Hubbry Logo
2022 Champion of Champions2022 Champion of ChampionsMain
Open search
2022 Champion of Champions
Community hub
2022 Champion of Champions
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
2022 Champion of Champions
2022 Champion of Champions
from Wikipedia

2022 Cazoo Champion of Champions
Tournament information
Dates31 October – 6 November 2022 (2022-10-31 – 2022-11-06)
VenueUniversity of Bolton Stadium
CityBolton
CountryEngland
OrganisationMatchroom Sport
FormatNon-ranking event
Total prize fund£440,000
Winner's share£150,000
Highest break Judd Trump (ENG) (147)
Final
Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)
Runner-up Judd Trump (ENG)
Score10–6
2021
2023

The 2022 Champion of Champions (officially the 2022 Cazoo Champion of Champions) was a professional snooker tournament that took place between 31 October and 6 November 2022 at the University of Bolton Stadium in Bolton, England.[1] The 12th edition of the Champion of Champions since the tournament was first staged in 1978, it featured 16 participants, primarily winners of significant tournaments since the previous year's event. As an invitational tournament, it carried no world ranking points. The winner received £150,000 from a total prize fund of £440,000.

Judd Trump was the defending champion, having defeated John Higgins 10–4 in the 2021 final.[2] Ronnie O'Sullivan defeated Trump 10–6 in the final to win his fourth Champion of Champions title.[3][4] Trump made a maximum break in the eighth frame of the final, the seventh of his professional career and the second in the tournament's history.[5][6]

Format

[edit]

Prize fund

[edit]
  • Winner: £150,000
  • Runner-up: £60,000
  • Semi-final: £30,000
  • Group runner-up: £17,500
  • First round loser: £12,500
  • Total: £440,000[7]

Qualification

[edit]

Players qualified for the event by winning events throughout the previous year. Events shown below in grey are for players who had already qualified for the event. Remaining participants were the highest ranked players in the world rankings.[8][9]

Qualification table
Tournament Date of tournament final Winner
2021 Champion of Champions 21 November 2021  Judd Trump (ENG)
2021 UK Championship 5 December 2021  Zhao Xintong (CHN)
2022 Masters 16 January 2022  Neil Robertson (AUS)
2022 World Championship 2 May 2022  Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)
2021 World Grand Prix 19 December 2021  Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)
2022 German Masters 30 January 2022  Zhao Xintong (CHN)
2022 Players Championship 13 February 2022  Neil Robertson (AUS)
2022 European Masters (2021−22 season) 27 February 2022  Fan Zhengyi (CHN)
2022 Championship League Invitational 4 February 2022  John Higgins (SCO)
2022 Tour Championship 28 March 2022  Neil Robertson (AUS)
2022 Championship League (ranking) 29 July 2022  Luca Brecel (BEL)
2022 Turkish Masters 13 March 2022  Judd Trump (ENG)
2022 European Masters (2022–23 season) 21 August 2022  Kyren Wilson (ENG)
2021 Scottish Open 12 December 2021  Luca Brecel (BEL)
2022 Welsh Open 6 March 2022  Joe Perry (ENG)
2022 Northern Ireland Open 23 October 2022  Mark Allen (NIR)
2022 British Open 2 October 2022  Ryan Day (WAL)
2022 Gibraltar Open 26 March 2022  Robert Milkins (ENG)
2022 World Championship (runner-up) 2 May 2022  Judd Trump (ENG)
2022 Shoot Out 23 January 2022  Hossein Vafaei (IRN)
2022 Hong Kong Masters 9 October 2022  Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)
2022 Women's World Championship 14 February 2022  Mink Nutcharut (THA)
2022 World Seniors Championship 8 May 2022  Lee Walker (WAL)
Qualified through the world rankings 9 October 2022  Mark Selby (ENG)
Player also qualified by winning another tournament

Tournament draw

[edit]
Group semi-finals (last 16)
Best of 7 frames
Group finals (quarter-finals)
Best of 11 frames
Semi-finals
Best of 11 frames
Final
Best of 19 frames
            
