Latest news with #ShanghaiMasters
Wales Online
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Ronnie O'Sullivan's snooker plans become clearer after reuniting with girlfriend Laila Rouass
Ronnie O'Sullivan's snooker plans become clearer after reuniting with girlfriend Laila Rouass Ronnie O'Sullivan plans for the new snooker season have emerged following the news that the seven-time world champion has reconciled with long-term partner Laila Rouass Ronnie O'Sullivan and Laila Rouass have got back together (Image: Getty ) Ronnie O'Sullivan's manager has revealed the snooker icon's plans for the new season following a tumultuous 2024/25 campaign both on and off the table. The Rocket's frustrations peaked during a round of Championship League action in January when he snapped his cue in anger and subsequently withdrew from the Masters at Alexandra Palace and host of other tournaments. Equipped with a new cue, he made a much-anticipated comeback at the World Championship in April, reaching the semi-finals despite ongoing equipment issues. After losing to eventual champion Zhao Xintong, O'Sullivan announced his plans to relocate to the Middle East, where he has a snooker academy in Saudi Arabia in his name. In personal news, the Rocket is reportedly back together with actress Laila Rouass, following their split nine months ago. The pair are rumoured to be planning for a new life in Dubai, a two-hour flight away from his Riyadh-based academy. Jason Francis, O'Sullivan's long-standing manager, revealed that the 49-year-old has been thriving in his new environment and anticipates his participation in the Shanghai Masters, a prestigious invitational event commencing on July 28. "Ronnie's moved out to the Middle East for a while. You'll probably see him first in Shanghai. He's had a little break from the UK," Francis told the Express. Article continues below O'Sullivan is enjoying life in the Middle East (Image: Getty ) "You're talking about someone who can't go to the shop without being asked for a selfie, a photo. Where he is, he's finding a life a little bit quieter at the moment. "Ronnie's Ronnie. He'll decide when he wants to play and everyone knows he can come from nowhere to win a major tournament. You won't see Ronnie play a full schedule [this season] but I think you'll see him try and properly prepare for the tournaments he plays in. "He'll still be the sport's most commercial player in the short-term. Whether Zhao Xintong or [Judd] Trump can pick up that mantle now as we transition... Ronnie will be 50 in December, people have to remember that. They still expect him to turn up and win everything." O'Sullivan will pick and choose his tournaments this season (Image: Getty ) While still struggling with his game, making the last four at the Crucible was an impressive feat after so long out. On O'Sullivan's performance at the World Championship, Francis added: "Absolutely incredible. He didn't even have a cue a few weeks before! Article continues below "But that's Ronnie for you. He had one bad session [losing all eight frames in the second session]. I'm not saying he could have beaten Xintong - there was a feeling his name was on the trophy - but apart from one bad session, he was still toe to toe with him. "I think if he had beaten Xintong, him and Mark Williams would have been an incredible final. But it's great for snooker to have a Chinese world champion and it's for World Snooker to exploit that over there." The Shanghai Masters will see the top 16 players in the world rankings joined by the next four highest-ranked Chinese players. The tournament boasts a prize fund of £825,000, with the winner banking £210,000.
Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Ronnie O'Sullivan enjoying 'quieter life' as manager reveals snooker plans for season after quitting UK
Jason Francis, Ronnie O'Sullivan's long-serving manager, has explained the Rocket's plans for the new snooker season as he enjoys his new life in the Middle East Ronnie O'Sullivan's manager has revealed the snooker icon's plans for the new season after a tumultuous 2024/25 campaign both on and off the table. The Rocket's struggles reached a climax during a Championship League match in January. He snapped his cue in frustration, discarded it, and promptly withdrew from the Masters at Alexandra Palace, a title he was set to defend. That led to a string of other late tournament pull-outs, leaving fans eager to see the seven-time world champion in action feeling let down. Equipped with a new cue, he made his much-anticipated return to the World Championship in April, reaching the semi-finals despite ongoing equipment problems. After his loss to eventual winner Zhao Xintong, O'Sullivan disclosed his plans to relocate to the Middle East, where he has a snooker academy in Saudi Arabia, sparking fresh uncertainty about his future in the sport. Meanwhile, the Rocket has reportedly reconciled with actress Laila Rouass, following a split from his long-term partner nine months ago. The pair are said to be planning for a new life in Dubai, a two-hour flight away from his academy in Riyadh. Jason Francis, the Rocket's long-time manager, says the 49-year-old has been reaping the benefits of a change of scenery and anticipates him participating in the Shanghai Masters, a prestigious invitational event, which begins at the end of July. "Ronnie's moved out to the Middle East for a while. You'll probably see him first in Shanghai. He's had a little break from the UK," Francis told the Express. "You're talking about someone who can't go to the shop without being asked for a selfie, a photo. Where he is, he's finding a life a little bit quieter at the moment. "Ronnie's Ronnie. He'll decide when he wants to play and everyone knows he can come from nowhere to win a major tournament. You won't see Ronnie play a full schedule [this season] but I think you'll see him try and properly prepare for the tournaments he plays in. "He'll still be the sport's most commercial player in the short-term. Whether Zhao Xintong or [Judd] Trump can pick up that mantle now as we transition... Ronnie will be 50 in December, people have to remember that. They still expect him to turn up and win everything." Francis described O'Sullivan's run at the Crucible as "absolutely incredible", adding: "He didn't even have a cue a few weeks before! "But that's Ronnie for you. He had one bad session [losing all eight frames of the second session]. I'm not saying he could have beaten Xintong – there was a feeling his name was on the trophy – but apart from one bad session, he was still toe to toe with him. "I think if he had beaten Xintong, him and Mark Williams would have been an incredible final. But it's great for snooker to have a Chinese world champion and it's for World Snooker to exploit that over there." The Shanghai Masters, which begins on July 28, will see the top 16 players in the world rankings, including O'Sullivan and Zhao, joined by the next four highest-ranked Chinese players. The tournament has a prize fund of £825,000, with the winner pocketing £210,000.
