The victory means Doherty becomes the first player to win multiple titles under the World Seniors Snooker 900 format following his emotional success at Goffs earlier in the year.

Six players embarked on Epsom for the fourth edition of the unique and exciting event with Alfie Burden, Nigel Bond and Rory McLeod each making their debuts while Doherty, Drago and four-time World Seniors champion Jimmy White returned.

In a repeat of the final at Goffs last March, Doherty met White in the opening match of Group B. ‘The Whirlwind’ was looking to exact revenge after ‘The Darling of Dublin’ had defeated him in that title match and a 55 clearance saw White make the perfect start to the afternoon.

A win for 1995 world finalist and former British Open champion Bond over White on the final black then set up a dramatic conclusion to the group.

Doherty was able to advance to the semi-finals by overcoming the debutant and scoring a high break of two more points, while White topped the group courtesy of his half-century under the tie-break rules.

In Group A, Burden made a confident start to life under the World Seniors Snooker 900 format as he comfortably overcame both McLeod and Drago to reach the knockout stages as group winner. ‘The Tornado’ from Malta then beat McLeod to complete the semi-final line-up.

Both group winners were toppled at the semi-final stage as Burden was defeated by Doherty, while White was denied a fourth consecutive final by Drago.

Drago, who was competing in his maiden final under the format, made the perfect start to the best-of-three contest by firing in the day’s high break of 93 in the opener.

The Maltese cueist was in first in the second frame but broke down on 31, allowing Doherty to force a decider with a break of 56.

Another break of 56 saw Doherty take the initiative in the decider but Drago impressively held his nerve to clear the table and tie the frame – meaning a blue ball shootout would decide who took home the trophy.

The two players each potted the blue ball on their first attempt and it was Drago who was first to blink and he put his second effort wide of the target.

After taking a moment to compose himself, Doherty confidently fired home the title-winning blue ball to secure his second World Seniors Snooker 900 crown.

After the final, Doherty said: “I’m absolutely delighted! I wasn’t expecting it – I flew in this morning on a 7am flight. I love playing in the 900, I love the concept of it and it was a great final. To play Tony in the final was just amazing and to go down to the blue ball shoot out was was incredible.”

“I was just thinking when he potted the first blue in the shoot out – ‘just try and cue it, don’t twitch and put your elbow in the front row!’ Then, when he missed the second one, I was just thinking the same and it just went right in the middle and I said ‘yeah’ before it even went in. It was a lovely moment.”

Looking ahead to the 2025 World Seniors Snooker Championship, which has eluded Doherty so far in his illustrious career, he reflected: “I’ve been beaten in a couple of finals – last year against Igor (Figueiredo) and of course against Jimmy White when I was 4-0 up and I collapsed like a cheap tent but we won’t mention that! I’d love to win it but, if I don’t, it doesn’t matter – I’ve been very lucky and blessed in my life by playing the game that I love. I’m still playing it and I still love it!”

The post Ken Doherty Wins Second Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 Title in Epsom appeared first on WSS | World Seniors Snooker.

World Seniors Snooker returns to the venue where seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry won the inaugural edition of the format by defeating long-time rival Jimmy White in the final twelve months ago.

‘The Whirlwind’ returns to Epsom next Monday aiming to avenge three consecutive title match losses under the ‘900’ format and he is joined by Goffs champion Ken Doherty, ‘The Tornado’ Tony Drago and debutants Nigel Bond, Alfie Burden and Rory McLeod.

How It Works

All matches throughout the tournament are just a single frame and each of these frames has a time limit of just 15 minutes. Should the frame not be complete at the end of the allocated 15 minutes, whoever is leading the frame claims the win. 

Played with a spotted cueball, cueists have just 20 seconds per shot and there are no extensions or time-outs (unless at the discretion of the referee). 

For every shot played, either a ball must be potted, or a cushion must be struck with the cueball or an object ball. 

All fouls result in cueball in hand for the opponent. 

At the end of the 15 minutes, should the players be tied on points, a blue-ball shoot-out will be used to determine the winner. 

The six players will compete in two round-robin groups of three players, with the top two advancing to the semi-finals. The winner of Group A will face the runner-up in Group B, and the winner of Group B will face the runner-up in Group A in the last four.

Group A

Malta’s Tony Drago is the only player in Group A with prior experience under the ‘900’ format having made his debut in the previous event in Hull, where he lost to eventual champion Igor Figueiredo in the semi-finals.

