China’s Si Jiahui is through to the last eight of the Halo World Championship for a second time after battling past world number 45 Ben Woollaston 13-10 at the Crucible Theatre.
Since first qualifying for the final stages in 2023, Si has enjoyed a dazzling record on snooker’s biggest stage.
The 22-year-old reached the semi-finals on debut as a qualifier two years ago. He led Luca Brecel 14-5 and looked set to reach the title match before an epic comeback saw him lose 17-15. Last year, Si defeated three-time Crucible king Mark Williams in the opening round, before bowing out in the last 16.
Next up, Si could face Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter-finals, with the Rocket needing just one more frame to progress this evening. O’Sullivan leads Pang Junxu 12-4.
Woollaston’s campaign comes to an end, but he can reflect proudly on an excellent return to the Theatre of Dreams. The 37-year-old from Leicester was appearing in the final stages for the first time since 2013. His stunning 10-8 victory over Mark Selby in the opening round marked his first Crucible match win.
Heading into this afternoon’s concluding session, Si led 9-7 after clinching a crucial final frame last night.
That advantage was quickly wiped out, as former Welsh Open finalist Woollaston took the opening frame and then fired in a 110 break in the 19th to level at 9-9.
The next two frames were shared to leave the match finely poised at 10-10. Si then surged ahead with contributions of 63 and 126 to move to within a frame of victory at 12-10.
The 23rd frame came down to the brown. Woollaston missed a tricky chance to the green pocket, and Si responded by potting a superb brown to the same corner. Landing perfectly on the blue, he cleared the table to secure the win.
“It was tough, because neither of us played very well. It was exhausting — mainly mentally exhausting. In the end, I relied entirely on my willpower to win,” said world number 13 Si.
“I think I wanted to win too badly. I put too much pressure on myself, which made my performance worse. To be fair, my opponent was also playing in the last 16 at the Crucible for the first time, and he wasn’t playing very well either. Overall, both of us didn’t play to a high standard.
“No matter who my next opponent is, I hope I can show my best level. That would make me very happy. If it’s Ronnie, I think I will feel much more relaxed mentally. Losing to him would be very normal — it wouldn’t be upsetting. If my mindset is right, I’ll be able to play more freely and aggressively. I hope I can perform better in the next round.”
Judd Trump reached the quarter-finals of the Halo World Championship for the 11th time with an exciting 13-10 victory over Shaun Murphy, who described him as the overwhelming favourite for the title.
Murphy had the Crucible crowd on the edge of their seats with a thrilling recovery from 12-6 down to 12-10, but a missed red early in frame 23 ended his hopes of a career-best fight-back. World number one Trump goes into the last eight and will meet Luca Brecel next if the Belgian takes the one frame he needs against Ding Junhui tonight.
Champion in 2019, Trump hopes to join the small group of just six players to lift the trophy in Sheffield more than once. With 30 ranking titles to his name, two UK Championship and two Masters crowns and over 1,000 centuries, he is one of the sport’s most decorated players, but another Crucible success would put beyond doubt Trump’s position in the pantheon of all-time greats.
This fantastic contest included four centuries and 16 more breaks over 50, as well as the moment when Trump recorded his 100th ton of the season, earning a £100,000 bonus. Murphy said afterwards: “If Judd sustains that level of performance, he will win the tournament, without question.”
Trump, age 35, has lost five of his previous ten quarter-finals, including a shock reverse against Jak Jones last year, and will hope to improve that record when he battles Brecel or Ding over 25 frames on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Leading 10-6 coming into the concluding session, Trump got the better of the opening frame today by winning a safety battle on the final yellow, trapping Murphy in a snooker and taking the chance that followed to go five frames clear. A break of 86 made it 12-6, before Murphy stormed back with 88, 72, 112 and 99 to reduce the gap to 12-10.
World number 15 Murphy, champion in 2005, had first chance in frame 21 but made only 6 before missing a mid-range red to a top corner. Trump converted a long red to set up a run of 58, and Murphy’s last opportunity to counter ended with an under-cut red to centre.
“It was an extremely difficult draw, before the tournament it was the stand out tie that everyone was looking at, if we both got through the first round,” said Trump. “You don’t really want to be putting in so much effort to get to a quarter-final. But I take a lot of confidence from beating Shaun in that way.
“I expected him to throw a barrage of breaks at me at the end. When he gets going, there is probably no player like him, the confidence he exudes, it can be very intimidating. I had to compose myself, I didn’t want to go 12-11 or 12-12 against someone with that much confidence, with the crowd behind him. So in the end it was tremendous to get over the line.
“Luca is playing really well, I know what he is capable of. If I play him my safety will need to be good enough to keep him out. I’ll need all of my experience. There are some incredible match-ups in the quarter-finals. John Higgins and Mark Williams is an absolute classic. It is turning into a great tournament and hopefully it will keep getting better.“
Looking back on the moment he achieved the century of centuries on Sunday night, Trump added: “The crowd put on an amazing reception, I was a bit embarrassed to take the applause! To achieve it here at the Crucible was so special. But at that moment I knew I was in such a tough game, it was difficult to celebrate. I knew I had to win that last frame of the session to go 10-6 up. Now that’s done, I can just concentrate on the tournament because it’s going to be a real battle over the next week.”
Murphy said: “It’s frustrating because that’s the best I have ever played here and lost. I don’t think anyone has played as well as Judd and I over a long distance this year. There have been a lot of times this season when my opponent has played out of his boots. If I’d had more chances I felt I would have taken them. But I watched two and half sessions of Judd Trump magic.
“Every credit to Judd for the 100 centuries and winning the bonus. When it was first announced I called it ‘the Judd Trump and Neil Robertson award’ because they make so many centuries. I wanted to have a crack at it myself and I’ve had a good season but only made 58 which shows how good Judd has been.
“I feel to some degree I am playing the best snooker of my life. Winning the Masters this season was huge. But it will take me a few weeks to get over this defeat.”
