2023 International Championship Explained

Tournament Name:2023
International Championship
Location:Tianjin
Country:China
Organisation:World Snooker Tour
Format:Ranking event
Total Prize Fund:£825,000
Winners Share:£175,000
Highest Break: (147)
(147)
Score:10–6
Previous:2019

The 2023 International Championship (officially the 2023 Du Xiaoman International Championship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 5 to 12 November 2023 at the in Tianjin, China.[1] [2] It was the ninth iteration of the International Championship first held in 2012, a return of the event to the tour after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first time the event had been held in Tianjin, introducing it as a new host city for World Snooker Tour tournaments.

Judd Trump was the defending champion, after defeating Shaun Murphy in the previous final, but he lost to Stephen Maguire in the last 32.

Chinese player Zhang Anda won his first ranking title, by defeating England's Tom Ford in the final, and made a maximum break in the third frame. Ryan Day made the highest break in qualifying with a maximum break, the fourth in his career, in his win against Mink Nutcharut.

By winning the event, Zhang advanced to within the top 16 for the first time in his career, received £175,000 from a total prize fund of £825,000, and secured a place in the 2023 Champion of Champions invitational event which started on the day following the end of this event.

Format

The event was the ninth iteration of the International Championship, first held in 2012. The event took place from 5 to 12 November 2023 in Tianjin, China.

Qualifying for the event was held from 18 to 23 September 2023 at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield, England.[3] Matches were best of 11 until the semi-finals, which were best of 17 frames, and the final was a best-of-19-frames match.[4] [5]

The event was broadcast domestically in China by CCTV-5, Migu, Youku, and Huya Live; in Thailand on True Sports; in Hong Kong on Now TV; and in Europe (including the UK) by Eurosport and Discovery+. It was available from Matchroom Sport in all other territories.[6]

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for this event is shown below:

Summary

Qualifying round

Ryan Day made his fourth professional maximum break in his qualifying match against Mink Nutcharut, which Day won .[7] [8]

The 12th seed, Robert Milkins was beaten by Marco Fu,[9] and the 24th seed, Joe Perry was beaten by Dylan Emery.[10]

Early rounds

Held-over matches

The held-over qualifying matches were played on 5 November.[11] Top seed Trump extended his winning streak to 21 matches with a defeat of 12-year-old Chinese wildcard Wang Xinzhong, who previously prevailed over another wildcard Gong Chenzhi by on the same day.[12] Second seed Luca Brecel had a win over Daniel Womersley. Third seed Ronnie O'Sullivan scored a win over Ken Doherty.[13]

Last 64

The last-64 matches were played on 5 and 6 November. Fourth seed Mark Allen came from down to beat Oliver Lines . Brecel was defeated by Mark Davis, and tenth seed Mark Williams was beaten by Zhang Anda by the same scoreline. O'Sullivan defeated Mark Joyce, Daniel Wells beat sixth seed Neil Robertson, and Dominic Dale beat seventh seed Murphy .[14] [15]

Last 32

The last-32 matches were played on 7 November. Thepchaiya Un-Nooh defeated fourth seed Allen, and Jordan Brown beat eighth seed Kyren Wilson .

The defending champion and top seed Trump was beaten by Maguire, ending his winning streak of 22 consecutive ranking matches.[16] [17] [18]

Last 16

The last-16 matches were played on 8 November. Jordan Brown defeated ninth seed John Higgins, and Tom Ford beat fifth seed Mark Selby by the same scoreline.[19] [20] Both O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui won their last-16 matches by, beating Anthony McGill and Pang Junxu respectively.[21]

Later rounds

Quarter-finals

The quarter-finals were played on 9 November. In the afternoon Ford defeated Barry Hawkins, and Brown beat Maguire . Maguire's century (115) in the tenth frame was his 500th as a professional.[22] [23] In the evening session O'Sullivan defeated Ali Carter, and Zhang beat Ding .[24] [25]

Semi-finals

The semi-finals were played as the best of 17 frames over two sessions on 10 and 11 November.

