Category: Snooker

• Iranian’s 10-3 win sets up match against world No 1 Trump

• Former champion Neil Robertson beats Pang Janxu 10-6

Hossein Vafaei has claimed the Crucible must be respected and called it snooker’s answer to Wimbledon two years on from his scathing criticism of the world championship venue.

In 2024 the Iranian described the Crucible as “smelly” and compared the practice facilities to “like playing in a garage”. But after last month’s announcement that snooker’s showpiece will remain in Sheffield until at least 2045, Vafaei highlighted the importance of the Crucible to the sport.

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• Seven-times champion wraps up 10-2 win over He Guoqiang

• Cue was ‘stuck under my bed in Ireland’

Ronnie O’Sullivan dusted off an old cue from under his bed in Ireland and duly rocketed into the second round of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield after wrapping up a 10-2 win over He Guoqiang.

O’Sullivan required just 35 minutes to turn a 7-2 overnight advantage into another comfortable Crucible win, then revealed he had made the switch as he looks to gain momentum in his quest for a record-breaking eighth title at the venue.

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• Murphy beats Fan Zhengyi; O’Sullivan leads by five

• Judd Trump sees off Gary Wilson to reach second round

Shaun Murphy clawed back a 36-point deficit in the deciding frame to secure a nail-biting 10-9 win over the Chinese qualifier Fan Zhengyi in the first round of the World Snooker Championship.

The pair traded blows throughout a thrilling second session and Fan moved to the verge of victory after taking the first chance in the last – but Murphy, who won the title in 2005, drew on all his years of experience to nudge home with a superb break of 50.

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• Youngster beaten 10-7 at Crucible after leading 7-3

• Higgins beats Carter to set up possible O’Sullivan clash

Stan Moody blew his chance to become the first teenager to win a match at the World Snooker Championship since 2005 as he fell to a 10-7 defeat to the 2024 champion, Kyren Wilson.

The 19-year-old from Halifax began his Crucible debut in blistering fashion with two centuries and two further breaks over 80 to establish an improbable 6-3 lead at the end of a memorable morning session. Moody duly extended his lead by taking the first frame upon the evening’s resumption, only for Wilson to reel off seven frames in succession to shatter the qualifier’s hopes of emulating Ronnie O’Sullivan, the last teenager to win a Crucible match 21 years ago.

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• Allen rallies from 5-3 down to win 10-6 in first round

• Hawkins, Williams and Xiao Guodong also advance

Mark Allen revealed how “bad food” and a few drinks fuelled his surge into the second round of the World Snooker Championship after he swallowed up a two-frame overnight deficit to crush Zhang Anda 10-6 at the Crucible.

The 40-year-old was so disillusioned with his display on Saturday, when he failed to rustle up a break over 50, that he set about drowning his sorrows in Sheffield. Allen then returned on Sunday to rifle three centuries in a six-frame streak and advance to the second round.

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• World Championship venue has a minute’s applause

• Zhao Xintong starts title defence with edgy victory

A minute’s applause was paid in tribute to John Virgo, who died in February aged 79, as the World Snooker Championship got under way at the Crucible in Sheffield.

Virgo, who won the UK Championship in 1979, enjoyed a successful playing career but was best known for his broadcasting. During his 18 years as a professional, he reached the World Championship semi-finals in 1979. He went on to work for the BBC in 1994 and his voice became a distinctive feature of the national broadcaster’s snooker coverage for three decades.

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• WST president Barry Hearn says ‘sentiment’ played a part

• 500 seats to be added to the theatre in £45m refit

Barry Hearn concedes he has let his heart rule his head for the first time in his career after striking a remarkable new long-term deal to keep snooker’s world championship at the Crucible Theatre – before hinting that his son Eddie was among those who were against the decision.

The tournament has been played at the 980-seat venue in Sheffield since 1977, and it will remain there until at least 2045 with an option to extend to 2050 after World Snooker Tour and Sheffield city council agreed a contract to ensure snooker’s most prestigious event will stay at its ­spiritual home.

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• O’Sullivan snookered Ryan Day at start of first frame

• Seven-time world champion won 5-0 to reach semi-finals

Ronnie O’Sullivan has made the highest break in professional snooker by hitting a 153 at the World Open in Yushan, China.

The 50-year-old achieved the feat after leaving Ryan Day in a snooker to begin the opening frame of their quarter-final and the Welshman’s failed escape attempt gave O’Sullivan a free ball.

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Virgo, who won the UK Championship in 1979, enjoyed a long playing career but was best known for his TV work

The much-loved snooker player and commentator John Virgo has died at the age of 79, World Snooker has announced.

Virgo, who won the UK Championship in 1979, enjoyed a successful playing career but was best known for his broadcasting.

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• World No 2 defeats ‘legend and idol’ 10-6 in final

• ‘I’m trying not to cry because it means so much’

Kyren Wilson collected his first Masters title to thwart John Higgins’s hopes of making more history after a cagey final replete with uncharacteristic errors from both players.

Higgins was seeking a third Masters title at Alexandra Palace – 20 years after he last lifted the trophy – and, at 50, the Scot had become the oldest player to reach the final of a triple crown event.

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• Higgins wins three consecutive frames in 6-5 victory

• Kyren Wilson seals 6-5 win on Wu Yize with century

John Higgins reeled off three straight frames as he came from behind to earn a 6-5 semi-final victory over Judd Trump in the Masters at Alexandra Palace.

Things were looking ominous for the Scot early on as Trump ensured he took a three-frame lead with a neat break of 60, which ended with Higgins conceding. Higgins gave Trump something to think about before the mid-session interval by clawing it back to 3-2, including a century break, but breaks of 70 and 57 by the world No 1 helped him move to within a frame of victory at 5-3.

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• Englishman sees out victory in final frame

• Wu wipes the floor with Xiao in 6-0 rout

Kyren Wilson edged into the semi-finals of the Masters after fending off a Neil Robertson comeback to win 6-5.

Wilson had taken a three-frame lead, hitting two century breaks along the way, and took a 4-1 advantage before Robertson fought back, winning four straight frames and recording breaks of 110 and 107 to lead 5-4.

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