Snooker
- Thread starter The Uncouth
- Start date
The Hare
Mare
Oh well all good things come to an end. I watch way too much snooker so this will restrict me. Just taken out a new 2 year Sky subscription and only watch Eurosport really, the rest is all on the internet so will be cancelling the subscription in the "cooling off" period tomorrow!
Eurosport to be axed as sports fans face huge subscription price hike
Eurosport is disappearing from British television screens (Picture: Getty Images)
Eurosport will no longer be available on British screens next month and some sports fans face a huge price rise as a result.
Warner Bros Discovery is changing where its output is shown and the programming currently on Eurosport will go to TNT Sports channels in the UK and Ireland.
Snooker, cycling and tennis are among the sports most widely shown on Eurosport, but they will switch to TNT Sports from 28 February.
The change is set to cost fans of those sports a huge amount as the TNT Sports package is priced at £30.99-per-month.
Currently Eurosport is included in Sky TV and Virgin Media packages at no extra cost, while the streaming platform Discovery+ sets fans back £6.99-per-month.
That will no longer be an option and to continue to watch live snooker, cycling and other sports, fans will have to fork out the full £30.99-per-month for the package which will include football, rugby, boxing, UFC, motorsport and others.
There are cheaper deals to be had through TV packages, with Cycling Weekly reporting: ‘Virgin Media customers, for example, can add it to their bundle for an additional £18 a month. Sky TV customers can do the same for an extra £30 a month. EE mobile customers can purchase TNT Sports as an add-on for £20 a month.’
Warner Bros Discovery is set to launch its streaming service Max in the UK in 2026, with the price of that offering as yet unknown.
Eurosport is a huge part of snooker coverage (Picture: Getty Images)
The official announcement read: ‘On 28 February 2025, the Eurosport and TNT Sprots brands will be brought together, with all sports content available in one single destination via TNT Sports. This in turn means the discovery+ Standard plan & Eurosport linear channels are closing.’
Scott Young, senior vice-president at WBD Sports Europe, said: ‘Combining Eurosport and TNT Sports content in the UK and Ireland will enable us to offer a single, premium viewing experience for sports fans.
‘This move in the UK and Ireland will also continue to best deliver value for our leagues and federation partners, as we continue our 35 years plus commitment to investment and championing of sport on our screens, which remains a fundamental part of the success of grassroots through to elite.’
There will still be some free-to-air content on the Quest channel, although the live action will be very limited.
TNT Sports shows Premier League and Champions League football (Picture: Getty Images)
Young added: ‘TNT Sports will also continue to bring more content to fans on Warner Bros Discovery’s free-to-air channel Quest. In 2025, this will include broadcasting every MotoGP Sprint race, adding to existing live Bennetts British Superbikes coverage, a brand-new weekly cycling show covering all key moments of the season, highlights of the Giro d’Italia and La Vuelta a Espana, plus premiere a range of new sports documentaries.’
He continued: ‘We know customers like to find a single destination for the sports they love. Part of the timing was driven by distribution agreements, but most of it was just timed on firstly landing TNT Sports correctly and successfully. We have got ourselves a point where TNT Sports is in a good space and we’re now ready to migrate the content from Eurosport in this market.
‘It gives us the ability for us to go from a live major event, say the Premier League, and connect that into, for example, a stage of a cycling event that’s either underway or about to start. This live-to-live [broadcasting] strategy, will have the on-air team talking to each other and actually connecting.’
Delboy99
Sire
….. where oh where has Eurosport gone? It is absolutely crazy. Getting their pound of flesh methinks!
Delboy99
Sire
John Higgins makes heartbreaking snooker admission after collapse to Neil Robertson.
Scottish snooker ace John Higgins has opened up about the agony of his first-round Masters exit at the hands of Neil Robertson.The ‘Wizard of Wishaw’ was off to a flying start against the Australian at Alexandra Palace earlier this month, securing a 5-1 lead before shockingly dropping five consecutive frames, leading to an early departure from the event.
Adding salt to his wounds, Higgins' disappointment was intensified by Robertson's unexpected entry to the tournament, filling in for Ronnie O'Sullivan who had surprisingly withdrew.
Coming off the back of a second-round defeat in the UK Championship after a titanic clash with Judd Trump, the setback hit Higgins hard.
Following a gritty 5-3 victory over the world's number 53 Mark Davis at the German Masters, Higgins reflected with some solemnity on the impact of his career when speaking to WST: "This is a sport that has given me so much over the years but it begins to take your soul bit by bit.
"This has been a good sport for me, but as you fall down the rankings it can begin to take that bit of goodness. It is a brutal sport sometimes.
"That was a good win. Mark has always been really tough and given me some tough battles. It is always a good game when I play him and that was another one."
