Welsh Open 2009*

Drawsheet of the tournament

Welsh Open 2009

www.worldsnooker.com

The format of play is shown below
Newport Centre, Newport
16-22 February 2009

Monday 16 February 2009
1.00pm
Match Q2 – Matthew Stevens v Andy Hicks - 5-4
Match 9 – Stephen Maguire v Ian Preece - 5-0
Match 11 – Mark Allen v Joe Swail - 3-5

7.00pm
Match Q1 – Mark Williams v David Gilbert - 1-5
Match Q3 – Dominic Dale v Liang Wenbo - 5-4

Tuesday 17 February 2009
1.00pm
Match 1 – Mark Selby v Paul Davies (Jan Verhaas)- 5-0
Match 8 – Shaun Murphy v Barry Pinches (Eirian Williams) - 5-3
Match 5 – Allister Carter v Jimmy White (Michaela Tabb) - 5-1
Match 2 – Joe Perry v David Gilbert (Brendan Moore) - 4-5
Match 12 – Stephen Hendry v Martin Gould (Alan Chamberlain) - 3-5
Match 6 - Graeme Dott v Mike Dunn (Pete Williamson) - 5-3

7.00pm
Match 4 – Ryan Day v Michael Judge (Brendan Moore) - 3-5
Match 3 – Peter Ebdon v Anthony Hamilton (Michaela Tabb) - 2-5

Wednesday 18 February 2009
1.00pm
Match 13 – John Higgins v Dominic Dale (Alan Chamberlain) - 5-2
Match 10 – Ding Junhui v Matthew Stevens (Pete Williamson) - 5-3
Match 15 – Marco Fu v Fergal O'Brien (Eirian Williams) - 5-4
3.00pm
Match 16 – Ronnie O’Sullivan v Steve Davis (Jan Verhaas) - 5-2 :-)
Match 14 – Neil Robertson v Jamie Burnett (Brendan Moore) - 5-3
Match 7 – Mark King v Dave Harold (Michaela Tabb) - 5-3

7.00pm
Match 17 – Mark Selby v David Gilbert (Alan Chamberlain) - 5-1
Match 22 – Joe Swail v Martin Gould (Pete Williamson) - 5-1

Thursday 19 February 2009
1.00pm
Match 21 – Stephen Maguire v Ding Junhui (Colin Humphries) - 5-4
Match 24 – Marco Fu v Ronnie O’Sullivan (Eirian Williams) - 5-3 :-(
Match 19 – Allister Carter v Graeme Dott (Jan Verhaas) - 5-4

7.00pm
Match 20 – Mark King v Shaun Murphy (Michaela Tabb) - 2-5
Match 23 – John Higgins v Neil Robertson (Colin Humphries) - 4-5
Match 18 – Anthony Hamilton v Michael Judge (Jan Verhaas) - 5-2

Friday 20 February 2009
10.00am ) Joe Swail x Stephen Maguire (Michaela Tabb) - 5-4
1.30pm ) Ali Carter x Shaun Murphy (Eirian Williams) - 5-2
4.00pm ) Mark Selby x Anthony Hamilton (Colin Humphries) - 3-5
7.00pm ) Marco Fu x Neil Robertson (Jan Verhaas) - 2-5

Saturday 21 February 2009
1.00pm – SF1 - Ali Carter x Anthony Hamilton (Jan Verhaas) - 6-5
7.00pm – SF2 - Joe Swail x Neil Robertson (Eirian Williams) - 6-4

Sunday 22 February 2009
1.30pm - Final
7.00pm – Final - Ali Carter x Joe Swail (Colin Humphries) - 9-5

All matches up to and including the Quarter Finals will be the best of 9 frames. The Semi Finals will be the best of 11 frames, and the Final will be the best of 17 frames (8/9).

Fab Fu Flies Above Rocket

www.worldsnooker.com
19 February, 2009

Marco Fu improved his impressive record against Ronnie O'Sullivan with a 5-3 victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open.

