Results came thick and fast yesterday as the end of the first round is near. Indeed only two first round matches are still unfinished whilst two second round matches will start today. Also there will be no morning session today as the tables will be recovered which means that the four players whose first round match is still underway will face conditions that may be significantly different from what they experienced during their first session.

Here are WST reports on the matches that finished yesterday

Kyren Wilson 10-1 Dominic Dale

WILSON TIPPED FOR TITLE AFTER CRUSHING DALE

Kyren Wilson scored the biggest first round win at the Cazoo World Championship in three years, beating Dominic Dale 10-1 before being tipped as a title contender by his opponent.

With the most emphatic first round Crucible scoreline since Mark Selby beat Kurt Maflin 10-1 in 2021, Wilson played the best snooker of this year’s Championship so far as he strolled into a second round tie with Joe O’Connor. World number 12 Wilson made a century and eight more breaks over 50 as he reached the last 16 for the ninth consecutive year. Runner-up in 2020, the Kettering cueman has appeared in the semi-finals on two other occasions.

Dale said: “Kyren’s game is in wonderful shape, I witnessed it from my chair and his focus and attention to detail never wavered. He is a contender for the title because he’s playing fantastic snooker.”

Wilson is yet to reach a ranking final this season, but looked in fine fettle as he ratted in breaks of 52, 75, 123, 96, 50, 77 and 73 in taking an 8-1 lead in the first session. He made a 65 in the opening frame this morning to extend his lead. In frame 11 he was on target for a 147 which would have made him the first player to score Crucible maximums in back-to-back years, but the last few reds were awkwardly placed and he missed the 12th on 88.

“It was strange coming back at 8-1 but I tried to keep doing all the right things in terms of what time I got up this morning and making sure I practised before the session,” said 32-year-old Wilson, who won the last of his five ranking titles at the 2022 European Masters. “I scored heavily throughout the match and that is an asset for me. Even though I haven’t had the results I wanted this season, my scoring stats are still good (only Judd Trump has made more centuries).

“Some players are suited to the Crucible environment and I would like to think I’m in that mould. If I continue like that then someone will have to play very well to stop me. Joe O’Connor will be a very tough test, I wasn’t that surprised when he beat Mark Selby because I know how good he is. He is also well suited to the Crucible, he has an all-round game and doesn’t get fazed easily.”

At 52, Dale was the oldest player to compete at the Crucible since Steve Davis in 2010. Determined to enjoy the occasion and an extra few minutes on the famous stage, before the session started the charismatic Welshman took the microphone from MC Rob Walker to address the crowd, and spoke German phrases to a group of fans from Vienna he had met in his hotel. 

“I just feel lucky to have played here again at my age,” said Dale. “Who knows whether I will get back here? I hope so, I’ll be trying next season. I hadn’t played here for ten years and I was battling the occasion because it’s so different to other venues. I never settled into the match, even when I made a century in the fourth frame. I was a fish out of water and Kyren annihilated me. In a way I would rather lose 10-1 than 10-9 on the black, because I was never in it.” 

I can’t comment as i didn’t watch any of it.

Jack Lisowski 10-9 Ding Junhui

LISOWSKI BEATS DING IN CRUCIBLE THRILLER

Ding Junhui became the seventh seed to lose in the first round of the Cazoo World Championship as Jack Lisowski scored a dramatic 10-9 victory to reach the last 16 for the fourth year in a row. 

Lisowski is appearing at the Theatre of Dreams as a qualifier for the first time since 2018, after a disappointing season saw him drop out of the world’s top 16.

The supremely talented Gloucester cueman has admitted to taking his focus away from the baize in recent months to enjoy himself. However, he believes that has been a necessary step to reinvigorate his enthusiasm for the sport.

Today’s clash with Ding had looked to be slipping away from Lisowski when he was dragged into a deciding frame. The 32-year-old spurned a blue to middle when leading 9-7 and Ding pounced to pull within one. The Chinese number one followed that up with a stunning 131 in the 18th to make it 9-9.

The final frame saw Lisowski fire in two stunning long range reds to power his way to victory. The first saw him gain a foothold with a run of 38, which was ended after he snookered himself behind a red. He retained his composure from that setback to crack in another red from distance and blast over the line with a further run of 46.

It was another thrilling climax for a drama laden opening round at the Crucible, which has now already seen four deciding frames.

Defeat for Ding means he has exited the World Championship in the first round in each of the last four years. The 14-time ranking event winner has only won four matches at the Crucible since making the semi-finals in 2017.

Lisowski will be relieved to have converted his winning position this morning. He came into the session 5-4 up and crafted breaks of 52, 63 and 72 on the way to his 9-7 lead. After wrapping up a pulsating victory, Lisowski can now look forward to a second round clash with 2015 World Champion Stuart Bingham.

“It was an amazing game. He is such a great player. I had to be so on it just to stick with him. To finish it off the way I did was a very special feeling. It proves a lot to myself that my game is in great shape and that I can do it when it really matters.”

Jack Lisowski

Six-time Ranking Event Finalist

Lisowski added: “The blue was a tough shot. If I lost, I would probably have looked back on it and thought it was my chance. I made sure it wasn’t like that and took my chances in the last frame. I think I really stepped up. 

“It is the way I play. If I get negative and keep playing safeties, it isn’t going to work against anyone. It is tough to do, but I hit two really sweet long shots in the last frame. I played some good positional shots as well and it was a fantastic feeling making the breaks. 

“Stuart is the first player I ever beat on TV and the first player I ever beat here. I have good memories against him, but he is a fantastic player and a former World Champion. I am going to have to keep up the good stuff and he is going to make it really tough for me. It is the World Championship, I’m enjoying my snooker and being here. I’m really looking forward to the match.”

This was indeed a fantastic match played in great spirit by two attacking players giving it all. It was fast, attacking, high quality, very entertaining and enthralling. Thank you Jack and Ding.

Ryan Day 10-8 Barry Hawkins

CRUCIBLE RECORD EQUALLED AS HAWK FALLS

Ryan Day came from 8-5 down to beat Barry Hawkins 10-8 in the opening round of the Cazoo World Championship, a result which means that the record for the most seeded players falling at the first hurdle has been equalled.

Back in 1980, eight seeds lost their opening match, and that tally was matched in 1992, 2012 and now in 2024. And the record could yet be broken, with John Higgins just 5-4 ahead of Jamie Jones overnight, while Ronnie O’Sullivan leads Jackson Page 8-1. Defeat for either Higgins or O’Sullivan would bring the total of top-16 ranked players knocked out to nine. 

If world number one O’Sullivan gets through, he will meet Welshman Day, who is into the last 16 for the sixth time in his career. The 44-year-old hadn’t won a match at the Crucible since 2014, but finished strongly tonight as world number 15 Hawkins lost his way. Day has rarely played at his best since winning the British Open at the start of last season, but showed his battling qualities in a 10-9 win over Scott Donaldson in the final qualifying round, and again to knock out 2012 finalist Hawkins.

