Vs Lu Haotian plays Liu Chuang
Li Hang Vs Ratchayothin Yotharuck plays Pankaj Advani
Winner plays Fergal O'Brien


If any qualifying section is going to see a lower ranked Asian player qualify, it is more than likely going to be this section, given the fact that 5 of the 7 players are from Asia. However, February's Gdynia Open runner-up Fergal O'Brien still leads this section, and will be a massive favourite to qualify for the Crucible once more. In the opening round we have a couple of decent games with Robbie Williams taking on young Chinaman Lu Haotian, and fellow Chinese Li Hang taking on Thailand's Ratchayothin Yotharuck. Firstly, both Robbie Williams and Lu have had good seasons, with Williams making the semi-finals of the Indian Open and a ET event, while Lu made the final of an AT event earlier on in the season. However, at such a young age, it will be interesting to see how Haotian goes in the longer format, which is why I make Robbie a slight favourite. His next opponent should he win would be Liu Chuang who has had a pretty poor season I can't see him winning his qualifying match whether he's playing Robbie or Lu. In the other mini section Li Hang is in slightly better form than Yotharuck who has just had the odd good result this year, and I don't think that that is enough of a basis for me to tip the Thai here. However, India's Pankaj Advani is probably my slight favourite to end up in the final qualifying round against Fergal O'Brien, having had a good first 2 years on tour, slight dropping off in the second half of the season, but I think this longer format suits his game a lot more than the other ranking events. Overall, Fergal O'Brien is certainly the experienced man of this section, and with some nice form to go with that and only one match to play to qualify, I'd be fairly surprised if we weren't seeing Fergal at the Crucible.


Section 10 Qualifier: Fergal O'Brien

Section 11

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Tony Drago Vs Robin Hull plays Tian Pengfei
Ian Burns Vs Fraser Patrick plays Jimmy White
Winner plays Peter Ebdon


It's quite tough to see past the highly experienced former world champion that is Peter Ebdon in this section, especially as he is far and away the best player in this qualifying section. Starting in the first round you have to think that Tony Drago will beat Robin Hull, while Ian Burns will probably have more of a match against Fraser Patrick, but one that I still expect him to come through. Ian was rookie of the year last year, but this year has been more of a struggle for him, although Fraser hasn't really done a lot of note all season, which makes it a little tougher for me to see him beating Burns. As for Drago, he's in more of a promising mood after skipping the China Open, feeling a bit pressured about tour survival and saying he was quite depressed. However, he went and had a practice with Ronnie O'Sullivan and says he's feeling a lot better about things now, which could be the boost he needs to beat Hull, who's not had much to shout about this season. You'd have to fancy Tian Pengfei to beat the winner of Drago/Hull and Jimmy White to do the same against Burns or Patrick. Jimmy had a good couple of results to make the China Open last 16, while Tian Pengfei has had a few good results in 2014 as well, which have massively boosted his standing on the end of season money list. I actually think that Pengfei will continue his form here and make it to the final qualifying round. However, I don't think he'll have enough to beat Peter Ebdon, who made the Last 16 himself in Beijing last week, after a mixed season for him.


Section 11 Qualifier: Peter Ebdon

Section 12

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Sean O'Sullivan Vs Mitchell Travis plays Martin Gould
Adam Duffy Vs Igor Figueredo plays Gerard Greene
Winner plays Liang Wenbo


This section could really go quite a few ways with some of the players involved, and the calibre of players on display. In the opening round though, I've got a feeling for another of the amateurs, Mitchell Travis this time who impressed beating Marco Fu and Kurt Maflin to get to the Last 32 of the UK Championships, and with him playing Sean O'Sullivan who hasn't really done anything to impress me over his 2 years on tour, I think Mitchell has a brilliant chance of victory. Meanwhile, Igor Figueredo is playing his first match of the season against Adam Duffy. I have no evidence here to say comprehensively that Igor has a great chance of victory so I have to go for Duffy. However, I have to think that the experience of Martin Gould and Gerard Greene will be battling out for the place in the final qualifying round against the equally experienced Liang Wenbo. Gould did qualify last year, but otherwise he hasn't really had a great couple of years seeing him slip from the top 16, to outside of the top 32 now. Meanwhile, Greene comes into this full of confidence off the back of his first ranking final in the Players Championship, and I have a feeling that he will be playing Wenbo in the final round. However, Liang has had a very good year this season winning an Asian Tour event and having decent runs in a few of the seasons ranking events such as a quarter-final place at the International Championship. It's tough for me to see past Wenbo for this one.


