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2021 Championship League (invitational)

The 2021 Championship League Invitational was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament, that took place from in the Ballroom, Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, England. It is the 16th staging of the tournament.

On the first day of the tournament Stuart Bingham made the eighth career maximum break. He accomplished the feat in the second frame of his Group 1 win over Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.

Kyren Wilson was the defending champion, having defeated Judd Trump 3–1 in the final of the ranking edition of the tournament.

Wilson successfully defended the title, coming from 0–2 down in his last Winners group game, the semi-final and the final to win all three matches 3–2. He defeated Mark Williams 3–2 in the final to win the tournament.

Tournament format

The Championship League event sees 25 professionals take part, with players earning prize money for every frame won. Matches are best of five frames, and the league is played from January to April 2021.

The competition runs over eight groups, each consisting of seven players. From each group the top four qualify for a play-off, and the winners of the first seven play-offs qualify for the winners group. The bottom two players of each group are eliminated and the remaining four move to the next group, where they are joined by three more players until the seventh group. The winners play in the final group, and the winner of the Winners' Group play-off takes the title and a place at the 2021 Champion of Champions.

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for the 2021 Championship League is shown below.

Groups 1–7
  • Winner: £3,000
  • Runner-up: £2,000
  • Semi-final: £1,000
  • Frame-win (league stage): £100
  • Frame-win (play-offs): £300
  • Highest break: £500
Winners' Group
  • Winner: £10,000
  • Runner-up: £5,000
  • Semi-final: £3,000
  • Frame-win (league stage): £200
  • Frame-win (play-offs): £300
  • Highest break: £1,000
  • Tournament total: £182,700

Group 1

Group 1 was played on 4 and 5 January 2021. Zhou Yuelong won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.

Matches

  • John Higgins 3–2 Stuart Bingham
  • Michael Holt 1–3 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
  • John Higgins 3–0 Gary Wilson
  • Zhou Yuelong 2–3 Graeme Dott
  • Stuart Bingham 3–2 Michael Holt
  • Gary Wilson 2–3 Graeme Dott
  • John Higgins 3–1 Michael Holt
  • Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 2–3 Zhou Yuelong
  • Michael Holt 1–3 Gary Wilson
  • Stuart Bingham 3–0 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
  • Gary Wilson 3–2 Zhou Yuelong
  • John Higgins 3–2 Graeme Dott
  • Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 2–3 Graeme Dott
  • Stuart Bingham 2–3 Zhou Yuelong
  • Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 3–2 Gary Wilson
  • Michael Holt 0–3 Zhou Yuelong
  • Stuart Bingham 3–2 Gary Wilson
  • Michael Holt 1–3 Graeme Dott
  • John Higgins 0–3 Zhou Yuelong
  • Stuart Bingham 3–1 Graeme Dott
  • John Higgins 3–0 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh

Table

Play-offs

Group 2

Group 2 was played on 6 and 7 January 2021. Graeme Dott won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.

Matches

  • Kyren Wilson 3–1 Scott Donaldson
  • Matthew Selt 3–1 Gary Wilson
  • Kyren Wilson 0–3 Graeme Dott
  • Stuart Bingham 2–3 John Higgins
  • Matthew Selt 1–3 Scott Donaldson
  • Graeme Dott 2–3 John Higgins
  • Kyren Wilson 1–3 Matthew Selt
  • Gary Wilson 3–1 Stuart Bingham
  • Matthew Selt 3–1 Graeme Dott
  • Scott Donaldson 3–0 Gary Wilson
  • Graeme Dott 3–2 Stuart Bingham
  • Kyren Wilson 2–3 John Higgins
  • Gary Wilson 1–3 John Higgins
  • Scott Donaldson 3–1 Stuart Bingham
  • Gary Wilson 1–3 Graeme Dott
  • Matthew Selt 1–3 Stuart Bingham
  • Scott Donaldson 3–2 Graeme Dott
  • Matthew Selt 3–0 John Higgins
  • Kyren Wilson 3–2 Stuart Bingham
  • Kyren Wilson 2–3 Gary Wilson
  • Scott Donaldson 1–3 John Higgins

Table

Play-offs

Group 3

Group 3 was played on 8 and 9 January 2021. John Higgins won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.