Momentum shift was the theme of the contest as Day took four frames in a row to lead 5-2, Hawkins won six on the spin to go 8-5 ahead, only for Day to win the last five. For Londoner Hawkins, it’s a painful end to a season which began so brightly with victory at the European Masters.

Hawkins took the first four frames today with top breaks of 92, 50 and 59 to lead 8-5. After the interval, Day hit back with 78 and 62 to close to 8-7. In frame 16, Hawkins led 33-15 when he ran out of position, and he later made a safety error which gifted Day the chance to make 68 to square the tie.

In a dramatic finish to frame 17, Hawkins trailed 39-37 when he failed to pot the final green to a top corner, then both players missed the same ball to the same pocket again. Eventually, Day converted a tremendous long pot with deep screw, gaining position on the brown which allowed him to clear for 9-8.  Early in the 18th, trailing 15-0, Hawkins played another weak safety, and Day’s mid-range red set him up for a match-winning 61.

“It has been a long time since I won a match here,” said three-time quarter-finalist Day, who is working with coach Chris Henry. “At 8-5 I wasn’t in the game, but the interval changed things. I think so many seeds have gone out because the standard is so good all the way through the top 50 and this was probably the strongest set of qualifiers ever, even though Neil Robertson didn’t make it. 

“If I play Ronnie next it will be a mountain to climb. I’ll go home for a couple of days now and hopefully be ready for it. His longevity is off the charts – to see how well he is playing at 48 gives me hope that I have a few more years left. My job will be just to focus on what I can control. I can’t wait to have a crack at him.“

Hawkins said: “I made too many mistakes, we both missed a lot of easy balls. I had the momentum at 8-5 but then lost confidence, and fair play to Ryan because he stood up. It’s a frustrating way for the season to end. The qualifiers are sharp and not scared of anything – most of them are good enough to be in the top 16.”

Ryan Day is a fantastic player. I have seen him play in exhibitions and he’s absolutely mesmerising to watch when in full flow. It’s the mental side of the game he’s often been struggling with and Chris Henry is probably the best coach a player like him can wish for.

Mark Allen 10-6 Robbie Williams

ALLEN RELIEVED TO JUMP FIRST HURDLE

Mark Allen, the highest ranked player in the field yet to win the title, fended off a late rally from Robbie Williams to win 10-6 in the first round of the Cazoo World Championship.

World number three Allen has been a prolific winner on the tour over the past two years and is on target to take over as world number one at the end of this season. By his own high standards, the Northern Irishman’s record at the Crucible is disappointing – his run to the semi-finals last year, where he lost narrowly 17-15 to Mark Selby, was only his second appearance in the one table set up. 

Allen is fiercely determined to lift snooker’s most famous trophy – which would complete the Triple Crown as he has already won the UK Championship and the Masters. Making his 18th consecutive appearance at the Crucible, he is through to the second round for the 13th time and will face Jamie Jones or John Higgins next.

The 38-year-old, who has won three titles this season, was far from his best against Williams but did enough to avoid becoming the eighth seeded player to fall at the first hurdle. Breaks of 70 and 80 helped him build a 7-2 lead in Tuesday’s first session. World number 45 Williams, the lowest ranked player in the field, took the first frame today with a run of 77 and added the next for 7-4. 

Allen took frame 12 then won a 49-minute 13th on the colours. After the interval, Williams continued to battle, making breaks of 53 and 86 to close to 9-6. But Allen eventually got the job done in the 16th with his highest break of the match, 114.

“You have to get this first match out of the way before you can settle into the tournament,” said the Pistol. “I played well yesterday and felt in control. My safety was good and I was getting the better of those battles. But today I made some mistakes and took my foot off the gas at 9-4. When it went 9-6 it was ‘game on’ because Robbie has beaten me 4-0 before. I had to switch back on and it was good to make a century to finish the match. 

“I have been winning a lot of matches this season though I am not as confident as I want to be in my own game. Last year I got to the semi-finals and ran Mark Selby close despite being nowhere near my best. So I know I just have to hang in there and get the most out of my bad sessions.

“I would love to play John Higgins next because it would be great to be out there against one of the all time greats. I have played him five times already this season and I always enjoy it.“

I can’t comment on this match as I saw nothing of it …

As for Ronnie, he played his first session yesterday and is currently 8-1 up on Jackson Page. Ronnie played well but not outstandingly well. He didn’t need to. Jackson may have won just one frame but he won it in style with a wonderful 142, the highest break of the match so far. The match isn’t won yet, but it would take something really extraordinary¹ for Ronnie to lose it as Jackson need to win the second session by 9-1 or better…

There were some very interesting announcements during Barry Hearn customary² press conference

1. and unfortunate… ↩︎
2. Barry Hearn used to give a press conference, mainly about “announcements” every year on the first Thursday at the Crucible. It was the same this year. Theoretically he’s retired but from what we see and hear when it comes to snooker, actually, he’s still the boss ↩︎

Yesterday, Mark Williams became the sixth seed to bow out in the first round at this year World Championship. From the ten matches played to a conclusion so far, only four have been won by the seeded player. It shows how high the level is now, certainly amongst those ranked in the top 50. And it could have been worse for the seeds as Robert Milkins narrowly avoided the same fate as he beat Pang Junxu in the deciding frame of a match that may live long in the memories … as one of the worst even played at the Crucible. As I put it on X/Twitter yesterday evening, it was surrealistically bad. I’m not going to go as far as saying it was as terrible as the hubby and me having a knock in a club¹ but it was about the worse I have seen professionals play.

Anyway … here are the reports by WST …

Si Jiahui 10-9 Mark Williams

SI SHINES AGAIN ON CRUCIBLE STAGE

Last year’s surprise package Si Jiahui revelled on the Crucible stage again, beating three-time winner Mark Williams 10-9 with a fantastic break in the deciding frame of a 10-9 victory in the opening round of the Cazoo World Championship.

On his debut in 2023, Si beat Shaun Murphy 10-9 in the first round and went on to reach the semi-finals before a narrow 17-15 reverse against Luca Brecel. Recognised as one of snooker’s most exciting young prospects, the 21-year-old from China clearly has the talent to win titles and, after the match, was tipped by Williams as a future Crucible king. World number 23 Si will face Jak Jones in the second round.

In the first half of the current season, Si struggled to live up to the promise he showed here last year, but in February he enjoyed a run to the final of the German Masters where he was runner-up to Judd Trump. He almost missed out on the Crucible as he trailed Ben Mertens 9-7 in his first qualifying match but fought back to win 10-9, then saw off Wu Yize 10-4 on Judgement Day and is now inspired by the atmosphere at the Theatre of Dreams.

World number six Williams played some of his best snooker of recent years at the recent Tour Championship, beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final, but the 49-year-old becomes the sixth seeded player to fall in the first round, joining Luca Brecel, Mark Selby, Ali Carter, Gary Wilson and Zhang Anda.

Leading 5-4 overnight, Williams had a chance to take the first frame today but missed a tough pot on the last red to a baulk corner when he trailed 34-52, handing Si the chance to square the match. It was a similar story in frame 11 as Williams had the balls at his mercy but, down 35-67, his attempted pot on the last red to a centre pocket hit the far jaw. Again Si took advantage to go ahead at 6-5, and a break of 61 in the next doubled his lead.

