2024 Welsh Open (snooker)

Last updated

2024 BetVictor Welsh Open
2024 Welsh Open snooker cover new.jpg
Tournament information
Dates12–18 February 2024 (2024-02-12 2024-02-18)
Venue Venue Cymru
City Llandudno
CountryWales
Organisation World Snooker Tour
Format Ranking event
Total prize fund£427,000
Winner's share£80,000
Highest breakFlag of England.svg  Gary Wilson  (ENG) (147)
Final
ChampionFlag of England.svg  Gary Wilson  (ENG)
Runner-upFlag of England.svg  Martin O'Donnell  (ENG)
Score9–4
2023

The 2024 Welsh Open (officially the 2024 BetVictor Welsh Open) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 12 to 18 February 2024 at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Wales. Qualification for the tournament took place from 25 to 27 January at the Barnsley Metrodome in Barnsley, England. The 33rd edition of the Welsh Open, first held in 1992, it was the 13th ranking event of the 2023–24 season, following the German Masters and preceding the Players Championship. It was the fourth and last tournament in the Home Nations Series, following the Scottish Open, and the eighth and last tournament in the season's European Series, following the German Masters. Sponsored by BetVictor, the tournament was broadcast by the BBC domestically, by Eurosport and Discovery+ in the United Kingdom and Europe, and by other broadcasters worldwide. The winner received the Ray Reardon trophy and £80,000 from a total prize fund of £427,000.

Contents

Robert Milkins was the defending champion, having defeated Shaun Murphy 97 in the final of the 2023 event, but he lost 04 to Gary Wilson in the last 16. Wilson went on to win the tournament with a 9–4 victory over first-time ranking finalist Martin O'Donnell. It was the third ranking title of his career, following his wins at the Scottish Open in 2022 and 2023. He advanced to a career high of 12th in the world rankings after his win.

The tournament's main stage produced a total of 52 century breaks, the highest of which was a maximum break by Gary Wilson in the second frame of his semi-final match against John Higgins. It was Wilson's fifth maximum break in professional competition and the 11th maximum in Welsh Open history. Mark Allen made the 600th century break of his professional career in his last-64 match against Ma Hailong. The qualifiers produced an additional 14 centuries, the highest being a 146 break by Robbie Williams in his match against Peng Yisong.

Format

The tournament was staged at Venue Cymru (pictured) in Llandudno, Wales. At Llandudno 2020 322.jpg
The tournament was staged at Venue Cymru (pictured) in Llandudno, Wales.

The event was the 33rd consecutive edition of the Welsh Open since it was first played in 1992, making it snooker's third longest running ranking tournament after the World Championship and UK Championship. [1] The fourth and last event in the season's Home Nations Series, the eighth and last event in the European Series, and the 13th ranking tournament of the 2023–24 snooker season, it took place from 12 to 18 February 2024 at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Wales. [2] [3] Qualification for the tournament took place from 25 to 27 January at the Barnsley Metrodome in Barnsley, England. Qualifying matches involving the top 16 players in the world rankings and two Welsh wildcards (Riley Powell and Liam Davies) were held over and played at the main venue in Llandudno. [4]

All matches were played as the best of seven frames until the quarter-finals, which were the best of nine. The semi-finals were the best of 11, and the final was a best of 17 frames match played over two sessions . The defending champion was Robert Milkins, who defeated Shaun Murphy 97 in the 2023 final. [5]

Broadcasters

The main stage of the event was broadcast by BBC Wales, BBC Online, BBC Red Button, and DMAX in the United Kingdom; Eurosport and Discovery+ in the rest of Europe; CCTV-5, Migu  [ zh ], and Huya in Mainland China; Now TV in Hong Kong; Astro SuperSport in Malaysia and Brunei; TrueVisions in Thailand; Sportcast in Taiwan; Premier Sports Network in the Philippines; Fastsports in Pakistan; and Matchroom.live in all other territories. [6]

The qualifying matches were broadcast by Discovery+ in Europe (including the United Kingdom); Migu and Huya in China; and Matchroom.live in all other territories. [7]

Prize fund

The tournament winner received the Ray Reardon trophy. The breakdown of prize money for the event is shown below: [2]

  • Winner: £80,000
  • Runner-up: £35,000
  • Semi-final: £17,500
  • Quarter-final: £11,000
  • Last 16: £7,500
  • Last 32: £4,500
  • Last 64: £3,000
  • Highest break: £5,000

Summary

Qualifying

Amateur player Barry Pinches (pictured) replaced David Grace, who withdrew. Pinches defeated the 2020 champion and seventh seed Shaun Murphy 4-3 on the last black. Barry Pinches PHC 2016-3.jpg
Amateur player Barry Pinches (pictured) replaced David Grace, who withdrew. Pinches defeated the 2020 champion and seventh seed Shaun Murphy 43 on the last black .

