Please note that this is NOT an official website. At this point in time Ronnie O’ Sullivan does not have an official website, nor does he wish to have one.
Ronnie O’Sullivan had flight booked before climax of clash with John Higgins at World Snooker Championship – ‘Thought it could be two-session match’
BY Alex Livie
Published 27/04/2026 at 19:42 GMT+1
Ronnie O’Sullivan made a potentially costly error after booking a flight for the morning of the final session of his World Championship clash with John Higgins.
O’Sullivan eased into the second round with a 10-2 win over He Guoqiang, but said his confidence was so low that he did not expect to reach the final session of his match with Higgins. As it turned out, O’Sullivan made a superb start to the contest and led 6-2 after the first session to guarantee he could not lose in two sessions.
After leading 9-4 at one stage, O’Sullivan saw Higgins claw his way back into the clash.
The contest see-sawed and went to a deciding frame, which went Higgins’ way as he booked his place in a Crucible quarter-final for the fifth year in a row.
Although disappointed to fall short in his bid for an eighth World Championship, O’Sullivan went further than he expected.
”I missed too many vital balls all through that match, important shots I got tight and nervous,” O’Sullivan told TNT Sports. ”When you are playing more and winning more that is probably what it is, you probably pot those clutch balls.
”That is the difference between winning the big matches and tournaments, you pot those balls under pressure. I missed far too many. ”It’s all about potting the big balls under pressure and I just didn’t. ”I have probably done well to get that close to be fair. “I did have a flight booked early this morning as I was not sure I was going to go [beyond] two sessions, as John is such a great player playing well. ”I thought it could be a two-session match, so to take it that far I feel quite proud of myself.”
”I did not want to play, so a lot of positives
O’Sullivan showed signs of frustration as Higgins clawed his way back into the match on Sunday, but he said punching the table and slapping the cushion with his cue was down to releasing tension.
”It was kind of a nice sort of anger,” he said. ”Then the last frame, I thought, rather than the hand, I’ll do it with the cue. ”I wasn’t really that angry. I missed a tough ball, it was nice to go, bang. Within a second it’s deleted and I’m cool as a cucumber, really. ”I like to just get it out and it’s just done, draw a line under it and move forward.”
A honest interview and rather positive all things considered. Of course Ronnie knows that he didn’t play enough and that he isn’t sharp but there is more. There is a strange dynamic between the members of the class of 92: Ronnie has a good record against Willo. Willo has a great record against Higgins and Highins has a great record against Ronnie.
As I expected, but certainly didn’t wish for, John Higgins beat Ronnie in the round of 16 at this year World Championship.
You will find the details of the scores on snooker.org as always.
It was a high quality match: they had 22 breaks over 50 between them, 13 by Ronnie, 9 by Higgins. The highest break of the match was a 137 by Ronnie in frame 4.
John Higgins completed arguably his best ever Crucible comeback as recovered a 9-4 deficit to beat old rival Ronnie O’Sullivan 13-12, reaching the quarter-finals of the Halo World Championship for the 20th time.
O’Sullivan looked at the top of his game as he built leads of 6-2, 8-3 and 9-4, but he admitted he made too many mistakes under pressure in the second half of the contest and his goal of winning a record-breaking eighth world title is over for another year. Higgins, who walks out to the Stone Roses’ ‘I Am The Resurrection’, came back to lifeat the key moments and played superb snooker in the concluding session, firing three centuries as well as a vital 49 in the decider after his opponent had missed a crucial red.
Four-time Crucible king Higgins will surely cherish this as one of his greatest moments in Sheffield as he beat an adversary he has been battling for more than three decades, though he kept his celebrations modest, aware that he must go again on Tuesday afternoon against Neil Robertson or Chris Wakelin. At the age of 50, Higgins knows he must conserve energy in this marathon of the body and mind, but having come through this challenge he will surely believe that a fifth title is within his capability.
This was the seventh ‘El Clasico’ meeting between O’Sullivan and Higgins at the Crucible and the Wishaw man has now won four of those, and also scored his first victory in their overall head-to-head since 2021, ending a series of three defeats. It’s the fifth consecutive year that Higgins has reached the quarter-finals, though in each of the last three he has fallen at that stage, including a painful 13-12 reverse on the final black against Mark Williams last year. Showing a high level of consistency this season, world number five Higgins has reached three finals and three more semi-finals, though silverware has eluded him so far.
