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The Irish Sun
02-08-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Shanghai Masters SUSPENDED mid-match with Kyren Wilson and Zhao Xintong leaving arena
THE SECOND semi-final of the Shanghai Masters was delayed by up to seven minutes after the arena scoreboard broke down. The first prestigious tournament of the new snooker season descended into farcical scenes when 3 Kyren Wilson locked horns with world champion Zhao Xintong in the second Shanghai Masters semi-final Credit: GETTY 3 Their clash was briefly suspended and both players left the arena Credit: GETTY 3 Play was suspended fans in attendance at home couldn't see the live scoreboard Credit: DISCOVERY It occurred in frame ten in the evening session in front of a packed house at the Luwan Gymnasium. Xintong, the reigning world champion, had just missed the black off its spot with the score 23-0 in his favour – he was also 5-4 up in the contest – and this forced the home fans to gasp in surprise. But as he returned to his chair, The 2024 world champion, 33, called out: 'Zhao, can we wait? Can we wait, yeah?' READ MORE IN SNOOKER When the female referee came over for a chat, the Warrior said: 'It's no good. 'I would rather wait for the scoring (to return). It's not good for the fans because the fans can't see the score.' Shall we say how long it takes?' The Chinese ref said that because the match was being broadcast on live TV it was not a given that the players could simply wait around. She then spoke to the tournament director and it was decided the two cueists would be allowed to go backstage for a quick break. Most read in Snooker SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN List of all-time Snooker World Champions BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year. The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport. The first World Championships ran from 1927 - with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport. Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period. 1969 - John Spencer 1970 - 1971 - John Spencer 1972 - Alex Higgins 1973 - Ray Reardon (2) 1974 - Ray Reardon (3) 1975 - Ray Reardon (4) 1976 - Ray Reardon (5) 1977 - John Spencer (2) 1978 - Ray Reardon (6) 1979 - Terry Griffiths 1980 - Cliff Thorburn 1981 - 1982 - Alex Higgins (2) 1983 - Steve Davis (2) 1984 - Steve Davis (3) 1985 - 1986 - Joe Johnson 1987 - Steve Davis (4) 1988 - Steve Davis (5) 1989 - Steve Davis (6) 1990 - 1991 - John Parrott 1992 - Stephen Hendry (2) 1993 - Stephen Hendry (3) 1994 - Stephen Hendry (4) 1995 - Stephen Hendry (5) 1996 - Stephen Hendry (6) 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - Stephen Hendry (7) 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - Mark Williams (2) 2004 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) 2005 - Shaun Murphy 2006 - Graeme Dott 2007 - John Higgins (2) 2008 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (3) 2009 - John Higgins (3) 2010 - Neil Robertson 2011 - John Higgins (4) 2012 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (4) 2013 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - Mark Selby (2) 2017 - Mark Selby (3) 2018 - Mark Williams (3) 2019 - 2020 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (6) 2021 - Mark Selby (4) 2022 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (7) 2023 - 2024 - 2025 - Most World Titles (modern era) 7 - Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O'Sullivan 6 - Ray Reardon, Steve Davis 4 - John Higgins, Mark Selby 3 - John Spencer, Mark Williams 2 - Alex Higgins In the end, there were six-and-a-half minutes between the missed shot played by Xintong and then Wilson's attempt at a red, which he potted. As the break began, David Hendon, the respected discovery+ snooker commentator, said: 'It's no good this, is it? Let's be honest. Kyren Wilson rolls his eyes at World Snooker Championship announcer live on BBC as 'curse' is instantly brought up 'This is a big, big match, the players just want to play it. Now they are going off. 'The thing is this, it's not between frames, there has been a session that has been finished. So why isn't the scoreboard working for the next session? 'I don't think it is unreasonable to ask that. For now the players have gone off. "Hopefully, the delay won't be too long. We are looking forward to seeing how this session pans out.' Alan McManus, the former Masters champion, who was working on co-comms duty, suggested that they could continue with the ref verbally relaying the scores. Zhao, can we wait? Can we wait, yeah?" Kyren Wilson to Zhao Xintong The Scotsman, 54, said: 'It's far from ideal. You can have a contingency. 'I must confess, it's easy sitting here. I would say that whichever player has a visit, you tell them 'you are 16-0 behind'. 'And we call the break as you go. So it's easier to compute. It's not ideal.' There was then the bizarre scene of 11 red balls being scattered around the table but with two empty chairs as the issue was being looked into. During the delay, discovery+ TV producers played a montage of the top 10 shots of 2025 as they waited for the Chinese administrators to sort it out.