In the 13th, Si compiled a run of 67, then Williams had a chance to clear but failed to pot the penultimate red to a centre pocket, and in jest the Welshman offered his cue to a fan in the crowd as another frame slipped away. After the interval, Williams dominated two frames to close to 8-7, but in the 16th he made a safety error when trailing 33-4, leaving a red over a corner pocket which allowed Si to make 48 and go two up with three to play.

In frame 17, Si led 39-14 when he missed the pink to a centre pocket. Williams made 36 before playing safe, and he later converted a superb long pot on the last red which created the chance to close to 9-8, then runs of 38 and 51 in the next set up the decider. Welshman Williams went for a tough red to centre and it hit the far jaw, and that proved his last shot as Si compiled a tremendous match-winning 77 which included several difficult pots to keep the break going.

Si, who is based in Sheffield, said: “Mark missed a few chances and I went 8-5 ahead. Towards the end I wasn’t as calm. I always felt like the challenger, trying to take him down. I’m very happy to beat such a difficult opponent. I have no target at this tournament and I am trying not to feel any pressure, I’m just focussing on each shot. I know there is more attention on me this year, more people watching me and I don’t want to let them down.“

Williams said: “I didn’t play well until I came from 9-7 to 9-9. I missed a tricky one to the middle and he made one of the best breaks I have ever seen under pressure. He is a future World Champion, no question, he has the potential.“

…

SI’S BRILLIANT BREAK IN DECIDER

Robert Milkins 10-9 Pang Junxu

MILKINS JOY AT ‘MASSIVE’ WIN OVER PANG

Robert Milkins admitted he was “fighting demons” during a tense battle against Pang Junxu at the Cazoo World Championship, but he was elated to come through 10-9 to reach the second round.

In the third match of the opening round to go to a deciding frame, Milkins got the better of the closing exchanges, punching the air in delight and relief as the last balls went down. Often plagued by negative thinking, Milkins described the match as “horrendous” but managed to control his emotions at the key moments. 

He’s through to the second round at the Crucible for the fifth time and victory over David Gilbert would give the likeable 48-year-old a first quarter-final. It’s the second consecutive year in which he has won his opening match at the Crucible 10-9, having beaten Joe Perry by the same score in 2023 before losing to Si Jiahui. 

Gloucester’s Milkins enjoyed his best season in 2022/23, winning the Welsh Open and climbing into the top 16. This season has been tougher – he is yet to reach a ranking event quarter-final – but tonight’s result ensures that he will finish the campaign on a high and the £30,000 towards his ranking significantly boosts his chances of keeping his top 16 status.

In a tight concluding session, there was never more than one frame between the pair. Milkins took the first two of the evening to lead 6-5, before China’s 24-year-old Pang responded to edge 7-6 ahead. The next two were shared, then in frame 16, Pang might have gone 9-7 up had he not missed a difficult pot on the penultimate red along a side cushion when he led 49-37, letting Milkins in for an excellent 36 clearance for 8-8. Pang led 50-0 in the next when a power shot on the blue to a centre pocket failed to drop, but Milkins’ counter reached just 9 before he wobbled the pink in the jaws of a top corner, before banging his cue on the floor in frustration as his opponent took advantage to edge ahead.

Back came Milkins with a fine run of 76 for 9-9. In a nervy decider, Pang made 23 before missing a tough red, then Milkins replied with 49 before running out of position. A safety battle was resolved when Milkins clipped a thin cut on the penultimate red into a centre pocket, setting him up for a match-winning 16.

“It’s a massive win, it’s £30,000 or nothing on my ranking, which is such a big difference,” said Milkins. “I have had such a bad season but I could still rescue it here. It’s not as big as winning the Welsh Open, but these are huge games. The top players can cruise through the first round, but for the rest of us it’s hard work, especially because there were so many good players coming through the qualifiers.

“I was fighting demons out there. I played so badly, we were like two amateurs in a club. That’s not disrespectful to Pang because he would say the same. My game has been good in practice but the pressure got to me tonight, it was horrendous. It was only from 9-8 down that I played ok, because I had basically given up and felt I couldn’t play any worse. I was more nervous at 0-0 than I was at 9-9. I’m just chuffed to bits.

“Dave Gilbert is a lovely cueist, I suppose most people will think it’s a 50-50 game. I didn’t look at the draw before because I only wanted to win my first match. When I get home I’ll get into bed, get my phone out and look at the draw and the rankings – I only look at them when I win!“

Early in the second session, Robert Milkins miscued horribly, sending the white jumping over the black he was intending to play. This incident appeared to affect both players. Rob was fidgeting with his tip a lot, using the sandpaper on it on multiple occasions, and his concentration when at the table was clearly affected. For some reason, the situation appeared to impact Pang’s concentration as well and his level dropped too.

Here is the end of the match, shared by ES on their YouTube channel:

Ronnie starts his 2024 Crucible campaign today. He was interviewed by Rob Walker ahead of his first match:

It’s a nice, positive interview and I’m hoping for a good match today and tomorrow.

1. I’m utterly useless and he’s not that much better
   ↩︎

The trend continued yesterday as two of the three matches played to a conclusion were won by the qualifier. the “score” is now seeds 4-5 qualifiers. Here are WST reports on those three matches:

Shaun Murphy 10-5 Lyu Haotian

Shaun Murphy scored his first Crucible win since 2021 with a 10-5 victory over Lyu Haotian in the opening round of the Cazoo World Championship, and is excited by the chance to renew a rivalry with Stephen Maguire which has stretched for more than three decades.

Few players enjoy the Sheffield stage more than 2005 champion Murphy and he was devastated to lose in the first round to Maguire in 2022 and Si Jiahui in 2023. So the world number eight was relieved to come through a tricky tie with China’s Lyu and earn a last 16 tie with Maguire, which starts on Friday.  

“I’ve known Stephen since we were ten years old, I was the English number one and he was Scottish number one,” smiled 41-year-old Murphy. “We’ve been knocking hell out of each other since we were kids and I’m sure this time will be no different.”

Murphy started the current season strongly by winning the Championship League then went off the boil, failing to reach another ranking event quarter-final. But the four-time finalist is often inspired by the Crucible atmosphere and showed glimpses of his best against Lyu, making a century and seven more breaks over 50.

Runs of 53, 71, 90 and 111 helped him to a 6-3 overnight lead, and he extended that to 8-3 this morning, taking the first frame on the colours and the second with a break of 60. In frame 12 he missed the final yellow when leading 59-36 and Lyu pounced to pull one back. Murphy’s break of 55 helped make it 9-4 at the interval.

Lyu showed his ability in frame 14 with a break of 117, becoming the 82nd player to make 100 career centuries. But Murphy, on his 22nd Crucible appearance, wrapped up the result in the next with an 81.

Murphy added: “It’s hard to keep coming back and trying and keeping the faith, especially having had a bad season. It’s like a love affair that keeps hurting you. So I’m over the moon to win a match after losing in the first round twice in a row. At 3-3 I felt I’d been the better player, but the scoreboard showed we were level. So I was really pleased to get 6-3 ahead and in patches today I played well.

