2026 World Snooker Championship

First qualifying round

The first qualifying round featured players ranked 81 to 112 against players seeded 113 to 144, including selected amateurs.^[31] At the age of 15 years and 84 days, Michał Szubarczyk defeated Ng On-yee 10–7 to become the youngest player to win a World Championship match, surpassing Liam Davies, who had been 15 years and 277 days old when he achieved the feat at the 2022 edition.^[32] Veteran player Jimmy White, aged 63, played in his 46th World Championship campaign, having last reached the Crucible at the 2006 edition.^[33] He led Gao Yang 5–1, but the match went to a deciding frame, which White lost on the colours. The reigning World Women's Champion Bai Yulu made a century break of 101 as she defeated amateur player Daniel Womersley 10–7. She became the first female player to win a World Championship qualifying match since Reanne Evans defeated Robin Hull at the 2017 edition.^[31]

Amateur player Patrick Whelan won five of the last six frames to secure a 10–5 victory over Ken Doherty, winner of the 1997 edition.^[34] Liam Pullen trailed amateur player Alfie Burden 1–5 but recovered to force a deciding frame, which he won on the last blue.^[34] Marco Fu produced centuries of 100, 105, and 137 as he defeated Mink Nutcharut 10–1.^[35] Lan Yuhao, aged 17, made three centuries and seven other breaks over 50 during his 10–5 victory over Chatchapong Nasa.^[36] Lan attempted a maximum break in the last frame of the match but missed the 15th red. Jamie Clarke defeated Haydon Pinhey, also by a 10–5 scoreline, and made his highest break in professional competition during the match, a 138.^[37] Farakh Ajaib, Cheung Ka Wei, Doherty, Kreishh Gurbaxani, Huang Jiahao, Jonas Luz, Mitchell Mann, Mink Nutcharut, Pinhey, Haris Tahir, and Hatem Yassen all lost their professional tour cards after their first-round defeats.^[38]

Second qualifying round

The second qualifying round featured the winners of the first qualifying round against players ranked 49 to 80.^[31] Bai lost 4–10 to Michael Holt but made her second century of the tournament, a 108, becoming the first woman to make multiple centuries in a World Championship qualifying campaign.^[36] Szubarczyk defeated Sanderson Lam 10–8, winning the final frame of the match on the last black. Another Polish player, Antoni Kowalski, advanced with a 10–1 victory over Connor Benzey.^[39] Amateur player Wang Xinbo made a 143 break as he defeated Iulian Boiko 10–4. Robert Milkins, aged 50, who had played on the professional tour continuously since 1995, lost his tour card after his 3–10 defeat by Whelan.^[40] Mark Davis, aged 53, a professional since 1991, also lost his tour card after his 6–10 defeat by Gao.^[41] Oliver Sykes, who had secured a professional tour card as runner-up at the EBSA European Snooker Championship, made a 146 break in his 10–8 win over Lyu Haotian. It was only the 40th time a break of 146 had been made in professional competition. Jamie Clarke lost the first five frames of his match against Ben Mertens and then withdrew due to illness.^[42]

Sam Craigie forfeited the fifth frame of his match against amateur player Umut Dikme after he returned late from the mid-session interval. Dikme went on to win in a deciding frame.^[43] Fu won five consecutive frames to lead Davies 9–5, but Davies then took four in a row to tie the scores at 9–9. After Davies missed a pot on the last red in the decider, Fu made a clearance to win the frame and match. Bulcsú Révész also led Louis Heathcote 9–5, but Heathcote won three consecutive frames before Révész secured a 10–8 victory. Jordan Brown defeated Ian Burns on the final black of a deciding frame. Chang Bingyu made three centuries as he beat Prin Ratmukda 10–2, and Ishpreet Singh Chadha advanced with a 10–5 win over Chris Totten.^[44][42] Julien Leclercq led Ashley Hugill 9–4. Hugill won the next three frames, but Leclercq secured a 10–7 victory.^[45] In addition to Milkins and Davis, players who lost their tour cards after their second-round defeats were Bai, Davies, Gong Chenzhi, Duane Jones, Lam, Totten, Amir Sarkhosh, and Wang Yuchen.^[38]

