2008 Welsh Open (snooker)

The 2008 Welsh Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 11 and 17 February 2008 in the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales.

Welsh Open

Tournament information
Dates	11–17 February 2008
Venue	Newport Centre
City	Newport
Country	Wales
Organisation(s)	WPBSA
Format	Ranking event
Total prize fund	£225,500
Winner's share	£35,000
Highest break	Ronnie O'Sullivan (143)
Final
Champion	Mark Selby
Runner-up	Ronnie O'Sullivan
Score	9–8
← 2007 2009 →

Neil Robertson was the defending champion, but he lost his last 16 match against Ali Carter.

Mark Selby won his first ranking title by defeating Ronnie O'Sullivan 9–8, after coming back from a 5–8 deficit.

Notable happenings

• Tian Pengfei won the last 3 frames to oust one of the Welsh favourites, Matthew Stevens 5–4.
• David Roe led John Higgins 3–1 before losing 3–5.
• Mark Williams won the last 3 frames to beat Marco Fu 5–4.
• Ali Carter led Neil Robertson 4–0 but won only 5–3.
• Ronnie O'Sullivan won the high break prize with a 143 in the last frame of his 6–3 semi-final victory over Shaun Murphy, surpassing an effort of 134 from Marcus Campbell.
• Mark Selby had a highest break of 77 in the final compared to O'Sullivan's 135.

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:[1]

Winner: £35,000 Runner Up: £17,500 Semi Finalists: £8,750 Quarter Finalist: £6,500 Last 16: £4,275 Last 32: £2,750 Last 48: £1,725 Last 64: £1,325

Stage one highest break: £500 Stage two highest break: £2,000 Stage one maximum break: £1,000 Stage two maximum break: £20,000 Total: £225,500

Main draw

[2][3]

	Last 48 Best of 9 frames					Last 32 Best of 9 frames					Last 16 Best of 9 frames					Quarter-finals Best of 9 frames					Semi-Finals Best of 11 frames					Final Best of 17 frames
	22	Jamie Cope	5			1	Neil Robertson	5
	61	Jimmy Michie	4			22	Jamie Cope	1
											1	Neil Robertson	3
											14	Ali Carter	5
	20	Matthew Stevens	4	14	Ali Carter	5
	69	Tian Pengfei	5			69	Tian Pengfei	2
																14	Ali Carter	4
															6	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
	21	Mark King	5			15	Steve Davis	5
	42	Andrew Norman	1			21	Mark King	3
											15	Steve Davis	3
											6	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
	17	Joe Swail	2	6	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
	51	Judd Trump	5			51	Judd Trump	3
																					6	Ronnie O'Sullivan	6
																					4	Shaun Murphy	3
	18	Joe Perry	5			7	Peter Ebdon	1
	39	John Parrott	2			18	Joe Perry	5
											18	Joe Perry	5
											23	Stuart Bingham	2
	23	Stuart Bingham	5	10	Stephen Maguire	4
		Matthew Selt	2			23	Stuart Bingham	5
																18	Joe Perry	0
															4	Shaun Murphy	5
	27	Marco Fu	5			12	Mark Williams	5
	40	Adrian Gunnell	3			27	Marco Fu	4
											12	Mark Williams	2
											4	Shaun Murphy	5
	28	Ian McCulloch	5	4	Shaun Murphy	5
	57	Drew Henry	1			28	Ian McCulloch	3
																										6	Ronnie O'Sullivan	8
																										11	Mark Selby	9
	25	Nigel Bond	4			3	Graeme Dott	4
	34	Michael Judge	5			34	Michael Judge	5
											34	Michael Judge	2
											13	Stephen Lee	5
	26	Anthony Hamilton	2	13	Stephen Lee	5
	44	Andrew Higginson	5			44	Andrew Higginson	3
																13	Stephen Lee	2
															8	Stephen Hendry	5
	29	Mark Allen	5			16	Ryan Day	5
	45	David Gilbert	4			29	Mark Allen	2
											16	Ryan Day	4
											8	Stephen Hendry	5
	24	Michael Holt	5	8	Stephen Hendry	5
	58	Joe Delaney	4			24	Michael Holt	1
																					8	Stephen Hendry	4
																					11	Mark Selby	6
	31	Dominic Dale	2			5	Ken Doherty	5
	38	Alan McManus	5			38	Alan McManus	3
											5	Ken Doherty	2
											11	Mark Selby	5
	30	Dave Harold	5	11	Mark Selby	5
	49	Rod Lawler	4			30	Dave Harold	2
																11	Mark Selby	5
															2	John Higgins	2
	32	Gerard Greene	3			9	Ding Junhui	5
	52	Marcus Campbell	5			52	Marcus Campbell	4
											9	Ding Junhui	1
											2	John Higgins	5
	19	Barry Hawkins	2	2	John Higgins	5
	55	David Roe	5			55	David Roe	3