“People overlook Stephen, they forget how good he is, maybe because he hasn’t won here or the Masters, and his UK Championship win was so long ago. Ronnie O’Sullivan tipped him to dominate the game, many moons ago. That hasn’t happened, but on his day he can trounce anyone into the floor, he can win any tournament. I just hope it’s not his day when I play him. We are very different people and different players, but that’s the tapestry of life and it’s what makes snooker so interesting. Our head to head is 14-14 so it’s a tight as it can be. I think it will be a cracker for the neutral.” 

…

MURPHY ELATED WITH FIRST ROUND WIN

Shaun played well and Lyu was seriously below the level we know he can produce. He looked flat and dispirited right from the start. Was it the environment getting at him? Was he tired? Was he ill? Or was it just a bad day in office? As he wasn’t interview we will never know. What we do know though is that Lyu has qualified for the Crucible phase of the World Championship four times. The first time was in 2018: he was the youngest qualifier that year and he reached the second round: he beat Marco Fu by 10-5 in the first round and that remains his only win at the Crucible.

Joe O’Connor 10-6 Mark Selby:

SELBY PONDERS RETIREMENT AFTER SHOCK O’CONNOR DEFEAT

Four-time Crucible king Mark Selby will take time over the summer to decide whether to quit the sport after a 10-6 defeat against Joe O’Connor in the first round of the Cazoo World Championship.

In the shock of the tournament so far, Crucible debutant O’Connor got the better of one of the sport’s all time greats, converting a 7-2 overnight lead into arguably the biggest win of his career. The world number 30, who practises with Selby in Leicester, goes through to the last 16 to face Kyren Wilson or Dominic Dale.

Selby won this event in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021 and was runner-up to Luca Brecel a year ago. For most of this season he has struggled with his game, failing to win a ranking title, and after losing to Gary Wilson at the recent Tour Championship he revealed that he would retire if his performance did not improve at the Crucible. After today’s defeat he described his display as “pathetic” but will not rush into a decision about his future. 

“I will sit down with (wife) Vikki and talk about the options,” said the 40-year-old. “I will definitely take a few weeks away from snooker now. For most of this season I have not enjoyed it, I have stopped myself from playing with freedom and that has done my head in. Snooker is affecting me mentally, and that’s not where I want to be. Happiness is more important. I have achieved a lot in the game, but I still can’t go out there and enjoy playing. If I do decide to carry on, then I will need to work with someone to address that.”

As for the match, Selby added: “I was pathetic from start to finish. The damage was done from 2-2 to 7-2, I was really poor and made it too easy for him. I knew he wouldn’t freeze, he’s not that type of character. Even though I have lost I am chuffed to bits for Joe, no one is prouder of him than me.“

O’Connor’s career highlights include beating John Higgins twice during his debut season in 2018/19 and reaching the Welsh Open semi-finals. He went one step further at the 2022 Scottish Open, finishing runner-up to Gary Wilson, and climbed into the world’s top 32. This season had been disappointing until the last and biggest tournament – this is his first run to the last 16 of a ranking event this term. The 28-year-old came through a brutal test in qualifying, beating Matthew Selt 10-8 by winning a 110-minute frame, the second longest in snooker history. And he now joins the list of players to knock out a seed on their Crucible debut. 

Breaks of 122, 67, 101, 74 and 61 helped O’Connor to take a 7-2 lead on Sunday. Selby took the opening frame today with a run of 112 then the next two were shared to leave O’Connor 8-4 ahead. In frame 13, O’Connor had first chance and led 31-0 when he ran out of position and played safe. Selby cracked in a long red and made 91 to boost his hopes of a fight-back.

After the interval, O’Connor’s 57 helped him dominate frame 14 as he moved to the brink of victory at 9-5. Selby pulled one back with a 67 but crucially missed the last red to a top corner when he trailed 39-42 in frame 16. After a brief safety exchange, O’Connor converted a long pot on the red to a baulk corner, and kept his composure to clear the table.

“Just to play Mark on my debut was unbelievable, and to win is a dream,” said O’Connor. “I have watched him since I started playing and he has always inspired me. I hope he doesn’t retire. 

“I enjoyed being out there, the crowd was amazing and I felt like I belonged there. There were no nerves until right at the end. Beating a top player gives you so much confidence and shows that all the hard work has paid off.”

…

This result – not the score but a win for Joe – doesn’t surprise me at all. In fact I expected it as soon as the draw was out. But Joe still had to perform out there and he did. All credit to him, it’s not easy. Mark Selby has not been well mentally for a quite a while. His wife illness has been – maybe still is – a major concern. Mark is very unlikely to read this lines but … Mark, don’t be so harsh on yourself. You’re going through difficult times, you tried your best. If you need an extended break from snooker, take it. Look after yourself, look after your family, look after your health (mental and physical, the two go together).

Stuart Bingham 10-5 Gary Wilson

SEEDS KEEP TUMBLING AS BINGHAM KNOCKS OUT WILSON

With eight matches complete at the Cazoo World Championship, five of the top 16 have already been eliminated, Gary Wilson the latest as he fell 10-5 to Stuart Bingham.

Bingham, champion in 2015, has slipped to 29th in the world, but fought his way through the qualifying rounds, beating Stuart Carrington 10-9 and Louis Heathcote 10-8, and has arrived at the Crucible on a wave of momentum. World number ten Wilson joins Luca Brecel, Mark Selby, Zhang Anda and Ali Carter in falling at the first hurdle. The record for the most seeds losing in the opening round is eight, set in 1980 and equalled in 1992 and 2012, and that record could be under threat in the coming days.

Basildon’s Bingham is making his 16th appearance in Sheffield and has enjoyed deep runs in recent years, reaching the semi-finals in 2021 and quarter-finals in 2022. The 47-year-old will be up against Ding Junhui or Jack Lisowski in the second round.

Though he led 6-3 at the end of the first session, Bingham may have been unsettled by a surprise miss on the black off its spot when he looked set to go 7-2 up. And when Wilson took the frst two frames of the evening session with excellent clearances of 86 and 57, Bingham must have feared that moment would come back to haunt him. 

But he took frame 12 to regain the initiative. In the 13th, Wilson was on 34 when he left a blue to centre just short of the pocket, gifting Bingham the chance to make 66 for 8-5. Another unforced error cost Wilson in the 14th as, on 24, he potted a red to a top corner but sent the cue ball into a centre pocket, and again Bingham took advantage with 55. Six-time ranking event winner Bingham dominated frame 15 to clinch the result.

“There weren’t many fireworks but when Gary missed chances I punished him,” said Bingham. “My game is still in there somewhere and I felt good at times.

