Click for the latest provisional rankings…
It has long been on the cards but Mark Williams’ victory over Mark Allen today coupled with Mark Selby’s loss to Ding Junhui means now that the Welshman now cannot be caught at the top of the provisional rankings and will return to top spot for the first time since the 2003/4 season…
While Ding Junhui does remain in the tournament, victory for him would only take his points tally as high as 59560, short of Mark’s 60360 that he is currently sitting on following his run to the semi-finals here in Sheffield.
Some on Twitter have queried the situation with John Higgins but despite his excellent run since the EPTC5 event towards the tail end of last year during which he has won an incredible five events, his six month ban and the points missed lost during the PTCs have ultimately cost him and will see him drop to fourth position as it stands.
Otherwise the day also saw Stephen Maguire confirm his place at the World Cup at the expense of Graeme Dott following the 2006 world champion’s loss to Judd Trump. Mark Selby’s defeat meanwhile will also mean that Jimmy White will be granted entry into the Premier League as each of the four remaining players in the World Championship have already qualified for that series by virtue of their other tournament victories this season.
A few have been asking me about next season’s provisional list for after the first cut-off but until the situation as far as starter points is confirmed as well as when the first cut-off point will be, it is impossible to really start on that just yet…