2025 Tour Championship

The 2025 Tour Championship (officially the 2025 Sportsbet.io Tour Championship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 31 March to 6 April 2025 at the Manchester Central in Manchester, England. The 17th and penultimate ranking event of the 2024‍–‍25 season, it followed the 2025 Players Championship and preceded the 2025 World Snooker Championship. It was the last of three events in the Players Series, following the 2025 World Grand Prix and the Players Championship. Organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored by the crypto betting firm Sportsbet.io, the event was broadcast by ITV Sport domestically and by other broadcasters worldwide. The winner received £150,000 from a total prize fund of £500,000.
The event featured the top 12 players on the one-year ranking list as it stood after the Players Championship. The top four players on the list were seeded through to the quarter-finals. Mark Williams was the defending champion, having defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan 10‍–‍5 in the previous year's final, but he was beaten 3‍–‍10 by Ding Junhui in the first round. John Higgins won the tournament, defeating Mark Selby 10–8 in the final to claim his first Tour Championship title and the 33rd ranking title of his career. The tournament produced 39 century breaks, of which the highest was a 144 by Higgins in his semi-final match against Barry Hawkins.
The event took place from 31 March to 6 April 2025 at the Manchester Central in Manchester, England. The WST announced that there would be a free FanZone at Manchester Central.
The tournament featured the top 12 players on the one-year ranking list as it stood after the 2025 Players Championship. The previous event was the first to have 12 players, before which only the top eight had been included. The top four players on the list receive byes through to the quarter-finals. The WST scheduling resulted in the three events of the Players Series being back-to-back in the calendar, so that all four first-round matches were the same as those in the recent Players Championship.
All matches were the best of 19 frames, played over two sessions. While some matches—notably the final—were played to a conclusion in one day, others were played over two days.
The event was broadcast by ITV and ITVX in the United Kingdom; TNT Sports in Ireland; Eurosport and Discovery+ in Europe (excluding the United Kingdom and Ireland); Migu, Huya, the CBSA-WPBSA Academy WeChat channel, and CBSA-WPBSA Academy Douyin in mainland China; Now TV in Hong Kong; Astro SuperSport in Malaysia and Brunei; TrueVisions in Thailand; Sportcast in Taiwan; TAP in the Philippines; and WST Play in all other territories.
The breakdown of prize money for the event is shown below:
Unlike other events, where the defending champion is seeded first, the reigning World Champion second, and the remaining seedings based on the world rankings, eligibility for and seedings in the Players Series tournaments are determined by the one-year ranking list. The below list shows the top-12 players with the most ranking points acquired during the 2024‍–‍25 season, after the 2025 Players Championship:
The first-round matches were played on 31 March and 1 April as the best of 19 frames.
Shaun Murphy played Barry Hawkins, over both sessions on 31 March. After the first session, Hawkins led Murphy 7‍–‍1, making five century breaks of 126, 101, 132, 131, and 134. Hawkins went on to win the match 10‍–‍1. After the match Hawkins said: "I can't play much better than I did this afternoon. It's a shame I didn't beat [Stephen] Hendry's centuries record, but to beat Shaun [Murphy] 10‍–‍1 is unheard of. It doesn't happen often, to get in that bubble where you don't feel you are going to miss." Murphy commented: "It's not the first time this season, when I have come off a match having lost and not felt I have done that much wrong. I have known Barry [Hawkins] for 35 years and that's one of the best sessions of snooker I have seen him play. He would have been ahead of anyone this afternoon. I made some mistakes, but he was unplayable."
Xiao Guodong played Wu Yize, starting with the afternoon session on 31 March, and playing to completion in the afternoon session on 1 April. After the first session, Xiao recovered from 0‍–‍3 down to tie the score at 4‍–‍4. Xiao went on to win the match 10‍–‍8. After the match Xiao commented: "To do well at snooker you have to be happy. I have been in the UK for 17 years and I used to feel a lot of pressure. I was sad when I lost because I was a long way from home. Now I am comfortable, this is my second home. If I win I am happy, if I lose I still have friends to talk to. Today I just told myself to enjoy it because I have had a good season, it doesn't matter if I win or lose. Wu [Yize] is very dangerous, he can pot any ball on the table. But I tried not to put myself under pressure."
Defending champion Mark Williams played Ding Junhui, starting with the evening session on 31 March, and playing to completion in the evening session on 1 April. Williams was using contact lenses for the first time in this match, due to his deteriorating eyesight. After the first session, Ding led Williams 5‍–‍3, making a break of 116 in the 7th frame. Ding went on to take all five frames in the evening session, to win 10‍–‍3. After the match Ding said: "I just played the table. The first few frames yesterday I was so bad. I just tried to score more points in each frame. I felt 70% or 80% tonight. Mark [Williams] had chances at the start of the match. But tonight he was missing balls and left me chances. Hopefully I can play the way I want to against Kyren [Wilson]." Williams commented: "The scoreline tells you all you need to know [about the contact lenses]. I will stick with them. But whoever qualifies for the World Championship will be praying they draw me in the first round. But Ding [Junhui] was very good, he outplayed me."
Mark Selby played Si Jiahui, over both sessions on 1 April. After the first session, Selby led Si 6‍–‍2, making a 128 break in the 8th frame. Selby went on to win the match 10‍–‍6. After the match Selby commented: "I am practising more now and enjoying it more. Last year I wasn't putting the work in because I wasn't enjoying the game. I feel quietly confident now. To win two ranking titles makes it a good season. There are still some poor performances in there so I need to be more consistent. Overall I was happy with the way I played today but I know I'll need to improve against Neil [Robertson], I'll have to cut out the silly mistakes."