Alfie Burden, the 2023 World Seniors Championship runner-up and current World Snooker Tour (WST) professional, makes his ‘900’ debut in Epsom and will kick off the action on Monday afternoon when he meets Drago in the opening match.

The three-player group, from which the top two will advance to the semi-finals, is completed by fellow debutant Rory McLeod – a former professional of over 30 years who famously defeated Judd Trump at the Crucible Theatre during the 2017 World Championship.

Group B

Ken Doherty arrives in Epsom as the only player in the line-up to have previously lifted a title at a World Seniors Snooker 900 event.

On an emotional afternoon in County Kildare, Doherty overcame Jimmy White in the final at the iconic Goffs to secure the crown in the same venue he used to work in as a boy.

Doherty and White will go head-to-head in the opening match of Group B on Monday afternoon and their group is completed by a debutant, Nigel Bond, who won the 1996 British Open and reached the final of the 1995 World Championship during an illustrious career that spanned more than 30 years.

Schedule

The action gets underway at 14:00 BST on Monday, broadcast live on Channel 5.

Limited tickets remain available – contact info@seniorssnooker.com

The post Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 | Epsom Preview appeared first on WSS | World Seniors Snooker.

‘The Whirlwind’ and ‘The Darling of Dublin’ will be joined by Malta’s Tony Drago, who makes his second appearance under the format, as well as debutants Nigel Bond, Alfie Burden and Rory McLeod.

The event will see a return to the Epsom Racecourse, twelve months on from the inaugural Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 there which was won by Stephen Hendry, and will be broadcast live on Channel 5.

Learn more about each of the six competitors in Epsom below:

Jimmy White

The record-breaking four-time World Seniors Snooker champion Jimmy White will head to Epsom aiming to secure his maiden Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 title.

‘The Whirlwind’ has reached the final of all three previous events under the format, including in Epsom twelve months ago, but is yet to secure the title having suffered defeats to Stephen Hendry, Ken Doherty and Igor Figueiredo respectively.

The ten-time ranking event winner and former Masters champion will be aiming to go one better and take home the title next month.

Ken Doherty

Former world champion Ken Doherty maintains his ever-present record at Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 events and will be looking for a repeat of his emotional victory on home soil back in March.

The 1997 Crucible winner, who still competes on the World Snooker Tour, defeated Tony Knowles, Fergal O’Brien and Jimmy White to earn a famous victory at the iconic Goffs venue in Ireland.

‘The Darling of Dublin’ will head to Epsom hoping to round off the year in style with another success.

Tony Drago

Malta’s Tony Drago will bring his remarkably fast-paced play to Epsom next month for his second appearance in a Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 event.

The man known as ‘The Tornado’ made his debut under the format in Hull back in September and will be looking to improve on a run to the semi-finals, where he lost to eventual champion Igor Figueiredo.

A former ranking event semi-finalist with a professional career spanning over thirty years, Drago has reached the semi-finals of the World Seniors Championship at the Crucible Theatre in 2023 and 2024.

Nigel Bond

Nigel Bond is one of three players who will make their Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 debut in Epsom next month.

The 58-year-old from England maintained an unbroken spell as a professional between 1989 and 2022 and won a ranking event title in 1996 when he defeated John Higgins 9-8 in the British Open final.

Bond reached the World Championship final in 1995, losing to Stephen Hendry at the Crucible Theatre, and also made it to back-to-back World Seniors Championship finals – defeating Tony Chappel in the final in 2012.

Alfie Burden

Another Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 debutant, Alfie Burden will compete for the title in Epsom in December.

Burden reached the final of the 2023 World Seniors Championship at the iconic Crucible Theatre with impressive victories over former world champions Ken Doherty and Stephen Hendry, before losing to Jimmy White in the title match.

A four-time ranking event quarter-finalist, the London cueist has competed on the World Snooker Tour for over 20 years and regained his professional status in 2021 via Q School.

Rory McLeod

Former professional Rory McLeod completes the line up in Epsom as another player making his Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 debut next month.

A professional over a spell of more than 30 years, McLeod reached the last 16 of ranking events on 11 occasions – including at the Crucible Theatre in 2017, where he famously defeated Judd Trump in the opening round.

The 53-year-old is a regular competitor on the World Seniors Snooker tour and won one of this season’s Race To The Crucible series events in Reading earlier this year.