“When I missed the black at the end of the first session, I was calling myself every name under the sun. I just got carried away, it was a good clearance up until that point and I was thinking I was going 7-2. Then in the evening when it went 6-5 I was wondering how it had turned around. But I stayed calm, kept going for my shots and managed to start winning frames again.“

Wilson, who has often spoken about his technical flaws, said: “All credit to Stuart because he deserved to win. I felt flat and my cueing was awful. This is the best tournament in the world but I wasn’t up for the battle and I felt embarrassed. I’m sick of putting myself through it because I know deep down I’m not playing well enough. I physically cannot push the cue through properly or hit shots the way I want to. 

“I have won two tournaments this season but I’ve done it by scraping through, playing ok at times but then struggling again. It’s not the way I want to win titles, I just want to show that I can be one of the best players. I might be doing well on the tour and making money, but I am putting myself through torture. I don’t think I will ever feel comfortable playing this game. I might just have to accept that and constantly sound miserable!“

It’s not surprising that Gary Wilson and Ronnie go along well. They are very similar in many ways. Ronnie will do exhibitions during the summer and it has been announced that Gary will be his partner/opponent for those. I expect that to work very well.

All results are available on snooker.org.

Four matches reached their conclusion at the Crucible yesterday and, as I expected, the qualifiers of the “class of 2024” are proving to be very strong. Hereafter are WST reports on the four matches that finished yesterday.

Jak Jones 10-4 Zhang Anda

QUALIFIER JONES FLOORS ZHANG

Jak Jones continued to build his reputation as a Crucible specialist as he beat Zhang Anda 10-4 in the opening round of the Cazoo World Championship.

Welshman Jones was hugely impressive on his debut last year, knocking out Ali Carter and Neil Robertson before losing narrowly to Mark Allen in the quarter-finals. The 30-year-old’s calm temperament makes him well suited to snooker’s biggest tournament and again he handled the occasion with composure, outplaying Zhang as he booked a second round meeting with Mark Williams or Si Jiahui.

China’s Zhang has been one of the season’s star players, winning his first ranking title at the International Championship and reaching two other finals, but his form has dipped in recent weeks. Appearing at the Crucible as a top 16 seed for the first time, the world number 11 managed just one break over 50.

Jones built a 5-2 lead in Saturday’s opening session with top breaks of 55, 75 and 58. He dominated the opening frame today to extend his advantage, then got the better of an exchange on the colours in frame nine, potting blue and pink for 7-2. Zhang took the tenth but crucially lost the next on the colours again, Jones converting excellent pots on yellow, green and brown. He added the 12th with runs of 47 and 29 for 9-3.

A break of 95, his only highlight of the day, allowed Zhang to add one more to his tally, before Jones wrapped up the tie with 36 and 35 in frame 14.

JAK’S BACK!

“It wasn’t a pretty match, but it feels good to win,” said world number 44 Jones, who beat Jamie Clarke and Zhou Yuelong in the qualifying rounds. “Zhang was the seed but he hadn’t played here for a few years so it was tough for him too. We were both nervous and when you miss balls it gets on top of you. I wasn’t killing off frames in one visit, I played some careless shots. So I need to improve that. The table is fast and reactive which takes time to get used to. I like the longer matches because it gives you time to settle down.“

As for his last 16 tie, Jones added: “Mark Williams is one of the best players ever, and Si was brilliant here last year. So either way it will be very tough.”

This result doesn’t surprise me at all, the signs were there for all to see during the qualifying rounds. Jak is a very, very good player and strong mentally. I still remember him playing in the Pink Ribbon at Paul Mount’s SWSA. He was a very young pro then, barely more than a kid. He was well supported by his family, a “big” family¹ that wasn’t particularly well off but took huge pride in Jak’s achievements. He wore a charming dark blue waistcoat – what we call “bleu nuit” in french – adorned with bright yellow little stars… but there was nothing charming about him for his opponents. Young Jak was hard as nails on the table even then.

Judd Trump 10-4 Hossein Vafaei

Judd Trump launched his quest to double his tally of Crucible crowns as he came through a tough test in the opening round of the Cazoo World Championship, beating Hossein Vafaei 10-4.

Trump was at a low ebb this time last year when he lost to Anthony McGill in the first round, having failed to win a ranking event all season. But in 2023/24 his fortunes have been transformed, landing a bumper haul of five ranking titles as well as reaching three more finals. He has rivalled Ronnie O’Sullivan as player of the season, and the pair are rated favourites for the £500,000 top prize in Sheffield.

Bristol’s world number two Trump won his only Crucible title in 2019 and is looking to join the elite group of six players to lift the trophy more than once at the Theatre of Dreams. World number 19 Vafaei could have been a difficult early test. But 34-year-old Trump, while not at his best, was on top from the early stages and never looked back. 

He led 6-3 after the first session, making breaks of 63, 66, 72, 56 and 77. Vafaei took the first frame today before Trump dominated the next two for 8-4.

In frame 13, Vafaei trailed 57-0 then had a chance to clear, but failed to pot the penultimate red to a top corner, playing left-handed rather than using the rest. Trump punished him to go five up with six to play, and he could have wrapped up the tie in the 14th, but failed to gain position on the final pink. Vafaei took pink and black for 9-5, but there was no spark of a fight-back as Trump’s 43 helped him win frame 15.

“It was a tough draw though I have always played well against Hossein and I enjoy playing him,” said Trump, who will face Tom Ford or Ricky Walden next. “I made some good clearances in the first session and that helped put the match to bed. I didn’t want to go out in the first round two years in a row.

“I have come here with a lot of confidence, after such a good season. It’s nice to feel part of the tournament now and I can get excited about the second round. I can watch everyone else stress out, I love this event and I’ll watch a lot of matches on TV. 

“I haven’t decided yet whether to go back to Bristol before my next game, I will speak to my brother and we will decide. In a way it’s nice to be around Sheffield and to feel the buzz in the city.”

Meanwhile, Shaun Murphy pulled away from 3-3 to take a 6-3 advantage over Lyu Haotian. Murphy fired breaks of 53, 71, 90 and 111. 

JUDD’S JOY WITH OPENING WIN

In many ways, Vafaei was the ideal first round opponent for Trump. He plays a very open game which means that he’s bound to give his opponents opportunities. The heavy scorers in the game – like Trump or Ronnie – will take advantage more often than not. And Trump will have another very gettable match as he will face Tom Ford next, another opponent whose style rather suits him.

Tom Ford 10-6 Ricky Walden

FORD MOTORS TO MAIDEN CRUCIBLE MATCH WIN

At the fifth time of asking, Tom Ford is a match winner in the final stages of the Cazoo World Championship, after defeating former semi-finalist Ricky Walden 10-6 in their opening round encounter. 

The Leicester cueman is appearing at the Crucible as a seed for the first time, after a career best season has seen him rise to 14th in the world, his highest ever ranking. 

Ford made the International Championship final earlier this season. He scored wins over the likes of Mark Selby and Barry Hawkins on his way to the most significant of his three career finals thus far. However, Zhang Anda denied Ford a maiden ranking title.  

The omens bode well for 40-year-old Ford. Just 12 months ago Luca Brecel claimed his first ever match win at the Crucible, on this occasion at the sixth time of asking. He went on to sensationally capture a maiden World Championship title. 

Defeat ends another disappointing Crucible campaign for Walden, who has only won three matches on snooker’s biggest stage since making the last four in 2013. 

