The World Championship last-16 match between Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins is poised for a thrilling conclusion on Monday after the Scot secured the last three frames of the second session, reducing the deficit to just two.
Seven-time Crucible champion O’Sullivan had established a 6-2 lead after Saturday’s opening session, and the match appeared to be slipping away from Higgins when O’Sullivan extended his advantage to 9-4 in the race to 13 frames.
However, fellow ‘Class of 92’ member Higgins, a four-time world champion himself, staged a dramatic comeback, leaving O’Sullivan with a 9-7 lead and needing four more frames for victory.
The tension seemed to affect O’Sullivan in the session’s final frame, as he punched the table in frustration after missing a red.
“That is exactly what it means to Ronnie O’Sullivan,” commented 1997 world champion and BBC commentator Ken Doherty. “He’s getting frustrated. He had a great chance in the previous frame and didn’t convert. Those knuckles will be sore, let me tell you.”
O’Sullivan and Higgins, both 50 years old, will contest the final session of their enthralling match from 13:00 BST on Monday, broadcast live on BBC Two.
“John has been incredible, and it’s remarkable that he’s still in this match,” stated seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry. “Last night [in Saturday’s first session] he genuinely struggled for some reason. Ronnie’s play was outstanding, but John seemed uncharacteristically subdued. Perhaps it was a touch of nerves, a bit of intimidation, but he has simply battled to remain in contention. Ronnie didn’t look like the same player.”
Following an 83-break from Higgins in the ninth frame, O’Sullivan secured two consecutive frames with runs of 116 and 80, establishing a dominant five-frame lead at 8-3.
Higgins claimed the 12th frame, but O’Sullivan’s 91-break restored the Englishman’s five-frame advantage at 9-4.
The final three frames, however, proved highly dramatic. Higgins appeared to be in control of the 14th, with O’Sullivan requiring a snooker to stay in contention – which he achieved, though he couldn’t capitalize.
Higgins then won the 15th frame on a black-ball finish, and O’Sullivan reacted by hitting the table early in the night’s final frame.
His frustration intensified when he potted a long red, only for the cue ball to follow it into the same pocket. This foul proved crucial, allowing Higgins to take the frame and reignite his hopes.
O’Sullivan is battling to reach the Crucible quarter-finals for a record 24th time and is pursuing an eighth world title, which would set a new modern-era record.
During his 10-2 first-round victory over Chinese debutant He Guoqiang, O’Sullivan was watched by former Manchester United footballer Paul Scholes. This time, UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett and Liverpool defender Milos Kerkez were among the spectators.
They, along with the rest of the Crucible crowd, would undoubtedly have been thoroughly entertained.
Trump and Robertson Lead, Selby Trails
World number one Judd Trump holds a 9-7 lead over Iran’s Hossein Vafaei with one session remaining.
The match was level at 4-4 after Saturday’s opening session. Vafaei, ranked 32nd and the sole qualifier to advance past the first round, won Sunday’s opening frame, but Trump responded by taking the subsequent two.
Breaks of 82 and 65 saw Vafaei regain the lead, but 2019 champion Trump then won the final three frames, with runs of 100, 74, and 94, to establish a two-frame advantage before the match concludes on Monday (19:00 BST).
Another former champion, Australia’s Neil Robertson, the 2010 winner, also carries a lead into Monday’s final session against England’s Chris Wakelin.
This match was also tied at 4-4 at the start of Sunday. World number three Robertson then won six of the eight frames, including a 101 break in the final frame, to lead 10-6.
Four-time Crucible champion Mark Selby will need to overcome a 9-7 deficit if he is to reach the quarter-finals against 22-year-old Chinese player Wu Yize, the youngest competitor remaining in the tournament.
Selby began superbly with breaks of 123 and 124 to take a 2-0 lead, but world number 10 Wu turned the match around, though Selby secured a vital last frame with an 81-break.
That match will conclude on Monday (13:00 BST).
Reigning Champion Zhao Defeats Ding to Reach Quarter-Finals
China’s reigning champion Zhao Xintong defeated compatriot Ding Junhui 13-9 in a high-quality encounter to advance to the 2026 World Championship quarter-finals.
Zhao, 29, started the final session with a 9-7 advantage, although 39-year-old Ding, the first Chinese player to win a ranking event, narrowed the gap by winning a 46-minute opening frame on Sunday.
However, Zhao then won the next two frames to move 11-8 ahead, before Ding claimed the 20th frame with a break of 76.
A break of 108 from Zhao, his third century of the match, brought him to the brink of victory, which he sealed in the subsequent frame.
Zhao, who also compiled five half-centuries, is attempting to break the ‘Crucible Curse’, a phenomenon where none of the previous 20 first-time winners of the World Championship in Sheffield have successfully retained their title the following year.
He will face 2005 champion Shaun Murphy in the next round.
‘A Very Special Match for Us’
The interest in the match between Ding and Zhao in China was immense, with Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, suggesting that “hundreds of millions” could have been watching.
“This was a very special match for us that everybody knows about and wants to keep eyes on it,” said Zhao. “There was more pressure, it is not like before. It was very different last year when I was a nobody, but now I don’t want to lose any match and just want to keep going.”
Regarding his quarter-final against Murphy, Zhao added: “When he won the World Championship, I was eight years old. When I was eight, I saw him play with Ding many times, and I know he’s very good and still plays very good snooker. I will try my best. I’m far from my best.”
Ding, the 2016 runner-up, compiled eight breaks of at least 54 in the match but expressed dissatisfaction with his performance.
“It was not good enough; I was a little bit disappointed in the first two sessions,” said Ding. “He [Zhao] is doing well, and he is improving every time. My thought is he is better than anyone.”
#Snooker #WorldChampionship #RonnieOSullivan #JohnHiggins #Crucible #JuddTrump #ZhaoXintong #MarkSelby #NeilRobertson #SnookerNews
Leave a Reply