British Snooker Champion Faces Suspension Over Potentially Suspicious Wagers
Mark King, a well-known snooker player from the UK, will step aside for a while as the World Snooker Tour (WST) looks into allegations of illegal betting connected to his recent match against Joe Perry.
In February, King lost to Perry in the first round of the Welsh Open, resulting in a 4-0 loss. This raised suspicions that something unusual was happening, especially when some "abnormal betting patterns" surfaced around that game, as reported by The Irish Times.
The WST hasn't formally implicated King, but the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) received a heads-up about questionable conduct. As a result, the WPBSA decided to investigate further, forcing King's temporary suspension from the tour. His ban will continue until the WPBSA concludes its inquiry or files any potential charges.
The WPBSA clarified that "Mark King has the right to appeal this decision."
King has faced accusations of excessive gambling in the past. He acknowledged his past addiction to gambling, but claims to have turned a new leaf and overcome his addiction.
New European Amateur Champion Emerges
Ross Muir, a 27-year-old player from Scotland, has been crowned the new European Amateur Snooker Champion. Muir defeated fellow countryman Michael Collumb, 34, 5-1 in the final held at the Dolmen Hotel in Malta.
Muir made quick work of his rival, taking a 2-0 lead thanks to breaks of 55 and 88. Collumb managed to snag the third frame, but Muir responded by reeling off three more to earn the decisive win and a two-year WST membership.
Muir joins a group of four Scottish players who have previously won the title – Graham Horne in 1996, Scott Donaldson in 2012, and Chris Totten in 2017.
Doctoring Announces Retirement
The Snooker World Championship is set to begin on April 15. However, several-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan may not participate due to a possible injury that is causing him to consider retirement.
O'Sullivan, who had been wavering about retirement, was scheduled to play David Grace in the second round of the WST Classic on Sunday. Unfortunately, an elbow injury compelled him to withdraw, leaving the door open for Grace to advance automatically to the last 32, where he will engage Welsh professional Jamie Jones on Monday, and Jones is currently a -187 favorite to win the match on Ladbrokes.
While O'Sullivan and Judd Trump are tied as the favored contenders to win the World Championship, this status might change today. Trump is also the top pick to win the WST Classic.
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