This is the report by WST on what happened yesterday at the 2025 ranking CLS played in Leicester:
Bingham And Slessor Dominate Groups
Stuart Bingham and Elliot Slessor both reeled off three wins out of three to reach the second phase of the BetVictor Championship League.
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They will be among the 32 round one group winners in stage two which starts on July 18th in Leicester.
Former World Champion Bingham started Group 11 with a 3-0 win over Halim Hussain, making breaks of 83 and 102. He went on to beat Hatem Yassen 3-0 with top runs of 85 and 84, and finished the day with a 3-1 success against Antoni Kowalski, who finished second in the group having won his first two matches.
Slessor opened Group 17 with a 3-1 defeat of Mark Lloyd with a top break of 95. He then saw off Oliver Brown 3-0 and wrapped up the day with a 3-1 victory over Stan Moody, highlighted by a run of 113.
Play resumes on Monday with defending champion Ali Carter and Gary Wilson among those in action.
I have to confess that I couldn’t muster much interest for the snooker on offer yesterday, especially with Wimbledon and the Tour de France1 in progress as well. The only player I wanted to watch yesterday is Antoni Kowalski who did rather well, which pleased me.
Marco Fu has been named as the inaugural WPBSA Players’ Player of the Month by his fellow players following the launch of the new monthly award this season.
Launched by WPBSA Players, the Players’ Player of the Month award recognises outstanding performance, as voted by fellow players. Its key aim is to honour excellence, consistency, and impact on the table, as recognised by those who understand the demands of the game best.
Each month throughout the 2025/26 season a shortlist will be compiled by an independent panel. The panel includes renowned snooker broadcasters David Hendon and Abigail Davies, sports journalist Phil Haigh and WPBSA Players Director Tian Pengfei.
Fab Fu Honoured for June
Hong Kong China’s Marco Fu was selected as the inaugural Players’ Player of the Month following his successful double qualification for the final stages of the both the Wuhan and British Open tournaments which included five century breaks in the 15-frames he played across the two events.
Having received a new two-year invitational tour card at the start of the season, Fu’s first win came against world number 16 Chris Wakelin as he hit top breaks of 136, 120, 113 and 68 to book his place in Wuhan.
A repeat looked unlikely in his subsequent British Open qualifier against Stephen Maguire as he trailed 0-3, before the three-time world ranking event winner rebounded with runs of 140, 81, 104 and 54 to complete an impressive comeback and seal his place at the venue stages.
The 47-year-old won the honour, receiving 62% of the vote, ahead of England’s Reanne Evans and Louis Heathcote, who also won both of their qualification matches.
Players including David Grace, Stan Moody, Fergal Quinn and Bai Yulu were also considered for the final shortlist.
Fu said, “To be chosen as the first ever WPBSA Players Player of the Month for my performances at the qualifiers in June is a pleasant surprise indeed. The performances were a bit of a surprise too!
“To be recognised by my peers for these performances, is a real bonus to add to a solid start to the new season”.
Ken Doherty, WPBSA Players Chairman said: “Congratulations to Marco Fu on a great start to the season. Incredible performances in his opening two matches. He is, as voted by his fellow professionals, our first ever WPBSA Players Player of the Month!”
I’m not sure how long this initiative will “live” nor that it adds much to the sport, but, anyway…
Congratulations Marco Fu.
Belgium, as you may know is a country where cycling is BIG! ↩︎
Matthew Selt scored three straight wins to comfortably top Group 22 at the BetVictor Championship League ranking event, while Alfie Burden edged through by winning Group 3 on frame difference.
Selt and Burden advance to the second phase, which starts on July 18th. That will see 32 players vying for spots in the third and final stage.
Former Indian Open champion Selt opened his account with an electric 3-1 win over Germany’s Umut Dikme, who is competing as a top up after losing the final round of Q School Event One. Selt hammered home breaks of 119, 92 and 100, as he charged over the line.
Breaks of 67 and 91 helped him to beat tour rookie and Q School graduate Fergal Quinn 3-1, while Selt top scored with 57 in a 3-1 defeat of Scott Donaldson. A 3-0 win for Dikme over Quinn in the final game gave him the consolation of second place in the group.
World Seniors Champion Burden fell off tour at the end of last season, but competing as a top up, enjoyed an excellent day in Leicester to progress. A 3-1 win over Masters Champion Shaun Murphy, followed by a 3-0 defeat of Bulcsu Revesz allowed him to finish top. He pipped Revesz and Robbie McGuigan, who he did lose 3-1 against, on frame difference. …
There was frankly nothing much enthralling to watch yesterday, or maybe, it was me not being in the mood.
