World Snooker Tour launches mobile app




WST has launched its first official mobile app, featuring live scores, results, news, video content and more.

The free app is available now on all iOS and Android devices, and can be found by searching World Snooker Tour in Google Play or Official World Snooker in Apple.

The WST app, developed by digital fan experience specialists InCrowd, is part of the World Snooker Tour’s strategy to bring the sport to new supporters worldwide and enhance fan engagement.

The score centre of the app, which uses data from WST’s official partner Sportradar, features instant live scores from the sport’s biggest events, plus match results, frame breakdowns and tournament information.

The app also incorporates latest news and feature articles, video content including player interviews and match highlights, latest rankings, player profiles, ticket information and polls which give fans the chance to express their views.

Future versions of the app will bring in additional features to maximise the user experience.

WST Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We live in a world of ever-increasing demand for instant information and every sport must recognise this. Our first official WST app gives our many millions of fans around the world fast access to a wealth of data including the latest scores from every professional match – whether it’s a major final or the first qualifying round.

“We wanted to make an app which is informative and entertaining and I believe it will help us to grow our fanbase. I’m looking forward to seeing how the app develops further in future versions.”

InCrowd CCO Dan Lipman adds: "Snooker has a very large and passionate global fanbase and we are pleased to be able to work with the team at WST to create even deeper connections with their fans through new digital experiences. This app will no doubt become an essential resource for every snooker fan around the world."
About InCrowd

InCrowd are digital fan experience specialists, facilitating the development of the rights holders relationships with their fans. InCrowd work with multiple major sports organisations and clubs including Premiership Rugby, Formula 1, ICC, Indian Premier League, 15 Premier League / Championship football clubs, the Rugby Football League and the ECB. Our understanding of the avid and emotional mindset of a fan is combined with in-depth data analysis and ground-breaking digital technology to offer rights holders and brands a unique opportunity to reach out to sports fans in the moments that really matter whilst, improving commercial value and increasing ROI. Find out more here. 

History in the making: O'Sullivan hits 1000 century breaks



Ronnie O'Sullivan wrote one of the most important chapters in snooker's history after making his 1000th century break, tonight in Preston, while also winning the Players Championship.

We've seen him with a white towel on his head, we've seen him with one shoe, playing in sneakers, leaving the arena during a match, crying with excitement, making the fastest 147 break to this date, lift no less than five World Championship trophies, picking his nose, biting his nails, sharing autographs, kicking photographs out of the arena, writing novels, helping those in need, catching an Aussie accent, break record after record and ... tonight he's done is again.

Today's final, against Neil Robertson was pretty much a one-way-traffic snooker affair, "The Rocket" imposing his superior cue style right from the very first session which ended on 7-2.

This didn't leave too much to be done to his opponent, although Robertson tried (and also managed) to pull back a couple of frames during the evening session.

However, O'Sullivan was on fire and there was no way this victory could be denied to him. Century breaks no 997, 998 and 999 were previewing what was about to be an epic last frame that was going to break down a new world snooker record: 1000 century breaks!



The 1000th century break was pure awesomeness and snooker bliss, which got zero responses from Robertson, who was just enjoying the show from his seat, like the rest of us.

Probably you won't witness another time in snooker history when, after the 1000th century break was made, the audience was left on cheering for every single pot that Ronnie was cueing. Well, at least not at a proper snooker tournament you won't (Snooker Shoot Out mean remark in order).

Thus, the victory was sealed at 10-4, Ronnie receiving the Players Championship trophy along with a £125,000 cheque.

Of course that words pale in front of such an achievement, but it's only fair and normal to add our congratulations to "The Rocket" and feel damn privileged to be living these times.

Today snooker's history got one of the best chapters written ... and you can re-see it here.

P.S. The friends of the blog might wonder why I/ve decided to start re-writing all of the sudden, but for Christ sake, if this is not something to be writing about, I don't know what it is!


Photos credit: World Snooker

The curtain falls on *Snooker, my love* blog


It was the summer of  2010 (21st of July to be more precise) when "Snooker, my love" blog first saw the light of day and it's been such an amazing and terrific journey ever since.

I've learned so much along the way, known so many people and experienced so much snooker, that 8 years later I can honestly look at myself in the mirror and see a better person than I was when I started all this.

