Championship League Snooker: Maguire First Through - 05/01/2010

SCOTLAND'S Stephen Maguire, who missed this event in 2008 and 2009, was first time lucky as he qualified for the final stages of Championship League Snooker following a string of high quality performances at Crondon Park in Essex.

The World No.2 from Glasgow elected to sit the event out in previous years, but made up for lost time as he came from two down to oust Ali Carter in the semi-final and then blitz Mark Selby 3-0 in the final match. Maguire earned £6,200 for his efforts with the promise of more to come when he returns for the big money final group in March.

Selby, who won the inaugural Championship League in ‘08, returns tomorrow (Wednesday) along with the two losing semi-finalists Judd Trump and Ali Carter, as well as fifth place finisher John Higgins, to contest Group Two.

They will be joined by three new players – Ronnie O’Sullivan (England), Neil Robertson of Australia and Hong Kong’s Marco Fu.

Judd Trump was the winner of the 2009 Championship League Snooker

Players initially earn £100 per frame won in the group stages before the top four players move onto the best of five semi-finals. The money increases to £300 per frame won and the winner receives £3,000, the runner-up £2,000 and the beaten semi-finalists £1,000 each.

The winner then goes through to the final group on March 24th & 25th where big money as well as a spot in the Sky Sports-televised Premier League Snooker is up for grabs. The two bottom players are eliminated from the competition, while the remaining four move forward to Group Two to be joined by three new players.