Summary

  • Click the 'watch & listen tab' for Table One & Two plus network coverage

  • Second-round matches will be played as the best of 25 frames

  • Evening session

  • RESULT: Table One - Mark Allen 6-13 Chris Wakelin

  • Table Two - Mark Williams 9-7 Hossein Vafaei (frames 9-16)

  • Afternoon session

  • Table Two - John Higgins 8-8 Xiao Guodong

  • Table One - Lei Peifan 3-5 Zhao Xintong

  • Get Involved - #bbcsnooker, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)

Media caption,

Allen makes maximum break at Crucible

  1. Join us tomorrow...published at 23:25 British Summer Time 25 April

    Media caption,

    World Snooker Championships: Mark Allen makes 147 break at Crucible

    That's just about your lot from today's action at the Crucible.

    It's certainly a day that Mark Allen will not forget in a long time following his incredible 147 break, even if he was eliminated form the tournament.

    Be sure to read Michael Emons' report from Sheffield...

    We will of course be back with more live coverage of the World Championships from BBC Sport on Saturday. The action gets under way at 10:00 BST.

    Here are some more snooker stories for you to read in the meantime:

  2. Saturday's schedulepublished at 23:22 British Summer Time 25 April

    All times BST, all matches best of 25 frames

    Second round

    10:00

    • Lei Peifan 3-5 Zhao Xintong
    • John Higgins (3) 8-8 Xiao Guodong (14)

    14:30

    • Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) v Pang Junxu
    • Mark Williams (6) 9-7 Hossein Vafaei

    19:00

    • Si Jiahui (13) v Ben Woollaston
    • Luca Brecel (7) v Ding Junhui (10)
  3. Postpublished at 23:17 British Summer Time 25 April

    Williams 9-7 Vafaei

    John Virgo
    1979 UK Championship winner on BBC Two

    That was a brilliant finish but Mark Williams has a slight advantage heading into tomorrow. I cannot wait.

  4. Defiant Vafaei takes final framepublished at 23:15 British Summer Time 25 April

    Williams 9-7 Vafaei

    Hossein Vafaei is not going to go down in this one without a fight.

    The Iranian saves his best for last as he banks a 132 break to win the final frame of the evening session, sealing it with a double on the black.

    He salutes the crowd as he heads back to the dressing rooms.

  5. Williams restores three-frame cushionpublished at 22:58 British Summer Time 25 April

    Williams 9-6 Vafaei

    A few lapses in concentration from both players as the clock ticks towards 11pm results in a gruelling tactical frame.

    Mark Williams finds himself snookered on the final red and replays the shot four times, which enables Hossein Vafaei to pick up 16 points in fouls.

    However, at 49-44 in Williams' favour the Welshman cut the green into the middle pocket. Williams almost presses the self-destruct button when he leaves the cue ball on the cusp of the middle pocket in pursuit of the pink.

    But with Vafaei needing a snooker on pink and black he sinks the white to hand Williams the frame.

  6. Woakes bowled over by Cruciblepublished at 22:20 British Summer Time 25 April

    Williams 8-6 Vafaei

    Michael Emons
    BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre

    Chris WoakesImage source, Picture courtesy of WST

    England cricketer Chris Woakes is among the crowd for tonight's action at the Crucible.

    He spoke to the media earlier on and the fast bowler said: "I’ve been a snooker lover since a really young age. My dad played and then kind of got me into it. I played with him and then played in the leagues throughout my teenage years and then when cricket got serious I stopped. But I love it, really love it.

    "It's hard to follow as much now, I just try and follow the World Champs really but I still enjoy it. When I get a chance to come it’s brilliant."

    Asked if any other England players play snooker, he replied: "Last summer we played a couple of times. Me, Harry Brook, Jimmy [Anderson], Zak Crawley. There's a few lads that don't mind their snooker. I don't know how much they follow it but there's a few of the guys that enjoy it.

    "I was rusty, I was very rusty. I'd like to still say I was the best player but Harry's one of these guys that can just turn it on and play any sport and be good at it so he's a pretty good snooker player."