Third qualifying round

The third qualifying round featured the winners of the second qualifying round against players ranked 17 to 48.^[31] Hossein Vafaei won all nine frames in the opening session of his match against Szubarczyk; he attempted a maximum break in the seventh frame but missed the last green. Vafaei went on to secure a 10–2 victory.^[45][46] Stuart Bingham, winner of the 2015 edition, made nine breaks over 50 as he took a 9–0 lead over Wang Xinbo in the first session; he also went on to complete a 10–2 win.^[46][45] Aaron Hill made back-to-back centuries of 133 and 137 in his 10–3 victory over Yao Pengcheng, while David Gilbert beat Leone Crowley 10–4.^[45] Liam Pullen defeated the recent 2026 World Open winner Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 10–7, and Jiang Jun defeated Elliot Slessor by the same score. Stan Moody made a highest break of 128 as he beat Robbie Williams 10–5, and Jamie Jones ensured that he would remain on the professional tour with a 10–3 win over Matthew Selt. Jackson Page reached the last qualifying round with a 10–6 victory over Whelan, Kowalski advanced with a 10–8 win over Joe O'Connor, and Pang Junxu beat Dylan Emery in a deciding frame.^[46][47] Liam Highfield produced back-to-back century breaks in his 10–5 win over Stephen Maguire, marking the third time in four years that Maguire had failed to qualify for the main stage.^[48]

Chang Bingyu made the second maximum break of his professional career in the ninth frame of his match against Luca Brecel. It was the record-extending 24th maximum of the 2025–‍26 season and the 241st official maximum in snooker history.^[49] Having made a maximum in the 2025 UK Championship qualifying rounds, Chang won a £147,000 bonus for making two maximums across the season's Triple Crown events and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.^[50] Chang made three centuries in the first session, ending it 5–4 ahead, but Brecel produced breaks of 51, 70, 81, 120, 63, and 52 in the second session as he won the match 10–8. Brecel's century in the 15th frame was his first in professional competition that season.^[51] "It was mentally quite exhausting to play to that level the whole game. We started off well and we never looked back," Brecel said afterwards. Jak Jones, runner-up at the 2024 edition, made centuries of 119 and 135 and six other half-centuries as he defeated Fu 10–6.^[51] Ali Carter won eight consecutive frames, making a highest break of 142, as he defeated Leclercq 10–5. Jack Lisowski beat Dikme 10–7, while He Guoqiang defeated Long Zehuang 10–8. Mertens beat Yuan Sijun in the deciding frame of a match that produced three century breaks by each player, while Fan Zhengyi advanced by defeating Jimmy Robertson 10–4. Anthony McGill trailed Martin O'Donnell 2–8 and 4–9, and required a snooker in frame 14 while trailing by 69 points. However, McGill made breaks including 74, 63, 51, 128, and 72 as he won six consecutive frames for a 10–9 victory.^[52][48] Robbie McGuigan, Révész, and Allan Taylor lost their tour cards after their third-round defeats.^[38]

Fourth qualifying round

The fourth qualifying round, billed as "Judgement Day", featured all 32 winners from the third qualifying round.^[31] In the first session of his match against Noppon Saengkham, Pullen attempted a maximum break—for which he would have won a £147,000 bonus, having already made a maximum in the 2025 UK Championship qualifiers—but he missed the 14th black. Pullen won the match 10–8, securing his Crucible debut. The match between Moody and Jiang went to a deciding frame, which Moody won with a century of 104, becoming the first British teenager to reach the Crucible since Judd Trump at the 2007 edition. Having been hospitalised with tonsillitis, he had discharged himself to play the match. "The doctors said to me, 'We know you are going to say no but we want you to stay in.' I said 'No, I've got a match to play.' And I'm glad I did," Moody commented afterwards.^[53][54][55]

