https://www.scmp.com/rss/509649/feed The World Snooker Championship is professional snooker's longest-running, most prestigious and lucrative tournament. First held in 1927, it is now one of the three tournaments (together with the UK Championship and the invitational Masters) that make up snooker's Triple Crown Series. The tournament is held at the hallowed Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Stephen Hendry holds the record for the most world titles in the modern era, having won the tournament seven times. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mike Chan Mike Chan Wu Yize and Zhao Xintong’s victories at the World Championship will help to boost the growth of snooker in China, while removing the stench of corruption and match-fixing, sport insiders believe. Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, previously suggested the interest that greeted Wu’s triumph over Shaun Murphy could help the sport’s Olympics ambitions. And Django Fung, who manages top players, including world No 2 Neil Robertson and Murphy, said... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3353032/snooker-boom-can-raise-sport-level-table-tennis-china-end-stench-match-fixing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3353032/snooker-boom-can-raise-sport-level-table-tennis-china-end-stench-match-fixing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:19 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The emergence of China’s first world snooker champion, Zhao Xintong, last year was a breakthrough that signalled the beginning of a golden era for the country’s players. There was an expectation there would be more Chinese winners to come. We didn’t have to wait long. Zhao’s compatriot Wu Yize matched the feat on Monday, winning 18-17 in a gripping final at the Crucible Theatre in England. It is the first time in 24 years the final has gone to the last frame. Wu overcame his nerves to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352699/chinas-snooker-world-champions-cue-bright-future-sport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352699/chinas-snooker-world-champions-cue-bright-future-sport?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 22:45:04 +0000 Associated Press,Agence France-Presse Associated Press,Agence France-Presse Snooker’s bid to enter the Olympic Games will be boosted by having back-to-back world champions from China, the sport’s top official said on Tuesday. Wu Yize beat Shaun Murphy 18-17 in a dramatic world championship final on Monday to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Zhao Xintong, who became Asia’s first world champion 12 months ago. Britain has long been snooker’s traditional stronghold but China, where there are around 300,000 recognised snooker clubs, is the growing force in the game,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3352530/snookers-push-get-olympics-gets-jolt-chinas-back-back-world-champions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3352530/snookers-push-get-olympics-gets-jolt-chinas-back-back-world-champions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 15:00:17 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan In the history of the game, there had only ever been one snooker world champion from China before Monday – then Wu Yize doubled that number at the Crucible Theatre in thrilling fashion. An 18-17 victory over Shaun Murphy, hailed as marking the “golden era of Chinese snooker”, has propelled the 22-year-old to superstardom in his home country, with the hashtag “Wu Yize wins the World Championship” getting 40 million views on social media platform Weibo, where it topped the list of trending topics... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3352481/meet-wu-yize-new-snooker-world-champion-marking-games-golden-era-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3352481/meet-wu-yize-new-snooker-world-champion-marking-games-golden-era-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 09:30:05 +0000 Associated Press,Agence France-Presse Associated Press,Agence France-Presse Wu Yize became snooker’s second straight world champion from China after beating Shaun Murphy in a dramatic final-frame decider at the Crucible Theatre on Monday. With his 18-17 victory, the 22-year-old Wu is the second-youngest winner of the worlds after Stephen Hendry at age 21 in 1990. Wu follows in the footsteps of Zhao Xintong, who 12 months ago became the first-ever champion from Asia in a milestone moment for a game whose stronghold has always been in Britain. “All of a sudden, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3352430/world-snooker-championship-chinas-wu-yize-wins-title-first-time-dramatic-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3352430/world-snooker-championship-chinas-wu-yize-wins-title-first-time-dramatic-final?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 02:07:37 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Wu Yize could become only the second Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship after establishing a 10-7 lead over Shaun Murphy on Sunday. A fiercely contested opening session at the Crucible Theatre saw both players end all square at 4-4. Wu, ranked 10th in the world, hit the ground running in the second session with breaks of 82 and 103 to move two frames ahead. Murphy, the world No 8, registered his first frame of the evening session with a break of 72, but his opponent duly... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3352302/chinas-wu-edges-ahead-murphy-final-world-snooker-championship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3352302/chinas-wu-edges-ahead-murphy-final-world-snooker-championship?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 01:12:14 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Wu Yize booked his spot in the World Championship final after beating Mark Allen, making him only the third Chinese player to achieve the milestone after Ding Junhui and Zhao Xintong. The Gansu native will face Shaun Murphy in the first two sessions of the showpiece match on Sunday, with play resuming shortly after lunch and in the evening on Monday local time. Wu, who had never won a match at the Crucible before this year, rode his luck in the semi-final after Allen had multiple opportunities... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3352269/wu-yize-still-battling-nerves-despite-reaching-final-world-championship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3352269/wu-yize-still-battling-nerves-despite-reaching-final-world-championship?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 09:21:48 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Wu Yize and Mark Allen have contested the longest frame in Crucible Theatre history during their World Championship semi-final, a 100 minutes and 21 seconds epic that was described variously as “horrendous” and “an embarrassment to snooker”. Chinese star Wu, 22, competing in the last four for the first time, saw his four-frame lead disappear at the outset of the second session, as Allen recovered from 6-2 down to lead 7-6, before the pair became locked in an interminable 14th frame. A 55-minute... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3352201/china-star-wu-yize-contests-embarrassing-and-horrendous-world-championship-frame?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3352201/china-star-wu-yize-contests-embarrassing-and-horrendous-world-championship-frame?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 02:30:35 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Chinese snooker rising star Wu Yize said he would need to do better both offensively and defensively after reaching the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship on Wednesday. A 13-8 win over Hossein Vafaei propelled the 2022 rookie of the year to the last four at the Crucible Theatre for the first time, where he will face Mark Allen, after the Northern Irishman edged past Barry Hawkins 13-11 in an earlier quarter-final. “I am delighted that I could play in a way that I truly enjoy in such a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3351974/world-snooker-championship-rising-china-star-wu-yize-reaches-last-4-zhao-xintong-ousted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3351974/world-snooker-championship-rising-china-star-wu-yize-reaches-last-4-zhao-xintong-ousted?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:04:29 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Only eight players are left standing at the Crucible Theatre after the conclusion of the second round of the World Snooker Championship, and chances are a new winner might emerge next Monday. Four current and former champions, John Higgins, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy and reigning champion Zhao Xintong, are all in the upper half of the draw while four others who have yet to win a world title are on the other side of the bracket. Picking up where he left off at the Crucible Theatre on Tuesday... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3351651/chinas-wu-yize-says-he-will-enjoy-next-match-world-snooker-championship-quarter-finals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3351651/chinas-wu-yize-says-he-will-enjoy-next-match-world-snooker-championship-quarter-finals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:00:16 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Zhao Xintong said he would never surpass the achievements of his idol Ding Junhui in promoting snooker in China after knocking him out of the World Snooker Championship. The defending champion, who is looking to become the first first-time winner to retain the world title at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, beat his compatriot 13-9 on Sunday after Ding had pulled to within one frame at 9-8. But Zhao, the world No 4, quickly snuffed out any danger by taking four of the next five frames, including a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3351507/world-snooker-championship-zhao-wins-chinese-showdown-ding-murphy-awaits-last-8?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3351507/world-snooker-championship-zhao-wins-chinese-showdown-ding-murphy-awaits-last-8?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 01:49:21 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Less than half of the record-breaking 11-strong Chinese contingent at the World Snooker Championship main draw have survived the opening round, and two of those left standing are poised for a blockbuster clash in front of a whopping global audience on Friday. The second-round match-up between reigning champion Zhao Xintong and trailblazer Ding Junhui is set to be a clash of the generations, one that could draw the biggest television audience in snooker history. The best-of-25-frames contest will... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3351350/world-snooker-championship-zhao-xintong-ding-junhui-clash-set-break-tv-viewing-records?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3351350/world-snooker-championship-zhao-xintong-ding-junhui-clash-set-break-tv-viewing-records?