2024 World Snooker Championship

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2024 World Snooker Championship

The 2024 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 20 April to 6 May 2024. Organised by the World Snooker Tour, it was the 17th and final ranking event of the 202324 season. The title sponsor was car retailer Cazoo, so the tournament was promoted as the 2024 Cazoo World Snooker Championship.

Quick Facts Tournament information, Dates ...
2024 Cazoo World Snooker Championship
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Tournament information
Dates20 April – 6 May 2024 (2024-04-20 2024-05-06)
VenueCrucible Theatre
CitySheffield
CountryEngland
OrganisationWorld Snooker Tour
FormatRanking event
Total prize fund£2,395,000
Winner's share£500,000
Highest break Noppon Saengkham (THA) (147)
Final
Champion Kyren Wilson (ENG)
Runner-up Jak Jones (WAL)
Score1814
2023
2025
Close

Staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the tournament was the 48th consecutive World Snooker Championship to be held at the venue, where it has taken place annually since 1977. The qualifying rounds were played from 8 to 17 April at the English Institute of Sport, also in Sheffield. The event was broadcast domestically in the United Kingdom by the BBC, Eurosport and Discovery+, and by various other broadcasters worldwide. The winner received £500,000 from a total prize fund of £2,395,000.

Kyren Wilson won the event, defeating qualifier Jak Jones 1814 in the final to become the 28th snooker world champion. The defending champion, Luca Brecel, who had defeated Mark Selby in the 2023 final for his first world title, lost in the first round to David Gilbert and became the 19th player to experience the so-called "Crucible curse". There were 63 century breaks compiled in the main stage of the tournament, with a further 122 recorded in the qualifying rounds. Noppon Saengkham made a maximum break in the third round of qualifying.

Background

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The main stage of the tournament was held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, for the 48th consecutive year.

The first World Snooker Championship concluded in 1927.[1][2] It became an annual knockout tournament in 1969, which is considered the beginning of the championship's "modern era".[3][4] The 1977 tournament was the first to be staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, which has hosted every subsequent iteration.[5][6]

The 2024 event was organised by the World Snooker Tour. The title sponsor was car retailer Cazoo, for the second time, so it was promoted as the 2024 Cazoo World Snooker Championship.[7] It was the 48th consecutive year that the tournament was held at the Crucible and the 56th successive year that the World Championship had been contested through the modern knockout format.[6][8][9]

Luca Brecel was the defending champion, having defeated Mark Selby 1815 in the 2023 final to win his first world title.[10] At the 2024 event, he attempted to overcome the Crucible curse, which has allegedly prevented any first-time champion from retaining the title since the tournament moved to the Crucible in 1977.[11]

Format

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The setup inside the arena at the Crucible Theatre during the event

Qualifying took place from 8 to 17 April 2024 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, England.[12] A total of 128 players competed over four qualifying rounds for 16 places in the main stage. The players included professionals outside the top 16 of the snooker world rankings and 18 leading amateur players. Several professional players that did not enter the qualifying rounds were replaced by amateurs based on the 2023 Q School Order of Merit.[12][13]

The main stage of the championship was held from 20 April to 6 May at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.[14] The top 16 players in the world rankings were seeded per their standing following the 2024 Tour Championship and were drawn randomly against the 16 successful qualifiers in the first round. The draw was broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live on 18 April.[15][16]

All qualifying matches and first-round matches were played as the best of 19 frames over two sessions.[12] Second-round matches and quarter-finals were the best of 25 frames, played over three sessions. Semi-finals were the best of 33 frames and the final was the best of 35 frames, all three matches played over four sessions.[14]

Broadcasters

The qualifying matches were broadcast by Discovery+ in Europe (including the United Kingdom and Ireland); Huya in China; and Matchroom.live in all other territories. Round four of qualifying, called "Judgement Day", was also streamed on World Snooker Tour's YouTube and Facebook pages.[17]

The main stages of the event were broadcast by the BBC in the United Kingdom; Discovery+ and Eurosport in Europe (including the United Kingdom and Ireland); CCTV-5, Migu, Youku, and Huya in mainland China; DAZN in the United States and Brazil; Now TV in Hong Kong; Astro SuperSport in Malaysia and Brunei; TrueVisions in Thailand; Sportcast in Taiwan; Premier Sports Network in the Philippines; Fastsports in Pakistan; and Matchroom.live in all other territories.[18]

Prize fund

The winner of the event received £500,000 from a total prize fund of £2,395,000. The breakdown of prize money is shown below:[19]