The Irish Sun
29-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Former snooker world champion Kyren Wilson misses out on moment of history by trying ‘silly' no-look shot
CHEEKY Kyren Wilson says he has no regrets over missing a 'silly no-look' black-ball shot - and failing to set a match-century record. The former world snooker champion came from 3-1 down to beat Chinese world No15 Si Jiahui 6-5 in a final-frame decider in round two of the Shanghai Masters. Advertisement 3 Kyren Wilson was in action at the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday Credit: GETTY 3 The Kettering cueist baffled snooker fans with a no-look black shot which went awry Credit: TNT SPORTS 3 Wilson has no regrets over the botched shot Credit: GETTY It was a high-scoring, high-quality affair as the Warrior, 33, hit breaks of 120, 114 and 114 while Si, 23, notched in 124, 139 and, in the penultimate frame, a 127. Six centuries is the highest number seen in a professional match which is the best-of-11 frames. It had happened twice before – the first time was Judd Trump versus Neil Robertson in the Masters 2016 quarter-finals. And the other occasion involved Aussie Robertson against Leicester's Advertisement READ MORE SNOOKER NEWS Unknowingly, history books . He was on 97 and about to sink the final black off its spot as the crowd at the Luwan Gymnasium hollered in the background. Yet instead of rolling it as he had done countless times in practice and matches, the Kettering cueist turned his head sideward and played an exhibition shot. It was his way of entertaining the fans and some laughed as he went for the audacious attempt, which he missed badly. Advertisement Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN List of all-time Snooker World Champions BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year. The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport. The first World Championships ran from 1927 - with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport. Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period. 1969 - John Spencer 1970 - 1971 - John Spencer 1972 - Alex Higgins 1973 - Ray Reardon (2) 1974 - Ray Reardon (3) 1975 - Ray Reardon (4) 1976 - Ray Reardon (5) 1977 - John Spencer (2) 1978 - Ray Reardon (6) 1979 - Terry Griffiths 1980 - Cliff Thorburn 1981 - 1982 - Alex Higgins (2) 1983 - Steve Davis (2) 1984 - Steve Davis (3) 1985 - 1986 - Joe Johnson 1987 - Steve Davis (4) 1988 - Steve Davis (5) 1989 - Steve Davis (6) 1990 - 1991 - John Parrott 1992 - Stephen Hendry (2) 1993 - Stephen Hendry (3) 1994 - Stephen Hendry (4) 1995 - Stephen Hendry (5) 1996 - Stephen Hendry (6) 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - Stephen Hendry (7) 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - Mark Williams (2) 2004 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) 2005 - Shaun Murphy 2006 - Graeme Dott 2007 - John Higgins (2) 2008 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (3) 2009 - John Higgins (3) 2010 - Neil Robertson 2011 - John Higgins (4) 2012 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (4) 2013 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - Mark Selby (2) 2017 - Mark Selby (3) 2018 - Mark Williams (3) 2019 - 2020 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (6) 2021 - Mark Selby (4) 2022 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (7) 2023 - 2024 - 2025 - Most World Titles (modern era) 7 - Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O'Sullivan 6 - Ray Reardon, Steve Davis 4 - John Higgins, Mark Selby 3 - John Spencer, Mark Williams 2 - Alex Higgins But he was told afterwards that had it gone in, it would have set a new high for a match of that duration. In response, Wilson replied: 'Oh, no! Oh, really! Yeah, I did the silly no-look thing. Kyren Wilson hints at major snooker change just days after being latest victim of Crucible World 'Especially in China , I feel like it's blowing up here. A lot of it is about doing things differently to other players. Advertisement 'So, you have got to have a little bit of fun. I tried to have a bit of fun with the no-look blacks. 'The crowd really appreciated that sort of thing. They like to see a little bit of character from the players. 