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ronnie O'Sullivan's snooker plans shared by manager after relationship bombshell
Ronnie O'Sullivan's long-time manager, Jason Francis, has issued an update on the Rocket's plans for the new season following a troubled 2024/25 campaign on and off the table Ronnie O'Sullivan's manager has revealed the snooker legend's plans for the new season as the Rocket enjoys his new life in the Middle East. The seven-time world champion endured a troubled 2024/25 campaign, which saw him not play competitively between January and April after smashing his cue in anger at the Championship League and withdrawing before his final group match. Armed with a new cue, he made his long-awaited return to action at the World Championship, making the last four, where he was outgunned by eventual champion Zhao Xintong. After his 17-7 defeat, O'Sullivan revealed he would be moving to the Middle East, where he has a snooker academy in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Away from the table, the Rocket is sensationally said to have reconciled with actress Laila Rouass following the pair's break-up nine months ago. The couple are reported to be planning for their new life in Dubai, a two-hour flight from Riyadh. The Rocket's manager, Jason Francis, says the 49-year-old has embraced the change of scenery and expects him to play at the Shanghai Masters – a high-profile invitational event, which begins at the end of July – before committing fully to a limited schedule. 'Ronnie's moved out to the Middle East for a while. You'll probably see him first in Shanghai. He's had a little break from the UK,' Francis told the Express. 'You're talking about someone who can't go to the shop without being asked for a selfie, a photo. Where he is, he's finding a life a little bit quieter at the moment. 'Ronnie's Ronnie. He'll decide when he wants to play and everyone knows he can come from nowhere to win a major tournament. 'You won't see Ronnie play a full schedule [this season] but I think you'll see him try and properly prepare for the tournaments he plays in. 'Ronnie will be 50 in December, people have to remember that. They still expect him to turn up and win everything.' O'Sullivan made the semis at the Crucible despite continuing cue issues, which prompted him to make emergency changes between sessions against Zhao. And his performance on the whole certainly impressed his manager. 'Absolutely incredible,' said Francis of O'Sullivan's showing in Sheffield. 'He didn't even have a cue a few weeks before! But that's Ronnie for you. He had one bad session [losing all eight frames in the second session]. 'I'm not saying he could have beaten Xintong – there was a feeling his name was on the trophy – but apart from one bad session, he was still toe to toe with him. 'I think if he had beaten Xintong, him and Mark Williams would have been an incredible final. But it's great for snooker to have a Chinese world champion and it's for World Snooker to exploit that.'
