Champion of Champions Snooker 2024 LIVE RESULTS: Mark Williams BEATS Xiao Guodong in epic final to claim title – updates
THE Champion of Champions has concluded after a superb week of snooker in Bolton.
Mark Williams secured the title for the first time after beating Xiao Guodong 10-6 in a thrilling final.
The Welshman raced into a five-frame lead, but Xiao won four legs on the bounce to make the tie 5-4 at the halfway stage.
Williams didn't let the comeback phase him on the night and walked out £150,000 richer.
- Final result: Mark Williams 10-6 Xiao Guodong
- TV channel: ITV4
- FREE live stream: ITVX
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Williams 1-0 Robertson
Williams will be very happy with that.
Breaks of 45 and 50 in the opening frame got him on the board first.
It's the race to six frames, don't forget.
Williams 0-0 Robertson (45-6)
Williams gets on over his opponent by potting straight after an early mistake by Robertson.
He races to a break of 45, before missing a difficult green after failing to get an angle on it.
Robertson scores 6, in reply, hitting the jaws of the bottom pocket.
Then Williams misses, but leaves the reds safe.
Here we go!
We're about to get underway in Bolton.
Mark Williams and Neil Robertson go head to head in the second semi-final.
Who will face Xiao in Sunday's best-of-19 frame final? Stay with us to find out.
Tonight’s semi-final set to thrill
Mark Williams takes on Neil Robertson in what promises to be a gripping second semi-final this evening.
Robertson, who eliminated Judd Trump earlier in the tournament, has been in resurgent form recently and enters the match as the favorite at 2/1.
Meanwhile, three-time world champion Williams, 49, has shown flashes of brilliance this year and is third-favourite at 3/1.
Schedule:
7pm – Mark Williams vs Neil Robertson.Pot Noodle: Xiao’s takeaway fuels Bolton brilliance
Giant killer Xiao Guodong credits indulging in Chinese takeaways as the secret to his success in Bolton this week.
Xiao said: “We have to eat food. In the UK, sometimes we have to buy Chinese takeaway from restaurants.
“My friend got some food. He came here. That’s why before the match I ate a little bit. But anyway, it doesn’t matter before a match if you eat a lot.
Trump takes a swipe after Robertson upset
Judd Trump took aim at Neil Robertson, claiming he "didn't deserve to win like that" after being eliminated from the Champion of Champions.
Underdog Robertson secured a 6-4 victory over the world No.1, earning a spot in Saturday's semi-final against Mark Williams.
An irked Trump told ITV 4: "I thought I was very unlucky.
"To be honest I think Neil knows that he didn’t deserve to win like that, but that happens.
"He put in a good spell to go 3-1 up, then after that he had quite a few chances, missed quite a few long balls and got safe every time. It’s just one of those days."
Selby and Allen among big shots at Shoot Out
Three-time world champ and ex-world No1 Mark Selby and Mark Allen are in the line-up for the Shoot Out tournament at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena from December 4-7.
The Shoot Out is a quicker form of snooker due to the fact that matches last a maximum of just 10 MINUTES with a 15-second shot clock for the first half and 10 seconds for the second.
Allen won the title for the first time last year and will be looking to make history by becoming the first player to win the tournament twice.
Neil Robertson will be making his competition debut in the 128-player event.
Other major stars include Shaun Murphy, Gary Wilson, Jimmy White and Ali Carter.
Each round features a random draw, adding to the uncertainty and excitement that comes with it.
Williams laughs off fan's wolf-whistle
Mark Williams had an amusing moment during his thrilling victory over Kyren Wilson when a fan in the Bolton crowd let out a wolf-whistle in admiration.
The Welshman, who finally ended his losing streak against Wilson after seven consecutive defeats, received the unexpected whistle during the second frame. It came after Williams made a century break and continued clearing the table with a routine blue ball.
Pausing to glance at the crowd, Williams gave an awkward smile before refocusing on the game.
Inside Ronnie's colourful career
FROM his lightning breaks to blasts at officials, Ronnie O'Sullivan has fired snooker into the spotlight.
The seven-time world champion makes almost as big an impact away from the table as on it.
O'Sullivan has three children - two daughters and a son.
And the Rocket's on-off relationship with British actress Laila Rouass has also hit the headlines.
He has opened up on battles with his weight and addiction.
While the controversial cueist reckons he wasted NINE YEARS of his career by partying too hard.
Despite being worth £14million, O'Sullivan is renowned for his love of canal boats and snubbing flashy cars.
His rivalry with fellow star Judd Trump has been branded 'snooker's greatest feud'.
And Ali Carter had his nose knocked out of joint by the Rocket in their infamous 'Snotgate' row.
Check out all our latest Ronnie O'Sullivan articles.
Snooker star implicated in match fixing makes return
Zhao Xintong has been tipped for multiple world titles as he prepares to return to the professional snooker circuit following a 20-month ban.
