World Snooker Championship 2025

(28-04-2025 21:18 )Snooks Wrote:  I can't see past Trump winning the championship comfortably on present form but my prediction record is notoriously useless which makes taking my word for it utterly foolhardy.

you're not that bad...

id say ronnie vs trump

Day Eleven:

Session One: 10am
Chris Wakelin 2-6 Zhou Xintong
John Higgins (3) 5-3 Mark Williams (6)

Session Two: 2.30pm
Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) 6-2 Si Jiahui (13)
(Resumes Wednesday 10am)
Judd Trump (2) 5-3 Luca Brecel (7)
(Resumes Wednesday 2.30pm)

Session Three: 7pm
Chris Wakelin 4-12 Zhou Xintong
(Resumes Wednesday 2.30pm)
John Higgins (3) 8-8 Mark Williams (6)
(Resumes Wednesday 10am)

I'm not predicting it, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a rematch of the 2021 UK Championship final between Zhao Xintong and Luca Brecel.

All the quarter finals are mouth watering ties this year, and I'm looking forward to all of them.

Zhao Xintong is the first amateur to win 2 matches at the Crucible. Prior to this year, James Cahill was the only amateur to have won a match after beating Ronnie O'Sullivan in that mad match in 2019 when Ronnie gifted the match to Cahill with some crazy, risky shot selections. Zhao is the first amateur to get to the quarter finals, can he keep going? Can he become the first amateur to win the World Championship?

Stephen Hendry said Luca would have fallen off the tour if he lost his first match. Luca's going great guns now, and could even reclaim a top 16 spot if he can keep going. Against Judd though, it may come down to who can play the naughtier snooker.

Si Jiahui was practically unplayable when he beat Ronnie in the Saudi Masters earlier this season, but his form has declined in the 2nd half of the season. He seems to be coming back to form in this tournament, but he'll have to rediscover his Saudi form if he's to stand a chance against Ronnie if Ronnie continues to punish his opponent's mistakes the way he has been doing.

(29-04-2025 07:25 )Joannis Wrote:  Stephen Hendry said Luca would have fallen off the tour if he lost his first match.

What, from being #7 seed? I know the rankings are fluid these days, but surely that's an exaggeration?

I think Wakelin's dream run is about to become a nightmare. But I also think Robertson or Allen would have had their work cut out with Zhao the comeback kid.

Judd Trump was pretty much unplayable for much of the first session against Luca Brecel surging into a 5-1 lead with breaks of 71, 106, 110 and 87. The Belgian clawed it back well though and runs of 68 and 128 kept him afloat.
They resume tomorrow afternoon.

Ronnie O'Sullivan made Si Jiahui pay for countless missed opportunities in carving out a 6-2 lead. The Rocket mopped up after a series of Si errors on numerous occasions in a session that could have produced a very different scoreline. They resume in the morning session at 10am.

The form of Chris Wakelin disastrously fell off a cliff today and his hopes of a last four place are now all but gone. In a scrappy first session where neither he or Zhou Xintong hit anywhere near the heights it was the Chinese former UK champion who built a convincing 6-2 lead. In the evening Wakelin briefly rallied to 4-6 but then promptly lost 6 frames in a row to leave Zhou one frame away from the semi finals.

The class of 92 quarter final was an engrossing watch all day long.
John Higgins settled the better early on with Mark Williams struggling for rhythm and control. The Scot created a 5-1 lead before the Welshman found a groove to reduce his arrears to 3-5. Into the evening then and this time the roles were reversed as Higgins struggled with the cue ball control. Williams took advantage to go 7-6 in front with some excellent pots and safety play.
The Welshman was within sight of 8-6 before an unfortunate cannon on the yellow left him no shot at a vital red.
Higgins levelled at 7-7 and promptly rattled in a 70 break to retake the lead. Crucial last frame of the day then. The Scot got in first and led by 36 points but faltered allowing his opponent in. Williams knocked in a run of 65 which proved enough to leave the Crucible battle of the legends all square at 8-8 overnight. They go to a finish tomorrow morning at 10am.

To be honest, if Luca has 500K points from winning the 2023 World Championship, then 7th isn't very good; it means he hasn't got many ranking points in the past 2 seasons. I can easily imagine him falling off the tour once he lost the 500K points at the start of this tournament. Anyway it's academic now he's won 2 matches, he's on the tour but as it stands he's 38th in the provisional rankings even with the 50K he's won from reaching the quarter finals.

If Judd did well from making 100 centuries for the whole season, then what about Zhao Xintong. He came through 4 qualifying rounds before even reaching the Crucible, and in this tournament alone he's made over 50 breaks of over 50. Nice 6 frame winning streak last night to put him close to a possible semi final with Ronnie O'Sullivan. Si Jiahui is still capable of reversing the score and beating Ronnie, but if he can't recapture his early season form, then a Ronnie v Zhao semi-final looks likely.

With quinquagenarian Williams, and soon to be quinquagenarian Higgins tie at 8-8, it looks like that game could go to the wire.

Day Twelve:

Session One: 10am
Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) 10-6 Si Jiahui (13)
Result:
Mark Williams (6) bt John Higgins (3) 13-12

Session Two: 2.30pm
Result:
Zhou Xintong bt Chris Wakelin 13-5
Judd Trump (2) 8-8 Luca Brecel (7)

Session Three: 7pm
Results:
Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) bt Si Jiahui (13) 13-9
Judd Trump (2) bt Luca Brecel (7) 13-8

(30-04-2025 07:28 )Joannis Wrote:  To be honest, if Luca has 500K points from winning the 2023 World Championship, then 7th isn't very good; it means he hasn't got many ranking points in the past 2 seasons. I can easily imagine him falling off the tour once he lost the 500K points at the start of this tournament. Anyway it's academic now he's won 2 matches, he's on the tour but as it stands he's 38th in the provisional rankings even with the 50K he's won from reaching the quarter finals.

Well, OK then. He's shown some success at the 11th hour, even if Trump likely to put a stop to his revival.