Group 3 was really bizarre. Shaun Murphy was terrible and there wasn’t much at all to separate the other three. Each of them won two matches. All matches finished on a 3-1 score except one – Alfie beat Bulcsu by 3-0 – and, basically, that particular result eventually “shaped” the group.
I saw next to nothing of the other group … as those who read this blog regularly will know already, I’m not exactly Matt Selt’s biggest fan 😉
Mahmoud El Hareedy Earns Professional Status with All-Africa Title
Mahmoud El Hareedy defeated Yassine Bellamine 6-1 in the final of the 2025 All-Africa Snooker Championship in Saïdia, Morocco to earn a two-year World Snooker Tour (WST) tour card.
The Egyptian cueist came through a field of 50 players from across the continent to win the prestigious title and secure professional status for the first time in his career.
Organised by the African Billiards & Snooker Confederation (ABSC), the event was staged at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Saïdia, Morroco and featured Seniors, Women’s and Six-Red events in addition to the main competition which offered a two-year WST tour card to the winner.
El Hareedy, who has previously competed on the WPBSA Q Tour Middle East series and also faced former world champion Stuart Bingham at the 2023 Six-Red World Championship, comfortably topped his initial five-player group to reach the knockout stages as the top seed.
Victories over Mohamed Amin (4-0) and Mohamed Ibrahim (4-1) saw El Hareedy set up a quarter-final meeting with Mutalieb Allie, to whom he had been defeated in the final of the All-Africa Six-Red Championship earlier in the week.
The Egyptian exacted his revenge at the perfect time, however, earning a 5-1 win before overcoming Matour Reda 6-2 to reach the title match in Saïdia.
There he faced Morocco’s Bellamine, who had defeated former professional Mostafa Dorgham 6-1 in the last four to reach the final in his home nation as he also aimed to join the WST for the first time.
El Hareedy was the dominant player in the best-of-11 frame final as he raced into a 4-0 lead and ultimately ran out a 6-1 victor to earn the prestigious continental crown.
Seniors Glory for Mohamed Samy Elkhayat
Mohamed Samy Elkhayat overcame Mohamed Alaa Khairy 5-4 in the final of the 2025 All-Africa Seniors Championship.
Elkhayat, from Egypt, came through a field of 22 players from Africa to win the Seniors crown.
The Egyptian qualified for the knockout stages by finishing second place in a group that also featured the Moroccan duo of Said Machal and Idriss El Mokri as well as Mahomed Idrisse from Mozambique.
A deciding frame victory over Rabi Younes followed in the last 16 before more comfortable success against Ahmed Galal (4-0) and newly-crowned All-Africa Six-Red champion Allie Mutalieb (4-1) saw Elkhayat book his place in the final.
Former professional Khairy, who lost in the final of the main competition 12 months ago, was the opponent in the title match after he had beaten Mahjoub Tawdi in the semi-finals.
The final was a hard-fought contest that came down to a deciding frame but, ultimately, it was Elkhayat who was able to get over the line to earn the title.
Yousra Matine Wins Women’s Championship
Yousra Matine defeated Loubna Lazim 4-3 to win the 2025 All-Africa Women’s Championship on home soil in Saïdia, Morocco.
Matine, who is a former gold medalist at the 2019 African Games, won all of the seven matches she contested in her home country to secure the prestigious continental crown.
After topping her group with a clean sweep of victories, she then downed Saloua Tiane (3-0) and Hind Bennani (3-1) to reach the final where she faced compatriot Lazim.
The match between the two Moroccan cueists went right down to the wire but it was Matine who was able to win the vital seventh and deciding frame to secure the title.
Six-Red Success for Mutalieb Allie
Mutalieb Allie beat Mahmoud El Hareedy 6-4 to claim the 2025 All-Africa Six-Red Championship title in Morocco.
A total of 48 players contested the event and Allie topped his group before overcoming Rabie Chami (4-2), Arjun Lavingia (5-4), Yassine Bellamine (5-0) and Hesham Abdelaziz (6-2) to reach the title match in Saïdia.
El Hareedy, who would be crowned the All-Africa Snooker Championship winner later in the week, was his opponent in the final after he had downed Mina Awad 6-3 at the semi-final stage.
South African national champion Allie proved to be the stronger player at the vital stage as he ran out a 6-4 victor in the final to lift the trophy.
Stephen Hendry was asked about his snooker “Top Five” and here is his answer, as shared by WST:
Hendry Names All-Time Top Five
Stephen Hendry names his all-time top five players in the latest episode of Snooker Club podcast. Download the episode NOW on Apple, Spotify, Linktree or wherever you get your podcasts.
