The 2026 Crucible before it starts … in words and pictures

April 17, 2026 Monique Snooker

A memorial service was held in Sheffield’s cathedral today to honour the late John Virgo

A memorial service paying tribute to late great snooker legend John Virgo was held at Sheffield Cathedral today, almost two months after his death.

A plethora of snooker legends, including Virgo’s long-time pal Dennis Taylor, attended on Thursday afternoon, alongside Virgo’s widow Rosie Ries. The proceedings started at 1pm after a bevy of guests started arriving at around 12.30pm. Fans also attended, taking up some 600 spaces at the event.

The event was followed by a reception at Sheffield Town Hall, with drinks and canapes, from 2.30pm until 5pm. Virgo, known to pals and fans as “JV”, died aged 79 at his home in Mijas Costa in Spain in February.

Ken Doherty, the 1997 World Champion, and snooker’s Master of Ceremonies Rob Walker arranged the service to give the snooker community and the people of Sheffield the chance to celebrate Virgo’s life.

here are some pictures, shared on Weibo

This afternoon, there was also the now traditional green carpet ceremony in Sheffield’s city centre

Again these pictures were shared on weibo, which is why they show mainly the Chinese players…

According to this piece in the press, Ronnie and Judd missed the opening ceremony …

Ronnie O’Sullivan faces fine ahead of quest for eighth World Snooker Championship

Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump are set to be fined for missing the launch of the 2026 World Championship in Sheffield.

This year’s players gathered in Tudor Square outside the Crucible Theatre on Friday for a green-carpet ceremony celebrating the relationship between snooker and Sheffield.

But O’Sullivan and Trump did not appear and unless they can provide a valid reason for their absence, such as a medical issue, they face a sanction from the World Snooker Tour.

They are indeed not in any of the above pictures, but then the same is true for the other “non-Chinese” top 16 players as they are not weibo’s main focus.

Of course, Ronnie and Judd are not due to play before Tuesday, and Ronnie has now based himself in Ireland for practice… Also, after winning the John Virgo Trophy, Ronnie revealed his intention to commute from Ireland during the World Championship. I’m not sure about this decision: traveling back and forth might prove very tiring and the championship itself is demanding enough. On the other hand, from what I have witnessed, during the championship he can’t walk 100 m in Sheffield without being stopped by fans asking for autographs, pictures or just wanting a chat… even when he is just sat in a restaurant, eating, some come over to him with all sorts of demands.

The 2026 Crucible Draw is out

April 16, 2026 Monique Snooker

Here is the announcement by WST

Halo World Championship 2026: The Draw

The draw for the final stages of the 2026 Halo World Championship has been made, with defending champion Zhao Xintong facing Liam Highfield.

It was conducted on BBC 5 Live Breakfast by presenters Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards, with 2010 World Champion Neil Robertson in attendance. The 16 seeded players were drawn out at random against the 16 qualifiers.

Other highlights include 2024 World Champion Kyren Wilson being pitted against teenage star Stan Moody, Poland’s first Crucible competitor Antoni Kowalski facing Mark Williams and Ronnie O’Sullivan going up against He Guoqiang.

…

Zhao Xintong v Liam Highfield
Ding Junhui v David Gilbert

Xiao Guodong v Zhou Yuelong
Shaun Murphy v Fan Zhengyi

John Higgins v Ali Carter
Ronnie O’Sullivan v He Guoqiang

Chris Wakelin v Liam Pullen
Neil Robertson v Pang Junxu

——————

Kyren Wilson v Stan Moody
Mark Allen v Zhang Anda

Barry Hawkins v Matthew Stevens
Mark Williams v Antoni Kowalski

Mark Selby v Jak Jones
Wu Yize v Lei Peifan

Si Jiahui v Hossein Vafaei
Judd Trump v Gary Wilson

There are no easy draws at the Crucible of course, but Ronnie certainly hasn’t it easy. He Guoqiang is very dangerous and, should Ronnie win his opening match, John Higgins or Ali Carter will be waiting, which is probably about the worse he could have got at that stage. That said neither Higgins nor Carter must be thrilled about their first round clash … it’s brutal.

2026 Judgement Day Two

The 2026 World Snooker Championship qualifiers concluded yesterday.

Here is the report shared by WST:

Brecel And Lisowski Miss Out On Crucible

Luca Brecel – Crucible king just three years ago – will be missing from the line up in the televised stages this time as he lost 10-5 to Jak Jones in the final qualifying round of the Halo World Championship.

Since his 2023 triumph, Belgium’s Brecel has struggled to find that magic again and has slipped to 46th in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings. He won his first qualifying match against Chang Bingyu but was outplayed today by Welshman Jones, who was runner-up to Kyren Wilson in 2024.

World number 19 Jones led 7-4 with top breaks of 136, 100, 114 and 114 then crucially won frame 12 on the final black after Brecel had missed his chance to close the gap. Brecel pulled one back but Jones then made his fifth century of the match, 132, for 9-5 and settled the result in the next with a 78 clearance.

“I played well, I felt really good this morning,” said Jones, who broke his right hand earlier this season when he smacked it against the table in anger during a practice session, but has since recovered. “I love this format because you have time to get into the matches. Today is the best I have played all season. I enjoy the Crucible, you can crumble but I love the atmosphere, it’s an unbelievable venue and that really gets me up for it.“

Jack Lisowski has had a breakthrough season, winning his first ranking title at the Northern Ireland Open as well as reaching the final of the Welsh Open, but he failed to reach the Crucible, losing 10-5 to He Guoqiang who will make his debut at the Theatre of Dreams. He will be one of 11 Chinese players at the Crucible, surpassing the record of ten set last year.

After winning the first five frames with a top break of 138, world number 47 He was able to nurse his lead over the line and reach the last 32.

Ali Carter, runner-up in 2008 and 2012, booked a 22nd Crucible appearance by coming from 7-5 down to beat Anthony McGill 10-7, taking the last five frames with a top break of 92. “Anthony was playing with a lot of freedom and I knew I had to stick with him,” said Carter. “I’m delighted to get through, it’s a great achievement to still be mixing it up at the age of 46. I’ve had a lot to deal with away from the table over the past year but that has come to a conclusion and I can focus on snooker. It’s tough – we all have lives to lead, children and families and it’s a juggling act because it’s a busy tour now.“

Arguably the best performance of the whole qualifying event came from China’s Zhang Anda as he beat Zak Surety 10-3 with breaks of 80, 61, 109, 67, 105, 134, 108, 64 and 143. The former International Championship winner is through to the Crucible for the sixth time though he has never won a match there.

Liam Highfield booked his fourth appearance by thrashing Oliver Lines 10-2 with a top run of 126. Highfield said: “Things have come full circle for me, I fell off the tour and broke my wrist, it was been a long journey coming back so it’s emotional for me to be back at the Crucible. Hopefully my career is on an upward curve now.“

Fan Zhengyi saw off Ben Mertens 10-4 with top breaks of 104, 119 and 100, while Lei Peifan, who knocked out Kyren Wilson last year, secured his return with a 10-5 defeat of Ryan Day.

In the last match to finish, Gary Wilson won a roller-coaster battle with Xu Si 10-9. From 7-2 and 8-4 down, Xu hit back to lead 9-8 and he was also 44-0 up in frame 18, but Wilson fought back to force a decider then compiled a superb 126.

All the detailed results are, of course, available on snooker.org

There are a lot of “household names” in there, as we could expect, but six of the qualifiers are under 26 years of age including two young Brits and a 22 years old Pole. This is encouraging.

The last match to finish was crazy stuff. I’m not sure how Gary Wilson managed to win it, and going by his post-match interview, he’s not sure either… 😉

Now we are waiting for the draw…

2026 Judgement Day One

April 15, 2026 Monique Professional snooker, Professional snooker tournament Professional snooker

Here is WST report on 2026 Judgement Day One:

Kowalski, Moody And Pullen Earn Crucible Debuts

Three of snooker’s brightest young talents, Antoni Kowalski, Stan Moody and Liam Pullen, made it to the Crucible for the first time with outstanding victories in the final qualifying round of the Halo World Championship.

The trio head for the Theatre of Dreams in Sheffield for the televised stages, which start on Saturday.

Kowalski was in tears after coming through the biggest match of his life, beating Jamie Jones 10-8. From 6-5 down the 22-year-old won four frames in a row with a top break of 84, then Jones battled back to 9-8 before Kowalski got over the line with a run of 62 to become the first Polish player to make it to the Crucible. The result also secured his place on the tour, while defeat would have meant relegation – instead it’s Allan Taylor who loses his pro status.

“The best explanation of how much this means to me is that I never usually cry!” said Kowalski, who has won three qualifying matches. “This is the only time I will think more about saving my tour card rather than playing at the Crucible. There are so many emotions for me now. It’s so special for an overseas player like me. My parents and girlfriend are going to come to the Crucible as well so that’s going to be amazing, I can’t wait.

“This was the first time in my life I absolutely gave up in a match. At the end of the first session and the start of the second I was gone, I couldn’t cue straight. I stopped thinking, turned off my brain and it worked. I played faster and more dynamically and my cue action came back. In the back of my mind I knew I could win. I can imagine how many people in Poland are going to watch me. I will realise one of my biggest dreams.“

When he is in the UK, Kowalski stays and practises with Chris Wakelin and he added: “I wish everyone could have a friend like Chris. He has helped me so much with nothing in return. Because of him I am a better player now. Hopefully I won’t draw him.“

Moody, long touted as a star of the future, will be the first British teenager to play at the Crucible since Judd Trump in 2007. The 19-year-old from Halifax made a fantastic century in the last frame to beat Jiang Jun 10-9. From 6-5 down, world number 44 Moody fired runs of 71, 70, 113 and 127 to go 9-8 ahead, then missed match-winning chances in frame 18, but made amends with a superb 104 in the decider.

His victory was all the more remarkable given that he was in hospital with tonsilitis last night, but discharged himself and played through the discomfort to book his place on the biggest stage.

“The doctors said to me ‘we know you are going to say no but we want you to stay in.’ I said no, I’ve got a match to play. And I’m glad I did. They gave me some antibiotics and other medication. I won’t be going back there, I don’t like it!” said Moody. “Towards the end of the match, I have never felt pressure like that in my life, I am just so happy. This has been a dream of mine since I started playing.”

York’s 20-year-old Pullen enjoyed a 10-8 success against Noppon Saengkham with top breaks of 131 and 105.

“When I saw Stan win, I thought I better not lose now, I’ll let everyone down!” said Pullen, who lost to Moody in the final of the WSF Junior Championship in 2023. “I am very proud. I appreciate everyone who has helped me along the way. When it went from 8-5 to 8-8 In didn’t feel great, but I hung in there.“

In a battle between two players with 63 years professional experience between them, former UK and Masters champion Matthew Stevens beat 2015 Crucible king Stuart Bingham 10-7 with a top break of 86.

Iran’s Hossein Vafaei secured his fifth consecutive visit to the Crucible with a 10-4 victory over Gao Yang. From 4-1 down, Vafaei won nine frames in a row with top breaks of 60, 53, 60, 70, 57 and 86.

“I’m fighting for my family and trying my best,” said Vafaei. “The Crucible is a fantastic place and we all love to play there, I can’t wait to meet the fans there.”

Zhou Yuelong and Pang Junxu will be among at least seven Chinese players at the Crucible, alongside five of the top 16 seeds. Zhou saw off Michael Holt 10-4 with a top break of 109 while Pang enjoyed a 10-8 defeat of Jackson Page with top runs of 104, 107 and 105.

David Gilbert, a semi-finalist in 2019 and 2024, beat Aaron Hill at this stage for the second consecutive year, winning 10-6 with top breaks of 141 and 126.

I’m very happy to see young players coming through. Antoni Kowalski’s win in particular pleases me because it’s so much harder for the “non British” players who have to live as expats in the UK, coping with a different culture and language away from their families. It’s either that or traveling back and forth all the time which is costly and tiring. It’s made even worse because, unlike British players, they have no right to take a side job “outside” snooker to make ends meet if the results don’t come regularly enough.

As for Hossein Vafaei, it must be very difficult as well to concentrate on snooker given the terrible situation in his country. I do hope that his family is safe.

We have arrived at “Judgement Days” in Sheffield …

April 14, 2026 Monique Snooker

Only 32 players remain on course to qualify for the 2026 “Crucible” … They still have a match to win to achieve that though. Who are they and who do they face in that last qualifying match? You will find the answers on snooker.org … as always …

Fourteen of those players neither British nor Irish. That’s nearly half of that remaining field. Nine of those players are Chinese. Mainland Europe is represented by three players, two of them Belgians… which is quite remarkable given that Belgium is a such a small country. The third one is Polish.

Gao Yang is the “lowest ranked” qualifier still in the qualifiers draw. He started as “number 97” and beat Jimmy White, Mark Davis and Tom Ford to get this far. He now faces Hossein Vafaei.

Unless I’m mistaken, Stan Moody, 19, is the youngest player and the only teenager still in the qualifiers draw.

Ronnie has won the 2026 John Virgo Trophy

April 13, 2026April 13, 2026 Monique Snooker

The very important 2026 World Championship qualifiers continued over the week-end, but my attention was partly elsewhere … in Goffs where four greats of the game – Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, John Higgins and Ronnie – honoured the memory of John Virgo who passed away recently, aged 79. The iconic venue was packed and John Virgo’s children, Brook and Gary were present, watching.

Ronnie won the event, beating Stephen Hendry by 6-1 in the semi-finals on Saturday and John Higgins by 6-0 in the Final yesterday. Brook and Gary presented him the trophy. You will find links to Ronnie’s matches in comments … thanks to Kalacs… as always 👍

Here is Desmond Kane, reporting on Hendry’s reaction after his defeat at Ronnie’s hands:

Stephen Hendry salutes Ronnie O’Sullivan after old rivals meet at World Snooker Championship warm-up event – ‘Ronnie is obviously the GOAT’

By Desmond Kane Published 12/04/2026

Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins will face each other in the final of the John Virgo Trophy on Sunday as the ‘Class of ’92’ rivals warmed up for the 50th World Championship by entertaining a sell-out crowd at Goffs in Ireland. Higgins edged Mark Williams 6-4 in the first semi-final with O’Sullivan easing to a 6-1 win over Stephen Hendry at the exhibition event.

Stephen Hendry paid tribute to Ronnie O’Sullivan after the two seven-time world champions took a trip down memory lane before a sell-out crowd at Goffs in Ireland.

Competing for the John Virgo Trophy in memory of the celebrated former UK champion and commentator, O’Sullivan ran out a 6-1 winner in securing a final meeting with fellow ‘Class of ’92’ icon John Higgins on Sunday evening at the exhibition event.

Higgins had earlier defeated Mark Williams 6-4 in the opening semi-final as snooker returned to a venue made famous by staging the game’s biggest names at the Irish Masters between 1978 and 2000.

Despite producing 61 in the second frame, Hendry looked a bit rusty under the testing shot clock format as his opponent won the final five frames in coasting to victory.

O’Sullivan said it was a “privilege” to share the table with Hendry, who remains the youngest world champion in Crucible history after an 18-12 win over Jimmy ‘Whirlwind’ White in 1990 when aged 21.

“Stephen for me is the greatest player I’ve ever seen, ever played,” said O’Sullivan on Channel 5.

“He doesn’t play much these days, so for him to get his cue out of his case is a privilege. His middle pocket potting is still unbelievable.

“It took me back years ago. There was no weakness. His middle pocket potting is still unbelievable.

“To be on the same table as him is a privilege.“

O’Sullivan, world champion in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2022, needs one more title victory to overtake Hendry as the most prolific world champion of the modern era.

“You can’t get higher praise from a better player. Ronnie is obviously the GOAT,” said Hendry.

“In terms of break-building and cue ball control, he’s taken the game to a level that I thought we might never see.

“He’s an artist with the cue ball. That’s the beauty of snooker in controlling the cue ball and nobody has done it better than Ronnie.

“For me, it is fabulous to be involved in this event with these three great players.“

O’Sullivan’s friendly joust with Higgins could be a dress rehearsal for the Crucible with both men seeded to meet in the second round of the World Championship.

For all four men, boasting 21 world titles between them, it was a welcome return to Goffs in County Kildare.

“I have not been back here since the Irish Masters,” said world No. 6 William.

“It is a fantastic arena and I wish we could get a proper tournament back here.“

Hendry claimed the Irish Masters three times between 1992 and 1999, while two-time winner Higgins made the tournament’s only maximum against Jimmy White in a 6-4 quarter-final win in 2000.

He would defeat Hendry 9-4 in the title match in the last staging of the non-ranking event at Goffs.

O’Sullivan also ran out a 9-3 winner in the 1998 final at Goffs against Ken Doherty, but was stripped of the title after testing positive for cannabis.

The snooker GOAT would lift the title four times, twice as a ranking tournament, when it moved from Goffs to Dublin in 2001, including a 9-8 final win over Hendry 25 years ago.

“I’ve always said this is the greatest country on earth,” said O’Sullivan. “The people are amazing, the best people.