Sports

Saturday April 15, 2006

World Championship looks to get snooker on cue again

SHEFFIELD: Snooker, a sport that once made household names out of its players in its British homeland and attracted millions of television viewers for the World Championship, will look to the 2006 edition of its showpiece tournament to boost its flagging profile.

The sport has all but disappeared off UK terrestrial television, with the exception of the annual fortnightly extravaganza at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre and last year’s losing world finalist, Matthew Stevens, has labelled the current professional calendar “a bit of a shambles”.

The Welshman, edged out 18-16 by 150-1 outsider Shaun Murphy in a dramatic climax to the 2005 final, said: “You can’t really call playing snooker a job at the moment.

“People talk about the world rankings but how can you judge people on only six tournaments a season? It’s not like golf which has about 40 events a year. It’s a lottery.

“Snooker lost tobacco sponsorship last year and this season we’ve had tournaments in Malta and China but the prize money is terrible. It’s a bit of a shambles to be honest and it’s a concern to all the players.

“I don’t know how it can be sorted out. All us players can do is just keep potting balls.”

But Murphy insisted downbeat talk was off the mark even if modern players lacked the high profile the likes of snooker stars Alex Higgins, Steve Davis and Jimmy White enjoyed during the sport’s glory days of the 1980s.

“I think snooker is on the up,” said the 23-year-old Murphy.

“It has been through a trough but will rise to a peak again and I’m looking forward to being a big part of that future. There are new sponsors coming in and we have great links with the BBC.

“The number of tournaments has been cut down due to a lack of funds, but all the ones we have now pay for themselves and don’t owe anyone any money.”

Murphy, the first qualifier to win the World Championship since Wales’ Terry Griffiths back in 1979, begins the defence of his title against experienced Thai campaigner James Wattana today.

Chinese teenage sensation Ding Jun Hui has not made it through after being beaten 10-6 in the qualifiers by Barry Hawkins.

Ding, 18, had been one of the favourites after winning the UK Championship, snooker’s second most important event, in December.

His defeat means that this year’s World Championship will be the first in which the reigning UK champion does not feature.

FIRST ROUND DRAW

Shaun Murphy (Eng) vs James Wattana (Tha), Steve Davis (Eng) vs Andy Hicks (Eng), Jimmy White (Eng) vs David Gray (Eng), Peter Ebdon (Eng) vs Michael Holt (Eng), Matthew Stevens (Wal) vs Joe Swail (Nir), Ken Doherty (Irl) vs Barry Hawkins (Eng), Alan McManus (Sco) vs Marco Fu (Hkg), Stephen Maguire (Sco) vs Mark King (Eng), Stephen Hendry (Sco) vs Nigel Bond (Eng), Graeme Dott (Sco) vs John Parrott (Eng), Stephen Lee (Eng) vs Ali Carter (Eng), Paul Hunter (Eng) vs Neil Robertson (Aus), John Higgins (Sco) vs Mark Selby (Eng), Mark Williams (Wal) vs Anthony Hamilton (Eng), Joe Perry (Eng) vs Ryan Day (Wal), Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) vs Dave Harold (Eng). – AFP

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