Section 12 Qualifier: Liang Wenbo

Section 13

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Noppon Saengkham Vs Vinnie Calabrese plays Jamie Burnett
Scott Donaldson Vs Ahmed Saif plays Cao Yupeng
Winner plays Ben Woollaston


This qualifying is one full of bright young talents such as Cao Yupeng, Scott Donaldson, Noppon Saengkham and Vinnie Calabrese, while Ben Woollaston qualified last year to make his Crucible debut. Scott Donaldson has had a brilliant season this season with good results in the Welsh Open, and the opening Asian Tour and Euro Tour events, and he feels he's played very well all season long. He should be a certainty to beat Ahmed Saif who's done nothing to impress all season. The match between Noppon Saengkham and Vinnie Calabrese will be a cracking game between 2 decent players in the first season of their 2 year tour cards. Vinnie has had a few good wins this season, and with guys like Neil Robertson and Joe Perry for practice partners he's hardly short of top class players to learn from up close. As for Noppon Saengkham, he's another from a long list of Thai players and he's had a lot of good results this season making the Last 32 at the World Open and UK Championship, and he'll certainly fancy his victory chances here. As for the guys waiting in round 2, Cao Yupeng qualified 2 years ago, but hasn't had a lot to shout about since some good early season form, and a match-up between him and Scott would be another great match which I think Donaldson might edge. Meanwhile Jamie Burnett is awaiting the winner of Noppon or Vinnie and his form hasn't been great either in the last year or so, so he may also be vulnerable to an early exit. In the final qualifying round Ben Woollaston is waiting, having qualified last year, and he'll be full of confidence and belief that he can do so again this season, but he doesn't have the similar good form to back it up as much in the ranking events, so he may also be vulnerable.


Section 13 Qualifier: Scott Donaldson

Section 14

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Stuart Carrington Vs Andrew Norman plays Jack Lisowski
David Grace Vs Ross Muir plays Nigel Bond
Winner plays Ryan Day


It's pretty difficult to see past either Ryan Day or Jack Lisowski for winning this qualifying section, especially is there isn't that much more convincing talent in this section from lower down the rankings. Stuart Carrington is a big favourite to beat Andrew Norman in my eyes in the opening round after seeing nothing for Norman to build from coming into this, while Carrington has had some decent ranking performances including the Last 32 at the UK Championships. In the other opening round match, Ross Muir hasn't had a great season with probably one of his best wins of the year being under investigation for match fixing at one stage, while David Grace has battled hard and looks more than likely of keeping his tour place via the European order of merit. Meanwhile, Nigel Bond has also not been terribly convincing over the course of this season, with no real massive results, continuing to chip away and get by on the tour in his elder years. It should really be Jack Lisowski playing Ryan Day for the place at the Crucible, but unlike last year, Jack doesn't come here with too much good form behind him and he hasn't really followed up his great performances that saw him get to the China Open quarter-finals. Meanwhile, I think Ryan Day has seen some big benefits from some time spent in the Championship league, playing himself into a bit of form, whilst making the German Masters semi-finals as well this season and putting on a very good show.


Section 14 Qualifier: Ryan Day

Section 15

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Mike Dunn Vs Rhys Clark plays Matt Selt
David Morris Vs Alexander Ursenbacher plays Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Winner plays Michael White


This section looks like it could be a very good one with some Crucible debutants of last year in Matt Selt and Michael White, lining up with some good young players in Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and David Morris also going for the Crucible spot. In the opening round we also have China Open semi-finalist Mike Dunn against amateur Rhys Clark, though given how recent that one is, Dunny may not go to far here if he is still having problems with Jet lag after the long flight home on Sunday. In the other tie, David Morris has been very impressive this year and a possible 2nd round qualifying game against Un-Nooh would be an absolute cracker. Morris has had a great season making the quarter-finals in Wuxi and the Last 16 at the UK Championships so his confidence will be high ahead of this one, and I can't see him losing first round to Ursenbacher who hasn't had any major results this season so far. Matt Selt said he's been struggling a tad since his Crucible appearance and his form isn't great ahead of this, so he may be struggling if he's hoping for a repeat performance of last season. Thepchaiya Un-Nooh is the exciting player of this section, knowing what he can produce when he's on top form, which he isn't far off of at the moment getting some really good wins under his belt, especially in making the Last 16 at the World Open, and if he could make the Crucible, he could be one of the tournaments great success stories. Michael White was one of last years big success stories, but since making last years world quarter-finals he's struggled quite badly for form and he is probably one of the more vulnerable players in the 17-32 bracket.