Higgins is now set to face Jak Jones on January 29 in the German Masters second round, aiming for glory in an event he last conquered in 1997.
Robertson meanwhile expressed immense pride upon receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), his homeland's answer to an MBE, in the wake of his Masters triumph.
He declared: "A lot of people know who I am in Australia, but snooker is such a tough sport to break through out there because we are so good at so many sports.
"Most of them are outdoor sports, it is tough to compete with those, but this is massive recognition for what I've done and hopefully it will encourage me to do greater things."
Robertson acknowledged the challenge of elevating snooker's profile in a nation celebrated for its outdoor sporting prowess but hoped that the OAM honour would act as a catalyst for the sport's growth and inspire him to even higher levels of achievement.
The Hare
Mare
Well carnage today in Berlin - Out go Selby, Carter, Higgins, Si, Allen and Brecel.
Excellent efforts this week so far from Ursenbacher (as close as he gets to a home game, needs more points to stay on tour next year), Wu Yize fought well from behind to overcome Allen (he is getting close to the top 16 now), Murphy looked in great shape again against a dispirited Thepchaiyah, somehow Robertson came back from 4-2 down with 3 classy frames to beat Hammad Miah, Slessor was excellent against Selby, Aaron Hiil has had a great week and maybe will kick on up the rankings this year, McGill also played excellently to overcome Brecel and show his best for sometime.
Draw looks top heavy with Trump v Robertsona t the top and a repeat of the World Final at the bottom. Couple of weaker quarters in the middle of the draw.
Excellent efforts this week so far from Ursenbacher (as close as he gets to a home game, needs more points to stay on tour next year), Wu Yize fought well from behind to overcome Allen (he is getting close to the top 16 now), Murphy looked in great shape again against a dispirited Thepchaiyah, somehow Robertson came back from 4-2 down with 3 classy frames to beat Hammad Miah, Slessor was excellent against Selby, Aaron Hiil has had a great week and maybe will kick on up the rankings this year, McGill also played excellently to overcome Brecel and show his best for sometime.
Draw looks top heavy with Trump v Robertsona t the top and a repeat of the World Final at the bottom. Couple of weaker quarters in the middle of the draw.
The Hare
Mare
Seems those players in the Champions League last week and Masters glory all reached their limits yesterday as the fresher players got through.
Impressive displays from Robertson and McGill and Hill who have both shown their very best this week. Chinese Wu and Xiao also looking good as they usually do and Yuan outplayed Murphy. Ricky Walden withdrew taken to hospital, hopefully revocered.
Quarter Final day and Kyren Wilson again the favourite to continue his fantastic season.
Impressive displays from Robertson and McGill and Hill who have both shown their very best this week. Chinese Wu and Xiao also looking good as they usually do and Yuan outplayed Murphy. Ricky Walden withdrew taken to hospital, hopefully revocered.
Quarter Final day and Kyren Wilson again the favourite to continue his fantastic season.
Delboy99
Sire
...... nothing much left in here I feel. I note Robertson beat Trump 5-2 and looks like he must be back to some sort of form. Saw him clear up in the last frame and he looked more like his old self.. Still surprised at Judd, looks to be losing more than he should in his world number 1 spot. Kyren still there of course and could be on course for another title. Seems to be a much steadier player these days. Don't know much about the three non English, are these Chinese as I don't know many of these currently.
The Hare
Mare
Didn't see much yesterday but it seems Robertson has become a victim of older age and inconsistencies! When I watched him against Hammad Miah the other day he scrambled a win in the deciding frame after having 4 centuries and losing 4 scrappier frames. Against Trump he was as you say at his very best but yesterday a highest break of 59 again losing a decider....... nothing much left in here I feel. I note Robertson beat Trump 5-2 and looks like he must be back to some sort of form. Saw him clear up in the last frame and he looked more like his old self.. Still surprised at Judd, looks to be losing more than he should in his world number 1 spot. Kyren still there of course and could be on course for another title. Seems to be a much steadier player these days. Don't know much about the three non English, are these Chinese as I don't know many of these currently.
Wilson did well to beat McGill in a decider, McGill played his best in a long time this week.
Wu Yize has lost 2 finals this year and is the most promising young Chinese player at the moment. Yuan Sijun, who beat Robertson, is in his first semi final since 2019 when he was just starting his pro career - that was in a minor event really so this is his best ever performance. He is what O'Sullivan used to say about the Chinese players that they were very good and methodical but that they didn't know how to win games and competitions by finishing players off. That has obviously changed since Zhao Xintong won the UK Championships and now a stream of Chinese players are winning events.