Seven-time World Champion Hendry was asked to pick his top five. He said: “I’ll put Ronnie O’Sullivan top, obviously because of the success he has had, but also for his cue ball control which is the best I’ve ever seen.
“He is an artist with the cue ball, I love watching him making breaks, maybe when the black and pink are out of commission and there are balls on cushions, when he is at his best he still finds a way to clear the table. Also his safety game – he never plays a safety shot plain ball, he is always using side to manipulate the cue ball. And under pressure, his bottle is unquestionable.
“After that, it’s very close between Mark Williams and John Higgins, I’d prefer to have them joint second. I’ll go with Mark just because of his recent record against John at the Crucible. He is a freak of nature, he has the best temperament of any sportsman I have seen. He maybe hasn’t got the cue power of others, but he has great touch and he is just a brilliant potter.
“Third is John – maybe the greatest match player of all time. If I had to pick a player to clear up from 50 behind with five reds left, I’d take John. He has made over 1,000 centuries and his scoring is phenomenal.
“Mark Selby is fourth, he is one of all time greats. In terms of ball striking, not many are above him, the work he gets on the cue ball. He has the tactical game and he can win when not as best. I hated playing him, he’s so tough.
“In fifth could be Judd Trump because of what he has won and his centuries, but he only has one world title. So I’m going for Steve Davis based on his utter domination of the 1980s. People will say that the players weren’t as good back then, but I don’t care. He’d still be in the top 16 today. He was the ultimate winning machine and I learned a lot from him.”
Judd will not be happy. He will say that he treats every event with the same respect and all credits to him for doing that but the World Championship with its longer format remains the benchmark by which a player is judged by someone like Hendry and one can’t argue with the fact that it poses a unique challenge.
Most fans were making Judd Trump the favourite in their semi-final match. I was sitting on the fence, mainly because Judd’s record in “the three majors” isn’t that great, considering how well he does in the other events. And it happened again… he was beaten by Mark Williams, who is fifty and struggling with his eyesight but has lost nothing of his determination and shrewd approach of the game.
Mark Williams became the oldest Crucible finalist at the age of 50 as he beat world number one Judd Trump 17-14 in the semi-finals of the Halo World Championship, setting up a tie with Zhao Xintong.
Williams came to Sheffield with low expectations, claiming he would be an “easy draw” for any qualifier due to problems with his eyesight, and still insists the balls are “blurry”, but he has played fantastic snooker over the past fortnight and the veteran Welshman now finds himself in a fifth Crucible final. He lost the first of those, back in 1999, then went on to lift the trophy in 2000, 2003 and 2018.
Remarkably, having turned 50 in March and having turned pro 33 years ago, he now has the chance of a fourth world crown which would match the tallies of John Higgins and Mark Selby. Williams surpasses Ray Reardon, who was 49 when he lost to Alex Higgins in 1982, as the oldest finalist, and victory would see him easily beat the record as the oldest champion, ahead of Ronnie O’Sullivan who was 46 in 2022.
Over a possible 35 frames on Sunday and Monday, he will take on fellow left-hander Zhao in a clash of generations. The age gap of 22 years is the biggest ever between two Crucible finalists, and Williams will hope that his superior experience and tactical nous will be too much for his gifted Chinese opponent. First to 18 will lift the trophy and bank the top prize of £500,000.
Williams’ Crucible Finals
Welshman has won three by an 18-16 scoreline:
1999: Lost 18-11 to Stephen Hendry
2000: Beat Matthew Stevens 18-16
2003: Beat Ken Doherty 18-16
2018: Beat John Higgins 18-16
From 7-3 down in the early stages against Trump, Williams recovered to win 14 of the last 21 frames to reach the 43rd ranking event final of his career. He is chasing a 27th ranking title, first since the 2024 Tour Championship, and he could become the oldest ever ranking event winner, taking another record from Reardon who was 50 years and 14 days old when he won the 1982 Professional Players Tournament.
Success against Trump is particularly satisfying for Williams as he lost 17-16 to the same player when they met here in the semi-finals three years ago, and 10-9 on the last black in the final of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters last September.
Trump was outstanding over the first three rounds but missed a few crucial pots at key moments, notably at 7-3 and 10-9, and was gradually worn down by a determined opponent. Another year ticks by for the Bristol cueman, who must win multiple Crucible crowns to seal his place among snooker’s all-time greats. However the 35-year-old has enjoyed a tremendous season, winning three titles, setting a new record of 107 centuries in a single campaign, as well as a new prize money record of £1,680,600.
Leading 13-11, Williams started the opening frame tonight with a break of 67 before missing a red to a top corner. There was still enough on the table for Trump to snatch it but he reached just 16 before failing to pot an awkward red with the rest, allowing Williams to extend his lead. Trump had an early scoring chance in frame 26 but made only 5 before a red to a top corner hit the near jaw, letting Williams in for 65 to go 15-11 clear.