Qualifying for the tournament took place from 25 to 27 January at the Barnsley Metrodome in Barnsley, England. [8] Martin Gould withdrew for medical reasons, and was replaced by Sydney Wilson. [9] Si Jiahui won three frames in a row to defeat Stephen Maguire 42. Matthew Stevens made back-to-back century breaks of 137 and 120 as he defeated Louis Heathcote 4–3. [8] [10] Robbie Williams made a 146 break, the highest of his career and the highest of the qualifying stage, as he whitewashed Peng Yisong. The 2021 champion Jordan Brown lost the first three frames against Lyu Haotian, but recovered to win four consecutive frames, taking the deciding frame on the last black . Stuart Bingham and Zhou Yuelong both face disciplinary action for conceding frames before the snookers required stage in their respective defeats to Marco Fu and Adam Duffy. [11] Fan Zhengyi defeated the 2022 champion Joe Perry 42. David Gilbert made a 136 break as he whitewashed Ken Doherty, who scored only 15 points in the match. [8] [12] Three-time winner Stephen Hendry lost 24 to Ross Muir. [13]

Qualifying matches featuring the top 16 seeds and two Welsh wildcards were held over and played in Llandudno on 12 and 13 February. [8] The top two players in the world rankings, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump, withdrew from the tournament and were replaced respectively by Alfie Davies and Duane Jones, both Welsh amateurs. [14] [15] David Grace also withdrew and was replaced by amateur Barry Pinches, [16] who came from 23 behind to defeat the seventh seed Shaun Murphy, winning the deciding frame on the last black after having required a snooker . [8] [17] The defending champion Robert Milkins trailed Jamie Jones 23, but won the deciding frame on the colours . Neil Robertson made eight breaks of 50 or more, including a 103, as he defeated Jackson Page 41. Barry Hawkins made a 142 break as he whitewashed He Guoqiang. The reigning World Champion Luca Brecel won his first professional match in two months as he defeated Jiang Jun in a deciding frame. Mark Selby defeated Yuan Sijun 42, winning the match in the 69-minute sixth frame after Yuan failed six times to escape from a snooker on the last blue ball , conceding 30 foul points. [18] Elliot Slessor defeated the 11th seed Ali Carter 41.

Early rounds

Last 64

Mark Allen (pictured) compiled his 600th career century break during his whitewash win over Ma Hailong. Mark Allen at Snooker German Masters (DerHexer) 2015-02-05 01.jpg
Mark Allen (pictured) compiled his 600th career century break during his whitewash win over Ma Hailong.

The last-64 matches were played from 12 to 14 February as the best of seven frames. [3] Defending champion Milkins made breaks of 140 and 83 to defeat Allan Taylor. Xiao Guodong made a 134 break to level the score at 33 against Hawkins, but Hawkins won the deciding frame. Jamie Clarke was whitewashed by Duffy. Gary Wilson made two century breaks of 120 and 105 in his 42 win over Iulian Boiko. Mark Williams defeated Sanderson Lam 43 with breaks of 90, 117, and 96. Robbie Williams led the 12th seed Ding Junhui 20 and went on to win the match 42, making a 119 break in the fifth frame. Ricky Walden came from 03 behind to beat Stevens 43. Martin O'Donnell defeated Chris Wakelin 41 with breaks of 113 and 97. Mark Allen whitewashed tour debutant Ma Hailong, making a total clearance of 141 in the third frame, the 600th century of his professional career. [19] Jack Lisowski beat Liam Pullen 42, winning the final frame on the last black. [20]

Elliot Slessor received a walkover to the last-32 after Andrew Higginson withdrew. [3] Higginson's father, Dave Higginson, passed away on the morning of 14 February. [21] Stan Moody made a 103 break to level the score at 22 against Jordan Brown, and went on to win in a deciding frame. Alfie Davies made a 125 break in the first frame and led Dominic Dale 31, but Dale recovered to win the match in a deciding frame. Brecel made breaks of 83, 119, 62, and 75 as he whitewashed Joe O'Connor, who scored only 29 points in the match. Kyren Wilson made a break of 111 to win the first frame against Anthony Hamilton, but Hamilton won four frames in a row for a 41 victory. After losing the first two frames, Dott won four consecutive frames to defeat Wu Yize 42. Dylan Emery beat Noppon Saengkham 42, making a 121 break in the sixth frame. Jak Jones defeated the 14th seed Zhang Anda 41. The sixth seed Selby lost 24 to Aaron Hill, in a match that included a 10-minute safety battle on the last green in the fourth frame. [22] Afterward, Hill commented: "Mark [Selby] is one of the greats and one of the players I look up to, I know my game is good enough to be beating them." [21]