The 27-year-old Chinese star was found guilty of being involved in another player’s match-fixing and placing bets on snooker games. Before his suspension, which ended in September, Zhao had already claimed two ranking titles—the UK Championship and the German Masters—and climbed to world No. 6 in 2022.
The ban saw Zhao fall off the professional circuit, but he has since made an impressive comeback in amateur competition. He has won two of the three Q Tour events he entered, making history by achieving the first two maximum breaks ever recorded at that level.
His recent success has secured him a spot in the UK Championship qualifiers, which begin on November 16.
Allen hails worthy winner Xiao
Mark Allen became Xiao Guodong’s third big scalp in 24 hours – and has “no complaints.
The former world No 1 battled back from 3-1 to level at 3-3 before his Chinese rival triumphed 6-3 in last night’s semi-final.
The Northern Irishman told ITV added: “No complaints. The right player won.”
And Allen appeared to be happier going on the attack more, with bolder play.
He even claimed: “I enjoyed that match more than I did on Monday, even though I won.
“It was good to experiment with some big tournaments coming up.”
Xiao had notched amazing turnaround victories over Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby on Thursday.
Xiao storming up rankings
Finalist Xiao Guodong is one of three remaining Champion of Champions competitors in the latest PDC Order of Merit top 10.
The conqueror of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby and, last night, Mark Allen is fourth on the list.
Tonight’s second semi-final sees PDC No 3 Mark Williams take on sixth-ranked Neil Robertson.
PDC Order of Merit live top 10 (one year)
- Judd Trump
- Kyren Wilson
- Mark Williams
- Xiao Guodong
- Si Jiahui
- Neil Robertson
- Ding Junhui
- Shaun Murphy
- Chris Wakelin
- Mark Selby
What is the Champion of Champions snooker 2024 format?
The Champion of Champions format is effectively a straight knockout event.
However, the first four days are completed in a group format with two opening round matches held in the afternoon session - which is what makes it unique.
The two winners of the group games face each other in the evening session with the victor progressing to the semis.
Tonight sees Neil Robertson face Mark Willams. The winner will face Xiao Guodong in the finall.
Guodong vows to ‘just enjoy’ his biggest final
Xiao Guodong doesn’t care who he faces in tomorrow’s final after a third straight stunning victory.
The Chinese star followed comeback victories over Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby by reeling off the last three frames for a 6-3 triumph over a third big name in Mark Allen.
A jaw-dropping long yellow helped Xiao edge a tight ninth frame to clinch victory after 11pm..
Now he’ll face either Mark Williams or Neil Robertson – with his biggest title yet at stake.
Xiao told ITV: “I just tell myself to play every shot, telling myself I could do it when it went to 3-3.
“I don’t care if I play Mark or Neil because they’re both good – legends. I will just enjoy. That’s it.”
What’s at stake?
The total prize pot for the Champion of Champions snooker 2024 is a whopping £440,000.
And the winner will receive a £150,000 reward while the runner-up is set to bank £60,000.
- Winner: £150,000
- Runner-up: £60,000
- Losing semi-finalists: £30,000
- Losing quarter-finalists: £17,500
- Losers in the last 16: £12,500
- Total: £440,000
Snooker pundit left red-faced
Ronnie O'Sullivan left snooker pundit and former pro Stephen Hendry red-faced after his shock exit from the Champion of Champions.
Hendry had described the tournament as "perfect" for O'Sullivan, only for the Rocket to go crashing out in his first game.
O'Sullivan, 48, suffered a stunning 4-3 defeat to world No.16 Guodong Xiao after leading 3-0 earlier in the match.
The dramatic collapse, one of the most shocking of O'Sullivan's career, made Stephen Hendry's pre-tournament prediction seem rather premature.
Hendry had lauded O'Sullivan as one of the favourites to lift the trophy, saying on ITV4: "It’s the fact it’s one table, all the attention is on you, we always have great crowds here, that’s what the big players love.
"Inspiration, venues to inspire them and make them play their best. It’s one of the reasons the likes of Ronnie has done so well here. It’s perfect for him.
Selby and Allen among big shots at Shoot Out
Three-time world champ and ex-world No1 Mark Selby and Mark Allen are in the line-up for the Shoot Out tournament at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena from December 4-7.
The Shoot Out is a quicker form of snooker due to the fact that matches last a maximum of just 10 MINUTES with a 15-second shot clock for the first half and 10 seconds for the second.
Allen won the title for the first time last year and will be looking to make history by becoming the first player to win the tournament twice.
Neil Robertson will be making his competition debut in the 128-player event.
Other major stars include Shaun Murphy, Gary Wilson, Jimmy White and Ali Carter.
Each round features a random draw, adding to the uncertainty and excitement that comes with it.
