International Open Series

The International Open Series (often referred to as Pontins International Open Series or PIOS[1][2] for sponsorship purposes), was a series of snooker tournaments that ran from the 2001/2002 season until the 2009/2010 season. It was originally called the Open Tour but was renamed in 2005/2006.[3]

International Open Series
Tournament information
VenueWorld Snooker Centre
LocationPrestatyn
CountryWales
Established2001
Organisation(s)WPBSA (2001/2002)
EASB (2002/2003–2009/2010)
FormatProfessional (2001/2002)
Pro-am (2002/2003)
Amateur (2003/2004–2009/2010)
Final year2009/2010
Final champion(s) Jack Lisowski

History

The tour was established to provide players not on the WPBSA Main Tour or Challenge Tour with professional competition, and the best performers were promoted to the Challenge Tour.[3] It was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) during its first season, but the English Association of Snooker and Billiards (EASB), an amateur body, took it over from 2002/2003.[3] The event was open to professionals, amateurs and international players for the first couple of seasons, but following the EASB's split from the WPBSA for 2003/2004 the entry criteria were revised barring professional and non-English players from entering.[3] After the Challenge Tour was discontinued, the entry criteria were revised again to allow international amateur players to compete, and from 2005/2006 the competition promoted players directly to the Main Tour.[4] The series was abandoned after the 2009/2010 season and replaced by the Q School in the 2010/2011 season.

Event finals
Season Event Winner Runner-up Final score
WPBSA Open Tour (non-ranking)[3]
2001/2002Event 1 Mark Gray Shaun Murphy5–2
Event 2 Brian Morgan Leo Fernandez5–2
Event 3 Robin Hull Colm Gilcreest5–4
Event 4 Matthew Couch Munraj Pal5–3
Event 5 Lee Spick Mark Gray5–3
Event 6 Stuart Bingham Matthew Selt5–4
EASB Open Tour (pro-am)[3]
2002/2003Event 1 Ryan Day James Reynolds5–4
Event 2 Ryan Day Mark Gray5–3
Event 3 Rory McLeod Mark Gray5–2
Event 4 Ricky Walden Jamie Cope5–1
EASB Open Tour (amateur)[3]
2003/2004Event 1 David KL Taylor Darren McVicar4–3
Event 2 James Tatton Lee Richardson4–2
Event 3 Lee Richardson Jamie Barratt4–0
Event 4 Sean Bullock Andy Radford4–0
Event 5 Andy Radford Mark Sutton4–0
Event 6 Eddie Cooper Nick Spelman4–2
Event 7 Alan Trigg Wayne Cooper4–1
Event 8 Paul Davison Wayne Cooper4–2
Final play-off Wayne Cooper Nick Spelman5–1
PIOS (amateur)[4]
2005/2006Event 1 Tian Pengfei Martin Gould6–3
Event 2 Mark Joyce James Leadbetter6–3
Event 3 Liu Song Stephen Rowlings6–1
Event 4 Colm Gilcreest Mark Joyce6–3
Event 5 Chris Melling Paul Davison6–5
Event 6 Liu Song Paul Davison6–3
Event 7 Tian Pengfei Liu Song6–3
Event 8 Andrew Higginson Jamie O'Neill6–3
2006/2007Event 1 Munraj Pal Kurt Maflin6–3
Event 2 Julian Logue Alex Davies6–5
Event 3 Leo Fernandez Lee Walker6–5
Event 4 Kuldesh Johal Lee Walker6–4
Event 5 Kurt Maflin Ashley Wright6–3
Event 6 Jamie O'Neill Ashley Wright6–2
Event 7 Bjorn Haneveer Craig Steadman6–2
Event 8 James McBain Kurt Maflin6–4
2007/2008Event 1 Simon Bedford Gary Wilkinson6–3
Event 2 Kuldesh Johal Andrew Pagett6–4
Event 3 Paul Davison Michael King6–2
Event 4 Matthew Couch Michael Wild6–3
Event 5 Peter Lines Daniel Wells6–5
Event 6 Kuldesh Johal Simon Bedford6–5
Event 7 Jamie Jones Peter Lines6–2
Event 8 Liam Highfield Justin Astley6–2
2008/2009Event 1 Bjorn Haneveer Andrew Atkinson6–2
Event 2 Xiao Guodong Noppadol Sangnil6–5
Event 3 Shokat Ali Michael White6–3
Event 4 Craig Steadman Mike Hallett6–1
Event 5 Chris Norbury Alfie Burden6–2
Event 6 Xiao Guodong Jack Lisowski6–0
Event 7 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh Lee Page6–3
Event 8 Joe Jogia Ben Woollaston6–5
2009/2010Event 1 Jack Lisowski Liam Highfield6–5
Event 2 Liam Highfield Neal Jones6–2
Event 3 Paul Davison Kyren Wilson6–4
Event 4 Jamie Jones Jak Jones6–0
Event 5 Anthony McGill Farakh Ajaib6–0
Event 6 Kyren Wilson Liam Highfield6–4
Event 7 Paul Davison Justin Astley6–2
Event 8 Jack Lisowski Justin Astley6–1

Order of Merit winners

[4]

Season Winner
2005/2006 Liu Song
2006/2007 Kurt Maflin
2007/2008 Kuldesh Johal
2008/2009 Joe Jogia
2009/2010 Jack Lisowski

References
  1. "Pontin's &– Working with Global Snooker". London: Global Snooker. 2009. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  2. "Pontin's International Open Series: Rules of Entry 2009/10" (PDF). Global-Snooker.com: Maximum Snooker Coverage. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  3. Hayton, Eric (2004). The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker. Suffolk: Rose Villa Publications. pp. Introduction & 178–186. ISBN 978-0-9548549-0-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  4. "Pontins International Open Series". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 28 February 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
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