Section 15 Qualifier: Thepchaiya Un-Nooh

Section 16

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Alex Davies Vs Joe Swail plays Anthony Hamilton
Li Yan Vs Elliot Slessor plays Dave Harold
Winner plays Xiao Guodong


This section is hardly jumping at me with stars, and Xiao Guodong is a massive favourite here to qualify for the Crucible, unless one of Anthony Hamilton or Dave Harold can grind him down in the final round. In the first round though we have a couple of very close games. Firstly, Alex Davies and Joe Swail have both had pretty similar seasons, with neither having very deep runs in events, but they have pulled out the odd good result every now again. This one could very well come down to experience and Joe Swail has a lot more than Alex which is why I think he'll just edge that. Meanwhile, there isn't much to separate Li Yan and Elliot Slessor either, neither one has had too many big results this season, although I do see a lot of potential in Slessor and I think a first round win here would be a good scalp for him. Meanwhile waiting in the second round is Dave Harold and Anthony Hamilton, with neither having too many good runs this season either, with them both just grinding out the odd result. However, I would say that Hamilton is probably the much better of the 2 and he should really make the final qualifying round, just as long as he doesn't give away another big lead like has done a couple of times this season. Xiao Guodong though is certainly the most consistent performer of all the players in this section, and he has consistently qualified for tournaments, making the Shanghai Masters final, the German Masters quarter-final and the last 32 of a number of different events. He's a massive favourite here.


Section 16 Qualifier: Xiao Guodong


Whoever does qualify for the Crucible at the end of these brutally brilliant qualifiers down at Ponds Forge, you know that they will be the 16 most deserving players of the spots and I really look forward to seeing if the older guard can get through, and what new faces we will be seeing at this years World Championships.

World Championship Qualifiers EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Scott Donaldson

On Wednesday Scott Donaldson will begin his bid to qualify for The Crucible against Ahmed Saif in the first of a possible 4 matches if he is to make into the Last 32 of the World Championships, so it was really nice of him to take some time out of his preparations to do an interview for the blog.


This is what Scott had to say:

Thanks very much for agreeing to do the interview Scott. First up, your season started off very well, and you’ve played pretty good snooker all season long. So, how do you rate your chances of finishing the season off in style by qualifying for The Crucible?

Well - I'll just be playing it like every other tournament I have. Try to put a performance in and see how it goes, who knows what might happen! I rate my chances of course but there are too many good players to say what you will and won't do.

In the space of about a week back in June you reached the quarter-finals of the first European Tour event, and the semi-finals of the first Asian Tour event. How pleasing was that for you, and how much of a boost did that give you for the rest of the season?

Yes it was a boost of course, I played well & done it at the right times. It took a bit of pressure of me as that was going to help my standings in the European Merit for staying on the tour.

Your performances in the Asian Tour events earned you a place in the Players Championship Grand Finals, was that a big target of yours at the seasons start?

It never really crossed my mind to be honest, once I had both of the runs in the European & Asian tours someone mentioned a good chance to get to the grand finals. So my answer would be yeah it was great to be involved although I played poorly. A proud achievement to get there though.

You then went on to make your best ranking performance of the Last 16 at the Wuxi Classic, and recently matched that again at the Welsh Open with wins over Robert Milkins, David Gilbert and Andrew Higginson. How much belief in particular did that performance at Newport give you, knowing you can beat good experienced players on the big stage?

To be honest with you Michael, I have played quite well all season - even the games I lost. Although yes I suppose it was nice to play in arena and get some wins.

Do you have any big outstanding memories of watching the World Championships on TV as a kid, or visiting the Crucible at all?

I remember Shaun Murphy beating Matthew Stevens in the 2005 final and I think I watched it every other year after that. John Higgins was the one I was always cheering on, what a guy.

At what ages did you: start playing snooker, realise you could turn professional and start dreaming of playing in the World Championships at The Crucible?

