The 2022 Championship League Invitational (officially the 2022 BetVictor Championship League Snooker Invitational) was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that took place from 20 December 2021 to 4 February 2022 at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, England. It was the 18th staging of the Championship League.
Kyren Wilson was the defending champion, having beaten Mark Williams 3–2 in the final of the previous invitational edition of the tournament. His defence of the title ended in the Group 7 semi-finals, where he was beaten 3–1 by John Higgins.
John Higgins went on to win the tournament for the third time, beating Stuart Bingham 3–2 in the final.
Prize fund The breakdown of prize money for the 2022 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: £184,400
Group 1 Group 1 was played on 20 and 21 December 2021. Liang Wenbo won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.
Matches
Jack Lisowski 3–1 Zhou Yuelong Graeme Dott 3–1 Tom Ford Jack Lisowski 0–3 Gary Wilson Ryan Day 1–3 Liang Wenbo Zhou Yuelong 1–3 Graeme Dott Gary Wilson 2–3 Liang Wenbo Jack Lisowski 1–3 Graeme Dott Tom Ford 2–3 Ryan Day Graeme Dott 3–1 Gary Wilson Zhou Yuelong 3–1 Tom Ford Gary Wilson 2–3 Ryan Day Jack Lisowski 3–2 Liang Wenbo Tom Ford 1–3 Liang Wenbo Zhou Yuelong 1–3 Ryan Day Tom Ford 3–1 Gary Wilson Graeme Dott 3–2 Ryan Day Zhou Yuelong 2–3 Gary Wilson Graeme Dott 3–2 Liang Wenbo Jack Lisowski 3–1 Ryan Day Zhou Yuelong 3–2 Liang Wenbo Jack Lisowski 1–3 Tom Ford
Table
Play-offs
Group 2 Group 2 was played on 22 and 23 December 2021. Graeme Dott won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.
Matches
Xiao Guodong 1–3 Lu Ning Joe Perry 3–2 Gary Wilson Xiao Guodong 3–2 Graeme Dott Ryan Day 2–3 Jack Lisowski Lu Ning 3–0 Joe Perry Graeme Dott 3–2 Jack Lisowski Xiao Guodong 2–3 Joe Perry Gary Wilson 0–3 Ryan Day Joe Perry 3–1 Graeme Dott Lu Ning 2–3 Gary Wilson Graeme Dott 2–3 Ryan Day Xiao Guodong 3–2 Jack Lisowski Gary Wilson 1–3 Jack Lisowski Lu Ning 3–2 Ryan Day Gary Wilson 0–3 Graeme Dott Joe Perry 0–3 Ryan Day Lu Ning 1–3 Graeme Dott Joe Perry 3–2 Jack Lisowski Xiao Guodong 1–3 Ryan Day Lu Ning 3–1 Jack Lisowski Xiao Guodong 3–2 Gary Wilson
Table
Play-offs
Group 3 Group 3 was played on 3 and 4 January 2022. Mark Williams was due to take part in this group, but withdrew and was replaced by Zhao Xintong. Zhao won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.
Matches
Mark Selby 0–3 Zhao Xintong Stuart Bingham 2–3 Xiao Guodong Mark Selby 2–3 Ryan Day Joe Perry 2–3 Lu Ning Zhao Xintong 3–1 Stuart Bingham Ryan Day 0–3 Lu Ning Mark Selby 3–2 Stuart Bingham Xiao Guodong 3–2 Joe Perry Stuart Bingham 3–0 Ryan Day Zhao Xintong 3–2 Xiao Guodong Ryan Day 2–3 Joe Perry Mark Selby 3–1 Lu Ning Xiao Guodong 3–2 Lu Ning Zhao Xintong 3–0 Joe Perry Xiao Guodong 3–1 Ryan Day Stuart Bingham 3–2 Joe Perry Zhao Xintong 3–0 Ryan Day Stuart Bingham 3–2 Lu Ning Mark Selby 3–0 Joe Perry Zhao Xintong 3–1 Lu Ning Mark Selby 3–0 Xiao Guodong
Table
Play-offs
Group 4 Group 4 was played on 5 and 6 January 2022. Barry Hawkins was due to take part in this group, but withdrew and was replaced by Scott Donaldson. Stuart Bingham won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.
