2019 China Championship

The 2019 China Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 23 to 29 September 2019. The event was held at the Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Centre in Guangzhou, China. Qualifying for the event took place from 15 to 18 August 2019 at the Barnsley Metrodome in Barnsley, England. The tournament was the fourth edition of the China Championship and the third ranking event of the 2019/2020 season.

2019 China Championship
Tournament information
Dates23–29 September 2019
VenueGuangzhou Tianhe Sports Centre
CityGuangzhou
CountryChina
Organisation(s)WPBSA
FormatRanking event
Total prize fund£751,000
Winner's share£150,000
Highest break Mark Allen (NIR) (145)
Final
Champion Shaun Murphy (ENG)
Runner-up Mark Williams (WAL)
Score10–9
2018

Mark Selby was the defending champion, having defeated John Higgins in the previous year's final 10–9. Selby reached the semi-finals, before losing 6–3 to Shaun Murphy. Murphy reached his third consecutive final, having done so at the two prior events Shanghai Masters and the International Championship. Murphy played Mark Williams in the final, winning his 8th ranking title with a 10–9 in the final. The highest break of the event was a 145 made by Mark Allen in the first round win over Anthony Hamilton.

Tournament format

The 2019 China Championship was the fourth edition of the China Championship, first held in 2016.[1][2] The event featured 64 players with a wildcard and qualifying round.[3] Matches were played as best-of-9-frames until the semi-finals. At the semi-final stage, both matches were played as best-of-11-frames, and the two session final as best-of-19-frames.[4]

Prize fund

The event featured a total prize fund of £751,000, with the winner receiving £150,000.[5] This was slightly higher than the 2018 prize fund of £725,000 with the same denomination for the winner.[6] A breakdown of prize money at the event is shown below:[5]

  • Winner: £150,000
  • Runner-up: £75,000
  • Semi-final: £32,000
  • Quarter-final: £20,000
  • Last 16: £13,000
  • Last 32: £7,500
  • Last 64: £4,750
  • Highest break: £6,000
  • Total: £751,000

Tournament summary

Qualifying for the event was played over one round, and a pre-qualifier wildcard round. Qualifying took place between 15 and 18 August 2019 at the Barnsley Metrodome in Barnsley, England featuring 64 matches. Participants included players on the World Snooker Tour and invited amateur players.[3][7]

Early rounds (first–fourth round)

Mark Allen scored the highest break of the event, a 145.

Defending champion Mark Selby won his opening first round match, defeating Chen Feilong.[8] Selby trailed 1–2, before Selby won three of the next four to win the match 5–3.[8] Selby defeated Martin Gould, and then Chris Wakelin both 5–2 to reach the quarter-finals.[4] Three-time world champion Mark Williams defeated Kishan Hirani in an all Welsh opening round match 5–1.[9] Williams defeated Luo Honghao and Luca Brecel to reach the quarter-finals.[4] Former world champion Graeme Dott lost on a deciding frame to Norwegian Kurt Maflin during the first round 5–4.[9] Maflin then defeated Jordan Brown to play four-time world champion John Higgins. Four-time world champion Higgins led their match 3–0, before Maflin won five frames in-a-row to win the match, and reach the quarter-finals.[10][11]

Having amassed a 15-match winning streak, Judd Trump lost in the third round to Joe Perry 5–2.[12] Trump had not lost a match since April, and won the prior two tournaments that he played in, the World Snooker Championship and the International Championship.[12] The 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy also reached the quarter-finals. He defeated Yuan Sijun, Ryan Day, and Matthew Selt all 5–3.[4] Barry Hawkins defeated Liam Highfield, Mitchell Mann and Zhao Xintong to reach the last-8.[4] Iranian Hossein Vafaei defeated Tom Ford, Kyren Wilson and Anthony McGill to reach the quarter-finals.[4]

Former world number one Ding Junhui also lost his opening match where he lost 5–3 to Zhao Xintong.[13] Mark Allen won his opening match against Anthony Hamilton 5–3, also making the highest break of the tournament, a 145.[4] Allen subsequently lost in the second round to Noppon Saengkham 5–4.[4] Saengkham lost the third round to David Gilbert.[4]

Later rounds (quarter-final–final)