A superb 104 saw Trump close the gap, but Williams responded immediately with 100 to lead 16-12. After the interval, Trump dominated frame 29 with breaks of 42 and 34. Williams had his first match-winning chance in the 30th, but on 14 he over-cut a red to centre, and Trump replied with a run of 116, his 14th century of this year’s tournament and career 100th in the World Championship.
Early in frame 31, Trump converted a fine pot on a red to centre, then went for a risky cut-back black and missed the target. Williams finished the match in style with a 123 clearance, punching the air and saluting wife Joanne and their three sons in the crowd as he crossed the winning post.
“I was starting to sweat towards the end, when Judd came back at me,” said world number six Williams, who was within millimetres of being knocked out at the quarter-final stage when John Higgins missed match-ball blue. “I was under pressure and felt it, so to make a century to get to the final – I can’t believe it. I have played well all through the tournament. I don’t know how I am competing with the number one player in the world, over a three-day match. I have to be proud of myself because there are not many who could beat Judd over such a long match.
“In the last few tournaments I was struggling. For a couple of weeks I practised four or five hours a day with (coach) Lee Walker, with and without contact lenses. In the end I left the decision to Lee whether I should keep them in, and he felt I play better without them.
“I am looking forward to playing Zhao. I played him in an exhibition in China when he was 12. It was 1-1 and then he knocked in 130 and 138 to beat me 3-1. Here we are 16 years later and I am playing him in the world final. I am just happy to be there. If I win and get to four world titles, what an achievement.”
Trump said: “There was a frame to go 11-9 which I messed up. Mark kept potting the important balls and I missed a few or ran out of position, and I played a few loose safeties. Otherwise I didn’t play badly. It was fine margins, on another day it could have been a different result. But over three days he played some great snooker and put me under a lot of pressure.
“I had a tough draw, I would have fancied beating anyone else in the tournament. I saw the other semi-final and I think if Mark plays to the same standard there is no doubt he will win. I hope he plays like that and I think he will, I think his all round game will be too good for Zhao. I hope it goes close. It will be a good final for snooker, the old guard and new talent with very diferent styles.”
It may sound surprising that Mark is playing better without the lenses but I can somehow “relate” to that. I have gone from wearing glasses, to wearing lenses and finally getting Lazik surgery1. With every “change” my perception of distances changed too. This is nothing uncommon or bizarre, and it can be explained by the scientific laws of “optic”. If interested try to play around with a magnifier… holding it at different distances from your eyes and looking at “objects” at various distances from your “lens”… 2
Back to Williams … his brain has for many years been trained to judge distances and angles without the distortions induced by lenses. Retraining it is bound to take a lot of time, if possible at all. It is entirely possible and even probable that a “blurred” vision with a correct perception of angles/distances is less of a problem for him than a sharp vision with an altered perception of angles/distances.
But I digress…
It promises to be a fascinating final. I have seen many disparaging comments about Zhao in the last 48 hours. The report by WPBSA about the various “match fixing” cases by Chinese players, has established that Zhao DID NOT fix any match. His wrongdoings were “not reporting intended fixing he was aware of” and “betting on snooker”. Regarding the “not reporting” stuff , I will say this: as already mentioned by Lewis, the Chinese players of Zhao’s generation rarely have any siblings. Their friends and “colleagues” are the closest thing they have to a brother or sister. It is probably asking a lot – even too much – from them to “betray” their mates.
I am/was extremely myopic, to the point I was considered disabled by the Belgian health system. Everything further than 15 centimeters from my nose was a total blurr … literally. ↩︎
This is the kind of “experiences” kids around you migth enjoy as well BTW… ↩︎
The 2025 World Championship is over for Ronnie as he was beaten, and well beaten, by Zhao Xintong yesterday afternoon. Here is the report shared by WST:
Zhao On The Brink Of History After Flooring O’Sullivan
Zhao Xintong is just one match away from becoming the first Asian player to conquer the Crucible as he reached the final of the Halo World Championship with a 17-7 victory over Ronnie O’Sullivan, one of the heaviest defeats of the Rocket’s career.
China’s Zhao could become a megastar to the hundreds of millions of fans in his homeland if he can break new ground by lifting the famous trophy on Monday night. Ding Junhui – the Godfather of Chinese snooker – is the only other Asian player to reach the final, and he was beaten by Mark Selby in 2016. Zhao can now dream of eclipsing Ding’s achievement, though first he will have to beat Judd Trump or Mark Williams over a possible 35 frames on Sunday and Monday.