Luca Brecel, who arrived for his second round tie in a private jet, breezed past Ding Junhui 13-4 to set up a quarter-final showdown with Judd Trump at the Halo World Championship in Sheffield.
The Belgian Bullet touched down in Sheffield barely an hour before competing in the first session of this second round encounter. He revealed afterwards that Arsenal footballer, friend and compatriot Leandro Trossard arranged the jet he used to fly into Sheffield.
Brecel famously travelled home in between rounds during his run to the 2023 world title and he played snooker reminiscent of that run in this tie.
Ding will have to wait another year in his bid to claim a maiden World Championship crown. With 15 ranking titles to his name, he is his country’s greatest player and has paved the way for a record ten Chinese players to make it to the final stages this year.
The first session was dominated by Brecel and six-time World Champion Steve Davis described it as the best exhibition of snooker he has ever seen at the Crucible. It saw Brecel open up a 7-1 advantage, before he pushed forward in the second session to move one frame away from the win at 12-4.
That meant a swift evening’s work for Brecel, who needed just 15 minutes of play to claim victory. A break of 71 helped Brecel to cross the line with a clean kill which booked a quarter-final meeting with Trump.
The mercurial 30-year-old has an all-or-nothing track record in the World Championship. Having lost opening round ties in his first five trips to the Theatre of Dreams, he went all the way to the title two years ago after beating Mark Selby 18-15 in an epic final. David Gilbert inflicted the Crucible curse on Brecel in the first round last year.
Since making history as the first continental European to win a Crucible title, world number seven Brecel has struggled to maintain his form. He’s currently projected to slide to 38th in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings at the end of the season.
However, Brecel is clearly in the mood this week and if he can produce a similar standard snooker against world number one Trump, we could be set for a classic quarter-final. They get underway in their best of 25 clash tomorrow from 2:30pm. After today’s win Brecel admitted that his jet setting approach helps create conditions which allow him to thrive on the table.
Brecel revealed: “I don’t like to hang around too long. I like to get here as late as possible. Even today, I only arrived 15 minutes before the game. That has always been my way and as long as it works, that is good. I booked the plane the day before. I know Trossard the Arsenal footballer and he arranged it for me.
“I think all of the sessions were good. Even when I got the chance today, my cue ball was tight. I was happy with that because I wanted to finish it off quickly. There was a little bit of pressure to get it done and give myself time to prepare for tomorrow.
“When you come off you think you didn’t play that well, but you hear everyone saying you played an amazing session. Watching some of the frames back you can see you are playing really well. I’ve said it for a long time. I got to the quarters in Scotland and at the Masters, semis in Wales and the final in Saudi. I’ve won a lot of games. For me it isn’t a surprise. Everyone says I’ve not been playing well but I don’t get that.
“I will have to keep up my level of play. Judd is used to playing like that, but for me it is really difficult. My focus needs to be strong and my cue ball control needs to be good.”
O’Sullivan Into Quarters But Keeps Expectations Low
Ronnie O’Sullivan remains cautious about his chances of progressing further at the Halo World Championship, but an emphatic 13-4 defeat of Pang Junxu put him into a 23rd Crucible quarter-final.
With a longer term plan to rebuild his game over the next two years, O’Sullivan is keeping his expectations low in Sheffield, and insists his game is yet to click on the table. But his fans can take heart from the facts: in his first two matches he has made six centuries and 14 more breaks over 50, winning 23 frames and conceding just eight. He may face a tougher test next against Si Jiahui, who won 6-4 when they met at the same stage of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in September.
“When I am playing well, as soon as I get a chance, before I even pot the first red I think it’s probably ‘game over’,” said O’Sullivan tonight. “And then I’m in such a rhythm, give me half a chance in the next and I can reel four or five frames off. The mindset between that and where I am now – it feels hard for me to approach the game just trying to pot one ball at a time. On the practice table you can try to fix things but out there you can’t really do that. So you have to just refocus, forget the bad shots, move forward and try to pot the next ball.”
O’Sullivan extends his own record for the most quarter-final appearances – ahead of John Higgins and Stephen Hendry who have 19 apiece – and has won 13 of the previous 22. He is now just seven days and three wins away from a possible eighth world crown which would put him one ahead of Hendry. The 49-year-old has not won a tournament for 13 months and had not even played competitively since January before arriving in Sheffield, but with two wins now under his belt his presence will be felt by the other seven remaining players.
Tonight’s result means that O’Sullivan and fellow ‘Class of 92’ members Higgins and Mark Williams are all in the quarter-finals at the Crucible for the fifth time – this previously occurred in 1998, 1999, 2011 and 2022.
World number five O’Sullivan led 12-4 after the first two sessions, having compiled breaks of 58, 91, 50, 63, 68, 52, 79, 80, 105, 135 and 62, and needed just one frame tonight to wrap up the result with a run of 95.
He added: “The more table time I get, the more of a chance I have to try to get my game to where I need it to be. Whatever happens here doesn’t make a difference to how I approach the next two years. If I play my game then it is irrelevant who is sitting in the other chair. I always back myself that if I am somewhere near my best then I’m confident of beating anyone. But when I am not playing well, then I have to rely on my opponent making mistakes. It can click into gear at any time, but I am a realist and I know my own patterns of where I am and where I need to be.”
The Essex cueman’s best-of-25 contest with China’s Si gets underway at 2.30pm on Tuesday, with further sessions on Wednesday at 10am and 7pm.
There isn’t much to add …
Ronnie may not be at his best but he’s certainly trying very hard and giving it all. We can’t ask more than that. Ten days ago we weren’t even sure he would turn up and play. He’s in the QFs.
Ronnie O’Sullivan says ‘horrible’ Crucible demolition of Pang Junxu was ‘hell’
Ronnie O’Sullivan is not comfortable with his game but keeps on winning (Picture: Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan is into the World Snooker Championship quarter-finals with two comfortable wins, but says his 13-4 win over Pang Junxu was ‘hell’ and says his game feels as bad as it ever has.
The Rocket made two centuries and 10 half-centuries as he brushed aside Pang, needing just one frame of the final third session as he made 95 to end things very early on Monday night.