Xiao is now playing the best of any Chinese players, including Ding. He is the player of the season with Trump and Kyren Wilson, who he plays in the semis today. His coming of age has taken a long time but winning a competition has really kicked him on. He is 7th on my ratings now and climbing. Should be a good game with Wilson today.
Eleven frames today.
The Hare
Mare
This is the performance of the last 4 in previous ranking events. So Wilson by far the best record of winning semi finals about 55%, Hawkins 34% and Xiao only 22%. But as we mentioned previous post Xiao is a new player this season. I have put the current year ranking points below down to Yuan Sijun, the lowest of these 4.
The Hare
Mare
Forgot I had these end of year world rankings for these 4 players. Yuan obvious blip in his career during Covid and the year after, can't have been good stuck in a foreign country and what was going on with some other Chinese players at the time, perhaps similar for Xiao, then Zhang Anda efforts of last season seemed to inspire him this season
Delboy99
Sire
German Masters snooker star threatens to never return after crashing out.
One snooker star has been a vocal critic of the German Masters in the past - and he has once again hit out at the Tempodrom venue in Berlin.
Snooker ace Mark Allen has hinted that he will not compete in the German Masters unless key changes are made. The Northern Irishman, who clinched the 2018 Masters title, is not a fan of Berlin's Tempodrom, despite its acclaim as one of the snooker season's premier venues.
He bemoaned his dislike for the event once more following a second-round defeat by Wu Yize, venting on social media platform X: "Not to be in this years German Masters. Well done to Wu.
"Anyone who sees me back at this event under current conditions has permission to tell me off. Thanks in advance."
Allen's frustration also stems from the layout at earlier stages of the competition, where multiple tables are set up around the central television table.
Finding it distracting, he's been an outspoken critic and even vowed in 2018 not to return, asserting on social media: "So (my) hate/hate affair with the German Masters continues. Seriously hate the event. So distracting for all players who aren't on table one.
"Will not be back until set-up changes. Such a shame by the way about Germany as it has the potential to be amazing. Great venue and packed crowds every day. Set-up must change though."
Allen had cruised to a 5-0 victory over David Lilley in the first round of the competition, revealing after the match that he had skipped tournaments in favour of honing his skills for the World Championship in Sheffield this May.
He explained: "All eyes are on Sheffield for me now. It has been that way for a while. I'm starting doing longer matches when practising.
"Not taking anything away from the events leading up, but I'll be experimenting here and there to see if I can get something to work. I am trying something very different this year. I am trying to find something that I believe will work in Sheffield."
Delboy99
Sire
Barry Hawkins happy he ‘took advantage’ of Ricky Walden walkover.
The Hawk will contest the last four in this ranking event for only the third time after ousting the young Chinese cueist with breaks of 138, 89, 73, and 60.Hawkins had a day off on Thursday after being granted with a walkover following the late withdrawal of last-16 opponent Ricky Walden, who was reportedly taken to hospital due to health concerns.
he 45 year-old took full advantage of the extra rest day and looked in good form as he dispatched the challenge of the English Open and Scottish Open runner-up.
“I’m over the moon,” UK Championship finalist Barry Hawkins, whose last semi-final in Berlin was 12 years ago, told the World Snooker Tour.
“Wu has been one of the players of the season. He’s such a devastating long potter, he puts your safety and everything under pressure.”
“To beat him and to play well like that – it was a very good game with hardly any balls missed – is really pleasing.
“Any time you get a walkover, you’ll take it. Anybody who says they’d rather play is lying, but to get the walkover in them circumstances is not very nice.
“I go back a long way with Ricky, and I wish him all the best. No one likes to see someone in pain, especially in a foreign country.
“There can’t be anything worse. So obviously I’ll take the walkover, but it wasn’t the best circumstance and I’m glad I took advantage of it today.
“Out there tonight, it was almost a full house. There weren’t many empty seats, and the atmosphere is amazing.
“To get back to the one-table setup again after such a long time is really good, and I’m really looking forward to it.
“The German fans are probably the best in the world that we’ve got. They’re so enthusiastic and clap on every shot.
“They absolutely love the game, so to be in the one table setup and to walk out into that arena again tomorrow will be great.”
Barry Hawkins will encounter another young player from China in the German Masters semi-finals on Saturday after Yuan Sijun upset Neil Robertson.
The latter had followed up his four-ton performance over Hammad Miah with a confident victory over world number one Judd Trump in the last 16.
But consistency was once again lacking from Robertson’s game, with the Australian managing only a single half-century contribution in a 5-4 reverse to Yuan.
By getting this far in the tournament, Yuan – who compiled breaks of 100, 75, 64, 57, and 52 – has matched his previous best run in a ranking event.
The other semi-final clash is also an England versus China affair, with world champion Kyren Wilson in action against Xiao Guodong.