'Disappointed that it has not broken the record because I didn't know that. But an amazing game to be involved in. 'Nearly every frame had a break over 70 or 80. It was crazy. Just so happy I have managed to win.' Advertisement Asked if he would have done anything differently had he known about the seventh century prospect, Wilson said: 'No chance. No chance. 'I still would do it. It's about doing things a little bit differently. I tried to have a bit of fun with the no-look blacks." Kyren Wilson "We are stepping into a modern era in snooker. 'It's nice to see someone do something a little bit different. Advertisement 'Up until the deciding frame or frame before, Si missed one ball and that was in the first frame, which you can forgive a player for doing that. 'After that, he was relentless. Some of the balls he knocks in are frightening. It puts the frighteners on you. Really pleased I have let the hard work shine through.' No3 seed Wilson – who, 12 months ago, lost his opener in Shanghai 6-0 to Zhou Yuelong – will now face either Ronnie O'Sullivan or Barry Hawkins in the quarter-finals. Four-time world champion Selby, 42, opened his season by crushing Shaun Murphy 6-0 with breaks of 66, 52, 115, 81, 73 and a closing 137. Advertisement The Magician – who first played Selby when they were both ten years old – spent most of his time in his chair and only recorded 52 points in reply over six frames.
Scottish Sun
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Former snooker world champion Kyren Wilson misses out on moment of history by trying ‘silly' no-look shot
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CHEEKY Kyren Wilson says he has no regrets over missing a 'silly no-look' black-ball shot - and failing to set a match-century record. The former world snooker champion came from 3-1 down to beat Chinese world No15 Si Jiahui 6-5 in a final-frame decider in round two of the Shanghai Masters. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Kyren Wilson was in action at the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday Credit: GETTY 3 The Kettering cueist baffled snooker fans with a no-look black shot which went awry Credit: TNT SPORTS 3 Wilson has no regrets over the botched shot Credit: GETTY It was a high-scoring, high-quality affair as the Warrior, 33, hit breaks of 120, 114 and 114 while Si, 23, notched in 124, 139 and, in the penultimate frame, a 127. Six centuries is the highest number seen in a professional match which is the best-of-11 frames. It had happened twice before – the first time was Judd Trump versus Neil Robertson in the Masters 2016 quarter-finals. And the other occasion involved Aussie Robertson against Leicester's Mark Selby in the semi-finals of the 2020 Champion of Champions. Unknowingly, Wilson had the chance to score the seventh of this clash in frame 11 and rewrite the history books. He was on 97 and about to sink the final black off its spot as the crowd at the Luwan Gymnasium hollered in the background. Yet instead of rolling it as he had done countless times in practice and matches, the Kettering cueist turned his head sideward and played an exhibition shot. It was his way of entertaining the fans and some laughed as he went for the audacious attempt, which he missed badly. SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN List of all-time Snooker World Champions BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year. The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport. The first World Championships ran from 1927 - with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport. Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each. 1969 - John Spencer 1970 - Ray Reardon 1971 - John Spencer 1972 - Alex Higgins 1973 - Ray Reardon (2) 1974 - Ray Reardon (3) 1975 - Ray Reardon (4) 1976 - Ray Reardon (5) 1977 - John Spencer (2) 1978 - Ray Reardon (6) 1979 - Terry Griffiths 1980 - Cliff Thorburn 1981 - Steve Davis 1982 - Alex Higgins (2) 1983 - Steve Davis (2) 1984 - Steve Davis (3) 1985 - Dennis Taylor 1986 - Joe Johnson 1987 - Steve Davis (4) 1988 - Steve Davis (5) 1989 - Steve Davis (6) 1990 - Stephen Hendry 1991 - John Parrott 1992 - Stephen Hendry (2) 1993 - Stephen Hendry (3) 1994 - Stephen Hendry (4) 1995 - Stephen Hendry (5) 1996 - Stephen Hendry (6) 1997 - Ken Doherty 1998 - John Higgins 1999 - Stephen Hendry (7) 2000 - Mark Williams 2001 - Ronnie O'Sullivan 2002 - Peter Ebdon 2003 - Mark Williams (2) 2004 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) 2005 - Shaun Murphy 2006 - Graeme Dott 2007 - John Higgins (2) 2008 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (3) 2009 - John Higgins (3) 2010 - Neil Robertson 2011 - John Higgins (4) 2012 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (4) 2013 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) 2014 - Mark Selby 2015 - Stuart Bingham 2016 - Mark Selby (2) 2017 - Mark Selby (3) 2018 - Mark Williams (3) 2019 - Judd Trump 2020 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (6) 2021 - Mark Selby (4) 2022 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (7) 2023 - Luca Brecel 2024 - Kyren Wilson 2025 - Zhao Xintong Most World Titles (modern era) 7 - Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O'Sullivan 6 - Ray Reardon, Steve Davis 4 - John Higgins, Mark Selby 3 - John Spencer, Mark Williams 2 - Alex Higgins But he was told afterwards that had it gone in, it would have set a new high for a match of that duration. In response, Wilson replied: 'Oh, no! Oh, really! Yeah, I did the silly no-look thing. Kyren Wilson hints at major snooker change just days after being latest victim of Crucible World 'Especially in China, I feel like it's blowing up here. A lot of it is about doing things differently to other players. 'So, you have got to have a little bit of fun. I tried to have a bit of fun with the no-look blacks. 'The crowd really appreciated that sort of thing. They like to see a little bit of character from the players. 'Disappointed that it has not broken the record because I didn't know that. But an amazing game to be involved in. 'Nearly every frame had a break over 70 or 80. It was crazy. Just so happy I have managed to win.' Asked if he would have done anything differently had he known about the seventh century prospect, Wilson said: 'No chance. No chance. 'I still would do it. It's about doing things a little bit differently. I tried to have a bit of fun with the no-look blacks." Kyren Wilson "We are stepping into a modern era in snooker. 'It's nice to see someone do something a little bit different. 'Up until the deciding frame or frame before, Si missed one ball and that was in the first frame, which you can forgive a player for doing that. 'After that, he was relentless. Some of the balls he knocks in are frightening. It puts the frighteners on you. Really pleased I have let the hard work shine through.' No3 seed Wilson – who, 12 months ago, lost his opener in Shanghai 6-0 to Zhou Yuelong – will now face either Ronnie O'Sullivan or Barry Hawkins in the quarter-finals. Four-time world champion Selby, 42, opened his season by crushing Shaun Murphy 6-0 with breaks of 66, 52, 115, 81, 73 and a closing 137. The Magician – who first played Selby when they were both ten years old – spent most of his time in his chair and only recorded 52 points in reply over six frames.
The Sun
29-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Former snooker world champion Kyren Wilson misses out on moment of history by trying ‘silly' no-look shot
CHEEKY Kyren Wilson says he has no regrets over missing a 'silly no-look' black-ball shot which saw him fail to achieve a match-century record. The former world snooker champion came from 3-1 down to beat Chinese world No15 Si Jiahui 6-5 in a final-frame decider in round two of the Shanghai Masters. 3 3 It was a high-scoring, high-quality affair as the Warrior, 33, hit breaks of 120, 114 and 114 while Si, 23, notched in 124, 139 and, in the penultimate frame, a 127. Six centuries is the highest number seen in a professional match which is the best-of-11 frames. It had happened twice before – the first time was Judd Trump versus Neil Robertson in the Masters 2016 quarter-finals. And the other occasion involved Australian Robertson against Leicester's Mark Selby in the semifinals of the 2020 Champion of Champions. Unknowingly, Wilson had the chance to score the seventh of this clash in frame 11 and rewrite the history books. He was on 97 and