After months of updates and speculation, Wednesday will see the start of the 2015 Betfred World Championship qualifiers and with them, the climax of the race for main tour places for the 2015/16 season.
As is now tradition, this then is the post that will be updated throughout this week’s matches (and the Crucible if necessary), focusing on those players and results that will finally determine who will remain a professional come May and who will be facing a trip to Burton for Q School…
Earlier this week I took a look at some of the battles set to be decided at this weekend’s all-important Gdynia Open event, which is now underway with its amateur rounds having started yesterday.
Tomorrow though sees the entrance of the professionals and with tour cards, Grand Finals spots and Grand Prix places up for grabs, click below for my rolling blog which will be updated throughout the next three days, flagging up the matches and results to keep an eye on and setting out those currently in position to retain a tour card through this list.
I will also keep an eye on the other battles where I am able…
With the season now into its most critical phase, click below for my latest in-depth, player by player update on the race for main tour places for the 2015/16 season, up to date after the German Masters event.
Below I look at how each player stands on each of the relevant ranking lists and also just why next month’s Gdynia Open is set to be a huge event for some of the players involved…
With the UK Championship set to get underway tomorrow, click below for my latest in-depth, player by player updates on the race for main tour places for the 2015/16 season, up to date after the ET4 event as I look at how each player stands on each of the relevant ranking lists…
Last season a very popular feature here at PSB proved to be my in-depth, player by player updates on the race for main tour places for the 2014/15 season, as I attempted to untangle the various overlapping ranking lists and orders of merit.
Although we are still only in September, already taking a look at how this season’s battle is shaping up (particularly with only six European Tour events scheduled to take place this season instead of last year’s eight), there are a few interesting themes developing and therefore I have below taken my first look at just who will need to have a strong finish to the season if they are to remain on tour for 2015/16, with some surprise names currently in the drop zone…
Congratulations to Stuart Carrington, Jak Jones and Patrick Einsle, who each today regained a place on snooker’s main tour by winning two matches at the 2013 EBSA play-offs at the EIS in Sheffield.
Having qualified for today’s play-offs courtesy of their performances at a series of four amateur events staged alongside a number of the professional European Tour events this season, the trio will now join snooker’s main tour for the next two seasons and you can read quotes from them here at World Snooker.
Welsh youngster Jones first turned professional following his victory at the 2010 European U-19’s Championship, while Carrington earned a main tour card through the Q School in 2011, perhaps most notably defeating Matthew Stevens at a PTC event during last season.
A line of news that snuck out during the week is that the draw for the inaugural EBSA Play-Offs, which will be held in Sheffield on 28th April 2013, has now been released by World Snooker and can be viewed here.
For those who may not be aware, the new event sees twelve players who have qualified via four events played alongside main tour European Tour events earlier this season, do battle with three main tour cards up for grabs.
Among those involved are Oliver Lines and Ben Harrison, as well as former professionals Jak Jones and Stuart Carrington in what will be a huge day for all twelve players, taking place of course during this season’s Crucible showdown.
The best of luck to all involved.
Following on from yesterday’s post highlighting the issue of amateur pair Jak Jones and Eden Sharav not being seeded for the upcoming PTC5 event despite finishing inside the top 64, World Snooker have today explained their logic via the medium of Twitter. Click below to see what they said and my thoughts…