Matches
Judd Trump 0–3 Scott Donaldson Kyren Wilson 3–1 Lu Ning Judd Trump 2–3 Stuart Bingham Mark Selby 3–2 Xiao Guodong Kyren Wilson 3–2 Scott Donaldson Stuart Bingham 3–1 Xiao Guodong Judd Trump 2–3 Kyren Wilson Mark Selby 3–2 Lu Ning Kyren Wilson 3–1 Stuart Bingham Lu Ning 2–3 Scott Donaldson Mark Selby 3–1 Stuart Bingham Judd Trump 3–1 Xiao Guodong Xiao Guodong 2–3 Lu Ning Mark Selby 3–0 Scott Donaldson Stuart Bingham 2–3 Lu Ning Mark Selby 2–3 Kyren Wilson Stuart Bingham 3–0 Scott Donaldson Kyren Wilson 3–0 Xiao Guodong Mark Selby 3–0 Judd Trump Xiao Guodong 1–3 Scott Donaldson Judd Trump 3–0 Lu Ning
Table
Play-offs
Group 5 Group 5 was played on 7 and 8 January 2022. Mark Selby was due to take part in this group, but withdrew and was replaced by Jordan Brown. Scott Donaldson won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.
Matches
Martin Gould 0–3 Scott Donaldson David Gilbert 3–1 Lu Ning Martin Gould 3–2 Ali Carter Kyren Wilson 0–3 Scott Donaldson David Gilbert 2–3 Ali Carter Kyren Wilson 3–1 Jordan Brown Martin Gould 3–1 David Gilbert Jordan Brown 3–2 Lu Ning David Gilbert 1–3 Scott Donaldson Ali Carter 3–1 Lu Ning Jordan Brown 3–2 Scott Donaldson Kyren Wilson 3–1 Martin Gould Kyren Wilson 3–0 Lu Ning Ali Carter 0–3 Jordan Brown Lu Ning 3–2 Scott Donaldson David Gilbert 2–3 Jordan Brown Ali Carter 0–3 Scott Donaldson Kyren Wilson 2–3 David Gilbert Martin Gould 0–3 Jordan Brown Kyren Wilson 1–3 Ali Carter Martin Gould 3–1 Lu Ning
Table
Play-offs
Group 6 Group 6 was played on 17 and 18 January 2022. Ricky Walden was due to take part in this group, but withdrew and was replaced by Matthew Selt. Yan Bingtao won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.
Matches
Yan Bingtao 3–1 Ali Carter Martin Gould 3–2 Matthew Selt Yan Bingtao 3–1 Ding Junhui Kyren Wilson 2–3 Jordan Brown Matthew Selt 2–3 Ding Junhui Ali Carter 3–0 Jordan Brown Yan Bingtao 2–3 Matthew Selt Martin Gould 3–2 Kyren Wilson Ali Carter 3–0 Matthew Selt Ding Junhui 3–2 Martin Gould Ali Carter 1–3 Kyren Wilson Yan Bingtao 3–0 Jordan Brown Martin Gould 3–2 Jordan Brown Ding Junhui 0–3 Kyren Wilson Martin Gould 3–1 Ali Carter Kyren Wilson 3–0 Matthew Selt Ding Junhui 3–1 Ali Carter Matthew Selt 1–3 Jordan Brown Yan Bingtao 3–0 Kyren Wilson Ding Junhui 3–2 Jordan Brown Yan Bingtao 3–0 Martin Gould
Table
Play-offs
Group 7 Group 7 was played on 1 and 2 February 2022. Neil Robertson was due to take part in this group, but withdrew and was replaced by Ricky Walden. John Higgins won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.
Matches
Ronnie O'Sullivan 0–3 Kyren Wilson Ricky Walden 0–3 Ali Carter Ronnie O'Sullivan 0–3 John Higgins Martin Gould 1–3 Ding Junhui Ricky Walden 1–3 John Higgins Kyren Wilson 3–0 Martin Gould Ronnie O'Sullivan 3–2 Ricky Walden Ali Carter 1–3 Ding Junhui Ricky Walden 1–3 Kyren Wilson John Higgins 0–3 Ali Carter Kyren Wilson 3–0 Ding Junhui Ronnie O'Sullivan 2–3 Martin Gould Martin Gould 1–3 Ali Carter John Higgins 3–2 Ding Junhui Kyren Wilson 2–3 Ali Carter Ricky Walden 2–3 Ding Junhui Kyren Wilson 1–3 John Higgins Ricky Walden 3–2 Martin Gould Ronnie O'Sullivan 3–2 Ding Junhui John Higgins 3–1 Martin Gould Ronnie O'Sullivan 2–3 Ali Carter
Table
Play-offs
Winners' Group The Winners' Group was played on 3 and 4 February 2022. John Higgins won the Championship League for a third time, beating Stuart Bingham 3–2 in the final.
