Category: Snooker

Si Jiahui beats Williams in final-frame decider to reach second round

April 23, 2024

The shocks continued at the World Championship, as three-time winner Mark Williams crashed out at the hands of Si Jiahui.

Si was a semi-finalist 12 months ago and had to qualify, while Williams arrived at the Crucible on the back of victory at the Tour Championship.

Williams held a 5-4 lead after the first session, but Si ran through the first four frames on Tuesday afternoon and held firm to win a decider to reach round two.

Defeat saw Williams join seeds Luca Brecel, Mark Selby, Gary Wilson, Ali Carter and Zhang Anda in falling at the first hurdle.

Both players had chances in the opening frame of the session.

Williams had the opportunity to snatch it after a missed black from his opponent, but he failed to pot a tough final red to the green pocket.

Si knocked in a couple of pressure balls, notably a superb brown from mid range into the green pocket, and it allowed him to take the frame and level the scores at 5-5.

The 11th followed a similar pattern to the previous frame, as Si worked a large lead but handed a chance to Williams when going in-off after potting a red.

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‘Unbelievable’ – Si pots red but sees white go in-off

As in the 10th, Williams looked set to snatch it only to miss the final red – this time looking on in shock as it seemed to turn to the left and fail to drop into the right middle. Si stepped from his chair to pick off the points required to move back in front.

The Crucible holds no terrors for Si, as he showed with his run to the semi-finals last year, and he opened up a two-frame advantage for the first time in the match thanks to a run of 61 in the 12th.

Williams looked rattled by the onslaught of his opponent, and punched his cue in frustration when seeing a counter stopped in its tracks by a missed red into the left middle.

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Williams punches his cue after missed red

The Welshman took to sitting on the steps near the exit as he waited for Si to pot the balls to wrap up the final frame before the interval to take an 8-5 lead.

The interval came at a good time for Williams, as it handed him 15 minutes to regroup. He returned and knocked in an excellent long red to suggest the potting arm was still solid. Williams did not close out the frame in one visit, but he found a superb long red to the green pocket and it enabled him to get on the scoreboard in the session.

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‘What a shot’ – Williams pots superb long red

The 15th was a scrappy affair, with reds clustered together and colours tied up – and the drawn-out frame resulted in Si asking referee Leo Scullion for a mid-frame comfort break.

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“If you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go’ – Si asks for mid-frame comfort break

Si was behind at the point he left the table and he was unable to force his way back into it as Williams cut the deficit to one frame.

The 16th saw Si make a series of excellent pots as he took the frame to leave him two up with three to play.

Si showed no signs of nerves as he got going in the 17th frame with an excellent red to the bottom left. But he missed a pink to the left middle when on a break of 39 to hand Williams a chance to counter.

As in earlier frames, Williams missed the final red – but he got another bite at the cherry and crunched in a brilliant red to the green pocket. He picked off the colours to keep his hopes alive.

A safety error from Si – catching the knuckle of the right middle when attempting to reach baulk – allowed Williams to take the 18th and force a deciding frame.

Williams missed a tough red to the right middle and a double kiss handed Si the first chance in the decider.

Si beat Shaun Murphy in a decider last year, and he had that knowledge to draw on as he compiled a brilliant break of 77 – his highest of the match – to knock out the 2000, 2003 and 2018 champion.

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Williams punches cue, offers it to fan after missed pot

April 23, 2024

A potting onslaught from Si Jiahui resulted in Mark Williams punching his cue and then offering it to a member of the audience at the World Championship.

Williams began the final session of his first round match with a 5-4 lead, but saw Si race out of the blocks and take the opening three frames.

In two of those, Williams had a chance to counter but faltered on the final red.

He was handed a chance to steal the 13th frame following a miss from his opponent, but he saw a red hit the jaws of the left middle and stay above ground.

The miss drew an angry response from Williams, as he punched his cue in frustration.

As he walked back to his chair, the three-time world champion offered his cue to a spectator – seemingly suggesting the fan could do a better job.

Later in the frame, Williams left a red over the yellow pocket to hand Si the chance to make the frame safe.

And with it being the final frame before the interval, Williams elected to sit on the steps near the exit – ready to make a swift getaway – rather than return to his seat.

The Welshman headed to the interval with much to ponder – and possibly nursing a sore hand.