Matches

  • Mark Selby 3–1 Zhao Xintong
  • Tom Ford 1–3 Kyren Wilson
  • Zhao Xintong 3–2 John Higgins
  • Matthew Selt 0–3 Scott Donaldson
  • Mark Selby 0–3 Tom Ford
  • John Higgins 3–1 Scott Donaldson
  • Zhao Xintong 2–3 Tom Ford
  • Kyren Wilson 3–2 Matthew Selt
  • Tom Ford 2–3 John Higgins
  • Mark Selby 3–0 Kyren Wilson
  • John Higgins 3–0 Matthew Selt
  • Zhao Xintong 3–2 Scott Donaldson
  • Kyren Wilson 3–2 Scott Donaldson
  • Mark Selby 0–3 Matthew Selt
  • Kyren Wilson 1–3 John Higgins
  • Tom Ford 0–3 Matthew Selt
  • Mark Selby 3–2 John Higgins
  • Tom Ford 3–1 Scott Donaldson
  • Zhao Xintong 3–2 Matthew Selt
  • Mark Selby 2–3 Scott Donaldson
  • Zhao Xintong 1–3 Kyren Wilson

Table

Play-offs

Group 4

Group 4 was played on 8 and 9 February 2021. Judd Trump won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.

Matches

  • Judd Trump 3–0 Mark Williams
  • Mark Selby 3–1 Jack Lisowski
  • Judd Trump 3–2 Tom Ford
  • Kyren Wilson 3–1 Barry Hawkins
  • Jack Lisowski 1–3 Mark Williams
  • Kyren Wilson 2–3 Tom Ford
  • Judd Trump 2–3 Jack Lisowski
  • Mark Selby 0–3 Barry Hawkins
  • Jack Lisowski 0–3 Tom Ford
  • Mark Selby 3–2 Mark Williams
  • Barry Hawkins 3–2 Tom Ford
  • Judd Trump 1–3 Kyren Wilson
  • Mark Selby 3–0 Kyren Wilson
  • Mark Williams 1–3 Barry Hawkins
  • Mark Selby 3–1 Tom Ford
  • Jack Lisowski 3–1 Barry Hawkins
  • Mark Williams 3–2 Tom Ford
  • Kyren Wilson 3–0 Jack Lisowski
  • Judd Trump 3–0 Barry Hawkins
  • Kyren Wilson 0–3 Mark Williams
  • Judd Trump 3–0 Mark Selby
Note

Zhao Xintong, who had qualified from group 3, withdrew from the tournament prior to group 4 play.

Table

Play-offs

Group 5

Group 5 was played on 10 and 11 February 2021. Kyren Wilson won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.

Matches

  • Ronnie O'Sullivan 3–0 Joe Perry
  • Barry Hawkins 1–3 Ali Carter
  • Ronnie O'Sullivan 3–0 Kyren Wilson
  • Mark Selby 2–3 Mark Williams
  • Joe Perry 2–3 Ali Carter
  • Mark Selby 2–3 Kyren Wilson
  • Mark Williams 3–1 Barry Hawkins
  • Ronnie O'Sullivan 3–1 Ali Carter
  • Barry Hawkins 1–3 Joe Perry
  • Kyren Wilson 1–3 Ali Carter
  • Ronnie O'Sullivan 3–1 Mark Selby
  • Kyren Wilson 3–2 Mark Williams
  • Mark Selby 2–3 Barry Hawkins
  • Mark Williams 0–3 Joe Perry
  • Kyren Wilson 3–1 Barry Hawkins
  • Mark Williams 1–3 Ali Carter
  • Kyren Wilson 3–2 Joe Perry
  • Mark Selby 0–3 Ali Carter
  • Ronnie O'Sullivan 1–3 Mark Williams
  • Mark Selby 3–1 Joe Perry
  • Ronnie O'Sullivan 1–3 Barry Hawkins

Table

Play-offs

Group 6

Group 6 was played on 12 and 13 February 2021. Ali Carter won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.