about to sink the final black off its spot as the crowd at the Luwan Gymnasium hollered in the background. Yet instead of rolling it as he had done countless times in practice and matches, the Kettering cueist turned his head sideward and played an exhibition shot. It was his way of entertaining the fans and some laughed as he went for the audacious attempt, which he missed badly. List of all-time Snooker World Champions BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year. The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport. The first World Championships ran from 1927 - with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport. Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each. 1969 - John Spencer 1970 - Ray Reardon 1971 - John Spencer 1972 - Alex Higgins 1973 - Ray Reardon (2) 1974 - Ray Reardon (3) 1975 - Ray Reardon (4) 1976 - Ray Reardon (5) 1977 - John Spencer (2) 1978 - Ray Reardon (6) 1979 - Terry Griffiths 1980 - Cliff Thorburn 1981 - Steve Davis 1982 - Alex Higgins (2) 1983 - Steve Davis (2) 1984 - Steve Davis (3) 1985 - Dennis Taylor 1986 - Joe Johnson 1987 - Steve Davis (4) 1988 - Steve Davis (5) 1989 - Steve Davis (6) 1990 - Stephen Hendry 1991 - John Parrott 1992 - Stephen Hendry (2) 1993 - Stephen Hendry (3) 1994 - Stephen Hendry (4) 1995 - Stephen Hendry (5) 1996 - Stephen Hendry (6) 1997 - Ken Doherty 1998 - John Higgins 1999 - Stephen Hendry (7) 2000 - Mark Williams 2001 - Ronnie O'Sullivan 2002 - Peter Ebdon 2003 - Mark Williams (2) 2004 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) 2005 - Shaun Murphy 2006 - Graeme Dott 2007 - John Higgins (2) 2008 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (3) 2009 - John Higgins (3) 2010 - Neil Robertson 2011 - John Higgins (4) 2012 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (4) 2013 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) 2014 - Mark Selby 2015 - Stuart Bingham 2016 - Mark Selby (2) 2017 - Mark Selby (3) 2018 - Mark Williams (3) 2019 - Judd Trump 2020 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (6) 2021 - Mark Selby (4) 2022 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (7) 2023 - Luca Brecel 2024 - Kyren Wilson 2025 - Zhao Xintong Most World Titles (modern era) 7 - Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O'Sullivan 6 - Ray Reardon, Steve Davis 4 - John Higgins, Mark Selby 3 - John Spencer, Mark Williams 2 - Alex Higgins But he was told afterwards that had it gone in, it would have set a new high for a match of that duration. In response, Wilson replied: 'Oh, no! Oh, really! Yeah, I did the silly no-look thing. 'Especially in China, I feel like it's blowing up here. A lot of it is about doing things differently to other players. 'So, you have got to have a little bit of fun. I tried to have a bit of fun with the no-look blacks. 'The crowd really appreciated that sort of thing. They like to see a little bit of character from the players. 'Disappointed that it has not broken the record because I didn't know that. But an amazing game to be involved in. 'Nearly every frame had a break over 70 or 80. It was crazy. Just so happy I have managed to win.' Asked if he would have done anything differently had he known about the seventh century prospect, Wilson said: 'No chance. No chance. 'I still would do it. It's about doing things a little bit differently. "We are stepping into a modern era in snooker. 'It's nice to see someone do something a little bit different. 'Up until the deciding frame or frame before, Si missed one ball and that was in the first frame, which you can forgive a player for doing that. 'After that, he was relentless. Some of the balls he knocks in are frightening. It puts the frighteners on you. Really pleased I have let the hard work shine through.' No3 seed Wilson – who, 12 months ago, lost his opener in Shanghai 6-0 to Zhou Yuelong – will now face either Ronnie O'Sullivan or Barry Hawkins in the quarter-finals. Four-time world champion Selby, 42, opened his season by crushing Shaun Murphy 6-0 with breaks of 66, 52, 115, 81, 73 and a closing 137. The Magician – who first played Selby when they were both ten years old – spent most of his time in his chair and only recorded 52 points in reply over six frames.