Ticket Information

As well as the unique and exciting action on the table, there will also be a VIP Legends Lunch which will offer the chance to meet snooker legends Dennis Taylor and John Virgo, enjoy a two-course meal prior to the action getting underway in Surrey as well as a reserved seat, commentary ear piece, programme and more.

Tickets start from £50 with the limited VIP Legends Lunch tickets available at £147 per person. For ticket enquiries, please contact info@seniorssnooker.com.

The post Epsom Line-Up Confirmed for Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 appeared first on WSS | World Seniors Snooker.

The event will see a return to the Epsom Racecourse, twelve months on from the inaugural Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 there which was won by Stephen Hendry, and will be broadcast live on Channel 5.

There will also be a VIP Legends Lunch which will offer the chance to meet snooker legends Dennis Taylor and John Virgo, enjoy a two-course meal prior to the action getting underway in Surrey as well as a reserved seat, commentary ear piece, programme and more.

Jason Francis, Chairman of World Seniors Snooker, said: “We are delighted to be returning to Epsom for the second year in a row and look forward to welcoming the fans for an afternoon of enthralling, unpredictable action under the World Seniors Snooker 900 format.

“We would also like to once again thank our title sponsors Mr Vegas Casino and our host broadcaster Channel 5 for their continued support.”

Tickets start from £50 with the limited VIP Legends Lunch tickets available at £147 per person. For ticket enquiries, please contact info@seniorssnooker.com.

The post Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 Returns To Epsom appeared first on WSS | World Seniors Snooker.

Over 160 people from the aging population of Hull, who are often vulnerable and living in isolation, were invited along to the event to watch Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo successfully come through a field that included former world champions Stephen Hendry and Ken Doherty as well as four-time World Seniors champion Jimmy White.

Prior to action getting underway, volunteers and members of Age UK Hull and East Yorkshire met with former world number two Tony Knowles, who famously defeated Steve Davis 10-1 in the first round of the 1982 World Championship at the Crucible Theatre.

Andy Haynes, CEO of Age UK Hull and East Yorkshire, said: “The event was excellent. It has been great for our clients, many of whom only come out of their houses or flats once or twice a week. Many were quite worried about coming into the city centre and the event today was a really good encouragement for many of them. Thank you to Jason Francis, Rohit Sagoo and everyone at WSS.”

Rohit Sagoo, WSS Director, said: “It is wonderful to hear how our Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 event positively impacted the Age UK members in Hull. Knowing that it encouraged them to come out and feel comfortable again is truly heartwarming. We are incredibly grateful to have been part of something so meaningful!”

The event was the second of its kind, following a similar initiative held during the World Seniors Snooker Championship in support of Age UK Sheffield.

Learn more about Age UK.

The post Seniors of Hull Welcomed to Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 Event appeared first on WSS | World Seniors Snooker.

The success saw the Brazilian secure back-to-back televised titles on the World Seniors Snooker tour as he followed up on his victory in the World Seniors Championship at the iconic Crucible Theatre back in May.

The unique event, which sees the competitors face off in single-frame shootouts of no more than 15 minutes (or 900 seconds) and was shown live on Channel 5, began with a repeat of the Crucible final from earlier this year as 900 format debutant Figueiredo took on Ken Doherty.

The man known as ‘The Darling of Dublin’ had arrived in England at around 5am that morning, following time as a player and pundit at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Riyadh, but showed no signs of fatigue as a break of 67 saw him gain revenge on his Brazilian opponent.

Doherty would follow this up with a further group stage victory over Barry Pinches, another debutant to the format, to secure his place in the semi-finals.

Malta’s Tony Drago was the first man to join him in the knockout stages as he secured a duo of impressive victories over four-time World Seniors champion Jimmy White and seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry.

Back-to-back victories for both Doherty and Drago meant that the final two group stage encounters were effectively knockout matches, with the two winners securing their places in the last four.

Breaks of 49 and 46 were enough for Figueiredo to overcome Pinches in the first of these contests, before White and Hendry renewed their famous rivalry in front of the Hull crowd – with a break of 66 from ‘The Whirlwind’ earning him the last semi-final spot.

The action continued to come thick and fast in East Yorkshire as the event entered the knockout stages and it was the two group runner-ups who set up a final meeting as White overcame Doherty in a repeat of the 2020 World Seniors Championship final, before Figueiredo continued his fine form by defeating Drago.

The title match saw the two most recent winners of the World Seniors Championship go head to head in a best-of-three frame contest.

White compiled the highest break of the day to take the opener with a 69 but, fittingly, the event would ultimately be decided by a final frame shootout as Figueiredo hit back with a 66 to restore parity.