Ford played Brown on 10 November, and the afternoon session ended at with both players making a century.[26] [27] In the evening session, Brown made a century of 134 in the ninth frame and went on to establish a lead. Ford then made three centuries in a row to lead by, and won the match with a break of 57 in the last frame. Ford said: "I don't feel as though I'm going to fall apart this week. It doesn't matter who I play, I feel like I can get in the balls and play as well as anybody." Brown said: "I was disappointed with the way I played to be honest. I don't want to take anything away from Tom. I thought he finished off the match very well. I think I just ran out of gas in the end."[28] [29] [30]

O'Sullivan played Zhang on 11 November, with the afternoon session ending all square at .[31] [32] In the evening session, Zhang won the match, taking all of the last five frames with a century (114) in the 13th frame. Zhang said: "I personally like to play the long matches, because my performance in these matches is quite good. It makes it easier for me to feel involved, and it will slowly get me into the rhythm of the game." O'Sullivan said: "He played well and deserved to win. He was the better player on the day, so fair play to him. I expected him to be like that as I've played him a few times, he was solid. He is a fantastic player, I don't know where he has been for the last ten years."[33] [34] [35]

Final

The final was played as the best of 19 frames over two sessions between Ford and Zhang on 12 November. It is the first ranking event final since the 2022 Scottish Open to feature two players who have not won a ranking title before.

In the afternoon session Zhang made a 147 break in the third frame, his second as a professional.[36] [37] The session ended with Zhang leading Ford, with Zhang making a 101 break in the ninth frame.[38] In the evening session, Ford made a 91 break to even the score at . Zhang won four consecutive frames to lead by, making a 108 break in the 13th frame, and won the final . Zhang said: "I'm feeling extremely excited. During the pandemic, I had considered retiring and giving up. But later on, I couldn't bear it and chose to return to the arena. I have been doing quite well in the past two or three years." Ford said: "I am gutted I got beat. Zhang was the better player so hats off to him. He deserved to win. It has been an amazing week. A nice arena and a big crowd. It is always good to come to China."[39] [40] [41] [42]

Main draw

The draw for the tournament is shown below. Numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the top 32 seeded players, whilst players in bold denote match winners.[43]

Final

Final: Best of 19 frames. Referee: Lyu Xilin
, Tianjin, China, 12 November 2023
Tom Ford
610Zhang Anda
Afternoon: 7424, 074, 0147 (147), 9429, 1457, 7317, 5150, 5113, 0101 (101)
Evening: 1215, 36100, 0110, 6125 (108), 3670, 761, 5170
(frame 4) 93Highest break147 (frame 3)
0Century breaks3

Qualifying

Qualification for the tournament took place from 18 to 23 September 2023 at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield, England. Numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the top 32 seeded players, whilst players in bold denote match winners.

Tianjin

Qualifying matches featuring the defending champion (Judd Trump), the top two players in the world rankings (Ronnie O'Sullivan and Luca Brecel), the two highest ranked Chinese players (Ding Junhui and Zhou Yuelong), and four Chinese wildcards (Gong Chenzhi, Bai Yulu, Wang Xinbo, and Wang Xinzhong) were held over to be played in Tianjin.[44] The results of the held over matches played in Tianjin on 5 November were as follows:

Morning session

Afternoon session

Evening session

Sheffield

The results of the qualifying matches played in Sheffield were as follows:[45]

18 September

19 September

20 September

21 September

22 September

23 September

Century breaks

Main stage centuries

A total of 112 century breaks were made during the main stage of the tournament.[46]