It was never my intention to penetrate the "snooker media market" or get international recognition for writing about snooker, but somehow, along the way, it just happened. I am glad it did.

This blog saved my life in more than one way and it will continue to do so, even if today I've decided to write the last article.

My love for the game of snooker and my passion for what it stands for, will never vanish, but sometimes, some things, must come to an end, so better ones can begin.

I have had the pleasure to know and even met many of the readers of "Snooker, my love" blog and it's been a thrill. This would have never happened without you. Thank you for that!

What an amazing achievement it is to remain friends and build connections with people that share the same passions and interests as you! To feel that you are not alone in a world that is slowly and sadly turning into an iceberg! You can't buy stuff like that!

Many of you know that this blog started as a personal project, something that I felt I need to do, for a sport that saved me when I was in a very dark point in my life. Now, I feel like I have given back all that I could.

I would just like to give my sincerest thanks to all the people that stood by my side along this snooker journey, starting with you, my dears readers, and continuing with the ones that took the time to grant me interviews, answer my feverishly written e-mails and helped me see snooker as a press officer.


It's been a genuine privilege to know Lewis Ward and Ivan Hirschowitz from World Snooker in person (big thanks guys for an incredible Masters experience), the omniscient Matt Huart (I have learned so much form you!) but also to interview face to face our only top Romanian snooker ref, Alex Crișan.

Of course I can't but also thank all those who preferred to throw stones at me, than support a sport that needs to grow in popularity. You've made this journey even more exciting.

The blog and snooker itself have had an immense positive impact on my life and they helped me developed as an individual, but also as a professional, so it's impossible to just say STOP at all of it.

That's why I will continue to support snooker and go to tournaments and show my appreciation for the players who work so hard yet are so easily critiqued by commentators and the so-called sport fans. So, although part of this marvelous journey stops here, another part of it will continue.

Keep the love for snooker alive my snooker loopies and fight for this sport in every way you can!

Over and out ...

P.S. Some very special thanks go to the one and only, Steve Davis - the man who has not just inspired me to pick myself off the ground and start doing what I love the most (which is writing), but also to never stop believing in myself.

Ryan Day wins thriller final to lift Romanian Masters trophy



Ryan Day beat Stuart Bingham 10-8 in a nail-biting final, to win the inaugural edition of the Romanian Snooker Masters. The match had it all, from gorgeously played shots, to unearthly snookers, nervy moments and ... a re-spotted black!

Recently returned from Gibraltar, where he won the Gibraltar Open after cruelly defeating Cao Yupeng 4-0, Ryan Day continued his good run and added the Romanian Masters trophy to his collection.

A well deserved back-to-back victory, that however, didn't come short from drama, as the Welshman had to make a comeback from being led 4-0.

The start of the match (which was refereed by the Romanian ref Alex Crisan) bared Bingham signature, beginning to end, as the 2015 world champion used runs of 57, 84 and 45 to take an amazing 4-0 advantage over his opponent.



But that 15-minutes break worked wonders for Day as the Welshman won his first frame of the final, on the black! Tremendous poise!

To this, he added a break of 63 and a 52 to go just one behind Stuart, but an awesomely cued 124 was re-establishing the two-frame gap, at 5-3.

However, just as the first session was coming to and end Day used a top break of 40 to pull back one. It was 5-4 and game on!

At returning into the arena, not only did Day manage to draw level for the first time since the final began, thanks to a 50 break, but also to take the lead after a thrilling and extremely dramatic 55 minutes frame.

A very focused Bingham hit back with a break of 84 to restore the balance of the match and took a very scrappy 13th frame to make it 7-6, but Day made the most of the next frame to get his feet back into the game.

It was a great 111 break that put Bingham two-frames short of winning the final, but from that point on, it was a "Day highway".



The Welshman used runs of 61 and 43 to take control of the match, 9-8, and squeeze the best of snooker out of frame 18, which landed on a re-spotted black. Because such a final couldn't' have ended any other way!

Away it went the black into a pocket and so did Day's fist that punched the air. He was champion once more and after quite a final!

The Welshman goes home with a prize money of 50.000 euros, while his opponent has to be thankful with just half of this amount and the pride of making the highest break of the tournament (137), which is not shabby at all.

Photo credit (1): Romanian Snooker Masters
Photo credit (2&3): Bogdan Campean
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