In the other prominent match Wu Yize beat Mark Selby by 13-11.
Chinese 22-year-old Wu Yize scored his first ever win over Mark Selby, a 13-11 triumph, to make the quarter-finals of the Halo World Championship at the Crucible Theatre.
The talented Wu, who lost in the opening round of his previous two trips to the Theatre of Dreams, now progresses to a maiden quarter-final. He will face either world number one Judd Trump or Hossein Vafaei in a battle to reach the hallowed single table setup.
Wu is now three wins away from becoming the youngest World Champion since Stephen Hendry, who was 21 when he lifted the title in 1990.
The Lanzhou cueman came of age at this season’s International Championship in Nanjing, where he defeated John Higgins in the final to lift a maiden ranking crown. It was a case of third time lucky for Wu, who lost the English and Scottish Open finals in 2024.
Selby arrived in Sheffield as one of the key contenders, after a season which has seen him win the UK Championship and the Champion of Champions. However, his recent pattern of early Crucible exits continued.
Since making the 2023 final, the Englishman has now endured two first round exits on top of his second round loss this afternoon.
Former Rookie of the Year Wu came into the afternoon holding a slight 9-7 advantage. That was extended at the start of the session, before 89 from Selby in the 18th made it 10-8.
Wu had the first opportunity in the next but could only construct a break of 43, spurning a straightforward red to the top left. Selby pounced with 56 to steal on the colours and pull within one at 10-9.
A marathon 53-minute frame was then won by Wu to pull clear again and Selby’s frustrations uncharacteristically began to show. He violently smashed his cue off the table after missing a red in the 21st, a mistake which allowed Wu to move 12-9 up.
Selby rallied and kept the game alive with 95 in the next. However, he then left the third last red when escaping from a snooker and Wu got himself over the line.
After shaking hands with his illustrious opponent he was afforded a standing ovation and bowed to the Crucible crowd before exiting the arena.
This post will be updated later, and its unusual presentation is because I’m using a tablet at the moment instead of my mac laptop … that needs some repair unfortunately…
Matches are now best of 25, played over three sessions. Three last 16 matches finished over the last two days and all the detailed results are available on snooker.otg. One of these finished yesterday, with a session to spare.
I didn’t report on it yesterday as life came in the way of snooker in the form of medical appointments, that, to my huge relief, brought good news. So, here goes …
Shaun Murphy produced the best performance of this year’s Halo World Championship so far as he fired four centuries in a 13-3 thrashing of Xiao Guodong to become the first man into the quarter-finals.
Two-time ranking event winner Xiao, ranked ninth in the world, was expected to provide a tough test for the 2005 Crucible king, but in fact the tie turned into a procession as Murphy took an early 5-0 lead and went on to reach 13 frames without the need for a concluding session this evening. Instead, Murphy will have the chance to go home and rest for a few days before his last-eight clash with Ding Junhui or defending champion Zhao Xintong gets underway on Tuesday. World number eight Murphy is into the quarter-finals for the tenth time in all and only the second time since 2015.
In his opening match against Fan Zhengyi, 43-year-old Murphy was only a few balls from defeat but in the deciding frame he made what he described as his best ever break, a 50 clearance to win 10-9. Carrying that confidence into this fixture with Xiao, Murphy showed the form which won him the Masters last season and the British Open earlier this term.
He led 6-2 after the first session with top breaks of 79, 103, 63, 64 and 61. China’s Xiao was first among the balls in the opening frame today but made just 17 before running out of position and his opponent took it with runs of 43 and 21. In frame ten, Xiao was on 21 when he missed a routine pink to a top corner and again that proved costly as Murphy’s 93 made it 8-2.
Once again in the 11th, Xiao had a chance to gain some momentum, but on a run of 15 with the balls well placed he missed the pink to a centre pocket and soon found himself further behind as Murphy capitalised with 66. Two-time Wuhan Open champion Xiao finally got a frame on the board with a run of 74 in the 12th, but Murphy responded with a 103 for 10-3.