Last 32

The last-32 matches were played from 14 to 15 February as the best of seven frames. [3] Anthony McGill defeated the ninth seed and two-time winner Mark Williams 41. [22] Matthew Selt made a 135 break in his 41 win over Duane Jones. Robbie Williams defeated Duffy 42. Milkins made breaks of 77 and 91 as he whitewashed Gilbert. Higgins defeated Ryan Day 41, making a 124 break in the third frame. Allen made breaks of 63, 76, 110, and 52 to defeat Si 41. Neil Robertson made breaks of 68 and 69 to win the first two frames against Walden, but Walden took four consecutive frames with breaks of 96, 68, 69, and 65 to win 42. Trailing Gary Wilson 13, Lisowski won the next two frames with breaks of 65 and 113, but Wilson won the deciding frame on the colours. [21]

After losing the first two frames to Daniel Wells, Fu tied the scores with back-to-back centuries of 122 and 113, and went on to win 42. Hossein Vafaei made a 116 break against Jak Jones, but Jones won 42. Dale defeated Moody 41, making a 122 break in the second frame. Hamilton won the first two frames against O'Donnell, taking the first frame after two re-racks , and the second with a 133 break. However, O'Donnell won four frames in a row, making breaks of 71, 62, and 110, to capture a 42 victory. Tom Ford defeated Hawkins 41. Fan lost the first frame to Hill, but took the next four with breaks of 80, 59, 97, and 79 to win 41. Brecel defeated Dott 41 and Slessor beat Emery by the same score. [23]

Last 16

John Higgins (pictured) recovered from a 1-3 deficit to beat Matthew Selt 4-3, winning the deciding frame on the colours. John Higgins at Snooker German Masters (Martin Rulsch) 2014-01-29 13.jpg
John Higgins (pictured) recovered from a 13 deficit to beat Matthew Selt 43, winning the deciding frame on the colours .

The last-16 matches were played on 15 February as the best of seven frames. [3] Allen made a 110 break in the fourth frame to complete a whitewash win over Robbie Williams. Allen said: "I have come here to win, it would be great to add another Home Nations title to my cabinet. I am fighting for everything out there, choosing the correct shots and giving it my best." Gary Wilson eliminated the defending champion Milkins, also with a whitewash. Trailing McGill 02, Walden won three frames in a row with breaks of 138 and 99 to lead 32, but McGill took the next two frames for a 43 victory. Brecel lost the first frame to Ford, but won four consecutive frames for a 41 victory, reaching his first ranking quarter-final of the season. [24]

From 13 behind, Higgins took the next two frames to level the match against Selt. In a deciding frame that lasted over 40 minutes, Selt missed the yellow , allowing Higgins to claim a 43 victory. Welshman Dale whitewashed Jak Jones, and commented: "To win another ranking title would be unthinkable for me, at my age. But to do it in the Welsh Open would be the icing on the cake." [25] Slessor won the deciding frame against Fan with a 77 break. O'Donnell defeated Fu 42 in a match that finished close to 1:00 a.m.

Later rounds

Quarter-finals

World number 76 Martin O'Donnell (pictured) defeated the reigning World Champion Luca Brecel 5-3. O'Donnell went on to reach the first ranking final of his career. Martin O'Donnell at Snooker German Masters (DerHexer) 2013-01-30 11.jpg
World number 76 Martin O'Donnell (pictured) defeated the reigning World Champion Luca Brecel 53. O'Donnell went on to reach the first ranking final of his career.

The quarter-finals were played on 16 February as the best of nine frames. [3] Higgins made breaks of 62 and 131 as he won the first two frames against Allen. Allen tied the scores at the mid-session interval but Higgins won three consecutive frames for a 52 victory, reaching his fourth ranking semi-final of the season. Higgins commented: "Mark [Allen] is one of the elite players, you have to play well to beat him, it's a brilliant win for me." He also attributed the win to his new cue, saying: "I went back to the size I used about 25 years ago. That seems to be working right now. Hopefully things can come together because I have been knocking on the door for a while and it hasn't opened yet." [26] Slessor compiled a 128 break as he took a 31 break over Dale. Dale won two of the next three frames to reduce Slessor's lead to one at 43, but Slessor won the eighth frame to win 53 and reach the third ranking semi-final of his career. Slessor said: "I'm delighted to win. I have been working with [coach] Chris Henry this season and my game has turned a corner." [26] [27]