‘The Whirlwind’, who has been defeated in the previous two Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 finals, look set to finally get his hands on the trophy as he was in the balls in the final frame on a break of 40.

Dramatically, however, White broke down allowing the Brazilian to clear up and seal the victory on the final black before letting out an ecstatic roar in celebration.

Post-match, Figueiredo said: “It’s a fantastic time for me, my career and for the Americas as well. I think it was a fantastic final, I feel over the moon with that clearance – I don’t believe it! I enjoy playing in the World Seniors events and I want to fix my place here and come back for every tournament.”

The post Brilliant Brazilian Igor Wins Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 Title in Hull appeared first on WSS | World Seniors Snooker.

Contested at the former home of the UK Seniors Championship, the event features a new and exciting format where anything can happen. Each match will last 15 minutes (900 seconds) and has a 20-second shot clock in play at all times, allowing for unmissable action that has proven a hit with fans and players alike.

Among those in action are seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, who won the inaugural staging in Epsom in December, and 1997 world champion Ken Doherty – who lifted the Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 title on home soil at the iconic Goffs venue earlier this year.

They are joined by reigning World Seniors champion Igor Figueiredo, four-time World Seniors champion Jimmy ‘The Whirlwind’ White, Malta’s Tony ‘The Tornado’ Drago and former ranking event winner Barry Pinches.

How It Works

All matches throughout the tournament are just a single frame and each of these frames has a time limit of just 15 minutes. Should the frame not be complete at the end of the allocated 15 minutes, whoever is leading the frame claims the win. 

Played with a spotted cueball, cueists have just 20 seconds per shot and there are no extensions or time-outs (unless at the discretion of the referee). 

For every shot played, either a ball must be potted, or a cushion must be struck with the cueball or an object ball. 

All fouls result in cueball in hand for the opponent. 

At the end of the 15 minutes, should the players be tied on points, a blue-ball shoot-out will be used to determine the winner. 

The six players will compete in two round-robin groups of three players, with the top two advancing to the semi-finals. The winner of Group A will face the runner-up in Group B, and the winner of Group B will face the runner-up in Group A in the last four.

Group A

Sunday’s action will begin with a rematch of May’s World Seniors Championship final between Ken Doherty and Igor Figueiredo.

Brazil’s Figueiredo ran out a 5-2 victor at the Crucible Theatre to lift the prestigious trophy and will be looking to repeat the feat on his Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 debut in Hull.

The two recent World Seniors Championship finalists are joined by former ranking event winner Barry Pinches, who is also making his debut under the fast-paced and exciting format.

Group B

Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White will renew their storied rivalry at the Connexin Live in Hull as the two meet in the group stages.

The two contested the first ever Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 final in December, with Hendry coming out on top in Epsom, before White gained revenge at Goffs by eliminating the seven-time world champion at the semi-final stage.

Hendry and White are joined in the group by Malta’s Tony Drago, who reached the semi-finals of this year’s World Seniors Championship in Sheffield.

Schedule

The action gets underway at 13:00 BST on Sunday, broadcast live on Channel 5.

• Group Stages (Single-Frame Shootout)

• • (A) Igor Figueiredo v Ken Doherty
  • (B) Jimmy White v Tony Drago
  • (A) Barry Pinches v Winner of Match 1
  • (B) Stephen Hendry v Winner of Match 2
  • (A) Barry Pinches v Loser of Match 1
  • (B) Stephen Hendry v Loser of Match 2

• Semi Finals (Single-Frame Shootout)

• • Winner of Group A v Runner-Up of Group B
  • Winner of Group B v Runner-Up of Group A

• Final (Best of 3 Frames)

• • Winner of Semi-Final 1 v Winner of Semi-Final 2

Limited tickets remain available via the Connexin Live website – click here.

The post Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 | Hull Preview appeared first on WSS | World Seniors Snooker.

Doherty was overcome with emotion following the victory in front of his home crowd, which sees him become the second winner of the Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 event following Stephen Hendry’s success in Epsom last December.

The 1997 world champion did not got off to the best of starts in this fast-paced event, losing his opening group stage encounter to fellow eventual finalist White, courtesy of a break of 47 from The Whirlwind.

White had already overcome Tony Knowles in his opening group game with a magnificent break of 96, meaning his place in the semi-finals was secured while Doherty and Knowles faced off in a ‘winner-takes-all’ final group contest.