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Lisowski edges into lead over Ding after ‘incredible’ four-ball plant, Wilson in command

April 23, 2024

Jack Lisowski leads Ding Junhui 5-4 after a captivating opening session of their first-round match at the World Snooker Championship.

Both players went for their shots but neither could get away with a sizeable advantage in the best-of-19 clash.

Ding won the opening two frames and was never behind in the session until Lisowski finished with two in a row to open up a one-frame lead.

The match will be decided on Wednesday morning, live on Eurosport and discovery+.

This was arguably the pick of the first-round ties and it didn’t disappoint, starting at a rapid pace as Ding opened up with a break of 127.

Ding took the second frame despite seeing a break come to an end when the black jumped out of the pocket.

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‘That should not fall out!’ – Ding Junhui left stunned as black bounces back out from pocket

Lisowski hadn’t got going but he managed to get off the mark after Ding potted the white in the third frame.

A long red then set Lisowski up for a break of 91 in the fourth frame as he levelled at 2-2.

Ding restored his advantage after the mid-session interval and up until then there hadn’t been a close frame either way.

But the sixth was tense and tightly contested as both players missed chances.

From 40-1 up, Lisowski saw Ding close to a point behind. The frame then came down to the final four colours with Lisowski leading 57-39.

Lisowski doubled the brown into the pocket and took the frame to make it 3-3.

Ding responded with a break of 90 to take the seventh frame but it was Lisowski who finished on top with breaks of 69 and 67 to end the session with the advantage.

On the other table, Kyren Wilson opened up a commanding lead over Dominic Dale.

Wilson won eight of nine frames, making six half-century breaks and a 123, to need just two more frames to reach the second round.

The only frame qualifier Dale won was the fourth with a break of 120.

The afternoon session sees Mark Allen face Robbie Williams and Mark Williams take on Si Jiahui.

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O’Sullivan: I’d be motorsport world champion and challenge Hamilton if not for snooker

April 23, 2024

Ronnie O’Sullivan believes he would be “a world champion” in motorsport and could challenge Lewis Hamilton had he not been a snooker player.

O’Sullivan is regarded as the greatest cueist of all time and he remains the world No. 1 as the circuit takes in the World Championship.

The 48-year-old may continue to pick and choose which of the events he takes part in but he remains by most judges the most naturally talented player in the game.

This year he has won five tournaments – including the UK Masters – and speaking to Eurosport he was asked what he would be doing had he not discovered snooker.

He said: “I’d probably be challenging Lewis Hamilton, round a Formula 1 track, probably give him a good run for his money as well – because I’m a bit nifty in a car.

“I think I was actually gifted to be a good driver. I’d have definitely been a world champion at some sort of motorsport. I’ve no doubt about that.”

O’Sullivan revealed that a meeting with Ed Sheeran had led him to consider how snooker had turned from a hobby into something of a mixed blessing over the years.

He explained: “I think certain sports – I met Ed Sheeran the other day, what a lovely guy he was – just chatting to him. He’s friends with Damian [Hirst], I met him through Damian’s associates.

“We were just chatting away, he said, ‘I’m doing a bit of art, I need a hobby. Because music is my first hobby.’

“Snooker used to be a hobby for me, but I found it difficult, the pressures and I suppose it’s different because I’ve got to play top quality opposition.

“If Ed Sheeran had to have a sing-off with somebody as good as him every night, maybe it wouldn’t be a hobby.

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‘The favourite’ – White and McManus discuss O’Sullivan’s World Championship chances

“Going to play Mark [Williams], [Mark] Selby, [John] Higgins, [Judd] Trump, and you’re not at your best, it’s not an appetising thought in a way.

“But if I was at an exhibition in Wales and I wasn’t feeling great, playing players who can make 70-80 breaks you think, ‘tonight’s going to be a good night, I might lose the odd frame because they can all play,’ but it’s a different type of pressure.

“It’s hard as you get older, it’s hard for anybody to be at the top of any sport.”

O’Sullivan’s achievements draw attention every year, but he was asked what was it about him that caused such fascination from some of the public.

“I hope it’s just for the way I play snooker,” he said. “If it’s for my personality, I’m a normal guy, I’m an introvert. I think people think I’ll be quite loud, quite brash, but I’m not that sort of person.

“I think you have to be a strong character to get through what I have had to get through off the table, on the table, being in a competitive sport.

“Lewis Hamilton, Tyson Fury, must have a strong character. Lionel Messi must have a strong character.”