Final

Final: Best of 17 frames. Referee: Eirian Williams. Newport Centre, Newport, Wales, 17 February 2008.[2]
Ronnie O'Sullivan (6)  England	8–9	Mark Selby (11)  England
Afternoon: 6–90 (77), 50–60, 69–5 (50), 72–44, 23–56 (51), 62–35, 0–139 (70, 65), 130–0 (108) Evening: 97–0 (93), 135–6 (135), 22–72 (72), 87–35 (63), 69–1 (54), 0–89, 28–86 (62), 53–67 (O'Sullivan 53), 37–72
135	Highest break	77
2	Century breaks	0
7	50+ breaks	6

Qualifying

Qualifying for the tournament took place at Pontin's in Prestatyn, Wales between 26 January and 28 January 2008.[4]

	Round 1 Best of 9 frames			Round 2 Best of 9 frames			Round 3 Best of 9 frames
	Joe Jogia	3		Jimmy Michie	5		Robert Milkins	2
	Alfie Burden	5		Alfie Burden	2		Jimmy Michie	5
	Tian Pengfei	5		Scott MacKenzie	4		Rory McLeod	3
	Steve Mifsud	3		Tian Pengfei	5		Tian Pengfei	5
	Liang Wenbo	5		Paul Davies	1		Andrew Norman	5
	Ashley Wright	2		Liang Wenbo	5		Liang Wenbo	2
	Lee Walker	2		Judd Trump	5		Andy Hicks	2
	Martin Gould	5		Martin Gould	1		Judd Trump	5
	David Morris	5		Mike Dunn	5		John Parrott	5
	Gareth Coppack	1		David Morris	2		Mike Dunn	4
	Matthew Selt	5		Barry Pinches	1		Mark Davis	3
	Ben Woollaston	1		Matthew Selt	5		Matthew Selt	5
	Liu Song	5		Tom Ford	5		Adrian Gunnell	5
	Xiao Guodong	2		Liu Song	1		Tom Ford	2
	Leo Fernandez	5		Drew Henry	5		Fergal O'Brien	4
	Fraser Patrick	2		Leo Fernandez	4		Drew Henry	5
	Munraj Pal	3		Stuart Pettman	5		Michael Judge	5
	Patrick Wallace	5		Patrick Wallace	2		Stuart Pettman	2
	James McBain	3		Jimmy White	5		Andrew Higginson	5
	Rodney Goggins	5		Rodney Goggins	1		Jimmy White	2
	Kurt Maflin	5		Ian Preece	5		David Gilbert	5
	I Kachaiwong	4		Kurt Maflin	1		Ian Preece	1
	Tony Drago	5		Joe Delaney	5		Jamie Burnett	2
	Kevin Van Hove	1		Tony Drago	4		Joe Delaney	5
	Mark Joyce	5		Robin Hull	w/d		Alan McManus	5
	Jimmy Robertson	4		Mark Joyce	w/o		Mark Joyce	1
	Jamie O'Neill	5		Rod Lawler	5		James Wattana	2
	Liu Chuang	2		Jamie O'Neill	4		Rod Lawler	5
	Lee Spick	5		Marcus Campbell	5		Ricky Walden	4
	Supoj Saenla	1		Lee Spick	4		Marcus Campbell	5
	Alex Davies	5		David Roe	5		David Gray	1
	Michael White	4		Alex Davies	0		David Roe	5

Century breaks

Main stage centuries

143, 135, 113, 108, 105, 101 Ronnie O'Sullivan 134 Marcus Campbell 133 Ken Doherty 132, 115, 108, 107 Joe Perry 130, 124 Stephen Hendry 129, 108, 105 Shaun Murphy 125, 114 John Higgins 123, 112 Judd Trump 123 Stuart Bingham 117, 101 Marco Fu 115 Ding Junhui

114, 101 Mark Selby 114, 100 Mark Williams 112 Michael Judge 109 Stephen Maguire 107 Jamie Cope 107 Andrew Higginson 105, 102 Ali Carter 103 Dave Harold 102 Rod Lawler 100 Anthony Hamilton 100 Neil Robertson

Qualifying stage centuries

134 Stuart Pettman 128 Munraj Pal 126 Judd Trump 123 Tony Drago 122 Liang Wenbo 113 Issara Kachaiwong

112 Ian Preece 109 Tom Ford 105 David Roe 104 Jimmy Michie 100 Lee Walker

References

1. "Preisgeld Welsh Open 2008". brownball.de. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
2. "Welsh Open 2008". Snooker.org. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
3. "Welsh Open 2008". brownball.de. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
4. "Qualifikation Welsh Open 2008". brownball.de. Retrieved 27 March 2011.