I don't really know which age exactly, but I was at my child-minders one day and when my father came to pick me up from their house he seen me playing on a tiny little snooker table on the floor. He was amazed how I grasped how to play it and hold the cue. Then soon after we got a small snooker table in the living room in our house, and my dad said he could see a serious talent in me. Soon after that he took me to the local club to see a full size table and from then on it kept progressing and progressing. I seemed to have a lot of knowledge about the game.

Despite reaching the latter stages of Tour events this season, would qualifying for the Crucible be the biggest achievement of your career so far, and would it be a dream come true?

Of course, it's what snooker is all about.

At the time of writing you’re sitting nicely in 61^st on the end of season money list to survive for another year, but you would also get another 2 year tour card via the European order of merit if you dropped outside of the Top 64. Which of those 2 methods of tour survival would be your preference?

Top 64 because you keep your money rather than lose everything & get two years.

Would you put the switch to the Flat 128 structure down to your improved performances this year, or do you think that it is that just a secondary factor?

No, definitely not the reason. Just a secondary factor.

Following on from Scots like Stephen Hendry, John Higgins, Stephen Maguire, Graeme Dott and Alan McManus, is it easy for you to find sources of inspiration in your career?

Yes, Scotland has been the place for professional snooker in recent years, so it's good to hear the thoughts and get some advice of the other guys.

As I hinted at there, there are hardly a shortage of Scottish players on the tour so do you find it easy to find good practice partners, people to go for some advice, and (the big one really) people to get a lift with when it comes to travelling to tournaments?

Yes, a great practice match is certainly not far away. I mentioned the advice aspect in the previous question and is the same for this one. Yeah, I'm always hatching lifts off everyone!

There was a European Tour event in Scotland in your first season on tour, but that wasn’t staged again this season. How good was it for you to play in front of your home fans, and do you hope that snooker can return to Scotland in the near future?

It was great, mainly because I could sleep in my own bed! I'd love an event back in Scotland, there should definitely be at least one per year.

Do you have many friends on the Pro Tour, and do you find it more difficult when you have to play a friend in a competitive tournament?

Yes I do have a lot of friends, but when it comes to going on the table - you treat everyone the same.

Is there much that you enjoy doing away from the game of snooker? (When you get the chance that is!)

I'm a very chilled out person so I will just relax when I'm off the snooker but I'm really sporty. I love watching all the big sporting events throughout the year, and also I go and support St. Johnstone when I can.

Having just passed your 20^th birthday Scott you have your entire career in front of you. Therefore, what are your aims (in the short term) for the next couple of seasons and (looking further ahead) what do you want to want to and believe you can achieve before the end of your career?

My aim is just to enjoy playing snooker, and see how far it takes me. There are a lot more important things in life than snooker.

Thanks very much to Scott there for doing the interview and some very interesting comments. Look out later on for what I make of his chances of qualifying in my World Championship Qualifiers preview.

Also, keep an eye on the blog in the coming weeks as i'll hopefully have some more interviews to bring you as part of the World Championship season on the blog.

Ding and Robertson to contest Beijing final after comprehensive wins

Ding Junhui and Neil Robertson will contest the China Open final tomorrow after both handed out semi-final thrashings to Mike Dunn and Ali Carter, to keep their hopes alive of winning the final ranking event ahead of the World Championships.


Neil Robertson went 2-0 up early on against the twice World Championship runner-up, starting off with breaks of 69 and 79, before Carter had a chance to steal the third after Robertson missed frame ball, but Carter missed the final pink on 62 and went 3-0 behind. It didn't get much better for Ali as he went into the interval 4-0 down, Neil making a break of 70 to take a commanding lead. The Aussie looked like making it 5-0 before missing a routine red on 59. Carter then made 57, but missed the final black, but Neil missed a long shot on it and Ali made a nice long pot to make it 1-4. Carter then got it back to 2-4 with a century, before a good 67 put Robertson one from victory at 5-2. Carter was in charge for much of the sixth frame but then he gave away several fouls, before eventually letting Neil in, and he made a 41 break to clinch the match 6-2.