  • Winner: £500,000
  • Runner-up: £200,000
  • Semi-finalists: £100,000
  • Quarter-finalists: £50,000
  • Last 16: £30,000
  • Last 32: £20,000
  • Last 48: £15,000
  • Last 80: £10,000
  • Last 112: £5,000
  • Highest break (qualifying stage included): £15,000
  • Total: £2,395,000

A bonus of £40,000 was offered for a maximum break made at the Crucible and £10,000 for a maximum made in the qualifying rounds. These bonuses were in addition to the £15,000 highest-break prize and would be shared in the case of multiple maximums.[20] An additional bonus of £147,000 was offered for any player making two maximum breaks during the season's Triple Crown events.[21] The latter bonus could be won up to three times, including multiple times by the same player, e.g. if one player made six maximums in Triple Crown events, they would win the bonus three times, for a total prize of £441,000.[20] Prior to the 2024 World Championship, three players had already made maximums that counted toward this bonus—Xu Si made a maximum in the 2023 UK Championship qualifying rounds,[22] and Ding Junhui and Mark Allen each made one at the 2024 Masters.[23][24] Xu was defeated by Alfie Burden in qualifying, Ding was beaten by Jack Lisowski in the first round, and Allen was defeated by John Higgins in the second round.

Summary

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Qualifying

Qualifying was held from 8 to 17 April at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. The seven-time champion Stephen Hendry chose not to enter.[25] He had previously opted not to enter the 2022 event,[26] and lost in the first qualifying round at the 2023 event.[27] Martin Gould withdrew from the tournament for health reasons, having not played professionally since December 2023; his opponent, six-time runner-up Jimmy White, received a walkover.[28][29] Ending the season at 129th and 81st place, respectively, in the world rankings, Hendry and Gould were both set to be relegated from the professional tour,[30] but Gould was later given a 12-month extension on medical grounds.[31]

First qualification round

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Fergal O'Brien (pictured in 2015) retired from the professional tour (which he had first joined in 1991) after losing 810 to Mostafa Dorgham.

The first qualifying round took place from 8 to 10 April and featured players ranked 81st to 112th against players ranked 113th and below, plus selected amateurs, including three players who had received two-year tour cards, playing as professionals for the first time beginning in the 202425 season.[13][12] Liam Davies won the 2024 EBSA European Under-21 Championship to earn his tour card.[32] He defeated Ryan Thomerson 103.[33] Cheung Ka Wai, aged 25, and Bulcsú Révész, aged 17, won the 2024 WSF Open Championship and the 2024 WSF World Junior Championship, respectively, for their tour cards.[34][35] Cheung led Ross Muir 96, but Muir recovered to win 109. Révész, who is the first Hungarian player on the professional tour, trailed Sean O'Sullivan 16 but took nine of the next 11 frames to win the match 108.[36] Of the 18 amateur players, five progressed to the second round. In addition to Davies and Révész, Gao Yang beat Ishpreet Singh Chadha, Haydon Pinhey defeated Hammad Miah, and Mohammed Shehab beat Stan Moody.[12]

Former Shoot Out winner Michael Holt secured his return to the tour in the 202425 season through the Q Tour,[37][38] but he was defeated 106 by Xing Zihao.[39] Ian Burns defeated Dean Young 101, while Alexander Ursenbacher beat 18-year-old Iulian Boiko in a 100 whitewash.[36] Veteran player Fergal O'Brien, the 1999 British Open champion and runner-up at the 2001 Masters, had previously announced plans to retire at the end of the 202324 season.[40][41] He lost 810 to Mostafa Dorgham.[42]

Five female players took part in the tournament.[29] Bai Yulu had won the 2024 World Women's Championship to earn a two-year tour card beginning in the 202425 season.[43] She played Jenson Kendrick, who led 62 after the first session. Bai narrowed her deficit to two frames at 79 and forced a re-spotted black in the 17th frame after acquiring foul points from a snooker, but Kendrick potted the black to win 107.[33] Reanne Evans, the 12-time Women's World Champion, was whitewashed 100 by Oliver Brown,[36] while Baipat Siripaporn, the 2023 Women's World Champion, lost 110 to Marco Fu, a former two-time World Championship semi-finalist. Mink Nutcharut, the 2022 Women's World Champion, led Adam Duffy 41, but Duffy won nine of the last ten frames for a 105 victory.[42] Rebecca Kenna lost 110 to Alfie Burden.[12]

Second qualification round

The second qualifying round took place from 10 to 13 April and featured players ranked 49th to 80th against the winners of the first qualification round.[12] Two former winners started in the second qualification round. The 1997 champion Ken Doherty was defeated by Marco Fu,[44] and the 2006 winner Graeme Dott defeated Mostafa Dorgham. Six-time runner-up Jimmy White was defeated by Liu Hongyu 310.[12][44]