Metro
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Metro
2025 Shanghai Masters Snooker draw, schedule and prize money announced
Judd Trump will head to the Shanghai Masters as defending champion (Picture: Getty Images) The world's best players contest the Shanghai Masters next month, with the draw throwing up some cracking contests in the high profile non-ranking event. The world's top 16 qualify for the tournament, joined by the next four highest ranked Chinese players and four amateur wildcards. The 24-player draw means the top eight in the world go straight into the last 16, while players ranked 9-16 have to face the Chinese qualifiers. The Shanghai Masters was first held in 2007 but it was a very different ranking tournament back then, switching to the invitational format in 2018. Almost a Chinese version of London's Masters, it has become a fantastic early-season event which always attracts the biggest names in the game. Ronnie O'Sullivan has especially enjoyed it, winning four editions of the event on the spin from 2017-23, either side of a gap over Covid. Judd Trump goes in as the defending champion this time round after he beat Shaun Murphy in last year's final. Ronnie O'Sullivan is the most successful player at the Shanghai Masters (Picture: Getty Images) When is the Shanghai Masters? The tournament runs from July 28 to the final on August 3 at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium. It will be the second trophy handed out of the 2025/26 season after the Championship League comes to a conclusion on July 23. Shanghai Masters draw and schedule Monday July 28 UK times Round One 02.30: Barry Hawkins vs Wu Yize 02.30: Si Jiahui vs Wildcard 07.00: Zhang Anda vs Yuan Sijun 07.00: Chris Wakelin vs Wildcard 12.30: Neil Robertson vs Pang Junxu 12.30: Shaun Murphy vs Wildcard Tuesday July 29 Round One 02.30: Mark Allen vs Wildcard 02.30: Xiao Guodong vs Lei Peifan Round Two 07.00: Kyren Wilson vs Si/Wildcard 07.00: Mark Selby vs Murphy/Wildcard 12.30: Ding Junhui vs Zhang/Yuan 12.30: Judd Trump vs Robertson/Pang Wednesday July 30 Round Two 07.00: Mark Williams vs Allen/Wildcard 07.00: John Higgins vs Xiao/Lei 12.30: Zhao Xintong vs Wakelin/Wildcard 12.30: Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Hawkins/Wu Shanghai Masters Prize Money Winner £210,000 Runner-up £105,000 Semi-finals £70,000 Quarter-finals £35,000 Last 16 £17,500 Last 24 £10,000 Judd Trump won his first Shanghai Masters title last year (Picture: Getty Images) Trump's brilliant 2024 win Trump made a tournament record 10 centuries on his way to the trophy last year, beating Mark Williams, Si Jiahui, O'Sullivan and Murphy along the way. Speaking after winning the title last year, he said: 'The age of the crowd in China is so much younger than the rest of the world. I always enjoy playing in front of a fanbase where I can inspire the next generation. I think that is why my record in China is so good,' said Trump. 'I want to win as many big tournaments as possible this season. This is probably one of the top five events on the calendar. To win this one early on is an amazing start. I would like to replicate what I did last season and get close to five wins or even more. I couldn't have dreamed of a better start.'
Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Zhao Xintong shows true colours as he shares ambition once snooker ban ends
Zhao Xintong became the first Asian player to win the World Snooker Championship earlier this month, but is still unable to compete in his homeland of China Newly crowned world snooker champion Zhao Xintong is currently unable to realise his dream of winning a tournament in China due to an ongoing ban. The 28-year-old made history earlier this month by becoming the first Asian player to clinch the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible, but he remains barred from competing in his home country. The world championship was only Zhao's second professional tournament since returning from a suspension linked to a match-fixing investigation involving 10 players, which dates back to January 2023. His initial 30-month ban was reduced to 20 months by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) after it was established that, while he had knowingly placed bets on fixed games, he hadn't personally rigged any matches. Despite being cleared to compete globally, the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association (CBSA) has upheld the original ban, meaning Zhao is still not permitted to compete in China until 1 July 2025. Since his triumphant win at the World Snooker Championship, Zhao has spent time in his homeland and expressed his determination to build on his success next season, reports the Express. As a former UK Open winner, Zhao is just a Masters win away from securing the coveted Triple Crown, and he's also eager to lift a trophy on Chinese soil. On his ambitions, he told the South China Morning Post: "No Chinese or Asian player has been able to embroider that little crown on their waistcoat so far. "So I think this is one of my goals. I will do my best to play well in every match and tournament, but I want to hoist a trophy in China – this is something I have yet to do. "I am also looking forward to playing in the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong next year. I want to achieve good results here, preferably winning it, and I'd be very happy." Zhao won't have to wait long to chase his dreams, as his suspension lifts with the new season's dawn, possibly making the Shanghai Masters (July 28-August 3) his ticket to triumph. Since settling in England back in 2016 and embracing Sheffield's impact on his career, 'The Cyclone' muses over his World Championship victory's ripple effect, lifting the aspirations of China's budding snooker talents. He said: "I haven't quite thought about what's different for me as a player after winning the World Championship. Everything is just starting and I am convinced that there is more to come, and I have to do more and bring glory to China. "The win was also a breakthrough for snooker in China – because this had not been done before by any Chinese player, I think the younger generation will now be more confident and motivated." Just a few weeks following the Shanghai Masters, snooker fans can look forward to more action from China with the Wuhan Open set for August 24-30. Zhao also expressed his anticipation for next year's World Grand Prix, scheduled to take place in Hong Kong from February 3-8.