1  Judd Trump (ENG) 4
 Luca Brecel (BEL) 2
1 England Judd Trump 6
Group 1
8 Northern Ireland Mark Allen 1
8  Mark Allen (NIR) 4
 Joe Perry (ENG) 2
1 England Judd Trump 6
4 England Mark Selby 3
4  Mark Selby (ENG) 4
 Lee Walker (WAL) 0
4 England Mark Selby 6
Group 4
5 Scotland John Higgins 4
5  John Higgins (SCO) 4
 Hossein Vafaei (IRN) 2
1 England Judd Trump 6
2 England Ronnie O'Sullivan 10
3  Neil Robertson (AUS) 3
 Fan Zhengyi (CHN) 4
  China Fan Zhengyi 6
Group 3
Wales Ryan Day 5
6  Kyren Wilson (ENG) 3
 Ryan Day (WAL) 4
China Fan Zhengyi 2
2 England Ronnie O'Sullivan 6
7  Zhao Xintong (CHN) 4
 Mink Nutcharut (THA) 2
7 China Zhao Xintong 1
Group 2
2 England Ronnie O'Sullivan 6
2  Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) 4
 Robert Milkins (ENG) 2

Final

[edit]
Final: Best of 19 frames. Referee: Marcel Eckardt
Bolton Whites Hotel, Bolton, England, 6 November 2022
Judd Trump (1)
 England
6–10 Ronnie O'Sullivan (2)
 England
Afternoon: 0–130 (96), 0–117 (103), 67–52 (O'Sullivan 52, Trump 51), 55–73, 14–78, 32–95 (52), 31–96 (88), 147–0 (147), 96–32 (96)
Evening: 0–106 (106), 63–0, 82–0 (82), 100–0 (100), 6–124 (124), 1–85 (85), 18–82 (81)
147 Highest break 124
2 Century breaks 3
5 50+ breaks 9

Century breaks

[edit]

A total of 24 century breaks were made during the tournament.[10]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
The 2022 Champion of Champions was a professional non-ranking held from 31 October to 6 November 2022 at the University of Bolton Stadium in , . Sponsored by , it invited 16 players who had won major ranking events or other significant tournaments over the preceding 12 months, including the , , and . won the event for a record fourth time, defeating defending champion 10–6 in the final, during which Trump compiled a maximum 147 break—the 181st official maximum in professional history. The tournament featured a distinctive format blending group stages and knockouts, with a total prize fund of £440,000 and £150,000 for the winner. The 16 competitors were divided into four groups of four, each contested over a single day: group semi-finals were played as best-of-7 frames, followed by best-of-9 frame group finals, with only the group winners advancing. Those four players then progressed to best-of-11 frame semi-finals, culminating in a best-of-19 frame final split across two sessions. O'Sullivan's path included a 4–1 group win over , a 6–3 semi-final victory against , securing his fourth title across all Champion of Champions editions since its revival in 2013.

Overview

Dates and venue

The 2022 Champion of Champions, officially titled the Champion of Champions, was held from 31 October to 6 November 2022. The tournament took place at the University of Bolton Stadium in , , a multi-purpose venue primarily known as the home ground of Bolton Wanderers Football Club. The stadium has an all-seated capacity of 28,723 for football matches. The snooker event was held in the Premier Suite of the adjacent Bolton Stadium Hotel, with a setup accommodating up to approximately 3,000 spectators. Cazoo served as the title sponsor for the 2022 edition, marking their involvement in the event's branding and promotion. In the , the tournament received live television coverage primarily on , with sessions typically scheduled for afternoons starting at 1:00 PM and evenings at 7:00 PM GMT, except for one midweek afternoon session broadcast on ; international rights were held by , ensuring global accessibility.