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World Championship LIVE – Ding takes on Lisowski, Wilson also in action, Allen later

April 23, 2024

CAN DING END CRUCIBLE DROUGHT?

For one of the biggest talents in the game, Ding’s record in Sheffield, certainly in recent years, makes for grim reading.

The 2015/16 finalist hasn’t been past the first round since 2020, so he’s long overdue a big performance in the sport’s home. Will it arrive today? We’ll find out soon.

The players are ready, here we go!

WELCOME TO DAY FOUR FROM THE CRUCIBLE

Hello and welcome to coverage from day four of this year’s World Snooker Championship and what an action-packed morning session we have in store from the Crucible.

Kyren Wilson gets going against Dominic Dale, which should be an intriguing contest, but we’ll be focusing on what is one of the most highly anticipated first-round match-ups as Ding Junhui takes on Jack Lisowski.

‘YOU MAY SEE ME NEXT YEAR, YOU MAY NOT’ – SELBY

Mark Selby has again cast doubt on his snooker future after losing in the World Championship first round, saying “you may see me next year, you may not”.

Asked by Eurosport reporter Rachel Casey if he had reached a decision about his future, Selby said: “Not yet. I definitely will sit down with Vikki over the summer and decide what I want to do going forward.

“Most of this season I’ve not really enjoyed it at all and that’s not me. I’m enjoying the practice side but then when I come to the competitive side, I’m just stopping myself from playing and not taking the shackles off.

“Every time I get beat, I feel as though I’ve got to beat myself and the opponent – and the game is hard enough just trying to beat the opponent.

“If I decide to carry on, then I’ll probably need to seek help somewhere to try and overcome that hurdle. And if I don’t, then obviously I’ll choose to do something else.”

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What does O’Sullivan need to achieve at the Crucible to stay world No. 1?

April 23, 2024

Ronnie O’Sullivan will need to win the World Snooker Championship to extend his stay at the summit of the sport beyond the Crucible Theatre final on May 6.

O’Sullivan – world champion in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2022 – is chasing a record eighth world title in Sheffield which will see him surpass Stephen Hendry as the most prolific winner since the Crucible first housed the sport’s landmark event in 1977.

The UK and Masters champion has held top spot in the rankings since the 2022 Tour Championship, a month before his 18-13 victory over Judd Trump in the 2022 world final, but will see the 500,000 points he earned from that success drop off his points total at the conclusion of this year’s tournament.

That would see O’Sullivan drop to fifth in the end-of-season rankings, with Northern Irishman Mark Allen taking over as world No. 1 for the first time in his 19-year professional career and Trump remaining as world No. 2.

Trump moved within 44,000 points of Allen with his 10-5 win over Hossein Vafaei in the first round.

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‘Naughty snooker’ – Trump wraps up win over Vafaei

O’Sullivan is set to begin a record 32nd straight Crucible campaign against Welsh qualifier Jackson Page on Wednesday afternoon with last year’s finalists, world champion Luca Brecel and runner-up Mark Selby, already eliminated from the competition.

The 41-time ranking event winner will move back into third spot above Brecel and Selby in the world rankings if he reaches the semi-finals this year, but would need to claim the £500,000 top prize to overtake Allen or Trump in the end-of-season list.

Only an Allen run to the final would deny O’Sullivan the chance to retain the sport’s most coveted ranking, while Trump would need to claim the title for a second time if Allen reaches the final, with £300,000 the difference between winning and losing the sport’s biggest match.

Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams and Ding Junhui remain in contention to become world No. 1, but would need a title victory plus an early Allen exit at the Crucible for such a scenario to develop.

Allen begins his campaign against former British Open semi-finalist Robbie Williams on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30pm before they play to a finish on Wednesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, John Higgins will need a victory over Jamie Jones in the first round on Wednesday and Thursday to boost his prospects of starting next season inside the top 16.

The four-time world champion has been an ever-present among the game’s elite since 1995, but the former world No. 1’s remarkable 29-year run is under threat this season.

He starts the tournament in 17th place (£253,500) on the provisional ranking list, within touching distance of Ryan Day (£275,500) and Robert Milkins (£268,500) immediately above him, but must overcome Jones to have a chance of catching Day or Milkins.

