2015 Welsh Open (snooker)

"2015 Welsh Open" redirects here. For the darts tournament, see Welsh Open (darts).

The 2015 BetVictor Welsh Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament held at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff from 16 to 22 February 2015. The tournament was staged in Cardiff for the first time since 2004, having moved from Newport.^[1]

BetVictor Welsh Open

Tournament information
Dates	16–22 February 2015 (2015-02-16 – 2015-02-22)
Venue	Motorpoint Arena
City	Cardiff
Country	Wales
Organisation	World Snooker
Format	Ranking event
Total prize fund	£300,000
Winner's share	£60,000
Highest break	Luca Brecel (BEL) (140)
Final
Champion	John Higgins (SCO)
Runner-up	Ben Woollaston (ENG)
Score	9–3
← 2014 2016 →

Televised table during the quarter-finals

Ronnie O'Sullivan was the defending champion,^[2] but he lost 3–4 against Matthew Stevens in the last 32.^[3]

The best-performing Welsh player was Mark Williams, who reached the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time in 12 years.^[4] He lost 5–6 to Ben Woollaston, who reached the first ranking final of his professional career.^[5]

John Higgins defeated Woollaston 9–3 in the final to win the Welsh Open for a record fourth time and claim his first ranking title in two and a half years.^[6]

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:^[7]

Winner: £60,000 Runner-up: £30,000 Semi-finals: £20,000 Quarter-finals: £10,000 Last 16: £5,000 Last 32: £2,500 Last 64: £1,500

Highest break: £2,000 Total: £300,000

Main draw

128 players started the tournament, with the first four rounds played over the best of 7 frames. The quarter finals were played over 9 frames with the semi finals over the best of 11. The final was over 17 frames.^[8][9]

Top half

Section 1

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Ronnie O'Sullivan	4
	Vinnie Calabrese	1
					Ronnie O'Sullivan	4
					Rory McLeod	2
	Rory McLeod	4
	Andrew Pagett	2
									Ronnie O'Sullivan	3
									Matthew Stevens	4
	Ken Doherty	4
	Zhou Yuelong	3
					Ken Doherty	3
					Matthew Stevens	4
	Matthew Stevens	4
	Oliver Lines	3
													Matthew Stevens	2
													Marco Fu	4
	Michael Holt	2
	Ashley Carty	4
					Ashley Carty	4
					Alfie Burden	0
	Alfie Burden	4
	Andrew Norman	1
									Ashley Carty	2
									Marco Fu	4
	Dechawat Poomjaeng	4
	Allan Taylor	3
					Dechawat Poomjaeng	2
					Marco Fu	4
	Marco Fu	4
	Ian Glover	2

Section 2

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Shaun Murphy	4
	Steven Hallworth	3
					Shaun Murphy	3
					Jamie Jones	4
	Jamie Jones	4
	Chris Norbury	0
									Jamie Jones	2
									Mark Williams	4
	Jimmy White	3
	Barry Pinches	4
					Barry Pinches	2
					Mark Williams	4
	Mark Williams	4
	Lyu Haotian	0
													Mark Williams	4
													Judd Trump	1
	Dominic Dale	3
	Michael Wasley	4
					Michael Wasley	4
					Li Hang	2
	Jack Lisowski	3
	Li Hang	4
									Michael Wasley	2
									Judd Trump	4
	Mark Joyce	4
	Joel Walker	2
					Mark Joyce	0
					Judd Trump	4
	Judd Trump	4
	James Wattana	2

Section 3

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Mark Allen	4
	Alexander Ursenbacher	1
					Mark Allen	4
					Cao Yupeng	3
	Cao Yupeng	4
	Craig Steadman	2
									Mark Allen	3
									Ben Woollaston	4
	Ben Woollaston	4
	Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon	2
					Ben Woollaston	4
					Mark Davis	1
	Mark Davis	4
	Lyu Chenwei	3
													Ben Woollaston	4
													Ali Carter	2
	Xiao Guodong	4
	Joe Swail	1
					Xiao Guodong	1
					Matthew Selt	4
	Matthew Selt	4
	Ian Burns	1
									Matthew Selt	3
									Ali Carter	4
	Mark King	4
	Eden Sharav	0
					Mark King	0
					Ali Carter	4
	Ali Carter	4
	Fraser Patrick	1

Section 4

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Joe Perry	4
	Lee Page	3
					Joe Perry	4
					Yu Delu	0
	Yu Delu	w/o
	John Sutton	w/d
									Joe Perry	2
									Gary Wilson	4
	Gary Wilson	4
	Zhang Anda	0
					Gary Wilson	4
					John Astley	3
	David Gilbert	1
	John Astley	4
													Gary Wilson	4
													Neil Robertson	2
	Anthony McGill	4
	David Grace	3
					Anthony McGill	2
					Jamie Cope	4
	Jamie Cope	4
	Elliot Slessor	3
									Jamie Cope	3
									Neil Robertson	4
	David Morris	4
	Joe O'Connor	0
					David Morris	0
					Neil Robertson	4
	Neil Robertson	4
	James Cahill	0

Bottom half

Section 5

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Ding Junhui	1
	Lee Walker	4
					Lee Walker	2
					Michael Georgiou	4
	Peter Lines	1
	Michael Georgiou	4
									Michael Georgiou	4
									Graeme Dott	3
	Andrew Higginson	2
	Chris Wakelin	4
					Chris Wakelin	1
					Graeme Dott	4
	Graeme Dott	4
	Zak Surety	1
													Michael Georgiou	2
													John Higgins	4
	Liang Wenbo	4
	Cao Xinlong	0
					Liang Wenbo	4
					Gerard Greene	0
	Gerard Greene	4
	Daniel Wells	2
									Liang Wenbo	0
									John Higgins	4
	Jamie Burnett	3
	Alex Borg	4
					Alex Borg	0
					John Higgins	4
	John Higgins	4
	Michael Leslie	1

