Teen Sensation Liam Davies Stuns Defending Champion Ali Carter in Championship League Shock
The 2025 Championship League Snooker event at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena has continued to deliver surprising upsets, with one of the biggest shocks so far being the early exit of defending champion Ali Carter. The seasoned professional was eliminated from the tournament after a 3-1 defeat to rising Welsh star Liam Davies in Group 6 action on Monday.
Carter, a two-time World Championship finalist, had kicked off the group stage with two confident 3-1 wins against Jack Bradford and Huang Jiahao. However, 19-year-old Davies matched those victories, setting up a dramatic group decider between the pair to determine who would progress to the last 32 of the competition.
The showdown started strongly for Carter, who appeared in control with an impressive break of 93 in the opening frame. But Davies responded with poise beyond his years, turning the match around by winning the next three frames. He sealed the win with a composed break of 62, booking his place in the next stage and ending Carter’s hopes of back-to-back titles.
This year’s Championship League, which runs from June 30 to July 23, features 128 players split into 32 initial groups of four. Each group produces a single winner, advancing to the second phase, which consists of eight groups of four. From there, two final groups will determine the finalists, with the ultimate winner claiming a £33,000 prize and an invitation to the prestigious Champion of Champions tournament in November—also to be held in Leicester.
Liam Davies’ impressive run is just one of several storylines in a tournament known for its unpredictability and for giving rising talents the chance to shine on a big stage.