In frame 14, Xiao was on 55 when he undercut a tricky red to centre, and Murphy cleared superbly with 69. The Englishman finished in style with 115 and 103 in the last two frames, taking his tally of centuries for the season to a career high of 59.
“It’s the dream, to play like that, especially here where it matters most,” said Murphy, who is playing at the Crucible for the 24th time. “All the event are big, but this one is massive. Xiao is a very classy player and I knew I would have to be on it from the start. In the back of my mind today I knew I could win it in this session and that helps because I can have more time at home. In my snooker room I can choose whether I want to practise for an hour or ten hours a day and I’ll also be watching Ding and Zhao battle it out.
“I was handed a lifeline when I beat Fan and I don’t want to waste it. I know that my opportunities here won’t come forever and when they do arrive I have to snatch them. I am very proud of my Crucible record and hopefully I’ll be coming here for a few years to come.“
Xiao said: “I’m sorry that I couldn’t take it to a third session. Shaun is a very good player. I am sad that I missed a lot of balls. It’s ok, I’ll be back next season.”
On the other table, Mark Williams and Barry Hawkins ended all square at 4-4 following an engrossing opening session of their second round encounter.
Williams was runner-up 12 months ago against Zhao Xintong, while Hawkins came into this year’s event having lost in the opening round for the previous three seasons.
Both players enjoyed comfortable 10-4 progressions in the opening round this year, Williams beating Polish debutant Antoni Kowalski and Hawkins overcoming former two-time finalist Matthew Stevens.
Hawkins started this morning’s session in fine fashion, crafting 127 to take the first. Williams restored parity, before Hawkins claimed a 37-minute third to regain the lead at 2-1.
Three-time World Champion Williams hit back with 127 to make things level at the mid-session interval. Hawkins regained the lead when play got back underway, but two on the bounce from his opponent saw him trail for the first time at 4-3.
The last frame went the way of Hawkins, thanks to a break of 73. They return to play the second of three sessions this evening at 7pm. The first to 13 frames will progress to the quarter-finals.
Mark Allen scored his first win over Kyren Wilson in four years, prevailing 13-9 to make the quarter-finals of the Halo World Championship in Sheffield.
Victory keeps the Pistol in the hunt for achieving his lifetime ambition of becoming World Champion. The former Masters and UK Championship winner just needs a Crucible triumph to complete the Triple Crown set. World number 12 Allen made the semi-finals here at the Theatre of Dreams in 2009 and 2023, but is still waiting for a maiden final appearance.
Northern Irishman Allen rallied with six in a row to beat Zhang Anda 10-6 in the opening round, which he had trailed 5-2. This time Allen assumed the role of front runner as Wilson battled to reel him in.
Allen had held a 5-0 advantage during the opening session. However, world number two Wilson hit back with six on the bounce to move 6-5 in front during the second session. Eventually Allen regained the initiative and ended 9-7 in front coming into this morning’s finale.
When play got underway, they traded the first two frames with 78 breaks to leave Allen 10-8 ahead. A break of 61 in the 19th helped 40-year-old Allen further ahead, before 2024 World Champion Wilson took the last before the interval to trail 11-9.
When play resumed, Allen controlled the 21st frame and then pinched the 22nd on the pink to make the quarters for the fifth time in his career. He will face either Mark Williams or Barry Hawkins in the last eight.
“I am happy to win. Any win here is a good one and especially over someone of Kyren’s class. He is world number two for a reason. The match had a bit of everything. I started well to go 5-0, but it was a little flattering,” said world number 12 Allen.
“I’ve got lots of confidence to take into the next round. I finished that match really well. I’d love to score a little bit better. It isn’t a lot of fun grinding matches out, but the biggest positive I can take is that I’m in the quarter-finals of the World Championship without getting out of second gear. There’s lots more to come.
“I don’t feel great in my game but I’m probably too hard on myself. If I started listening to other people like pundits and other players I think I would feel a bit better. I’m not close to my best yet but I think that is exciting as well.
“This is the World Championship. You don’t expect it to be easy. The strength in depth is better than it has ever been. There are no easy matches and I don’t want there to be. You want to play the best and really challenge yourself.”