Matches

  • David Gilbert 3–0 Liang Wenbo
  • Anthony McGill 3–2 Joe Perry
  • Liang Wenbo 2–3 Li Hang
  • Mark Williams 0–3 Ali Carter
  • David Gilbert 2–3 Anthony McGill
  • Mark Williams 3–1 Li Hang
  • Anthony McGill 1–3 Liang Wenbo
  • Joe Perry 0–3 Ali Carter
  • Anthony McGill 3–1 Li Hang
  • David Gilbert 3–2 Joe Perry
  • Ali Carter 3–1 Li Hang
  • Mark Williams 3–2 Liang Wenbo
  • Mark Williams 0–3 Joe Perry
  • David Gilbert 0–3 Ali Carter
  • Joe Perry 3–1 Li Hang
  • Anthony McGill 3–2 Ali Carter
  • David Gilbert 3–2 Li Hang
  • Mark Williams 2–3 Anthony McGill
  • Ali Carter 3–2 Liang Wenbo
  • Mark Williams 3–1 David Gilbert
  • Joe Perry 2–3 Liang Wenbo
Note

Ronnie O'Sullivan, who had qualified from group 5, withdrew from the tournament prior to group 6 play.

Table

Play-offs

Group 7

Group 7 was played on 30 and 31 March 2021. Mark Williams won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.

Matches

  • Yan Bingtao 3–1 Kurt Maflin
  • Neil Robertson 1–3 Joe Perry
  • Mark Williams 3–1 Kurt Maflin
  • David Gilbert 3–1 Anthony McGill
  • Neil Robertson 2–3 Yan Bingtao
  • Mark Williams 2–3 Anthony McGill
  • Neil Robertson 3–2 Kurt Maflin
  • David Gilbert 3–2 Joe Perry
  • Neil Robertson 0–3 Mark Williams
  • Yan Bingtao 3–1 Joe Perry
  • Mark Williams 3–1 David Gilbert
  • Anthony McGill 3–1 Kurt Maflin
  • Anthony McGill 1–3 Joe Perry
  • Yan Bingtao 3–1 David Gilbert
  • Mark Williams 3–2 Joe Perry
  • Neil Robertson 2–3 David Gilbert
  • Yan Bingtao 3–1 Mark Williams
  • Neil Robertson 1–3 Anthony McGill
  • David Gilbert 3–0 Kurt Maflin
  • Yan Bingtao 3–1 Anthony McGill
  • Joe Perry 3–2 Kurt Maflin

Table

Play-offs

Winners' Group

The Winners' Group was played on 1 and 2 April 2021. Kyren Wilson defended his Championship League title, defeating Mark Williams 3–2 in the final.

Matches

  • Judd Trump 1–3 Zhou Yuelong
  • John Higgins 3–1 Mark Williams
  • Zhou Yuelong 2–3 Graeme Dott
  • Kyren Wilson 1–3 Ali Carter
  • John Higgins 3–1 Graeme Dott
  • Judd Trump 3–0 Ali Carter
  • John Higgins 3–0 Zhou Yuelong
  • Kyren Wilson 3–2 Mark Williams
  • Judd Trump 3–1 John Higgins
  • Mark Williams 2–3 Graeme Dott
  • Judd Trump 2–3 Kyren Wilson
  • Zhou Yuelong 1–3 Ali Carter
  • Mark Williams 3–1 Ali Carter
  • Kyren Wilson 2–3 Graeme Dott
  • Judd Trump 1–3 Mark Williams
  • John Higgins 3–0 Kyren Wilson
  • Judd Trump 0–3 Graeme Dott
  • John Higgins 3–0 Ali Carter
  • Kyren Wilson 3–2 Zhou Yuelong
  • Graeme Dott 3–0 Ali Carter
  • Mark Williams 3–1 Zhou Yuelong

Table

Play-offs

Century breaks

Total: A total of 147 century breaks were made during the tournament.

<small>Bold: highest break in the indicated group.</small>

Winnings

<small> Green: Won the group. Bold: Highest break in the group. All prize money in GBP. <br>Parenthesis: Ranking prior to tournament start, 4 January 2021. <br>Notes <br><sup>(a)</sup> Zhao Xintong withdrew from the tournament prior to group 4 play. <br><sup>(b)</sup> Ronnie O'Sullivan withdrew from the tournament prior to group 6 play. </small>

References

External links