Participants and seeding

The 2022 Champion of Champions featured 16 invited players, selected primarily as recent winners of specified ranking events, non-ranking tournaments, or as wildcards based on achievements such as the defending champion status or high world rankings. Seeding was determined by the players' positions in the official two-year world rankings as of late October 2022, with the top four seeds— (world No. 1), (No. 2), (No. 3), and (No. 4)—placed in separate groups to ensure balanced competition. Additional invitees included wildcards for select high-profile players and the defending champion , alongside qualifiers from events like the women's (Mink Nutcharut). The full list of participants and their seeds (where applicable, based on rankings) were: Players were drawn into four groups of four, with each group winner advancing to the knockout stage. The groups were assigned as follows:
GroupPlayers
Group 1 (ENG), Mark Allen (NIR), Joe Perry (ENG), (BEL)
Group 2 (ENG), (ENG), (CHN), (THA)
Group 3 (AUS), (CHN), (ENG), Ryan Day (WAL)
Group 4 (ENG), (WAL), (SCO), (IRN)

Qualification

Qualification criteria

The 2022 Cazoo Champion of Champions was an invitational featuring 16 players selected as recent winners from the preceding 12 months. Qualification was determined by compiling a list of 24 events divided into six chronological sections, with the first 16 unique players to win at least one of these events securing a spot in the field. The qualifying events encompassed the 11 ranking tournaments of the 2021/22 World Snooker Tour season, including the British Open (won by Ryan Day), World Championship (Ronnie O'Sullivan), and Northern Ireland Open (Mark Allen), alongside non-ranking invitational events such as the previous year's Champion of Champions (defending champion Judd Trump) and the Masters (Neil Robertson). Additional spots were allocated to winners of the Championship League, Scottish Open, Welsh Open, and Gibraltar Open. If a player secured multiple victories, they received only one invitation, allowing subsequent event winners to qualify and prioritizing diversity in the field. In a change from prior editions, the criteria for 2022 incorporated the World Seniors Snooker Championship winner () and the winner (Nutcharut Wongharuthai), marking the second appearance by a female player in the event's history. One final spot was filled via the rankings, awarded to , as the event winners yielded exactly 15 unique qualifiers.

Qualified players

The 2022 Cazoo Champion of Champions featured 16 players who qualified by winning specified professional ranking events (or equivalent invitational tournaments) within the preceding 12 months from November 2021 to October 2022, with the final spot awarded to the highest-ranked player on the not otherwise qualified. Several players earned qualification through multiple victories, with priority given to the earliest event; subsequent wins by already-qualified players allowed spots to roll over to later events or the rankings allocation. For instance, qualified as defending champion but also won the Turkish Masters and finished as runner-up, while secured spots via the Masters, , and . No significant last-minute withdrawals or suspensions altered the field.
PlayerCountryQualifying EventDate
Mark AllenNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland OpenOctober 2021
Judd TrumpEnglandChampion of Champions (defending)November 2021
Zhao XintongChinaUK ChampionshipDecember 2021
Luca BrecelBelgiumScottish OpenDecember 2021
Neil RobertsonAustraliaMastersJanuary 2022
Hossein VafaeiIranSnooker Shoot OutJanuary 2022
Fan ZhengyiChinaEuropean MastersFebruary 2022
Nutcharut WongharuthaiThailandWomen's World ChampionshipFebruary 2022
Joe PerryEnglandWelsh OpenFebruary 2022
John HigginsScotlandChampionship League InvitationalFebruary 2022
Robert MilkinsEnglandGibraltar OpenMarch 2022
Ronnie O'SullivanEnglandWorld ChampionshipMay 2022
Lee WalkerWalesWorld Seniors ChampionshipMay 2022
Kyren WilsonEnglandEuropean MastersAugust 2022
Ryan DayWalesBritish OpenOctober 2022
Mark SelbyEnglandWorld Snooker Tour rankings-

Format

Tournament structure

The 2022 Champion of Champions was structured as an invitational, non-ranking professional featuring 16 players divided into four groups of four. Each group was contested over a single day in a format, beginning with two semi-final matches played to a best-of-seven frames, followed by a group final between the winners, best-of-11 frames. The winner of each group final advanced to the , resulting in four players progressing overall. The knockout stage consisted of two semi-final matches, each best-of-11 frames, held on consecutive days, with the winners advancing to the final. The final was contested over a best-of-19 frames across two sessions. No special tiebreakers, such as frame re-spots, were employed beyond the standard match formats, as all encounters were decisive. This setup distinguished the event from ranking tournaments by emphasizing rapid progression through group knockouts rather than full round-robin play.

