World Snooker Championship 2025 LIVE RESULTS: Action on NOW with Allen on brink of EXIT, Higgins in TENSE battle
John Higgins is currently locked in a tense battle with Xiao Guodong, while Mark Allen will have to come back from 6-2 down against Chris Wakelin.
Last night, four-time Crucible champion Mark Selby was knocked out by his friend Ben Woollaston.
Ronnie O'Sullivan will have to wait until Saturday to resume his campaign as he faces Pang Junxu in the second round.
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Daily Mirror
18 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Ronnie O'Sullivan's actions speak volumes as Neil Robertson denies him £500,000 jackpot
Neil Robertson has opened up on his relationship with Ronnie O'Sullivan, who he beat in a thrilling Saudi Arabia Masters final at the weekend to clinch a £500,000 payday and surge in the snooker rankings Neil Robertson has shared details of his "incredibly special" bond with Ronnie O'Sullivan. It comes after the Australian ace edged past the seven-time world champion to claim the Saudi Arabia Masters crown at the weekend. Robertson was forced to dig deep and showcase his finest form to overcome the 'Rocket' in a nail-biting finale that concluded 10-9 in Robertson's favour. Despite engaging in some fiery encounters on the green baize throughout their careers, Robertson has shed light on his friendship with one of snooker's all-time greats beyond the sport. Discussing O'Sullivan, the 43-year-old said: "He calls me pretty frequently. He wants to see me win more world titles and more tournaments, he really wants to see me do well. "To have that kind of relationship with him is incredibly special. He's one of the inspirations for me. Growing up as a kid, there's no way I would have thought as a 14 or 15-year-old that I'll be competing against Ronnie in major finals or I'll be where I am today 30 years later." Reflecting on the thrilling finale he experienced with O'Sullivan on Saturday, Robertson also confessed that he needed to produce his absolute best to emerge triumphant against the persistent danger posed by the 49-year-old. He added: "It's got to go down as one of the greatest finals of all time. "To be a part of that and to be on the right side of it as well. I also believe if he's playing anyone else in the world, then he probably wins today. I think from 7-2 to 7-7. I'm not too Judd [Trump] or Kyren [Wilson] could possibly withstand that. "To be able to withstand the pressure and to be the first person who stood up to him this week when he's come back like an absolute freight train, that's more pleasing than if I went on to win the match 10-4 or 10-5. To win it in this way from 9-8 down and the two breaks I made the last two frames, just amazing." It proved a nail-biting encounter in Jeddah as Robertson established a commanding 7-2 advantage only to discover himself trailing 9-8 following a stunning comeback from O'Sullivan. The Thunder from Down-Under then managed to pip O'Sullivan with a thrilling 10-9 victory to claim a £500,000 jackpot and rocket to third in the world rankings, now hot on the heels of Trump and Wilson. Whilst Robertson claimed the same amount that Zhao Xintong banked for capturing the World Snooker Championship earlier this year, O'Sullivan still secured a decent £200,000 windfall of his own as runner-up. He will now switch his focus to his British Open qualification battle with Lam Sanderson on Friday evening.
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Conjuror O'Sullivan remains snooker's unmissable showman whether winning or not
When Zhao Xintong beat Ronnie O'Sullivan and went on to win the World Championship earlier this year there was much talk of changing of guards and passing of torches, but just wait one second, ladies and gentlemen. The Rocket was a shadow of his brilliant best at the Crucible in April, but still made the semi-finals quite comfortably before being blown away by the Cyclone in a heavy 17-7 defeat. Even in a bruising, one-sided loss O'Sullivan was a unique spectacle as he changed his ferrule and tip mid-match, seen as a wild risk of a man who felt he had little to lose given how he was playing. The match was lost and maybe some confidence as the Rocket mused on if there was much point on playing on if that was now his level of performance. Zhao became a new superstar with his Sheffield triumph but there is no question who remained the headline act of the game, the only question was whether O'Sullivan's snooker would continue to match his status. A brief cameo at the Shanghai Masters earlier this summer suggested he was getting somewhere, without fully blasting back towards his best. This week the Rocket landed at one of his new favourites places, Saudi Arabia, and he brought his most spectacular stuff with him. Even when O'Sullivan was winning events regularly a couple of seasons ago, performances were often efficient rather than effervescent. It looked like that might be the case again in Jeddah in early wins over Joe O'Connor and Chang Bingyu, but the dramatic 6-5 quarter-final victory over world number two Kyren Wilson gave the Rocket the confidence to unpack his bag of tricks and put on a show. What followed was as good a performance as you will see on a snooker table in his semi-final with Chris Wakelin. A 147 was his very first contribution to the match, followed by a 142. Wakelin, to his immense credit, kept his head from spinning to fight back to 3-3, but then came the second fireworks display. Another 147 was magicked up in the seventh frame, a 67 followed and the final party piece was a 134 to wrap up the match 6-3. It was absurd snooker. It is the likes you hear of in tales from practice rooms but not the kind you see in ranking event semi-finals with £100,000 the difference between winning and losing. In making the first 147, the 16th of his career, O'Sullivan became the oldest player to knock in a maximum at 49 years old. He broke his own record by a couple of hours later in the evening with his 17th. Not even O'Sullivan could replicate that wizardry in the final, but he could again put on a memorable show in a different way. Neil Robertson finished the first session of the showpiece 6-2 ahead and then won the first frame of the evening. This was not in the script for the Rocket's global fan club. But in front or behind, a burst of brilliance is always within reach. Breaks of 139, 97, 89, 57 and 80 in consecutive frames and the score was 7-7 in no time at all, the Aussie barely believing what was happening. 