Zhao is already enjoying the deepest ever run by an amateur in snooker’s biggest event and, having won four matches just to make it to the Crucible, he could join Terry Griffiths and Shaun Murphy as the only qualifiers to land the sport’s biggest prize. Having turned 28 last month, he would be the youngest winner since Murphy back in 2005. Sheffield-based Zhao is into the third ranking event final of his career and won the previous two, at the 2021 UK Championship and 2022 German Masters.
Playing with panache and a rapid attacking style, Zhao blew O’Sullivan away in the second session on Saturday morning, winning eight consecutive frames to move 12-4 ahead. Seven-time Crucible king O’Sullivan briefly threatened to rally when he won the first two frames tonight but – clearly struggling with his technique – the 49-year-old made too many unforced errors and from 14-6 it was clear his hopes were fading. Snooker’s greatest ever player eventually fell with a session to spare, his biggest defeat since he lost 13-3 to John Parrott in the second round here in 1994.
Zhao is now guaranteed £200,000 and a place in the top 32 of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, and that would rise to £500,000 and a top 16 spot with the title.
In the opening frame tonight, Zhao trailed 49-18 when he under-cut a red to a centre pocket, allowing O’Sullivan to make 37 to narrow his deficit to 12-5. Frame 18 came down to the colours and O’Sullivan trapped his opponent in a tough snooker on the brown then took the chance that followed to pull another one back. But in the next, trailing 45-0, the Englishman failed on a red to top corner and that left Zhao the chance to settle any nerves with a break of 62. A tremendous 128 total clearance, the 100th century of the tournament, left Zhao 14-6 clear at the interval.
O’Sullivan’s break of 57 helped him take frame 21, only for Zhao to hit back again with a quickfire 85 for 15-7. A missed red to corner from O’Sullivan early in frame 23 let Zhao in for a run of 63 to move to the brink of victory. Again in the 24th, O’Sullivan had an early chance, but ran out of position on 32, and a loose safety proved his last shot as Zhao rattled in a run of 88, before being embraced by his beaten opponent on the arena floor.
“In the past, when I played Ronnie, I’d get nervous because I really wanted to win, but I didn’t put too much pressure on myself this time,” said Zhao, who had won just one match in two previous visits to the Crucible. “Today I felt a lot more relaxed and enjoyed it, and I ended up playing pretty well. He gave me a few chances, and I took them.
“Tonight I could feel that the whole crowd was cheering for Ronnie. But honestly, I think he deserves it. He’s won here seven times already, and he absolutely has the ability to win an eighth. That’s why I told myself not to relax, because I know he’s someone who can come back from almost any scoreline. I just tried to focus on one shot at a time and make the most of every chance he gave me.
“This tournament feels totally unique. For Chinese and Asian players, no one has won it yet. Every match win here is incredibly difficult. Even though I’ve made it to the final, there’s still a long way to go.
“These past few years, I’ve been working hard to improve my game in practice. Now my shot selections are more reasonable and solid. If I play Mark Williams in the final, I’ll give it my best. I don’t think there’s any other sport where someone can still achieve so much at the age of 50. I have huge respect for Ronnie and Mark, what they’re doing is incredible. If I play Judd Trump it will be the ultimate test. I know how strong he is now, he hardly makes mistakes. I’ll have to be at my absolute best just to keep up.”
O’Sullivan, who changed the tip and ferrule of his cue on Thursday after the first session but to no avail, said: “Zhao played great. We have a really nice relationship and I am always trying to help him if I can. It was his moment to enjoy at the end of the match. It would be amazing for snooker and for him if he becomes World Champion. He will have more of a test against Mark or Judd, that will be a proper test. I at a loss about my game, I don’t know where the white ball is going. I wasn’t that surprised because I have been playing like that in practice and I don’t know how to fix it.“
It wasn’t to be for Ronnie and it’s a very heavy defeat. Yes, it’s disappointing, but we have to remember that only two weeks ago we weren’t even sure he would play, and he went on to reach the semi-finals… that certainly exceeded the expectations I had at the start of the Championship. I’m happy he played, happy he gave it his best and happy he reached the semi-finals
Changing his tip and ferule mid-match didn’t work at all. Some will blame him. I won’t. I remember too many occasions where he took bold decisions: when it worked he was branded a genius, when it didn’t he was blamed for trying.
Before the match Ronnie had said that he was giving himself two more years. Right after this defeat, he wasn’t so sure but I’m not reading too much into that. Hurting, right after a defeat, is not the time to make decisions.
Here are the scores of that match, showing clearly that the damage was done in that disastrous second session, the first and the last were much closer and it also shows that Ronnie was unable to score heavily after he tinkered with the tip and ferule. During the two last sessions he had only one break over 50, a mere 57. Very unlike him.