All five remaining amateur players lost in the second qualification round. Bulcsú Révész and Mohammed Shebab were the closest to progressing, losing 810 to James Cahill and Tian Pengfei, respectively. Two players were defeated on a deciding frame. Liam Highfield was defeated by Stuart Carrington and Allan Taylor lost to Lukas Kleckers. Both Highfield and Taylor lost their professional status after being eliminated from the competition. The match between Taylor and Kleckers was decided on the final black ball.[12][45] Former European Masters winner Fan Zhengyi was defeated by Jiang Jun.[44]

Third qualification round

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Noppon Saengkham (pictured in 2015) completed a maximum break in the third round of qualification.

The third qualifying round took place from 13 to 15 April and featured players ranked 17th to 48th against the winners of the second qualification round.[12] Jack Lisowski entered in the third qualifying round, having been an automatic qualifier every year since 2018. He made four century breaks as he defeated Liu Hongyu 104.[46] Former finalist Matthew Stevens defeated Jimmy Robertson 106.[46] Anthony McGill lost 510 to He Guoqiang, having successfully qualified for the main event in each of the last nine seasons.[46][47] Jenson Kendrick, who entered the first round of qualifying, defeated Jordan Brown, needing to qualify for the main stage to remain as a professional.[46]

Noppon Saengkham, playing Andy Hicks, made a maximum break in the tenth frame and went 73 ahead, later winning 105.[48][49] Stuart Bingham, who had appeared at the main stage every year since 2010, trailed Stuart Carrington 37 but recovered to win 109.[50][51]

Fourth qualification round

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Neil Robertson (pictured in 2015) failed to qualify for the main stage of the event for the first time in twenty years.

The fourth and final qualifying round took place on 16 and 17 April.[12] The 2010 champion Neil Robertson failed to qualify for the main stage of the event for the first time in 20 years, after losing in a deciding frame to Jamie Jones.[52][53] Si Jiahui, who reached the semi-final in 2023, lost the first four frames to Wu Yize but then won ten frames in a row to gain a 104 victory.[53] Dominic Dale qualified for the event for the first time since 2014 as he defeated He Guoqiang. At 52 years old, Dale was the oldest qualifier since Steve Davis in the 2010 event.[54] He credited his upturn in form to his new French girlfriend.[54] Mark Davis lost in a deciding frame in the final round for a second successive year. He lost 910 to Ricky Walden.[55][54] The 17th seed Jack Lisowski defeated Matthew Stevens 103, making six century breaks.[56][57]

Only three low-ranked players progressed to the fourth round from the first round. Louis Heathcote (ranked 100th) was defeated 108 by Stuart Bingham. Heathcote was ahead 87 but missed a pot on the pink that would have opened up a two-frame lead.[56] Jenson Kendrick (ranked 103rd) lost his tour card following a 710 loss to Lyu Haotian.[56] Jiang Jun (ranked 110th) was defeated by Hossein Vafaei 510 in the final qualifying round.[56] Joe O'Connor was the only debutant to qualify for the main stage of the event. He led 98 before winning the final frame of the match, which lasted over 1 hour and 50 minutes, the second-longest frame ever played.[58]

Main stage

The draw for the last 32 was made on 18 April on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sport with Rob Walker and Mark Allen.[59][60] On the evening of 19 April, Hendry and comedian Mark Watson hosted a live edition of the official World Snooker Tour podcast Snooker Club at the Crucible Theatre, where they were joined by Judd Trump and comedian Jon Richardson.[61]

First round

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In his debut match, Joe O'Connor (pictured in 2017) defeated four-time world champion Mark Selby 10‍–‍6.

The first round took place from 20 to 25 April, each match played as the best of 19 frames over two sessions.[14] Of the sixteen seeded players, eight were defeated in the opening round. Luca Brecel, the defending champion and top seed, met 2019 semi-finalist David Gilbert in the opening match.[62] Between the two, they made seven breaks above 70 in nine frames and Brecel led 63.[63] Brecel moved to 96 ahead but was unable to win the match as he was defeated in a deciding frame.[63] Post match, Brecel commented that he had been unwell and had not liked the spotlight of being defending champion,[64] but he praised Gilbert's performance.[65][62] The highest ranked qualifier, Jack Lisowski, defeated Ding Junhui in a deciding frame.[66] Jak Jones and Zhang Anda's first session was finished after only playing seven of the nine frames due to slow play. Leading 52, Jones gained a 104 victory in the second session.[67][68] Despite trailing 45 after the first session, Stephen Maguire defeated ninth seed Ali Carter 107.[69] Fifth seed and four-time champion Mark Selby lost 610 to debutant Joe O'Connor. Selby stated that he was going to re-evaluate retirement after the championship.[70][71] Qualifier Stuart Bingham defeated Gary Wilson 105. Wilson commented that his form had been "like putting myself through torture".[72] Si Jiahui led sixth seed Mark Williams 85, but Williams tied the score at 99. Si made a break of 77 to win the match. He commented that he did not feel the pressure, as he was the challenger to Williams.[73][74] Ryan Day defeated 15th seed Barry Hawkins 108.[75] Hawkins won six frames in a row to lead 85 before Day won the next five to win the match.[76]