Section 6

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Stephen Maguire	4
	Duane Jones	0
					Stephen Maguire	4
					Liam Highfield	2
	Kurt Maflin	1
	Liam Highfield	4
									Stephen Maguire	4
									Sam Baird	2
	Robbie Williams	1
	Dave Harold	4
					Dave Harold	0
					Sam Baird	4
	Fergal O'Brien	3
	Sam Baird	4
													Stephen Maguire	4
													Alan McManus	0
	Alan McManus	4
	Jamie Clarke	2
					Alan McManus	4
					Ahmed Saif	0
	Anthony Hamilton	0
	Ahmed Saif	4
									Alan McManus	4
									Aditya Mehta	0
	Aditya Mehta	4
	Sydney Wilson	0
					Aditya Mehta	4
					Barry Hawkins	2
	Barry Hawkins	4
	Scott Donaldson	3

Section 7

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Stuart Bingham	4
	Thor Chuan Leong	3
					Stuart Bingham	4
					Robin Hull	2
	Kyren Wilson	0
	Robin Hull	4
									Stuart Bingham	4
									Michael White	1
	Nigel Bond	3
	Chris Melling	4
					Chris Melling	0
					Michael White	4
	Michael White	4
	Ross Muir	1
													Stuart Bingham	2
													Ricky Walden	4
	Martin Gould	4
	Jak Jones	0
					Martin Gould	4
					Rod Lawler	1
	Rod Lawler	4
	Hammad Miah	1
									Martin Gould	2
									Ricky Walden	4
	Thepchaiya Un-Nooh	4
	Mitchell Mann	2
					Thepchaiya Un-Nooh	1
					Ricky Walden	4
	Ricky Walden	4
	Lu Ning	0

Section 8

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Robert Milkins	0
	Luca Brecel	4
					Luca Brecel	4
					Tian Pengfei	1
	Tom Ford	2
	Tian Pengfei	4
									Luca Brecel	4
									Oliver Brown	0
	Mike Dunn	3
	Oliver Brown	4
					Oliver Brown	4
					Ryan Day	1
	Ryan Day	4
	Noppon Saengkham	1
													Luca Brecel	4
													Mark Selby	3
	Peter Ebdon	4
	Tony Drago	0
					Peter Ebdon	4
					Jimmy Robertson	1
	Jimmy Robertson	4
	Igor Figueiredo	3
									Peter Ebdon	3
									Mark Selby	4
	Marcus Campbell	4
	Stuart Carrington	3
					Marcus Campbell	2
					Mark Selby	4
	Mark Selby	4
	Alex Davies	0

Finals

	Quarter-finals Best of 9 frames				Semi-finals Best of 11 frames				Final Best of 17 frames
	Marco Fu	1
	Mark Williams	5
					Mark Williams	5
					Ben Woollaston	6
	Ben Woollaston	5
	Gary Wilson	2
									Ben Woollaston	3
									John Higgins	9
	John Higgins	5
	Stephen Maguire	1
					John Higgins	6
					Luca Brecel	4
	Ricky Walden	3
	Luca Brecel	5

Final

Final: Best of 17 frames. Referee: Marcel Eckardt Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales, 22 February 2015.^[10]
Ben Woollaston   England	3–9	John Higgins   Scotland
Afternoon: 4–120 (84), 71–51 (58), 17–101 (63), 0–105 (105), 74–23 (54), 0–84 (66), 62–19, 59–72 (Woollaston 59) Evening: 5–97, 34–69, 9–88 (68), 8–130 (83)
59	Highest break	105
0	Century breaks	1
3	50+ breaks	6

Century breaks

^[11]

140, 101 – Luca Brecel 137, 135, 134, 105, 103, 101 – John Higgins 136 – Matthew Stevens 135, 131, 120, 114 – Mark Selby 133, 101 – Mark Allen 132 – Joe Perry 131, 116, 113, 103 – Neil Robertson 130 – Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 125, 106, 101 – Matthew Selt 122 – Peter Ebdon 119 – Alex Borg 117, 106, 102 – Shaun Murphy 116, 101 – Stephen Maguire 115, 105, 107 – Marco Fu 112 – Ding Junhui 110, 104 – Judd Trump 109 – Anthony McGill

108, 105, 103 – Mark Williams 108, 103 – Ben Woollaston 108 – Ricky Walden 107 – Chris Wakelin 106 – Ronnie O'Sullivan 104 – Jimmy White 104 – Elliot Slessor 104 – Dechawat Poomjaeng 103 – Mark Joyce 103 – Gerard Greene 103 – Ali Carter 102 – Fergal O'Brien 102 – Jamie Jones 101 – Rod Lawler 100 – Ken Doherty 100 – Jamie Cope 100 – Alan McManus

References

1. "Welsh Open Set For Cardiff". worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
2. Hafez, Shamoon (2 March 2014). "Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Ding Junhui in Welsh Open final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
3. "Welsh Open: Ronnie O'Sullivan knocked out by Matthew Stevens". BBC Sport. 18 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
4. "Mark Williams breezes through to the Welsh Open semi-finals". WalesOnline. 20 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
5. "Welsh Open: Woollaston beats Williams to set up Higgins final". BBC Sport. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
6. "John Higgins beats Ben Woollaston to win Welsh Open". BBC Sport. 22 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
7. (PDF). World Snooker. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 12 May 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
8. (PDF). worldsnooker.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-21.
9. (PDF). worldsnooker.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-21.
10. "BetVictor Welsh Open". Snooker.org. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
11. "Welsh Open: century breaks". worldsnookerdata.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Retrieved 18 February 2015.