    Chris WoakesImage source, Picture courtesy of WST
  7. Williams back in controlpublished at 22:19 British Summer Time 25 April

    Williams 8-6 Vafaei

    After Mark Williams establishes a 61-point lead Hossein Vafaei produces a powerful long pot. However, the Iranian is unable to capitalise and blunders on a simple red a couple of shots later.

    Williams returns and clears the table with a break of 58.

  8. Postpublished at 22:01 British Summer Time 25 April

    Williams 7-6 Vafaei

    John Virgo
    1979 UK Championship winner on BBC Two

    Hossein Vafaei gives a little fist punch. That was a big, big frame. Every frame is important now as they build towards that final session. This match is still in the balance.

  9. Vafaei battles backpublished at 21:58 British Summer Time 25 April

    Williams 7-6 Vafaei

    A real nip-and-tuck frame between Mark Williams and Hossein Vafaei.

    With a 53-52 lead Williams swerved the cue ball round the spotted yellow to pot the last red - only to see the white disappear down the opposite corner pocket.

    Vafaei seized his chance and potted the remaining colours apart from the black, sealing the frame with a tricky long pink to move within a frame of the Welshman.

  10. Wakelin delighted at 'crazy' Crucible runpublished at 21:53 British Summer Time 25 April

    Wakelin 13-6 Allen

    Michael Emons
    BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre

    World number 20 Chris Wakelin has been talking to the media after his 13-6 win over Mark Allen to move into the quarter-finals.

    "It's magic," said 33-year-old Wakelin. "I've got a lot of confidence in my game and have played some really good stuff. I'm not going to get ahead of myself. There are some very good players left in this tournament, I'm one of them.

    "The first time I came here 15 years ago I watched Mark win a first or second-round match. So to beat him, one of the greatest in our game, it's crazy."

  11. 'I would rather make 30s and still be in the event'published at 21:26 British Summer Time 25 April

    Wakelin 13-6 Allen

    Michael Emons
    BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre

    Mark Allen has just spoken to the media and said: "I don't just come here to make 147s. I would rather have made lots of 30s and still been in the event. I always come here to become world champion so anything less than that will always be disappointing.

    "I made a 147 at the Crucible and many people would be happy with that but it [losing in the second round] is a million miles away from where I want to be.

    "The first three reds and three blacks were straight forward I then made my mind up [to go for it]. To win someone in the crowd £25,000 was great as well.

    "Then I had another chance and that would've been £147,000 and that would have been amazing because I felt I had to do those things to get the crowd on my side.

    "There were seven close frames in the match and I didn't win any and that's not like me at all. That was the difference. Chris played well in patches but I had plenty of chances."

  12. Allen 'will win more events' - Davispublished at 21:18 British Summer Time 25 April

    Result: Allen 6-13 Wakelin

    Former snooker player Steve DavisImage source, Getty Images

    Steve Davis expects Mark Allen to react in a positive way to his disappointing second-round exit from the World Championship and start winning trophies again.

    Allen is a former UK Championship and Masters winner but has never reached the final of snooker's premier event at the Crucible.

    He made it to semi-finals in 2009 and 2023, but defeat to Chris Wakelin scuppered his hopes of the title in Sheffield this year.

    Many thought Allen would be a world champion in his 20s, or at least in his 30s. By the time of next year's World Championship, he will have turned 40 and defeats such as his 13-6 loss to Chris Wakelin leave scars.

    For Davis, speaking on BBC Four, there is still plenty of life left in Allen's game.

    Davis said: "He's such a strong competitor. He had two bad sessions and some awful misses at his level, but that's what you've got to deal with.

    "He's not just a journeyman within the game, he's not just a player that's going to win occasional events, in his own mind.

    "He's a player that is putting himself up there to win the absolute majors, so when they go wrong you've got to be disappointed.

    "But from his perspective he'll bounce back next year, and he's such an accurate player, he will win more events."

    Allen won the invitational Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in December but missed out on a ranking title in the 2024-25 season.

    As for whether Allen will ever win the World Championship, Davis said: "You never know."