Wilson said: “Any loss here is disappointing. I came here to try and win the tournament. Thankfully my name is on that beautiful trophy so I have ticked that box. Any time you go out is disappointing though. It was frustrating but I gave it my all.“
On the other table, Scottish Open champion Chris Wakelin rallied from 4-1 down to end locked level at 4-4 with Australia’s Neil Robertson after the first session of their second round meeting.
This is a repeat of a clash between the pair in the first round of last year’s World Championship. On that occasion it was Wakelin, playing as a qualifier, who sprung a shock on 2010 Crucible winner Robertson.
After falling 4-1 down this morning, Englishman Wakelin took the last three of the session with a top score of 77 to end all square. They return for their second of three sessions tomorrow afternoon at 2:30pm.
Barry Hawkins rounded off a superb 13-9 victory over Mark Williams to make the quarter-finals of the Halo World Championship for the first time in eight years.
The Hawk enjoyed a tremendous record at the Theatre of Dreams between 2013 and 2018. Hawkins won more matches in snooker’s biggest event than anyone else during that period. He was runner-up to Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2013 and reached a further four semi-finals and one quarter-final.
However, Englishman Hawkins has only won three matches in the final stages since 2019 and he’s exited after the first round in the last three years. An emphatic opening 10-4 win over Matthew Stevens this week brought the 47-year-old’s losing streak to an end. Now he will face Mark Allen for a return to the single table set up, as he continues his bid for a maiden world title.
Hawkins’ return to form in Sheffield comes having captured his fifth ranking event title earlier this year. He beat Jack Lisowski 9-5 in the Welsh Open final to capture the Ray Reardon Trophy for the first time.
Three-time World Champion Williams was unable to hit the heights of 12 months ago, which saw him make a fifth world final aged 50. The now 51-year-old lost out on that occasion to Zhao Xintong, who became Asia’s first Crucible king.
When play got underway this evening, all four players entering the Crucible arena were afforded an epic reception. There was a standing ovation with all three of the Class of 92 in action, with O’Sullivan facing John Higgins on the other table.
Hawkins held a healthy 10-6 advantage as play got underway, but Williams immediately cut into that and reduced the gap to three. It didn’t take long for the relentless Hawkins to hit back and a run of 85 in frame 18 made it 11-7. The following two frames were traded and they headed in for the interval with Hawkins one away at 12-8.
When play resumed, Williams floated in a fearless long range red and crafted 70 to reduce his arrears. The Welshman had an opportunity to pull within two frames in the 22nd, but a missed cut back red meant he could only muster 25. Hawkins pounced and got over the line to make his seventh Crucible quarter-final.
“To come here, play like that and beat him at the Crucible is a special result for me,” said an elated Hawkins.
“I’ve beaten him the last couple of times we’ve played now. I think in the past I had too much respect for him. I used to crumble against those sorts of players. I think in the last four or five years I’ve had more belief in myself and that has made the difference in the last few days.
“It was an amazing reception. I could see on the screen before I walked out that there was already a standing ovation. They weren’t standing for me, they were standing for the Class of 92. When I walked out, what a feeling, it is the best place to play when it is like that.“
Williams said: “The second session was probably where I lost it. The first session was good and so was the last session. I think Barry was really good all the way through and he was by far the better player.
“I think that was the best reception I’ve ever had at the Crucible. They were on their feet before even Barry went out. It was unbelievable.”
On the other table, O’Sullivan produced a superb display to open up a 6-2 lead over his old rival Higgins.
It was the 73rd meeting between the illustrious pair, with Higgins having previously won 33 and O’Sullivan 39.
The Rocket looked the more comfortable this evening and made breaks of 86, 82, 137, 95 and 76 during the session.
They resume tomorrow evening from 7pm.
These were shared by TNT and World Snooker on YouTube:
It’s a good start from Ronnie, but it’s a long match and John Higgins is more than capable to come back at him.
As I explained at the start of this post, I was busy elsewhere yesterday, so can’t comment on the action.
The first round at this year World Snooker Championship concluded yesterday and, herafter, you will find the report shared by WST:
Robertson Victory Completes Opening Round
Neil Robertson overcame a nervy start as he pulled away from 5-5 to beat Pang Junxu 10-6 in a tough opening test at the Halo World Championship.