Legendary apology
Giantkiller Xiao Guodong has said sorry to legends Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby for dumping them out with incredible comebacks on the same day
Xiao now goes into tonight’s clash with Mark Williams as only the narrow outsider.
It was an unusual four-and-a-half hour clash between the two usually fluent, heavy scorers, with prolonged frames and safety exchanges.
An irked Trump told ITV 4: “I thought I was very unlucky.
“To be honest I think Neil knows that he didn’t deserve to win like that, but that happens.
“He put in a good spell to go 3-1 up, then after that he had quite a few chances, missed quite a few long balls and got safe every time. It’s just one of those days.”
Cue boss kudos with new deal
The UK Championship has announced a new partnership with LP Cues to become a sponsor of the tournament.
It is the first time in the 35-year history of LP Cues that they have gone into a sponsorship agreement for the event, which will run from November 23 to December 1 in York.
The World Snooker Tour’s CCO, Peter Wright, said: “We are delighted to join forces with LP Cues, we know is it a very prestigious brand and we look forward to working with their team.”
Founder & Board Director of LP Cues, Xipei Luo, added: “I am delighted that LP Cues can be involved in this Triple Crown event.
“I hope we can establish great communication with all the billiards sports fans across the world throughout the event, making the world aware of our Chinese brands, culture and technology.”
Victorian Plumbing and All British Casino were previously announced as sponsorship deals.
Prize money
As we close in on the final, here's a reminder of the prize money.
The total prize pot for the Champion of Champions snooker 2024 is a whopping £440,000.
And the winner will receive a £150,000 reward while the runner-up is set to bank £60,000.
- Winner: £150,000
- Runner-up: £60,000
- Losing semi-finalists: £30,000
- Losing quarter-finalists: £17,500
- Losers in the last 16: £12,500
- Total: £440,000
Tonight's semi-final tipped to be cracker
Mark Williams vs Neil Robertson should be a gripping second semi-final tonight.
Judd Trump’s conqueror Neil Robertson has been in resurgent form in recent weeks.
And three-time world champion Williams, 49, has shown flickers of his best this year.
Robertson, the 2010 Crucible king, is now the tournament favourite at around 2/1, with his Welsh rival coming in third at about 3/1.
Schedule:
7pm – Mark Williams vs Neil Robertson.
Allen hails worthy winner Xiao
Mark Allen became Xiao Guodong's third big scalp in 24 hours - and has "no complaints.
The former world No 1 battled back from 3-1 to level at 3-3 before his Chinese rival triumphed 6-3 in last night's semi-final.
The Northern Irishman told ITV added: "No complaints. The right player won."
And Allen appeared to be happier going on the attack more, with bolder play.
He even claimed: "I enjoyed that match more than I did on Monday, even though I won.
"It was good to experiment with some big tournaments coming up."
Xiao had notched amazing turnaround victories over Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby on Thursday.
Guodong vows to 'just enjoy' his biggest final
Xiao Guodong doesn't care who he faces in tomorrow's final after a third straight stunning victory.
The Chinese star followed comeback victories over Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby by reeling off the last three frames for a 6-3 triumph over a third big name in Mark Allen.
A jaw-dropping long yellow helped Xiao edge a tight ninth frame to clinch victory after 11pm..
Now he'll face either Mark Williams or Neil Robertson - with his biggest title yet at stake.
Xiao told ITV: "I just tell myself to play every shot, telling myself I could do it when it went to 3-3.
"I don't care if I play Mark or Neil because they're both good - legends. I will just enjoy. That's it."
Selby and Allen among big shots at Shoot Out
Three-time world champ and ex-world No1 Mark Selby and Mark Allen are in the line-up for the Shoot Out tournament at Leicester's Mattioli Arena from December 4-7.
The Shoot Out is a quicker form of snooker due to the fact that matches last a maximum of just 10 MINUTES with a 15-second shot clock for the first half and 10 seconds for the second.
Allen won the title for the first time last year and will be looking to make history by becoming the first player to win the tournament twice.
Neil Robertson will be making his competition debut in the 128-player event.
Other major stars include Shaun Murphy, Gary Wilson, Jimmy White and Ali Carter. Each round features a random draw, adding to the uncertainty and excitement that comes with it.
Xiao storming up rankings
Finalist Xiao Guodong is one of three remaining Champion of Champions competitors in the latest PDC Order of Merit top 10.
The conqueror of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Selby and, last night, Mark Allen is fourth on the list.
Tonight's second semi-final sees PDC No 3 Mark Williams take on sixth-ranked Neil Robertson.
PDC Order of Merit live top 10 (one year)
- Judd Trump
- Kyren Wilson
- Mark Williams
- Xiao Guodong
- Si Jiahui
- Neil Robertson
- Ding Junhui
- Shaun Murphy
- Chris Wakelin
- Mark Selby