Both players have been among the most consistent performers this season, so it isn’t a surprise at all to see them challenging for silverware again here.
Wilson, the German Masters winner in 2019, emerged from a thrilling battle with Anthony McGill in a deciding frame.
Wuhan Open champion Xiao had a much more comfortable time of it, the 35 year-old destroying Aaron Hill 5-0 with breaks of 114, 113, 95, and 75.
Wilson and Xiao will play each other in the first match on Saturday at 1pm UTC, with the game between Hawkins and Yuan scheduled for 7pm UTC.
The remaining quartet is playing for the Brandon Parker Trophy and a champion’s cheque worth £100,000.
Delboy99
Sire
...... don't know if this is true or not, but it does look a little bit like a Mickey Mouse tournament this. Looks a bit top heavy with a lot of also ran's. In fact it looks like another Trump v Wilson final which is getting a little tiresome, or am I becoming a little boring in my assumptions. Maybe so, but I don't find myself getting excited much about this.
The Hare
Mare
It's just a minor event to fill up the bookies schedule in January and February, early finish this year. All the players won groups of 7 to make the final group so no seeding or anything. The lower entries were before the Masters as many of the top players just started to compete later on but even O'Sullivan played in it until he smashed his cue in half and went home!...... don't know if this is true or not, but it does look a little bit like a Mickey Mouse tournament this. Looks a bit top heavy with a lot of also ran's. In fact it looks like another Trump v Wilson final which is getting a little tiresome, or am I becoming a little boring in my assumptions. Maybe so, but I don't find myself getting excited much about this.
In the first frame Trump v Si, the first match, Si potted a brown into the green pocket, the referee took the brown and placed it on the green spot, no one noticed and they played the rest of the frame with the mistake - never seen such before that hasn't been corrected. Phil Yates and Steven Hallworth, commentating, were astounded.
However, must just have been lucky coincidence, I was watching the end of the 3rd frame between Liam Graham and Iulian Boiko on another screen at the same time. Just blue, pink and black left. Boiko pots the blue and just needs the pink for the frame. The referee took the blue out and put it on it's spot. Fortunately Boiko realised and he removed it a few seconds later, interesting what would have happened if he potted the pink without noticing - think the other player has to say before the pot as well though.
Delboy99
Sire
John Higgins rises in snooker world rankings despite Wizard of Wishaw struggling for form.
A last 32 exit at the German Masters came as a disappointment to Higgins - but the veteran remains in with snooker's elite.
Despite disappointment in his first two tournaments of the year, Scots snooker hero John Higgins has climbed in the rankings.The Wizard of Wishaw, who is the most experienced player currently on the tour have competed in 1,921 matches as a pro, admitted that his first round Masters defeat to Neil Robertson - only playing because Ronnie O'Sullivan pulled out at the last minute - was tough to swallow, and found the going equally tough at the German Masters in Berlin. As he he was dumped out at the last 32 stage by Welshman Jak Jones - runner-up to Kyren Wilson in last year's World Championship.
However it hasn't all been bad for the veteran, who remains firmly in the all-important top 16 positions in the world rankings - and actually climbed the table following the Berlin event. Higgins currently sits 13th in the world, gaining one spot as Ali Carter dropped by four positions - making him one of the biggest fallers, with Mark Allen also dropping by four as his points from the 2022 World Grand Prix were deducted from his tally.
Chinese youngster Wu Yize is one of the biggest climbers, with the Scottish Open finalist rising three places to 22nd overall - whilst Masters champion Shaun Murphy is up to sixth, joining Luca Brecel, Mark Williams and Mark Selby in taking advantage of Allen's drop. Ronnie O'Sullivan remains third despite pulling out of his last two tournaments, with doubts remaining over whether we'll see the Rocket before the World Championships in April.
After 13th placed Higgins you have to go all the way to 29th in the standings for the next Scot, Stephen Maguire. Anthony McGill - who earned big praise from Kyren Wilson in Berlin - is 40th, with Scott Donaldson 46th and veteran Graeme Dott dropping one position to 57th
Four time world champion Higgins hasn't won a ranking tournament since the Players' Championship in 2021, but did make it to the final of the British Open in September - where he lost out to Mark Selby. The 49-year-old had being bluntly honest about his love for the sport, saying: "This is a sport that has given me so much over the years but it begins to take your soul bit by bit. This has been a good sport for me, but as you fall down the rankings it can begin to take that bit of goodness. It is a brutal sport sometimes."
The Hare
Mare
An update on the Welsh Open - biggest win of the day was Reanne Evans achieving her 2nd win of the season over Julien LeClercq. Stan Moody won his first game of the year, crazy not had any games until now, like many other lower players. This is the second round draw, those in yellow still to play their first round games today so will update later.