Gary Wilson won all four frames before the mid-session interval to lead McGill 40, and won the fifth on the last black to complete a whitewash victory. He said after the match: "I have tried to stick to what I'm doing, because it was working at the Scottish. That has helped me to just go out and play without any rubbish in my head, and to be a bit more consistent. In the past I would not be able to play certain shots, but I don't feel that way any more." [28] The second seed Brecel led world number 76 O'Donnell 21 and 32, but O'Donnell took the next two frames, making a 130 break in the sixth, to lead 43. O'Donnell won frame eight on the last black to defeat the reigning World Champion 53. It was his second win over Brecel that season, after a 42 victory in the last 32 of the 2023 Scottish Open. O'Donnell reached his second career ranking semi-final, after the 2018 Shoot Out. [29] [30] He commented: "I do try hard out there, sometimes too hard. I still try to play as if it means everything, but I am able to handle defeats better and move on. I have played a bit quicker too and that seems to be helping." [28]

Semi-finals

The semi-finals were played on 17 February as the best of 11 frames. [3] In the first semi-final, O'Donnell played Slessor. O'Donnell led 53, but Slessor made breaks of 95 and 65 to force a deciding frame. O'Donnell won the decider with a 126 break, his first victory in a ranking semi-final. [31] [32] He commented: "It means everything to reach my first final. There have been some dark times in the last few years. My fiancée Anna and kids have picked me up and got me through those dark days." [33] Calling his performance "useless" and describing his safety play as "embarrassing", Slessor said: "I have played some good stuff this week but it's very disappointing to play like that in the semis." [33]

Facing five-time champion Higgins in the second semi-final, Gary Wilson attempted a maximum break in the first frame, but missed the 14th red to end the break at 104. Wilson successfully completed a maximum in the second frame, the fifth of his career and the 11th time a maximum had been made at the Welsh Open. [34] Wilson led 40 and 51 before Higgins won three frames in a row with breaks of 69, 66, and 78 to come within one frame at 54. Wilson took the 10th frame with a 73 break to win 64. [35] [36] Wilson said: "I didn't do a lot wrong and played very well in patches." He added: "The 147 was early in the match, I wasn't even thinking about it at the start, I was just looking to build a lead. I should have had one in the frame before, I had a chance at it." [31] Higgins commented: "He was deadly for the first three-and-a-half frames, incredible. Gary [Wilson] played superbly, I give him credit, there was nothing I could do." [31]

Final

Tournament winner Gary Wilson (pictured) made a maximum break in the semi-finals and went on to secure his first Welsh Open title, beating Martin O'Donnell 9-4 in the final. Gary Wilson PHC 2016-2.jpg
Tournament winner Gary Wilson (pictured) made a maximum break in the semi-finals and went on to secure his first Welsh Open title, beating Martin O'Donnell 94 in the final.

The final was a best-of-17-frames match, played over two sessions on 18 February, between world number 16 Gary Wilson and world number 76 O'Donnell, with Leo Scullion officiating. [3] Wilson competed in his fifth ranking final, while O'Donnell contested the first ranking final of his professional career. Wilson made a 98 break in the opening frame and made three further half-centuries as he went on to lead 40 and 51. O'Donnell was six points ahead in the seventh frame when he missed a pot on the last yellow; Wilson cleared the colours to lead 61. O'Donnell made a 92 break to win the last frame of the afternoon session, leaving Wilson with a four-frame advantage at 62. [37]

When play resumed for the evening session, O'Donnell won the 41-minute ninth frame after a re-rack. Wilson made a 100 break, the only century of the final, to win the 10th frame. O'Donnell took the 11th frame with an 85 break, but Wilson won the 43-minute 12th frame to lead 8–4 at the mid-session interval, and then secured the 13th frame to complete a 9–4 victory. It was Wilson's first Welsh Open title and his third ranking title, following his wins at the Scottish Open in 2022 and 2023. His second ranking title of the season, it enabled him to reach a career high of 12th place in the world rankings. [38] Wilson called the final a "scrappy game" and commented: "I lost my cue action in the last few frames. You go through ups and downs all the time—I'm just happy to get over the line and get another tournament." Runner-up O'Donnell, who advanced to 60th in the rankings after the tournament, congratulated his opponent but expressed disappointment with his performance, saying: "I felt okay at the start but then started missing too many easy balls and got tense. I will learn from today and hopefully there are good things coming for me." [39] [40] [41]