Facing Jamie Jones, Kowalski won four frames in a row to lead 9–6 and went on to secure a 10–8 victory, becoming the first Polish player to reach the main stage at the Crucible. His win ensured that he would remain on the professional tour the following season, as a defeat would have led to his relegation. In tears after the match, Kowalski said: "I never cry, so that's the perfect explanation of what it means to me." Pang defeated Page by the same score, and Zhou Yuelong advanced with a 10–4 win over Holt. Two-time finalist Matthew Stevens led Bingham 5–4 after the first session and went on to win the match 10–7, reaching the Crucible for the first time since the 2022 edition.^[56][55] From 1–4 behind against Gao, Vafaei won nine frames in a row for a 10–4 victory, reaching the Crucible for a fifth consecutive time. Two-time semi-finalist Gilbert produced breaks of 141 and 126 as he took a 5–4 lead over Hill in the first session. Gilbert went on to win 10–6, beating Hill in the final qualifying round for a second consecutive year.^[53][54]

Jak Jones made five centuries of 136, 100, 114, 114, and 132 as he defeated Brecel 10–5, afterwards calling the match "the best I have played all season". He Guoqiang won the first five frames against the world number 18 Lisowski and went on to complete a 10–5 victory, securing his Crucible debut. Carter came from 5–7 behind against McGill to win five consecutive frames for a 10–7 victory, reaching the Crucible for the 22nd time and saying: "It's a great achievement to still be mixing it up at the age of 46." Zhang Anda made five centuries of 109, 105, 134, 108, and 143 and four other breaks over 60 as he defeated Zak Surety 10–3, reaching the Crucible for a sixth time. Highfield made a highest break of 126 as he beat Oliver Lines 10–2; Fan made three centuries of 104, 119, and 100 in his 10–4 win over Mertens; and Lei Peifan advanced with a 10–5 defeat of Ryan Day. Xu Si came from 2–7 and 4–8 behind to lead Gary Wilson 9–8. Xu took a 44-point lead in frame 18, but Wilson recovered to force a decider, which he won with a century of 126. A total of six players from mainland China qualified for the Crucible, in addition to the five seeds. The total of 11 players from mainland China at the main stage set a new record, surpassing the 10 at the previous year's tournament.^[57] The qualifying rounds produced a record total of 177 century breaks, surpassing the 143 set during the previous year's qualifiers.^[58]

First round

The first-round matches were played from 18 to 23 April as the best of 19 frames, held over two sessions.^[24] Before the opening session at the Crucible, players and broadcasters led the audience in a minute's applause to commemorate former professional player and commentator John Virgo, who had died in February at age 79.^[59] Facing Highfield, the defending champion Zhao Xintong led 5–4 after the first session.^[60][61] In the second session, Zhao took four of the first five frames to lead 9–5 and went on to complete a 10–7 win, having made three centuries in the match, 123, 128, and 112. "I didn't play that well," Zhao commented afterwards, saying he was under "big pressure" in trying to defend the title.^[62][61] Zhang made centuries of 129 and 109 and further breaks of 75, 58, and 72 as he took a 5–3 lead over Mark Allen in the opening session, which ended a frame early due to time constraints. Allen, who called his play "absolutely embarrassing" after he failed to make a break over 50 in the first session, produced breaks including 140, 109, 129, and 81 in the second session as he won six consecutive frames for a 10–6 victory. Zhang's defeat meant that he had lost in the first round on all six of his Crucible appearances. "I want to be World Champion," said Allen after the match. "It will be a disappointing career for me if I look back and I haven't won it."^{[62][61][63][64]} Xiao Guodong led Zhou 5–4 after the opening session.^[65] In the second session, Xiao won three frames in a row, including back-to-back centuries of 115 and 128, as he completed a 10–6 victory. "It was very difficult as [Zhou] Yuelong is like a little brother to me," Xiao said afterwards. "We train together and it is hard to beat friends."^[66]