Unfortunately for Knowles, who had been drafted in as a late replacement for Tony Drago, his trip to Ireland saw him fail to pot a single ball as Doherty fired in a break of 77 to book his place in the last four.

In the other group, Hendry and Fergal O’Brien had kicked off proceedings at Goffs with a hard-fought match that saw the Irishman run out the eventual winner on his debut in this format.

Both players would go on to defeat the 1985 world champion Dennis Taylor, with Hendry compiling an impressive 88 break in the final group game, to ensure both Hendry and O’Brien reached the knockout stage.

The semi-final line-up was a mouthwatering prospect for the excitable Irish crowd.

First up, an all-Ireland meeting pitted O’Brien and Doherty against each other on home soil – with ‘The Darling of Dublin’ hitting top form at just the right time as he fired in a break of 101, the highest of the day, to secure a place in the the title match.

Old foes White and Hendry met in the second semi-final for another dramatic chapter in their epic rivalry.

The two both had chances to secure the frame, but as the contest approached the final few balls, the tension was clear everyone in the packed-out venue to see. Ultimately, it was White who held his nerve to clear from blue to the final black and set up a final meeting with Doherty.

The final, a repeat of the 2020 World Seniors Championship final at the Crucible Theatre, saw the two legends of the game face off in a best-of-3 frame contest under the unique Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 format.

White moved into the ascendancy with a break of 77, but Doherty hit back with a 71 of his own to ensure that the final would, suitably, be decided by a one-frame shootout.

In front of his home crowd and at a venue where he used to work as a boy, it was Doherty who got over the line to complete the victory and lift the title at the iconic Goffs venue.

World Seniors Snooker returns in May with the World Seniors Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for ticket details.

The post Glory at Goffs for Ken Doherty appeared first on WSS | World Seniors Snooker.

The event is the second instalment of this new and exciting format where anything can happen. Each match will last 15 minutes (900 seconds) and has a 20-second shot clock in play at all times, allowing for unmissable action that has proven a hit with fans and players alike.

How It Works

All matches throughout the tournament are just a single frame and each of these frames has a time limit of just 15 minutes. Should the frame not be complete at the end of the allocated 15 minutes, whoever is leading the frame claims the win. 

Played with a spotted cueball, cueists have just 20 seconds per shot and there are no extensions or time-outs (unless at the discretion of the referee). 

For every shot played, either a ball must be potted, or a cushion must be struck with the cueball or an object ball. 

All fouls result in cueball in hand for the opponent. 

At the end of the 15 minutes, should the players be tied on points, a blue-ball shoot-out will be used to determine the winner. 

The six players will compete in two round-robin groups of three players, with the top two advancing to the semi-finals. The winner of Group A will face the runner-up in Group B, and the winner of Group B will face the runner-up in Group A in the last four.

Group A

Stephen Hendry, champion of the inaugural Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 in Epsom in December, headlines Group A alongside local favourites Dennis Taylor and Fergal O’Brien.

Hendry, who won the Irish Masters at the iconic Goffs venue on three occasions, kicks off the event on Saturday against veteran Irish professional and former ranking event winner O’Brien.

1985 world champion Taylor completes the group line-up with the top two players in the final standings qualifying for the semi-finals.

Group B

Jimmy White, a back-to-back Irish Masters champion at Goffs in 1985 and 1986, is joined in Group B by 1997 world champion Ken Doherty and former world number two Tony Knowles – who replaces the initially announced Tony Drago in the draw.

Four-time World Seniors champion White will kick off the Group B action in Saturday’s second match, taking on Knowles, before Doherty faces the two legends of the game on home soil as they compete for two semi-final places.

Schedule

The action gets underway at 12 o’clock on Saturday, broadcast live on Channel 5, with the champion expected to be crowned at around 5pm.

• Group Stages (Single-Frame Shootout)
  • Stephen Hendry v Fergal O’Brien
  • Jimmy White v Tony Knowles
  • Dennis Taylor v Winner of Match 1
  • Ken Doherty v Winner of Match 2
  • Dennis Taylor v Loser of Match 1
  • Ken Doherty v Loser of Match 2
• Semi Finals (Single-Frame Shootout)
  • Winner of Group A v Runner-Up of Group B
  • Winner of Group B v Runner-Up of Group A
• Final (Best of 3 Frames)
  • Winner of Semi-Final 1 v Winner of Semi-Final 2

The post Seniors Stars Head To Goffs For Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker 900 appeared first on WSS | World Seniors Snooker.