The third seed Judd Trump led Hossein Vafaei 63 after the first session, despite being significantly behind on points in six of the frames.[62] Trump gained a 105 victory in the second session.[68] Following the loss, Vafaei commented that the arena "smelled" and that the practice tables were "like playing in a garage".[77] Tom Ford, who was playing as a seeded player for the first time, defeated Ricky Walden 106. Ford had previously lost all four of his matches at the event.[78] Shaun Murphy won five frames in a row as he defeated Lyu Haotian 105.[79] Murphy, who had lost his previous two first round World Championship matches, called the result "rewarding".[73] Robert Milkins survived a deciding frame as he defeated Pang Junxu 109.[80] Dominic Dale made a break of 120 in the only frame he won, as he played Kyren Wilson. Wilson completed a 101 victory, making a half-century or better in nine frames.[81] Seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan also gained a 101 victory as he defeated Jackson Page.[82] Four-time champion John Higgins trailed Jamie Jones 13 but eventually won 106.[83] World number three Mark Allen gained a 106 victory over Robbie Williams.[84]

Second round

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John Higgins (pictured in 2013) defeated Mark Allen on a deciding frame to retain his top-16 status.

The second round took place from 25 to 29 April, each match played as the best of 25 frames over three sessions.[14] Trailing 47 against David Gilbert, Milkins threw his cue stick to the ground in frustration after missing a pot.[85] Gilbert won the remaining frames of the match to win 134.[86][87] Trump gained an early lead against Tom Ford, winning four frames in a row, from 22 to 62. He made seven breaks of above 50 to lead 115 after the second session. Trump gained a 137 victory in the third session. Ford commented "You can get away with one bad session here, but not two".[88][89] Jak Jones opened a 62 lead over Si Jiahui after the first session, but the lead was reduced to two frames, as he led 97 after the second session. Jones gained a 139 victory in the final session. In progressing to the quarter-finals, he was the first player in 25 years (since Matthew Stevens in 1998 and 1999) to reach the quarter-finals in his first two World Championship appearances.[90] Murphy and Maguire met in the second round of the event, having been "rivals since children". In winning a couple of frames, Murphy celebrated with a fist bump. However, when winning the frame to lead 106, Maguire punched the table and celebrated wildly and later went on to win the match 139. Maguire commented after the match that his attention had been strengthened after seeing Murphy celebrate the previous frame wins.[91][92]

O'Sullivan played Ryan Day, who had not defeated O'Sullivan in the previous 13 years. Leading 106 after the second session, O'Sullivan won three out of four frames to complete a 137 victory.[93] Kyren Wilson led O'Connor 106 after the second session of their match and won three straight frames to win 136.[94][93][95] Bingham led Lisowski 97 going into the final session. Lisowski missed a frame ball shot on the pink ball to tie the match at 1010 but made breaks of 84 and 124 to tie the score at 1111.[96] Lisowski missed another pot on the pink in frame 23, with Bingham making a clearance to win the frame and later gaining a 1311 victory.[97] John Higgins met Mark Allen in a second-round tie, where Higgins was required to win to remain in the top 16 in the snooker world rankings. They had met five times previously in the season, with Higgins winning three. The pair were tied at 44 after the first session,[98] but Allen opened up a two-frame lead after the second session. Allen won the first frame of the final session, but Higgins won the next three to tie the score at 1010. Allen took the lead twice, but Higgins tied the match again at 1212. With Allen leading by 62 points, Higgins made a double, followed by a 71 break to win the match 1312.[99][100] After the match, Higgins called the break in the deciding frame "one of my best",[96] and commented, "I'm over the moon. I think it will hit me later that it was a special clearance. I'm proud of myself."[101] Allen commented, "I had more than enough chances to win it and credit to John [Higgins], he does what John does and clears up in the deciding frame."[102]

Quarter-finals

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David Gilbert (pictured in 2015) reached the World Championship semi-finals for a second time, after defeating Stephen Maguire 13‍–‍8.

