Snooker Chat

3 weeks ago | snookerchat.com | Nigel Slater

Kyren Wilson says his shock World Championship loss to Lei Peifan is “really hard to take”. The 2024 world champion became another huge victim of the so-called “Crucible Curse” as he suffered a surprising loss to debutant Peifan on the first day of the tournament. Wilson seemed to be set for a comfortable victory when he took charge of the contest, leading one stage 6-2. But Peifan, this season, had other ideas coming back and showing no signs of fear on his Crucible debut.

3 weeks ago | snookerchat.com | Nigel Slater

If you could script a way to win the World Championship, the way Alex Higgins did it takes some beating. Thinking about it, possibly Dennis Taylor’s black ball finish in 1985 may beat it. But going out in a “blaze of glory” was how it was described when the superb Higgins conquered the world of snooker three years before. Higgins, famously nicknamed “The People’s Champion”, won his second world title by beating Ray Reardon 18-15 in a memorable final.

1 month ago | snookerchat.com | Nigel Slater

Snooker legend Stephen Hendry has told how he didn’t leave his flat for days because he was so upset after being beaten by the Crucible Curse. The Scot dominated the sport in the 1990s, winning seven world titles in Sheffield. This is now a joint record in the modern era with only Ronnie O’Sullivan being able to match it since. But there was a low point during the height of Hendry’s dominance.

1 month ago | snookerchat.com | Nigel Slater

Fourteen-year-old Michal Szubarcyzk has his eyes set on featuring at the World Snooker Championship. There’s an element of teenage kicks when the World Championship Qualifiers starts this Monday (April 7). That’s because the talented Polish teenager, who could become the youngest professional​ player on the tour, is in action hoping to feature in the biggest snooker event of them all.

1 month ago | snookerchat.com | Nigel Slater

Masters winner Shaun Murphy says the new BBC snooker TV deal is “the biggest clue” yet that the World Championship is staying in the UK. But Murphy warned listeners to his podcast with it “doesn’t necessarily mean” it is staying in Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. A five-year extension means snooker’s Triple Crown events (UK Championship, Masters and World Championship) remain on the BBC until 2032. This is great news for millions of snooker fans across the UK.