Craig Steadman and Vinnie Calabrese win snooker titles as Northern Ireland Open approaches in Belfast
Steadman beat Jimmy Robertson 4-2 for a second seniors title of the season. Calabrese won a fourth straight Australian Open. Belfast starts on 18 October.
Two players extended their good runs on snooker's development and seniors circuits over the weekend. Craig Steadman beat Jimmy Robertson 4-2 to win his second World Seniors Tour event of the season in Reading. In Sydney, Vinnie Calabrese won the Bob Hawke AC Memorial Australian Open for the fourth year in a row. The professional tour now heads to Belfast, where the Northern Ireland Open begins on Sunday, 18 October.
Steadman back on top of the seniors race
The third World Seniors Tour event of the 2026/27 season was played from 9 to 11 October at the Crucible Club in Reading. Steadman beat Barry Pinches 4-1 to reach the final and then beat Robertson 4-2.
He made his best break of the week straight away. A 127 in the first frame of the final was the highest break of the tournament, according to the WPBSA.
Steadman had already won the first event of the season, so this is his second title of the campaign. It puts him back at the top of the one-year Race to the Crucible list. The top of that list matters because it is a route to the World Seniors Championship, which is played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. If Steadman stays in front, he will go back to the Crucible for the 2027 World Seniors Championship.
Calabrese's run in Sydney goes on
The Australian Open at the Mounties club in Sydney was the fourth event of the 2026/27 Q Tour Asia-Pacific and ran from 8 to 11 October. Calabrese beat Daniell Haenga 6-2 in the final. He took the first frame on the black, moved 4-1 ahead and finished with breaks of 86, 65 and 43.
On the way, he beat seven-time champion Steve Mifsud in the quarter-finals and made a 136 in that match, the highest break of the event. Haenga came back from 4-1 down to beat Cale Barrett 5-4 in his semi-final.
Calabrese also won the title in 2023, 2024 and 2025. The WPBSA says he has now won 24 matches in a row at the event. His four titles put him level with Shawn Budd in second place on the event's all-time list, behind Mifsud. The win also takes him to the top of the Q Tour Asia-Pacific rankings, ahead of Hassan Kerde. The regional series ends with the Queensland Open in January 2027.
Northern Ireland Open: dates and how to watch in Malaysia
The BetVictor Northern Ireland Open runs from 18 to 25 October at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. England's Jack Lisowski is the defending champion after beating Judd Trump in last year's final to win the Alex Higgins Trophy. Qualifying rounds were played in Leicester in September.
Malaysian fans can watch on Astro SuperSport, the WPBSA says. In Thailand the event is on True Sport, and in Hong Kong it is on Now Sports. Viewers in countries without a broadcast deal can use the WST Play subscription service. Belfast is seven hours behind Malaysia, so afternoon sessions there will be on in the Malaysian evening.
After Belfast, the ranking tour moves to Nanjing for the International Championship from 31 October.
Key takeaways
- Craig Steadman beat Jimmy Robertson 4-2 in Reading for his second seniors title of the season and made a 127 in the final.
- Steadman is back on top of the Race to the Crucible, which can earn a place at the 2027 World Seniors Championship.
- Vinnie Calabrese beat Daniell Haenga 6-2 for a fourth straight Australian Open title.
- Calabrese now leads the Q Tour Asia-Pacific rankings.
- The Northern Ireland Open runs from 18 to 25 October in Belfast and is shown on Astro SuperSport in Malaysia.
FAQ
Who won the latest World Seniors Tour event? Craig Steadman won it, beating Jimmy Robertson 4-2 in the final at the Crucible Club in Reading. It was his second title of the season.
How many Australian Open titles has Vinnie Calabrese won? He has won four in a row, from 2023 to 2026. Only Steve Mifsud, with seven, has won more.
Where can I watch the Northern Ireland Open in Malaysia? Astro SuperSport is showing the tournament in Malaysia. It runs from 18 to 25 October at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
Sources: WPBSA, World Snooker Tour, Wikipedia