Fu has now beaten the Rocket eight times and lost just seven meetings. "I played very well, had a good rhythm among the balls and scored heavily.

"He missed a lot of balls, that's the worst he's played in a while. That's not the Ronnie we know," said Fu.

O'Sullivan scrapped his way to a 3-1 interval lead, a 61 his only fifty-plus break of the match.

Fu had responded with a break of a 117 in the third frame to get him on the board. After the interval it was all one way as the World no 14 compiled runs of 45, 93, 47 and 115.

The two also met in the final of the 2007 Royal London Watches Grand Prix, when Fu captured his first ranking event title with a 9-6 victory.

"I'm very proud of my record against Ronnie, but when I'm in the match I don't think about that. These days there isn't much difference between the World no 1 and the World no 10," said Fu who will now play the winner of the match between John Higgins and Neil Robertson.

O'Sullivan, who is still using the cue he picked up the day before his first match at the Masters last month, said: "I played badly, it could have been something to do with not playing enough. There's no consistency in my game.

"I felt like I didn't apply enough pressure on Marco, I didn't give him a game," said last year's beaten Welsh Open finalist.

O’Sullivan Triumphs In Legends Battle

www.worldsnooker.com
18 February, 2009

Two of snooker's all-time greats went head-to-head at the Welsh Open today and it was Ronnie O'Sullivan who progressed to the last 16 with a 5-2 victory over Steve Davis.

The Rocket showed only flashes of the form which won him the Masters title last month, but still enjoyed a relatively untroubled passage into the next round.

This has been a productive tournament for O'Sullivan in recent years - he has won it twice since 2004 and reached the final last year - and he faces Marco Fu next as he bids to take the title at the Newport Centre for the third time.

The 33-year-old from Chigwell is still using the cue which won him the Masters, though he expects cue-maker John Parris to provide him with a new model after this tournament.

World Champion and World No 1 O'Sullivan took the first two frames with a top break of 58 then six-times World Champion Davis got going with a superb 132 and levelled at 2-2 with a 62.

Breaks of 63 and 118 helped O'Sullivan to win the next two frames, and he sealed victory in an error-strewn seventh with a closing 48.

"I was a bit rusty because I haven't played much since the Masters, I've only played on five days," said O'Sullivan. "After Wembley I felt like I needed a rest.

"I can rely on my ability and some steady play to win a couple of matches. I've got to a level where my game is balanced and consistent enough to be able to challenge for tournaments and win a few. I'd be surprised if I won this one, but then I've won most of my tournaments without playing that well.

"This is a great event and the Welsh fans are great, but I really just want to win a couple of matches. My preparation for the World Championship will start after this tournament. I'll do two or three weeks of practice, so by the time we come back from China I'll be ready for the World."

Fu edged a 5-4 victory over Fergal O'Brien in a high qualify match. The Hong Kong cueman compiled runs of 75, 101, a tournament-high 142 and a vital 69 in the deciding frame.

Drawsheet of qualifying - Global Snooker Centre

Drawsheet of qualifying

Details of the draw and format now available.

www.worldsnooker.com

Welsh Open 2009
Qualifying Format 3-6 February 2009
Pontin’s, Prestatyn Sands Holiday Centre, Prestatyn

Tuesday 3 February 2009
10am
Match 1 - Patrick Wallace v Liu Chuang - 5-2
Match 2 - Kuldesh Johal v Vincent Muldoon - 3-5
Match 3 - Matthew Couch v Stephen Craigie - 2-5
Match 4 - Scott MacKenzie v Stefan Mazrocis - 4-5
Match 5 - Jimmy White v David Grace - 5-4
Match 6 - Simon Bedford v Wayne H Cooper - 3-5
Match 7 - Lee Spick v Robert Stephen - 5-3
Match 8 - Supoj Saenla v Jin Long - 2-5