This came after a 10-4 win over Ali Carter in the opening round as O’Sullivan breezes into the last eight despite not playing since January before he turned up in Sheffield.
The results may have come, but he does not feel like his form, rhythm and enjoyment have come with them, insisting that he does not feel good about his game at all.
O’Sullivan told the BBC: ‘I feel so unconfident. It’s horrible, it’s horrible even when you’re playing alright, but let alone when you’re struggling.’
Asked what he is working on to rebuild his game to where he will be happy with it, he said: ‘I don’t even know to be honest. It’s just a feeling.
‘A safety shot I played there, I hit is so thick I can’t even see where I’m hitting it. It’s just guess work. Then you try something else and the shot looks different again.
O’Sullivan remains on course for an eighth world title (Picture: Getty Images)
‘In the balls I was alright tonight because what I’ve changed felt alright, but there’s so many different parts of the game that you’ve got to get right. It’s hell, to be honest with you.’
He added: ‘It’s not even about winning, it’s about going out there and enjoying it, feeling confident enough to do yourself justice. I’m not even bothered about winning. It’s nice to win. You just want to be part of good games, I’ve always felt better if I’ve played well in the game and lost than when I’ve played terrible and won. I know I’m probably not normal, so I’ve accepted that as well.’
Both Carter and Pang struggled to find anything like their best form and O’Sullivan thinks that if they did he may well already have been beaten.
However, he does see some light at the end of the tunnel, admitting that he can be his own worst critic and some of his seven world titles have come when he felt he was playing poorly.
‘If either of my opponents that I played had played well I would have got beat, but they played poorly, they let me off the hook and I’ve managed to score a few. That’s basically how I’ve got through,’ he said.
I’ve won this tournament many times before playing what I consider bad, so it can be done. But in your early 40s it’s probably much more achievable than when you’re 50 and struggling to bend down and do your shoe laces up. It gets a bit hard.
It’s hard to judge because people say you’re not as bad as you think but feeling-wise I think it’s the worst I’ve ever felt. I don’t even know where my back arm is, where my left leg is, sometimes I can’t even see where I’m hitting. It’s difficult.’
Next up for him is Si Jiahui in the quarter-finals, someone he does expect to perform against him after losing to the 22-year-old at the Saudi Arabia Masters earlier this season.
‘This is a big acid test because he does score,’ said the Rocket. ‘The players I played in the first two rounds had enough chances to put me away but they haven’t, but I think this guy will.
‘He buried me in Saudi Arabia this year. I was scrapping but his scoring power was too much for me.’
Pang Junxu did not play well against O’Sullivan (Picture: Getty Images)
In other topics… Murphy has been at it again… telling the media that Judd wasn’t appreciated enough in particular by the older commentators. That’s not the feeling I have, but then, I’m not watching on the BBC, which almost certainly what Murphy refers to . He also suggested that Ronnie’s “past antics” were about seeking attention and courting the media. That’s definitely not something I agree with. What I have seen when I was in the media room is that some media – not all, far from it – were actually looking for anything “sensational” about Ronnie simply because his name “sells” and if that meant taking quotes out of context, or citing only part of what he had said and “distorting” what he had actually meant saying as a result, they did.
Zhao Xintong is one match away from the Crucible’s hallowed single table setup, having beaten Chinese compatriot Lei Peifan 13-10 to make the quarter-finals of the Halo World Championship.
Former UK Champion Zhao is competing as an amateur this year. He returned from suspension earlier in the campaign, after a 20 month ban for breaching betting regulations. Zhao’s comeback started on the amateur Q Tour circuit. By winning four of the seven events, he earned a pro tour card for next season.
The supremely talented 28-year-old practised relentlessly during his time off the tour and displayed his dazzling best by crafting 12 centuries at qualifying, where he won four matches to reach the Crucible.
Zhao is already only the second amateur to win a match in the final stages. He is the first to ever make the quarter-finals of the World Championship. He follows on from James Cahill, who beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2020.
Debutant Lei exits the event having inflicted the Crucible Curse on Kyren Wilson, he ousted the defending champion 10-9 in the opening round. This season has seen him capture maiden ranking silverware with victory at the Scottish Open in December.
Zhao came into this morning holding a commanding 10-6 lead. He embarked on a 147 attempt in the first frame, but broke down on 72, to move 11-6 up. From there it was Lei who fired to burst back into contention.
Breaks of 130, 94 and 65 saw him take four of the next five frames and trail 12-10. However, it was Zhao who took the 23rd with a break of 54 to get over the line and seal a last eight meeting with Chris Wakelin.
Zhao said: “The most intriguing part of the Crucible, is it doesn’t just test your overall game level, but also your mental toughness. I think this match was also a self-challenge for me. If you want to win the World Championship, you have to go through challenges like this. I hope I can stay here longer.
“Although it’s my first time in the quarter-finals, I hope to go even further. I believe I have the ability. Over the next few days, I will continue adjusting my form and sharpen my touch during practice. Because the opponents ahead are all very strong, I must maintain an even calmer mindset.
‘I know Chris Wakelin is playing very well. He’s very strong this year, but I think as long as I can play to my own level, I have a chance against anyone. This quarter final match will be a challenge for both of us. I hope I can play my best and fully enjoy the match, maybe the outcome will exceed my expectations.
“I hope more Chinese fans and even the general public can discover the beauty of snooker. If more people start playing snooker and enjoying the sport, that would make us as players very happy. I believe that in the future, snooker will definitely become an even more popular sport in China.”
Snooker is of course very popular in China, but not as popular as it used to be if what I read on various sources is true. Snooker allegedly has “lost ground” to “Joy – Heyball”. Several UK pros have tried that sport as well. It’s probably more enjoyable for beginners: “frames” are shorter and the tables are smaller although the pockets have the same cut as the “snooker pockets” and the ball are bigger… The key factor though is that because the tables are smaller, clubs with limited space can fit more of them than snooker tables in their “venue”. Commercially it’s almost certainly more profitable.