In the last of the opening round matches to finish, Robertson eased over the winning line and became the 15th seed out of 16 to make it into round two. “It was nervy in the first session yesterday,” he admitted. “Today I was able to dictate how the match went and from 5-5 I played really well. Pang has got one of the best safety games but tonight my long potting was good and I played some aggressive safety to open the balls up.
“Hossein Vafaei did me a favour earlier today by knocking out Si Jiahui, otherwise everyone would have been talking about whether I would be the 16th seed to win. With so many of the best players through, there are some amazing match-ups in the second round.”
Given his success across the tour, Robertson has a surprisingly poor record at the Crucible over recent years; he has not reached the semi-finals since 2014. He won the title in 2010 and hopes to join a group of only six players to have lifted the trophy on multiple occasions in Sheffield, but knows he must improve his performances over the early rounds which he has found difficult to negotiate over the past decade.
The 44-year-old Australian is into the second round at the Crucible for the 15th time and will now face Chris Wakelin in a best-of-25 clash starting on Saturday. The pair met in the opening round last year, Wakelin winning 10-8, so Robertson will be determined to reverse the result. The world number three also still has a chance to climb to the top of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings though he must win the title and hope that Judd Trump goes out in the second round.
Record Equalled
Seed Succeed
Victory for Robertson means that 15 of the 16 seeded players have progressed to the second round. This equals a record set in 1983 and matched in 1993. The only top-16 ranked player to lose in round one this time was Si Jiahui, who was beaten by qualifier Hossein Vafaei earlier today.
Robertson led 5-4 after the first session and he had a chance in the opening frame tonight but missed a tricky red to centre pocket on 29 and his opponent later made 45 to square the tie. A run of 77 helped Robertson regain the lead and in frame 12 he led 29-6 when he converted a difficult red to a top corner and went on to make 49 for 7-5.
Pang potted just one red in the next two frames as Robertson extended his advantage to 9-5 with a runs of 80 and 54. He had a match-winning chance in frame 15 but missed a tough blue to a baulk corner at 17-0 and Pang kept his hopes alive with a break of 73. But Robertson clinched the result in the next with a run of 100, his 88th century at the Crucible.
Robertson, who won the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters at the start of this season, added: “I enjoy playing Chris Wakelin because he goes for his shots and it will be an open game. I was happy for him when he won the Scottish Open and you can see now he feels he belongs in the top 16.”
On the other table, Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen established a 5-3 lead over Kyren Wilson, who took the last three frames of the session to remain in touch in their second round clash.
2024 World Champion Wilson cut a frustrated figure for much of the session. He stated after his opening round match that he “hated” his cue. Those doubts were visible this evening and at one point he even gestured to bite off his tip.
Former Masters and UK Champion Allen, who is chasing a maiden Crucible crown, crafted breaks of 50 and 78 on his way to a commanding 5-0 advantage. Wilson dug deep and runs of 75 and 50 helped him to three on the bounce.
The pair return for the second of three sessions tomorrow at 2:30pm. First to 13 frames will progress to the quarter-finals.
And, as it has been the case throughout the championship so far, WST reporting is comprehensive enough and I don’t have much to add.
I watched the first session of Mark Allen v Kyren Wilson and neither player looked at his best. Of course, this is a long tournament and players will have both good and not so good days. Also, winning their first match is crucial for the seeds. Both have done that and maybe they “relaxed” a bit too much. I expect them to play better in the next sessions.
Here is the WST report on what happened on day 5 at this year’s World Championship
Selby Relieved To End Crucible Losing Streak
Mark Selby won a match at the Crucible for the first time in three years as he hammered Jak Jones 10-2 in the first round of the Halo World Championship.
Four-time champion Selby was runner-up to Luca Brecel in 2023 then suffered shock first round exits against Joe O’Connor in 2024 and Ben Woollaston in 2025. When he was handed a tough draw this time against 2024 runner-up Jones he may have feared another early trip back to Leicester, but in fact Selby dominated an out-of-sorts opponent and sailed into the last 16.
The 42-year-old, who lifted the trophy in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021, is into the last 16 in Sheffield for the 16th time and the sport’s ultimate match player now faces an intriguing battle with exciting young potter Wu Yize, which starts on Sunday.
Selby was at his best earlier this season when he won the Champion of Champions and UK Championship, and though his form has dipped since then, he is always a threat at the Crucible with his exceptional all round game and patience over the long distance.