‘I’m at a loss to be honest with you,’ he said. ‘I have lost what I used to have. I’m so confused. It feels really a struggle.
‘I don’t know if it was me, the cue tip or the ferrule. I didn’t know where the white ball was going.’
On the surprisingly one-sided result, he said: ‘I wasn’t surprised. I have been playing like that in practice. It’s hard to get my head around. I can’t even fix it, that’s the problem, I don’t know if I can fix it.
‘I want to give it two years but if you play like that, it’s pretty pointless. It’s not good.
‘I have been like that for four years, trying to grind it out. I haven’t had a clue where the cue ball was going. I have been willing it in the hole.
‘I don’t know how to correct the fault. That is the worrying thing. I am so far away – I don’t even know where to begin.’
Zhao was keen to whip up a round of applause for O’Sullivan after the final ball was potted, but the Rocket wanted to give the winner his moment after an epic victory.
Zhao clapped his hero off the stage (Picture: Getty Images)
‘We’ve got a really nice relationship,’ said O’Sullivan. ‘I’m always trying to help him if I can and he wanted the crowd to give me a clap at the end but it was Zhao’s moment so I tried to get off as quickly as I could because it was his moment.’
He added: ‘He played great, you’ve got to give credit where it’s due, he was the better player in the whole match.
‘He can definitely get over the line, I think he’ll have more of a test against the other two guys in the semis. I think that will be a proper test for him.’
It was a nice gesture from Zhao to applaud Ronnie as he left. In many ways, this match showed some of the very best aspects of sports. The older champion still trying but knowing his best years are past him and keen to help young talents to develop. The young up-and-coming talent showing respect and gratitude.
Straight after the match Xintong went to Ronnie’s dressing room. He thanked him for his help and support, without which he wouldn’t have got to the final so quickly.
Another day at the Crucible, another day of intense snooker and drama … but more than anything else a day that offered the fans one of the most extraordinary sessions in the history of the World Championship courtesy of Luca Brecel 😳 … but let’s start with the reports shared by WST:
Mark Williams became the oldest Crucible quarter-finalist for 15 years with a 13-10 victory over Hossein Vafaei at the Halo World Championship, setting up a potential clash with John Higgins.
Williams came to Sheffield with low expectations as he has had problems with his eyesight this season, and after losing 10-3 to Ding Junhui in his opening match at the recent Tour Championship he predicted he would be an “easy draw for anyone” at the Crucible. But after beating Wu Yize 10-8 in the first round, he impressed again against Vafaei, fending off a late fight-back to take the last two frames and rounding off the tie with a marvellous century.
Having turned 50 last month, the Welshman is the oldest quarter-finalist since a 52-year-old Steve Davis in 2010. It’s a 12th appearance in the last eight for the Welshman and he continues to chase a fourth world title having lifted the trophy in 2000, 2003 and 2018.
If Higgins can convert a 12-11 lead over Xiao Guodong into victory tonight, then two of the all-time greats would clash on Tuesday and Wednesday. It would be a repeat of the 2018 final, which Williams won 18-16.
“I am praying that John will win tonight,” said Williams. “It would be an incredible occasion, given the stage we are at in our careers. The reception would probably be like the Masters when we played in 2022 and we had a standing ovation. I would just love to play in that atmosphere again. Come on the old boys! The last few times I have come here, I am just trying to enjoy the moments because I don’t know how many times I will be back. I don’t know how I am still playing to a fairly decent level.”
Trailing 9-7 going into the concluding session, Vafaei had a golden opportunity to narrow the gap in frame 17 but missed the final brown to a centre pocket leading 49-47, handing Williams the chance to pot brown, blue and pink for 10-7. Vafaei made a 70 clearance, from 52-1 down, to snatch the 18th and he led 57-26 in the next only for Williams to clear from the penultimate red for 11-8.
A run of 74 boosted Vafaei’s hopes of a recovery. Williams led 35-0 in the next when he missed a red to a top corner, and Vafaei made 72 to close within one. Williams dominated the next for 12-10, and when Vafaei missed a red to a baulk corner early in the next, he wrapped it up superbly with 115.
“A lot of frames could have gone either way,” added world number six Williams, who won the Champion of Champions earlier this season. “I made a lot of really good breaks. I missed easy ones too but that’s what I do. When you miss an easy one you just have to get on with it. I made a fabulous break in the last frame. When I came to the table I thought if I could make 30 I would be in a good position, so to make a century was unbelievable.“
Vafaei said: “It was very tight and tense. Neither of us played at our best. We were both tired. I am disappointed with my performance because I gifted him him many frames with my mistakes. I have to work more if I want this beautiful trophy. Mark will always be a tough opponent.”