Another day at the Crucible, another day of intense snooker and drama … but more than anything else a day that offered the fans one of the most extraordinary sessions in the history of the World Championship courtesy of Luca Brecel 😳 … but let’s start with the reports shared by WST:
Mark Williams became the oldest Crucible quarter-finalist for 15 years with a 13-10 victory over Hossein Vafaei at the Halo World Championship, setting up a potential clash with John Higgins.
Williams came to Sheffield with low expectations as he has had problems with his eyesight this season, and after losing 10-3 to Ding Junhui in his opening match at the recent Tour Championship he predicted he would be an “easy draw for anyone” at the Crucible. But after beating Wu Yize 10-8 in the first round, he impressed again against Vafaei, fending off a late fight-back to take the last two frames and rounding off the tie with a marvellous century.
Having turned 50 last month, the Welshman is the oldest quarter-finalist since a 52-year-old Steve Davis in 2010. It’s a 12th appearance in the last eight for the Welshman and he continues to chase a fourth world title having lifted the trophy in 2000, 2003 and 2018.
If Higgins can convert a 12-11 lead over Xiao Guodong into victory tonight, then two of the all-time greats would clash on Tuesday and Wednesday. It would be a repeat of the 2018 final, which Williams won 18-16.
“I am praying that John will win tonight,” said Williams. “It would be an incredible occasion, given the stage we are at in our careers. The reception would probably be like the Masters when we played in 2022 and we had a standing ovation. I would just love to play in that atmosphere again. Come on the old boys! The last few times I have come here, I am just trying to enjoy the moments because I don’t know how many times I will be back. I don’t know how I am still playing to a fairly decent level.”
Trailing 9-7 going into the concluding session, Vafaei had a golden opportunity to narrow the gap in frame 17 but missed the final brown to a centre pocket leading 49-47, handing Williams the chance to pot brown, blue and pink for 10-7. Vafaei made a 70 clearance, from 52-1 down, to snatch the 18th and he led 57-26 in the next only for Williams to clear from the penultimate red for 11-8.
A run of 74 boosted Vafaei’s hopes of a recovery. Williams led 35-0 in the next when he missed a red to a top corner, and Vafaei made 72 to close within one. Williams dominated the next for 12-10, and when Vafaei missed a red to a baulk corner early in the next, he wrapped it up superbly with 115.
“A lot of frames could have gone either way,” added world number six Williams, who won the Champion of Champions earlier this season. “I made a lot of really good breaks. I missed easy ones too but that’s what I do. When you miss an easy one you just have to get on with it. I made a fabulous break in the last frame. When I came to the table I thought if I could make 30 I would be in a good position, so to make a century was unbelievable.“
Vafaei said: “It was very tight and tense. Neither of us played at our best. We were both tired. I am disappointed with my performance because I gifted him him many frames with my mistakes. I have to work more if I want this beautiful trophy. Mark will always be a tough opponent.”
On the other table, seven-time Crucible king Ronnie O’Sullivan made a strong start to his second round tie with Pang Junxu, taking a 6-2 lead. O’Sullivan hadn’t played competitively for over three months coming into this event, but after a 10-4 success against Ali Carter in round one he is now on track for a 23rd quarter-final which would extend his own record.
If O’Sullivan and Higgins join Williams in the last eight, it will be the fifth time that all three members of the ‘Class of 92’ have reached the quarter-finals in Sheffield – this previously happened in 1998, 1999, 2011 and 2022.
Breaks of 58, 91, 50 and 63 helped O’Sullivan build a 4-0 lead. China’s Pang pulled one back with a 119 and had first chance in frame six but made only 33 and his opponent took it with a 68. Pang came from 52-0 down to snatch the seventh with runs of 34 and 32, but O’Sullivan took the last of the session to secure a four-frame overnight cushion.
Ronnie is 6-2 up but that match is far from over. Once Pang got going, he matched Ronnie in every department. Both scored well but both made mistakes as well.
Belgium’s Luca Brecel produced a breathtaking session of snooker to end 7-1 up on Chinese number one Ding Junhui at the Halo World Championship in Sheffield.
In the commentary box, six-time World Champion Steve Davis described Brecel’s performance as the best session of exhibition snooker he’s ever seen at the Crucible. When the players left the arena at the conclusion of play, they received a standing ovation from the capacity crowd on table two.
Brecel took just 17.5 seconds per shot in the quickfire session, as he produced snooker reminiscent of when he lifted the World Championship trophy two years ago. In the times since then, he has drifted down the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, having struggled with his form. If he were to lose this match he would tumble from seventh in the world to 41st.
It was Ding who started with a sublime 141 to get play underway. However, from that point on it was a snooker masterclass from 30-year-old Brecel. Breaks of 121, 78, 55, 100 and 88 saw him surge to seven frames on the bounce. They return tomorrow afternoon from 2:30pm for the second of three sessions.
On the other table, Si Jiahui moved 5-3 up on Ben Woollaston after the first session of their second round encounter. Si top scored with 65 and took the final frame of the evening on the pink to emerge with his lead
It was a truly extraordinary show by Luca. Ding didn’t do anything wrong and for most of the evening was kept in his seat wondering if he would get another shot during the frame in progress. He didn’t…
WST reports that Steve Davis was impressed … Alan Mc Manus on TNT was lost for superlatives. He was as excited as a kid on Christmas and in awe at what he was witnessing. It has to be said, it was dazzling snooker. I can’t remember anyone playing that well, and that fast, relentlessly, for seven frames in a row. The standing ovation was fully deserved and this is a session those who were lucky enough to witnessed it live in the arena will never forget.
Scotland’s four-time Crucible king John Higgins beat China’s Xiao Guodong 13-12 in a ten-hour marathon to set up a quarter-final showdown with Mark Williams at the Halo World Championship.
Higgins and Xiao were pulled off this morning, with the Glaswegian leading 12-11. Higgins was left to mull over a crucial missed black off the spot, which allowed Xiao to take the 23rd frame and force further play this evening.
When they returned, it was 49-year-old Higgins who again appeared to be heading for the finish line. However, he spurned a match ball pink.
