World Series of Snooker

The World Series of Snooker is a series of snooker tournaments set up as a compliment to the WBPSA's tour [ [http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/20012008/58/eurosport-announce-world-series.html Eurosport announce world series] ] . Its first season is played in 2008, consisting of four two-day tournaments (quarter-finals on Saturday, semi-finals and final on Sunday) in Jersey, Germany, Russia and Poland. It features eight leading players - each tournament features four of these taking on four wild cards. Points are awarded for reaching at least the semi-finals, and the four most successful players go on to a final tournament in Moscow, Russia, with the final winner receiving €70,000 (around £56000).

The first tournament was held at St. Helier and featured four pros - John Higgins, Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby and Ken Doherty. Also signed up to play in later events are Graeme Dott, Stephen Maguire, Ding Junhui and Steve Davis.

John Higgins won the first event, defeating Mark Selby 6-3 in the final [ [http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/23062008/58/higgins-maiden-series-win.html Higgins in maiden series win] ] . Wildcards included four-time Polish champion Rafal Jewtuch and former professional Gary Britton, who defeated Doherty 4-1.

Management and purpose

The tour was set up by FTSC Sports Management, who manage leading snooker players John Higgins and Graeme Dott, as well as Eurosport (who screen the events alongside the coverage of the WPBSA tour), Higgins [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jan/16/snooker.sport Higgins backs new world series] ] , and leading referee Michaela Tabb. Higgins felt that the game's attendances were too low, and that potential new venues outside the game's traditional United Kingdom and recently-developed Far East markets were not being utilised, and wanted to give something back to the sport [ [http://setanta.com/en/Sport/News/Other-sports/2008/06/17/Snooker-Higgins-excited-about-World-Series/?facets/sport-space/great-britain-locale/ Higgins excited about World Series] ] . After conducting exploratory tours and playing a trial event in Warsaw (the Warsaw Snooker Tour), the first season was arranged. There are plans for future seasons to feature as many as ten events, running during the game's traditional off-season from May to August [ [http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/163254/new-snooker-world-league-for-2008 New Snooker World League for 2008] ]

2008 Tournament overview

{| class = "prettytable"
-style="background:#efefef;"!Date!Venue!Winner!Finalist
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21.-22.06.2008
flagicon|Jersey Fort Regent, St. Helier
flagicon|Scotland John Higgins
flagicon|England Mark Selby
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12.-13.07.2008
flagicon|Germany Tempodrom, Berlin
flagicon|Scotland Graeme Dott
flagicon|England Shaun Murphy
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27.-28.09.2008
flagicon|Russia ?, Moscow


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25.-26.10.2008
flagicon|Poland ?, Warsaw


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References