'I've never experienced anything like that before in my life,' Robertson said of Ronnie's rearguard romp. The Thunder from Down Under is not one to wilt either and it was he who eventually got over the line in a deciding frame, a 10-9 winner. Winning or losing at this stage of the Rocket's career, what difference does it make, really? Long cemented as the sport's GOAT and most successful player, would another trinket from Saudi add to his legacy? No. An eighth World Championship title would, such is the cachet of the Crucible crown, but really any other title is just another bauble on the world's best-decorated Christmas tree. One more sausage on the planet's biggest mixed grill. What feels more important now is that O'Sullivan is still absolutely must-see TV, the hottest ticket in town. Certainly of the relatively small town of snooker, but even of the vast metropolis of British sport. Liverpool opened the Premier League season in a thrilling win over Bournemouth at the same time O'Sullivan played Wakelin on Friday night and social media felt as rocked by the Rocket as it was by the Reds. You cannot turn off even during his relatively lean spells because there remains unmatchable magnificence ready to come out at any stage. Others have magic in their cues. Judd Trump and Zhao can conjure up dazzling spells, but no one can bewitch like the Essex Exocet, even as the sorcerer approaches his 50th birthday. More Trending This is not a veteran grimly hanging on, trying to replicate his glory days. We are still lounging in the sunshine of his glory days. 'I've never played that well in a match before,' O'Sullivan said of his semi-final masterclass. If that's what he can do four months shy of 50, after already compiling the greatest CV in snooker, then the Ronnie O'Sullivan show looks set to enchant and delight fans for many years to come. Others will win more tournaments, but snooker's shining light is not ready to pass his torch yet. MORE: Why Neil Robertson conquering Ronnie O'Sullivan in Saudi Arabia is his 'best win' MORE: Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters 2025 results, schedule, TV channel and prize money MORE: Ronnie O'Sullivan heaps praise on rival: 'Like playing Hendry in his prime'
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Neil Robertson reveals £500k Saudi Snooker Masters win almost derailed by taxi taking him to the wrong place
NEIL ROBERTSON has revealed how taxi troubles almost derailed his £500,000 desert title tilt. The Australian claimed his 10-9 victory over Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters was his 'greatest achievement', which surpasses his world title triumph 15 years ago. 1 Money-wise, the win in Jeddah was DOUBLE what he earned for being the King of the Crucible in 2010, representing a jackpot of half a million pounds. Yet clumsy Robbo, 43, has had a habit of woes connected to planes, trains and automobiles and that was the case last week while in the oil-rich nation. This is the same bloke who once drove to the wrong Barnsley (in Gloucestershire) and Sheffield (in Cornwall) instead of events in South Yorkshire. The new world No.3 – who credits coach Joe Perry for transforming his game – said: 'I had a couple of funny stories with the courtesy cars out here. 'One day, we couldn't get one and we got an Uber. I had the pin location for the venue. We're in the Uber, it's the most straightforward drive. 'And he goes to Joe and I: 'Oh, which arena do you want to go to?' 'Both of us didn't have any signal on our phones. I said: 'Just go to the point on the pin.' 'This was like Germany a few years ago where my taxi driver actually drove to the wrong venue. 'I said to Joe: 'This stuff just happens to me. You know these times when I drive to the wrong place – it's not my fault.' 'Ahead of the final, I booked a courtesy car and we're waiting outside the hotel and he's not turned up – because he drove to the venue instead of the hotel. Stuart Bingham hailed by commentator for classy act during Neil Robertson match 'I'm telling you, all these things, they're not all my fault! 'So it was lucky we planned to get to the venue so early, which allowed me to get here an hour before. 'Probably 18 months ago, I'd have planned to get here 45 minutes before and then I'm preparing for the final with five minutes practice.' HELPING HAND Robertson failed to qualify for the 2024 World Snooker Championship – he claims he reached 'right to the bottom' of the sport – and ended up working for the BBC TV commentary team instead. This latest 'good-feel story' signals a huge 'rebound' in his career that he hopes is an inspiration to other pros who have fallen on hard times. He credits Perry – a former top-10 player – and Cambridge-based sports psychologist Helen Davis for rebuilding his confidence. Some of the mammoth winnings will be spent on his new hobby of golf, which takes up most of his free time. The Thunder from Down Under said: 'I'm going to get a new set of golf clubs, mate. I'm due an upgrade. I've outgrown the set I got last year. 'And hopefully membership at another golf course as well. I'm a member at the Cambridge Country Club. 'But I also want to be a member of Gog Magog where they have the Open qualifying. 'Hopefully the guys working there have seen this result and I might get bumped in front of the queue, because it's a three-year waiting list.' RELATIONSHIP WITH ROCKET O'Sullivan, who gets a £147,000 bonus for hitting two 147s in the semi-final, made an error in the final, 19th frame that allowed Robertson to clinch the sport's fourth major. The Rocket, 49, is using a new cue this season but he has already shown he is going to be a significant contender for the top events. Robertson added: 'Ronnie calls me pretty frequently. He wants to see me win more world titles and more tournaments. 'He really wants to see me do well. So to have that kind of relationship with him is incredibly special. 'He's one of the inspirations for me growing up as a kid. There's no way I'd have thought as a 14-year-old I'll be competing against Ronnie in major finals. 'Or I'll be where I am today over nearly 30 years later. 'It's got to go down as one of the greatest finals of all time. I've certainly had my fair share of good results in big finals when they've gone close and you know this is another one.'