  13. Postpublished at 20:59 British Summer Time 25 April

    Williams 7-5 Vafaei

    John Virgo
    1979 UK Championship winner on BBC Two

    An excellent break with lovely cue ball control from Hossein Vafaei. That will make him feel a whole lot better when he gets back to his dressing room during the mid-session interval. The remaining four frames will be worth watching if that's anything to go by.

  14. Vafaei wrestles one backpublished at 20:58 British Summer Time 25 April

    Williams 7-5 Vafaei

    Stats from Mark Williams v Hossein Vafaei after the 12th frameImage source, BBC Sport

    After the slow start to the evening session both these two players have now found a bit of rhythm.

    Mark Williams hits the jaw of the pocket attempting to pot a red at the top end of the table and Hossein Vafaei ruthlessly punishes him.

    The 30-year-old produces a stylish break of 115 as he completes an impressive clearance to haul a frame back just as Williams looked to be pulling away.

  15. Allen: 'Only one good player out there'published at 20:47 British Summer Time 25 April

    Result: Allen 6-13 Wakelin

    Mark Allen has been reacting to his exit from the World Championship, as his wait to win the title at the Crucible continues.

    He told BBC Four: "I thought Chris was superb, but as much as he was superb, I was very poor.

    "I felt like it could have been closer than the scoreline, but there was only good player out there.

    "The last frame summed up the whole match for me. I think there were seven close frames and I didn't win any. That's not something that I normally do. Normally I'm good at those close frames and the scrappy ones. That's the difference in the match there. Seven close frames in a best-of-25, and if you don't win any you're not going to win."

    On his maximum break, which makes Allen the first man to make 147s at the UK Championship, Masters and World Championship, and his tilt at a second that would have brought a £147,000 bonus:

    "I was aware of that [147 statistic] before the tournament started. I'd swap it in a heartbeat to still be in the tournament, but it was nice to be a part of history, and even tonight I gave myself a chance of a £147,000 bonus, it was a good buzz."

  16. Postpublished at 20:46 British Summer Time 25 April

    Williams 7-4 Vafaei

    John Virgo
    1979 UK Championship winner on BBC Two

    Three frames played and three won by Mark Williams. He's playing with real confidence. With these three-session matches if you can win of them 5-3 or 6-2 it puts you in a good position.

    He won't be looking at the next frame as 8-4 but how far can he get in front going into the final session tomorrow. Champions try to push and that's what he will do here.

  17. Williams firmly on toppublished at 20:42 British Summer Time 25 April

    Williams 7-4 Vafaei

    Mark Williams is motoring now.

    A break of 54 helps the three-time champion to 74-2 advantage in the 11th frame and Hossein Vafaei decides there's no scope for him to works his way back into it.

    Williams' potting and positional play has been top notch so far this evening. The 50-year-old from Gwent has a three-frame lead and could well pull away from his opponent now.

  18. Wakelin: 'My game's only going to get stronger'published at 20:38 British Summer Time 25 April

    Result: Allen 6-13 Wakelin

    Chris Wakelin has been speaking to BBC Four about the superb win against Mark Allen that takes him through to the quarter-finals for the first time.

    Here is his match verdict:

    "I played how I know I can play. I've not backed it up in previous times I came here, but it's been in there for a while.

    "I just came here with a different confidence. I'm a lot more relaxed when I'm playing in matches now and I think that shows in the way that I play.

    "I practise shots that other players don't practise. There's bits of my game that have come to fruition in the last few months that are from working really, really hard.

    "It's made a huge, huge difference to my game and I feel like it's only going to get stronger."

  19. Postpublished at 20:34 British Summer Time 25 April

    Williams 6-4 Vafaei

    John Virgo
    1979 UK Championship winner on BBC Two

    Mark Williams looks in complete control and Hossein Vafaei has not really settled so far this evening.

  20. Williams increases leadpublished at 20:32 British Summer Time 25 April

    Williams 6-4 Vafaei

    Mark Williams has given himself a two-frame cushion against Hossein Vafaei after some clinical potting. Left needing snookers at 70-10 in Williams' favour, Vafaei concedes.

    At the end of that frame the Iranian darts off for a pit stop while the Welshman plonks himself stoically in his chair. Williams has a steely look in his eyes here.