Prize fund

The 2022 Champion of Champions offered a total prize fund of £440,000, making it one of the most lucrative invitational events on the calendar. Supported by sponsorship from , this helped elevate the stakes for the elite field of recent tournament winners. was distributed based on performance across the tournament's unique group and knockout structure. The winner claimed £150,000, while the runner-up received £60,000. Each of the two losing semi-finalists earned £30,000. The four quarter-final losers—who reached this stage as runners-up in their groups—each took home £17,500. The eight players eliminated in the last 16, comprising the losers of the group semi-finals, received £12,500 apiece.
StageNumber of PlayersPrize per Player
Winner1£150,000
Runner-up1£60,000
Losing semi-finalists2£30,000
Quarter-final losers (group runners-up)4£17,500
Last-16 losers (group semi-final losers)8£12,500
As a non-ranking invitational , earnings from the event did not contribute to players' positions on the official rankings, emphasizing its prestige as a bonus for top performers from the prior season.

Tournament summary

Group stage

The group stage of the 2022 Champion of Champions took place from 31 to 3 2022 at the University of Bolton Stadium in , , involving 16 invited players divided into four groups of four. Each group followed a fixed format: two opening best-of-seven-frames matches determined the initial winners, who then competed in a best-of-11-frames decider to crown the group winner and secure advancement to the semi-finals; the loser of this decider finished as group runner-up and was eliminated, while the opening-match losers exited as first-round defeats. This ensured eight players were eliminated early, with the four group winners progressing to the knockout phase. Group A featured top seed alongside Mark Allen, , and Joe Perry. In the opening matches on 2 November, Trump defeated Brecel 4–2, while Allen overcame Perry 4–2. The evening decider saw Trump dominate Allen 6–1, advancing as group winner with a clinical performance that included breaks of 92 and 80. Allen finished as runner-up. Group B, held on 31 October and concluding on 1 November, pitted against , , and . Selby whitewashed Walker 4–0 in a flawless opening match, and Higgins edged Vafaei 4–2. In the decider, Selby held off a resilient Higgins 6–4, highlighted by a 140 break in the opening frame, though Higgins responded with a 141 later in the match, to top the group; Higgins was runner-up. The whitewash marked a rare in the event's group stage. Group C on 1 November included , , Ryan Day, and . Day outlasted Wilson 4–3 in an opening match, and Fan upset third seed Robertson 4–3. The group final proved the closest of the stage, with Fan edging Day 6–5 in the final frame after trailing 3–2, securing advancement; Day took runner-up. This upset eliminated pre-tournament favorite Robertson early. Group D concluded the group stage on 3 November, with facing , , and . O'Sullivan beat Milkins 4–2, and Zhao dispatched Nutcharut 4–2. The decider was one-sided, as O'Sullivan crushed Zhao 6–1—his only frames conceded coming in the third and sixth—to win the group convincingly, including breaks of 135 and 108; Zhao ended as runner-up. Across the group stage, 83 were played in total, with an average length of 6 in the opening rounds and 8.75 in the deciders. Notable surprises included Fan Zhengyi's victories over higher seeds and Selby's , while Trump's and 's dominant deciders underscored the favorites' strength. The highest break was Higgins's 141, and several centuries were compiled in the preliminaries. The four group winners—Trump, , Fan, and —advanced to the semi-finals.