The pair came into this evening with Ford holding a commanding 6-3 advantage. He quickly extended that lead in the opening frame, with a break of 85 to move four clear. 

At that point, Walden responded with runs of 56 and 80 as he reduced his arrears to 7-5.  However, the last frame before the mid-session went the way of Ford as he halted his opponent’s momentum to go 8-5 ahead. 

When play resumed a break of 82 placed Ford just a frame from victory. Although Walden clinched the 15th to extend the match, a pair of 54 breaks from Ford in the next were enough to give him his first ever victory at the Theatre of Dreams. 

Next up he faces world number two Judd Trump, who he’s played twice before at the Crucible. Both encounters were closely contested, but went the way of Trump by a 10-8 scoreline. 

“I’m just over the moon to get that first win. I felt a lot calmer and more relaxed this time. Coming to the media day before the event helped, just getting the vibe of the place and the atmosphere. I’ve not put all that pressure on myself in the qualifiers and put myself through it. I think that has shown.”

Tom Ford

World Number 14

Ford added: “I’ve only just won my first ever game at the Crucible. So I’m not going to sit here and say I’m starting to look at the trophy, because I’m not. The only thing I’m looking at is trying to get past Judd Trump in the second round.

“I’ve learned how to deal with difficult situations and get on with it. When things go wrong I come back to the table and feel confident. I think that has shown over the last two years.

“I feel stronger mentally than when I last played Judd at the Crucible. I’ve always struggled with the mental side of the game. I’d miss a few and beat myself up a bit. It is going to be a tough game, but I feel stronger so hopefully it can be different this time.”

Tom indeed looks much stronger mentally than he used to be. Will it be enough to get the better of Judd Trump? I’m not sure. I can’t really comment on the match as I didn’t watch much of that one at all but I feel sorry for Ricky whose career has been ruined by back injuries. This is nothing against Tom at all, it’s just that I like Ricky. He’s the first player I got to known personally when he came to play a pro-am in Belgium some 15 years ago. His then manager, Lee Gorton, is the one who introduced me on the circuit and he also organised the first PTC in Belgium, the 2010 EPTC2 in Bruges.

Stephen Maguire 10-7 Ali Carter

TRIUMPHANT RETURN FOR FIRED-UP MAGUIRE

After missing out on the Crucible last year, Stephen Maguire enjoyed the adrenaline buzz of being back on the main stage during a 10-7 victory over Ali Carter in the first round of the Cazoo World Championship.

The Scot was ever-present at the Crucible from 2004 to 2022, then failed to make it last year having dropped out of the top 16. This time the world number 28 negotiated the qualifying rounds to make it back to the Theatre of Dreams. “There were a couple of frames yesterday when I felt a bit flat, so I smashed the table and felt better,” said Maguire. “I’d rather go out fighting. Otherwise I felt the adrenaline flowing all the way through the match. I enjoyed being back here.“

With semi-final appearances in 2007 and 2012 as well as five other runs to the quarter-finals, six-time ranking event winner Maguire has plenty of experience and will be a dangerous opponent if he builds up a head of stream. His next match will be against old adversary Shaun Murphy if the 2005 champion can convert a 6-3 lead over Lyu Haotian into a second round berth.

World number nine Carter becomes the third seed to be knocked out on the opening weekend, joining Luca Brecel and Zhang Anda, and another could fall on Monday with Mark Selby 7-2 down against Joe O’Connor.

Maguire trailed 5-4 overnight but took the opening frame today with a tremendous colours clearance, converting a series of difficult pots. Carter recovered to lead 7-6 at the interval but Maguire then grew stronger and dominated the last four frames with top breaks of 55 and 80.

“It was a tough match, I felt I had to take balls on because Ali’s safety is better than mine,” added 43-year-old Maguire. “I got away with a few and fluked a few. Sometimes if you are the aggressor things can happen – you don’t often fluke balls when you play safe. The clearance I made in the first frame today was one in a hundred and that got me off and running. 

“If I play Shaun in the next round it should be a great game, we both go for everything so it should be very open and I enjoy going toe to toe in matches like that.”  

Carter said: “I didn’t play well and didn’t get the rub of the ball. He had four lashes at long balls, missed them by a mile and left me with nothing. But he played well, he was a very tough draw because he has got his mojo back. We both wanted to win badly. 

“It’s a disappointing end to a good season. I’m 45 and maybe this event takes too much out of me now. I had a lot of pressure and expectation. Not ranking or financial pressure, but I felt I had a good chance this year and so maybe I expected too much of myself.“

MAGUIRE – GREAT TO BE BACK

Now there’s a result that pleased me! I’m no fan of Carter and I really like Maguire, an “emotional” type of player, full of passion, one who always says it how he sees and feels it, a player who attacks the table. And one who – involuntarily – was at the heart of one of the most surrealistic moments I lived at the Crucible. It was in 2013. Dechawat Poomjaeng had just beaten Maguire by 10-9 in the first round. That was a match where Poomy had ran the show, jumping – literally – around the table, applauding his own good shots, laughing … The crowd was amused but his opponent wasn’t, that’s for sure. A defeated Maguire entered the media room, slumped rather than sat on the “interview” chair, leaned towards the media over a table that was literally covered with mikes and recorders as every “media” person – there must have been at least 30 of us there – was eagerly awaiting his reaction, half covered his mouth and whispered in a conspirator’s tone … “Between us … he’s not the full shilling…”. There was nothing nasty about the whole thing, he was just devastated, completely nonplussed and utterly confused at what he had gone through during this match, without a clue how to handle it. But the “between us” addressing an absolutely packed media room … it was hilarious.

Five matches were played to a conclusion so far and its 3-2 in wins for the qualifiers…

All the detailed results are on snooker.org

1. If I remember correctly Jak has six or seven siblings… ↩︎

As always at the Crucible, the defending champion was in action in the opening session of the tournament and his match was played to a conclusion in the evening. Luca Brecel started brilliantly, winning the first two frames in one counting visit, with big breaks and yet, he bowed out in the evening…

Here is the report by WST:

CRUCIBLE CURSE STRIKES AGAIN

Luca Brecel let slip a 9-6 lead as he crashed out in the opening round of the Cazoo World Championship, losing 10-9 to David Gilbert to become the latest victim of the famed Crucible Curse.

A year ago, Brecel produced one of the all-time great Crucible campaigns, beating the likes of Mark Williams, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby with a unique style of play. But throughout this season the Belgian, a private person who prefers to avoid the spotlight, has struggled with the added burden of being World Champion. And tonight, suffering from illness and fatigue, he made mistakes at crucial moments – notably in frame 18 as he missed a straight-forward green when the chance to win 10-8 beckoned. He becomes the 19th first-time Crucible champion to fail to defend the title the following year, and the seventh to go out in the opening round.

