Tour Championship

Shaun Murphy is the champion after rallying from 0-4 down to beat Kyren Wilson 10-7.

The focus for all players now turns to the Crucible Theatre and the holy grail for the sport of snooker.

Details of this season's Tour Championship have been released and it's knocked all the assumptions I had about the event for six. The field will be increased from 8 to 12 so players like Ali Carter, Mark Selby and John Higgins are now inline to play in it pending the World Open and I need to change my focus on the 1 year ranking List from the top 8 to the top 12.

The event will take place in Manchester Central from April 1 to 7. The Top 4 players on the 1YRL will be seeded and placed into the quarter final. The other 8 players will have a play off round to face them. To accommodate this change there will be 2 tables in operation from the Monday to the Thursday with the normal one table format restored for the semi-finals from the Friday.

Allen v Higgins on ITV4 this afternoon, I think. Also Selby v G Wilson.

Should just be the top 8 imo but maybe I'm just an old fuddy duddy

I reckon it's a conspiracy to get Ali Carter in the tournament.

What a season Zhang Anda and Ding Jinhui are having to be ranked 3 and 4 respectively on the 1 YRL and not have to play until Wednesday!

Allen came back well from 4-1 down, but I thought Higgins was coming back at him when it was 6-6. But Allen finished it 10-7.

Sadly, one of either Hawkins or Carter is guaranteed to go through to the quarter finals. On the plus side one of them will go out as well. Carter leads Hawkins 7-1.

Gary Wilson showed why he has had a better season than Mark Selby, beating him 10-8.

Selby seems a bit crushed in defeat. But maybe a good run in Sheffield will restore his good humour.

Mark Williams was pushed almost all the way by Tom Ford but he prevailed.

Hawkins put up a good fight to get back to 9-8 against Carter but he still lost. Hendry in the mid-session interval sounded like Hawkins should just surrender with it at 8-4 rather than 7-5.

Ronnie in red hot form with frame winning breaks galore to beat Ali Carter 10-2. No century breaks from Ronnie but he was dominant with 2 x 90+ breaks and 3 x 80+ breaks. However Ali Carter got a 141 break in the 8th frame which is the highest so far. Carter did well out of the rule change allowing him to participate in the tournament; £30,000 for reaching the quarter final and possibly another £10,000 if he wins the high break prize.

Ding Jinhui currently leads Mark Allen 2-1, and it looks like he's brought that gorgeous Chinese female referee with him that officiated the World Open final.

Zhang Anda and Gary Wilson are locked at 4-4. Zhang has had such a good season, Gary Wilson and Mark Selby had to play a qualifier for the privilege of playing against him.

Judd Trump and Mark Williams start tomorrow afternoon.

Amusing to see the snarl wiped off Carter's face.