He took a 7-2 lead over Jones in the first session this morning with top breaks of 67, 50 and 78, then added the three frames he needed tonight.
“It’s very tough when you lose in round one because this only comes around once a year, it’s the biggest tournament and the one everyone wants to win,” said world number seven Selby. “Then you go home and the tournament is still going on for two weeks so you can’t get away from it. I was relieved this time not to draw someone from Leicester. But it was still a tough draw and I’m over the moon to beat Jak by that scoreline,. No matter what I have achieved, I felt nervous and I’m sure Jak did too.
“I feel I have still been playing decent stuff in the second half of the season. At the Tour Championship I was 8-5 up on John Higgins and then didn’t do too much wrong but lost 10-8. I still feel good in my game. Wu is an amazing talent and great to watch, he could be a future World Champion, I am really looking forward to it. I know I am going to have to be near my best.“
Jones suffers from asthma and explained how that affected his performance. He said: “I felt shocking this morning and the game turned into a nightmare. I couldn’t breathe properly and that makes it very difficult to keep my composure or stay calm. When you are up against one of the best players ever, that doesn’t help. But it’s not an excuse because I played badly so the scoreline would probably have been the same anyway.”
On the other table, Neil Robertson took a narrow 5-4 over Pang Junxu in the last of the opening round matches to get underway. Robertson compiled breaks of 81, 72 and 53 while Pang made 54, 73 and 122. They play to a finish on Thursday from 7pm.
I didn’t see much at all from the action because intermittent issues with my Internet connection, so I can’t really comment on how the match panned out. I didn’t remember that Mark Selby had suffered those early exits in the three previous years. In my eyes, he’s a top player and always very dangerous, so I expected him to beat Jak Jones. The scoreline though is severe. Jak Jones is a former Crucible finalist and I expected a much closer match.
Making a record-extending 34th consecutive appearance at the Crucible, Ronnie O’Sullivan fired three centuries in a 10-2 thrashing of He Guoqiang to earn a blockbuster tie with John Higgins in the second round of the Halo World Championship.
O’Sullivan had played in just nine tournaments this season before arriving in Sheffield so may lack the match sharpness of some of his rivals, but on the evidence of this emphatic victory over China’s He, his game is ready for a tilt at a record eighth Crucible crown. Snooker’s all-time greatest player lifted the trophy in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2022 and admits his only remaining ambition is to go one ahead of Stephen Hendry’s tally of seven.
His next test will be a fascinating clash with fellow ‘Class of ’92’ member Higgins, over 25 frames on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It will be a seventh match at the Crucible between the pair, equalling the record for the most frequent meetings at the Theatre of Dreams, first set by Steve Davis and Terry Griffiths who played on seven occasions, and matched by Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White. Higgins and O’Sullivan first went head to head here in 1996 as 20-year-olds, and will now meet again having both turned 50.
O’Sullivan v Higgins at the Crucible
2022 Semi-final – O’Sullivan 17-11 Higgins
2011 Quarter-final – Higgins 13-10 O’Sullivan
2007 Quarter-final – Higgins 13-9 O’Sullivan
2001 Final – O’Sullivan 18-14 Higgins
1998 Semi-final – Higgins 17-9 O’Sullivan
1996 Quarter-final – O’Sullivan 13-12 Higgins
O’Sullivan took a 7-2 lead against debutant He in Tuesday’s opening session, making breaks of 72, 97, 113, 52 and 86. Today’s concluding session, which had former England and Manchester United footballer Paul Scholes among the crowd, lasted just 35 minutes as world number 12 O’Sullivan added runs of 62, 113 and 100, taking his overall tally of centuries at the Crucible to 217.
He is the 13th seed into the second round, and if Mark Selby, Si Jiahui and Neil Robertson all follow him, it will be the first time in Crucible history that all 16 seeds have beaten the qualifiers.
Here are the scores and stats for the match:
And some images shared on social media
Despite not looking at his very best, Ronnie scored heavily in the balls as the match stats show. The opening match is never easy for the seeds, so it’s a good result.
I’m not particularly thrilled about round 2 though because John is someone who has often caused Ronnie serious problems and, if anything, Ronnie tends to give him a bit too much respect.