Matches
John Higgins 3–2 Graeme Dott Stuart Bingham 3–2 Yan Bingtao John Higgins 3–1 Zhao Xintong Liang Wenbo 3–0 Scott Donaldson Zhao Xintong 0–3 Stuart Bingham Graeme Dott 0–3 Scott Donaldson John Higgins 2–3 Stuart Bingham Yan Bingtao 3–0 Liang Wenbo Stuart Bingham 3–2 Graeme Dott Zhao Xintong 3–2 Yan Bingtao Graeme Dott 3–2 Liang Wenbo John Higgins 3–2 Scott Donaldson Yan Bingtao 3–0 Scott Donaldson Zhao Xintong 3–1 Liang Wenbo Yan Bingtao 3–0 Graeme Dott Stuart Bingham 0–3 Liang Wenbo Zhao Xintong 1–3 Graeme Dott Stuart Bingham 3–0 Scott Donaldson John Higgins 3–1 Liang Wenbo Zhao Xintong 2–3 Scott Donaldson John Higgins 0–3 Yan Bingtao
Table
Play-offs
Century breaks A total of 127 century breaks were made during the tournament.
143 (W), 138, 125, 122, 100 Zhao Xintong 142, 138, 138, 135, 128, 114, 111, 110 Yan Bingtao 142 (2), 132, 122, 113, 110, 101, 101, 100 Ryan Day 141 (7), 140 (6) Ali Carter 141, 139 (3), 137, 133, 130, 119, 110, 108, 104, 102, 100 Stuart Bingham 140 (6), 135, 134, 129, 128, 128, 121, 119, 118, 112, 102, 100 Kyren Wilson 140, 131, 117, 116, 113, 112, 111, 101 Xiao Guodong 140, 118, 112, 106, 103, 100 Jack Lisowski 138, 134, 134, 131, 131, 127, 105, 101 Ding Junhui 138 (4), 114, 111, 104, 101 Lu Ning 136 (1), 119, 116 Zhou Yuelong 136 (1), 108, 106, 101 Liang Wenbo 134, 112, 112, 112, 102, 102, 100, 100 John Higgins 132 (5), 130, 129, 118, 103 Scott Donaldson 132, 110, 108 Ricky Walden 131, 129, 127, 125, 108, 100 Mark Selby 127 David Gilbert 123, 123, 103 Joe Perry 123 Tom Ford 122, 115, 101 Martin Gould 118, 117, 111, 105 Gary Wilson 117, 108, 101, 101 Jordan Brown 116, 106 Ronnie O'Sullivan 111, 101, 100, 100 Graeme Dott 110 Matthew Selt 107, 103 Judd Trump
Bold: highest break in the indicated group.
Winnings No. Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 W TOTAL 1 (7) 6,300 14,600 20,900 2 (14) 3,200 6,100 9,500 18,800 3 (5) 5,300 2,800 2,550 2,800 13,450 4 (16) 6,500 6,800 13,300 5 (37) 6,550 5,600 12,150 6 (19) 3,100 6,200 2,000 11,300 7 (35) 2,100 6,900 1,600 10,600 8 (9) 6,600 3,000 9,600 9 (31) 4,700 1,200 1,600 800 8,300 10 (27) 2,900 4,800 7,700 11 (26) 2,900 3,700 600 7,200 12 (22) 2,100 1,250 3,700 7,050 13 (30) 1,300 4,900 700 6,900 14 (21) 1,000 4,600 800 6,400 15 (28) 5,100 1,000 6,100 16 (a) (1) 2,700 3,300 6,000 17 (13) 4,300 1,300 5,600 18 (32) 2,800 900 3,700 19 (25) 1,200 800 2,000 20 (17) 1,350 1,350 21 (20) 1,200 1,200 22 (24) 1,100 1,100 23 (2) 1,000 1,000 = (3) 1,000 1,000 25 (23) 900 900 26 (29) 800 800 Total prize money 20,500 20,800 20,100 20,100 19,900 19,600 20,300 43,100 184,400 Green: Won the group. Bold: Highest break in the group. All prize money in GBP. Parenthesis: Ranking prior to tournament start, 19 December 2021. Notes (a) Mark Selby withdrew from the tournament prior to group 5 play.
References