Main draw

The draw for the tournament is shown below. Numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the top 32 seeded players, and players in bold denote match winners. All matches were played as the best of seven frames until the quarter-finals, which were the best of nine. The semi-finals were the best of 11, and the final was a best of 17 frames match played over two sessions . [42] [43]

Top half

Last 64
Best of 7 frames
Last 32
Best of 7 frames
Last 16
Best of 7 frames
Quarter-finals
Best of 9 frames
Semi-finals
Best of 11 frames
          
Flag of England.svg  Robert Milkins  (ENG)(1)4
Flag of England.svg  Allan Taylor  (ENG)1
Flag of England.svg Robert Milkins 4
Flag of England.svg David Gilbert 0
Flag of England.svg  David Gilbert  (ENG)(32)4
Flag of England.svg  Oliver Lines  (ENG)2
Flag of England.svg Robert Milkins 0
Flag of England.svg Gary Wilson 4
Flag of England.svg  Jack Lisowski  (ENG)(16)4
Flag of England.svg  Liam Pullen  (ENG)2
Flag of England.svg Jack Lisowski 3
Flag of England.svg Gary Wilson 4
Flag of England.svg  Gary Wilson  (ENG)(17)4
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Iulian Boiko  (UKR) [lower-alpha 1] 2
Flag of England.svg Gary Wilson 5
Flag of Scotland.svg Anthony McGill 0
Flag of Scotland.svg  Anthony McGill  (SCO)(24)4
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Long Zehuang  (CHN)1
Flag of Scotland.svg Anthony McGill 4
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Mark Williams 1
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Mark Williams  (WAL)(9)4
Flag of England.svg  Sanderson Lam  (ENG)3
Flag of Scotland.svg Anthony McGill 4
Flag of England.svg Ricky Walden 3
Flag of England.svg  Ricky Walden  (ENG)(25)4
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Matthew Stevens  (WAL)3
Flag of England.svg Ricky Walden 4
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Neil Robertson 2
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Neil Robertson  (AUS)(8)4
Flag of England.svg  Stuart Carrington  (ENG)3
Flag of England.svg Gary Wilson 6
Flag of Scotland.svg John Higgins 4
Ulster Banner.svg  Mark Allen  (NIR)(5)4
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Ma Hailong  (CHN)0
Ulster Banner.svg Mark Allen 4
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Si Jiahui 1
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Si Jiahui  (CHN)(28)4
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Andrew Pagett  (WAL)2
Ulster Banner.svg Mark Allen 4
Flag of England.svg Robbie Williams 0
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Ding Junhui  (CHN)(12)2
Flag of England.svg  Robbie Williams  (ENG)4
Flag of England.svg Robbie Williams 4
Flag of England.svg Adam Duffy 2
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Jamie Clarke  (WAL)0
Flag of England.svg  Adam Duffy  (ENG)4
Ulster Banner.svg Mark Allen 2
Flag of Scotland.svg John Higgins 5
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ryan Day  (WAL)(20)4
Flag of England.svg  David Lilley  (ENG)2
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ryan Day 1
Flag of Scotland.svg John Higgins 4
Flag of Scotland.svg  John Higgins  (SCO)(13)4
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Tian Pengfei  (CHN)1
Flag of Scotland.svg John Higgins 4
Flag of England.svg Matthew Selt 3
Flag of England.svg  Matthew Selt  (ENG)(29)4
Flag of Scotland.svg  Ross Muir  (SCO)1
Flag of England.svg Matthew Selt 4
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Duane Jones 1
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Duane Jones  (WAL) [lower-alpha 2] 4
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Liam Davies  (WAL)1

Bottom half

Last 64
Best of 7 frames
Last 32
Best of 7 frames
Last 16
Best of 7 frames
Quarter-finals
Best of 9 frames
Semi-finals
Best of 11 frames
          