Three matches were played to a conclusion yesterday, with Judd Trump, Wu Yize and Shaun Murphy all getting to the second round. So far, none of the seeded players has lost his opening match.
Ronnie started his campaign yesterday and took a healthy lead over his young opponent He Guoqiang.
The reports shared by WST are comprehensive and I have nothing to add. Here they are:
Wu Yize, the breakthrough player of the season, reached another milestone as he won a match at the Crucible for the first time with a resounding 10-2 victory over Lei Peifan in the first round of the Halo World Championship.
Wu built a commanding 8-1 lead in the first session on Monday with breaks of 93, 92, 85, 67, 58 and 105, and within 37 minutes of the restart the tie was over. Lei – who knocked out Kyren Wilson at this stage last year – pulled one back with a break of 69, but Wu’s run of 68 make it 9-2 and he finished in style with a 116.
China’s 22-year-old Wu turned pro in 2021 and made steady progress up the rankings in his first few seasons before taking a giant leap this term. In November he landed a first ranking title at the International Championship, beating the likes of Judd Trump and Zhao Xintong before a 10-6 defeat of John Higgins in the final, which boosted him into the world’s top 16 for the first time and he is now ranked tenth. Wu also came within a few pots of reaching the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Masters on his debut in January, losing narrowly 6-5 to Kyren Wilson.
The exciting break-builder with a fast and fluent style made his Crucible debut in 2023, losing 10-3 to Neil Robertson, then got much closer to Mark Williams last year, beaten 10-8. He is now into the last 16 in Sheffield and will face Mark Selby or Jak Jones in his first ever best-of-25 frame match on Sunday and Monday. Wu’s victory continues the sequence of seeds making it into round two, with all nine completed matches so far going in favour of the top-16 ranked player.
“It is my dream to win it,” said Wu. “I don’t know if I can do that, but I will give 100 per cent and enjoy each match. I’m really happy to get my first win at the Crucible, it’s another breakthrough for me. Overall I think I played pretty well, especially on the attacking side. I managed to take the chances I was given. Hopefully I can keep this good form going.
“It feels amazing. This venue feels truly unique. For me, the best venues are the Crucible and Alexandra Palace for the Masters, playing here is a real enjoyment for every player. I hope I can play even better, put aside distractions and finish the season well.“
Wu has been tipped by Ronnie O’Sullivan as a future world number one and World Champion and he admits that those words have given him more self belief. “It definitely gave me huge encouragement and made me feel I have the ability to compete with the very best,” Wu added. “I will just keep working hard and chasing the dream.“
Ronnie O’Sullivan built a commanding 7-2 advantage over He Guoqiang, after the first session of their opening round tie at the Halo World Championship in Sheffield.
The Rocket is embarking on his 34th Crucible campaign and is gunning for history. O’Sullivan knows that an eighth World Championship victory this year would move him clear of Stephen Hendry’s seven Crucible crowns, a goal he has admitted is his main career ambition going forward.
In a season where O’Sullivan has appeared sparingly, this is only his second UK based tournament of the campaign. However, he showed signs of his dazzling best at the recent World Open, when he reached the final and made a 153, the highest break of all-time.
China’s He defeated compatriot Long Zehuang and Jack Lisowski to qualify. His head-to-head record with O’Sullivan is level at 1-1, having beaten O’Sulllivan at last season’s English Open. However, he has left himself a mammoth task to score a match win at the sport’s most iconic venue.
Breaks of 72, 97 and 113 helped O’Sullivan to a flying start and the first five frames this afternoon. He dug deep and clawed back the next two frames, including a break of 77, to trail 5-2.
O’Sullivan responded by taking the last two of the sessions, with contributions of 52 and 86 to end 7-2 ahead. The Englishman will require three more frames for victory when the resume tomorrow afternoon at 2:30pm.
World number one Judd Trump won five of the last six frames to surge to a comfortable 10-5 win over Gary Wilson at the Halo World Championship.
Trump arrived in Sheffield with his place at the summit of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings under threat. However, victory today means that the only way he can be usurped is Neil Robertson becoming World Champion.
The 31-time ranking event winner is aiming to capture snooker’s biggest prize for just the second time in his career, having beaten John Higgins in the 2019 title match.
