Welsh Open Recap

After a thrilling week in Wales, it was the four time World Champion Mark Selby who ended the week with victory. 

Selby’s 9-6 final success over long time friend Stephen Maguire ensured that the Jester captured his second Welsh Open title and his win has announced him as a real contender ahead of the 2025 World Championship starting in just a few months time.

With the tournament throwing up many talking points, here are the main talking points that have emerged. 

Mark Selby reigns supreme in Wales 

It was a week where several of the best players in the game were looking to establish themselves and get their 2025 off to a fast start, however after a week of shocks it was Mark Selby who ended the Welsh Open on top.

Seeded fourth for the tournament, he won his opener well against Haydon Pinhey, before avoiding a scare in the second round where he needed a final frame to sneak past Elliot Slessor. 

He would thrash Jamie Jones in round three and then would show what a gritty competitor he is when advancing past John Higgins 5-4 in what was undoubtedly the match of the tournament. 

Selby would beat another former World Champion in the semifinals in the shape of Luca Brecel. Showing that he was in a class of his own, he fully deserved his 6-3 victory. 

Reaching his first final at the Welsh Open since losing to Ding Junhui in 2012, Selby started the final against Stephen Maguire as the heavy favourite and the man from Leicester never trailed as he prevailed 9-6.

Maguire has long been regarded as one of snooker’s most talented players but he showed that he is also gritty as he made Selby work incredibly hard for his win.

Able to level the match four times, Maguire couldn’t quite get the balls to drop when he needed them most and despite his best efforts he would always fall just a little short. 

With the match tied at six frames apiece, Selby won the thirteenth frame and then gave himself breathing space by stretching to an 8-6 lead. Standing on the cusp of victory, Selby sealed the contest at the first time of asking and ensured that he would be a serious contender to win a fifth World Championship by the time the tournament rolls around in a few months.

Concerns grow over absent O’Sullivan 

The build up for the 2025 Welsh Open was dominated by whether Ronnie O’Sullivan would compete. The seven time World Champion has been struggling off the table with his mental health and had withdrawn from the Masters, German Masters as well as leaving the action in the Championship League early. 

Ahead of the Welsh Open the signs were positive that O’Sullivan would make his 2025 tournament bow, but it was announced in the morning of his scheduled match against Jamie Clark that once again the Rocket would be missing from action. 

Aware of the impact that his withdrawals have had on the organisers and supporters of the event, O’Sullivan was quick to clarify his reasons behind his withdrawal.

‘I realise plenty of people who bought tickets to some recent snooker events will have been frustrated when I withdrew, so I just wanted to say sorry to those of you who’ve been disappointed with me having to pull out of those tournaments.

I’ve been trying to prioritise my health and well-being, which sometimes means making last-minute decisions not to play. It’s never an easy decision and I hate letting people down.’

Next on O’Sullivan’s schedule is a trip to China for the World Open and at this stage it looks highly unlikely that he will be in the right frame of mind to take up his place in the draw. 

With enough ranking points to qualify for the World Championship, many will be hoping that he will be able to cue it up at the Crucible as he bids for a record setting eighth World Championship title.

For so long it looked like it would only be a matter of time before O’Sullivan was crowned as the most successful player in World Championship history, but for now it looks like he will remain tied at the top with Stephen Hendry for some time to come. 

World Open provides chance for several big guns to bounce back 

Next on the schedule for the best players in the world is the World Open.

Set to be held at Yushan at the end of the month, there are several players who will hope to arrive in China looking to turn their fortunes around following early exits at the Welsh Open. 

Having reached the semi finals at the 2025 Masters, Mark Allen’s 2025 is yet to really burst into life. After crashing out in the second round of the German Masters, he suffered a similar fate in Wales and his lack of wins so far this year has seen him drop all the way down to seven in the world. 

The pressure is building on Allen, a winner of the Masters and the UK Championship only the World Championship is missing from his triple crown set and many believe that he has both the talent and game to win it. 

Allen will want to arrive at the Crucible in top form but needs to turn around his form quickly, he will hope that he can start to do that in China. 

Another man who will be looking to have a big week in China is Shaun Murphy. The winner of the Masters at the start of the year, it seems that the effort and effects of that win has impacted his form since. 

Unable to back up his Masters victory with a third round exit at the German Masters, he fell at the first hurdle in Wales. Losing a final frame thriller to world number 73 Ma Hailong, Murphy will want to get his season back on track. He has already shown this year that he can win the biggest tournaments against the best players and he will hope to quickly show that once again.

Andrew Blakely

At 35, Andrew Blakely stands as a seasoned expert in both snooker and its betting intricacies. A dedicated player and analyst, he offers keen insights derived from years in the field. Through his writings, Andrew aspires to guide enthusiasts navigating the captivating world of snooker betting.