Welsh Open Player Watch 2008-09

Carter storms to Welsh Open title



Sunday, 22 February 2009

Ali Carter produced a blistering evening session to capture his first ranking title with a 9-5 victory over Joe Swail in the Welsh Open final.

Last year's World Championship runner-up had found himself 5-2 down but he never looked back after winning the final frame of the afternoon session.

He then rattled off six frames in the evening, with breaks of 116, 109 and 91, to seal a comfortable win.

"To win my first ranking event is a massive achievement for me," he said.

"Joe made it really difficult in the first session, I was pleased to come out and play well in the second session.

"At 5-2 down I just wanted to get out of the session and come back tonight. I've been playing well for a while, it was just a mater of staying patient.

"It's hard to be a winner and it's nice to achieve my dream of winning my first title.

"They say once you get the first one there are many more to come and I hope there are."

Carter refused to elaborate on how he and coach Terry Griffiths managed to force the turnaround in fortunes during the break between session.

"They are trade secrets really," added the world number seven. "We just regrouped and tried to get my head in the right frame of mind.

"Terry has been great and has helped me all the way through. I am so pleased to be a champion and give him some of the reward as well."

And Griffiths paid tribute to his pupil, saying: "He could not have dreamed of playing so well."

The opening match was littered with errors and Carter went 2-1 up with a 41 clearance after Swail missed a simple pink.

However, Northern Ireland's Swail levelled the match with a break of 60.

Read in full at the BBC

Read in alternate report at Setanta Sports

Swail to take on Carter in final



Saturday, 21 February 2009


Joe Swail held off a spirited comeback from Neil Robertson to reach the final of the Welsh Open in Newport.

Breaks of 55 and 98 helped give Swail a 4-0 lead and although Robertson pulled a frame back, a run of 59 put Swail on the brink of victory.

Robertson battled back with runs of 94 and 93 but Swail sealed the 6-4 win after edging a scrappy 10th frame.

The Northern Irishman will meet Ali Carter in Sunday's final after his 6-5 comeback win over Anthony Hamilton.

The world number seven went 3-0 down after Hamilton made a fine start with breaks of 77 and 80.

But Carter, who has been knocked out in each of his three semi-final appearances this season, then rattled off the next five frames, thanks to breaks of 51, 141 and 77, to move within one frame of a comprehensive victory.

Read in full at the BBC

Writ claim disrupts Selby match



Friday, 20 February 2009

Mark Selby was handed what was claimed to be a writ at the beginning of his quarter-final match against Anthony Hamilton at the Welsh Open in Newport.

A member of the public leant into the auditorium and gave Selby an envelope, saying: "You are being served with a writ and bankruptcy notice".

The man, George Barmby, is the former manager of defending champion Selby but they split more than three years ago.

"All I could think about was what was in the envelope," said Selby.

The 25-year-old Englishman, ranked fourth in the world, lost the first two frames but regained his composure to level at 2-2 and then 3-3 before losing 5-3.

Read in full at the BBC

Swail makes semis after epic win



Saturday, 21 February 2009

Joe Swail overcame an arm injury to reach the semi-finals of the Welsh Open in Newport after an epic four-and-a-half hour 5-4 win over Stephen Maguire.

Swail enjoyed a two-frame advantage on three occasions but Maguire battled back to force a decisive fifth frame.

"It was exciting for the spectators and the audience but it was a very twitchy match," Swail told worldsnooker.com.

Ali Carter overcame Shaun Murphy 5-2, Anthony Hamilton saw off Mark Selby 5-3 and Neil Robertson beat Marco Fu 5-2.

Selby, the 2008 champion, was handed what was claimed to be a writ before his match against Hamilton, who faces Carter in the last four, and the incident seemed to affect the 25-year-old from Leicester.

It was, nonetheless, a fine win for Hamilton after a poor 2008 which saw him slump to 31 in the world rankings and fail to get beyond the last 32 of any major tournament.

Read in full at the BBC

O'Sullivan & Higgins both go out



Thursday, 19 February 2009


Ronnie O'Sullivan crashed out of the Welsh Open after a 5-3 defeat by Hong Kong's Marco Fu in the second round.

The world number one surrendered a 3-1 lead after a series of errors allowed Fu to rattle in four frames in a row following the mid-session interval.

John Higgins was also knocked out after Australian Neil Robertson defeated the Scot in a dramatic final frame decider to take the match 5-4.

Robertson will now face Fu in the surprise quarter-final line-up.

UK Champion Shaun Murphy rattled in two centuries in the first two frames of his last-16 clash against Mark King.

Murphy never looked like surrendering his lead and wrapped up a comfortable 5-2 victory.

