Last year’s runner-up Jak Jones became the latest seed to fall in the opening round of the Halo World Championship, losing 10-4 to Zhao Xintong who he described as a genuine contender for the title.
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Jones lost to Kyren Wilson in the Crucible final last year, and they could have clashed again in the last 16 this time, but both have lost at the first hurdle, along with Neil Robertson and Barry Hawkins as four of the first six matches have been won by the player who came through the qualifying rounds. Instead, Zhao will face Lei Peifan in a Chinese derby on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals. Today’s result means there will be at least four Chinese players in the last 16 – a record.
Winner of the UK Championship in 2021 and the German Masters in 2022, Zhao was subsequently banned for 20 months for breaching betting regulations, but will return to the pro tour next season and is competing here as an amateur. Having practised relentlessly during his time away from the circuit, he has lost none of his flair and scoring power. Winning four matches in the qualifying rounds, Zhao fired 12 centuries and 23 more breaks over 50, and against Jones he made a 142 and nine more runs over 50. He is into the last 16 for the second time having beaten Jamie Clarke in 2022 before losing to Stephen Maguire.
“I don’t see anyone who is playing better than him,” said Jones. “If he wins it, I wouldn’t be surprised at all and that would be good for the game. His long potting and scoring are good and he also has a good tactical game. There are players who have won a lot more, but I don’t see anyone in the tournament who is actually better than him.”
Zhao built a 7-2 lead in the first session on Sunday with top breaks of 84, 91, 142, 70, 76, 61 and 54. Jones rallied briefly this morning with 100 and 70 to close to 7-4. He als had first scoring chance in frame 12 but could only make 31. The Welshman failed to pot another ball as Zhao cleared with 70 then took the next two frames with 55 and 87.
“Overall I’m pleased with my performance, especially in terms of scoring,” said Zhao, the second amateur after James Cahill to reach the second round at the Crucible. “I put my opponent under a lot of pressure. Jak reached the final here last year, so I knew I had to play really well to have a chance of beating him. I lost the first two frames today but I just tried stay in my rhythm. That helped me recover and stay focused.
“This match was about regaining confidence. I won’t be back on tour until next season, so every match I play now is very important. I haven’t had many opportunities to compete this season, so whatever the outcome, I just wanted to do my best and show my game.
“The qualifiers were tough and intense, but they helped release some pressure and allowed me to build up momentum. My scoring was strong there, and it gave me a solid foundation to start the main event here. It felt great to be back. I’ve had some good matches here in the past, but I still haven’t achieved what I really want. Lei has played brilliantly and has shown he’s capable of winning titles. A lot of Chinese players are at that level now.”
Jones added: “I will try to forget this season. I have had a lot going on in my personal life for the last few years. I have time now to sort a few things out at home including my practice facilities, and I will hopefully come back stronger next season. I have my new born baby at home so I am looking forward to spending time with him.”
I must admit that I’m rather fed up to read about that James Cahill win. Yes, he won, he beat Ronnie who was seriously unwell but still tried to play. That was in the first round at the Crucible in 2019 and it was the only time Cahill beat Ronnie. If you can find the match on YouTube, or parts of it, you will see by yourself that Ronnie looked quite ill out there. He could heave withdrawn, and maybe he should have.
Zhao Xintong was awesome yesterday. It’s very obvious that he wants to redeem himself and that he has been working hard towards that goal.
Mark Allen’s biggest remaining ambition in snooker is to wear the Crucible crown and he got his Halo World Championship campaign off to a winning start by coming from 3-0 down to beat Fan Zhengyi 10-6.
Allen has won the UK Championship and the Masters, 11 ranking titles in all and started the current season as world number one, but admits that his career would be incomplete if he doesn’t lift the sport’s most famous trophy. “I am here to win the tournament and have four very tough opponents in front of me,” said the 38-year-old today after an impressive opening victory.
Despite a slow start in the early exchanges on Sunday, he recovered to lead 5-4 overnight and in today’s second session the world number eight converted that into a comfortable victory to reach the second round for the 14th time. The Northern Irishman will face Chris Wakelin in a last-16 clash which starts on Thursday afternoon and finishes on Friday evening.
Since winning the invitational Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in December, he has been below his best, and failed to qualify for the 12-man Tour Championship earlier this month. But today’s success will give him confidence, and he may take extra belief from the fact that Luca Brecel and Kyren Wilson both had quiet seasons before going all the way to the ultimate prize.
A break of 88 in the opening frame today extended Allen’s lead to 6-4. China’s Fan led 59-5 in frame 11 when he failed to convert a short-range plant on a red to a top corner, allowing Allen to claw his way back into the frame and eventually snatch it with a 33 clearance from the last red. The 12th also came down to the last red and Allen trapped his opponent in a tough snooker, creating the chance to clear for 8-4. A run of 102, his second century of the match, stretched Allen’s lead.