FIRST TIME CHAMPIONS TO LOSE THEIR OPENING MATCH THE FOLLOWING YEAR

Terry Griffiths 1980
Steve Davis 1982
Dennis Taylor 1986
Graeme Dott 2007
Neil Robertson 2011
Stuart Bingham 2016
Luca Brecel 2024

There have been a few highlights for Brecel this season – he was runner-up at the Shanghai Masters and Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker, and partnered Reanne Evans to victory at the World Mixed Doubles. But he hasn’t appeared in the semi-finals of a single ranking event and will finish 2023/24 outside the top 40 of the one-year list. Brecel at least has the chance to take time off, regain health and fitness, and come back next season with less attention and expectation. 

While Brecel was far from his best tonight, all credit should go to Gilbert, who rose to the occasion, particularly in the closing stages as he took the last four frames with a series of excellent breaks. A semi-finalist in 2019, the world number 31 from Tamworth looked sharp in the qualifying rounds and continued that momentum to score one of his best ever results. The 42-year-old can look forward to a last-16 meeting with Robert Mikins or Pang Junxu on Thursday or Friday.

Brecel led 6-3 after the first session, firing breaks of 134 and 104, and took the first frame tonight on the final black. Gilbert pulled one back then the 12th also came down to the black, and a weak safety from Brecel gifted his opponent the chance to close to 7-5. Gilbert missed a tricky red to a top corner when he led 30-8 in frame 13, and Brecel’s 58 restored his three frame advantage, then the 14th came down to the last red and a cracking long pot set Gilbert up to narrow the gap at 8-6.

Trapped in a snooker at the start of frame 15, Brecel smashed into the pack and fluked a red to a centre pocket, taking advantage with a break of 85. Gilbert came from 55-1 down to snatch the next with a superb 65 clearance, then made an 81 for 9-8. In the 18th, Brecel was just a few pots from victory when he missed the green to a baulk corner at 51-6, and again Gilbert punished him with 53 to set up the decider.

Snookering his opponent behind the green, Gilbert earned a scoring opportunity and made 65 before missing a red to a top corner. Brecel couldn’t create a chance to counter, and when Gilbert potted one more red the handshake followed.

“I was really tired tonight,” admitted Brecel, who has suffered from a throat infection for several weeks. “I played well in patches but never really settled. I couldn’t try any harder. Everyone gets ill sometimes and that’s not an excuse because Dave played really well and deserved to win. I am happy for him, he’s a lovely guy and I hope he goes a long way. I need to work on my fitness now, try to get back in shape.”

Gilbert said: “It’s a brilliant win for me. At 9-6 I was out, then Luca messed up and I found some momentum, a better pace. I just wanted to attack after that. At 8-5 I was chucking apples and bananas around the dressing room. But I wanted to be out there, so that bit of anger helped me. A couple of months ago I would given up early in the match because a few things went against me. But I accepted it today and enjoyed being out there, enjoyed the challenge of the Crucible because it’s a special place.

“I felt good all day, but it took me until the last few frames to find the right rhythm. I gave it a bit of a fist and wave to the crowd at the end because I was pumped up, I would never usually do that and I apologise to Luca.”

Gilbert credits his turn around in form to fellow player Andy Lee, who has been working with him in recent weeks. He added: “Andy came to see me a few weeks ago. We’ve played snooker and been in the gym and he has been telling me what to eat. I have practised more in the last four weeks than I had done in two years.“

GILBERT ELATED AFTER BEATING CHAMP

…

No matter how talented you are – and Luca is supremely talented – you can’t get away with not putting the work in for months in a row. I’m disappointed but not surprised at all. It was of course made even more difficult for Luca by the fact that he was ill. That is very unfortunate and I’m wishing him a prompt and complete recovery.

David Gilbert’s attitude was excellent which, to his own admission, has not always been the case during his career. I’m not sure what food Andy suggested for David but, clearly, it worked miracles! David is very very talented, and easy on the eye when in full flow. In my opinion, he has underachieved in his career so far¹ but it’s not too late!

Here is the end of the match:

1. But of course neither me nor other fans know what happens in those players’ private life …
   ↩︎

Here is WST report of the first of the two “Judgement Days” at the EIS in Sheffield:

RESURGENT LISOWSKI THROUGH TO CRUCIBLE

Jack Lisowski made amends for dropping out of the elite top 16 as he raced through the final qualifying round of the Cazoo World Championship, beating Matthew Stevens 10-3 to earn a place at the Crucible.

After a disappointing season by his standards, reaching just one ranking semi-final, Lisowski still has the chance to finish the campaign on a high as he has handled the pressure of Crucible qualifying with typical panache, winning his two matches for the loss of just seven frames, making six centuries. Breaks of 137, 76, 80, 59, 73, 100 and 77 helped him turn a potentially tough tie against Stevens into a cakewalk. 

Lisowski has been ever present at the Crucible since 2018 – reaching the quarter-finals in 2022 – and none of the 16 seeds will relish being pitted against the world number 17 when the draw is made on Thursday morning. 

“This is the best I have played all season, I have practised really hard for it and it’s a relief to get through,” said Lisowski. “It’s a ‘no win’ really because I was expected to get through and I could only lose. I have been to the Crucible for six years in a row and I want to do well this time.

“I feel sharper than I have done all season. I know Ding got to the final (in 2016) having come through the qualifiers. My plan was to turn a negative into a positive. I have two matches under my belt now. I nicked an important frame at the end of the first session today to go 6-3 instead of 5-4. When I got chances I was scoring and so was Matthew, it was a really good game.“

Veteran Dominic Dale is back at the Crucible after a ten-year absence thanks to a 10-8 victory over He Guoqiang. At 52, Dale is the oldest qualifier since Steve Davis in 2010. 

“I couldn’t dream at my age that I could play well enough to get to the Crucible,” admitted Dale, who has reached two ranking quarter-finals this season. “I am astonished. It has been so long since I played a match of that magnitude. My new girlfriend Anne has made a big difference to my life because her dad Jean, who lives in France, loves watching snooker on Eurosport. Before she met me, Anne wouldn’t have known what a snooker ball was but now she knows all about it. Between them they have convinced me to practise harder and I have done that this season, and had more focus in matches.“

Ricky Walden was never ahead of Mark Davis until he took a tense decider to win 10-9. “I’m not sure how I got through because I was second best all the way through but I stuck in there,” said Walden, a semi-finalist in 2013. “When the pressure is on it’s easy to roll over. But I kept rolling up my sleeves and trying. I am looking to get my game where I want it to me, the main thing for me is to go to the Crucible and play well.”

Stephen Maguire is back at the Crucible having missed out last year, and is now set for his 20th appearance at the Theatre of Dreams as he was ever-present from 2004 to 2022. The Glaswegian top scored with 106, 104 and 100 as he pulled away from 5-5 to beat Yuan Sijun 10-6.

Stuart Bingham, Crucible king in 2015, has been ever-present since 2011 and kept that run going with a 10-8 victory over Louis Heathcote. Bingham hadn’t won a knockout match in a ranking event in 2024 before heading to Sheffield, but came from 7-3 down to beat Stuart Carrington 10-9 then scored another gritty victory over Heathcote, firing runs of 60, 135 and 71 to take the last three frames.