The quarter-finals took place from 30 April to 1 May, each match played as the best of 25 frames over three sessions.[14] For the first time since 1992, four of the eight quarter-finalists were qualifiers.[97] Jak Jones won three of the first four frames and went ahead 43 before Judd Trump took frame eight to tie the match, despite needing a snooker.[103] Jones won the first two frames of the second session, the second of which lasted over 55 minutes. Trump again tied the score at 77 and won frame 15 to go into the lead, but a 115 break by Jones in the final frame of the session tied the score with one session left to play.[103] Jones won the opening frame on the resumption of the match but went in-off in the second, allowing Trump to draw level at 99. Trump, however, did not win another frame and was defeated 913.[104] Jones commented, "I feel good and pleased to get through. I thought Judd [Trump] struggled. He started with a century and it kind of motivated me." Trump agreed, saying "Playing like that, he did me a favour because I'd have lost 170 [in the next round]."[105]

David Gilbert opened up a 71 lead in the first session of his match against Stephen Maguire.[106] Gilbert won the first frame of the second session to open up a seven-frame lead and then went ahead 92. Maguire, however, won four of the remaining five frames of the session to trail 610.[107] Maguire took two of the first three frames of the third session to further close the gap at 811, but Gilbert won the remaining frames of the match to win 138. Despite requiring only one snooker, Maguire conceded the match in the final frame. Gilbert commented afterwards that he was "relieved" and would "buy [Maguire] a pint" because of his withdrawal. Maguire commented that he had not had much luck during the match and that playing on would be "a waste of time".[107]

Kyren Wilson had lost all of his previous matches against John Higgins at the World Championship, including a semi-final loss in 2018 and a 213 second-round loss in 2023.[108][109] Wilson won the first four frames of the match and drew ahead 51, but Higgins won the last two frames of the first session to trail by two frames.[110][111] Wilson took four of the next five frames to open up a five-frame lead at 94, but Higgins won the remaining three frames of the second session to again trail by only two frames. Higgins later commented that he felt like he had "won the lottery" at getting the score to that point.[112] Higgins won the first frame of the third session to trail by just one frame, but Wilson took the next four to win the match 138.[113] Wilson stated, "To come off the back of absolute annihilation from John here last year, I had to put that to one side." Higgins commented that "the best man won" and "I hope [Wilson] is holding the trophy aloft with his son on Bank Holiday Monday." He also commented that he "didn't want that to be the last I play at the Crucible."[112] Despite the loss, in making the quarter-finals, Higgins was able to retain his top-16 status in the world rankings.[114]

After eleven frames, Ronnie O'Sullivan led Stuart Bingham 65. In frame 12, a situation occurred where the referee, Desislava Bozhilova, was unable to properly re-spot the black ball after it was potted, leaving O'Sullivan with a relatively simple next red. He refused to take the red and instead played a safety shot, which arguably cost him the frame. Writing in The Guardian, Simon Hattenstone said, "It was incredible. This was a shot that both defined and transcended sport. It was everything we'd learned about sportsmanship at school (if we had decent teachers). But it was also about the best of humanity – morality, bravery, sacrifice and sheer bloody goodness."[115] Resuming at 88 in the third session, O'Sullivan made a 136 break before Bingham levelled again with a 63. Bingham took four of the next five frames to win the match 1310. The victory was only his fourth against O'Sullivan in 22 meetings.[116] An emotional Bingham said, "I've had a little cry at the back there [...] I don't know how I held myself together".[117]

Semi-finals

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Jak Jones (pictured in 2016) reached his first ranking event final, after defeating Stuart Bingham 17‍–‍12.

The semi-finals took place from 2 to 4 May, both matches played as the best of 33 frames over four sessions.[14] Three of the four semi-finalists were qualifiers, for the first time since 1977.[112] The only remaining seeded player, Kyren Wilson, played David Gilbert in the first semi-final. The pair tied their opening session at 44, with Gilbert making breaks of 91 and 104.[118] In the eighth frame, Wilson attempted a maximum break but missed a pot on 88. During the break, Wilson said, "thank god Mark Selby is out", alluding to the fact he had made a maximum the previous year but split the prize money with Selby.[119] The pair's second session ended at 88 and they both made half-century breaks in the third session to tie again at 99. Wilson then won five frames in a row, including breaks of 93, 51, and 88, before Gilbert won the final frame of the session with a break of 101.[120][121] Resuming 1014 behind, Gilbert won frame 25 with a break of 70.[122] Needing foul shots from laying snookers, Gilbert was able to get the required points but was still unable to win frame 26. Wilson won frame 27 with a break of 54 and won the next frame, after Gilbert broke down on a 49 break, to win the match 1711.[123] Wilson commented that he was "chuffed" having a lead after the third session and Gilbert thought he "had a bit of a shocker" and that Wilson "deserved to win" despite thinking he would win the match.[124]