That came back to haunt him, when he later inadvertently fouled the pink by potting it in the middle and left the balls at Xiao’s mercy. This season’s Wuhan Open champion obliged, clearing with 39 to steal on the black.
Higgins was again in with the first chance in the final frame. He broke down on 44, but got back to the table and made 75 to get himself over the line.
He’s now won nine out of ten deciders at the Crucible and is through to the quarter-finals for the 19th time in his 31 appearances at the Theatre of Dreams.
Higgins and Williams have met 42 times in their illustrious careers. It’s 33-time ranking event winner Higgins who leads the head-to-head 22-20. However, Williams has won four of their five meetings at the Crucible, including an epic 18-16 triumph in the 2018 final.
“I had two good chances at 12-11, but that maybe settled me down. I was thinking to myself that I’d had chances. The Snooker Gods were maybe beginning to go against me when I potted the pink,” said a relieved Higgins.
“He’s such a tough player, Xiao. We were matching each other punch for punch. There was good stuff and long frames with good safety. I thoroughly enjoyed the game. It was great to be a part of it and I’m delighted to come out on the winning side.
“25 years ago myself and Mark would have been big rivals. Now we just walk into the practice room sometimes and give each other a nod, as if to say we are still doing alright. We are against all these great young talents coming through. We are still in there fighting with them. I think that is a great testament to us.
“Mark is an unbelievable champion. I just can’t wait. I’ll go out there and enjoy it. If I win then great, if I don’t I’ll shake his hand and wish him well.”
Six seeded players had left the tournament in round one, and yesterday, Mark Allen became the 7th one as the first week1 of the championship came to its end, and the first round, the round of 32, concluded.
Chris Wakelin, playing with “ultimate self belief”, had never won a match at the Crucible before this week but claimed another huge scalp at the Halo World Championship with an outstanding 13-6 victory over Mark Allen to reach the quarter-finals.
World number 20 Wakelin beat Xing Zihao and Martin O’Donnell in the qualifying rounds to earn a fourth appearance at the Theatre of Dreams. He then knocked out Neil Robertson and followed up with a tremendous performance against 11-time ranking event winner Allen. Nuneaton’s 33-year-old Wakelin will meet now Zhao Xintong or Lei Peifan – both of whom also came through the qualifying rounds – with the winner to reach the semi-finals.
This has been a breakthrough season for Wakelin, earning his biggest ever pay day of £75,000 when he reached the final of the International Championship in November, and holding a top 16 status for long enough to make a Johnstone’s Paint Masters debut in January. Few would have expected him to go this deep at the Crucible, but he has found the knack of playing every shot on its merits and staying composed in pressure situations. This was his first ever best-of-25 contest but the former Shoot Out champion played with fluency and confidence as he ran away from his more experienced opponent.
Allen’s biggest career ambition to win the world title remains unfulfilled and he is still the most decorated player not to reach the final, but he goes back to Northern Ireland with the consolation of becoming the 11th player to make a 147 at the Crucible, having compiled a marvellous maximum in the 13th frame.
Otherwise Wakelin dictated the first two sessions, building a 12-4 lead with top breaks of 56, 69, 84, 53, 119, 71 and 75. Allen took the first frame tonight with a break of 74, then potted ten reds with blacks in the next before missing a tricky 11th black on 81. He might have closed to 12-7 but over-cut the final brown to a baulk corner in frame 19, and Wakelin slotted in brown, blue and pink for one of his career-best wins.
“I felt as if I really dominated the match,” said Wakelin who is now guaranteed £50,000. “I’m playing some really good stuff. Mark came back a bit tonight and I was relieved to see him miss that brown so I could get over the line. Mark was really nice with his words afterwards, he gave me a lot of encouragement.
“From where I was a couple of years ago, I have got the ultimate belief in myself now. I feel I have really matured as a player and the sky’s the limit. I won’t get ahead of myself. There are some very good players left in this tournament and one of them is me. It doesn’t matter who I play next, whoever it is will have to play very well to beat me.
“The first time I came here was about 15 years ago, I sat in the crowd and watched Mark win. So to be here and beat him, one of the best in the world, feels great. It has been a crazy few days.”
Allen said: “I lost every close frame, I think there were seven in all. That’s not like me at all, I usually get more than my fair share. That was the difference. Chris played very well in patches but I still had plenty of chances to make it closer. All I can do it keep working hard and try to get better. It has been a disappointing season, nothing like the previous two seasons consistency wise.“
Looking back on the 147, he added: “Things were going badly, I was 10-2 down. I decided very early in the break I was going to go for it because I needed something to gee myself up and get the crowd on my side. To earn someone in the crowd £25,000 was a great buzz. Then I had another chance tonight for a 147, which would have been £147,000 and that was another amazing buzz. The crowd were cheering me on and trying to get me back into the match. If I could have got to 12-8 then Chris might have got clincher’s disease. But I didn’t make it close enough.“
I have written this before, but I feel the need to write it again: Chris Wakelin transformation after winning the Shoot-out is truly remarkable. I never thought that winning that event, an event that I still believe should not be ranking, could trigger such deep metamorphosis. I still wonder what it is actually that made such transformation possible. Was it the feeling of “being a winner” and the belief that came with it? Was it the “freedom” induced by getting that big price money, and not having to worry about supporting his family, at least for a while? Or was it something else? Only Chris will know … maybe. I write “maybe” because, often, even we do not fully understand what’s going on in our own mind.
Here is Mark Allen’s 147
Ronnie will start his second round match today, against Pang Junxu. I have no expectations. His participation was in doubt until the last minute, himself said that winning his opening match would be a good result for him, the way he felt he is playing with his new cue. He’s playing and he won that first match. Anything more would be a bonus. If Ronnie were to win, and continue to win, he would now play every day until the end of the Championship, without any “rest” day.
week as a span of 7 days rather than “calendar week, from Monday to Sunday”. ↩︎
Selby Stunned As Woollaston Scores Best Career Win
Four-time winner Mark Selby described his own performance as “pathetic” as he crashed out of the Halo World Championship in the opening round, beaten 10-8 by close friend Ben Woollaston who scored his first Crucible win.