Read in full at the BBC

O'Sullivan defeats legend Davis



Wednesday, 18 February 2009


Ronnie O'Sullivan cruised into the last 16 at the Welsh Open beating six-time world champion Steve Davis 5-2.

Trailing 2-0, Davis compiled a fine 132 to get off the mark but after levelling at 2-2 he saw the world champion hit back with three frames in a row.

Earlier on Wednesday the chances of a home winner disappeared as the final two Welshmen lost in the first round.

World number five John Higgins eased past Dominic Dale 5-2, before Ding Junhui disposed of Matthew Stevens 5-3.

O'Sullivan will face Marco Fu in the last 16 after the Hong Kong player beat Ireland's Fergal O'Brien 5-4 and defending champion Mark Selby cruised through beating Dave Gilbert 5-1.

With O'Sullivan and Davis sharing an edgy opening four frames, breaks of 63 and 118 helped the number one claim the next two, before he secured victory in an error-strewn seventh with a closing 48.

Read in full at the BBC

Hendry crashes out of Welsh Open



Wednesday, 18 February 2009


World number six Stephen Hendry was dumped out of the Welsh Open in the first round after losing 5-3 to qualifier Martin Gould on Monday.

The 40-year-old former world champion nicked the seventh frame to force a tense finish but world number 63 Gould stayed cool to secure a famous victory.

Defending champion Mark Selby took just 71 minutes to crush Paul Davies 5-0, helped by a 126 break in the fourth.

Ali Carter easily saw off Jimmy White and David Gilbert beat Joe Perry.

Former world champion Shaun Murphy held his nerve to pot a re-spotted black to grab a 5-3 win over Barry Pinches, while Scotland's Graeme Dott overcame Mike Dunn 5-3.

Gould, a 27-year-old part-time casino croupier from north London, reached the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time in his career and plays Joe Swail in the second round.

Read in full at the BBC

Williams suffers Welsh Open exit



Monday, 16 February 2009


Former double world champion Mark Williams failed to qualify for the Welsh Open first round after a shock defeat to David Gilbert.

The 33-year-old, provisionally ranked number 12 in the world, was hammered 5-1 by Gilbert in the qualifying round.

World number two Stephen Maguire eased through to the second round after a 5-0 demolition of local boy Ian Preece.

It took the the 27-year-old just one hour and 25 minutes to beat Preece at with a highest break of 78.

Joe Swail edged through to the last 16 with a 5-3 win against fellow Northern Irishman Mark Allen.

Matthew Stevens beat Andy Hicks 5-4 in qualifying to reach the first round.

Welshman Stevens was trailing 4-2 at the interval in his qualifying round against Englishman Hicks but he managed to turn it around to progress to the first round where he will face Ding Junhui.

Read in full at the BBC

Day aims for Welsh Open success



Sunday, 15 February 2009


Three-times Welsh Open finalist Ryan Day is confident he can go one better and win the tournament to claim his first ranking title on home soil.

Day, 28, the highest-ranked Welshman, starts his quest for victory in Newport against Michael Judge on Tuesday.

"I'll just wait for my next opportunity. If I keep knocking on the door, eventually it will open for me," said the world number eight.

"I don't think being the highest-ranked Welsh player adds to the pressure."

Day has suffered two first-round exits recently, at the Maplin UK Championship in Telford and the Masters at Wembley.

Those defeats, however, have not dented the Welshman's confidence, and he has set himself the target of winning what would be a special double for him - the Welsh Open and the World Championship.

Read in full at the BBC

Griffiths excited by Welsh Open



Sunday, 15 February 2009


Snooker great Terry Griffiths says that another home winner of the Welsh Open is long overdue as the players gather on Monday for the 2009 championships.

Mark Williams has won the title twice and is one of five Welsh players who will contest the tournament in Newport.

"Ryan Day is the highest ranked Welsh player and has threatened to win the tournament," Griffiths told BBC Sport.

"But Ronnie O'Sullivan is always a form horse... he's the world number one and winning a high percentage of events."

O'Sullivan lost in last year's final to Mark Selby, who begins his Welsh Open defence on Tuesday against Paul Davies.

But 'The Rocket' won back-to-back titles in Newport in 2004 and 2005, O'Sullivan edging Steve Davis and then Stephen Hendry in 9-8 thrillers.

Read in full at the BBC

Harold qualifies for Welsh Open
Monday, 9 February 2009


World number 28 Dave Harold booked his place in the Welsh Open after a 5-1 victory over Northern Ireland's Gerard Greene in the final qualifying round.

Harold, who reached the final of the Northern Ireland Trophy earlier in the season, will play Mark King in the first round in Newport.

But there was bad news for fellow Stoke potter Jamie Cope, who will not be competing in the event.

Cope, ranked 19 in the world, was beaten 5-3 by Norwich's Barry Pinches.