A world circuit to rival the traditional events promoted by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association was given the green light yesterday when the sport's governing body was found by the high court to have abused its dominant position.
Promoters will now be able to create new events and the players will have the freedom to chose which tournaments to play without first receiving the permission of the WPBSA
However Mr Justice Lloyd rejected all other accusations against the WPBSA relating to logos, promotional work at its tournaments and the ranking system after a 20-day court battle launched after an unsuccessful bid to start a rival tour.
The action was brought by the management company, The Sportsmasters Network, renamed 110 sport during the summer, and two of its clients, the players Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams.
Hendry, seven times world champion, said: "All I wanted was to have the same opportu nity and choice that is afforded to other top professional sportsmen and women around the world, namely to play where I like and when I like."
The WPBSA had withdrawn its insistence that member players can play only in its sanctioned events but refused to give an undertaking that the rule would not be reimposed.
A referral to the Office of Fair Trading is now on the cards to separate the WPBSA's three roles: rules, regulatory, disciplinary; players' trade union; and promotion of tournaments. The ruling also foreshadows the end of the WPBSA's quasi-monopoly of televised events.
The WPBSA's chief executive Jim McKenzie said: "The court action was unnecessary but we are pleased the judge has reaffirmed the association's right to govern the game in the best interests of all its players."
The two sides have to pay their own legal costs, estimated at £500,000 each.
Peter Ebdon's defence of the British Open came to an end yesterday when he was whitewashed 5-0 by Mark King in the quarter-finals in Newcastle.