Snooker End of Season Rankings (2021/22)

It seems that for the past few years there hasn’t been much change to the world rankings and to an extent, this could still be considered true. Although, there have been some considerable changes worth noting especially when compared to the end of last season. When you break the rankings down into specific segments, this becomes more apparent.

Top 4

Ronnie O’Sullivan entered the World Championship as World No. 1 and cemented his spot at the end of the season with a victory at Sheffield. This was useful because this effectively replaced the points he lost from his WSC two years ago, taking his total to £1.036m. Judd Trump trails O’Sullivan in No. 2 as the only other person to have over £1m in ranking points. However, Trump will need to be cautious as he stands to lose almost £600k in points as we enter the new season.

Mark Selby and Neil Robertson sit at No. 3 and 4, with both players accumulating over £900k in ranking points over the past two years. Selby will have until the end of next season to make up some ground in order to cover his WSC win last year. Out of his £914k tally, £820k was derived from two seasons ago.

Top 8

This is where the first significant disparity lies. Robertson, at No. 4, has £904k points while John Higgins, at No. 5 has £537k. Keep going down to the rest of the Top 8 and the rest lie in the £400k range. The noteworthy contenders within the Top 8 are Higgins and Mark Williams, still showing that they’re not going anywhere anytime soon. But also, Zhao Xintong who after a spectacular season ended his campaign at No. 6, after beginning at No. 26.

Top 16+

The further down the rankings you go, the more competitive things become because of how close the players are to each other in prize money terms. No. 8-16 are all within £100k of each other (more or less) hovering between the £200-300k range, where one ranking event triumph could mean a jump in the rankings by several places. Shaun Murphy needs to be wary as £260k of his total £316k will evaporate over the coming season.

The same can be said for those towards the Top 32 where players ranking totals lie around £150k. This is what makes the one-year ranking list so important, because it allows players who are eligible for the Coral Cup series to further progress their ranking positions should they qualify.

When you look at the ranking list, all of these players are several thousand points within each other which is what makes this section of the rankings so competitive. Given how easy it may seem to be for those at the very top to remain there for several seasons, it can be easy to forget how quickly the rankings can change for those ranked lower.

Players like Ding Junhui and Gary Wilson will need to make a resurgence as they currently reside in No. 32 and 33 and risk going further down unless they can find some form. Jordan Brown who sits at No. 22 will stand to lose his £70k Welsh Open points this upcoming season which could push him down to the 40s should he not boost his tally.

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Kirk Stevens: Maximum At The Masters – instant Classic

Imagine it’s 1984 and a veteran actor such as Donald Sutherland was interested in watching a frame of snooker. He turns up and watches perhaps one of the best frames of snooker he could ever hope to see, all while trying to understand what was exactly happening. Well, this was the case as the father of Jack Bauer bore witness to an absolute Instant Classic at the 1984 Masters.

It was the tenth edition of the Masters and the atmosphere was already lively as Kirk Stevens and Jimmy White went head-to-head to determine who would reach the final of the event. White was in the lead for the whole match, yet many will probably choose to remember the magic of the ninth frame. White broke off, and Stevens took care of the rest.

The break itself wasn’t exactly memorable in the sense that Stevens was constantly running out of position and had to make recovery pots. Instead, it was a well-constructed break where Stevens always had a grip on his cue ball control. There were two shots which stuck out to me during the maximum break.

Firstly, after splitting the reds, his shot on the ninth red was one that I don’t think we would see players attempt these days. Even if current players were on course for a 147, they most likely would play this next shot in order to play position for a baulk colour or the blue. Stevens, on the other hand, confidently played his shot to allow the cue ball to travel up and down the table to fall near the black.

The next shot and perhaps the most recognised in the break was the positional shot from green to brown as he was clearing the colours. After falling short of his intended destination following a rest shot on the yellow, Stevens found himself on the baulk line parallel to the green. The brown was above its spot and Stevens expertly judged the pacing of this shot to recoil off three cushions and fall near the brown. Four shots later and the roof came off the place.

This is still such a highlight to this day because it was only the third 147 made in competition by this point. Steve Davis and Cliff Thorburn were the only ones before Stevens to have accomplished this feat in a professional tournament. And after each shot, the anticipation of the crowd was palpable as they were witnessing a spectacle that had only been seen a couple of times before. The event, the players involved, the unforgettable white suit and the perfect break – an Instant Classic. White would go on to win the Masters that year as well as reach his first World Championship final.

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Snooker Season 2021/22 Overview – Shorts Thoughts

It was an eventful season which represented a shift back to normality as events were once again housed in their respective domains. This, of course, was following the circumstances that required almost all events take place in Milton Keynes last season. Having said that, it was a season that saw familiar faces, rising stars, and a storybook conclusion.