The quarter-finals were played on 2 and 3 April as the best of 19 frames.
Judd Trump played Hawkins, over both sessions on 2 April. After the first session Hawkins led Trump 6‍–‍2. Hawkins went on to win the match 10‍–‍5. After the match Hawkins commented: "I haven't got a clue what the difference has been this season, I am just going out and playing. I am staying relaxed, concentrating on myself and playing the way I do in practice. I'm not worrying about who is sitting in the other chair. I have been playing for 30 years and I have learned not to be stressed out. This is a bonus tournament for me because it is so hard to get into. I have had a good season and I am determined to enjoy it and not feel any pressure."
John Higgins played Xiao, starting with the afternoon session on 2 April, and playing to completion in the afternoon session on 3 April. After the first session Higgins led Xiao 5‍–‍3, making three century breaks of 104, 137, and 126. Higgins went on to win the match 10‍–‍3, taking all five frames in the second session. After the match Higgins said: "I won tough games at the World Open, coming back from a few frames down. It has given me back the belief in my game and my fighting qualities, that I can still do it at this level, that has been the most important thing. Big players are winning multiple events, that's what I need to try to do. I still want to compete with them. If I ever lose that I have got no chance."
Neil Robertson played Selby, starting with the evening session on 2 April, and playing to completion in the evening session on 3 April. After the first session Selby led Robertson 7‍–‍1, making a 105 break in the 4th frame. Selby took the remaining frames in the second session to win the match 10‍–‍1, making breaks of 124 and 123 in the last two frames. After the match Selby commented: "I am really pleased to beat Neil [Robertson] by any scoreline. Last night 7‍–‍1 flattered me because there were three or four frames which could have gone either way. I just need to keep my tempo up and follow up each good performance with another one. It's good to see Ding [Junhui] playing well because he is a great lad and what he has done for us in China is incredible. We owe him a lot, if it wasn't for him we wouldn't be going out there for so many big tournaments."
Kyren Wilson played Ding, over both sessions on 3 April. Wilson said that he was "full of confidence" ahead of the tournament, having won the previous event. After the first session Ding led Wilson 7‍–‍1. In the second session the match was delayed when Wilson suffered a nosebleed. Ding went on to win the match 10‍–‍5. After the match Ding said: "Before the match there was no pressure, but tonight I really wanted to win, especially as I had a big lead. I missed a few chances to win so I had to really concentrate. Maybe this is my lucky day, like 20 years ago. Winning big matches and long matches builds up my confidence. I have played Mark [Selby] many times and it is always very tough. He had a very good scoreline today. I am hitting the ball well on most shots, it's the way I like to play." Wilson commented: "I left myself with too much to do. I changed my tip before the session tonight and I was getting through the ball better. Every credit to Ding [Junhui], he was fantastic this afternoon. It might be a good thing because it gives me two weeks to rest before the World Championship."
The semi-finals were played on 4 and 5 April as the best of 19 frames.
Hawkins played Higgins on 4 April. At the end of the afternoon session the score was tied at 4‍–‍4, with Hawkins making a 140 total clearance in the 8th frame, the highest break of the tournament at that point. However this was overtaken by Higgins in the evening session when he made a 144 total clearance in the 12th frame. Higgins went on to make two more century breaks and win the match 10‍–‍7. After the match Higgins said: "In the first session, Barry [Hawkins] was hitting the ball well and looking superb, if he had gone 4‍–‍2 up he then could have gone 5‍–‍3 or 6‍–‍2, he was freezing me out. I was delighted to be 4‍–‍4, then I knew had to play better tonight, and I thought I played great. It was an amazing atmosphere, it reminds me of Alexandra Palace on a smaller scale. It's an incredible venue and Manchester is a great city. I'm sure Sunday will be even better and I can't wait." Hawkins commented: "It was a good match, I just had a few loose shots and John [Higgins] punished me heavily, he looked at the top of his game. It has still been a good week but I am disappointed right now."
Selby played Ding on 5 April. At the end of the afternoon session Selby led Ding 6‍–‍2. Selby then took all four frames in the evening session to win the match 10‍–‍2. After the match Selby commented: "I played good stuff all day. The last frame of the afternoon session was important, to go 6‍–‍2 ahead, as 5‍–‍3 could have made it a different game tonight. I have been playing with more belief this season and that has allowed me to be more natural and free-flowing so I think that's why I have scored more heavily. My safety let me down last season but now it's back where I want it to be. I hope John [Higgins] and I both play as well as we have been doing all week. I have got so much respect for him, he's one of my all time favourite players, and for him to still be competing like this is incredible. It's a chance for me to judge where my game is. I have enjoyed the challenge this week and stayed focussed." Having defeated Ding, Selby faces the "Ding Junhui curse" playing Higgins in the final. The "curse" is that in all the matches that Ding has lost this season, the player who beat him has lost in the next round.
The final was played on 6 April as the best of 19 frames. John Higgins, contesting his 58th ranking final, played Mark Selby, who was contesting his 37th. In the afternoon session, Higgins won five of the first six frames, but Selby ended the session with back-to-back centuries to leave Higgins leading 5–3. The session produced five century breaks, three by Selby and two by Higgins.
Numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the players' seedings, and players in bold denote match winners. All matches are played as the best of 19 frames.
A total of 39 century breaks were made in the tournament.