The World Snooker Championship started on the Crucible Theatre on Saturday with referee Rob Spencer pressured to apologise after a pre-frame blunder.
Zhao Xintong started his World Championship title defence on Saturday (Picture: Getty)
A snooker referee was pressured to difficulty an apology mid-match on the opening day of the World Championship. The long-lasting Crucible Theatre set the scene for the celebrated occasion as 32 gamers battled it out for the coveted world title.
The primary day of motion noticed Zhao Xintong tackle qualifier Liam Highfield within the opening spherical one conflict, because the 2025 champion launched into his defence of the title he gained for the very first time 12 months in the past. The primary spherical encounter was a best-of-19 frames contest, with each Xintong and Highfield needing to achieve 10 frames to progress to the second spherical of the event.
9 of a potential 19 frames have been scheduled to be performed throughout the opening session on Saturday, nevertheless the match referee made an error throughout proceedings.
Snooker referee Rob Spencer introduced earlier than the eighth body that it might be the final body of the session. “Thanks, the ultimate body of the session,” skilled referee Spencer stated earlier than the beginning of the eighth body.
Highfield, making his first look on the Crucible within the World Championship in 4 years, was fast to appropriate Spencer.
Elsewhere, Mark Williams holds a 5-3 benefit over Antoni Kowalski of their spherical one conflict in Sheffield, whereas Xiao Guodong leads 4-3 in his match towards Zhou Yuelong.
The spherical one contest between Barry Hawkins and Matthew Stevens is because of get underway within the night session on the Crucible at roughly 7pm.
Leave a Reply