2024 Welsh Open (snooker)

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.

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 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. 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. 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.

All matches were played as the best of seven 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 . The defending champion was Robert Milkins, who defeated Shaun Murphy 97 in the 2023 final.

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, , 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.

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.

Prize fund

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

* 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

* Total: £427,000

Summary

Qualifying

Qualifying for the tournament took place from 25 to 27 January at the Barnsley Metrodome in Barnsley, England. Martin Gould withdrew for medical reasons, and was replaced by Sydney Wilson. 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. Robbie Williams made a 146 break, the highest of his career and the highest of the qualifying stage, as he 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 . Stuart Bingham and Zhou Yuelong both face disciplinary action for frames before the stage in their respective defeats to Marco Fu and Adam Duffy. 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. Three-time winner Stephen Hendry lost 24 to Ross Muir.

Qualifying matches featuring the top 16 seeds and two Welsh wildcards were held over and played in Llandudno on 12 and 13 February. 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. David Grace also withdrew and was replaced by amateur Barry Pinches, who came from 23 behind to defeat the seventh seed Shaun Murphy, winning the deciding frame on the last black after having required a . The defending champion Robert Milkins trailed Jamie Jones 23, but won the deciding frame on the . 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 , conceding 30 foul points. Elliot Slessor defeated the 11th seed Ali Carter 41.

Early rounds

Last 64

The last-64 matches were played from 12 to 14 February as the best of seven frames. 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 of 141 in the third frame, the 600th century of his professional career. Jack Lisowski beat Liam Pullen 42, winning the final frame on the last black.

Elliot Slessor received a walkover to the last-32 after Andrew Higginson withdrew. Higginson's father, Dave Higginson, passed away on the morning of 14 February. 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. Afterward, Hill commented: "Mark elbyis one of the greats and one of the players I look up to, I know my game is good enough to be beating them."

Last 32

The last-32 matches were played from 14 to 15 February as the best of seven frames. Anthony McGill defeated the ninth seed and two-time winner Mark Williams 41. 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.

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 , 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.

Last 16

The last-16 matches were played on 15 February as the best of seven frames. 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.

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 , 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." 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

The quarter-finals were played on 16 February as the best of nine frames. 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 llenis 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." 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 oachChris Henry this season and my game has turned a corner."

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." 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. 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."

Semi-finals

The semi-finals were played on 17 February as the best of 11 frames. 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. 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." 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."

Facing five-time champion Higgins in the second semi-final, Gary Wilson attempted a maximum break in the first frame, but missed the 14th 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. 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. 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." Higgins commented: "He was deadly for the first three-and-a-half frames, incredible. Gary ilsonplayed superbly, I give him credit, there was nothing I could do."

Final

The final was a best-of-17-frames match, played over two on 18 February, between world number 16 Gary Wilson and world number 76 O'Donnell, with Leo Scullion officiating. 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 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.

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 with an 85 break, but Wilson won the 43-minute 12th frame to lead 8–4 at the mid-session interval, and went on 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 advanced him to a career high of 12th place in the world rankings. 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 moved up 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."

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 .

Top half

Bottom half

:Note: w/o = walkover; w/d = withdrawn

Final

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.

Llandudno

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

* 4–3
* 4–2
* 4–2
* 4–1
* 4–1
* 1–4
* 3–4
* 0–4
* 4–2
* 4–3
* 4–0
* 4–0
* 4–3
* 4–3
* 2–4
* 1–4
* 4–2

The result of the one held-over match played on 13 February was as follows:
* 0–4

Barnsley

The results of the qualifying matches played in Barnsley were as follows:

25 January

* 4–1
* 4–2
* 2–4
* 4–2
* 4–1
* 2–4
* 0–4
* 3–4
* 4–2
* 4–1
* 4–3
* 4–0
* 4–3
* 4–0
* 0–4
* 4–2

26 January

* 4–1
* 0–4
* 0–4
* 3–4
* 0–4
* 4–1
* 1–4
* 4–3
* 3–4
* 4–0
* 4–3
* 4–0
* 4–2
* 2–4
* 4–3
* 4–2

27 January

* 2–4
* 4–3
* 4–2
* 2–4
* 0–4
* 4–1
* 4–1
* 4–3
* 3–4
* 4–0
* 3–4
* 4–3
* 4–0
* 4–1
* 4–2

Century breaks

Main stage centuries

A total of 52 century breaks were made during the main stage of the tournament.

* 147, 120, 105, 104, 100 Gary Wilson
* 142, 102 Barry Hawkins
* 141, 110, 110, 101 Mark Allen
* 140 Robert Milkins
* 139, 103 Neil Robertson
* 138 Ricky Walden
* 136 Jamie Jones
* 135 Matthew Selt
* 134 Xiao Guodong
* 133 Anthony Hamilton
* 131, 124, 118 John Higgins
* 130, 126, 113, 110 Martin O'Donnell
* 130 Fan Zhengyi
* 129, 128, 101 Elliot Slessor
* 128 Shaun Murphy
* 125, 103 Alfie Davies
* 122, 113 Marco Fu
* 122 Dominic Dale
* 121 Dylan Emery
* 119, 101 Luca Brecel
* 119 Liam Davies
* 119 Robbie Williams
* 117 Mark Williams
* 116 Hossein Vafaei
* 113, 113 Jack Lisowski
* 112 Tom Ford
* 111 Kyren Wilson
* 105 Graeme Dott
* 105 Anthony McGill
* 103 Duane Jones
* 103 Stan Moody
* 101 Jiang Jun

Qualifying stage centuries

A total of 14 century breaks were made during the qualifying stage of the tournament.

* 146 Robbie Williams
* 137, 120 Matthew Stevens
* 136 David Gilbert
* 123, 103 Dylan Emery
* 118 Ian Burns
* 118 James Cahill
* 118 Ashley Hugill
* 111 Oliver Lines
* 107 Ma Hailong
* 103 Pang Junxu
* 103 Hossein Vafaei
* 101 Iulian Boiko

Notes

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Welsh Open, 2024
Welsh Open
Sport in Wales
Home Nations Series
European Series
February 2024 sports events in the United Kingdom
2024 in Welsh sport
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