The 2021 WST Pro Series was a professional ranking snooker tournament, taking place from 18 January to 21 March 2021 at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, England. The event featured 128 players, and was played over three stages of round-robin groups of eight players, with the Final Group winner as the tournament champion.
Seven-time World Champion, Stephen Hendry, was due to make his return to the professional snooker tour, having initially retired in 2012. However, he withdrew before the tournament began.
Gary Wilson made his third career maximum break in the second frame of his Group G match with Liam Highfield.
Mark Williams won the only edition of the event, winning the 23rd ranking title of his career on his 46th birthday, becoming the third oldest ranking event winner behind Welsh compatriots Doug Mountjoy who was 46 in 1989 and Ray Reardon who was 50 in 1982.
Tournament format
There were 128 players taking part in the event. In the tournament's first stage players were divided into 16 groups of each eight players, with the top two players of each group advancing to the second group stage. The tournament draw was conducted on 8 January 2021.
The second group stage consisted of four groups, also of each eight players, with the top two players of each group advancing to the final group.
The winner of the final group were crowned as tournament champion.
All matches were played as best of three frames, and players were ranked, using the following criteria: Matches won (Points scored) Frame difference Head-to-head match(es) Highest break
Prize fund
The breakdown of prize money for the tournament is shown below.
First group stage
Winner: £4,000
Runner-up: £3,000
3rd Place: £2,500
4th Place: £2,000
5th Place: £1,500
6th Place: £1,000
7th Place: £500
8th Place: £0
Second group stage
Winner: £10,000
Runner-up: £7,500
3rd place: £5,000
4th place: £4,000
5th place: £3,000
6th place: £2,000
7th place: £1,500
8th place: £1,000
Final group stage
Winner: £20,000
Runner-up: £10,000
3rd place: £7,500
4th place: £5,000
5th place: £4,000
6th place: £3,000
7th place: £2,000
8th place: £1,000
Tournament total: £420,500
First group stage
The first group stage consisted of 16 groups, each containing eight players, with the top two of each group advancing to the second group stage.
Order of play
Group A
Group A was played on 23 January 2021. Shaun Murphy and Louis Heathcote qualified for the Second Group stage.
Matches
Shaun Murphy 2–0 Brian Ochoiski
Michael Holt 2–0 Fraser Patrick
Alan McManus 2–0 Ken Doherty
Louis Heathcote 2–1 Xu Si
Shaun Murphy 2–1 Fraser Patrick
Michael Holt 1–2 Ken Doherty
Alan McManus 2–0 Xu Si
Louis Heathcote 2–1 Brian Ochoiski
Shaun Murphy 2–1 Ken Doherty
Michael Holt 0–2 Xu Si
Alan McManus 0–2 Louis Heathcote
Fraser Patrick 0–2 Brian Ochoiski
Shaun Murphy 2–1 Xu Si
Michael Holt 2–1 Louis Heathcote
Alan McManus 2–0 Brian Ochoiski
Ken Doherty 2–0 Fraser Patrick
Shaun Murphy 2–1 Louis Heathcote
Michael Holt 1–2 Alan McManus
Xu Si 2–1 Fraser Patrick
Ken Doherty 1–2 Brian Ochoiski
Shaun Murphy 2–1 Alan McManus
Michael Holt 2–1 Brian Ochoiski
Louis Heathcote 2–1 Fraser Patrick
Xu Si 2–0 Ken Doherty
Shaun Murphy 2–0 Michael Holt
Alan McManus 2–1 Fraser Patrick
Louis Heathcote 2–0 Ken Doherty
Xu Si 2–0 Brian Ochoiski
Table
Group B
Group B was played on 19 January 2021. Kyren Wilson and Sunny Akani qualified for stage two.