Knockout rounds

The knockout rounds of the 2022 Champion of Champions consisted of two semi-final matches played on Saturday, 5 November, at the University of Bolton Stadium, each to a best-of-11-frames format. The four group winners—, , , and —advanced directly to this stage, where the top seeds demonstrated their form by securing convincing victories to reach the final, with no upsets occurring. In the first semi-final, faced , the surprise Group C winner who had edged out Ryan Day in a decider earlier in the week. , the world number two and three-time Champion of Champions winner, took control early with breaks of 89 and 117 to lead 2-0. responded with a composed 100 clearance in the third frame, but pulled away with further contributions of 86 and 105, extending his lead to 4-1 at the end of the fifth frame. then won the sixth frame with a 62 break to lead 5-1. mounted a brief fightback, compiling a superb 123 break in the seventh frame to reduce the deficit to 5-2, yet sealed the match with a 75 break in the eighth frame for a 6-2 victory. The match lasted approximately two hours, with 's pot success rate exceeding 90%, showcasing his clinical finishing. A single century (117 by ) was recorded.
FrameScoreBreak
189–3589 ()
2117–1117 ()
31–100-
486–1786 ()
5105–055 ()
667–3662 ()
70–123123 (Fan)
8128–075 ()
The second semi-final pitted defending champion against , both English players and former world champions. , the world number one, started with an 89 opener to lead 1-0 but lost the second frame to level at 1-1. then won the third and fourth frames, including a 74 break in the fourth, to lead 3-1. clawed back with breaks of 66 and 81 in the fifth and sixth frames to level at 3-3. responded decisively with an 83 and a 114 century in the seventh and eighth frames to lead 5-3, then closed out the match 6-3 with a 75 break in the ninth. 's aggressive play yielded a 92% pot success rate, while 's safety game faltered under pressure. The only century in the match was 's 114.
FrameScoreBreak
189–089 (Trump)
214–70-
373–1-
485–074 (Trump)
512–9066 ()
656–81-
783–1583 (Trump)
8114–0114 (Trump)
975–075 (Trump)
Across the semi-finals, two centuries were compiled, underlining the high quality of play among the elite field. Trump's and O'Sullivan's dominant performances highlighted their seeding advantage, setting up a highly anticipated final between the top two ranked players.

Final

Match summary

The final of the 2022 Champion of Champions, held at the University of Bolton, pitted two English top seeds against each other: , the world number two and seven-time world champion, and , the world number one and defending tournament champion. The pair had a storied rivalry, having contested the final earlier that year, where O'Sullivan emerged victorious. Refereed by , the best-of-19-frames match unfolded over two sessions in front of a supportive crowd at the venue. O'Sullivan dominated the opening session (frames 1–9), leading 6–3 with a century in frame two (103), a 96 break in frame one, and several half-century breaks, though early errors allowed Trump to claim three frames. Trump mounted a spirited comeback in the evening session, winning three consecutive frames (11–13) to narrow the deficit to 7–6, highlighted by his seventh career 147 in frame eight of the match—the second in Champion of Champions history—which electrified the atmosphere. However, O'Sullivan steadied himself with a clinical response, compiling breaks of 106, 124, and 85 in the final frames to secure a 10-6 victory and claim his record fourth title. The match showcased O'Sullivan's resilience in overcoming a mid-match wobble, while Trump's bold play, including the maximum, underscored the high stakes and competitive tension between the rivals.

