That's an interesting pick. Youngsters Roda and Regalario are two players I have my eye on this week. Each made nice progress in 2024 and they seem on a good trajectory.
UK Open 2025 Telford, UK, May 6-11
- Thread starter Bob Jewett
- Start date
The entry fee is $250 so the entry fees for 256 players total to $64,000. The $200,000 prize fund is more than 2/3 added money.
Well, Mickey Krause just beat Aloysius like a red-headed mule in the finals of the Scottish Open, but Yapp did play well to get there.
i don't think telford is the most expensive part of the UK either, some anonymous town in black country?
Hotel rooms can be had for under $100/night -- probably a lot cheaper than when the UK Open was in London. I suspect that The Copper Box (London) was also more expensive for Matchroom than the Telford venue. The downside is the additional travel for foreign players -- you can't just jump on the Underground at Heathrow.
My sentimental choice is Jayson Shaw. Among the most talented and most animated players in our game, it's good for pool when Jayson does well. Unfortunately, since his 2023 win at the Hanoi Open, he has yet to reach the final day of a Matchroom major. It will please me greatly if Jayson can snap this one off and I wish him every possible success.
yes, there are guys that's due a win. mario, wiktor, hoang, would probably become more confident players in these events once they've climbed that hurdle.
i see now that raga is in the field too. he is already confident but maybe a win would make him compete more on the tour
i see now that raga is in the field too. he is already confident but maybe a win would make him compete more on the tour
That is my sentimental pick.
will this match be one that 'spartan' will mark up around 32, 16 players to go point?
Something with odds, early picks would be cool, something to follow...
Didn't click the beginning links, figure since it didn't say, taking 6 days for the winner to be crowned;
this is 8ball on 9' snookered pocketed tables, right?
Something with odds, early picks would be cool, something to follow...
Didn't click the beginning links, figure since it didn't say, taking 6 days for the winner to be crowned;
this is 8ball on 9' snookered pocketed tables, right?
Flakeandrun
Well-known member
Biggest billiards expo in the world
He’s going to Buffalo’s in two weeks. Gotta believe he’s enjoying a little down time before that. Nearly all the 1p studs will be there.
Safe bet that those (most notably, Gorst, FSR, and SVB) skipping the UK Open for the expo in China are being paid very well to do so, but their voluntary, avoidable absence shows they have less loyalty to Matchroom than they might. Thankfully for the pool fan, Filler and Shaw, who both surely could have been paid very handsomely to go to the China Expo, have a little more loyalty to Matchroom than that.
With Gorst, SVB, FSR, Chua, and the Ko brothers sitting this one out, I hope, for Matchroom's sake, that Shaw and Filler play well this week, so that the late rounds of this event don't lack the star power needed to continue stimulating pool's reemergence in the eyes of its viewing public.
For Gorst and SVB, there are no Mosconi implications here. Each is 100% to be on Team USA in December. Undeniable superstar FSR, however, takes a calculated gamble here, as his Team Europe spot is less certain. Guys like Kaci, Neuhausen, Labutis, Krause, Alcaide, Souto and a few of others can get a jump on him this week in the race for the three automatic qualifying spots for Team Europe. As for the Mosconi wild cards, one would like to think that, as was the case a year ago, preference will be given to those who attended all the Matchroom majors.
We will see how it all plays out.
Badpenguin
Well-known member
Yes, this is part of the story, but each had the option to accept the China invite on a contingency basis, subject to their own availability. Perhaps they were given unconditional releases, months in advance, from Matchroom from their obligation to participate in all Matchroom majors, and if so, all the blame for the weak field at the UK Open falls on Matchroom. Either way, it is the fans that have been shortchanged here.