The three-time champion Mark Williams faced debutant Kowalski. The scores were tied at 3–3 after the first six frames, but Williams then won three consecutive frames for a 6–3 lead.^[65][61] In the second session, Williams took four frames in a row to secure a 10–4 victory. Williams praised his opponent afterwards, calling him a "cracking potter" and "definitely one to watch out for". Kowalski stated that he was proud to have been the first player to represent Poland at the Crucible but said he "ran out of steam" after his efforts in the qualifying rounds.^[63][67] Facing Stevens, Barry Hawkins won six consecutive frames to end the session 7–2 ahead.^[62][61] Hawkins won another three in a row in the second session and won the match 10–4, his first win at the Crucible since the 2021 event. Both players criticised the cushions after the match. Stevens said that they had "spoiled the game," while Hawkins compared the conditions to a ping-pong table. The World Snooker Tour released a statement in response, saying that its table fitters were constantly monitoring the conditions in the arena.^[63][68] Ding Junhui, runner-up at the 2016 edition, made his 20th consecutive Crucible appearance. He produced breaks including 94, 74, 100, 72, and 52 in the first session as he took a 7–2 lead over Gilbert.^[64] In the second session, Gilbert reduced Ding's lead to 8–5, but Ding went on to complete a 10–5 victory.^[69][70]

The four-time champion John Higgins, making his 32nd consecutive Crucible appearance, faced two-time finalist Carter. Higgins won the first four frames, but Carter responded by winning five in a row to lead 5–4 after the first session.^[68] Higgins won three of the last four frames in the second session to secure a 10–7 victory. It was the 12th consecutive year Higgins had won his opening match at the Crucible, the longest streak of any player. "When the draw came out, I wasn't happy because I knew it would be a mammoth game," said Higgins afterwards. "[Carter] can cue like a dream and he is one of the biggest battlers."^[70][71] Kyren Wilson, winner of the 2024 edition, faced debutant Moody, who made breaks of 84, 91, 110, 55, and 101 in the first session as he took a 6–3 lead.^[72] Moody won the first frame of the second session to go 7–3 ahead and had a 35-point lead in frame 11 when he missed frame ball, the last red, along the top cushion. Wilson won the frame on a re-spotted black and went on to take seven consecutive frames, winning frame 14 after requiring three snookers on the last red. "It was really tough," said Wilson of his 10–7 win. "I wasn't playing great but I made some dogged clearances and I had to keep doing the right things."^[73][70] Wu Yize, who had lost in the first round on his previous two Crucible appearances, produced breaks including 93, 92, 85, 67, 58, and 105 as he took an 8–1 lead over Lei.^[71] In the second session, Wu made breaks of 68 and 116 to complete a 10–2 victory, his first win at the Crucible. "It is my dream to win it," said Wu. "I don't know if I can do that, but I will give 100 per cent and enjoy each match."^[74]

Shaun Murphy, winner of the 2005 edition, led Fan 3–1 at the mid-session interval, but Fan tied the scores at 3–3, winning the sixth frame on a re-spotted black. The scores were tied again at 4–4, but Murphy won the last of the session with a 140 total clearance for a 5–4 advantage.^[73][70] In the second session, Murphy led 6–5 but required two snookers on the last red in frame 12. He secured the penalty points he needed and forced the second re-spotted black of the match, but Fan successfully doubled the black to level at 6–6. The players shared the next six frames, taking the match to a deciding frame. Fan had a 36-point lead in the decider when he missed a red, and Murphy produced a match-winning break of 50 that he later called "the best break I have ever made," saying: "I can't believe I won the match from that position, the way the balls were."^[75][76] Judd Trump, the world number one and winner of the 2019 edition, faced Gary Wilson, who made a century of 139 as he moved into a 4–1 lead. Trump won frame six, took frame seven on the colours after requiring a snooker, and then produced breaks of 128 and 77 as he added the last two of the session for a 5–4 lead.^[77] Wilson took the first frame of the second session, but Trump then won five consecutive frames for a 10–5 victory. "When it got to 8–5, I could sense a little bit of his confidence was draining and he was going for some rash shots. I knew for me it was then the time to step up," Trump said afterwards.^[78][76]

The seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, making a record-extending 34th Crucible appearance, faced debutant He Guoqiang. O'Sullivan produced breaks including 72, 97, and 112 as he took a 5–0 lead. He Guoqiang won the next two, but O'Sullivan made breaks of 52 and 86 to end the session 7–2 ahead.^[76][79] O'Sullivan won the first frame of the second session with a break of 62 and then made back-to-back centuries of 113 and 100 as he completed a 10–2 victory. "I still feel a bit rusty," commented O'Sullivan, who had featured in just nine other tournaments that season. "I haven't played against top players regularly so it's hard to know what my chances are."^[80][81] Chris Wakelin, competing as a seeded player in the tournament for the first time, faced debutant Pullen, his friend and practice partner. Wakelin led 5–4 after the first session.^[76][77] In the second session, Wakelin won four frames in a row to lead 9–5. Pullen won the next with a century of 121, but Wakelin then completed a 10–6 victory. "Even at 9–5 today I wasn't thinking about winning," Wakelin said afterwards. "I love to win, but I am not putting any pressure or expectation on myself."^[82]

The four-time champion Mark Selby won the first six frames against Jak Jones, the 2024 runner-up, and ended the first session 7–2 ahead. He went on to complete a 10–2 victory, his first win at the Crucible since the 2023 edition. "It's very tough when you lose in round one because this only comes around once a year," Selby said afterwards, adding that he had been happy with his form in the second half of the season.^[83] Facing Si Jiahui, Vafaei came from 1–3 behind in the first session to win five frames in a row, taking a 6–3 lead.^[80] Vafaei went on to complete a 10–3 victory, having won nine consecutive frames. "Perhaps I was sharp after the qualifiers," Vafaei said afterwards. "This gives me confidence and I will be ready for my next match."^[84] Neil Robertson took a 5–4 lead over Pang in the first session, despite conceding the second frame while only 47 points behind with 51 remaining on the table, mistakenly believing the deficit was actually 57.^[85] In the second session, Pang tied the scores at 5–5, but Robertson won five of the last six frames for a 10–6 victory.^[86] A record-equalling 15 of the 16 seeds reached the second round, with Si the only seed to lose his first-round match. This had previously happened only twice, at the 1983 edition (when Jimmy White was the only seed who lost in the first round, beaten by qualifier Tony Meo) and the 1993 edition (when Alain Robidoux was the only seed who did not advance, defeated by qualifier Doug Mountjoy).^[87]

Second round

The second-round matches were played from 23 to 27 April as the best of 25 frames, held over three sessions.^[24] Murphy made a century of 103 during the first session as he took a 6–2 lead over Xiao.^[84] Murphy then won seven of the eight frames played in the second session, making further centuries of 103, 115, and 103 as he completed a 13–3 victory, winning the match with a session to spare and reaching his 10th World Championship quarter-final. "I was handed a lifeline when I beat Fan and I don't want to waste it," Murphy said afterwards. "I know that my opportunities here won't come forever and when they do arrive I have to snatch them."^[88][89][90] Allen won the first five frames against the world number two Kyren Wilson, who responded to take the last three of the session.^[86] Wilson also won the first three frames of the second session to lead 6–5, by which point Allen had potted just 10 balls since taking a 5–0 lead.^[90] However, Allen won four of the last five frames in the session, making a total clearance of 140 in frame 15, to end it 9–7 ahead.^[91] In the third session, Allen won four of the six frames played for a 13–9 victory, reaching his fifth World Championship quarter-final. "I finished that match really well," Allen said afterwards. "I'd love to score a little bit better. It isn't a lot of fun grinding matches out, but the biggest positive I can take is that I'm in the quarter-finals of the World Championship without getting out of second gear." Wilson commented: "Any loss here is disappointing. I came here to try and win the tournament."^[92][93]