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Zhao Xintong has said he would rather become the first Chinese player to win the Triple Crown than successfully defend his World Snooker Championship title in Sheffield at the first attempt. Tournament top seed Zhao also said he believed winning his maiden ranking title at the 2021 UK Championship was as big a milestone as winning the Crucible crown last year. The world No 3 will begin his title defence against qualifier and Englishman Liam Highfield in the first round on Saturday. “For me, it... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3350326/zhao-believes-becoming-first-chinese-player-win-triple-crown-better-defending-world-title?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3350326/zhao-believes-becoming-first-chinese-player-win-triple-crown-better-defending-world-title?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:30:08 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Zhao Xintong has said he hopes to maintain his winning form for the defence of his World Snooker Championship title – a feat no first-time winner has been able to achieve at the Crucible. The Chinese snooker star made history last weekend when he won the Tour Championship to become the first player to win all three Players Series events in a single season, but the 29-year-old has a new challenge awaiting him in two weeks. Zhao’s sixth career ranking title came on Sunday after he defeated world... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3349188/chinese-star-zhao-xintong-hopes-continue-winning-run-world-snooker-championship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3349188/chinese-star-zhao-xintong-hopes-continue-winning-run-world-snooker-championship?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:00:55 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer Ronnie O’Sullivan has returned to Hong Kong to attend the opening of a snooker club he co-funded in the city, in his first such move since being granted residency under a migrant scheme. And the seven-time world champion suggested at Wednesday’s ceremony that when he retires from snooker, he could set his sights on becoming the best in Chinese eight-ball pool. Speaking at the JJ8 Club in Kwun Tong, O’Sullivan said that he was looking forward to returning to the city as part of his tournament... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3319321/ronnie-osullivan-sets-sights-chinese-8-ball-pool-he-opens-snooker-club-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3319321/ronnie-osullivan-sets-sights-chinese-8-ball-pool-he-opens-snooker-club-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 12:00:32 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle An ability to excel at snooker was once seen as the sign of a misspent youth. Not any more. Newly crowned king of cue sports, Zhao Xintong, collected a £500,000 (HK$5.19 million) prize after becoming China’s first world champion this month. He is now a national hero. The 28-year-old was mobbed by fans on his return to Shenzhen and spoke of his new, superstar status when visiting Hong Kong last week. His story, which includes involvement in a match-fixing scandal, is one of rise and fall and rise... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3310765/zhao-xintong-may-have-given-snooker-147-break-it-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3310765/zhao-xintong-may-have-given-snooker-147-break-it-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 May 2025 13:00:15 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Ronnie O’Sullivan has not necessarily abandoned plans to deepen his ties with Hong Kong by suggesting he may move to the Middle East, local snooker insiders have said. The seven-time world snooker champion obtained Hong Kong residency last October under the city’s Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, but this month said he may relocate to the Middle East from his long-term base in Essex, near London. “I might be back in six months,” the 49-year-old said. Noting that O’Sullivan had a snooker academy... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3310056/ronnie-osullivan-still-has-options-hong-kong-despite-middle-east-hint-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3310056/ronnie-osullivan-still-has-options-hong-kong-despite-middle-east-hint-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 May 2025 14:19:00 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer Zhao Xintong has said Hong Kong’s snooker hopefuls needed to live and train in the United Kingdom if they wanted to follow in his footsteps and one day become world champion. The first Asian to win the world title, the 28-year-old believed moving from Shenzhen to Sheffield at 17 to pursue his dream of being a professional had been key to his historic victory. Zhao, who spent three years washing dishes in a Chinese restaurant as he honed his craft, practises at Victoria’s Snooker Academy, which... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309429/world-champ-zhao-xintong-says-hong-kong-snooker-players-should-move-uk-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309429/world-champ-zhao-xintong-says-hong-kong-snooker-players-should-move-uk-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 May 2025 09:30:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial China has waited a long time for its first world snooker champion. Zhao Xintong’s stunning victory in the final made a dream come true and will have far-reaching consequences for the sport. Zhao beat Welsh star Mark Williams in style, winning 18-12 at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in England. He was given a standing ovation and waved the national flag. The 28-year-old had beaten seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, his mentor and a Hong Kong resident, in the semi-final. He showed great... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3309475/china-winner-zhao-snooker-glory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3309475/china-winner-zhao-snooker-glory?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 May 2025 22:45:08 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer Zhao Xintong has said he was still coming to came to terms with the “unimaginable” achievement of becoming world snooker champion, but that was not stopping him thinking about how to spend the £500,000 (HK$5.18 million) prize money. China’s newest sporting star claimed one of the game’s grandest titles in Sheffield on Monday, beating Mark Williams 18-12 to become the first Asian player to win at the Crucible Theatre. An estimated 150 million people watched in mainland China as Zhao beat the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309431/chinas-snooker-king-zhao-xintong-fame-wang-chuqin-and-blowing-prize-money-watches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309431/chinas-snooker-king-zhao-xintong-fame-wang-chuqin-and-blowing-prize-money-watches?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 May 2025 12:00:14 +0000 Mike Chan,Tom Bell Mike Chan,Tom Bell A curious footnote to Zhao Xintong’s triumph at the World Snooker Championship on Monday is that he remains banned from playing in China. He is forbidden to appear at events there, despite being free to compete in – and win – the world’s biggest tournaments. The origins lie in 2023, when Zhao was among 10 Chinese players banned in the sport’s biggest match-fixing scandal. An investigation found he had not fixed matches, but he was handed a global suspension of 30 months, reduced to 20 months,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309335/why-new-world-snooker-champion-zhao-xintong-cannot-play-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309335/why-new-world-snooker-champion-zhao-xintong-cannot-play-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 May 2025 00:45:08 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell Leading lights of snooker have lined up to hail the impact of Zhao Xintong’s World Championship triumph, with the governing body’s chief suggesting it would fuel a boom for the sport. A first for China and indeed Asia, Zhao’s success on Monday may have been applauded loudest in Shenzhen, where he was raised, and in Sheffield, the scene of the victory and his adoptive home. But the cueist nicknamed “The Cyclone” blew away his opponents with such force that it sent ripples right across the snooker... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309331/chinas-snooker-cyclone-zhao-xintong-earns-applause-forgiveness-and-national-hero-tag?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309331/chinas-snooker-cyclone-zhao-xintong-earns-applause-forgiveness-and-national-hero-tag?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 May 2025 22:45:08 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Chinese snooker trailblazer Ding Junhui has led the tributes at home after Zhao Xintong’s historic win at the World Snooker Championship, calling it their nation’s “shared dream”. Ding, who has often felt the pressure of expectation that he would be China’s first winner of the global crown, used social media to congratulate his compatriot on getting there first. “The darkness we once walked through, it was all so that people could see the light,” Ding wrote. “Today Zhao Xintong did it! What he... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309289/ding-junhui-leads-praise-china-snooker-champion-zhao-grants-nations-wish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309289/ding-junhui-leads-praise-china-snooker-champion-zhao-grants-nations-wish?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 May 2025 10:58:59 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell China’s Zhao Xintong has fulfilled his dazzling promise with a performance of rare dominance to win the World Snooker Championship, beating Mark Williams at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. It was a historic first triumph in the tournament for China. Watched by millions back home, the 28-year-old placed himself at the forefront of an exciting generation of young Chinese talent. The great Ronnie O’Sullivan once said Zhao had the ability to be snooker’s Roger Federer. That prospect looked in peril... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3309173/who-zhao-xintong-made-xian-and-shenzhen-chinas-world-snooker-champion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3309173/who-zhao-xintong-made-xian-and-shenzhen-chinas-world-snooker-champion?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 May 2025 01:30:26 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell Zhao Xintong completed China’s arrival as a snooker powerhouse by becoming its first winner of the World Championship in England late on Monday. An 18-12 defeat of Mark Williams in the final at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre clinched a breakthrough triumph for Zhao that promises to inspire future generations in his home country – now snooker’s biggest market. Resuming with a 17-8 lead and needing one more frame to complete victory, the 28-year-old proceeded to lose the first four to his veteran... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309144/world-snooker-championship-final-zhao-xintong-chases-victory-over-mark-williams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309144/world-snooker-championship-final-zhao-xintong-chases-victory-over-mark-williams?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 May 2025 12:50:44 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell Zhao Xintong moved seven frames away from becoming the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship by building an 11-6 lead over veteran Mark Williams on Sunday’s opening day of the final. The 28-year-old Zhang left three-time world champion Williams playing catch-up after he made a blistering start to take the first session 7-1 at the Crucible Theatre. But the 50-year-old Williams, bidding to become snooker’s oldest world champion, fought back during the evening session. His... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309041/world-snooker-championship-final-zhao-xintong-makes-flying-start-against-mark-williams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3309041/world-snooker-championship-final-zhao-xintong-makes-flying-start-against-mark-williams?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 May 2025 13:29:14 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell Zhao Xintong stands one victory away from becoming China’s first winner of the World Snooker Championship after a stunning semi-final defeat of Ronnie O’Sullivan. The 28-year-old Zhao thrashed the seven-time champion 17-7 at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre late on Friday to progress to the final, which will take place on Sunday and Monday. A scarcely believable first Friday session had gone 8-0 in Zhao’s favour, giving him a 12-4 lead in the best-of-33 contest and setting him up to close out one of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3308912/zhao-xintong-beats-ronnie-osullivan-reach-world-snooker-championship-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3308912/zhao-xintong-beats-ronnie-osullivan-reach-world-snooker-championship-final?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 May 2025 20:26:08 +0000 Zhao Xintong will be among a record number of Chinese players at the Halo World Snooker Championship when it begins this weekend, and Thursday’s draw revealed who the country’s 10 representatives will face. Two were handed especially tough starts, with Lei Peifan facing defending champion Kyren Wilson in Saturday’s opening session, and Zhou Yuelong drawn against world No 1 Judd Trump. Hong Kong resident Trump will fly the flag alone for the city after Wang Yuchen fell at the final qualifying... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3306920/world-snooker-championship-10-chinese-players-learn-draw-zhao-xintong-face-jak-jones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3306920/world-snooker-championship-10-chinese-players-learn-draw-zhao-xintong-face-jak-jones?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Apr 2025 08:38:57 +0000 Prestigious tennis and snooker tournaments have been among the many elite sports events hosted by Hong Kong in recent months. Snooker’s World Grand Prix, at the new Kai Tak Sports Park, attracted the world’s leading players. Tennis fans, meanwhile, enjoyed the Hong Kong Open men’s tournament in January, one of three international competitions hosted by the city each year. But the two sports were facing demotion from their Tier A status, which would have led to a devastating cut in government... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3306248/winning-decision-tennis-and-snooker-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3306248/winning-decision-tennis-and-snooker-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Apr 2025 22:30:06 +0000 Former world snooker champion Terry Griffiths has died at the age of 77 after battling dementia, his family confirmed on Sunday. Griffiths claimed the world title in 1979 and went on to win the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982, to complete the snooker “Triple Crown”. The Welshman remained at the top of his game throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, reaching at least the quarter-finals of the World Championships nine years in a row and the final in 1988. He retired from playing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3288943/former-snooker-world-champion-terry-griffiths-father-hong-kong-coach-wayne-dies-77?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3288943/former-snooker-world-champion-terry-griffiths-father-hong-kong-coach-wayne-dies-77?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Dec 2024 05:39:02 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer English snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan says he is “blown away” every time he visits China, a country he calls “the greatest place on Earth”. Days after taking up Hong Kong residency, the seven-time world champion is in Nanjing this week for the International Championship. A 6-2 win over He Guoqiang got him into the third round on Monday, before he suffered a shock defeat in the last 32 on Tuesday, losing 6-4 to rising Chinese star Pang Junxu. Widely regarded as one of the greatest snooker... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3285293/ronnie-osullivan-continues-chinese-love-affair-says-country-greatest-place-earth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3285293/ronnie-osullivan-continues-chinese-love-affair-says-country-greatest-place-earth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Nov 2024 10:30:09 +0000 Repeats of the Chinese snooker match-fixing scandal can be prevented partly through less short-termism and not driving teenage players so hard, the country’s No 1 Ding Junhui has said. Last year’s bans handed to 10 Chinese players, two of them for life, for fixing and betting offences represented the worst instance of corruption in the sport’s history. The investigation halted several promising careers, bringing down potential future world champions in Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong, as well as... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3260864/chinese-snooker-match-fixing-ding-junhui-suggests-change-mindset-help-prevent-repeat-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3260864/chinese-snooker-match-fixing-ding-junhui-suggests-change-mindset-help-prevent-repeat-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 May 2024 00:00:26 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell Snooker’s world No 1 Ronnie O’Sullivan said he had no complaints with last month’s criticised exhibition event in Hong Kong, while China’s Ding Junhui expressed his interest in joining any future tournament in the city. The Hong Kong Snooker All-Star Challenge at Queen Elizabeth Stadium, which featured O’Sullivan and a host of other leading players, was marred by chaos that included fans paying HK$3,380 for top-level tickets that did not give them a view of the table. However, speaking during... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3260471/ronnie-osullivan-says-good-event-hong-kong-despite-ticket-fiasco-and-chinas-ding-junhui-wants-play?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3260471/ronnie-osullivan-says-good-event-hong-kong-despite-ticket-fiasco-and-chinas-ding-junhui-wants-play?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Apr 2024 09:30:18 +0000 Ding Junhui begins his 18th snooker World Championship on Tuesday still chasing an elusive first crown for China, but with a healthier approach to expectation that includes his beloved Manchester United. Arguably the second-best player, behind Jimmy White, not to have lifted the global title, Ding remains a genuine contender in his long-time hometown of Sheffield, provided he can keep his overburdened and occasionally tortured younger self at bay. The 37-year-old cuts a more relaxed figure these... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3259944/what-links-manchester-uniteds-beckham-ronaldo-best-ding-junhui-chinese-snooker-ace-eyes-crucible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3259944/what-links-manchester-uniteds-beckham-ronaldo-best-ding-junhui-chinese-snooker-ace-eyes-crucible?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Apr 2024 23:30:27 +0000 China’s Zhang Anda said the pressure got to him after he followed defending champion Luca Brecel out of snooker’s Cazoo World Championship in Sheffield. On an opening weekend when outsiders stole the show, world No 11 Zhang was far from his best against Jak Jones of Wales. He arrived as his country’s second-highest seed after Ding Junhui at No 7, but lost Sunday’s second session at the Crucible Theatre by the same 5-2 margin as the first to crash out 10-4. The 32-year-old from Guangdong province... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3259777/world-snooker-championship-crucible-curse-claims-another-victim-holder-brecel-crashes-out-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3259777/world-snooker-championship-crucible-curse-claims-another-victim-holder-brecel-crashes-out-first?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Apr 2024 01:32:36 +0000 Chinese snooker sensation Si Jiahui continued his remarkable World Championship debut by surging into an 11-5 semi-final lead over Luca Brecel on Friday. The 20-year-old needs just six more frames for victory when the match resumes later on Friday as he bids to become the youngest finalist at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. He could also become the first debutant world champion since Terry Griffiths back in 1979 and the first Chinese player to win the trophy. Compatriot Ding Junhui reached the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3218663/chinas-si-jiahui-takes-lead-world-snooker-championship-semi-finals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3218663/chinas-si-jiahui-takes-lead-world-snooker-championship-semi-finals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Apr 2023 02:23:22 +0000 China’s Si Jiahui continued his incredible run at snooker’s World Championship in Sheffield, edging a nail-biter against Anthony McGill to become the first debutant to reach the semi-finals in their first appearance at the tournament. Si kept his cool in a back-and-forth clash to win a deciding late-night frame for a 13-12 victory against the 32-year-old Scot, who was playing his third quarter-final in four years. The 20-year-old Si will now face Luca Brecel in the last four – his first ever... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3218524/world-snooker-championship-chinas-si-jiahui-continues-stunning-run-reach-semis-after-anthony-mcgill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3218524/world-snooker-championship-chinas-si-jiahui-continues-stunning-run-reach-semis-after-anthony-mcgill?