Qualifying stage centuries

A total of 43 century breaks were made during the qualifying stage of the tournament.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: International Championship . . 19 May 2023 . 17 October 2023 . 17 October 2023 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20231017054932/https://wst.tv/tournaments/international-championship-2019/.
  2. Web site: 2023年世界斯诺克国际锦标赛将在天津举办 (The World Snooker International Championship will be held in Tianjin) . 10 October 2023 . 光明网 (difang.gmw.cn) . 15 October 2023.
  3. Web site: Fans can watch snooker greats at Sheffield qualifiers . 8 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230918063237/https://wst.tv/fans-can-watch-snooker-greats-at-sheffield-qualifiers/ . dead . 18 September 2023 . . 10 September 2023 .
  4. Web site: International Championship draw . 31 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230903143344/https://wst.tv/international-championship-draw-3/ . dead . 3 September 2023 . . 3 September 2023 .
  5. Web site: International Championship Qualifiers . snooker.org . 3 September 2023 .
  6. Web site: How to watch the International Championship . https://web.archive.org/web/20231104021717/https://wst.tv/how-to-watch-the-international-championship/ . dead . 4 November 2023 . 11 November 2023 . . 11 November 2023.
  7. Web site: Ryan Day v Mink Nutcharut . 18 September 2023 . . 18 September 2023 . 16 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231116123410/http://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://scores.wst.tv/matches/7a5d8156-e2ae-4ab0-af19-3b30c811df58.
  8. Web site: Day makes Sheffield maximum . 18 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230922215218/https://wst.tv/day-makes-sheffield-maximum/ . dead . 22 September 2023 . . 19 September 2023 .
  9. Web site: Higgins hammers Phetmalaikul . 22 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231015064128/https://wst.tv/higgins-hammers-phetmalaikul/ . dead . 15 October 2023 . . 23 September 2023 .
  10. Web site: Ford edges Moody in late night battle . 20 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230925190257/https://wst.tv/ford-edges-moody-in-late-night-battle/ . dead . 25 September 2023 . . 20 September 2023 .
  11. Web site: Du Xiaoman International Championship . snooker.org . 6 November 2023.
  12. News: International Championship: Wang Xinzhong, 12, beaten by Judd Trump in China . 5 November 2023 . . 6 November 2023.
  13. Web site: Four way fight for top spot continues . 5 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231105193444/https://wst.tv/four-way-fight-for-top-spot-continues/ . dead . 5 November 2023 . . 5 November 2023.
  14. Web site: Latest scores results and schedule . James . Walker-Roberts . 6 November 2023 . . 6 November 2023.
  15. Web site: Bullet downed by Davis . https://web.archive.org/web/20231107083005/https://wst.tv/bullet-downed-by-davis/ . dead . 7 November 2023 . 6 November 2023 . . 7 November 2023.
  16. Web site: Judd Trump's winning run ends at 22 as he loses to Stephen Maguire . James . Walker-Roberts . 7 November 2023 . . 7 November 2023.
  17. Web site: Maguire ends Trump streak . https://web.archive.org/web/20231107173853/https://wst.tv/maguire-ends-trump-streak/ . dead . 7 November 2023 . 7 November 2023 . . 7 November 2023.
  18. News: International Championship: Stephen Maguire ends Trump's 22-match winning run . 7 November 2023 . . 7 November 2023.
  19. Web site: International Championship snooker 2023 LIVE - Ronnie O'Sullivan eyes quarter-finals, Mark Selby and John Higgins out . Paul . Hassall . 8 November 2023 . . 8 November 2023.
  20. Web site: Brilliant Brown casts Wizard aside . https://web.archive.org/web/20231108183829/https://wst.tv/brilliant-brown-casts-wizard-aside/ . dead . 8 November 2023 . 8 November 2023 . . 8 November 2023.
  21. News: International Championship: Ronnie O'Sullivan through as Mark Selby and John Higgins lose in China . 8 November 2023 . . 8 November 2023.
  22. News: International Championship: Jordan Brown edges past Stephen Maguire to reach last four in China . 9 November 2023 . . 9 November 2023.
  23. News: Jordan Brown books semi-final spot at International Championship as impressive run continues . Michael . Turnbull . 9 November 2023 . Irish Mirror . 9 November 2023.