Frame-by-frame breakdown

The final between and unfolded over 16 frames, with O'Sullivan establishing early dominance before Trump mounted a significant comeback in the evening session. The match began with O'Sullivan racing to a 6–1 lead after frame 7 in the afternoon session, compiling several high breaks amid Trump's uncharacteristic errors in positioning and safety play, before Trump won frames 8 and 9 to trail 6–3 at the interval. Trump responded aggressively after the interval, capitalizing on O'Sullivan's occasional lapses in concentration to narrow the score to 7–6 with three consecutive frames, highlighted by his historic in frame 8. O'Sullivan then regained composure in the closing stages, securing the victory with a run of four frames (including frame 10) to demonstrate superior tactical resilience under pressure. In frame 1, cleared 130 points with a 96 break after Trump missed an early , potting all reds and colors fluidly to set an assertive tone. Frame 2 saw extend his lead to 117-0 via a 103 , exploiting Trump's tentative opening shot that left a straightforward chance. Trump finally claimed frame 3, 52-67, with a 51 break following a prolonged exchange where 's 52 break stalled on the final colors due to a positional error on the . responded in frame 4, grinding out a 73-55 win through scrappy potting after both players traded smaller breaks in a tactical battle over the baulk area. Frame 5 went to 78-14, as he potted steadily after Trump fouled on a , maintaining control with precise long pots. In frame 6, 's 95-32 victory included a 52 break, built on Trump's missed red that handed the initiative. The afternoon session continued with frame 7, where 's 96-31 frame featured an 88 break, maintaining the 6–1 lead as Trump struggled with cue ball control on approaches to the pack. Trump's surge began in frame 8, compiling a flawless 147 —his first in a major final—to trail 6–2, showcasing exceptional shot selection and recovery from awkward angles. Frame 9 saw Trump take it 32-96 with a 96 break after 's safety misjudgment left a pot on the black, ending the afternoon at 6–3. The evening session opened with frame 10, halting the momentum with a for a 106-0 , regaining a four-frame advantage at 7–3. Trump narrowed the gap in frame 11 with a 63-0 win, grinding through a duel where overhit a positional shot. Frame 12 fell to Trump 82-0 via an 82 break, as erred on a long pot, allowing Trump to build rhythm. Trump's third consecutive frame came in frame 13, a 100-0 that narrowed the match to 7–6 and shifted momentum in his favor. O'Sullivan countered in frame 14, compiling a 124 for a 124-6 , potting with authority after Trump missed a straightforward , restoring his lead at 8–6. Frame 15 saw O'Sullivan extend to 85-1 with an 85 break, capitalizing on Trump's foul in a high-stakes battle. The match concluded in frame 16, where O'Sullivan's 82-18 win, featuring an 81 break, sealed the 10-6 triumph amid Trump's frustrated attempts at recovery shots. Overall, O'Sullivan amassed 1070 points to Trump's 712, with five centuries compiled in total—three by O'Sullivan (103, 106, 124) and two by Trump (100, 147)—underscoring the high quality of breaks amid tactical exchanges.
FrameScore (O'Sullivan - Trump)Key Break(s)Winner
1130-0 96
2117-0 103 (century)
352-67Trump 51Trump
473-55-
578-14-
695-32 52
796-31 88
80-147Trump 147 (maximum)Trump
932-96Trump 96Trump
10106-0 106 (century)
110-63Trump 63Trump
120-82Trump 82Trump
130-100Trump 100 (century)Trump
14124-6 124 (century)
1585-1 85
1682-18 81

Century breaks

A total of 24 century breaks were compiled during the 2022 Champion of Champions.
PlayerOpponentRoundBreak
Ronnie O'SullivanZhao XintongQuarter-final135
Ronnie O'SullivanZhao XintongQuarter-final108
Mark SelbyJohn HigginsQuarter-final140
Mark SelbyJohn HigginsQuarter-final105
John HigginsMark SelbyQuarter-final141
Judd TrumpMark AllenQuarter-final104
Mark AllenJudd TrumpQuarter-final103
Fan ZhengyiAli CarterQuarter-final135
Fan ZhengyiAli CarterQuarter-final130
Mark AllenJoe PerryLast 16118
Mark AllenJoe PerryLast 16110
John HigginsHossein VafaeiLast 16118
Ronnie O'SullivanRobert MilkinsLast 16131
Neil RobertsonFan ZhengyiLast 16122
Zhao XintongMink NutcharutLast 16132
Ronnie O'SullivanFan ZhengyiSemi-final117
Fan ZhengyiRonnie O'SullivanSemi-final123
Judd TrumpMark SelbySemi-final114
Ronnie O'SullivanJudd TrumpFinal130
Ronnie O'SullivanJudd TrumpFinal117
Ronnie O'SullivanJudd TrumpFinal124
Ronnie O'SullivanJudd TrumpFinal106
Ronnie O'SullivanJudd TrumpFinal103
Judd TrumpRonnie O'SullivanFinal147
Judd TrumpRonnie O'SullivanFinal100

References

Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.