Home Nations

John Higgins was a frequent flyer at the ‘Opens’ as he reached three of the four finals. He suffered final frame deciding defeats in during his first two encounters at the NI and English Open against Mark Allen and Neil Robertson. Luca Brecel would then surpass Higgins at the Scottish Open, continuing his fine form after reaching the UK Championship final the week before. Joe Perry would claim his second career ranking title later in the season with an impressive victory over Judd Trump. I also feel the need to mention Robert Milkins winning his first ranking title at the Gibraltar Open against Kyren Wilson.

New Events

This season saw the introduction of the Turkish Masters and the reintroduction of the British Open (last seen in 2004). Judd Trump succeeded in lifting the inaugural trophy, making a 147 in the process. This follows his earlier success at the Champion of Champions where some were wondering when his winning drought would end. Mark Williams would win at the British Open at the beginning of the season, with two maximum breaks being made during the event.

Coral Cup

There are always those that write off Ronnie O’Sullivan and this was particularly the case considering he made numerous finals last season but couldn’t convert. O’Sullivan halted those claims with victory over Neil Robertson at the Grand Prix. However, this wouldn’t stop Robertson becoming the player of the season as he scooped the remainder of the Coral Series with triumphs over Barry Hawkins and the Players and John Higgins at the Tour (again, in the decider).

Rising Stars

Zhao Xintong has made a name for himself this season as he became the standout performer in most viewers eyes. His brilliant run that led him to secure the UK Championship, beating Luca Brecel and his whitewash of Yan Bingtao at the German Masters left many players and fans wondering if they are staring at the future of snooker. Brecel also found a level up in his form aided by his terrific couple of weeks at the UK and Scottish Open. And we don’t want any of this to overshadow Fan Zhengyi winning his first ranking event against O’Sullivan in the deciding frame. Zhengyi had never made it past a quarter-final before this triumph.

Triple Crown

The first of the majors were won by Xintong, as mentioned above. Neil Robertson would meet Barry Hawkins before their encounter at the Players, where Robertson would win his second Masters trophy, ten years after the first. And I’m sure all reading this are aware of the conclusion to this snooker season. In a tournament where many records were broken, Ronnie O’Sullivan put on his surgical gloves as his opponents attended his clinic, which culminated in a record-equalling seventh World Championship title (click here to read about that).

What was your favourite parts of the season? What are some things/events/players that you are looking forward to next season?

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Judd Trump’s Approach To Snooker

This year’s World Championship runner-up, Judd Trump left his mark as one of the standout performers as he made his way through several tough matches en route to the final. But it was his overall character and persona that left many smiling following his venture at the Worlds – something we’re not entirely used to seeing from him.

After Trump’s couple of campaigns of dominance where he was winning five or six ranking events a season, it only made sense that it would follow with a perceived drought. That level of consistent victories can only be sustained for so long. Which is why some seemed to think of Trump as ‘dropping off’ as he wasn’t able to maintain the quantity of titles that he had grown used to.

Although, this is a bit of a harsh observation given that Trump had secured two titles this season in the inaugural Turkish Masters and Champion of Champions prior to his voyage to the World Championship final. It’s probably fairer to say that Trump’s form hasn’t been quite at the level it previously was. His century tally this season has halved compared to the prior two years, but clearly his below-par game still has considerable stopping power as he progresses through tournaments.

However, I don’t think it will be too long before we see Trump on the rise once again. His mentality towards snooker looks to be significantly different to what it once was. During his formidable years, Trump would focus on the task at hand which was winning as many tournaments as possible. But now this attitude has shifted towards his level of enjoyment for the game and not clinging on to the results.

Trump mentioned in his post-match interview against Mark Williams that he’s been able to get a lot more enjoyment and positivity out of his performances/matches during this recent spell. While it may seem odd, Trump has lowered his own expectations and therefore pressure which has allowed him to be a bit more free flowing with his approach to snooker. This lets him have a lot more fun with the game and the fans, who I think appreciate having a prominent player who isn’t completely bogged down by the match.

During the WSC, Trump explained that he wanted to leave a legacy where fans would remember him as a player who always had a smile on his face and entertained the viewers. With this new mindset, he’s already made a number of highlights throughout the WSC with his theatrics and crowd involvement. However, I think he can kill two birds with one stone here.

Look at the case of Ronnie O’Sullivan. All season, he’s touted how playing snooker is fun for him again and winning anything is just a bonus. And when some thought his time was up after a period of unsuccessful ranking finals, he’s had one of the best seasons he’s had in years, finishing at the very top of the rankings.

Trump’s approach follows a similar parallel to O’Sullivan’s in that they both aim to get enjoyment out of the matches they play. By being able to relax more, Trump can rebuild his confidence back to the level it once was (just like he did throughout each match of the Worlds) and by not pressuring himself as much, may in fact convert his efforts into some silverware.

If Trump continues in this manner, there’s no doubt in my mind that he will be the face of snooker, regardless of if he wins fewer titles than any other player alongside him. Trump will establish a character that would hopefully attract more viewers to the game and I, for one, am all for it. I can’t wait to watch Trump’s career path going forward.

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