Snooker News
BBC to bring back classic gameshow after 24 years away
Former world champion to host with Paddy McGuinness
The BBC is re-racking the balls and chalking the cues again after announcing that classic TV gameshow Big Break will return after 24 years away.
Seven-time snooker world champion Stephen Hendry is to co-host the series alongside presenter and comic Paddy McGuinness in a reboot of a show that originally ran for 10 series from 1991 to 2002.
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Continue reading...The new world champion is the fourth consecutive first-time winner and the UK game faces a challenge to keep up with investment in Asia
Perhaps of all the noise emanating from Wu Yize’s historic victory in the World Snooker Championship final on Monday evening, it was 12 simple words from the godfather of Chinese snooker that meant the most.
For the second successive year, China has a world champion in the sport the nation has taken to its heart, with Wu emulating Zhao Xintong’s win 12 months earlier by defeating Shaun Murphy in one of the great finals. But perhaps none of it would be possible without Ding Junhui laying the groundwork over the last 20 years.
Continue reading...A terrific break of 91 won a final-frame decider, Wu Yize winning his first world title at the age of 22 – the second-youngest ever so to do
Shaun Murphy 7-10 Wu Yize (72-37) Shaun leaves a snick to left corner but wu’s radar isn’t booted up yet; it’s the fourth such shot he’s missed in the frame, all of them by a way – though he gets second prize of a fluked snooker. The escape, though, is straightforward and, on his next visit, Shaun can go at a long one … which he drains nicely, before tucking in behind the brown. And, with the final red defended by blue and black, if Wu misses he’s almost certain to leave a free ball … but he hits the big dog, so it’s seven away and back in … to sneak through a tiny gap, great work. This frame is on a rolling boil now, the youngster botching yet another long pot – one you really expect him to take – punished with a snooker behind the pink, close to the side, with the red down the rail. Wu will need to deploy the swerve here, but he doesn’t get anywhere near with his first two goes, seeking to come off the bottom cushion, so he tries the side and hits the blue. The penalty points are piling up here, another miss takes Wu to within a foul of needing all the balls to tie … and it duly arrives, leaving a free ball. Shaun, though, refuses it, Wu finally hits, and the frame is almost over, the lead 35 with 35 left.
Shaun Murphy 7-10 Wu Yize (39-37) Shaun gets a red off the side then goes to remove another off the blue, but misses it by a way; end of break. So he sends a ball down the table, using the black to block off the white, and Wu’ll have to go some to hit either target, never mind get it safe; he plays it well, and this frame is maturing into a crucial battle of wits and skill.
Continue reading...Wu Yize played a terrific evening session, winning six of the nine frames to lead Shaun Murphy 10-7 overnight
Wu to break…
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Continue reading...Allen misses simple black and Wu pounces to win 17-16
Murphy rallies from 15-13 down to beat Higgins 17-15
Mark Allen missed a simple black to book his place in his first World Snooker Championship final before falling 17-16 to Wu Yize on Saturday night in one of the most dramatic last-four finishes in Crucible history.
The 40-year-old Antrim man had the match at his mercy when he got on top of an error-strewn 32nd frame and required just the black off its spot to wrap up a 17-15 win.
Continue reading...Semi-final poised at 7-7 after attritional 14th frame
John Higgins edges to 13-11 lead over Shaun Murphy
Wu Yize and Mark Allen’s semi-final is poised at seven frames all after their afternoon session ended with a bizarre frame – the longest in the World Snooker Championship’s Crucible era – clocking in at just over 100 minutes.
Allen began the afternoon trailing 6-2 overnight to an opponent high on confidence and belief, but fought back in style, winning five frames in succession to edge 7-6 ahead.
Continue reading...Chinese hotshot electric as he races into 6-2 lead
Higgins battles back to 4-4 against Murphy
Wu Yize took control of the world championship semi-final against Mark Allen as he reeled off the closing four frames to open up a 6-2 lead.
After Thursday’s evening session had been interrupted by a power outage at the Crucible, the 22-year-old from China produced a clinical run to leave Allen watching on from his chair.
Continue reading...Defending champion recovers to level up at 8-8
Allen and Hawkins also all square in last-eight tie
Zhao Xintong battled back to draw level with Shaun Murphy in a thrilling evening of quarter-final action in the world championship at the Crucible.
Zhao, the defending champion, showed his ruthless streak to finish the session with a flourish as the rivals ended deadlocked at 8-8 – the same scoreline for the night’s other last-eight showdown between Mark Allen and Barry Hawkins.
Continue reading...After starting the 1986 world championships as a 150-1 outsider victory against Steve Davis led to watching tennis with royalty and being mobbed in Tesco
“It was like a strange dream,” Joe Johnson says as he remembers becoming the world snooker champion 40 years ago as a 150-1 outsider and former gas board and factory worker who was the father of six children. Johnson had never previously won a game at the Crucible and he had struggled for years to make a living as a pro.
It was a time when Britain was “snooker loopy” and Johnson played characters such as Bill Werbeniuk who, in 1985, beat him in the first round while drinking a staggering amount of beer.
Continue reading...Scot wins 13-12 in final-frame thriller at the Crucible
Selby unhappy with table after 13-11 defeat by Wu
Ronnie O’Sullivan admitted he got what he deserved after seeing his bid for a record-breaking eighth Crucible crown shattered by a stunning comeback from John Higgins while Mark Selby branded the playing surface “horrific” after a 13-11 defeat by China’s Wu Yize.
O’Sullivan twice led by five frames but lost six in a row across the final two sessions, and Higgins fired three centuries on Monday before holding his nerve to get over the line in the decider and complete a memorable 13-12 win.
Continue reading...Scot wins last three frames of session to trail 9-7
Champion Zhao Xintong beats compatriot Ding Junhui
Ronnie O’Sullivan thumped the table in frustration as John Higgins reeled in the seven-time world snooker champion in an enthralling second session of their second round match at the Crucible on Sunday night.
O’Sullivan twice led by five frames and looked set to cruise towards the quarter-finals at the expense of the out-of-sorts Scot, before Higgins drew on his decades of top-level experience to end the evening just two adrift at 9-7.
Continue reading...Seven-time champion leads 6-2; Hawkins beats Williams
Allen beats Wilson then says Hendry ‘full of rubbish’
“Pretty evil” Ronnie O’Sullivan carved out a 6-2 overnight lead against his old foe John Higgins in the first session of their second-round showdown at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
The seven-time winner blasted a 137 total clearance as he dominated his opponent and edged closer towards his goal of eclipsing Stephen Hendry and clinching a record eighth Crucible title.
Continue reading...2005 champion hammers Xiao Guodong 13-3
Hawkins leads Williams 10-6; Allen 9-7 up on Wilson
Shaun Murphy will savour some home comforts after beating Xiao Guodong with a session to spare and reaching the last eight of the World Snooker Championship. Murphy guaranteed himself a night off on Friday with a 13-3 second-round demolition of Xiao – and then revealed he was heading home before his quarter-final gets under way on Tuesday.
“Mathematically it’s possible to win with a session to spare but you don’t think it’s going to happen,” Murphy told the BBC after a fluent potting display that produced four centuries and seven further breaks over 60. “I kept getting those little chances and I’m really pleased how I played. It doesn’t happen often because everybody’s so good. We’re going to ship out of Sheffield for a few days. Go home now.
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