The quarter-finals were played on 27 September.[14] Defending champion Selby played Hawkins in the first quarter-final. The pair were always within one frame between scores, and were tied at 4–4. Selby made match's highest break of 98 in the deciding frame to claim a 5–4 victory.[15] Shaun Murphy drew Kurt Maflin,[16] Murphy lead the match throughout and won 5–2.[17] Having defeated the reigning world champion in the round prior, Joe Perry was defeated by Hossein Vafaei. In winning the match, Vafaei reached only his third ranking semi-final.[17] In the last quarter-final match, Mark Williams defeated David Gilbert 5–1.[15][17]

The semi-finals were played on 28 September, as best-of-11-frames matches.[14][18][19] The first match had Murphy defeat Selby. Murphy won the first three frames of the match, before Selby won three of the next four with breaks of 100, and 101.[20] Murphy won the next two frames to win the match 6–3.[20][21] The second semi-final was contested between Vafaei and Williams. Vafaei had never played in a ranking event final, but reached this stage at the 2017 China Open, and the 2019 Welsh Open.[22][23] Williams had lost only six frames in the prior five matches.[22] Williams won the first three frames, and four of the first five to lead 4–1, before Vafaei made a 134 break to trail 4–2. Williams won frame seven, to be one away from victory, but Vafaei won three frames in-a-row to take the match to a deciding frame.[22][23] Williams made a thin cut, and made a 96 break to win the match. He later commented, "[he] could play that another 20 times and [he] wouldn't get it".[23]

Shaun Murphy won the tournament, defeating Mark Williams 10–9 in the final.

The final was played on 29 September, a best-of-19-frames match played over two sessions.[14][18] The final was contested between Shaun Murphy (who had defeated Yuan Sijun, Ryan Day, Matthew Selt, Kurt Maflin and Mark Selby to reach the final), and Mark Williams (who defeated Kishan Hirani, Luo Honghao, Luca Brecel, David Gilbert, and Hossein Vafaei).[24] This was Williams' 35th ranking event final,[23] event final and Murphy's 20th.[25] Murphy had reached the final of both of the prior two tournaments, the International Championship and the Shanghai Masters, but had not won any of his prior five tournament finals. Williams, in comparison, had won all of his last five finals.[23][24][26]

The first session ended 5–4 in favour of Murphy, with Williams tying the match in frame 10.[10] Murphy made breaks of 75, 76, 103 and 79 in four consecutive frames to lead 9–5.[10][24][26] With his opponent one frame from winning the event, Williams won the next four frames, including a break of 132 in frame 18 to force a deciding frame. Murphy was the first player to get a chance in the frame, scoring 69, enough to force Williams to require a snooker. Williams made a break of 30, and attempted to play a snooker. However, Murphy potted the last remaining red ball to win the frame and match.[10][26] After his win, he would comment that the break in the deciding frame was "one of the best breaks of [his] life".[10] Murphy's last victory was over 18 months prior, and had struggled during the 2018/19 season, which he called the "worst run" of his career.[26]

Main draw

The main draw of the event featured 64 players. Players in bold denote match winners.[4]

 
Last 64
Best of 9 frames
Last 32
Best of 9 frames
Last 16
Best of 9 frames
Quarter-finals
Best of 9 frames
Semi-finals
Best of 11 frames
Final
Best of 19 frames
 
                      
 
 
 
 
 Mark Selby (ENG)5
 
 
 
 Lu Ning (CHN)2
 
Mark Selby5
 
 
 
Martin Gould2
 
 Martin Gould (ENG)5
 
 
 
 Scott Donaldson (SCO)3
 
Mark Selby5
 
 
 
Chris Wakelin2
 
 Alexander Ursenbacher (SUI)1
 
 
 
 Chris Wakelin (ENG)5
 
Chris Wakelin5
 
 
 
Yan Bingtao2
 
 Yan Bingtao (CHN)5
 
 
 
 Sam Baird (ENG)4
 
Mark Selby5
 
 
 
Barry Hawkins4
 
 Martin O'Donnell (ENG)4
 
 
 
 Xiao Guodong (CHN)5
 
Xiao Guodong3
 
 
 
Zhao Xintong5
 
 Zhao Xintong (CHN)5
 
 
 
 Ding Junhui (CHN)3
 
Zhao Xintong4
 
 
 
