World Snooker Championship 2025

Luca looked to be playing as well as he had done since Sheffield 2023.

It's about now that things start to accelerate from the ponderous first round, to this compressive 2nd round, which will be all over by Monday night, and then it's 2-3 days at a time and less and less time inbetween.

Goodness me.
John Higgins in frame 24.
One ball away from the match but misses the pink. Xiao with a good safety leaving the Scot snookered.
Higgins having to come off the black cushion to hit the last red. He duly hits the red but the red inadvertently knocks the pink in and leaves a free ball. Xiao clears up and it's 12-12.

Into frame 25 we go......

Higgins with a long red.... IN.
Good brown to follow.
Stops on 44 and plays safe.

Gets in again after a safety exchange.
Lovely black, splits open the reds.
Match winning chance.......

Converted and so we have a World Championship Quarter Final between two class of 92 legends.
John Higgins v Mark Williams.

Ding Junhui looked absolutely battered by Luca Brecel, and it's only the first session.

He's got to hope that Brecel's touch will be off for the next two. Because tonight Brecel was knocking them in for fun.

Day Nine:

Session One: 10am
Result:
Zhou Xintong bt Lei Peifan 13-10
Judd Trump (2) 5-3 Shaun Murphy (15)
(Resumes tonight 7pm)

Session Two: 2.30pm
Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) 12-4 Pang Junxu
Luca Brecel (7) 12-4 Ding Junhui (10)
(Both matches resume Monday 7pm)


Session Three: 7pm
Si Jiahui (13) 9-7 Ben Woollaston
Judd Trump (2) 10-6 Shaun Murphy (15)
(Both matches resume Monday 2.30pm)

The quarter final clash between John Higgins and Mark Williams is one to be savoured and cherished. We may never see these two snooker legends face off at The Crucible again after this encounter comes to an end.
What they have achieved in the sport is magnificent.
It deserves to have a one table setting but no matter. They will hopefully serve up a classic worthy of the Class of 92 status that still endures.
A chance to reminisce on so many of glorious snooker yesterdays for maybe the final time at the home of snooker. A special occasion for sure.

Zhao Xintong finally got himself through to the quarter final after seeing his 12-7 lead reduced to 12-10. A 54 break in the 23rd frame got him over the line 13-10. Lei Peifan wasn't an easy opponent to put down, he turned a 6-3 deficit against Kyren Wilson into a 9-7 lead in the last round. Lei made a 130 break in the 18th frame, and looked the better, more reliable potter in the session until Zhao got the points to put him out.

Judd managed to level the scores to 2-2 at the mid session interval against Tubbs, after going 2-0 down. But Tubbs has just made a 103 break to take a 3-2 lead. A long way to go in that one.

Some great players playing some fantastic snooker this time around. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it all turns out!

Another fantastic afternoon for Ronnie, but first he had to endure a mini comeback by Pang Junxu who reduced Ronnie to a spectator in the first 2 frames to close to 6-4. After that it was the Ronnie show, with 2 centuries and runs of 79,80 and 62 to end the session one frame from victory at 12-4.

Luca is also 12-4 up. It was 12-2, but Ding made 2 last gasp centuries to take the match to another session. Luca playing beautifully and looking like he could go all the way.

No centuries for Judd thus far in this round, but he did win the last 3 frames of the session against Tubbs to go 5-3 up, and he made a 98 break.

The talking point on the show is if Jude Trump can make his 100 tons in a session. At present he's on 98 hundreds, but he's only got this championship to get them.
In the last two big breaks he's made 97 and 98 but he's so far fallen at the last pocket.

So not only has he got to get two more centuries, he's got to get them before he gets beaten

Meanwhile the Si Jiahui v Ben Woollaston match has gone very tight and very tense in the middle session.
Both players with chances in every frame this evening.
The pressure seems to be getting to both of them a little.

And Judd Trump has his century of centuries with two in a row.
He has sealed a 10-6 overnight lead so that should be that.
Barring a highly unlikely collapse in form Trump should progress with minimum of fuss. The end of both sessions swung it his way.
From 2-3 down to 5-3 up and from 7-6 up to 10-6 up the after burners were switched on. Murphy has played well but his opponent even better.
On current form Trump has to be deemed favourite to win the title but his draw is not easy so it is not absolutely guaranteed.

I feel a bit sorry for those who have tickets for tomorrow.
Three of the four matches look likely to be over in pretty short order.

Yes, congratulations to Judd on achieving the ton of tons with century breaks in frames 14 and 15. A well deserved £100K bonus to him. Better yet, he leads Tubbs 10-6, and if he finishes the job tomorrow he could be setting up a shootout with Luca Brecel in the quarters. I'll be so looking forward to it if that happens.