Times
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Why we're hypnotised by snooker on TV
Ask people to name a groundbreaking example of man making contact with a chalky white sphere in July 1969 and they are likely to say Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 moon landing. A snooker fan, however, will recall Ray Reardon's masterly control of the cue ball in the inaugural episode of BBC2's Pot Black. Half a century later, snooker remains synonymous with the medium of television. This, in many ways, should be unsurprising. Today and tomorrow, the most prestigious match in the snooker calendar, the final of the World Snooker Championship, will be watched by a smaller crowd than Weston-super-Mare AFC in the sixth tier of English football. The Crucible theatre, home to the championships since 1977, holds just 980 people. A game played on a 12x6ft table is not a natural mass spectator sport. So, the love affair between snooker and television is perfectly logical. But what great love affair was ever founded on logic alone? There is something more subtle, more primal going on. There is chemistry. In a recent essay for The New Yorker, the author Sally Rooney described a frame of snooker as 'an apparently chaotic jumble [that] slowly reveals its hidden form'. In his book Deep Pockets: Snooker and the Meaning of Life, Brendan Cooper says the game is like 'a kind of hearth, a breathing fire in the living rooms of the world'. The commentators certainly sound as though they could be sitting on the sofa beside you: Dennis Taylor working his way through a packet of Rich Tea, Steve Davis with the family dog asleep at his feet. With its brushed carpet surface, polished metal highlights and sturdy wooden frame, even the snooker table suggests a kind of domesticity, with much in common with the typical British living room. From the inception of snooker on TV, the footage has largely been captured from a single, recurring angle, the one you are likely to be picturing in your head as you read. The camera hovers overhead at the foot of the table, altering its rectangular shape into a kind of foreshortened parallelogram. Just as the action fits on to the table, so the table fits on to the screen. 'It's not exactly a bird's-eye view,' says Petra Szemán, a visual artist and lecturer at Newcastle University. 'If it was a fully top-down view, you'd really feel that it had nothing to do with your body — that the human is not in the equation.' Instead, we see the match both through the eyes of the player and as an observer. 'You're right in the middle of everything,' says Taylor, who is in his fifth decade of commentating for the BBC. 'You could be standing at the table yourself.' Each frame begins with an ordered image — the triangle of red balls, the pattern of other colours in their starting positions — which is immediately broken into chaos before sequentially being returned to another, emptier kind of order as the balls are potted and disappear. On the simplest of levels, this process is rewarding to watch. There is an inherent satisfaction to the image of a table being gradually cleared — one that, broadcast into our living rooms, could be seen as tidying up. Andrew Klevan, a professor of film aesthetics at Oxford University, draws a contrast with football, where aesthetic beauty is achieved by finding a rare moment of coherence — scoring a goal — amid 90 minutes of chaos and disorder. 'Snooker is about clearing up mess. There's something very satisfying in that.' For Alan Male, the head of illustration at Falmouth University, it's the appearance of the balls, which 'totally conflict with our psychological perceptions of colour'. The black, with its connotations of 'coldness, death [and] nothingness' is worth the most points; while the red ball — signalling 'passion, danger, aggression, energy [and] vigour' — is worth the least. It is no coincidence that snooker's popularity took off with the introduction of colour television, with Pot Black specifically commissioned by a young David Attenborough to showcase the BBC's colour service. Overnight the game turned from a working man's pastime into a national obsession. 'Once they started watching,' Taylor remembers, 'people got hooked.' • Read our coverage of the World Snooker Championship Snooker's audience is notably mixed. 'The way the game was played fascinated everybody,' says Taylor, who says just as many women watch the sport as men. Taylor partially attributes this to the players' smart waistcoats. The game's popularity may have dipped since its 1980s heyday, but for devotees it remains more than a sport. Both snooker and its TV coverage are throwbacks. They are reassuring. Like the smell of home-cooked food wafting in from the kitchen or the crackle of a stylus nestled into a well-worn groove. Snooker doesn't happen in 60-second bursts. Even its surprises seem to happen in slow motion. The balls sound just as you would hope they would sound, just as you would imagine if you had been watching on mute. They are potted. And then they are respotted by the spectral presence of a white-gloved referee to sit obediently atop their marker until the laws of physics crash into them and send them rolling towards their destiny once again. The sport itself can be beautiful. The broadcast's greatest virtue is knowing not to get in the way. It is, says the 2005 world champion, Shaun Murphy, 'a safe space. It feels like the TV's giving you a cuddle.' The final of the 2025 World Snooker Championship is live from the Crucible on BBC2 and iPlayer, today and on Monday