Ding Junhui hammered Mike Dunn 6-0 in the second semi-final, despite it not being a vintage performance from Ding Junhui by any means. After Dunn had a chance to win a scrappy opener, things just didn't seem to happen for him, as Ding made breaks of 40, 42, 49 and 48 on the way to winning the next 3 frames and make it 4-0 at the mid-session break. A break of 54 was enough to put Ding one away at 5-0, before he then overturned a 43 point deficit in the 6th frame to win it on the colours and complete the whitewash.


Final Preview:


Neil Robertson Vs Ding Junhui - Both players have played some good snooker, not just this week, but throughout the season overall, with Ding Junhui going for his 5th ranking win of the season and Neil Robertson his 3rd. Neil Robertson has hardly been at his best this week, but he has improved as every match has gone on, and it's about time he made his 93rd century of the season, so I'm sure that that will be tomorrow. If he can go up another notch tomorrow then he has a brilliant chance of winning the tournament in very unlikely style. As for Ding, he's played well but not been entirely at his best. He has improved in the latter stages of the event, compared to his performances in the World Open and Players Championship, however he didn't quite produce the same stuff today against Mike Dunn, but he also didn't have much of a challenge it has to be said. Tomorrow though, it will be a fantastically close match between 2 players that have produced great snooker all year, and I'm sure that they will bring each others standard up tomorrow throughout.


Prediction: 10-7 to Ding Junhui.


It's been a good week of snooker this week and we have the perfect final to finish the week off, and I'm sure it will increase the excitement and the anticipation for the World Championships starting in 2 weeks time.

Ding, Robertson and Carter into Beijing semi-finals. Dunn stuns Selby to join them.

Mike Dunn stunned current world No.2 Mark Selby today in the China Open quarter-finals beating him 5-3 to reach his first ever ranking event semi-final which is a brilliant performance for Mike, even if Selby was massively out of sorts. Mike will now play home hero Ding Junhui who saw off Mark King without much trouble, not quite playing at his best, but still showing signs of better form than that displayed at the Players Championship or World Open.


Neil Robertson continues to battle on in this event also, seeing off the incredibly gritty Graeme Dott earlier on today as he seemed to improve once again this week, having started the week off badly suffering badly from a virus, which is also improving. Neil will now play Ali Carter who looked to be cueing well against Ricky Walden, in a match that ended with some controversy over a poor refereeing decision that was soon overturned after the players found Jan Verhaas and asked him for a 2nd opinion.


Quarter-final Results:
Neil Robertson 5-3 Graeme Dott
Ali Carter 5-3 Ricky Walden
Ding Junhui 5-2 Mark King
Mike Dunn 5-3 Mark Selby


Semi-Final Preview: (Picks in bold)


Neil Robertson Vs Ali Carter - Both of these 2 guys have gradually improved as the week has gone, scrapping out the odd match when they've had to, digging in and playing some decent snooker at other times. You get the feeling that given this weeks form, this should be an even contest which you would expect from these 2 players, with one having to go up another gear to beat the other. Carter seemed to be cueing very well today against Ricky Walden, while Robertson's wins while being taxed by a virus will give him a lot of confidence as he has gradually improved as the week has gone on. If Robertson can improve again for tomorrow, I fancy that he will just edge this one.


Ding Junhui Vs Mike Dunn - On paper this looks like an enormous miss-match and one that you would expect Ding Junhui to win quite comfortably over a best-of-11 format. However, last weekend at the Players Championship grand finals we saw Gerard Greene reach his first ever ranking final, after a very unlikely win against Marco Fu (who was in good form coming into that match). Ding however, has been the dominant player this season and is probably now the tournament favourite with the draw he has now. The home favourite has also improved as the week has gone on, putting some poor form in the PC Grand Finals and World Open behind him, as he seeks some valuable momentum ahead of his World Championship bid. Sorry Mike, you've fantastically to get here this week and seen your incredibly hard work pay off, but I just can't see you making the final.




So then, it should be a nice conclusion to the week of snooker in Beijing, despite the damp feeling that this event certainly has as the attentions of many (including myself) has undoubtedly began to switch to the upcoming World Championship qualifiers starting next week, and then the main event itself at the Crucible theatre.

Selby and Ding comfortably into China quarters, Murphy out, Robertson battles on.

Mark Selby and Ding Junhui had comfortable victories in todays last 16 games against Jimmy White and John Higgins, while Neil Robertson had to come through another decider, this time against Yu De Lu, despite still suffering from illness out in Beijing.