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Alfie Davies (WAL) [lower-alpha 3] 3
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Dominic Dale  (WAL)4
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dominic Dale 4
Flag of England.svg Stan Moody 1
Ulster Banner.svg  Jordan Brown  (NIR)3
Flag of England.svg  Stan Moody  (ENG)4
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dominic Dale 4
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Jak Jones 0
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Zhang Anda  (CHN)(14)1
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Jak Jones  (WAL)4
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Jak Jones 4
Flag of Iran.svg Hossein Vafaei 2
Flag of Iran.svg  Hossein Vafaei  (IRN)(19)4
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Julien Leclercq  (BEL)1
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dominic Dale 3
Flag of England.svg Elliot Slessor 5
Flag of Thailand.svg  Noppon Saengkham  (THA)(22)2
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Dylan Emery  (WAL)4
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dylan Emery 1
Flag of England.svg Elliot Slessor 4
Flag of England.svg  Elliot Slessor  (ENG)w/o
Flag of England.svg  Andrew Higginson  (ENG)w/d
Flag of England.svg Elliot Slessor 4
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Fan Zhengyi 3
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Fan Zhengyi  (CHN)4
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Ben Mertens  (BEL)2
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Fan Zhengyi 4
Flag of Ireland.svg Aaron Hill 1
Flag of England.svg  Mark Selby  (ENG)(6)2
Flag of Ireland.svg  Aaron Hill  (IRL)4
Flag of England.svg Elliot Slessor 5
Flag of England.svg Martin O'Donnell 6
Flag of England.svg  Barry Pinches  (ENG) [lower-alpha 4] 1
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Daniel Wells  (WAL)4
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Daniel Wells 2
Flag of Hong Kong.svg Marco Fu 4
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Marco Fu  (HKG)4
Flag of England.svg  Zak Surety  (ENG)3
Flag of Hong Kong.svg Marco Fu 2
Flag of England.svg Martin O'Donnell 4
Flag of England.svg  Kyren Wilson  (ENG)(10)1
Flag of England.svg  Anthony Hamilton  (ENG)4
Flag of England.svg Anthony Hamilton 2
Flag of England.svg Martin O'Donnell 4
Flag of England.svg  Chris Wakelin  (ENG)(23)1
Flag of England.svg  Martin O'Donnell  (ENG)4
Flag of England.svg Martin O'Donnell 5
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Luca Brecel 3
Flag of England.svg  Tom Ford  (ENG)(18)4
Flag of England.svg  Ian Burns  (ENG)2
Flag of England.svg Tom Ford 4
Flag of England.svg Barry Hawkins 1
Flag of England.svg  Barry Hawkins  (ENG)(15)4
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Xiao Guodong  (CHN)3
Flag of England.svg Tom Ford 1
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Luca Brecel 4
Flag of Scotland.svg  Graeme Dott  (SCO)4
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Wu Yize  (CHN)2
Flag of Scotland.svg Graeme Dott 1
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Luca Brecel 4
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Luca Brecel  (BEL)(2)4
Flag of England.svg  Joe O'Connor  (ENG)0
Note: w/o = walkover; w/d = withdrawn

Final

Final: Best of 17 frames. Referee: Leo Scullion
Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Wales, 18 February 2024 [44]
Gary Wilson (17)
Flag of England.svg  England
94 Martin O'Donnell
Flag of England.svg  England
Afternoon:981, 7444, 1020, 1065, 2373, 674, 5945, 192
Evening: 2459, 10119 (100), 22101, 6844, 820
(frame 10) 100Highest break92 (frame 8)
1Century breaks0

Qualifying

Qualification for the tournament took place from 25 to 27 January at the Barnsley Metrodome in Barnsley, England. Matches involving the top 16 players in the world rankings and two Welsh wildcards (Riley Powell and Liam Davies) were held over and played at the final venue. Numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the top 32 seeded players, and players in bold denote match winners. [45] [8]

Llandudno

The results of the held-over matches played in Llandudno on 12 February were as follows: [46] [8]

The result of the one held-over match played on 13 February was as follows: [46] [8]

Barnsley

The results of the qualifying matches played in Barnsley were as follows: [46] [8]

25 January

26 January

27 January

Century breaks

Main stage centuries

A total of 52 century breaks were made during the main stage of the tournament. [46] [47]

Qualifying stage centuries

A total of 14 century breaks were made during the qualifying stage of the tournament. [46] [47]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Iulian Boiko replaced Muhammad Asif who withdrew. [3]
  2. 1 2 Duane Jones replaced Judd Trump who withdrew. [14]
  3. 1 2 Alfie Davies replaced Ronnie O'Sullivan who withdrew. [16]
  4. 1 2 Barry Pinches replaced David Grace who withdrew. [16]
  5. Haydon Pinhey replaced Dean Young who withdrew. [3]
  6. Sydney Wilson replaced Martin Gould who withdrew. [3]

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The 2021 English Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place from 1–7 November 2021 at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, England. It was the fourth ranking event of the 2021–22 season, and the second event in both the Home Nations Series and the European Series. Qualifying for the tournament took place from 17 to 22 September 2021 at the Metrodome in Barnsley, England, although matches involving the top 16 players, and two other matches involving English wildcards, were held over and played at the Marshall Arena. The event was broadcast on Eurosport across the United Kingdom and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Turkish Masters</span> Snooker competition

The 2022 Turkish Masters was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 7 to 13 March 2022 at the Nirvana Cosmopolitan Hotel in Antalya, Turkey. The 13th ranking event of the 2021–22 snooker season, it was the inaugural staging of the Turkish Masters and the first time that a professional snooker event had been staged in Turkey. The tournament was originally scheduled to take place from 27 September to 3 October 2021, but the World Snooker Tour postponed it until March 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 Turkey wildfires. Qualification matches were played from 2 to 6 February 2022 at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, England. The tournament was broadcast by Turkish Radio and Television Corporation domestically in Turkey, and Eurosport in Europe.