On the other table, seven-time Crucible king Ronnie O’Sullivan made a strong start to his second round tie with Pang Junxu, taking a 6-2 lead. O’Sullivan hadn’t played competitively for over three months coming into this event, but after a 10-4 success against Ali Carter in round one he is now on track for a 23rd quarter-final which would extend his own record.
If O’Sullivan and Higgins join Williams in the last eight, it will be the fifth time that all three members of the ‘Class of 92’ have reached the quarter-finals in Sheffield – this previously happened in 1998, 1999, 2011 and 2022.
Breaks of 58, 91, 50 and 63 helped O’Sullivan build a 4-0 lead. China’s Pang pulled one back with a 119 and had first chance in frame six but made only 33 and his opponent took it with a 68. Pang came from 52-0 down to snatch the seventh with runs of 34 and 32, but O’Sullivan took the last of the session to secure a four-frame overnight cushion.
Ronnie is 6-2 up but that match is far from over. Once Pang got going, he matched Ronnie in every department. Both scored well but both made mistakes as well.
Belgium’s Luca Brecel produced a breathtaking session of snooker to end 7-1 up on Chinese number one Ding Junhui at the Halo World Championship in Sheffield.
In the commentary box, six-time World Champion Steve Davis described Brecel’s performance as the best session of exhibition snooker he’s ever seen at the Crucible. When the players left the arena at the conclusion of play, they received a standing ovation from the capacity crowd on table two.
Brecel took just 17.5 seconds per shot in the quickfire session, as he produced snooker reminiscent of when he lifted the World Championship trophy two years ago. In the times since then, he has drifted down the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, having struggled with his form. If he were to lose this match he would tumble from seventh in the world to 41st.
It was Ding who started with a sublime 141 to get play underway. However, from that point on it was a snooker masterclass from 30-year-old Brecel. Breaks of 121, 78, 55, 100 and 88 saw him surge to seven frames on the bounce. They return tomorrow afternoon from 2:30pm for the second of three sessions.
On the other table, Si Jiahui moved 5-3 up on Ben Woollaston after the first session of their second round encounter. Si top scored with 65 and took the final frame of the evening on the pink to emerge with his lead
It was a truly extraordinary show by Luca. Ding didn’t do anything wrong and for most of the evening was kept in his seat wondering if he would get another shot during the frame in progress. He didn’t…
WST reports that Steve Davis was impressed … Alan Mc Manus on TNT was lost for superlatives. He was as excited as a kid on Christmas and in awe at what he was witnessing. It has to be said, it was dazzling snooker. I can’t remember anyone playing that well, and that fast, relentlessly, for seven frames in a row. The standing ovation was fully deserved and this is a session those who were lucky enough to witnessed it live in the arena will never forget.
Scotland’s four-time Crucible king John Higgins beat China’s Xiao Guodong 13-12 in a ten-hour marathon to set up a quarter-final showdown with Mark Williams at the Halo World Championship.
Higgins and Xiao were pulled off this morning, with the Glaswegian leading 12-11. Higgins was left to mull over a crucial missed black off the spot, which allowed Xiao to take the 23rd frame and force further play this evening.
When they returned, it was 49-year-old Higgins who again appeared to be heading for the finish line. However, he spurned a match ball pink.
That came back to haunt him, when he later inadvertently fouled the pink by potting it in the middle and left the balls at Xiao’s mercy. This season’s Wuhan Open champion obliged, clearing with 39 to steal on the black.
Higgins was again in with the first chance in the final frame. He broke down on 44, but got back to the table and made 75 to get himself over the line.
He’s now won nine out of ten deciders at the Crucible and is through to the quarter-finals for the 19th time in his 31 appearances at the Theatre of Dreams.
Higgins and Williams have met 42 times in their illustrious careers. It’s 33-time ranking event winner Higgins who leads the head-to-head 22-20. However, Williams has won four of their five meetings at the Crucible, including an epic 18-16 triumph in the 2018 final.
“I had two good chances at 12-11, but that maybe settled me down. I was thinking to myself that I’d had chances. The Snooker Gods were maybe beginning to go against me when I potted the pink,” said a relieved Higgins.
“He’s such a tough player, Xiao. We were matching each other punch for punch. There was good stuff and long frames with good safety. I thoroughly enjoyed the game. It was great to be a part of it and I’m delighted to come out on the winning side.
“25 years ago myself and Mark would have been big rivals. Now we just walk into the practice room sometimes and give each other a nod, as if to say we are still doing alright. We are against all these great young talents coming through. We are still in there fighting with them. I think that is a great testament to us.