Shaun Murphy was probably the biggest casualty of the day losing to one of his good friends Ricky Walden 5-3, while China Open specialist Peter Ebdon's campaign was brought to an end by Ali Carter and Mike Dunn managed another crucial win for his tour survival hopes against Craig Steadman.


Last 16 results:


Neil Robertson 5-4 Yu De Lu
Graeme Dott 5-2 Luca Brecel
Ricky Walden 5-3 Shaun Murphy
Ali Carter 5-3 Peter Ebdon
Ding Junhui 5-2 John Higgins
Mark King 5-3 Jamie O'Neill
Mike Dunn 5-3 Craig Steadman
Mark Selby 5-1 Jimmy White


Quarter-final Preview: (Picks in bold)


Neil Robertson Vs Graeme Dott - Neil Robertson has been battling superbly this week clearly suffering badly from illness throughout the week, and having to come through 3 deciding frames is some feat when you're not 100% fit and healthy. However, he does seem to have oddly improved within his game from match to match, despite his still obvious struggles. As for Graeme, he's not been quite at his best this week either, struggling through some matches that have been much easier on paper than tomorrow's against Neil Robertson will be, and you feel that Dott may well have his work cut out for him here, but I still expect it to be a very close match.


Ricky Walden Vs Ali Carter - Neither of these 2 players seem to have been at their best this week, with Walden only beating Murphy 5-3 despite Murphy being off colour and making a high break of just 47. Walden hasn't been at his best for some time in fact, just being able to scrap through matches against poor or out of form players. Carter hasn't been much better this week, and with only a high break of 59 all week to boast this could well be a very close match defined on the tactical battles. If so you'd have to say that Carter is a much better tactical player (as he displayed in his 2012 Crucible run) than Walden and I fancy Ali just to edge it.


Ding Junhui Vs Mark King - Ding looked to rediscover his spark today against Higgins after a couple of indifferent weeks on the table, and that could just be at the right time with the Crucible in his sights. If he can carry on going this week it would be a nice warm up for the biggest tournament of them all, and if he's at his best for the remainder of the week, I'm not sure anyone will be able to stand in the way of his 5th ranking title of the season. However, Mark King has had another good week on the table and will certainly give Ding Junhui a challenge tomorrow, but I'm not sure how much of a challenge he can offer to the Chinaman if he's on top form.


Mark Selby Vs Mike Dunn - Firstly, well done to Mike Dunn for reaching the quarter-finals of this event knowing that he had to have a very good run this week to have any chance of retaining his tour spot for next year. His tactic of staying in China after the World Open has really paid off for him, and that could be something some players will look at more in the future. However, this match against Mark Selby could well be a step too far for Mike. Selby seemed to throw in one of his better performances today against Jimmy White and if he does that again tomorrow against Mike, I doubt that he will have much answer despite the superb week that he has had.




It is a brilliant line-up though for the quarter-finals with all of the top 3 players in the world left battling out for the title, we will certainly see some good snooker between now and the conclusion of the event on Sunday.

Selby and Murphy ease through, Robbo comes through another decider in Beijing

Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy eased into the Last 16 of the China Open with comfortable wins over Nigel Bond and Dechawat Poomjaeng, while defending champion Neil Robertson came through another deciding frame, this time against Mark Williams. Judd Trump was knocked out though by Beijing specialist Peter Ebdon and Marco Fu was beaten by Mark King.


There were good wins though for Graeme Dott 5-4 over Dave Harold and Ali Carter over Matt Selt, while Mike Dunn and Luca Brecel both got important wins for their end of season money list standings. Todays other winners included Ding Junhui who beat Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, John Higgins who thrashed Michael White, and Ali Carter who had a top break of 39 against Matt Selt.


Last 32 Results:


Neil Robertson 5-4 Mark Williams
Yu De Lu 5-1 James Wattana
Luca Brecel 5-1 Dominic Dale
Graeme Dott 5-4 Dave Harold
Shaun Murphy 5-0 Dechawat Poomjaeng
Ricky Walden 5-3 Xiao Guodong
Ali Carter 5-2 Matt Selt
Peter Ebdon 5-4 Judd Trump
Ding Junhui 5-3 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
John Higgins 5-1 Michael White
Mark King 5-3 Marco Fu
Jamie O'Neill 5-2 Fergal O'Brien
Craig Steadman 5-4 Martin O'Donnell
Mike Dunn 5-3 Tian Pengfei
Jimmy White 5-3 Alfie Burden
Mark Selby 5-1 Nigel Bond


Last 16 Preview: (Picks in Bold)


Neil Robertson Vs Yu De Lu - Neil Robertson has battled well through the week so far despite having a nasty virus to contend with, and he hasn't actually played that badly for someone as ill as he has been. If he is starting to recover nicely his form should soon start to return as well. As for De Lu, his form has been nice in the few weeks, beating Ronnie O'Sullivan to make the PC quarter-finals, but I don't know with so many matches in a short period, that this might be a step too far.


