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The Irish Sun
19 hours ago
- 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
19 hours ago
- 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
19 hours ago
- 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.
Metro
7 days ago
- Sport
- Metro
Stephen Hendry challenges snooker star to bounce back from disappointing season
Stephen Hendry feels Mark Allen needs a good season after a disappointing campaign last time round, challenging the Pistol to get back to his trophy-winning best. The Northern Irishman did not have a disastrous season by any means, winning the non-ranking Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in December, but it was not his best and he admitted being frustrated with his game in the second half of the campaign. It got to the stage in March that his confidence was so low that he said he didn't want to qualify for the upcoming Players Championship, which only features the top 16 players on the one-year ranking list. The fact he did qualify for that event shows that it was not a calamitous campaign, but a first round defeat and then a second round loss at the World Championship rounded off an underwhelming campaign. The 39-year-old has 11 ranking titles to his name, five of which came in the last three years but none last season, and Hendry has called on him to rediscover the form of the recent past. 'I'd be interested to see Mark Allen this year. He had a disappointing season last year, for him,' Hendry said on WST's Snooker Club podcast. 'After the couple of seasons before becoming a serial winner, picking up a lot of silverware. 'I'm not saying he's going to struggle or drop out of the top 16 or anything drastic like that, but I think he needs to get back and get a good season.' Steven Hallworth, professional player, commentator and pundit, feels that Allen is searching too much for the answer to his form problems and should get back to basics. 'He did a lot of tinkering with different coaches and I see him at a couple of events on the practice table doing things that didn't look like they really suited him and I think he just lost his way a little bit,' said Hallworth. 'If he can get rid of that and go back to just potting balls and playing the game that we all know he can then I think he'll be alright.' 2024 Players Championship 2023 Snooker Shoot Out 2023 World Grand Prix 2022 UK Championship 2022 Northern Ireland Open 2021 Northern Ireland Open 2018 Scottish Open 2018 International Championship 2016 Players Tour Championship Finals 2013 World Open 2012 World Open Allen actually went to Hendry for advice last season as he looked for a boost to his game and felt it had helped him after a good first round win at the Crucible over Fan Zhengyi. 'I spoke to Stephen Hendry after I lost in the Players Championship,' he explained after beating Fan in Sheffield. 'Just asked him if he had any advice. He said: 'Take yourself away for a few days and don't bog yourself down on the practice table.' 'I've never done that in my career ever. Never mid-season have I gone away, other than between Christmas and New Year. It's always been the way I've worked. 'I feel like if I'm missing a day of practice I deserve to not play well the next day. I feel guilty for taking days off. But he pushed me down the road of taking a few days off and literally overnight I booked a flight to Dubai just thought about nothing snooker-related at all for a few days. 'I came back a little bit fresher and hit the ground running on the practice table, which was good.' Allen is enjoying plenty of time off over the summer as he is yet to play a match and has pulled out of the upcoming Shanghai Masters for personal reasons. 'I would have loved to play in Shanghai but I'm not able to make it this year for family reasons,' he said. 'I'd like to apologise to the fans, our partners in Shanghai and my sponsors Liberwin and Omin as I have always enjoyed playing in this fantastic event. I'll be working hard to make sure I'm in it next season.' More Trending One player Hendry does expect to shine next season is someone who has been relentlessly consistent for years now, Judd Trump. Asked who he expects to win more tournaments than anyone else this season, the seven-time world champion quickly backed the world number one. 'I think Trump again,' he said. 'I think he's still at the peak of his career. He's a winning machine. It's very, very difficult to make a case for anyone else than Trump this year.' MORE: Ronnie O'Sullivan outlines ambitious plan for after he retires from snooker MORE: Jordan Brown hit 'extreme low' and considered quitting snooker before making vital decision MORE: Chris Wakelin: A massive part of me thought I'd win the World Championship
Scottish Sun
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Stephen Hendry analyses the major threats snooker face as he discusses ‘worst decision ever seen that KILLED the game'
STEPHEN HENDRY reckons the "open era" of professional snooker has KILLED the amateur circuit from ever flourishing again - like it did 35 years ago. In 1991 the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) made a drastic change by deciding to throw the pro ranks open to anyone willing to pay the entry fees for tournaments. 3 Stephen Hendry has addressed a couple of big issues in the snoker circuit Credit: Getty 3 He spoke to WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson about his concerns Credit: Getty Before that the professional circuit had grown gradually over the years from a handful of players to 128 pros in total. But suddenly there were over 700 professional players as hundreds ditched the amateur tournaments for a chance to feature in the most prestigious events. It allowed the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan and the rest of the famous class of '92 - John Higgins and Mark Williams - to make a name for themselves against the world's very best. But discussing the major impact it had on the amateur game, seven-time world champion Hendry spoke to WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson about its impact on tournaments across the UK. Speaking on his YouTube channel Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips, he asked: "The amateur game isn't the same anymore, is it? "Even in amateur tournaments in Scotland, there used to be 32 really good players who you would come against once a month or whatever. "When the pro game opened up it kind of killed (the amateur game) didn't it?" Ferguson clearly feels just as strongly about it as Hendry does as he quickly replied: "It's the single worst decision I've seen in the sport." He continued: "When the pro tour opened up it was great to allow the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan and Peter Ebdon and those players to come through. "There was a bottle neck where there was only eight per year (becoming pro) but hundreds were playing (amateur tournaments). 'You never lose it' - Gary Lineker stuns former world snooker champion as he shows off impressive skills "That bottle neck really helped build the amateur game to be really strong. "What it did overnight, within weeks, the amateur game was over entirely. There wasn't one single pro-am, even the English Amateurs, these great tournaments in history." Hendry then responded: "You used to go down to King's Cross and the standard would be incredible, then all of a sudden the game was just (gone)." Hendry went on to point out the fact that even the number of snooker clubs in the UK has reduced significantly since he was leading the rankings in the pro tour. 3 The landscape of Scottish snooker in particular has shifted in recent years with fewer opportunities for young players to follow in the footsteps of greats such as Hendry or John Higgins. Addressing the shortage of clubs, Hendry asked: "How do you get young players into snooker these days? It's hard to even find a snooker club now." Ferguson replied: "I think the biggest challenge we face as a sport is the facilities. "The average snooker club these days is under threat of closure. "That's not because they're not busy. Stephen Hendry career achievements Seven-time World Snooker Champion Youngest-ever winner of World Championship Six-time Masters Champion Five-time UK Championship winner 18 Triple Crown tournament wins 36 ranking titles Nine seasons as World No1 Awarded MBE in 1994 Two-time BBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year "Every landlord wants to turn clubs into flats and make money out of building them. "We've been lobbying the government trying to protect some of the clubs as buildings of community interest. "We're winning some planning permissions and losing some as well, but there are more clubs in the UK now than there was two years ago. "It's been consistent for the last two years which is a really encouraging statistic for us." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