Selby joins Kyren Wilson and Neil Robertson as the major casualties of the opening round and it’s the second year in a row he has failed to make the last 16 as he lost to Joe O’Connor in 2024. The 41-year-old came to Sheffield with high hopes having won three titles this season, but looked uncomfortable throughout and wasn’t helped by problems with his cue tip which had to be replaced before the second session. He made just one break over 40 tonight as his opponent came from 5-4 down to win six of the last nine frames.
Woollaston had appeared at the Crucible just once before, in 2013 when he lost in the first round, and his second trip to the Theatre of Dreams has given him the best moment of his 22-year career. Watched by son Edward and wife Tatiana, the world number 44 kept his cool in the closing stages as he set up a second round fixture with Si Jiahui which starts on Saturday night.
“Without a doubt it’s my best ever win,” said the Leicester cueman, now guaranteed £30,000. “I beat Mark Williams to reach the final of the Welsh Open in 2015 in front of a big crowd. But this is far bigger.
“Mark didn’t play his best but that doesn’t matter to me, he is still really difficult to beat, especially here. I did a lot of things well, I made a few mistakes but that was bound to happen. Mark is the best there has ever been tactically but I stayed tough in the safety battles and that won me the match. People might say his head was gone, but I made it hard for him and that’s why he got frustrated. It’s possible I can go further if I can play better.“
Woollaston took the opener tonight with a top break of 58 then added a scrappy 11th frame to lead 6-5. In the 12th he potted green, brown and blue to lead by 14 points, but Selby then got the snooker he needed on the pink before converting two excellent pots for 6-6. At the time that felt like a turning point, but in fact it was Woollaston who kept his composure and regained the lead before the interval.
Selby had first chance in the 14th but made just 37 and his opponent took it with a run of 60 for 8-6. Leicester’s Selby got the better of a scrappy 15th to halve the gap and he was on 12 in the next when he was unlucky not to find position when splitting the pack. Woollaston’s runs of 49 and 39 put him 9-7 ahead and he had a scoring opportunity in the 17th but missed a red to a baulk corner and Selby punished him with 81.
Frame 18 lasted 46 minutes and Selby looked favourite to make it 9-9 until he missed a mid-range red leading 37-13. Woollaston countered with 32 and later laid a tough snooker on the last red, setting up the chance to close out the result.
World number four Selby, champion in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021, said: “I was pathetic from start to finish, I didn’t show up and didn’t deserve to win. I didn’t score well enough when I got chances. Ben’s safety was unbelievable at times and had me in trouble. I love him to bits, I grew up with him and have seen him progress.
“Sometimes I just try too hard and stop myself from playing. I can’t put my finger on why that happens. I know I won tournaments but to finish like this puts a dampener on the season because my goal is to win more Triple Crowns, so this is very disappointing.“
There was a time when I was convinced that when Mark was playing slow and tortuous snooker it was purely a tactic to derail his opponents. Since, I have understood two important things: Mark has been battling depression since his youth, being abandoned by his mother as a young child and losing his father as a teenager had a profound impact on his personality AND snooker has been his first “refuge”, and the promise made to his father to become World Champion is what got him going. After a particularly “tortuous” match, that he had lost to Mark at ungodly late hours, Dott told the press that ” Surely he (Mark) can’t enjoy playing this way.”. He was right, he doesn’t, he just feels compelled to do everything in his power to win, including torturing himself as well as his opponent. This is sad really and it could be even worse if Mark didn’t have Vicky in his corner, unconditionally, through thick and thin.
I don’t enjoy seeing anyone suffer, and I’m sad for Mark, but, on the other hand, I’m happy for Ben who is a lovely guy and had more that his share of health issues in recent years. To see him play well again was heartwarming.
Luca Brecel revived memories of his 2023 Crucible triumph as he came from 5-1 down to beat Ryan Day 10-7 in the first round of the Halo World Championship.
Belgium’s Brecel is into the last 16 for only the second time in his career, having lost his opening match on six of his seven previous appearances. The only exception came two years ago when he went all the way to the title. This time he will meet Ding Junhui over a possible 25 frames on Saturday, Sunday and Monday,
Since that memorable 2023 triumph, Brecel has had few highlights on the baize. While he has reached the final of three invitation events, he has not gone that far in any ranking event, and will drop out of the top 16 of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings unless he wins the title again in Sheffield. In fact defeat today would have left him 48th in the world going into next season, though today’s vital result will boost him into the top 40.
There were moments today when his inspirational shot-making and flamboyant style reminded fans of his success two years ago, when he knocked out the likes of Mark Williams and Ronnie O’Sullivan to reach the final before beating Mark Selby. The 30-year-old is unlikely to change his all-or-nothing approach and will hope his game clicks in time for another deep run.
Leading 5-4 going into the concluding session, Welshman Day soon doubled his lead with a break of 101. Brecel took two scrappy frames to recover to 6-6, then in the 13th he got the better of a safety battle on the yellow, laying a tough snooker which created the chance to clear as he took the lead for the first time. In frame 14, Day missed a straight-forward red to a top corner on 62 but Brecel’s attempted counter reached just 8 before he failed to pot a red to the same pocket, and this time Day took advantage with 64 for 7-7.
Brecel dominated the 15th with runs of 46 and 42. The next came down to a battle on the final black, and three-time Crucible quarter-finalist Day went for a double to a centre pocket but lost control of the cue ball and it dropped into a baulk corner, leaving him 9-7 behind. Both players missed chances in the 17th, Day crucially under-cutting the black to a top corner when he trailed 37-14 with two reds left. Brecel later trapped him in a snooker on the last red, and soon made it past the winning post.
“The way I play is unique, I guess it’s not boring!” said Brecel, who has lost weight and gained fitness through regular running and cycling in recent months. “I was 5-1 down but I hadn’t had many chances at that stage. I never panicked because I have made so many comebacks here. From 5-3 down I felt I couldn’t lose. No disrespect to Ryan because we all know what he is capable of, but I felt so relaxed and I could see he was nervous.