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Apr 2023 03:30:37 +0000 Chinese debutant Si Jiahui beat Robert Milkins 13-7 to cruise into the quarter-finals of the World Championship on Monday. Leading 11-5 overnight, Si needed just two frames from the afternoon session in Sheffield, and took a scrappy opener before Milkins rallied with breaks of 69 and 55. However, a missed red into the top corner by the Englishman allowed Si to wrap up his win with a superb break of 105. The 20-year-old will face Anthony McGill or Jack Lisowski in the last eight. “I can’t believe... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3218107/world-snooker-championship-higgins-storms-17th-quarter-finals-while-chinas-si-jiahui-extends-second?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3218107/world-snooker-championship-higgins-storms-17th-quarter-finals-while-chinas-si-jiahui-extends-second?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Apr 2023 04:15:25 +0000 While most UK mobile phones sounded a jarring alarm just before 3pm local time on Sunday, users on some networks did not receive the widely flagged test of a new emergency warning system. “A very small proportion of mobile users on some networks did not receive it and we will be looking at this as part of our review of the test,” the government said after the test. Some notifications also arrived before the expected time. The Three network said it was aware of some customers who did not get the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3218084/uk-says-some-mobile-users-did-not-receive-emergency-alert-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3218084/uk-says-some-mobile-users-did-not-receive-emergency-alert-test?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Apr 2023 22:50:12 +0000 China’s Si Jiahui has been tipped become his country’s first world champion after his stunning first round victory over Shaun Murphy in Sheffield, in a game the 20-year-old said he “didn’t really play to win”. Si held his nerve in a back-and-forth tussle at the Crucible with the 2005 winner, eventually coming out on top in a deciding frame on Thursday to beat the world No 4, 10-9. Ranked 76 places below his opponent, Si produced a major upset by knocking out one of the pre-tournament favourites... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3217829/world-snooker-championship-chinas-si-tipped-win-it-all-after-stunning-victory-over-shaun-murphy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3217829/world-snooker-championship-chinas-si-tipped-win-it-all-after-stunning-victory-over-shaun-murphy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Apr 2023 04:21:17 +0000 Tom Bell,Chan Kin-wa Tom Bell,Chan Kin-wa The race to reach the Crucible is over, with five of China’s players having earned places in the main draw for this month’s World Snooker Championship despite the absence of its leading lights Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao because of match-fixing charges. A final round of preliminary matches on Tuesday and Wednesday – dubbed Judgment Day, even if there were two of them – decided who would progress to the tournament proper, which starts this Saturday in Sheffield. China’s Pang Junxu, Si Jiahui, Wu... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3216885/world-snooker-championship-4-chinese-players-reach-crucible-judgement-day-join-ding-main-draw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3216885/world-snooker-championship-4-chinese-players-reach-crucible-judgement-day-join-ding-main-draw?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Apr 2023 06:00:27 +0000 The battle to qualify for the Cazoo World Snooker Championship reached the midway point of its third round of four with 12 Chinese players still in the hunt. Already into the final round was Zhang Anda, after he followed his victory over much-hyped 16-year-old Stan Moody by eliminating compatriot Xiao Guodong 10-5. Also there is Cao Yupeng, who beat Ben Woollaston 10-6 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. The all-China tie between Tian Pengfei and Wu Yize guaranteed one more mainland... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3216483/world-snooker-championship-qualifying-12-chinese-players-still-crucible-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3216483/world-snooker-championship-qualifying-12-chinese-players-still-crucible-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2023 13:50:50 +0000 The 10 Chinese snooker players facing charges over alleged match-fixing are to miss the rest of the season, including the World Championship, after their disciplinary hearing was scheduled to start next month, during the global event. Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao – who would have been contenders for the title as they vied to become China’s first world champion – must miss the tournament in Sheffield as a consequence, along with the other accused players. Their hearing will begin on April 24, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3212183/snooker-match-fixing-scandal-10-chinese-players-including-zhao-xintong-and-yan-bingtao-miss-crucible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3212183/snooker-match-fixing-scandal-10-chinese-players-including-zhao-xintong-and-yan-bingtao-miss-crucible?