Today’s encounter was a repeat of Trump’s semi-final victory during that run. Seven years later Wilson, who made the final of this season’s Wuhan Open, cut a disconsolate figure after today’s defeat and bemoaned his recent form.
Trump held a 5-4 advantage coming into this evening’s session, having rallied from 4-1 down this morning. Wilson crafted contributions of 58 and 33 in the opener tonight to regain parity, but Trump responded by taking two on the bounce to open up a 7-5 cushion. He continued his momentum in the next, making 71 to lead 8-5 at the mid-session.
When play resumed Trump extended his advantage further and then made a 69 break in the 15th to get over the line and secure victory. The Ace in the Pack progresses to the second round for the 14th time in his career. A meeting with either Hossein Vafaei or Si Jiahui awaits him.
“Gary is a great player, he’s won three ranking events and was always going to be tricky. I just tried to keep my composure. I knew if I played my best I’d have a great chance of winning. He started off well and all the long pots were going in there. I just had to try and stick in there in the first session,” said 36-year-old Trump.
“When it got to 8-5, I could sense a little bit of his confidence was draining and he was going for some rash shots. I knew for me it was then the time to step up.
“There have been a lot of times I’ve come in over the last ten years when I have been favourite. When you don’t win it is a bit of a let down. There is maybe more expectation on Xintong and Ronnie this year. It is easier for the likes of me, Neil Robertson and Mark Selby to go under the radar.
“It is always nice to be introduced as the world number one. You get a bit of a buzz. I’ve held that for just under two years so it would be nice to go into the break knowing I will come back as world number one. That is a little milestone it would be nice to tick off.“
A downbeat Wilson said: “Everyone might think I had a good start but deep down I’m struggling. It can be masked sometimes and look like you are playing alright. Really any shot is missable. When they are going in, those who aren’t snooker players think I’m playing well but I’m just waiting for the next opportunity to miss an easy ball.
“Since I was 13 I have always been a much better player than I’m showing these days. I just can’t physically cue the ball. It is very debilitating. I’ve said this over the last few years. It isn’t a new story. It is progressively getting worse and worse. I don’t know if there is an answer.”
Shaun Murphy escaped a huge Crucible shock as he made a marvellous clearance in the deciding frame to beat Fan Zhengyi 10-9 in the first round of the Halo World Championship.
Trailing by 36 points at 9-9 with four reds left – and two of them close to the top cushion – Murphy was in danger of becoming the first seeded player to exit this year’s tournament, at the hands of world number 63 Fan. But he fashioned a tremendous break of 50 then celebrated with multiple fist pumps as an enthralled crowd applauded at the end of the most dramatic contest of the Championship so far.
“I can’t believe I won the match from that position, the way the balls were,” said 43-year-old Murphy. “It’s the best break I have ever made, given what was at stake, and I am so proud. The most nerve-racking thing I have done outside snooker was my driving test and this was 50 times worse.”
World number eight Murphy is into the last 16 for the 16th time and will meet Xiao Guodong on Thursday and Friday. With Judd Trump also into the second round, all 11 completed matches so far have gone in favour of the seeded player. Champion in 2005, Murphy is looking to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2021 when he was runner-up to Mark Selby.
The first two frames tonight were shared to leave Murphy 6-5 ahead, then in the 12th he got the two snookers he needed on the last red and cleared to force a respotted black, only for China’s Fan to double it into a baulk corner. Again they traded frames, then in the 15th Fan had a clear chance to go ahead but missed a routine black when he led 25-19 and Murphy’s 39 made it 8-7.
The Englishman was on 51 in the next when he ran out of position, then had to watch Fan thump in a long red and clear with 79. Once again Murphy edged ahead – leading for the seventh time – by dominating frame 17, only for Fan to control the next for 9-9.
Murphy had two early chances in the decider but could only muster 17 points, then Fan made 38 before running out of position. Leading 53-17, Fan attempted a tough red to a centre pocket which would surely have settled the result, but it hit the far jaw and handed Murphy his opening. The key shot was a superb pink to knock two reds off the top cushion, and from there he kept his composure to clear to the pink.
“I have no idea how I did it, I was preparing my losing speech,” added Murphy. “Fan played a great match and he had more than a foot in the last 16. I didn’t want to be the first seed to lose.“