“The way I play, everything needs to work. I am too lazy to change that. So if it doesn’t work I will go home. Since the Welsh Open I have practised every day for two months. I had a new tip which I am not used to and that was a problem in the first session, I need more time with it. In the balls I am ok, but on long pots I am just guessing. Ding is a bit like Ryan, he can miss anything and pot anything – a bit like me as well. It could be scrappy or it could be a great game.”
Day said: “I let it slip from 5-1 up. I didn’t feel comfortable, I was always looking over my shoulder. My game is not what it once was, and I have to come to terms with that because I’m not getting any younger. It has been the same for a long time. In the past I would have beaten myself up, playing like that, but not any more because I have learned to accept it. I still try my best and enjoy competing, I just haven’t got the game to play as well as I want to.“
The truth is that Luca in this mood plays crazy stuff. He’s taking shots no one else would take and gets most of them. He certainly knows how to take his opponents out of their comfort zone! Nothing is safe on the table when he plays like he did yesterday. It’s extremely entertaining for all those watching, except the one person sitting in their chair next to the same table, wondering what crazy shot their opponent will be coming up next.
Shaun Murphy believes his game is in better shape than ever and he is a “dangerous” contender for the Halo World Championship crown having beaten Daniel Wells 10-4 in a tremendous first round fixture.
The match of the tournament so far featured six centuries (equalling the record for a first round Crucible tie) and eight more breaks over 50, and debutant Wells played his part with three of those tons. But he was no match for Murphy who strolled into the second round for the 15th time in his career. If Judd Trump can convert a 6-3 lead over Zhou Yuelong into a last 16 spot then the world number one would meet Murphy in a potentially epic tie on Sunday and Monday.
It’s 20 year since Murphy, age 22 at the time, lifted the sport’s most famous trophy. He has since been in three more finals, in 2009, 2015 and 2021, but is yet to join the elite group who have conquered the Crucible on multiple occasions: Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Selby. After winning the Masters in 2015 he went ten years without a Triple Crown success, but ended that drought in January with victory at Alexandra Palace, restoring his self belief.
“The hunger and desire never goes away, but sometimes in life you can lose your way,” said the world number 15. “Champions don’t think like everyone else, but for a little while I started thinking like everyone else. I had forgotten what it was like to win the majors, I felt like a bit of a draw filler. Winning the Masters has totally changed that. I believe again and I think that makes me dangerous.
“I have come here in the best shape I have ever been in. My game is the best it has ever been and I’m sharp, I’m ready. If I am allowed to play and get chances, I will be a handful for anyone.
“We had the inaugural champions dinner this year and there were a lot of one-time champions sat around the table. It’s not easy winning this title once, let alone more than that. It’s a very small group of people who have done that and there are quite a few of us searching for it – I have been chasing it for 20 years. Judd has got more time on his side. If we meet in the next round I hope he doesn’t play too well against me.
“There’s nothing better than playing well here. I have to give massive praise to Daniel because he is a really nice guy. He didn’t play like a debutant, he played like someone who has been here for years. With more experience he might have won that match or beaten someone else.”
Murphy led 7-2 overnight having made breaks of 64, 63, 100, 57, 138, 76 and 89 in the first session. A run of 53 in the opener today helped him go 8-2 up, before Wells hit back with 115 and 68 for 8-4. But Murphy soon ended any hopes of a fight-back by taking the last two frames with 133 and 71.
Wells said: “It was enjoyable, but just very difficult playing Shaun at the top of his game. I tried to embrace it but he was absolutely fantastic. Making three centuries is something to be proud of.“
Daniel Wells is a very likeable character and a very, very good snooker player but he’s very probably not World Champion material. I’m not trying to belittle Daniel, I’m stating what I perceive as a fact. The vast majority of professional snooker players will never win the World Championship, or even any of the majors. The vast majority of tennis players never win a “grand slam” tournament. the vast majority of cyclists never win a “Grand Tour” or even a “Classic”. The vast majority of football teams never win the World Cup … or even their own national league title. It’s the same in every sport, and probably in most other human endeavours, be it art, science, sport or any other human activity. The “elite” is a very small minority, they are important because they become public figures and they “inspire”, but no sport, no artistic activity, no scientific research would exist without those – the vast majority – who embrace them, live for them, teach them and share their passion without ever “attaining the summit” in their field. They deserve respect and praise. We should remember that… more often than we do, and I have been guilty myself on countless occasions.
China’s Pang Junxu scored his first ever win in the final stages of the Halo World Championship, beating compatriot Zhang Anda 10-7 at the Crucible.
Pang is making his third appearance at Sheffield’s Theatre of Dreams. His previous two trips to snooker’s showpiece event ended in defeat. The 2021 Rookie of the Year lost 10-7 to Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2023 and was beaten 10-9 by Robert Milkins last year.
Next up for Pang is another potential meeting with O’Sullivan, who must first negotiate his opening round clash with Ali Carter.
There are a record ten Chinese players competing at the Crucible this year. They’ve fared well with six first round wins so far.
World number 12 Zhang’s Crucible history extends back to 2010, when he fell just short in a 10-9 loss against the legendary Stephen Hendry. He’s now appeared five times in the final stages and is yet to win a match.
The players emerged from a fragmented opening session with Zhang leading 5-3, after they were pulled off a frame early.
When the action got back underway this morning, 25-year-old Pang immediately made his mark with 111 to reduce his arrears.
Zhang moved back two ahead at 6-4 with a break of 65, before Pang claimed the 11th on the final ball after depositing a tricky black to make it 6-5.
The 12th went the way of Zhang to leave him 7-5 ahead, that was the moment Pang made his move. Breaks of 102, 55 and 65 helped him to five on the bounce and a momentous first win at the Crucible.
Pang said: “The pressure on me was really high today. Zhang Anda is a very strong opponent and he put me under a lot of pressure throughout the match. His safety play was excellent and really restricted my performance.