Ding faced the defending champion Zhao in a match that Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Snooker Tour, predicted that "hundreds of millions" would watch in China.^[94] The scores were tied at 4–4 after the opening session.^[91] In the second session, Zhao won four of the first five frames as he moved 8–5 ahead, but Ding took two of the last three to leave Zhao leading 9–7.^[95] Zhao won four of the six frames played in the third session as he completed a 13–9 victory. "Before the match I said I just wanted to enjoy it and not put myself under pressure," Zhao said afterwards. "It wasn't like that. We knew everyone had their eyes on us. I couldn't enjoy it." Ding commented that his performance was "not good enough," saying he was "disappointed" in his play in the first two sessions.^[96][97] Williams and Hawkins were tied at 4–4 after their first session, Hawkins having made a century of 127 in the opening frame and Williams a century of 124 in frame four.^[88][89] In the second session, Hawkins won five of the first six frames played to lead 9–5. Williams produced a clearance of 54 to win frame 15 by a single point, but Hawkins took the last of the session, finishing it 10–6 ahead.^[98] The final session of the match coincided with the first session between O'Sullivan and Higgins on the other table, meaning that all three members of the Class of '92 were competing at the Crucible simultaneously. The players received a standing ovation, which Williams called "the best reception I've ever seen here." Hawkins led 11–7 and 12–8 before completing a 13–9 victory, reaching the seventh World Championship quarter-final of his career and his first since the 2018 edition. "To come here, play like that and beat [Williams] at the Crucible is a special result for me," said Hawkins afterwards, adding: "I used to crumble against those sorts of players. I think in the last four or five years I've had more belief in myself and that has made the difference in the last few days."^[99][100]

The world number one Trump faced Vafaei, the only qualifier to reach the second round. The scores were tied at 4–4 after the opening session.^[95] In the second session, Vafaei led 7–6, but Trump won the last three frames with breaks of 100, 74, and 94 as he took a 9–7 lead.^[101] Trump also took the first frame of the final session with a 77 break to lead 10–7, but Vafaei then won four consecutive frames, making breaks including 53, 55, and 77 as he took the lead at 11–10. Trump then produced breaks of 76 and 64 to lead 12–11. Vafaei made a century of 106 to force a deciding frame, which he won with a break of 91 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time, having previously lost twice in the second round. The players embraced after the match as Vafaei received a standing ovation. "I wasn’t nervous. I enjoyed every minute," Vafaei said afterwards. "It was a fantastic feeling against the world number one. It was a really tough match and we were pushing each other all the way. I am so happy to get over the line." Trump commented: "It hurts but I had my chances. I'm not angry about it, I just was not good enough."^{[102][97][103]} Robertson faced Wakelin, who had beaten him 10–8 in the first round the previous year. Robertson led 4–1 in the first session, but Wakelin won three consecutive frames to tie the scores at 4–4.^[93] Robertson won three consecutive frames in the second session and extended his lead to 10–6.^[97][101] Robertson also won three consecutive frames in the third session as he secured a 13–7 win. He commented: "It was a really enjoyable match because Chris [Wakelin] and I play in a similar way, always trying to stay on the front foot." Wakelin commented: "I feel I am growing year by year but I have been inconsistent."^[104]

O'Sullivan and Higgins faced each other for the seventh time at the World Championship, each player having won three of their previous Crucible encounters. They had last met at the tournament in the semi-finals of the 2022 edition, when O'Sullivan won 17–11.^[105] O'Sullivan made breaks of 86, 82, 137, 95, and 76 in the first session as he took a 6–2 lead.^[99][100] In the second session, Higgins won frame nine with an 83 break, but O'Sullivan made breaks of 116 and 80 to move 8–3 in front. O'Sullivan maintained his five-frame lead at 9–4, but Higgins won the last three frames of the session, taking the last two on the final black, as he reduced O'Sullivan's lead to two at 9–7. O'Sullivan thumped the table out of frustration after missing a red in the last frame of the session.^{[97][106][107]} Higgins also won the first three frames of the final session, making back-to-back centuries of 118 and 128 in frames 18 and 19, as he took a 10–9 lead. Having lost six consecutive frames at the Crucible for only the fifth time, O'Sullivan won the next two with breaks of 62 and 93 for an 11–10 lead. Higgins responded by winning two consecutive frames with breaks of 111 and 88 to move one from victory at 12–11, but O'Sullivan made an 81 break to tie the scores at 12–12. Higgins won the deciding frame, helped by a break of 49, and the players received a standing ovation after the match ended. "In the first two sessions I didn't play well and Ronnie [O'Sullivan] was brilliant. I felt a bit inferior," said Higgins afterwards. "At 9–4 last night I felt I had to win the last three frames to have a chance, and that's how it worked out." O'Sullivan commented: "There was pressure out there and I felt tight, maybe because I haven't been playing that many tournaments. But I feel in a better place with my game than I have done in the past three years."^{[103][108][109]} Former champions Stephen Hendry and Doherty praised the quality of the match. "You just can't play snooker better than this," Hendry said. "After this match the tournament has a lot to live up to—it's just not going to get any better." Doherty called the encounter "one of the greatest last-16 matches I've ever seen."^[103]