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Mar 2023 03:40:00 +0000 China’s wait for its first winner of snooker’s World Championship continues after Yan Bingtao was edged out by Mark Williams in a tense quarter-final. It was the closest a Chinese player had come to landing the sport’s greatest prize since Ding Junhui reached the semi-finals in 2017, and Yan’s performance in losing 13-11 hinted he may one day go a step or two further. Adrift at 6-2 down after the first session, the 22-year-old responded by dominating the second by the same margin. He then led... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3175828/world-championship-2022-chinas-wait-continues-after-yan-bingtaos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3175828/world-championship-2022-chinas-wait-continues-after-yan-bingtaos?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Apr 2022 07:36:55 +0000 Experience has ruled the baize in recent years, leaving relative rookie Yan Bingtao of China cast in the role of outlier as the World Championship moved towards its business end on Tuesday. Yan was a lone 20-something in the company of quarter-finalists with 15 world titles between them, of which three were held by his last-eight opponent Mark Williams. The Welshman duly schooled him 6-2 in their opening session. Old enough at 47 to be 22-year-old Yan’s father, Williams joined the professional... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3175608/world-championship-2022-yan-bingtao-playing-catch-against-mark?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3175608/world-championship-2022-yan-bingtao-playing-catch-against-mark?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Apr 2022 14:27:26 +0000 When seasoned snooker insiders said China’s Yan Bingtao had what it took to flourish in the World Championship’s longer match format, they could hardly have imagined this. Yan had to endure the longest frame since the tournament moved to the Crucible in 1977 – clocking in at a gruelling 85 minutes – to outlast a typically obstinate Mark Selby overnight and beat the defending champion 13-10. In comfortably less time than it took Yan and Selby to contest the 22nd frame, Tyson Fury and Dillian... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3175346/yan-bingtao-very-tired-he-survives-85-minute-frame-crucibles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3175346/yan-bingtao-very-tired-he-survives-85-minute-frame-crucibles?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Apr 2022 08:02:49 +0000 These are unprecedented times. A pigeon interrupted the match between China’s Yan Bingtao and England’s Mark Selby at the snooker World Championship in Sheffield, but Yan himself was the chief disrupter as he led the reigning champion after two sessions. The feathered one’s entrance during the second-round clash was an unexpected first for the Crucible Theatre, which in 40-plus years as tournament venue had witnessed snooker upsets, dozing spectators, water spillages and a streaker or two but... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3175313/world-championship-2022-chinas-yan-bingtao-homing-victory-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3175313/world-championship-2022-chinas-yan-bingtao-homing-victory-over?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Apr 2022 14:55:37 +0000 And then there were three. Ding Junhui began his World Championship campaign on Wednesday with two fellow Chinese players already through to the second round, and he was in the hunt to join them after the first session of his clash with Kyren Wilson. Hours earlier, Yan Bingtao had followed compatriot Zhao Xintong into the last 16, but China lost one of its four representatives at the Crucible as Lyu Haotian fell by the wayside. A losing finalist in 2016, Ding had to come through the qualifying... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3174941/world-championship-2022-ding-junhui-shows-signs-his-old-self?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3174941/world-championship-2022-ding-junhui-shows-signs-his-old-self?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Apr 2022 13:39:53 +0000 China’s Zhao Xintong secured his first ever win at the Crucible on Sunday, after outclassing Jamie Clarke 10-2 over the weekend in Sheffield. The reigning UK and German masters champion will face either Shaun Murphy or Stephen Maguire in the second round of the World Championship. Zhao led 7-2 overnight, and finished the job quickly in Sunday’s morning session. He wrapped up the victory in just three hours, with two centuries and six half centuries, becoming only the eighth Chinese player to win... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3174576/chinas-zhao-xintong-will-win-world-snooker-championship-within-five?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3174576/chinas-zhao-xintong-will-win-world-snooker-championship-within-five?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Apr 2022 11:11:32 +0000 Four Chinese players are in the draw as the 2022 World Snooker Championship begins in Sheffield on Saturday, with at least two of them looking well placed to progress. Ding Junhui, Yan Bingtao, Zhao Xintong and Lyu Haotian are the quartet carrying China’s hopes, with Zhao the first to join the fray on days one and two of the 17-day event. As they break off at the Crucible Theatre, we take a closer look at the Chinese contenders’ prospects. Ding Junhui Age 35 World ranking 29 Nickname Enter The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3174497/chinas-4-contenders-2022-world-snooker-championship-who-are-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3174497/chinas-4-contenders-2022-world-snooker-championship-who-are-they?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Apr 2022 09:25:07 +0000