After the interval, former European Masters champion Fan fought back, making an excellent 86 for 9-5. Allen was on the brink of victory in frame 15 until he missed a red to centre on 57, and his opponent made 74 to narrow the gap again. But Allen remained composed and sealed the result with a 63 in the 16th.
“I didn’t do much wrong to go 3-0 down, but I am mentally stronger than I have been in the past and I just took one frame and one shot at a time,” added Allen, who reached the semi-finals in 2009 and 2023, but is the most successful ever player yet to appear in the final. “I got as much as I could out of that session to go 5-4 ahead and that’s probably where I won the match.
“I have been working hard on the mental side recently, talking to (psychologist) Paul (Gaffney) every day. On that side I feel I am back where I was 18 months ago and that will help me win frames. I have also lost some weight by eating carefully, walking a lot and having ice baths and saunas. I feel in a good place.
“Chris Wakelin is one of the most improved players on tour this season and he would have learned a lot from his win over Neil Robertson. I like the way he plays because he is aggressive and goes for his shots no matter that the score.”
I can’t comment on that match as I saw next to nothing of it but I’m glad to read that Mark is finally seriously taking care of his physical fitness. The Crucible is an endurance test, mentally, nervously and physically. Allen is currently competing in the World Championship for the 23rd time. He has only reached the one table setup twice, which is disappointing for a player of his quality, and has never won a match at that stage. I’m certain that his lack of physical fitness in the past has a lot to do with it.
At the end of a day in which he reflected on three decades of competing at the Crucible and memories of his late father, all-time legend John Higgins switched his focus to the table and battled to a 10-7 victory over Joe O’Connor to reach the last 16 of the Halo World Championship.
It has been a tough time for the Higgins family as wife Denise’s father suffered a heart attack last Tuesday, though thankfully he is now recovering at home. After tonight’s match Higgins, who made his Crucible debut in 1995, said: “Today was the most emotional I have ever felt, going out to play, given everything over the last few days.
“There was a moment last night when I was sitting with my boy (second son Oliver), he’s going down to London studying for a few months. It brought so many memories back, when I was sitting with my dad 20 years ago. This morning on my way over I was in tears, thinking about different things. I was totally drained. To get out (of the first session) 5-4 was a result because Joe was playing brilliant. I got back to my apartment and crawled into bed, and slept for two hours which was the best sleep I have had in years. Tonight I felt so much better.“
Having passed today’s test, Higgins will hope for a steady nerve over the coming fortnight as he chases a fifth Crucible crown. Over the past two months he has shown vintage form, beating O’Connor in the final of the World Open and Mark Selby in the final of the Tour Championship, so his game could hardly be in better shape. Set to turn 50 in just four weeks, the Scot retains a burning ambition to win the biggest titles. Through to the second round in Sheffield for the 11th year in a row and 27th time overall, he will meet Xiao Guodong over 25 frames on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Higgins trailed 5-4 going into this evening’s session but dominated the first three frames with a top break of 101 to go 7-5 ahead. O’Connor pulled one back, then came from 37-0 down to take frame 14 for 7-7. The 15th lasted 37 minutes and came down to the colours, Higgins potting green, brown and blue to go 17 points ahead. O’Connor got the snooker he needed on the pink, but was then trapped in a snooker himself and escaped but left Higgins a straight-forward pink to a baulk corner to regain the lead.
That proved the key moment as world number three Higgins compiled breaks of 114 and 59 to win the last two frames.
“I will give it everything, which I have always done every year,” Higgins added. “Tonight there were a few shots where I had a bit more inner belief and steel because I have won a couple of tournaments. In the last few years here at pressure moments I was faltering, but I stood up well tonight.“
John Higgins is one of the all time greats and he was too clever for O’Connor yesterday. He’s too clever for most of the tour actually …
Ronnie is due to start today, in the afternoon. I hope that there will be no last minute withdrawal. I’m not sure I will watch it “live”.
Meanwhile in Belgium …
The 9th DMT tournament was played during the week-end in Glabbeek, Belgium. Organised by Gery De Mol It featured 166 participants, from 20 different countries. Iulian Boiko won the event, beating Julin Leclercq in the final. Iulian also scored the tournament HB, a 147.
Antoni Kowalski won the lottery, and gave half of his “lucky gain” to a local hospital. Thank you Antoni.
Why am I sharing this? To show, once again, that there IS interest for snooker in mainland Europe, and there are quality players on the continent. But the way WST is running the main tour is not helping them to develop to their full potential. When I read Ken Doherty’s bio, and him complaining about how hard it was for him to come and live in the UK… I was fuming. It is much, much harder for mainland Europe players, even nowadays. They are more isolated than Ken was, they have to cope with everything in a foreign language, in a foreign culture and, alas, probably more often than we know about with hostility. I was once verbally abused and threatened while sitting on a bus in London, simply because I was speaking French on the phone with my husband … just saying.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 