Jak Jones was playing in his first World Championship semi-final, having made his Crucible debut the previous year, and Stuart Bingham was playing in his third. Bingham won all three of the opening three frames of the match but missed frame ball in the fourth as Jones recovered to 13. Jones also won the next two frames before Bingham won frame seven, and Jones tied the match at 44.[125] Bingham made breaks of 79 and 107 to lead 64, but Jones won three frames to lead the match before Bingham won frame 14. After Jones won frame 15, he was placed into a snooker and missed escaping seven times. Bingham made a clearance to tie the score 88.[126] Bingham won frame 17, but Jones won all of the next six frames to lead 139. Bingham won frame 23, but their final frame of the third session was postponed as the session ran over.[127] Bingham won a 40-minute 24th frame but missed a pot on the green ball in frame 25 to allow Jones to lead 1411. Jones won the next frame with a break of 65, and Bingham won the next frame which lasted almost 45 minutes. The four frames of the mini-session lasted almost two and a half hours. After the interval, Jones made breaks of 70, 44, and 58 to win the next two frames and the match 1712.[128] Despite winning, Jones commented that he had not played well, and Bingham stated that he himself "must have given eight frames away".[129]

Final

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Kyren Wilson (pictured in 2022) won his first World Championship, defeating Jak Jones 18–14 in the final.

The final took place on 5 and 6 May, as the best of 35 frames played over four sessions.[14] This was Kyren Wilson's third Triple Crown final; he had previously finished runner-up at the 2018 Masters and the 2020 World Snooker Championship, losing to Mark Allen and Ronnie O'Sullivan, respectively. Qualifier Jak Jones was appearing in his first ranking final, his previous best being a semi-final appearance at the 2022 Gibraltar Open.[130] He was the ninth qualifier to reach the final of the World Championship and the first since Ding Junhui in 2016.[131] Referee Paul Collier was officiating his last match before retiring from refereeing to focus on his role as a tournament director.[132]

Wilson made a break of 129 in the opening frame and scored further breaks of 52 and 66 to lead 40.[133] He made a break of 52 in frame five before compiling a 125 century in frame six and a 90 in frame seven to lead 70.[134] This was the first time since 1991 that one of the finalists had won all of the first seven frames.[135] Jones then made a break of 65 to win the concluding frame of the first session.[136] Trailing by six frames, Jones made breaks of 75 and 56 to trail 37. Wilson won frame 11 with a century break and took the next frame with a break of 60. Jones won frame 13 after Wilson missed a pot, but a 122 break from Wilson in frame 14 brought the score to 104.[134] Jones won the next frame and made a sufficient break in the final frame of the session to leave Wilson requiring a snooker to win. He successfully laid the snooker, and the frame concluded with shots on the black ball. Jones attempted a double but left the black available, and Wilson potted it to lead 116 after the second session.[134] Wilson commented: "Jak [Jones] played really well tonight. It's not all about the scoreline, it's about how the frame was won and there was obviously a lot of tension in there."[135]

Jones won the first two frames of the third session with breaks of 64 and 59 to trail 811, but Wilson won frame 20 with a 50 break and took the next frame after Jones played a poor break-off shot. Wilson missed a shot on the black in frame 22, allowing Jones to make a break of 90, which he followed with a break of 73 in the next to trail again by three frames. Wilson made a break of 87 in frame 24 and capitalised on a missed pot on the yellow by Jones to lead 1510 after the third session.[137] Wilson won the first frame of the final session before Jones made his first century break of the match, a 105, in frame 27.[138] Wilson was 27 points ahead in the next frame but snookered himself on the yellow ball, and Jones made a clearance, forcing a re-spotted black. Jones missed the black over the yellow pocket before Wilson fluked the black to lead 1711.[138] Jones made a break of 67 in frame 29 to trail 1217; he attempted a maximum break in the next frame, but it ended on 96, and he also won frame 31. Wilson then took frame 32 to complete an 1814 victory, securing his first world title.[139][140][141]

Main draw

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Perspective

The draw for the main tournament is shown below. The numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the seedings for the 16 seeded players (1–16) and the rankings (in italics) for the unseeded players. The match winners are shown in bold.[142][143]

