Sporting Life
Who will become world champion?
Who will become world champion?

World snooker results: Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins, Mark Williams and Judd Trump to contest Crucible semi-finals

By Sporting Life
Snooker
Thu April 28, 2022 · 3y ago

Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins, Mark Williams and Judd Trump will contest the mouthwatering semi-finals of this year's World Championship.

It will be the first time in Crucible history when the final four is made up of former champions, with O'Sullivan bidding to claim a seventh title that will see him equal Stephen Hendry's record haul.

Interestingly, the last time the fabled 'Class of 92' all reached the semi-finals together back in 1999, Hendry defeated both the Rocket and then future three-time champion Williams to lift the famous trophy for the final time in his illustrious career.

Trump, the 2019 winner, is the only man standing in the way of the legendary trio after his close friend Jack Lisowski bowed out 13-12 to Higgins in an epic quarter-final as the Scotsman kept alive his hopes of becoming world champion for a fifth time - but first since 2011.

Despite everything that O'Sullivan has achieved - including a record 20 of Triple Crowns, seven UK Championships, seven Masters, 38 ranking titles, well over 1,100 century breaks and 15 maximums - he insisted “I’m no superstar” after cruising into his 13th Crucible semi-final.

The 46-year-old reeled off breaks of 71 and 126 in the first two frames of the morning session to complete a 13-5 win over Stephen Maguire that surpassed another record he had shared with Hendry for reaching the last four.

But, despite closing on emulating Hendry’s record of seven world titles, O’Sullivan is adamant that the Scot’s dominance of the sport in the 1990s still makes him the greatest.

“Stephen is an all-time legend for me, the greatest player,” O’Sullivan told the BBC.

“He was the Tiger Woods of snooker. Me, John (Higgins) and Mark (Williams) have all done well, but when he was flying he was a superstar.

“When there’s three of us, we’re not superstars. But when there’s one man dominating the sport like he did, like Tiger Woods, it’s a different level.”

O’Sullivan had carved a commanding lead despite never quite hitting top form against Scottish qualifier Maguire on Tuesday, but showed glimpses of his best upon the resumption after a missed black from his opponent sealed his fate.

It was another commanding win from O’Sullivan, who started the tournament by losing the first three frames of his first round match to David Gilbert before storming back to beat the former semi-finalist and blow away Mark Allen in round two.

O’Sullivan, who will play either Higgins in the last four, described his performance as “workmanlike”, but said he was looking forward to returning to the Crucible’s one-table set-up on Thursday.

“It’s workmanlike more than flowing, but I’ve had to learn to steady the ship and I think that’s the key to being consistent – being able to minimise the bad spells,” said O’Sullivan.

“I am looking forward to it. When it comes to the one-table set-up you can relax a bit more, and I’m excited still to be in the tournament and to get there.”

Higgins stood on the brink of defeat when Lisowski, who stunned 147 hero Neil Robertson in the previous round, retrieved a 11-9 deficit to take the lead for the first time since the first frame of the match.

But the 46-year-old drew on his decades of experience to respond with a century to force the decider, then seized on an early missed red by Lisowski to compile a match-winning break of 72.

“I really don’t know where those two frames came from at the end,” admitted Higgins.

“I was struggling all day and I had not been taking my chances. You’ve just got to find a way to get over the winning line.”

Williams had earlier became the second member of the fabled ‘Class of 92’ – who all turned professional 30 years ago – to book his place in the semi-finals as he summoned two spectacular breaks to end the dogged challenge of Yan Bingtao with a 13-11 win.

Williams had seen a 6-2 lead after the opening session evaporate into 8-8 overnight and when Yan took the first two frames upon their resumption if appeared the 22-year-old was set to become only the second Chinese player to reach the last four.

But in a high-quality encounter Williams rallied, hauling level at 10-10 and after the pair shared the next two, the three-time champion drew on all his experience to fashion frame-winning breaks of 68 and 78 respectively.

Williams, who at the age of 47 becomes the oldest Crucible semi-finalist since Ray Reardon in 1985, said: “We’ve got three of us who all came through in 1992 and we’re into the semi-finals 30 years later. What other sport can do something like that? It doesn’t really happen.”

Williams will play Judd Trump in the semi-finals after the 2019 champion recovered from a dismal opening session of the day to reel off eight frames in succession and sink Stuart Bingham 13-8.

Bingham had turned a 5-3 deficit into an 8-5 lead, but his missed black in the next proved the trigger for a spectacular comeback by Trump, who took the last three frames of the afternoon session to set up his grandstand finish.

There was also a moment of hilarity during the afternoon session when Trump took his 'naughty snooker' to new levels when tricking the referee.

Trailing 8-6, the 2019 champion had snookered himself behind the pink when attempting to clear the colours for a century and would have needed to produce a hit-and-hope trick shot to pot the brown and keep the break going.

Instead, Trump opted to trick referee Ben Williams instead by pointing to the crowd to distract him, before quickly moving the pink with his hand.

“I could not pot a ball and I just tried to dig in and not get too down about it,” said Trump.

“I managed to get out of the session at 8-8 which I was unbelievably happy about, and I felt a lot more confident going into the evening session.”

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO WATCH ALL THE CRUCIBLE 147s

Wednesday results and tournament schedule

Quarter-finals (best of 25)
Morning Session: 1000 BST
TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport

  • Stuart Bingham 8-8 Judd Trump (QF2)
  • Stephen Maguire 5-13 Ronnie O'Sullivan (QF4) *

Afternoon Session: 1430 BST
TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport

  • Yan Bingtao 11-13 Mark Williams (QF1) *
  • Jack Lisowski 7-8 John Higgins (QF3)

Evening Session: 1900 BST
TV Channel: BBC Two & BBC Four/Eurosport

  • Stuart Bingham 8-13 Judd Trump (QF2) *
  • Jack Lisowski 12-13 John Higgins (QF3) *

Thursday April 28

Semi-finals (best of 33)
Afternoon Session: 1430 BST
TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport

  • Mark Williams v Judd Trump

Evening Session: 1900 BST
TV Channel: BBC Two & BBC Four/Eurosport

  • John Higgins v Ronnie O'Sullivan

Friday April 29

Semi-finals (best of 33)
Morning Session: 1000 BST
TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport

  • Mark Williams v Judd Trump

Afternoon Session: 1430 BST
TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport

  • John Higgins v Ronnie O'Sullivan

Evening Session: 1900 BST
TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport

  • Mark Williams v Judd Trump

Saturday April 30

Semi-finals (best of 19)
Morning Session: 1000 BST
TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport

  • John Higgins v Ronnie O'Sullivan

Afternoon Session: 1430 BST
TV Channel: BBC One/Eurosport

  • Mark Williams v Judd Trump *

Evening Session: 1900 BST
TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport

  • John Higgins v Ronnie O'Sullivan *

Sunday May 1

Final (best of 35)
Afternoon Session: 1430 BST
TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport

  • Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

Evening Session: 1900 BST
TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport

  • Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

Monday May 2

Final (best of 35)
Afternoon Session: 1430 BST
TV Channel: BBC/Eurosport

  • Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

Evening Session: 1900 BST
TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport

  • Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

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