Selby opened his match against Wu with back-to-back centuries of 123 and 124. Wu, who had won his first ranking title at the 2025 International Championship the previous November, won the next three frames, but Selby took two of the last three to tie the scores at 4–4.^[96] In the second session, Wu led 9–6, but Selby took the last of the session with an 81 break to leave Wu 9–7 ahead.^[97][106] In the final session, Selby reduced Wu's lead to one frame at 10–9, but Wu won the 53-minute 20th frame. Selby hit the table with his cue in frustration after missing a red in the 21st frame, which Wu won to go 12–9 ahead. Wu went on to secure a 13–10 victory. Calling the match "tough and exhausting", Wu said: "I spent a lot of time in safety exchanges in almost every frame. What made me happy was that I could go back and forth with him. It's the first time I felt I performed so well defensively."^[110] Selby praised his opponent after the match, saying: "Wu is young, still loving the game and not too many battle scars. Good luck to the boy. I really like him. I think he is a World Champion in the making. It could be this year, but if not this year, I do think in his career he'll probably win it at some stage. He is that good."^[103]

Quarter-finals

The quarter-final matches were played on 28 and 29 April as the best of 25 frames, held over three sessions.^[24] Facing Murphy, the defending champion Zhao took the opening frame with a break of 122 and moved into a 3–0 lead. Murphy then won five consecutive frames, taking both the sixth and eighth frames on the last pink, to lead 5–3 after the first session.^[111][112] In the second session, Murphy led 7–5 at the mid-session interval, but Zhao won three of the next four as he tied the scores at 8–8.^[113][114] In the final session, Murphy won three consecutive frames, making breaks including 80 and 70, as he moved one from victory at 12–9. Zhao won the next with an 81 break, but Murphy then completed a 13–10 win, helped by a break of 69. "I think when you are playing a great player, which Zhao unquestionably is, it makes it straightforward for you," Murphy said. "I just knew I had to play properly and knew I had to be somewhere near my best and I think I was." Murphy called the victory one of the best wins of his career. "[Murphy] played perfect snooker and deserves his win," said Zhao, who became the 21st player to experience the so-called "Crucible curse", referring to the fact that no first-time champion had retained the title since the tournament moved to the Crucible in 1977.^{[115][18][116]} Of his time as World Champion, Zhao said: "Everyone is watching you and has high expectations for you. I've learned a lot from this experience and that will be very helpful for me going forward."^[117]

Facing Allen, Hawkins took a 4–3 lead. Allen led by 56 points in the final frame of the session when he missed a red; Hawkins produced a 63 clearance to extend his lead to 5–3.^[111][112] In the second session, Hawkins led 7–5 at the mid-session interval. In frame 13, Allen made a 138 break, the 700th century of his professional career. Hawkins responded with a total clearance of 140 to win frame 14, but Allen made another century of 131 to take frame 15 and then won the final frame of the session on the last pink to tie the scores at 8–8.^[113][114] Allen also won the first two frames of the final session, but Hawkins tied the scores at 10–10 and 11–11. Allen made a century of 104 to lead 12–11. In the 24th frame, Hawkins had a 42-point lead when he missed the black, and Allen responded with a break of 59 before snookering Hawkins on the last red. Hawkins fluked the red while escaping from the snooker and attempted a roll-up behind the pink, but he failed to make contact, fouling and leaving himself snookered. From the opportunity that followed, Allen secured a 13–11 victory, saying afterwards: "I didn't want it to go 12–12 so when Barry [Hawkins] fluked the red my heart sank. But when he left the cue ball short of the pink, I was doing somersaults inside." Of his error on the pink in the final frame, Hawkins commented: "I was gutted. What a way to lose, knowing you have played an absolute terrible shot. It was a sinking feeling after trying so hard in a long match like that."^[118][115]