Round 1 (Last 32)
Best of 19 frames
Round 2 (Last 16)
Best of 25 frames
Quarter-finals
Best of 25 frames
Semi-finals
Best of 33 frames
Final
Best of 35 frames
20 April
 Luca Brecel (BEL) (1) 9
25 & 26 April
 David Gilbert (ENG) (31) 10
England David Gilbert (31) 13
22 & 23 April
England Robert Milkins (16) 4
 Robert Milkins (ENG) (16) 10
30 April & 1 May
 Pang Junxu (CHN) (27) 9
England David Gilbert (31) 13
20 & 21 April
Scotland Stephen Maguire (28) 8
 Ali Carter (ENG) (9) 7
26, 27 & 28 April
 Stephen Maguire (SCO) (28) 10
Scotland Stephen Maguire (28) 13
21 & 22 April
England Shaun Murphy (8) 9
 Shaun Murphy (ENG) (8) 10
2, 3 & 4 May
 Lyu Haotian (CHN) (26) 5
England David Gilbert (31) 11
21 & 22 April
England Kyren Wilson (12) 17
 Mark Selby (ENG) (5) 6
27, 28 & 29 April
 Joe O'Connor (ENG) (30) 10
England Joe O'Connor (30) 6
23 & 24 April
England Kyren Wilson (12) 13
 Kyren Wilson (ENG) (12) 10
30 April & 1 May
 Dominic Dale (WAL) (40) 1
England Kyren Wilson (12) 13
24 & 25 April
Scotland John Higgins (13) 8
 John Higgins (SCO) (13) 10
27, 28 & 29 April
 Jamie Jones (WAL) (41) 6
Scotland John Higgins (13) 13
23 & 24 April
Northern Ireland Mark Allen (4) 12
 Mark Allen (NIR) (4) 10
5 & 6 May
 Robbie Williams (ENG) (45) 6
England Kyren Wilson (12) 18
20 & 21 April
Wales Jak Jones (44) 14
 Judd Trump (ENG) (3) 10
25, 26 & 27 April
 Hossein Vafaei (IRN) (19) 5
England Judd Trump (3) 13
20 & 21 April
England Tom Ford (14) 7
 Tom Ford (ENG) (14) 10
30 April & 1 May
 Ricky Walden (ENG) (32) 6
England Judd Trump (3) 9
20 & 21 April
Wales Jak Jones (44) 13
 Zhang Anda (CHN) (11) 4
26 & 27 April
 Jak Jones (WAL) (44) 10
Wales Jak Jones (44) 13
22 & 23 April
China Si Jiahui (23) 9
 Mark Williams (WAL) (6) 9
2, 3 & 4 May
 Si Jiahui (CHN) (23) 10
Wales Jak Jones (44) 17
23 & 24 April
England Stuart Bingham (29) 12
 Ding Junhui (CHN) (7) 9
27, 28 & 29 April
 Jack Lisowski (ENG) (17) 10
England Jack Lisowski (17) 11
22 April
England Stuart Bingham (29) 13
 Gary Wilson (ENG) (10) 5
30 April & 1 May
 Stuart Bingham (ENG) (29) 10
England Stuart Bingham (29) 13
23 & 24 April
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) 10
 Barry Hawkins (ENG) (15) 8
28 & 29 April
 Ryan Day (WAL) (18) 10
Wales Ryan Day (18) 7
24 & 25 April
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) 13
 Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) (2) 10
 Jackson Page (WAL) (43) 1

Final

More information Frame, Wilson ...
Final: (Best of 35 frames) Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 5 & 6 May 2024
Referee: Paul Collier[132]
Kyren Wilson (12)
 England
18–14 Jak Jones (44)
 Wales
Session 1: 7–1 (7–1)
Frame 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Wilson 129† (129) 87† (52) 76 109† (66) 84† (62) 125† (125) 90† (90) 11 N/A N/A
Jones 0 35 14 7 0 4 11 72† (65) N/A N/A
Session 2: 4–5 (11–6)
Frame 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Wilson 18 0 129† (125) 78† (60) 22 122† (122) 32 0 66 N/A
Jones 75† (75) 80† (52) 0 41 74 0 68 90† (90) 64 (64) N/A
Session 3: 4–4 (15–10)
Frame 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Wilson 39 0 67† (50) 83† (83) 23 22 106† (87) 81 N/A N/A
Jones 72† (64) 67† (59) 7 0 105† (90) 74† (73) 1 9 N/A N/A
Session 4: 3–4 (18–14)
Frame 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Wilson 67 16 80 8 0 22 71 N/A N/A N/A
Jones 35 105† (105) 73 88† (67) 96† (96) 82 4 N/A N/A N/A
129 Highest break 105
4 Century breaks 1
12 50+ breaks 12
England Kyren Wilson wins the 2024 Cazoo World Snooker Championship[144]