Graeme Dott Vs Luca Brecel - Luca had a walkover in the Last 64 after winning his wildcard match, and it seems like he played alright in beating Dominic Dale and he is a player that can certainly be very dangerous when he reaches top form as his run to the 2012 UK quarter-finals showed. Graeme Dott will certainly have his hands full, and he's already had to come through 2 more against Rory McLeod and Dave Harold, so tomorrow's contest may well be another close one. This one could well come down to experience, and with Graeme Dott being a much better tactical player here, that could make the difference.


Shaun Murphy Vs Ricky Walden - Shaun seems to have kept his brilliant form going this week only dropping one frame so far and playing some decent snooker to keep going since his World Open victory, and he'll be feeling confident against for this one. Ricky meanwhile has not showed anything near his best, playing some reasonable but hardly sparkling stuff so far. Walden will certainly to improve to have a chance of victory, but playing against one of his good friends - you'd always expect him to get a few chances, it'll just be about whether Ricky can be more clinical.


Ali Carter Vs Peter Ebdon - Ali has hardly been fantastic this week, beating Selt 5-2 today with a high break of 39, but he's done what he's had to so far, but playing Peter tomorrow will be another test for him, especially as Ebdon has a brilliant record at the China Open and he knows Carter's game well being in his corner for the 2012 World Championships previously. Peter always seems to play well in China, and he has become something of a China Open specialist over the years. Another couple of wins this week would give him a lot of confidence as well for the World Championship qualifiers. I fancy that Ebdon will just edge this one, with his great China form.


Ding Junhui Vs John Higgins - As I mentioned in my preview, Higgins has been fairly consistent in the last couple of events, getting to a few quarter-finals but failing to kick on. He's played some decent stuff so far this week, and if he could win this match it may push him along to much bigger things. Ding Junhui has been far from convincing so far this week, and in the few weeks leading up to this which could be a sign of him relaxing a bit ahead of the World's or just feeling a bit tired after a very long season for him. If Ding isn't at his best tomorrow, I like John's chances of being able to capitalise.


Mark King Vs Jamie O'Neill - Mark King had a very good win today against Marco Fu, and he's one of those players that consistently gets a good win every now and again, as a player he's often underrated and his playing style has come under some criticism, but he certainly has the capabilities and this week could well be his breakthrough week. As for O'Neill, he's had a brilliant couple of wins against O'Brien and Kyren Wilson so he will be full of confidence tomorrow and he has every chance of beating King, but he will have to continue to play well.


Mike Dunn Vs Craig Steadman - Both of these 2 guys have had 2 very important wins so far this week, and Mike Dunn seems to be reaping the rewards of staying in China after the World Open to practice ready for this event. He's now got up to 65th on the end of season money list, so will certainly be inspired to get another win tomorrow. As for Craig, it would be easy to underestimate how much better he seems to be playing lately and he has a very good chance of getting another victory here. It will certainly be another close match with a lot on the line in terms of tour survival, Dunn's acclimatization could be the key here.


Mark Selby Vs Jimmy White - Jimmy has had a couple of decent wins this week, but it also doesn't seem as though he's been tested much in his opening 2 matches so far. With tour survival basically secure for another year he will probably relax a bit more before this match, though it will also be a much sterner test, and his record against the top players is nowhere near what it used to be. As for Selby, it's hardly been vintage stuff, but you didn't feel it would need to be for him to get through this quarter, by which time he'd have played himself into the tournament more. Selby's been doing what he's had to to win again this week, and you feel he will do the same again.




It's a decent line-up then for the latter stages of the China Open, and there should be some good snooker to come in the next few days. It will certainly be interesting to see how things go in the Last 16 tomorrow with some important matches still to come.