Jak Jones reached the quarter-finals on his debut last year, and he booked his return with a 10-4 defeat of Zhou Yuelong, his top break 126.  Lyu Haotian will join the Chinese contingent at the Crucible thanks to a 10-7 success against Jenson Kendrick. Breaks of 121 and 117 helped Lyu to book a fourth appearance. Robbie Williams made an excellent break of 78 in the decider to beat Chris Wakelin 10-9. 

JUDGEMENT DAY HIGHLIGHTS

There is not much to add about the action. Judgement Days coverage on ES and social media is great, as you keep up with all matches, but you can’t really follow how a match unfolds.

He Guoqiang’s defeat means that Ben Mertens will now definitely get a new tour card through the one year list unless Jiang Jun reaches the semi-finals at the Crucible. It’s not impossible of course but it’s very unlikely and it would be the story of the decade for sure! This is the provisional “end of season” ranking list by snooker.org. As you can see, the lowest ranked player still competing in the 2024 World Championship, the last event of the season, other that Jiang Jun, is Scott Donaldson, provisionally ranked 51st, which means that whatever happens from now on for those players, will not impact those ranked below him.

I’m really sorry for Jason Kendrick. It was a colossal effort. It took him too long to make an impact on the main tour, maybe because of his private situation¹. He will have to go to Q-School if he wants to be a professional snooker players and I’m wishing him the best in his future endeavours, whatever that will be.

Today is the last day of the 2024 World championship Qualifiers. Five Chinese players will be in action, four of them young lads. The draw is such that at least two Chinese players will come through today. They will join Ding and Zhang Ada in the main draw, meaning that there will be at least four Chinese players at the Crucible this season.

1. Jenson is a “young” father. A new and first baby means happiness of course but also sleepless nights and additional responsibilities. ↩︎

Yesterday was the last of round 3 at the “Crucible qualifiers”. It’s always a tense day at the EIS, filled with joy for some, and heartbreaks for others. The report by WST – hereafter – focuses on the big/known names.

CRUCIBLE QUALIFYING DAY EIGHT: THUNDER STORMS TO JUDGEMENT DAY SLOT

Neil Robertson brushed Zak Surety aside 10-2 to reach the final round of Cazoo World Championship qualifying at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

The Australian has fallen down 24^th position in the world rankings this season, meaning he is having to qualify for the World Championship for the first time since 2006. Robertson is now one win away from reaching the Crucible for a 20^th consecutive year.

Despite the enormity of a player of Robertson’s calibre having to qualify, he showed complete reverence to the situation he found himself in today, putting on a ruthless display to ease over the line.

Robertson compiled runs of 74, 60, 103, 76, 134, 90 and 117 on his way to victory. He now faces Jamie Jones in the final round, after the Welshman defeated Alfie Burden 10-5. Despite the loss, Surety clings on to his position on tour via the one year list.

“I think the qualifiers really are to be respected. I didn’t come here thinking I would blitz the two games and qualify. Everyone wants to get to the Crucible. Stephen Maguire did an interview a few days ago saying how much it hurt him not qualifying last year. I don’t want to miss out either.”

Neil Robertson

2010 World Champion

Robertson added: “It doesn’t feel like qualifiers. Last time I had to qualify in Prestatyn in 2006, we had these blue cubicle walls blocking off everything. You couldn’t see any other table and you had a hand full of people watching. This is great and there are good crowds. It doesn’t feel any different to being at a venue.

“I am back to my best. Whether or not that is any good who knows. I need to try and find ways to improve and play in a way that puts my opponents in trouble more often. When I play my best I wipe the floor with most players but you don’t play your best in an isolated situation that often.”

Hossein Vafaei earned a Judgement Day berth for the third consecutive year with a 10-4 defeat of Marco Fu.

Vafaei made century breaks of 121 and 116 on his way to victory. He now faces Jiang Jun in the final round of qualifying. After today’s win he admitted to being emotional at the kind words from Fu at the conclusion of their game.

Vafaei said: “He gave me some advice and I nearly cried. I love Marco. He is in my heart and he is one of my heroes. I have to say in front of everyone, thank you for the advice you gave me. I love you so much.

“It is a massive day for everyone (the final round). Everyone wants to qualify but I have been passing that now. It isn’t as big for me. I just want to stay in the tournament for as long as I can. I want to produce a good game. I like to enjoy my snooker. If I perform like that then everyone is going to be easy!”

Noppon Saengkham fired in a stunning 147 during his 10-5 defeat of Andy Hicks. The break puts Thai number one Saengkham in line for a £25,000 payout.

Next up for Saengkham is Welshman Jackson Page, who scored a 10-5 win against 2006 World Champion Graeme Dott.

Noppon’s 147 was the second of his career and amusingly his 147th professional century.

The above report, as so often, focuses on the “known names” … yet yesterday a number of young players, most notably from outside the UK, gave it all and, IMO, deserve a mention other than “en passant”.

There was an extraordinary tense match between 21 years old Si Jiahui from China and 19 years old Ben Mertens from Belgium. The match was won in the 19th and deciding frame by Si. Ben had actually potted match ball in the previous frame: at 9-8 and 69-0 ahead with only 67 left. Si got a snooker to force the decider.

The 18 years old Jian Jung deserves more than being mentioned as Hossein Vafaei next opponent. The lad is in his first year as a pro and he will now play for a spot at the Crucible! Yesterday he beat Sam Craigie by 10-8, having beaten Fan Zhengyi by the same score in the previous round.

Wu Yize from is only 20 years old, in his third year as a pro. He’s already ranked 42. He will face Si Jiahui on “Judgement Days”. He beat the vastly experienced Tian Pengfei by 10-8 yesterday.

Pang Junxu, 24 years old, put an end to Oliver Brown’s stunt as a pro, for now at least, as beat him by 10-7 yesterday. He too will face another Chinese player on Judgements day … Cao Yupeng.

He Guoqiang, 23 years old, is another young Chinese player who does extremely well as a rookie: he will face Dominic Dale on Judgements Days. He beat Ross Muir and Antony McGill to get this far.

All results are on snooker.org.

The two young Belgians, Julien Leclercq and Ben Mertens, didn’t manage to get to the top 64 after two years on tour but both will get a new two years tour card via the one year list.

Corrigendum … Ben could still possibly be relegated but for that to happen, He Guoqiang needs to reach the last 16 at the Crucible. He would then push Lilley out of the top 64 and Lilley is ahead in the season list.

Worth mentioning as well is the fact that the four players rescued through “one year list” are now known: other than Julien and Ben, Oliver Lines and Zak Surety will get a fresh tour card via that route.

Finally … you can find how how to watch the last two days of the qualifiers here.

As for today … as much as I like Ricky Walden – and I really do like him – I would love to see “Dark Mavis” at the Crucible. A pro since 1991, 51 years old, a great servant of his sport … yes, that would be great!

Also, I’d love to see Jenson Kendrick win today. Again nothing at all against Lyu Haotian, but Jenson who nobody rated much during his two seasons on tour, has produced such a colossal effort to get this far, under the highest of pressure, knowing that he needs to get to the Crucible to stay on tour, that, yes, I’d love to see him succeed!