“I had to wait for his mistakes and slowly find my rhythm. I just tried to cut down on my unforced errors. Yesterday I was making too many mistakes, either missing pots or not getting the cue ball into ideal position. If I can improve in those apartments everything will become easier.
“Having so many eyes on you creates a lot of pressure. When you make a mistake and your opponent takes advantage immediately, it only gets worse. A little bit of pressure comes from myself. During the match, you really have to try not to think about that too much.
“If I reduce my errors I have a chance to win in the next round, as long as I can control my mistakes. You learn a lot from facing top players. Their shot selection and how they handle the pressure.”
Pang’s reward for his efforts is a second round clash with Ronnie starting on Saturday… and in a strange way it might help him because most people will expect Ronnie to win and that may take the pressure off Pang’s shoulders.
Judd Trump became the fourth player in Crucible history to make five centuries in a first round tie as he raced to a 10-4 defeat of Zhou Yuelong at the Halo World Championship.
Trump fired runs of 117, 113, 114, 114 and 100 as he joined Ronnie O’Sullivan, Kyren Wilson and Mark Allen as the only players to score five tons in the opening round. Three of those came in consecutive frames, a feat only previously achieved by O’Sullivan, John Higgins, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson and Stuart Carrington. There have been several excellent first round performances in recent days but this was a reminder from the world number one that he could be the man to beat.
The left-hander is closing in on a £100,000 bonus awarded to the first player to make 100 centuries this season. His tally for 2024/25 is now 98, needing just two more to secure that bumper payout, and Robertson’s record of 103 centuries in a season, set in 2013/14, is well within his grasp.
Bristol’s 35-year-old Trump is into the last 16 in Sheffield for the 13th time and will meet Shaun Murphy in the pick of the second round ties. Champion in 2019, he is looking for a second world title which would cement his status as one of snooker’s all-time greats. Trump has had an outstanding season, highlighted by victories at the Shanghai Masters, Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters and Victorian Plumbing UK Championship and has already broken to record for the most prize money earned in a single campaign, a sum which would top £2 million if he banks the centuries bonus and the first prize.
Trump led 6-3 after the first session having made breaks of 91, 63, 52, 117, 62 and 54. Within 32 minutes tonight it was 9-3 as he fired runs of 113, 114, 114. China’s Zhou pulled one back but after the interval Trump wrapped it up with a break of 100.
“I felt a bit edgy at the start but then settled down and felt confident,” said Trump. “My long potting was good and my safety was even better. I don’t think I have played that well in the first round before. The money (for the 100 centuries) doesn’t really come into it, we are competitive animals and I just want to make century after century, even if there was no prize. There would be no better place to do it than here. Hopefully I can get it out of the way early in my next match. The standard seems to be going up, the pockets aren’t playing big, they are a good size, but it shows how high the skill level is.
“Shaun Murphy looked superb in his first game. Winning the Masters was one of the best performances of his career. He plays with a lot of confidence, if he gets ahead then he walks around like he owns the place, he has that mentality. He goes for his shots and if they go in there is not much you can do. I will have to play like I did today to have a chance.”
I didn’t see anything of this match. Some comments I read on social media suggested that Zhou wasn’t playing as well as he can but, if true, that may well be because of the way Judd was playing, or because the pressure the “Crucible” particular intimate setup creates … or, of course and likely, both.
After more than three months without competitive action, Ronnie O’Sullivan was swiftly back into his groove as he made four centuries in a 10-4 victory over Ali Carter in the first round of the Halo World Championship.
…
Other than a brief appearance at the Championship League in January, O’Sullivan hadn’t played at all in 2025 until Tuesday. He looked vulnerable in the opening session against Carter and was fortunate to finish 5-4 ahead, but in today’s second session it was a marvellous display as he fired breaks of 50, 59, 117, 74, 123 and 131, reeling off five frames in a row in just 67 minutes.
Making a record 33rd consecutive Crucible appearance, the 49-year-old is through to the second round for the 29th time and will meet Pang Junxu over 25 frames on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. He may play down expectations, but on today’s form he could be hard to stop in his quest for an eighth world title which would put him one ahead of Stephen Hendry.
Having tinkered with technique in recent years, and broken his cue during that Championship League outing, O’Sullivan revealed today that he has a two-year plan to rebuild his game, and having found a new cue he has joined the growing number of top players using a titanium ferrule rather than brass.
“I am trying to get away from what I know is the problem. It got to the point where I couldn’t watch myself play because I could see what was wrong but I didn’t know how to correct it, “said world number five O’Sullivan, whose last title was the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker in March 2024. “I am working on that and at the moment it feels really strange. When I first rebuilt my game in 2000 with (coach) Frank Adamson it took a year before it felt great. That’s what I have to do again. I need to create space so I can get the cue through.
“There was a time where I wasn’t able to pull the cue back and forwards, which was scary. I had that before years ago and managed to play my way out of it. This time, where I have changed my alignment and certain things, years of that have mounted up and I have lost all connection with the cue – my timing, touch and feeling have gone. I am going to give myself two years. There will be no more exhibitions or distractions off the table. I will help out at the academy in Saudi Arabia, I enjoy the work I am doing there and hopefully we can do something similar in the UK because my true love is to help people and give back. That helps me to learn from other people. Otherwise it will just be tournaments and getting fit.”
As for the match against Carter, O’Sullivan added: “My expectation level was just to try to win a few frames so I didn’t feel any pressure. When I have come in the past with my game half decent I feel more pressure because I know its a chance to go deep. This game can humble you. Just to be out there and play one good session was a nice feeling. I feel like I’ve had a victory just winning a match.”
Carter, who was runner-up to O’Sullivan in the 2008 and 2012 finals, said: “I’m disappointed with how I performed. He played fabulously well, sometimes you have to just sit there and watch it. He is the greatest player of all time, he could have ten years off and still play like that, he’s just a freak natural talent. Overall it has been a positive season for me, hopefully I’m back in the top 16 and I’ve got something to build on.“
Ronnie O'Sullivan 