Barry Hawkins5
 
 Mitchell Mann (ENG)5
 
 
 
 Lyu Haotian (CHN)4
 
Mitchell Mann1
 
 
 
Barry Hawkins5
 
 Liam Highfield (ENG)2
 
 
 
 Barry Hawkins (ENG)5
 
Mark Selby3
 
 
 
Shaun Murphy6
 
 John Higgins (SCO)5
 
 
 
 Andrew Higginson (ENG)1
 
John Higgins5
 
 
 
Li Hang3
 
 Li Hang (CHN)5
 
 
 
 Sam Craigie (ENG)2
 
John Higgins3
 
 
 
Kurt Maflin5
 
 Jordan Brown (NIR)5
 
 
 
 Sunny Akani (THA)4
 
Jordan Brown3
 
 
 
Kurt Maflin5
 
 Graeme Dott (SCO)4
 
 
 
 Kurt Maflin (NOR)5
 
Kurt Maflin2
 
 
 
Shaun Murphy5
 
 Joe O'Connor (ENG)4
 
 
 
 Ryan Day (WAL)5
 
Ryan Day3
 
 
 
Shaun Murphy5
 
 Yuan Sijun (CHN)3
 
 
 
 Shaun Murphy (ENG)5
 
Shaun Murphy5
 
 
 
Matthew Selt3
 
 Ben Woollaston (ENG)2
 
 
 
 Matthew Selt (ENG)5
 
Matthew Selt5
 
 
 
Neil Robertson1
 
 Zhao Jianbo (CHN)1
 
 
 
 Neil Robertson (AUS)5
 
Shaun Murphy10
 
 
 
Mark Williams9
 
 Mark Williams (WAL)5
 
 
 
 Kishan Hirani (WAL)1
 
Mark Williams5
 
 
 
Luo Honghao3
 
 Ricky Walden (ENG)4
 
 
 
 Luo Honghao (CHN)5
 
Mark Williams5
 
 
 
Luca Brecel1
 
 Luca Brecel (BEL)5
 
 
 
 Tian Pengfei (CHN)4
 
Luca Brecel5
 
 
 
Mark Joyce0
 
 Jak Jones (WAL)3
 
 
 
 Mark Joyce (ENG)5
 
Mark Williams5
 
 
 
David Gilbert1
 
 Matthew Stevens (WAL)5
 
 
 
 Dominic Dale (WAL)2
 
Matthew Stevens2
 
 
 
David Gilbert5
 
 Marco Fu (HKG)1
 
 
 
 David Gilbert (ENG)5
 
David Gilbert5
 
 
 
Noppon Saengkham2
 
 Noppon Saengkham (THA)5
 
 
 
 Mark King (ENG)2
 
Noppon Saengkham5
 
 
 
Mark Allen4
 
 Anthony Hamilton (ENG)3
 
 
 
 Mark Allen (NIR)5
 
Mark Williams6
 
 
 
Hossein Vafaei5
 
 Kyren Wilson (ENG)5
 
 
 
 Robbie Williams (ENG)0
 
Kyren Wilson3
 
 
 
Hossein Vafaei5
 
 Tom Ford (ENG)1
 
 
 
 Hossein Vafaei (IRN)5
 
Hossein Vafaei5
 
 
 
Anthony McGill4
 
 Jack Lisowski (ENG)5
 
 
 
 Daniel Wells (WAL)1
 
Jack Lisowski3
 
 
 
Anthony McGill5
 
 Anthony McGill (SCO)5
 
 
 
 Michael Holt (ENG)2
 
Hossein Vafaei5
 
 
 
Joe Perry3
 
 Hammad Miah (ENG)0
 
 
 
 Joe Perry (ENG)5
 
Joe Perry5
 
 
 
Stephen Maguire3
 
 Harvey Chandler (ENG)2
 
 
 
 Stephen Maguire (SCO)5
 
Joe Perry5
 
 
 
Judd Trump2
 
 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (THA)1
 
 
 
 Zhou Yuelong (CHN)5
 
Zhou Yuelong0
 
 
 