  24. News: Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Ali Carter to reach International Championship last four in China . 9 November 2023 . . 9 November 2023.
  25. Web site: Rocket set for Tianjin semis . https://web.archive.org/web/20231109182219/https://wst.tv/rocket-set-for-tianjin-semis/ . dead . 9 November 2023 . 9 November 2023 . . 9 November 2023.
  26. News: Jordan Brown tied 4-4 with Tom Ford after first session of semi-final . 10 November 2023 . . 10 November 2023.
  27. Web site: Ford and Brown locked level . https://web.archive.org/web/20231110121001/https://wst.tv/ford-and-brown-locked-level/ . dead . 10 November 2023 . 10 November 2023 . . 10 November 2023.
  28. Web site: Tom Ford posts three straight centuries to beat Jordan Brown and reach final . Ben . Southby . 10 November 2023 . . 10 November 2023.
  29. News: Six centuries as Tom Ford beats Jordan Brown 9-6 to reach final in China . 10 November 2023 . . 10 November 2023.
  30. Web site: Fantastic Ford into Tianjin showpiece . https://web.archive.org/web/20231110163955/https://wst.tv/fantastic-ford-into-tianjin-showpiece/ . dead . 10 November 2023 . 10 November 2023 . . 10 November 2023.
  31. Web site: Rocket rallies to level match . https://web.archive.org/web/20231111093324/https://wst.tv/rocket-rallies-to-level-match/ . dead . 11 November 2023 . 11 November 2023 . . 11 November 2023.
  32. Web site: Ronnie O'Sullivan plays on in frame despite needing 20 snookers . Ben . Southby . 11 November 2023 . . 11 November 2023.
  33. Web site: Brilliant Zhang stuns O'Sullivan . https://web.archive.org/web/20231111144827/https://wst.tv/brilliant-zhang-stuns-rocket/ . dead . 11 November 2023 . 11 November 2023 . . 11 November 2023.
  34. Web site: Ronnie O'Sullivan crashes out at International Championship as Zhang Anda fights back to reach final . Ben . Southby . 11 November 2023 . . 11 November 2023.
  35. News: Ronnie O'Sullivan out in International Championship semi-finals after losing five straight frames . 11 November 2023 . . 11 November 2023.
  36. Web site: Zhang makes Tianjin maximum . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112094029/https://wst.tv/zhang-makes-tianjin-maximum/ . dead . 12 November 2023 . 12 November 2023 . . 12 November 2023.
  37. Web site: Tom Ford v Zhang Anda . . 12 November 2023 . 12 November 2023 . 16 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231116124016/http://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://scores.wst.tv/matches/aa0345a8-b329-4cd5-8541-a40fa2a96d4b.
  38. Web site: Zhang edges tight opening session . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112102214/https://wst.tv/zhang-edges-tight-opening-session/ . dead . 12 November 2023 . 12 November 2023 . . 12 November 2023.
  39. Web site: Zhang lands Tianjin glory . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112145952/https://wst.tv/zhang-lands-tianjin-glory/ . dead . 12 November 2023 . 12 November 2023 . . 12 November 2023.
  40. Web site: Zhang Anda triumphs with magic 147 to beat Tom Ford and clinch maiden ranking title . Ben . Southby . 12 November 2023 . . 12 November 2023.
  41. Web site: 'I considered retiring' – Zhang Anda secures top-16 spot as Ronnie O'Sullivan enjoys snooker rankings boost . 13 November 2023 . . 13 November 2023.
  42. News: Zhang Anda makes 147 break in maiden ranking title win . 12 November 2023 . . 12 November 2023.
  43. Web site: International Championship (2023) brackets . www.snooker.org . 2023-10-18.
  44. Web site: International Championship Updated Draw - World Snooker . . 2023-10-20 . 2023-10-21 . 2023-10-21 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20231021072453/https://wst.tv/international-championship-updated-draw/.
  45. Web site: Top seeds secure Tianjin spots . 21 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231015064129/https://wst.tv/top-seeds-secure-tianjin-spots/ . dead . 15 October 2023 . . 22 September 2023 .
  46. Web site: Tournament centuries . snookerinfo.co.uk . 18 November 2023 . 18 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231118142616/https://snookerinfo.co.uk/2023-24-centuries/ . live.

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