The 2021 Scottish Open was a professional snooker tournament that was played from 6 to 12 December 2021 at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Wales. It was the sixth ranking event of the 2021–22 season, and the third tournament in the Home Nations Series, following the Northern Ireland Open and English Open, and preceding the Welsh Open. It was also the third of eight tournaments in the season's European Series.The tournament was sponsored by BetVictor and broadcast by Eurosport in the UK and Europe.

The 2022 European Masters was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place from 21 to 27 February 2022 at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, England. The tournament was the 11th ranking event of the 2021–22 season and the sixth of eight tournaments in the season's European Series. The World Snooker Tour originally planned to stage the event at the Stadthalle Fürth in Fürth, Germany, but relocated it to the UK after increasing rates of COVID-19 in Bavaria led to greater restrictions around sporting events. The tournament was broadcast by Eurosport in Europe, and by other networks worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Welsh Open (snooker)</span> Snooker tournament

The 2022 Welsh Open was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 28 February to 6 March 2022 at the International Convention Centre Wales at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales. It was the 12th ranking event of the 2021–22 snooker season, and the 31st edition of the Welsh Open, first held in 1992. It was the seventh of eight tournaments in the season's European Series, and the fourth and final event of the Home Nations Series. The tournament was broadcast by BBC Cymru Wales, BBC Online, BBC Red Button, Quest and Eurosport domestically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 British Open</span> Snooker event

The 2022 British Open was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 26 September to 2 October 2022 at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, England. The third ranking tournament of the 2022–23 snooker season, it was organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored by car retailer Cazoo. Qualifying for the tournament took place from 9 to 14 August 2022 at the Robin Park Arena and Sports Centre in Wigan, although qualifiers featuring the top 16 players in the snooker world rankings were held over and played at the Marshall Arena. The event featured a total prize fund of £478,000, of which the winner received £100,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 European Masters (2022–23 season)</span> Snooker competition

The 2022 European Masters was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 16 to 21 August 2022 at the Stadthalle Fürth in Fürth, Germany. Broadcast on Eurosport and other networks worldwide, the tournament was the second ranking event of the 2022–23 season and the second of eight tournaments in the season's BetVictor Series. The 24th edition of the European Masters, it was the second staging of the event in 2022 after the previous event in February. It featured a total prize fund of £427,000, of which the winner received £80,000.

The 2022 Northern Ireland Open was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 16 to 23 October 2022 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Organised by the World Snooker Tour, it was the fourth ranking event of the 2022–23 season, the first tournament in the Home Nations Series, and the third tournament in the BetVictor Series. It was the seventh edition of the Northern Ireland Open since the event was first staged in 2016. The tournament was broadcast on Quest and Eurosport domestically. The winner received £80,000 from a total prize purse of £427,000.

The 2022 Scottish Open was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 28 November to 4 December 2022 at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland, the first time since the 2003 event that the tournament was staged in that city. It was the sixth ranking event of the 2022–23 season and the second tournament in the Home Nations Series, following the Northern Ireland Open and preceding the English Open and the Welsh Open. It was the third of eight tournaments in the season's European Series. Qualifiers were held from 4 to 9 October at the Chase Leisure Centre in Cannock, England, although matches involving the top 16 players in the world rankings were held over and played at the main venue. Sponsored by BetVictor, the tournament was broadcast by Eurosport in the UK and Europe. The winner received £80,000 from a total prize fund of £427,000.

The 2022 English Open was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 12 to 18 December 2022 at the Brentwood Centre in Brentwood, England. The seventh ranking event of the 2022–23 season, it was the third tournament in the Home Nations Series, following the Northern Ireland Open and the Scottish Open and preceding the Welsh Open. It was the fourth of eight tournaments in the season's European Series. Qualifiers took place from 25 to 30 October at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, although matches involving the top 16 players in the world rankings were held over to be played at the final venue. Organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored by BetVictor, the tournament was broadcast by Eurosport in the UK and Europe. The winner received £80,000 from a total prize fund of £427,000.