Latest provisional world rankings

(players in bold still in tournament)

  • 1. Mark Allen (NI) £935,000
  • 2. Judd Trump (Eng) £891,000
  • 3. Luca Brecel (Bel) £690,500
  • 4. Mark Selby (Eng) £648,500
  • 5. Ronnie O’Sullivan (Eng) £609,000
  • 6. Shaun Murphy (Eng) £498,000
  • 7. Mark Williams (Wal) £466,500
  • 8. Ding Junhui (Chn) £457,500
  • 9. Ali Carter (Eng) £428,000
  • 10. Gary Wilson (Eng) £421,500
  • 11. Zhang Anda (Chn) £406,000
  • 12. Kyren Wilson (Eng) £351,500
  • 13. Tom Ford (Eng) £340,500
  • 14. Barry Hawkins (Eng) £321,500
  • 15. Ryan Day (Wal) £275,500
  • 16. Robert Milkins (Eng) £268,500
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‘Pathetic’ – White, McManus defend Crucible after Vafaei claims it ‘smells really bad’

April 22, 2024

Vafaei lost 10-5 to Judd Trump in the first round of the World Championship on Sunday before going on the offensive in his post-match media duties.

“History is very important but nobody invests any money in this historical venue,” he said. “You want to go somewhere really nice. If you walk around the Crucible it smells really bad. I’m honest. Everything is so bad.”

He continued: “You go to other top venues in other countries and you can see how nice they treat you, how nice everything is and it is so shiny and completely different.

“If you ask me do I want to come back here, the answer is no. The practice room? Do you see anything special about it? It feels like I’m practising in a garage and that’s not good. I’m coming here from a different country to see that. I’m sorry I have to tell the truth.”

Speaking on Eurosport’s coverage of day three in Sheffield, Eurosport experts McManus and White defended the sport’s most iconic arena.

“Two things: it doesn’t smell bad and everything is not wrong about this place. It’s absolute nonsense,” began McManus.

“I don’t know what he wants…Does he want a bunch of flowers and a prawn sandwich on the way in the door? You come here to play snooker, you don’t come here to smell roses and flowers.

“If you want to be a big star in this game, which he’s not yet incidentally, go out and win some tournaments and then start talking like that – and even then I wouldn’t be talking like that. There’s nothing wrong with the Crucible.”

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‘Naughty snooker’ – Trump wraps up win over Vafaei

Vafaei’s only ranking title came at the one-frame Shoot Out in 2022, while he has won just one match in three appearances at the Crucible.

“It’s just pathetic. I don’t get it,” added six-time World Championship runner-up White about Vafaei’s Crucible comments.

“A couple of years ago when he played O’Sullivan and came out with all that nonsense… It’s just stupid. These things he will regret.”

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‘You may see me next year, you may not’ – Selby weighing up retirement after exit

April 22, 2024

Mark Selby has again cast doubt on his snooker future after losing in the World Championship first round, saying “you may see me next year, you may not”.

In February, Selby opened up about a “tough” time away from the snooker table as his wife Vikki battled cancer, while also losing a close friend to the disease.
He then hinted at retirement after a “pathetic” defeat to Gary Wilson in the first round of the Tour Championship in April, with the 40-year-old repeating his claim that he could walk away the sport after his earliest exit at the Crucible since 2018.

Asked by Eurosport reporter Rachel Casey if he had reached a decision about his future, Selby said: “Not yet. I definitely will sit down with Vikki over the summer and decide what I want to do going forward.

“Most of this season I’ve not really enjoyed it at all and that’s not me. I’m enjoying the practice side but then when I come to the competitive side, I’m just stopping myself from playing and not taking the shackles off.

“Every time I get beat, I feel as though I’ve got to beat myself and the opponent – and the game is hard enough just trying to beat the opponent.

“If I decide to carry on, then I’ll probably need to seek help somewhere to try and overcome that hurdle. And if I don’t, then obviously I’ll choose to do something else.”

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‘Biggest win of his life!’ – O’Connor holds nerve to complete Selby upset

It is the first time since 2018 that Selby has lost in the first round at the Crucible.

Reminded that there were examples of players taking time away from the sport and returning, Selby continued: “I’ve had a lot going on off the table as well – I sort of dismiss that and obviously you shouldn’t.

“But I’ll have a few weeks to reflect now, play a little bit of golf very badly, enjoy the summer if we have one… I’ll go away, sit down with Vikki, spend some family time.

“You may see me next year, you may not.”

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