Organisers have hailed the Matchroom.live British Open as a “fantastic success” after Mark Williams pocketed the £100,000 first prize in front of a packed crowd at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
Former World Champion Williams beat Gary Wilson 6-4 to win the event for the second time – his previous triumph coming in 1997.
The British Open returned to the snooker calendar for the first time since 2004, with shorter matches, no seedings and a re-draw following every round.
World Snooker Tour was delighted with the response from Leicester fans – and signalling more ranking events could be held in the city.
A WST spokesman said “The British Open in Leicester was a fantastic success, we were delighted by the quality of the venue and the support of local fans. Many sessions were sold out and the atmosphere for the final was sensational. We have another big tournament, the Shoot Out, coming up in January at the Morningside Arena and we are amazed how quickly tickets are selling for that one.”
“Over the coming weeks we will be in discussions with the venue and our other partners about the possibility of staging more tournaments in Leicester in the future.”