The 2023 Welsh Open was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 13 to 19 February 2023 at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Wales, marking the first time since the event's inception in 1992 that it was staged elsewhere than Newport or Cardiff. Qualifiers took place from 11 to 13 January 2023 at the Metrodome in Barnsley, although matches involving the top 16 players in the world rankings, as well as matches involving two Welsh wild-card entrants, were held over and played at the final venue. Organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored by online betting company BetVictor, the tournament was broadcast by BBC Cymru Wales and the BBC Red Button domestically, by Eurosport in Europe, and by multiple other broadcasters internationally. The winner received £80,000 from a total prize fund of £427,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 European Masters</span> Snooker competition

The 2023 European Masters was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 22 to 27 August 2023 at the Kia Metropol Arena in Nuremberg, Germany, the first time that the main stage of a professional ranking event was held in that city. The 25th edition of the European Masters, it was the second ranking event of the 2023–24 snooker season, following the Championship League and preceding the British Open. It was the second of eight tournaments in the season's European Series. The event featured a prize fund of £427,000, with the winner receiving £80,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 British Open</span> Snooker event

The 2023 British Open was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 25 September to 1 October 2023 at the Centaur in Cheltenham, England. Qualifying took place from 14 to 19 August at the Morningside Arena in Leicester. The third ranking tournament of the 2023–24 snooker season, it followed the 2023 European Masters and preceded the 2023 English Open. Organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored by car retailer Cazoo, it was broadcast domestically in the UK by ITV Sport, in Europe by Eurosport, and internationally by other broadcasters. The winner received £100,000 from a total prize fund of £478,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 English Open (snooker)</span> Snooker competition

The 2023 English Open was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 2 to 8 October 2023 at the Brentwood Centre in Brentwood, England. It was the fourth ranking event of the 2023–24 season, the first of four tournaments in the season's Home Nations Series, and the third of eight tournaments in the season's European Series. Qualifiers took place from 6 to 8 September at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, although matches involving the top 16 players in the world rankings were held over and played at the final venue. The event was broadcast by Eurosport and Discovery+ in Europe and by other broadcasters internationally. The winner received £80,000 from a total prize fund of £427,000, the Steve Davis trophy, and a place in the 2023 Champion of Champions invitational event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Wuhan Open (snooker)</span> Snooker competition

The 2023 Wuhan Open was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 9 to 15 October 2023 at the Wuhan Gymnasium in Wuhan, China. The fifth ranking event of the 2023–24 season, it followed the 2023 English Open and preceded the 2023 Northern Ireland Open. The inaugural edition of the Wuhan Open, it was the second professional snooker tournament and the first ranking event held in mainland China since the 2019 World Open, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was broadcast domestically in China by CCTV-5 and in Europe by Eurosport and Discovery+. It was available from Matchroom Sport in all other territories. The winner received £140,000 from a total prize fund of £700,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Scottish Open (snooker)</span> Snooker competition

The 2023 Scottish Open was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 11 to 17 December 2023 at the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the tenth ranking event of the 2023–24 season, the third tournament in the Home Nations Series, and the sixth of eight tournaments in the season's European Series. Sponsored by BetVictor, the tournament was broadcast by Eurosport and Discovery+ in the UK and Europe, and by other broadcasters worldwide. The winner received the Stephen Hendry trophy and £80,000 from a total prize fund of £427,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 German Masters</span> Professional ranking snooker tournament

The 2024 German Masters was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 29 January to 4 February 2024 at the Tempodrom in Berlin, Germany. Qualifying for the tournament took place from 18 to 22 December 2023 at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield, England. The 18th edition of the German Masters, first held in 1995 as the German Open, it was the twelfth ranking event of the 2023–24 snooker season, following the World Grand Prix and preceding the Welsh Open. It was the seventh of eight events in the 2023–24 European Series. Organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored by BetVictor, the event was broadcast by Eurosport in Europe and by other broadcasters worldwide. The winner received the Brandon Parker Trophy and £80,000 from a total prize fund of £427,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 World Open (snooker)</span> Snooker competition

The 2024 World Open is an upcoming professional snooker tournament that is scheduled to take place from 18 to 24 March 2024 at the Yushan Sport Centre in Yushan, China. The fifth edition of the World Open held in Yushan since 2016, it will be the return of the event to the tour after a three-season hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be the 15th ranking event of the 2023–24 season, following the Players Championship and preceding the Tour Championship. It will also be the fourth and last major tournaments of the season to be held in China, following the International Championship.

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