2016 Riga Masters
The 2016 Kaspersky Riga Masters was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 22–24 June 2016 at the Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia. It was the first ranking event of the 2016/2017 season. This was the first time for which the event was a ranking tournament, having previously been a minor-ranking event of the Players Tour Championship. Barry Hawkins was the defending champion, but he decided not to defend his title. Neil Robertson won the 12th ranking title of his career, defeating Michael Holt 5–2 in the final, from trailing 1–2. Prize fund The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below: * Winner: €50,000 * Runner-up: €25,000 * Semi-final: €15,000 * Quarter-final: €6,000 * Last 16: €3,000 * Last 32: €1,400 * Last 64: €700 * Non-televised highest break: €200 * Televised highest break: €2,000 * Total: €200,000 The "rolling 147 prize" for a maximum break stood at £25,000. Main draw Final Qualifying These mat ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Riga Masters (snooker)
The Riga Masters or Riga Open until 2016 (also known as the Kaspersky Riga Masters for sponsorship reasons) is a ranking snooker tournament. The tournament started in 2014 as a part of the Players Tour Championship and was staged at the Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of .... It was the opening ranking event of the season after becoming a ranking event in 2016, until 2019. Yan Bingtao is the reigning champion. Winners References {{Snooker tournaments Recurring sporting events established in 2014 2014 establishments in Latvia Players Tour Championship International sports competitions hosted by Latvia Sports competitions in Riga Snooker minor-ranking tournaments Snooker ranking tournaments Summer events in Latvia ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Players Tour Championship
The Players Tour Championship was a series of snooker tournaments comprising some minor-ranking events played in Europe, and an Asian leg comprising some minor-ranking events in Asia. The series concluded with a Grand Final, where qualification was based on performance in the other PTC events, and had the status of a full ranking tournament. Each regular event lasted for at least three days, with qualifying days for amateurs should the event be oversubscribed. Each event costs £100 to enter, and Main Tour players can gain ranking points in the events. History The inaugural series ran from late June, with six events at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield, one in Gloucester and another five in mainland Europe (with 3 in Germany). The finals took place in March featuring the best 24 players who had won the most money and played at least 6 events; 3 in Sheffield and 3 in mainland Europe. The prize money at each event was £50,000 or €50,000 at the regular events, with a to ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty (born 17 September 1969) is an Irish professional snooker player, commentator and radio presenter. As an amateur, Doherty won the Irish Amateur Championship twice, the World Under-21 Amateur Championship and the World Amateur Championship. Since turning professional in 1990, Doherty has won six ranking tournaments, including the 1997 World Snooker Championship in which he defeated Stephen Hendry, inflicting Hendry's first loss in a world final. He came very close to breaking the Crucible curse, reaching the 1998 final where he lost out to John Higgins. He reached a third final in 2003, in which he was defeated by Mark Williams. In other triple crown events, he has been runner-up three times in the UK Championship and twice in the Masters. An intelligent tactician, Doherty has compiled more than 350 century breaks in professional competition. Since 2009, he has combined his playing career with commentating and punditry work. Career Doherty appeared in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ryan Day (snooker Player)
Ryan Day (born 23 March 1980) is a Welsh professional snooker player. A prolific break-builder, he has compiled over 400 century breaks during his career, including two maximum breaks. He is a three-time World Championship quarter-finalist, has been ranked at no. 6 in the world and has won four ranking tournaments. Career Early career Day was born in Pontycymer, Bridgend. A top amateur, he reached the final of the IBSF Championship in China in November 1998 but lost on the final black. Day began his professional career by playing UK Tour in 1998, at the time the second-level professional tour. He was named Young Player of Distinction of the season 2000/2001 by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). He won the 2001 Benson & Hedges Championship. With this win, he qualified for the 2002 Masters, where he defeated Dave Harold, before losing 0–6 to Stephen Hendry. He also won the WPBSA Challenge Tour in the 2001/2002 season and was named WPBSA Newcome ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jack Lisowski
Jack Adam Lisowski (born 25 June 1991) is an English professional snooker player from Churchdown, Gloucestershire. He turned professional in 2010 by finishing first in the 2009/2010 PIOS rankings. A left-handed player, he is known for his attacking style of play. Lisowski has reached six ranking finals, but has been runner-up each time, losing three finals to Judd Trump, two to Neil Robertson, and one to Mark Selby. He has made one maximum break in professional competition. Career Amateur years Lisowski began playing "snooker" at the age of 7, using ping-pong balls on a carpet. As a young player, he was trained by Gloucester professional Nick Pearce. He made his first century break at the age of 11. He was runner-up to Mitchell Mann in the 2007 Junior Pot Black. In the 2008/2009 season he was runner-up in the sixth event of the International Open Series to Xiao Guodong, and finished 23rd in the rankings. In 2009 Lisowski was awarded the inaugural Paul Hunter Scholarshi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Xiao Guodong
Xiao Guodong (, born 10 February 1989) is a Chinese professional snooker player. He turned professional in 2007 after winning the Asian Under-21 Championships. Career 2007–2010 Xiao appeared as a wildcard in the 2007 China Open, and beat the then world number 50 Tom Ford 5–3, before losing 0–5 to Matthew Stevens. In his first ranking tournament, the 2007 Grand Prix he finished 4th in his qualifying group by winning 3 out his 7 matches. In the 2007 Northern Ireland Trophy he beat Leo Fernandez 5-1 and Jimmy White 5–0, before he lost to David Gilbert 2–5. He lost his first match in the 2007 UK Championship to Kurt Maflin and to the same player in the 2008 China Open qualifiers too. In the Welsh Open he lost to fellow Chinese player Liu Song 2–5. A victory over Munraj Pal in the 2008 World Championship qualifiers set up a match with David Roe, which he lost 5–10. Xiao won the Paul Hunter English Open in 2008. In the 2009 China Open, he beat Micha ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gareth Allen
