Three-time world champion Mark Williams overwhelmed 10-9 by 2023 semi-finalist Si Jiahui on the Crucible; Welshman’s exit means six seeds have now fallen within the first spherical thus far; Ronnie O’Sullivan begins bid for eighth title towards Jackson Web page on Wednesday afternoon
Final Up to date: 23/04/24 6:38pm
Mark Williams misplaced 10-9 to Si Jiahui within the first spherical of the World Snooker Championship
Mark Williams’ quest for a fourth World Snooker Championship title ended within the first spherical as he misplaced a last-frame thriller to 2023 semi-finalist Si Jiahui.
Sixth seed Williams – world champion in 2000, 2003 and 2018 – led 5-4 after Monday’s opening session however then discovered himself 8-5 down as Si reeled off 4 frames in a row on Tuesday afternoon.
The 49-year-old then recovered from 9-7 all the way down to drive a decider however his Chinese language opponent, 21, knocked in a nerveless break of 77 within the nineteenth body to safe a second-round assembly with fellow qualifier Jak Jones.
Si misplaced to Luca Brecel within the 2023 semi-finals in Sheffield
Williams’ exit takes the variety of seeds eradicated within the first spherical to 6, with defending champion Luca Brecel, four-time winner Mark Selby, Ali Carter, Gary Wilson and Zhang Anda additionally dispatched.
O’Sullivan performs first match on Wednesday afternoon
Williams hoped to grow to be the oldest champion within the event’s historical past, a report held by Ronnie O’Sullivan, who was 46 years and 148 days when he gained the latest of his seven Crucible trophies in 2022.
O’Sullivan begins his bid for an outright report eighth world title towards Jackson Web page at 2.30pm on Wednesday, with that match then concluding from 1pm the next day.
Jak Jones is Si’s second-round opponent this 12 months after he beat eleventh seed Zhang Anda on the weekend
Si led Luca Brecel 14-5 in final 12 months’s semi-final, solely to lose the match 17-15 as Brecel gained 12 of the subsequent 13 frames in a Crucible-record comeback.
Si’s conflict with Williams was seen as one of many ties of the primary spherical, with Williams profitable the earlier event on the calendar, the Tour Championship in Manchester.
Williams defeated Judd Trump, Mark Allen and O’Sullivan – the highest three gamers on the earth rankings – in successive matches to say his second rating title of the season, after the British Open in Cheltenham in October.
However he couldn’t get previous SI in Sheffield as his opponent saved his highest break of the match for when it mattered most.
Dominic Dale is taking part in at The Crucible for the primary time in 10 years
What else occurred on Tuesday?
Elsewhere, 2020 finalist Kyren Wilson surged into an 8-1 lead over Dominic Dale.
Dale, who’s the oldest participant at this 12 months’s competitors on the age of 52 and taking part in on the Crucible for the primary time in 10 years, had one second to cheer towards Wilson – a elegant 120 clearance.
World No 17 Jack Liswoski leads seventh seed and 2016 finalist Ding Junhui 5-4, whereas Mark Allen romped right into a 7-2 benefit over Robbie Williams.
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