“Mark is an unbelievable champion. I just can’t wait. I’ll go out there and enjoy it. If I win then great, if I don’t I’ll shake his hand and wish him well.”
Six seeded players had left the tournament in round one, and yesterday, Mark Allen became the 7th one as the first week1 of the championship came to its end, and the first round, the round of 32, concluded.
Chris Wakelin, playing with “ultimate self belief”, had never won a match at the Crucible before this week but claimed another huge scalp at the Halo World Championship with an outstanding 13-6 victory over Mark Allen to reach the quarter-finals.
World number 20 Wakelin beat Xing Zihao and Martin O’Donnell in the qualifying rounds to earn a fourth appearance at the Theatre of Dreams. He then knocked out Neil Robertson and followed up with a tremendous performance against 11-time ranking event winner Allen. Nuneaton’s 33-year-old Wakelin will meet now Zhao Xintong or Lei Peifan – both of whom also came through the qualifying rounds – with the winner to reach the semi-finals.
This has been a breakthrough season for Wakelin, earning his biggest ever pay day of £75,000 when he reached the final of the International Championship in November, and holding a top 16 status for long enough to make a Johnstone’s Paint Masters debut in January. Few would have expected him to go this deep at the Crucible, but he has found the knack of playing every shot on its merits and staying composed in pressure situations. This was his first ever best-of-25 contest but the former Shoot Out champion played with fluency and confidence as he ran away from his more experienced opponent.
Allen’s biggest career ambition to win the world title remains unfulfilled and he is still the most decorated player not to reach the final, but he goes back to Northern Ireland with the consolation of becoming the 11th player to make a 147 at the Crucible, having compiled a marvellous maximum in the 13th frame.
Otherwise Wakelin dictated the first two sessions, building a 12-4 lead with top breaks of 56, 69, 84, 53, 119, 71 and 75. Allen took the first frame tonight with a break of 74, then potted ten reds with blacks in the next before missing a tricky 11th black on 81. He might have closed to 12-7 but over-cut the final brown to a baulk corner in frame 19, and Wakelin slotted in brown, blue and pink for one of his career-best wins.
“I felt as if I really dominated the match,” said Wakelin who is now guaranteed £50,000. “I’m playing some really good stuff. Mark came back a bit tonight and I was relieved to see him miss that brown so I could get over the line. Mark was really nice with his words afterwards, he gave me a lot of encouragement.
“From where I was a couple of years ago, I have got the ultimate belief in myself now. I feel I have really matured as a player and the sky’s the limit. I won’t get ahead of myself. There are some very good players left in this tournament and one of them is me. It doesn’t matter who I play next, whoever it is will have to play very well to beat me.
“The first time I came here was about 15 years ago, I sat in the crowd and watched Mark win. So to be here and beat him, one of the best in the world, feels great. It has been a crazy few days.”
Allen said: “I lost every close frame, I think there were seven in all. That’s not like me at all, I usually get more than my fair share. That was the difference. Chris played very well in patches but I still had plenty of chances to make it closer. All I can do it keep working hard and try to get better. It has been a disappointing season, nothing like the previous two seasons consistency wise.“
Looking back on the 147, he added: “Things were going badly, I was 10-2 down. I decided very early in the break I was going to go for it because I needed something to gee myself up and get the crowd on my side. To earn someone in the crowd £25,000 was a great buzz. Then I had another chance tonight for a 147, which would have been £147,000 and that was another amazing buzz. The crowd were cheering me on and trying to get me back into the match. If I could have got to 12-8 then Chris might have got clincher’s disease. But I didn’t make it close enough.“
I have written this before, but I feel the need to write it again: Chris Wakelin transformation after winning the Shoot-out is truly remarkable. I never thought that winning that event, an event that I still believe should not be ranking, could trigger such deep metamorphosis. I still wonder what it is actually that made such transformation possible. Was it the feeling of “being a winner” and the belief that came with it? Was it the “freedom” induced by getting that big price money, and not having to worry about supporting his family, at least for a while? Or was it something else? Only Chris will know … maybe. I write “maybe” because, often, even we do not fully understand what’s going on in our own mind.
Here is Mark Allen’s 147
Ronnie will start his second round match today, against Pang Junxu. I have no expectations. His participation was in doubt until the last minute, himself said that winning his opening match would be a good result for him, the way he felt he is playing with his new cue. He’s playing and he won that first match. Anything more would be a bonus. If Ronnie were to win, and continue to win, he would now play every day until the end of the Championship, without any “rest” day.
week as a span of 7 days rather than “calendar week, from Monday to Sunday”. ↩︎
Ronnie
