(Image by: ronnie)
Snooker’s tour of Britain continues this week as the best players in the world have descended on the city of Cheltenham for this year’s British Open.
A prestigious title to win, throughout the week the tournament has started to take shape with several big names falling early. As we are about to reach the Round of 16, here is a recap of what has happened so far and a look ahead to who might be this year’s British Open winner.
Ronnie O’Sullivan Pulls Out of His First Round Match Just Hours Before he is Due to Hit The Table
Although snooker is awash with young and exciting talent, the one name that is able to pull in the crowds, TV figures and sponsors is Ronnie O’Sullivan. Widely regarded as the best player to have ever graced the tables, O’Sullivan is a mysterious figure. A genius with how he plays, off the tables, the ‘Rocket’ has spoken openly about his mental health battles and his unwillingness to travel the world in order to protect his ranking.
Now at a stage of his career where O’Sullivan is purely focused on playing the game’s biggest events which carry the most amount of prize money, this isn’t the first time that O’Sullivan has made the late decision to withdraw but his absence has caused huge disappointment with the crowds.
Hoping to see a truly generational talent in action, O’Sullivan’s absence from this year’s British Open is a huge loss and at this stage it remains unclear as to where he will turn up next.
Neil Robertson is Unable to Follow up English Open Victory
Having spent the last few years in the snooker wilderness, former World Champion, Neil Robertson is back with a bang and over the last few months has steadily began his climb up the world rankings.
Having reached the semi-finals of the World Open back in March, Robertson’s season was thrown into chaos when he suffered a shock defeat in the final qualifying stage of this year’s World Championship. Not wanting to go back through the gruelling qualifying road again, since his early exit at the World Championship, Robertson has been a different beast when back on the table.
Reaching the quarterfinals of the Saudi Arabia Masters, before narrowly losing to Judd Trump, Robertson assured himself a place back in the top 16 when winning the English Open last week.
Showing all of the qualities and skills that took him right to the top of the sport, Robertson made light work of a tough draw dispatching Jackson Page, Shaun Murphy, Barry Hawkins and Chris Wakelin before he narrowly defeated Wu Yize in the final.
Seen as a leading contender to follow up his English Open success, Robertson’s bid for his second title in two weeks got off to a great start when he powered past Chris Totten 4-1 in the first round.
Cueing it as well as has done in years, he started his second round contest against as Chaun Leong as the overwhelming favourite, but with the match being taken to a final round decider, it was Chaun who got the break of the balls and despite being the heavy underdog, it was the man from Malaysia who advanced to the next round.
Despite his early exit, Robertson will be delighted with how he has responded since his World Championship defeat. Now back amongst the biggest names in the sport, he will be hoping to quickly bounce back from this week’s surprise defeat and finish 2024 with a flourish.
(Image by: nr147)
Two Former World Champions Make Early Exits
Such is the strength and depth of snooker at the moment that through the early rounds of this year’s British Open there were several mouthwatering encounters that were thrown up. The first of these was a battle between two former World Champions as John Higgins took on Shaun Murphy.
With both Murphy and Higgins looking to get back on the title trail, in a match that ebbed and flowed with both players feeling the sense of the occasion it was Higgins who emerged victorious, winning a scrappy match 4-2.
For Murphy a frustrating season has continued, although ranked eighth in the world, he fell early at the Chinese Grand Prix, last week’s English Open and now here. Still regarded as one of the best talents in the game, he will hope to return to form quickly.
The other former World Champion to exit the British Open early was Stuart Bingham. An unlikely winner of the 2015 World Championship, since making his breakthrough, Bingham has maintained a force at the top of the game but over the last twelve months his form has rapidly deteriorated. Having admitted to being short on confidence, he would have been pleased to have thrashed Bulcsu Revesz in the first round but the jitters returned in his second round defeat to Stephen Maguire.
Spurning several opportunities to take control of the contest, Bingham would end up being edged out by the gritty Scot and has plenty to ponder as 2024 slowly winds to a close. Now ranked 25 in the world, Bingham looks to have a real battle on his hands to climb all the way back to the very top of the game.
(Image by: shaunmurphy147)
Judd Trump Looks to Cash in on O’Sullivan’s Absence
One man who has managed to steer his way through the early rounds of the tournament is Judd Trump, the undisputed number one in the world, Trump finally looks to have been able to combine his abundant talents with a relentless consistency and as the tournament enters its final stages, he looks the man that the rest of the field will need to beat.
Hailing from Bristol, this week represents a homecoming of sorts for the former World number one and with plenty of family and friends set to be in attendance over the next few days, it looks like everything is aligned for Trump to win this tournament for the very first time in his career.
Jonathan Ashby
Jonathan Ashby, at 35, boasts a deep well of knowledge about the world of snooker. A specialist with a passion for the game's history, techniques, and players, he provides invaluable insights to both novices and seasoned enthusiasts. Through his articles, Jonathan aims to share the rich tapestry and nuances of this beloved cue sport.
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