Judd Trump5
 
 Mike Dunn (ENG)0
 
 
 Judd Trump (ENG)5
 

Final

Final: Best of 19 frames. Referee: Peggy Li.
Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Centre, Guangzhou, China, 29 September 2019.
Shaun Murphy
 England
10–9 Mark Williams
 Wales
Afternoon: 54–10, 65–56 (64, 51), 0–73 (73), 17–101 (70), 6–78, 74–4 (54), 0–143 (143), 76–14 (64), 133–0 (133)
Evening: 59–61 (Williams 54), 79–0 (75), 77–42 (76), 103–35 (103), 92–42 (79), 0–73 (73), 27–76, 49–78, 0–132 (132), 70–30 (69)
133 Highest break 143
2 Century breaks 2
9 50+ breaks 7

Qualifying

Qualifying for the event took place between 15 and 18 August 2019 at the Barnsley Metrodome in Barnsley, England. Matches involving four wildcard players, Mark Selby and Chen Feilong, Yan Bingtao and Mei Xiwen, Ding Junhui and Brandon Sargeant, Ken Doherty, Tom Ford, Judd Trump and James Wattana, were held over and played in Guangzhou. Matches were played as best-of-9-frames.[7] Players in bold denote match winners.[3]

Round 1

Round 2

Century breaks

Main stage centuries

There were a total of 58 century breaks made during the tournament. Mark Allen made the highest break of the event, a 145.[27] The break was made in frame five of the first round win over Anthony Hamilton.[4]

Qualifying stage centuries

There were a total of 28 century breaks made during the qualifying tournament preceding the event.[28]

References

  1. "New Event in China with Record Prize Money". World Snooker. 17 September 2016. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  2. "Evergrande China Championship". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  3. Årdalen, Hermund. "China Championship Qualifiers (2019)". snooker.org (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  4. Årdalen, Hermund. "Evergrande China Championship (2019)". snooker.org (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  5. "2019–2020 Season Summary" (PDF). worldsnooker.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  6. "Evergrande China Championship". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  7. "China Championship Draw". World Snooker. 29 July 2019. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  8. "Mark Selby Launches China Championship Defence". SnookerHQ. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  9. "Williams up and running at China Championship". Eurosport UK. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  10. "China Championship final report: Shaun Murphy beats Mark Williams in tense encounter". sportinglife.com. 29 September 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  11. "Maflin vs Higgins - Match Result | World Snooker Live Scores". livescores.worldsnookerdata.com. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  12. "Judd Trump's 15-match winning run ended by Joe Perry in China". BBC Sport. 26 September 2019. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  13. Caufield, David (30 September 2019). "Three Things Learned after the China Championship". SnookerHQ. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  14. Årdalen, Hermund. "Results (China Championship 2019)". snooker.org (in Norwegian). Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  15. Coley, Ben (27 September 2019). "China Championship results: Mark Williams and Mark Selby through to semi-finals". sportinglife.com. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  16. Caufield, David (26 September 2019). "Preview: China Championship Quarter-Final". SnookerHQ. Archived from the original on 29 September 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  17. "Snooker news – Shaun Murphy downs Kurt Maflin at China Championships". Eurosport Asia. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  18. "China Championship Snooker 2019: Draw, schedule, betting odds, results and TV coverage". sportinglife.com. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  19. Caufield, David (27 September 2019). "Preview: China Championship Semi-Final". SnookerHQ. Archived from the original on 29 September 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  20. "Snooker results: Mark Williams wins a thriller to set up China Championship final with Shaun Murphy". sportinglife.com. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  21. "Murphy Into Guangzhou Final". World Snooker. 28 September 2019. Archived from the original on 29 September 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  22. Caufield, David (27 September 2019). "Preview: China Championship Semi-Final". SnookerHQ. Archived from the original on 29 September 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  23. "Snooker results: Mark Williams wins a thriller to set up China Championship final with Shaun Murphy". sportinglife.com. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  24. Caufield, David (28 September 2019). "China Championship Final: Mark Williams vs Shaun Murphy". SnookerHQ. Archived from the original on 29 September 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  25. "Murphy Beats Williams To End Ranking Drought - World Snooker". World Snooker. 29 September 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  26. "China Championship: Shaun Murphy beats Mark Williams in final frame". BBC Sport. 29 September 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  27. "Centuries – Main Draw". World Snooker. 15 August 2019. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  28. "Centuries – Qualifying". World Snooker. 15 August 2019. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.

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