Gareth Allen (born 9 September 1988 in Mynydd Isa, near Buckley, Flintshire) is a Welsh former professional snooker player. Career Allen started playing snooker aged three, joining his local snooker club and playing on full sized table at twelve. In a lengthy amateur career, Allen made his debut for the Welsh international side aged eighteen, where he reached the last 16 of the 2010 Amateur World Snooker Championship and narrowly missed out on a professional tour card in 2013, where he lost in the final to Robin Hull in the EBSA European Snooker Championships. He was also a regular competitor in Players Tour Championship events, where in the professional rounds he beat pros such as Kurt Maflin, Alfie Burden, Andrew Norman, Joel Walker and Nigel Bond. He was also a regular competitor in the end of season Q School events since their introduction and in 2012 he lost in a quarter-final match against Paul Davison, which would have gained him pro tour status had he won. However, h ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gary Wilson (snooker Player)
Gary Wilson (born 11 August 1985) is an English professional snooker player from Wallsend in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear. After showing promise from a young age, Wilson turned professional in 2004. He dropped off the tour in 2006 however, and did not regain his professional status until 2013. During his time as an amateur, Wilson spent time working as a taxi driver, bar man and in a frozen food factory. Noted for his cue ball control and break building ability, Wilson has won one ranking title, the 2022 Scottish Open, and has finished as runner up at the 2015 China Open and the 2021 British Open. He also reached the semi-final at the 2019 World Championship as a qualifier. Career Early career Wilson started playing snooker aged three and soon started showing promise. At the age of 8 he had already been put into a team performing in the local league, despite some clubs refusing to allow a child to play. Aged 9, he made his first century, and appeared for the first time at ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jamie Jones (snooker Player)
Jamie Jones (born 14 February 1988) is a Welsh professional snooker player from Neath. At age 14, he was the youngest ever player to make a maximum 147 break in competition, a record that has since been beaten by Judd Trump. At the 2012 World Snooker Championship, Jones reached his first ranking quarter-final. He made his second appearance in the quarter-finals of a Triple Crown tournament at the 2016 UK Championship. Jones made his first official maximum break in the third frame of his last 64 match against Lee Walker at the 2018 Paul Hunter Classic. It was his first professional maximum break. In October 2018, Jones was suspended from the snooker tour pending a match fixing investigation. The match in question was a 2016 International Championship qualifier between former world champion Graeme Dott and Jones’ good friend and compatriot David John. In January 2019, Jones was acquitted of match-fixing following a hearing at which he was represented by sports barrister C ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sam Baird
Sam Baird (born 17 June 1988) is an English former professional snooker player. He first entered the professional tour for the 2009/10 season, by winning the EBSA Pro-Ticket Tour Play-offs. Career 2011/2012 season Baird reached the main draw of a ranking event for the first time in 2012 by coming through four qualifying matches, concluding with a 4–2 win over Dominic Dale, to make the 2012 Welsh Open. He played against world number 1, Mark Selby in the first round of the event and almost pulled off the result of his career as he led the best-of-seven match, 3–2. Baird then missed a blue off the spot with two balls remaining when he required just the blue and pink for the match and, despite chances in the decider, he would lose the game 3–4. Baird also qualified for the 2012 World Open in Haikou, China. He again won four matches, sealing his place with a 5–4 victory over Mark Davis. He was required to play in a wild-card round in China to make the last 32 of the event ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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David Gilbert (snooker Player)
David Gilbert (born 12 June 1981) is an English professional snooker player. He is a former World Snooker Young Player of Distinction and practises at Potters Snooker and Pool Club in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, a club which he co-owns. Having never previously been beyond the last 16 of a ranking event, Gilbert reached the final of the 2015 International Championship where he lost 5–10 to John Higgins. On 22 January 2019 he hit the milestone of the 147th maximum break in the Championship League. On 4 May 2019 he narrowly missed out on his first ever World Snooker Championship final in a final frame decider, losing out 16–17 to John Higgins. On 13 August 2021 Gilbert won his first world ranking title after 22 years of being a professional by winning the 2021 Championship League after beating Mark Allen 3–1 in the final. Snooker career Early career Gilbert began his professional career by playing UK Tour in 1999, at the time the second-level professional tour. In the 2007 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Luca Brecel
Luca Brecel (born 8 March 1995) is a Belgian professional snooker player. He won the European Under-19 title at the age of 14 and went on to break Stephen Hendry's record as the youngest player ever to compete at the Crucible Theatre. He made his debut at the 2012 World Championship aged 17 years and 45 days, almost two months younger than Hendry in 1986. In 2017, Brecel became the first player from mainland Europe to win a ranking event when he defeated Shaun Murphy in the final of the China Championship. He reached his first Triple Crown final at the 2021 UK Championship, but lost 5–10 to Zhao Xintong. He claimed his second ranking title a week later, defeating John Higgins 9–5 to win the 2021 Scottish Open. Amateur career Brecel started playing snooker when he was nine, and scored his first competitive century break at 12. In April 2009, he became the youngest European Under-19 champion at 14 years of age in a victory against Michael Wasley in Saint Petersburg. In th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |