Ronnie’s World Title defence came to an end in the quarter-finals as he was beaten by an excellent Luca Brecel.
Ronnie came to play the third and last session of his quarter-final match today, leading by 10-6, but he failed to win a single frame this afternoon and the match ended on a 13-10 score in favour of his opponent, Luca Brecel.
These are the scores for the third session session: Ronnie left, Luca right
That’s quite damning. Ronnie didn’t play well at all although he didn’t make that many mistakes, but every single one proved very costly. The simple truth is that Luca played exceptionally well today. He looked relaxed and confident, was getting all the difficult shots, scored heavily and starved his opponent of any amount of quality table time. If he carries on that way, he is very capable of winning the title and, of course, that would be great for the development of snooker in mainland Europe, and Belgium in particular.
I don’t know if Luca listened to Alan McManus yesterday, or if someone in his entourage did, but there was no nonsense today, just sheer brilliance.
For Ronnie it has largely be a season to forget. He won two invitational events, but failed to go past the quarter-finals in any ranking event. He has suffered from that elbow injury for most of the season and that probably didn’t help. He also arrived at the Crucible suffering from a bug. But maybe – and it pains me to write this – it’s age finally catching up with him.
“No one else can play like that,” said Ronnie O’Sullivan after his hopes of an eighth Cazoo World Championship crown were ended by an astonishing seven frame burst from Luca Brecel, winning 13-10 to reach the semi-finals.
For once, snooker’s all-time greatest O’Sullivan was on the receiving end of a blistering display of attacking snooker. Brecel’s average shot time across the match was just 17.7 seconds as, seemingly unburdened by pressure or doubt, he allowed his remarkable natural ability to take over. The last seven frames took just 75 minutes as the Belgian ace rattled in a series of fluent breaks, thumping balls into pockets with confidence and accuracy. Brecel has won three ranking titles but this was perhaps his best ever performance.
The first player from mainland Europe to go this deep into snooker’s biggest tournament, the 28-year-old will now experience the one-table situation at the Crucible for the first time, facing Anthony McGill or Si Jiahui over 33 frames on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Brecel did not win a match in his first five visits to Sheffield, but is now making up for that record.
A year ago, O’Sullivan equalled Stephen Hendry’s record of seven world titles, but despite a resounding 13-2 defeat of Hossein Vafaei in the second round this time, he was outplayed by Brecel, albeit making no more than a handful or errors in the last session. O’Sullivan has won two invitation titles this season but has failed to land a ranking title and will lose his world number one spot if Mark Allen reaches the final this week.
The opening frame today came down to the last two reds. O’Sullivan was trapped in a difficult snooker and handed his opponent the chance to clear and close to 10-7. Brecel then set sparks flying with breaks of 112, 64 and 72 to level at 10-10.
If Brecel’s fans were concerned that the interval might his affect his momentum, they were soon pacified. The last three frames took just 26 minutes and O’Sullivan potted just one ball, as Brecel added runs of 61, 78 and 63 to reach the 11th ranking event semi-final of his career.
“To win seven frames in a row against Ronnie is probably the best session I have played,” said ninth seed Brecel. “I was so composed for the whole match, I felt very calm, even at the end. It’s amazing to do that in the Crucible. It was like a dream because there was big crowd, Stephen Hendry was in the commentary box, I was playing Ronnie and playing my best stuff. It doesn’t get any better than that!
“I struggled at the Crucible many times but it has all changed suddenly and I don’t know why. I feel so good here now and I have not struggled to get over the line in my three matches. If I wasn’t happy off the table then I wouldn’t be able to play like this.
“The attention in Belgium when I beat Mark Williams was unbelievable. Fans could follow it live online on newspaper websites. I don’t think many people expected me to win but I did, which is great for snooker in Belgium. I am feeling exhausted now, I need to feel fit to be able to play my next match, otherwise I will not be able to play at 12 seconds a shot. So I have to wait to see how I feel tomorrow, but if I feel good I will play the same game.”
O’Sullivan said: “Luca was phenomenal, brilliant, amazing. What a player, what a talent. I’ve never seen a talent like that before. No one plays like that, it’s impossible. That was confident, solid, assured. I don’t think he realises how talented he is, it’s very hard for you to see your own gift, other people see it. But he is one gifted snooker player. The way he gets through the ball, the art, the work he gets on the white. He plays with no inhibitions. I’m sure he gets nervous, but when you play like that you don’t really get nervous because it happens at such a good speed. It’s a lovely way to play snooker.
“He’s got a great attitude towards the game. He turns up plays, loves it, enjoys his life. Even if he doesn’t win it, it’s still great to have him in the game and we love watching him.”
“He played unbelievable. He is such a good player and I love watching him. He is such a dynamic player and he is full a talent,” O’Sullivan told BBC Sport.
“Probably the most talented snooker player I have ever seen. I would love to go and see him win it just for snooker because that is how the game should be played.
“If I’d have put up a bit more resistance maybe he wouldn’t have played as well but you still have to pot the balls. I just wasn’t playing well enough to have an impact on the game.
“If it was a boxing match they’d have stopped it very early because I was pinching frames and hanging on and it catches up with you at some point.”
Luca
“It was a great feeling to play like that. I know that if the balls go well for me I can easily win seven frames in a row even against Ronnie, so I am not surprised,” Brecel said.
“Mentally I was ready but physically I wasn’t feeling too well, I was sweating and my arm didn’t feel good. It is amazing to beat someone like Ronnie from so far behind.
“I felt good from 10-9 down. My cue ball improved when I got to 10-10 and every frame got better.”
Inevitably after this season there will be questions about the future
I’ve played a lot of matches here,’ he said. ‘At some point it has to end but I hope it doesn’t end soon.
‘I hope when I’m not performing as well as I need to win tournaments, I can still come here and keep enjoying playing.
‘If I have to qualify, then so be it. Not do what Stephen Hendry did which was walk away a little bit earlier than he maybe should have done. You can keep playing, enjoying it, reinventing yourself, I don’t have to win tournaments to enjoy this game.
‘I love my practice more than my tournaments. That is a massive incentive for me to keep playing.’
…
See you next season Ronnie … hopefully fully fit, injury free and happy
The quarter-finals round started yesterday and Ronnie had to play two sessions, one in the morning, one in the evening. He is 10-6 up at the end of the day.
Defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan blitzed to a 6-2 lead over Luca Brecel following the first session of their Cazoo World Championship quarter-final in Sheffield.
The Rocket earned his quarter-final spot by making light work of a grudge match with Hossein Vafaei in the previous round. The pair exchanged words in the media ahead of the game, but ultimately O’Sullivan did most of his talking on the table and eased to a 13-2 win.
Brecel’s opening round win over Ricky Walden was his first ever victory at the Crucible, having fallen at the first hurdle in his previous five appearances. The Belgian followed that up with a thrilling 13-11 defeat of Mark Williams to make the quarters.
It was Brecel who made the early running this morning. He averaged just 12 seconds a shot on his way to crafting a magnificent 93 to take the opener. O’Sullivan responded by taking the second with breaks of 56 and 51 to restore parity. They traded the next two frames to end all square at 2-2 heading into the interval.
When play resumed O’Sullivan took complete control of proceedings. He claimed the lead for the first time at 3-2 and then fired in a superb 128 to double his advantage.
The seventh frame saw Brecel come back from requiring two snookers, only to miss the pink and leave it over the pocket for O’Sullivan to move 5-2 ahead. The 39-time ranking event winner then made it five on the bounce with an 85 break to take the last of the session and end 6-2 ahead. They will resume this evening from 7pm.
Playing his 100th match at the Crucible, Ronnie O’Sullivan took a 10-6 lead over Luca Brecel in the second session of their Cazoo World Championship quarter-final, and is just three frames away from the next round.
This entertaining tie, in which O’Sullivan’s average shot time is 19.1 seconds and Brecel just 17.7, returns for the concluding session on Wednesday at 2.30pm. First to 13 frames goes into the semi-finals, and if O’Sullivan makes it then he will be into the one-table situation at the Crucible for the 14th time.
World number one O’Sullivan is chasing an eighth world title, which would put him one ahead of Stephen Hendry’s seven. Belgium’s Brecel had never won a match at the Crucible before this tournament, and must win seven of the last nine frames to keep his run going.
Ninth seed Brecel trailed 6-2 after the first session but made the perfect start tonight with a break of 128. In frame ten, O’Sullivan led 49-42 when he missed a mid-range pot on the penultimate red, and Brecel cleared to close to 6-4. O’Sullivan bounced back with a break of 68 to win the 12th and he dominated frame 12 to lead 8-4 at the interval.
Brecel enjoyed a huge slice of good fortune in the 13th as, leading 58-37, he missed an attempted pot on the last red but fluked a difficult snooker, and from the chance that followed he closed the gap. A rapid run of 81 got him within two frames at 8-6. The luck turned in O’Sullivan’s favour in the 15th when, up 26 points, he fluked frame-ball yellow when escaping from a snooker. And the Englishman dominated the last of the night to share the session 4-4 and maintain his advantage.
Here are the scores after the first two sessions:
It’s not telling the whole story though. Ronnie was far from his best and looked very tired. Luca was the better player but his approach to the match and outlandish shot selection at times didn’t impress Alan Mc Manus. Alan was particularly unhappy with Luca playing wild “hit and hope” shots when snookered rigth from the fits escape attempt. Ronnie punished him each time.
Ronnie O’Sullivan was “vulnerable” against Luca Brecel, according to Jimmy White, and Alan McManus feels the defending champion will leave no stone unturned in a bid to find his best form.
O’Sullivan was put under pressure by Brecel on Tuesday evening, but shared the session to retain his four-frame lead in their World Championship quarter-final.
White and McManus feel Brecel missed a major opportunity to put O’Sullivan to the sword.
“Ronnie has been very vulnerable tonight, he has missed so many balls,” White said in the Eurosport studio. “He was laughing when he missed a red by so far.
“He’s just not firing on all cylinders and Luca Brecel kept getting in and getting the opportunities and just gifting Ronnie frames.
“If you look at the scoreboard, he won’t be happy with his day’s work. He did not play well at all.
“He played nowhere near like he did against Hossein [Vafaei]. He has not carried on, but is still 10-6 up. For me, the match is done.
“He’ll be looking back on how bad he’s played, but the competitor that he is, he’ll see he’s 10-6 up and think ‘I haven’t even played here’.
“He will give it maximum again tomorrow to get over the line and reset for the semi-finals.
“He has had a chance, Luca, there to be in the match, but he’s not now for me. He is too far behind. It will be Ronnie nursing this lead over the line and going again.”
McManus felt O’Sullivan was able to preserve his lead because he played smart snooker, knowing his form was not there.
“He is four frames ahead because he was committed to his own cause,” McManus said. “He is not playing well, is in second gear, but is at 92% pot success. What does that tell you? It tells me that every time he lands on something that is a bit dicey, which has been a lot as he is not putting together big numbers, he tucks the cue ball under the baulk cushion. That is what you have got to do.”
The match concludes on Wednesday afternoon, and McManus feels O’Sullivan will be at the Crucible early to iron out some issues.
He said: “We can’t get into Ronnie’s mind but if I was hazarding a guess, Ronnie will be in early here tomorrow on the practice table working out a couple of things that he will feel from that session that went wrong.
“He will take maybe an hour and a half. He did it in the final [in 2020] against Kyren Wilson and it paid off. No stone will remain unturned, I can guarantee it with Ronnie.
“There might be a lack of form, but you retain your focus. You don’t give in, you dig in.”
I do hope that Ronnie will be better today and can finish the job quickly this afternoon. We know that he’s not at his best health-wise and he certainly could do with some rest before the semi-finals … if he gets to that stage. Fingers crossed.
Here some pictures shared on social media
As for the other matches … they are all … “all-square”.
Mark Allen and Jak Jones are locked at 8-8. It’s quite extraordinary this from Jak Jones against allegedly the player of the season.
Anthony McGill and Si Jiahui finished their session on 4-4. Si was the better player early on and looked increasingly tired as the session unfolded. He will be happy that it ended all-square.
It’s also 4-4 in the Higgins v Selby match. I didn’t watch any of it but Selby won the last three of the session, without allowing Higgins a single point. Both players are currently on 27+ sec per shot, which is slow … but it’s worth noting that Selby was at 35+ at one point during the first mini-session 🤨.
Shaun Murphy’s prediction that Si Jiahui will become the first Crucible king from China took a step closer to reality as the new sensation wrapped up a 13-7 victory over Robert Milkins to reach the quarter-finals of the Cazoo World Championship.
Coming into this tournament, world number 80 Si had reached only one ranking event quarter-final – that came at the European Masters earlier this season. The 20-year-old is now enjoying the best fortnight of his life on the baize, and having won three qualifying matches to make it to the Theatre of Dreams, he has knocked out two heavy hitters in Murphy and Milkins. He is the youngest Crucible quarter-finalist in 25 years.
After a 10-9 reverse in the first round, Murphy offered the view that Si will become the first player from his country to lift the famous trophy, and he is now just two wins away from the becoming the biggest outsider ever to reach the final. His next opponent on Tuesday and Wednesday will be Anthony McGill, if the Scot can convert an 11-5 lead over Jack Lisowski into a place in the last eight.
Si, based in Sheffield, first turned pro in 2019 and was relegated two years later, but returned in 2022 after winning the World Snooker Federation Open and is clearly now a much improved player with genuine potential.
With Jak Jones also into the last eight, it’s the first time that two debutants have reached the quarter-finals at the Crucible since 1988 when Tony Drago and Steve James both took their first bow.
Si led 11-5 overnight and came from 52-22 down to steal the first frame today with a 35 clearance. He looked set to seal the result in frame 18 until he missed a red to a top corner on 68, and Milkins added some respectability to the scoreline with a fine 69 clearance. Welsh Open champion Milkins then came from 30-0 down to take frame 19 with a run of 55 to raise his hopes of a fight back. But Si ensured that the match would not go to a mid-session interval as he secured victory with a run of 105, his second century of the tie.
“Since the qualifiers, I have felt peaceful and calm emotionally,” said Si. “I treat it as if it’s a minor event, like a daily practice, and I try to enjoy the Crucible. Rob is a very aggressive player and plays with a quick rhythm, but I was also in the mindset of expecting opportunities in a match against a player of his style, if he’s not in top form. He can be very dangerous when playing well, after all he is a top 16 seed.
“I made a comprehensive break to get over line in the end. I believed the come-back was improbable so I took my time and did it patiently. I told myself not to rush it.
“After the Welsh Open, I went back to China and spent 20 days with my family. I had a great time with my parents and hung out with my girlfriend. I was homesick because it had been three years since I last went home. My father owns a pool club and all the customers were watching me playing. It’s great speaking to my dad after matches, to get motivation, he’s been genuinely great and supportive. Even when it’s after midnight in China when I’m playing, they all stay in the club on to cheer for their local boy. I’m sure they will do the same for my next match.”
Looking ahead to a potential meeting with McGill, Si added: “He has a very decent Crucible record. The only department of game I can compete against him is attacking because my safety is supposed to be the worst among the 32 players! I went for it and potted my way through to the quarter-finals.”
World number 14 Milkins said: “I lost a lot of close frames otherwise it could have been a much better match. Si played well but personally I think he will have to improve a lot to win the tournament. He’s a good player but might need a few more years. I’m not disappointed because I have had a great season and I could have gone out in the first round here.”
Some might see Milkins’ assessment on Si as an expression of bitterness but not me. I know Robert for a long time and he’s a straight n-nonsense type of guy. He will say it as he sees it and he’s probably right. At 20, Si isn’t the finished article and he knows it. Indeed, his best chance against McGill is to go on the attack. Playing that way may possibly result in a heavy defeat but it’s the only option because, currently, he doesn’t have the game to outplay Anthony in the tactical department.
Mark Selby defeated Gary Wilson 13-7 to book a blockbuster Cazoo World Championship quarter-final clash with John Higgins, who he describes facing as snooker’s biggest test.
It will be the latest edition of a storied rivalry between two of the sport’s greatest competitors, who have each won the World Championship four times. Selby leads head-to-head meetings between the pair 13-8, but it is Higgins who narrowly has the better record in their encounters on snooker’s grandest stage.
Tomorrow’s match will be the sixth time Selby and Higgins have crossed cues at the Crucible Theatre. They have contested two world finals against each other; 31-time ranking event winner Higgins was victorious in 2007 and 22-time ranking event winner Selby claimed the title in 2017. Higgins currently leads their World Championship head-to-head 3-2.
This evening’s defeat ends a significant season for Wilson, who picked up his maiden ranking title at the Scottish Open last December. The Tyneside cueman beat Joe O’Connor 9-2 in the final to capture the Stephen Hendry Trophy. Having broken through to the world’s top 16, he will be hoping to add further to his trophy collection next season.
They came into this evening’s session with Selby requiring just three for victory, leading 10-6. The Leicester cueman took the opener in emphatic fashion, firing in a century run of 109 and extending his advantage to 11-6.
Wilson replied with breaks of 58 and 53 to take the 18th frame, but any thoughts of a comeback were quickly stifled by Selby, who moved 12-7 ahead. He then claimed the 20th frame to wrap up victory and set up his meeting with Higgins.
“Mentally it is the biggest test for me playing John. You need to stay strong, because he doesn’t give you anything. You have to work for your chances. He punishes you more times than not and his safety is second to none. If you let your head drop there is no way in the world you are going to win,” said 39-year-old Selby.
“If you are a young lad growing up, you can’t go far wrong looking at John’s game and basing yourself on that. Technically he is very good and his all-round game is very good. I know I’m in for a tough match and the way he played against Kyren Wilson was phenomenal. If he plays anything like that, I know I’ll have to be on top of my game.
“I’m very happy to get through tonight. It is a long tournament, you don’t want to peak too soon and for me it is just about winning. You can always improve as the event goes on. It was a tough game against Gary. I felt the balls went scrappy in most of the sessions. It wasn’t too free flowing. You will get some games like that and I’ve been here long enough to know what the World Championship does to you.”
Wilson said: “I don’t overanalyse things too much in terms of who I’m playing. The simple fact of the matter is that I didn’t perform to my level. You aren’t going to win doing that. It isn’t a very positive thing to take from it but there aren’t any, if you look at the whole game I wasn’t up to scratch.
“I won my first ranking event this season but that is in the past for me now. I’ve got one and I was really relieved and happy to do it at the time. Straight away it was back to trying to get more. I was hoping my levels would improve a bit and they haven’t really. I take all of the positives in terms of where I am in the rankings, coming here seeded and getting more experience. Looking at the overall picture I am very slowly moving forward.”
I can’t really comment on that match because I didn’t watch any of it. That’s not because I’m a “Selby hater” or a “Higgins hater” … I was just watching the other table. One thing though: I believe that Gary Wilson is often too harsh on himself. Nobody can play at their highest level all the time. Nobody. Mark Selby always makes it difficult for the opposition, no matter who he plays. Gary should take some time off, relax, and before the next season starts, watch the game again, with his coach or whoever is on his side, and objectively analyse what can be improved. He has all the talent he needs but too often gets too harsh on himself.
Crucible specialist Anthony McGill reached the quarter-finals of the Cazoo World Championship for the third time in four years, keeping his composure to round off a 13-8 victory over Jack Lisowski.
McGill led 10-1 at one stage of this second round clash before Lisowski battled back to within three frames at 11-8. Unflappable, Glasgow’s McGill took the next two, and progresses to a meeting with China’s Si Jiahui.
Asked how he remains calm in those intense situations, 32-year-old McGill replied: “How can you not enjoy being out there? Sometimes things aren’t going well, but you still have to feel a sense of gratitude just to be there. There are a lot worse things you could be doing than losing a game of snooker. Sometimes you win and it’s even better.
“We are in a theatre and snooker is drama. It’s the best kind of drama, and no one can tell me otherwise. I love it. It’s a shame we don’t play in more theatres because snooker is perfect for it, and this place is the best of all.”
World number 21 McGill needs one more win to match his best Crucible performance, having reached the semi-finals in 2020 when he lost 17-16 to Kyren Wilson in a classic encounter. The Scot will hope that his considerable experience at this stage of the tournament will give him an advantage against debutant Si.
Trailing 11-5 going into the last session, Lisowski took the first frame tonight with a break of 74 and dominated the next as well to close to 11-7. In frame 19, McGill led 43-24 when he misjudged an attempted pot on the penultimate red, and his opponent took advantage with a 33 clearance to narrow the gap to just three frames.
But two-time ranking event winner McGill dominated frame 20, with breaks of 38 and 48, to go 12-18 ahead at the interval. Lisowski might have pulled another one back but missed a red to a top corner when he led 40-3 in frame 21, and McGill made an excellent 58 to reach his 24th career ranking event quarter-final.
“Credit to Jack because he really pushed me hard – he could have been forgiven for giving up at 10-1,” McGill added. “It was a good job I had that lead in the end. If it had gone 11-9 he would have kept the momentum, so to go 12-8 was massive and I played that frame well.
“I would love to go all the way to the final this year. But first I have to beat Si Jiahui and I will really be up against it. He is a world class player. I’ll give it my best shot, just as I have in my first two matches.”
Lisowski said: “Anthony was solid all the way through. I think he can win the tournament. I managed to make a game of it from 10-1 down, at least I gave the crowd something to watch. That’s the only positive I can take out if it because I wasn’t good enough over the three days.
“I need to figure out a game plan for next season. I need a more solid game, I am too patchy. My safety was ok in that match but my scoring and potting weren’t good enough.”
Jason Francis will be thrilled if he reads Anthony’s quotes about drama and theatre – the part I put in bold – because that’s exactly his views as well. The problem is that theatres aren’t usually very spacious and can rarely accommodate more than one table comfortably, severely limiting the size of the playing field.
Jack fought really hard from 10-1 down and he went on the attack in the last session. That’s his strength. I’m not sure that Ebdon is the person he needs in his corner, not in the long term anyway. Jack will never be a top-class defender, that’s not him. He needs a good safety game but he must play to his own strengths and that’s attacking and scoring. Maybe he needs to learn to slow it down a bit at times, but only just a bit, and take a deep breath. IMO Jack’s biggest weakness is that he’s prone to “lack of concentration” moments. I know that Murphy claims that this is not a thing … 😉 … but really … 😂 …
Only eight players remain in the field and the atmosphere at the Crucible , backstage, changes significantly. The buzz of the first week is gone, there are long days without a match finishing. Especially, from the SFs on, there are sessions that feel a bit flat, unless a match gets one-sided ,there are empty seats. Usually it happens in the second and third sessions of the SFs and the third of the Final . It might be even worse this year. The “Century Club” thing already left the entire first row of seats empty in some sessions. That doesn’t look great, and it’s not nice for the players. It doesn’t work at the Crucible.
This year the second round – last 16 – at the Crucible seems to produce a lot of one-sided matches. Yesterday was no different and John Higgins beat Kyren Wilson with a session to spare.
John Higgins completed a 13-2 demolition of Kyren Wilson to reach the quarter-finals of the Cazoo World Championship for the 17th time in his career.
It’s 25 years since four-time Crucible king Higgins first became World Champion back in 1998. Until now his form this season hasn’t indicated that he is in a great position to claim his fifth crown, having only made the quarter-finals of one ranking event.
However, today’s victory with a session to spare underlines the 31-time ranking event winner’s title credentials and sends out a significant statement to the field. Higgins now awaits the winner between Mark Selby and Gary Wilson in the quarter-finals.
The Wishaw cueman last captured the sport’s biggest prize in 2011 and since then his quest for a fifth world title has involved a considerable amount of heartbreak. Higgins was runner-up in three consecutive years between 2017 and 2019. His results this season mean he has somewhat come under the radar this time around.
By contrast, world number seven Wilson arrived in Sheffield as one of the tour’s form players, having made the final of the recent Tour Championship. He carried that form over in the first round, firing in the 13th maximum break in Crucible history during his 10-5 victory over Ryan Day.
Wilson’s momentum was brought to an abrupt halt in this morning’s opening session, when Higgins put on a supreme showing to take a clean sweep of the frames and earn an 8-0 advantage.
When play got underway this evening Higgins relentlessly pushed on, stealing the first on the black. It was soon 10-0 when the Scot hammered home a brilliant break of 128.
Wilson eventually staved off the whitewash thanks to a break of 55 in the 11th, but Higgins restored his ten-frame lead by taking the 12th on the black.
The next two frames were traded, before Higgins embarked on a 147 attempt. His run ended on 80, but it was enough to see him over the line as an emphatic 13-2 victor.
“It was amazing. To beat Kyren 13-12, I would have bitten your hand off. To beat him 13-2 was an incredible result for me,” said 47-year-old Higgins.
“I’ve been feeling happy with my game for the last month. I was beginning to time the ball well. You know the nerves are going to kick in for your first round match. I played pretty well in it. I know Kyren was maybe having trouble with his cue. I hope he gets that fixed, but I can’t complain. I’m hitting the ball well.
“Every World Championship win is special, but it would probably be the hardest one. If you have to come through maybe Mark Selby if he wins, possibly Mark Allen and then maybe O’Sullivan or Anthony McGill. It would be amazing to have two Scottish guys in the final, but there is a long way to go.
“I’ve been coming here for so long and I always seem to play well here. I just have to try to play the same again. It is going to be really difficult, but I can’t do any more.”
Wilson said: “He was awesome. He literally gave me nothing at all. It was a very frustrating match. I felt everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Sometimes in this game you need a bit of luck on your side. In a long format it can be swings and roundabouts, but it never went for me. John capitalised on that and kept turning the screw.
“I felt amazing coming in here tonight and as soon as I hit a couple of balls I realised that a weight is loose in my cue. That is another setback, but I’m not going to use it as an excuse. I had fancied having a good go of it until that point though.”
Kyren explained that his cue got damaged when it fell on the ground while he was busy signing stuff and chatting with a group of fans after his previous match. That’s very unfortunate of course.
John Higgins is unhappy with the QFs schedule. I can understand why as he is the one who, unless he wins with a session to spare again, will need to play two consecutive sessions, afternoon and evening on Wednesday. That’s not nice. He expressed the opinion that there should be two matches playing all their sessions simultaneously on Tuesday morning, evening and Wednesday afternoon, whilst the other two would play on Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning and evening. That would indeed be better for the players BUT it also means that a risk exists to have two empty sessions on Wednesday afternoon and evening if all matches are one-sided.
You will tell that this is very unlikely but … this afternoon we have only the Robert Milkins v Si Jiahui going and Si is 11-5 up, meaning that he needs only two frames. This could be over in half an hour. In the evening, Anthony McGill is also 11-5 up on Jack Lisowski whilst Mark Selby is 10-6 up on Gary Wilson. This could possibly be over before any of the matches reach the MSI. It’s unlikely, but it’s nevertheless a possibility. It’s a problem for WST because they need to provide some kind of entertainment for the paying fans in such circumstances and that’s certainly why they schedule the QFs, the way they do in such a way that only the last session could possibly be “empty” or finish before the MSI.
As mentioned Si is currently only two frames away from the QFs. Si looked tired at the start of yesterday’s session – probably he didn’t sleep too well – but Milkins was very poor and despite not playing at his best Si increased his lead.
McGill also only needs two frames to beat Jack Lisowski but that match may well still have some life in it because Jack was 10-1 down and managed to win four of the last five frames in their second session. It’s a big ask though.
Mark Selby leads Gary Wilson by 10-6. It was 6-6 at the MSI of the second session, but Mark pulled away in the last mini-session. Gary will need a strong start. He’s capable of course.
Ronnie O’Sullivan equalled his most emphatic victory in a best-of-25 frame contest as he beat Hossein Vafaei 13-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the Cazoo World Championship for the 21st time.
The match was billed as a clash of rivals following a series of comments from both players in the build up, but it turned out to be an entirely one-sided contest, followed by a post-match embrace and mutual burying of hatchets.
Vafaei may regret raising the stakes before coming up against snooker’s greatest ever player, as the Iranian cracked under pressure while his opponent was imperious. O’Sullivan strolled serenely passed a series of landmarks during the contest: his 200th Crucible century, his 1,200th career century, and his next match will be his 100th at the Crucible. The scoreline matched his 13-2 defeat of Robert Milkins back in 2002.
The 47-year-old defending champion will have a welcome rest tomorrow morning, having finished the match a session early, and he can look ahead to an intriguing meeting with Luca Brecel on Tuesday and Wednesday. O’Sullivan is just three wins away from becoming the first player to win eight world titles.
Leading 6-2 overnight, O’Sullivan won the first frame today with breaks of 48 and 34. Vafaei should have pulled one back but missed frame-ball green on 59 in the next, and O’Sullivan cleared with 58 to pinch it by a point. A run of 68 stretched his advantage to 9-2.
In frame 12, Vafaei led 47-0 when he overcut a risky red to a top corner, and again his opponent punished him with an 82 clearance. His chances fading fast, Vafaei made another error early in the 13th as an attempted pink to a centre pocket hit the far jaw, and O’Sullivan’s 64 made it 11-2. Just 18 minutes later the match was over as world number one O’Sullivan finished with a brace of centuries, 107 and 116.
Asked about Vafaei’s pre-match comments, O’Sullivan recalled the 2002 World Championship when he stated that he was going to send Stephen Hendry “back to his sad little life” before their semi-final meeting, and ended up losing 17-13.
“I did the same years ago with Stephen and I totally regretted it,” said O’Sullivan today. “I was pumped up by someone else (Prince Naseem Hamed) to say it , it wasn’t what I would have said. Then afterwards I thought ‘why did I do that?’ Stephen didn’t speak to me for two years. He was my hero, why would I want to disrespect my hero? Two years later I apologised and he said it was forgotten, and then we were friends again.
“There are no hard feelings from me, I love Hossein, he is a great guy and a brilliant player. He has not had it easy with his visa issues, it was heart-breaking to see what he had to go through. But he keeps going. He will come back stronger from this. He is well capable of being a top 16 player and he is still young.
“I have been going for a long time. I love the lifestyle. I don’t play snooker for financial reasons, I play it because I enjoy it. It brings joy to the friends who come and support me, and the people watching at home get excited. So I just keep showing up. I’m looking forward to another match at the Crucible. Luca is phenomenal player with amazing talent and he is always getting better.”
Vafaei, the only Iranian to play at the Crucible, said: “He played fantastic, I lost to the greatest ever. No one can play snooker better than him. I got my lesson, in the future I’ll give the same lesson to other players. I have to learn from someone. There was no pressure, I was not nervous.”
Asked about smashing the pack open from the break-off in the second frame – matching a shot O’Sullivan played against him at the 2021 German Masters qualifiers – Vafaei added: “Everyone knows what happened in the past and I didn’t like that at all. Everyone has a tough life so we don’t need to give each other negative energy. So it was in my mind.
“I don’t regret what I said. It was nice for the people, everywhere you looked, snooker was top of the news. If you don’t have me in snooker, it’s a boring place! It’s good to have character, it makes people interested in the snooker.
“It’s completely off my chest now. Whatever he did to me, I have given it back, so I don’t have any reason to be bad with him now. He knew that as well, he said ‘let’s be friends.’ I hope he wins the tournament because he’s too good.
“This year I lost to the greatest, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t count. Next year I will be 100 per cent be here and stronger with the help of the people.”
Here are the scores and stats for that match:
Here are some more pictures… thanks to Tai Chengzhe … plus some shared on social media.
Plus some reactions
And here are the 14th frame, Ronnie 1200th century, and the 15th final frame, shared by Eurosport on their YouTube Channel
There is not much to add to all that. Ronnie was very focused. He will now face Luca Brecel and, although Ronnie played well, he may need to cut off the odd mistake here and there because Luca himself played at a very very high level to beat Mark Williams.
Interestingly, Ronnie was briefly in the ES studio with Jimmy White and Alan McManus at the start of the evening session and mentioned that Steve Peters forbids him to go running… hence he’s practising more. The latter though is probably not the reason for Steve Peters “running interdiction”. I think this is because Ronnie tends to overdo it, especially when he has time on his hands, and then comes into matches tired and unable to concentrate as hard as he needs to.
And Ronnie’s reward was …
A dinner with friends ….
Jak Jones beat Neil Robertson by 13-7
Jak Jones is a Crucible debutant but he played very solid snooker to beat Neil Robertson by 13-7 yesterday afternoon.
Jak Jones continued his dream Crucible debut with a 13-7 defeat of world number six Neil Robertson to make the last eight of the Cazoo World Championship in Sheffield.
World number 52 Jones is enjoying the best run of his career to date, having come through a perilous route to earn his place in the quarter-finals of snooker’s greatest event. The Welsh qualifier scored an impressive 10-8 Judgement Day defeat of 2013 Crucible runner-up Barry Hawkins to make the final stages. Jones then took full advantage of that victory by beating two-time World Championship finalist Ali Carter 10-6 in the opening round.
The guaranteed £50,000 prize for making the quarters far surpasses Jones’ previous biggest career payday of £13,500, for reaching the last 16 of the 2019 International Championship. He now faces player of the season so far Mark Allen for a place in the single table semi-finals. They kick off their last eight encounter on Tuesday morning at 10am.
Robertson’s recent woes in Sheffield continue and the quest to add to his solitary World Championship win in 2010 goes on. The Australian has proven himself as one of snooker’s greats since then, racking up a further 18 ranking titles to take his career total to 23. However, he has toiled at the Crucible and hasn’t made the semi-finals since 2014.
Jones led 10-6 going into the concluding session and looked set to extend his lead until he missed a red to a centre pocket on 53 in the opening frame today. Robertson took advantage with an 83 clearance, then had chances in frame 18, but crucially missed a mid-range yellow when he led 50-41, and Jones made an impressive colour clearance for 11-7.
In the 19th, Robertson led 33-15 when he missed an awkward red to a top corner. Jones countered with 47 and survived his opponent’s efforts to get the snooker he needed on the colours, to go 12-7 ahead. The Welshman then finished the contest in perfect style with a 138 total clearance, the highest break of the match.
“To beat Neil in the World Championship, in such a venue and in front of such a crowd is a big win,” said 29-year-old Jones. “I’m not the most outlandish or angry person in the world. None of my family are either. I just try to take everything as it comes and keep going.
“I’ve felt calm since the beginning. Before the tournament started, I didn’t have any idea how I was going to feel going out there. I was surprisingly calm and enjoyed it.
“I felt really good on the practice table ahead of yesterday’s evening session. It was nice to be able to take that out into the arena and perform well out there.
“Mark is the best player of the season and he is playing extremely well. Neil was playing extremely well too though and so was Ali Carter before the tournament. They are all very difficult matches, whoever I play. I will just try my best and see where it takes me.”
Robertson said: “It was a different test, the complete opposite style of play. He did all the simple things really well. I have played him before so I know how tough he is, and he has improved a lot as a player. His safety was incredible throughout the match. I put him in awkward positions and then I would come back to the table in a worse position.
“I couldn’t create the chances to make the frames open. I made it too easy for him – gave him too many easy openers. Today he was there for the taking, that’s what is disappointing. I made a good clearance to go 10-7, but then missed the yellow in the next frame. If I had gone 10-8 I probably wouldn’t have been favourite. He held himself together well and made a great break in the last frame. He will be a tough match for Mark Allen if he plays the way he did yesterday.”
Jak Jones is a solid match player. He’s not spectacular but he’s very effective in what he does. Neil Robertson’s record at the Crucible is rather awful for a player of his quality. Yes, he won it in 2010 but since he has reached the one table setup just once.
As mentioned above, Jimmy and Alan were in the studio at the start of the evening session and Neil’s poor Crucible record is one of the topic they discussed. Alan offered the opinion that what Neil is lacking is a proper, strong, hard match-play game. That’s an interesting point and reading Neil’s quotes above, I think that Alan nailed it. I underlined one sentence above because I believe that this is the key. Indeed Neil isn’t adaptable enough. He has only one game and when he fails to dictate the style of the match he’s in trouble. The Crucible is a long-distance type of competition and that favours the “match-players”, like Mark Selby or John Higgins. Ronnie prefers a more open game, but he can play tight when needed. Mark Allen has become very much adept of a tighter game. Mark Williams in totally versatile. Neil isn’t.
This World Championship is rapidly turning into one of the best, most eventful and most interesting in many years and that’s a blessing because snooker certainly needs to show that it has much more to offer than controversy and suspected match fixing.
Luca Brecel was the first man to book his place in the quarter-finals yesterday. He beat Mark Williams in an absolutely brilliant match. Here is the report by WST:
Brecel: My Best Feeling Ever
The outrageously talented Luca Brecel made a brace of marvellous breaks in the last two frames to beat Mark Williams 13-11 and reach the quarter-finals of the Cazoo World Championship.
“It’s the best feeling of my career,” said Brecel after an outstanding performance, highlighted by four centuries and eight more breaks over 50, while averaging just 18.8 seconds a shot across the contest. The Belgian had never won a match at the Crucible before this week, but is now showing his quality on the biggest stage. Three-time champion Williams looked favourite when he came from 11-8 down to 11-11 only for Brecel, playing a best-of-25 match for the first time in his career, to take the last two frames in style.
The 28-year-old, snooker’s best ever player from continental Europe, will meet either Ronnie O’Sullivan or Hossein Vafaei on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the winner to appear in the one-table situation for the semi-finals.
Brecel first played at the Crucible in 2012 at the age of just 17 – the youngest player to compete at the venue – but lost in the opening round on his first five appearances in Sheffield. With three ranking titles now under his belt, including this season’s Championship League, he is quickly learning what it takes to win matches on the biggest stage.
Trailing 9-7 going into the last session, Williams looked set to take the opening frame tonight until he missed the black off its spot at 58-0, and Brecel punished him with a 71 clearance. Williams pulled one back with a run of 67 before Brecel’s classy 117 put him 11-8 in front.
In frame 20, Williams led 56-36 when he converted an excellent long pot on the penultimate red, and he added the points he needed to close the gap. The Welshman’s tactical nous was evident again in the 21st as he laid a tough snooker when he trailed 18-28, creating an opening for a break of 54 to draw within a frame at 11-10.
Brecel had a scoring chance in frame 22 but made just 23 before running out of position, then made a safety error which let Williams in for a run of 53 to level for the first time since 6-6. Brecel’s thumping long red initiated a run of 84 to regain the lead, and in frame 24 he knocked in another fabulous red to a baulk corner to set up a match-winning 67.
“It is fantastic for my career to beat someone like Mark over 25 frames because he is such a legend, it’s so difficult to do,” said Brecel. “I had to play well and stay focussed for the whole game. At 11-11 he was playing better and I was struggling. So I didn’t expect to make two great breaks to win the game.
“I have not been practising – and look at how I played! Do we need that much practice? I don’t know. Snooker is more of a mental game, we are all great players. I felt good coming here, mentally. My life is good, I have a new girlfriend. I am relaxed, and that helps me play well, even without practice.
“It’s probably the best feeling in my whole career. In the past I have played a good session and then I play a bad one, but this year all my sessions have been good. I’m happy to play consistently.
“In the next round I’m just going to play the same, play quick, play freely. If I don’t play quick it’s going to get even longer and I’m just going to get exhausted, so I need to play like this to make it easy for myself.
“The ranking points are so big here, that’s what makes the difference I think for players in terms of pressure. It’s such big money but it keeps you safe in the top 16 if you win.”
Williams said: “It was a high quality match all the way through, he played some unbelievable stuff. I put the pressure on him at 11-11 and I was feeling strong. But he made two breaks the last two frames, it’s as good as I’ve seen. He was popping balls from everywhere and thoroughly deserved the win. I just hope he can continue that form – if he plays O’Sullivan – and do himself justice because he’ll be hard to stop.”
Mark Williams appeared to be in some discomfort during yesterday session – back or shoulder pain – but said nothing after the match.
Luca Brecel is a brilliant player when he’s focussed, Ben Mertens and Julien Leclercq have both impressed as rookies this season and yet WST has not made any real effort to further push the game in mainland Europe, and in Belgium in particular. Both WWS and WDBS had events in Belgium in recent times and it’s easy to understand why: it’s not that far away from the UK, the Eurostar is a fast way to get there, it’s very centrally situated in Western Europe, with France, Germany and the Netherlands being neighbours, and it’s easily reachable by plane, train or car.
Ronnie leads Hossein Vafaei by 6-2 after their first session
Ronnie O’Sullivan surged into a 6-2 lead against Hossein Vafaei in the first session of their Cazoo World Championship last-16 clash, while on the other table Mark Allen moved to the verge of victory as he established a 12-4 advantage over Stuart Bingham.
Vafaei intensified his rivalry with O’Sullivan with passionate words after his first round win over Ding Junhui, and the strength of his feeling was obvious today when he smashed the pack of reds in the second frame – exactly what O’Sullivan had done during a previous meeting in the 2021 German Masters qualifiers. However the Iranian did little talking on the table as defending champion O’Sullivan opened up a four-frame cushion.
They return for eight more frames on Saturday from 2.30pm, and if O’Sullivan wins seven of those then he will be through to the quarter-finals at the Crucible for the 21st time. Otherwise the contest will conclude from 10am on Sunday.
World number one O’Sullivan took the opening frame with a break of 78, then capitalised on Vafaei’s unorthodox break-off in the second to make another 78 for 2-0. Vafaei, the only player from Iran to compete at the Crucible, made a 64 in the third and eventually won it with an excellent long pot on the final pink.
O’Sullivan dominated the next three with runs of 69, 51 and 102 – the last of those was a landmark break as he became the first player to score 200 centuries at the Crucible. Frame seven came down to a safety battle on the colours, and O’Sullivan laid a snooker on the yellow, then took advantage of the chance that followed for 6-1.
In the last frame of the session, Chigwell’s O’Sullivan led 44-0 when he missed the pink to a top corner, and Vafaei capitalised with a run of 58 to reduce the deficit.
When Hossein broke off for the first time, in frame 2, he smashed the reds open. This is exactly what I expected him to do, and Ronnie calmly took advantage.
Hossein’s demeanour at the table has Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry wondering how his mind works as reported here by skysports
Speaking to the BBC, six-time world champion Davis said of Vafaei’s red-splitting break: “It’s not good to see.
“I don’t think it is necessarily disrespectful to Ronnie, but it is maybe considered disrespectful to the game of snooker and the people who come along to watch, and want to see a great game.
‘You’re basically giving your opponent an easy chance‘
“That is stupidity or you just don’t care about being a world champion. You’re basically giving your opponent an easy chance.
“For me it’s a nasty taste in my mouth for the match, and it was a mouth-watering taste to start with.
“It’s not nice, it’s not good. It’s not a personal game, snooker, your problem is the table and the balls, not your opponent.”
After Vafaei won frame three, Davis added: “He is not cut from the same lump of wood as me. How can you smash the balls up in a World Championship? I don’t understand how you can then play great in the next frame.
“What type of brain can do that? I don’t know where he’s coming from, but to win that frame after embarrassing yourself – how on earth can you concentrate after that?”
…
I’m afraid that the answer is quite simple: either Hossein has a very big ego and/or he’s deeply insecure. If he genuinely didn’t understand that Ronnie smashing the pack in those German Masters qualifiers, being 4-0 down, had nothing to do with him, his family and his people, but was just a show of sheer frustration, then it’s a clear sign that he tends to believe that everything other people do is about him.
The match, of course is far from over.
Mark Allen is just one frame away from booking his spot in the QFs: he leads Stuart Bingham by 12-4. Allen has been the player of the season but had not done that well in the second half of it. I didn’t expect that match to be so one-sided.
The big surprise though was once again created by Jak Jones who is currently leading Neil Robertson by 10-6.
The last three of the first round matches were played to a finish yesterday and two of them produced a quite unexpected result.
With Joe Perry leading by 7-2 after the first session, very few, if any, would have given Robert Milkins a chance but yesterday morning, he came out fighting … and won! Here is the report by WST:
Milkins Completes Epic Fight-Back
Robert Milkins pulled off one of the great first round Crucible come-backs as he recovered a 7-2 deficit to beat Joe Perry 10-9 at the Cazoo World Championship.
In a match which started on Monday evening and finished 66 hours later, Milkins recorded the biggest successful first round fight-back since 2017 when Marco Fu battled from 7-1 behind to beat Luca Brecel 10-9. Perry looked by far the stronger player in Tuesday’s session as he built a commanding lead, but his touch deserted him today as he missed a string of chances, allowing Milkins to turn the tide.
Competing as a top 16 seed at the Crucible for the first time in his 28-year career, Welsh Open champion Milkins goes through to the last 16 to face Shaun Murphy or Si Jiahui. The 47-year-old from Gloucester has appeared in the second round three times before and has never reached the quarter-finals.
Milkins took the first two frames this morning with a top break of 61 to reduce the gap to 7-4, then the next two were shared to leave the interval scoreline at 8-5. Runs of 51, 53 and 55 helped Milkins battle back to 8-8.
A scrappy 17th frame came down to the colours and Perry had a chance but missed a tricky brown to a baulk corner, and fell behind for the first time in the match. Two-time ranking event winner Perry bounced back with a run of 63 for 9-9.
World number 14 Milkins had first clear chance in the decider and made 63. After a brief safety exchange, he knocked in a long red and added the points he needed.
“From 7-2 down you are pretty much dead and buried,” said Milkins. “You just come out and try and make the score respectable. I won the first two frames but then lost the next for 8-4 which was a set back. I dug in and managed to close the gap. If I had ended up losing 10-9 after being 9-8 up, I would have been more gutted than losing 10-2.
“I tried to be more positive, playing the percentage shots but being a bit more aggressive and speeding up a bit to get myself going. I am not totally happy with the tip on my cue, it will take more time to bed in. I have some time to practise now and be ready for round two.”
Perry, who beat Mark Davis 10-9 in the final qualifying round but was on the wrong end of the same scoreline today, said: “It was a shambles today for me. I never got going, I started bad and gradually got worse. I was playing safety shots and catching everything thick. I was bemused by what was happening. It was the same Rob Milkins I played on Tuesday night and I dominated the session. I didn’t lose today because of anything special Rob did. He played better than he did the other night, but he was allowed to play by my mistakes.”
The unusual schedule of this session was of course the result of the “Just Stop Oils” disruption. There were calls by Mark Allen and Stuart Bingham for WST/WPBSA to give Olivier Marteel proper recognition for his clarity of thoughts and bravery under the circumstances. Olivier is now back to Belgium as his work at the Crucible is finished for this year.
Mark Selby scored a tremendous century break in the last frame to quash a Matthew Selt fight-back, winning 10-8 in the first round of the Cazoo World Championship.
Four-time Crucible king Selby looked at risk of a shock exit when qualifier Selt came from 8-4 down to within a frame at 9-8. But – as he has so many times at this venue – Selby found something extra when it mattered most. His match-winning break of 112 in the 18th frame started with a series of excellent pots to keep the break going, and once in prime position, the world number two remained composed as he cruised to the finish line.
Leicester’s Selby, who lifted the trophy in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021, goes through to the last 16 to face Gary Wilson, a player who beat him at the same stage in 2019. The best-of-25 frame tie gets underway on Saturday evening.
Selby took the first frame today to go 7-3 ahead before Selt pulled one back with a break of 74, then a run of 56 restored Selby’s four frame cushion. Frame 13 came down to the last red and Selt converted a cocked-hat double to a centre pocket, then cleared to close to 8-5.
The 14th was resolved with a tactical exchange on the pink, and a weak safety from Selby handed his opponent the chance to pot pink and black to continue his fight back. Selby recovered with breaks of 57 and 73 to go 9-6 up, but Selt dominated frame 16, then in the 17th he laid a clever snooker on the yellow and took the chance that followed to close to 9-8. However, his efforts were in vain as Selby seized his opportunity in the 18th.
“It was one of the best breaks I have made, under the circumstances,” said 39-year-old Selby. “Matt was asking me questions, he played well in both sessions. It was tense out there and he put me under pressure. I was happy with how I stood up to it. Matt is a good player, he should do better. He has been here a few times and I knew he wasn’t going to buckle. He has a good match game and he’s capable of beating anyone.
“The biggest thing for me is that mentally I am in a better place to be out there competing. Last year, mentally I was fragile, but now I’m in a better place and that is showing on the table.
“Gary Wilson has won a ranking event this season and seems to play well here. He’s a very high scorer. There are some huge second round games here and that’s what’s great about the World Championship.”
Selt, who has now played four matches at the Crucible without reaching the second round, said: “It was a great game, quite a high standard throughout the whole match. I made a few mistakes, and I don’t want to sound disrespectful but I thought Mark had a great run of the ball – he made quite a few mistakes and got away with them.
“I put him under a bit of pressure tonight and then he produced an unbelievably good break which sums him up as a person and a player. Just an absolutely class break, he deserves the win. Him and Ronnie are always the favourites here.”
Apparently Matt Selt was warned for swearing during the match… IF this article in the press today is to be believed. Swearing during a match would certainly not be out of character for Matt but the referee … definitely wasn’t Desi, it was Tatiana Woollaston. Again, this is typical of a certain press, specially during the World Championship … they never report on snooker all season, but come Crucible time they try to stir controversy, and paint the sport in a bad light, whilst not being bothered to get the most basic facts right.
The most dramatic match of the day, and the best one, came in the evening and saw Si Jiahui beat Shaun Murphy … again. This time however, Shaun had no complains.
Si Jiahui, the lowest ranked player in the tournament at 80th in the world, scored a major Crucible upset by beating fourth seed Shaun Murphy 10-9 in the first round of the Cazoo World Championship.
At the end of a dramatic day in Sheffield, with two matches going to a deciding frame, China’s 20-year-old Si got the better of an exciting conclusion to knock out one of the pre-tournament favourites. Murphy was the best player on the planet on current form having won the Players Championship and Tour Championship within the past two months, but was narrowly outgunned in a fabulous match, despite making three centuries.
Si, based in Sheffield, had to win three qualifying matches just to make it to the Crucible and is now through to the last 16 of a ranking event for only the fourth time in his career. The highly rated youngster won the World Snooker Federation Open, the most prestigious event in amateur snooker, last year to regain a place on the pro circuit and enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals of the European Masters earlier this season.
The result may feel particularly sweet for Si, as he beat Murphy 6-5 when they first met at the 2021 UK Championship while competing as an amateur, after which Murphy claimed that amateurs should not be allowed to take part in professional tournaments. This time, 2005 Crucible king Murphy was completely magnanimous in defeat as he heaped praise on his opponent and offered the view that Si will become the first World Champion from China.
Si’s next step towards that dream will be a best-of-25 contest with Robert Milkins which will start on Saturday.
Si led 5-4 going into tonight’s concluding session and soon extended that advantage with a break of 120. Murphy had first chance in frame 11 but missed the pink to a centre pocket on 30 and his opponent capitalised with 93. Murphy hit back with 102 and 66 to close to 7-6 at the interval.
A run of 86 gave Si frame 14 and he dominated the next for 9-6. At 48-0 down in frame 16, Si missed a tricky red to centre, allowing Murphy to pull one back. The next came down to the last two reds, and a safety error from Si handed Murphy the chance to close to 9-8. A run of 120 set up the decider.
A superb long red from Si initiated a run of 56, before Murphy clawed his way back with 28, and the match came down to the final red. Si laid a tough snooker, and Murphy missed the red three times, and the third attempt proved his last shot as Si cleared for victory.
“I didn’t really play to win, I just wanted to learn from him,” said Si. “I would not be too dissatisfied with myself even if I’d lost tonight because I did perform well and I was so happy out there. Shaun has had a brilliant season so I never thought I could have done this.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the match. The whole arena applauded every time I got a long pot, and they did the same for my good safeties. That’s the best part I’ve enjoyed so far and I was able to play without any pressure. If I can really perform I can compete with any player. I’m playing with a great mindset because I’m not bothered about winning or losing. There will be no regrets if I can carry on with my own game.”
Murphy said: “I really enjoyed it, it was exciting. I just came out on the wrong end. I have had many great nights at the Crucible and I will have more, but tonight was Si Jiahui’s night. He was fabulous from start to finish. I think he will be the first Chinese World Champion – maybe not this time, but I believe he will be the first. I see things in him that some of the other players don’t have. He’s got a bit of swagger, he’s very talented, plays right and left handed, gets on with it and always tries to attack. I threw everything at him, I tried my absolute best and I still lost.
“This has been possibly my best season, I won’t let this result ruin it. I will enjoy being here for the rest of this tournament in my BBC role and I’m already looking forward to playing here again next season. ”
This was a very enjoyable match to watch and Si’s carefree approach was refreshing. I’m happy for the young man, but also for Victoria Shi who has gone through terrible times since several of her Academy top players were suspended for being involved in the match fixing affair currently under investigation. She has tried her best to run it as normally as possible for the sake of her other players and that can’t have been easy. The hearing is about to start next Monday and that could overshadow the championship which would be a terrible shame.
There were suggestions on social media that the controversy and spat between Ronnie and Hossein Vafaei are taken out of proportion – some even said it’s “staged” – in an attempt to take the attention away from the hearing. Whilst I don’t really believe that, the fact is that their match is due to finish on Sunday, on the eve of the start of the hearing. There are usually no matches played to a finish on the mid-championship Sunday, so that’s very unusual. Having to report on a highly controversial match, involving the defending champion might indeed create a diversion and keep the press busy with something other than speculating about the hearing outcome.
John Higgins completed a 13-2 demolition of Kyren Wilson to reach the quarter-finals of the Cazoo World Championship for the 17th time in his career.