4pm
Match 9 - Peter Lines v Andrew Pagett - 5-4
Match 10 - Paul S Davison v Atthasit Mahitthi - 5-2
Match 11- James McBain v Aditya Mehta - 4-5
Match 12- Matthew Selt v Micheal Georgiou - 5-2
Match 13 - Jamie Jones v Li Hang - 4-5
Match 14 - Lewis Roberts v Declan Hughes - WO
Match 15 - Rodney Goggins v Andy Lee - 5-2
Match 16 - Daniel Wells v Chris McBreen - 5-0

Wednesday 4 February 2009
10am
Match 17 - Paul Davies v Patrick Wallace - 5-1
Match 18 - David Roe v Vincent Muldoon - 5-3
Match 19 - David Gray v Stephen Craigie - 2-5
Match 20 - Stuart Pettman v Stefan Mazrocis - 5-0
Match 21 - Rod Lawler v Jimmy White - 4-5
Match 22 - Robert Milkins v Wayne H Cooper - 5-3
Match 23 - Joe Delaney v Lee Spick - 5-3
Match 24 - Barry Pinches v Jin Long - 5-3

4pm
Match 25 - Ian Preece v Peter Lines - 5-4
Match 26 - Andy Hicks v Paul S Davison - 5-3
Match 27 - Mark Davis v Aditya Mehta - 3-5
Match 28 - Martin Gould v Matthew Selt - 5-3
Match 29 - Liu Song v Li Hang - 2-5
Match 30 - Mark Joyce v Lewis Roberts - 5-1
Match 31 - David Morris v Rodney Goggins - 5-1
Match 32 - Andrew Norman v Daniel Wells - 4-5

Thursday 5 February 2009
10am
Match 33 - Jimmy Michie v Paul Davies - 3-5
Match 34 - David Brown Gilbert v David Roe - 5-3
Match 35 - Micheal Holt v Stephen Craigie - 5-2
Match 36 - Alan McManus v Stuart Pettman - 4-5
Match 37 - Rory McLeod v Jimmy White - 2-5
Match 38 - Mike Dunn v Robert Milkins - 5-4
Match 39 - Gerard Greene v Joe Delaney - 5-1
Match 40 - Judd Trump v Barry Pinches - 3-5

4pm
Match 41 - Andrew Higginson v Ian Preece - 4-5
Match 42 - Adrian Gunnell v Andy Hicks - 2-5
Match 43 - Marcus Campbell v Aditya Mehta - 5-2
Match 44 - John Parrott v Martin Gould - 3-5
Match 45 - Liang Wenbo v Li Hang - 5-1
Match 46 - Jamie Burnett v Mark Joyce - 5-0
Match 47 - Ricky Walden v David Morris - 5-3
Match 48 - Tom Ford v Daniel Wells - 5-2

Friday 6 February 2009
10am
Match 49 - Barry Hawkins v Paul Davies - 4-5
Match 51 - Anthony Hamilton v Micheal Holt - 5-3
Match 52 - Michael Judge v Stuart Pettman - 5-2
Match 53 - Ken Doherty v Jimmy White - 0-5
Match 54 - Ian McCulloch v Mike Dunn - 4-5
Match 55 - Dave Harold v Gerard Greene - 5-1
Match 56 - Jamie Cope v Barry Pinches - 3-5

4pm
Match 57 - Stuart Bingham v Ian Preece - 3-5
Match 59 - Joe Swail v Marcus Campbell - 5-3
Match 60 - Nigel Bond v Martin Gould - 4-5
Match 62 - Stephen Lee v Jamie Burnett - 3-5
Match 63 - Fergal O’Brien v Ricky Walden - 5-1
Match 64 - Steve Davis v Tom Ford - 5-2

All matches will be the best of 9 frames

NB: Matches 50 (Mark Williams), 58 (Mathew Stevens) and 61 (Dominic Dale) to be played at the main event.