Higgins, competing in his 20th World Championship quarter-final, was tied at 2–2 with Robertson at the mid-session interval. Robertson then won three of the next four frames, taking the 56-minute eighth frame on the colours, to lead 5–3 after the first session.^[113][119] In the second session, Robertson moved 6–3 ahead before Higgins made breaks of 51, 86, and 126 to tie the scores at 6–6. Robertson won three consecutive frames to lead 9–6, but Higgins won the last of the session with an 80 break to leave Robertson 9–7 ahead.^[115] Higgins began the final session with breaks of 66 and 77 as he tied the scores at 9–9. Robertson made a 77 break to go 10–9 ahead, but Higgins won the 20th frame after Robertson went in-off the last green, tying the scores again at 10–10. After the mid-session interval, Higgins won frame 21, took the 54-minute 22nd frame by clearing the colours to win by one point, and went on to complete a 13–10 victory, having won seven of the last eight frames in the match. "I think there has been a mentality shift in the last two years, not getting too down on myself," Higgins said afterwards. "I really think I’m a different person coming to events. I hope to play well but if I don’t then I don’t. I’ve got a better mindset and I think that has helped me." It was the 12th consecutive year Robertson had failed to reached the semi-finals, having last reached the final four at the 2014 edition. He commented: "It was always going to be tough against [Higgins]. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t get the match on my terms."^[120][115]

Wu faced Vafaei, both of whom played in the World Championship quarter-finals for the first time. Vafaei won two of the first three frames, but Wu made breaks of 90, 56, 56, and 52 as he won three in a row for a 4–2 lead. In frame seven, Wu missed the blue while on a break of 29, and Vafaei made a frame-winning break of 71. Vafaei came from behind to take the last of the session, tying the scores at 4–4.^[113][119] Vafaei took the opening frame of the second session with a century of 106, but Wu then won five consecutive frames with breaks of 76, 71, 52, 102, and 92 to lead 9–5. Vafaei won frame 15, but Wu took frame 16 with a 90 break, finishing the session 10–6 ahead.^[117] Wu also won the opening frame of the final session with a 75 break. Vafaei won the next with breaks of 71 and 55, but Wu then produced a total clearance of 135 to move one from victory at 12–7. Vafaei won frame 20, but Wu came from behind in frame 21 to secure a 13–8 victory. "For me, it's about maintaining a high level consistently in scoring, as well as the defensive game, everything has to be solid if you want to win," Wu said afterwards. "I've been putting in extra work to improve my safety play. In these long-frame matches, you need to do everything well to come out on top." Vafaei said, "I have turned a bad season into a much better one so I feel more positive and I have learned a lot."^[121]

Semi-finals

The semi-final matches are being played from 30 April to 2 May as the best of 33 frames, held over four sessions.^[24] In the first semi-final, Higgins is facing Murphy. Higgins is contesting his 12th World Championship semi-final, equalling the number of semi-final appearances made by Hendry; only O'Sullivan has reached more semi-finals at the tournament, with 14. At the age of 50 years and 347 days, Higgins became the oldest semi-finalist at the event since Ray Reardon, who was 52 years and 199 days old at the 1985 edition. The semi-final is his 100th match at the Crucible. Murphy is playing in his sixth World Championship semi-final, having won four of his previous five. It is the third time the two players have faced each other at the World Championship, Murphy having defeated Higgins 13–8 in the quarter-finals of the 2005 edition and Higgins having beaten Murphy 18–9 in the final of the 2009 edition.^{[115][120][122]} Murphy made a century of 100 in frame four as he took a 3–1 lead at the mid-session interval. The BBC noted that Higgins "appeared to still be feeling the effects of his late-night quarter-final victory over Neil Robertson" and called his play in the first session "an error-strewn showing." However, Higgins won three of the last four frames of the session, tying the scores at 4–4.^[123][124]

In the second semi-final, Allen is facing Wu. Allen is competing in his third World Championship semi-final, having previously reached that stage in 2009 and 2023, while Wu is playing in the semi-finals for the first time. Wu is the fourth player from mainland China to reach a World Championship semi-final, following Ding, Si, and Zhao.^[74][122]