† = Winner of frame

Close

Qualifying draw

Summarize
Perspective

The draw for the qualifying rounds is shown below. The numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the world ranking position for each player; an "a" indicates amateur players not on the main tour (i.e. without a world ranking). The match winners are shown in bold.[145][12]

Round 1 (Last 144)
Best of 19 frames
Round 2 (Last 112)
Best of 19 frames
Round 3 (Last 80)
Best of 19 frames
Round 4 (Last 48)
Best of 19 frames
 Martin Gould (ENG) (81)[a]w/d Liu Hongyu (CHN) (80)10 Jack Lisowski (ENG) (17)10
 Jimmy White (ENG) (119)w/o Jimmy White (ENG) (119)3 Liu Hongyu (CHN) (80)4England Jack Lisowski (17)10
 Ryan Thomerson (AUS) (112)3 Jimmy Robertson (ENG) (49)10 Matthew Stevens (WAL) (48)10Wales Matthew Stevens (48)3
 Liam Davies (WAL) (a)10 Liam Davies (WAL) (a)2 Jimmy Robertson (ENG) (49)6
 Ian Burns (ENG) (96)10 Mark Joyce (ENG) (65)7 Ricky Walden (ENG) (32)10
 Dean Young (SCO) (116)1 Ian Burns (ENG) (96)10 Ian Burns (ENG) (96)7England Ricky Walden (32)10
 Andy Lee (HKG) (97)9 Mark Davis (ENG) (64)10 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (THA) (33)8England Mark Davis (64)9
 Andrew Pagett (WAL) (114)10 Andrew Pagett (WAL) (114)2 Mark Davis (ENG) (64)10
 Rory Thor (MAS) (104)10 David Grace (ENG) (57)10 Dominic Dale (WAL) (40)10
 Hamza Ilyas (PAK) (a)2 Rory Thor (MAS) (104)8 David Grace (ENG) (57)6Wales Dominic Dale (40)10
 Ross Muir (SCO) (89)10 He Guoqiang (CHN) (72)10 Anthony McGill (SCO) (25)5China He Guoqiang (72)8
 Cheung Ka Wai (HKG) (a)9 Ross Muir (SCO) (89)8 He Guoqiang (CHN) (72)10
 Alfie Burden (ENG) (105)10 Xu Si (CHN) (56)3 Jamie Jones (WAL) (41)10
 Rebecca Kenna (ENG) (126)1 Alfie Burden (ENG) (105)10 Alfie Burden (ENG) (105)5Wales Jamie Jones (41)10
 Ishpreet Singh Chadha (IND) (88)6 Zak Surety (ENG) (73)10 Neil Robertson (AUS) (24)10Australia Neil Robertson (24)9
 Gao Yang (CHN) (a)10 Gao Yang (CHN) (a)6 Zak Surety (ENG) (73)2
 Sean O'Sullivan (ENG) (85)8 James Cahill (ENG) (76)10 Zhou Yuelong (CHN) (21)10
 Bulcsú Révész (HUN) (a)10 Bulcsú Révész (HUN) (a)8 James Cahill (ENG) (76)0China Zhou Yuelong (21)4
 Andres Petrov (EST) (108)10 Jamie Clarke (WAL) (53)10 Jak Jones (WAL) (44)10Wales Jak Jones (44)10
 Ahmed Aly Elsayed (USA) (124)1 Andres Petrov (EST) (108)7 Jamie Clarke (WAL) (53)6
 Adam Duffy (ENG) (92)10 Ashley Hugill (ENG) (69)10 Stephen Maguire (SCO) (28)10
 Mink Nutcharut (THA) (117)5 Adam Duffy (ENG) (92)4 Ashley Hugill (ENG) (69)7Scotland Stephen Maguire (28)10
 Andrew Higginson (ENG) (101)10 Michael White (WAL) (60)10 Yuan Sijun (CHN) (37)10China Yuan Sijun (37)6
 Duane Jones (WAL) (a)7 Andrew Higginson (ENG) (101)8 Michael White (WAL) (60)8
 Louis Heathcote (ENG) (100)10 Oliver Lines (ENG) (61)7 Elliot Slessor (ENG) (36)8
 Oliver Sykes (ENG) (a)4 Louis Heathcote (ENG) (100)10 Louis Heathcote (ENG) (100)10England Louis Heathcote (100)8
 Stuart Carrington (ENG) (93)10 Liam Highfield (ENG) (68)9 Stuart Bingham (ENG) (29)10England Stuart Bingham (29)10
 Himanshu Jain (IND) (118)5 Stuart Carrington (ENG) (93)10 Stuart Carrington (ENG) (93)9
 Alexander Ursenbacher (SUI) (109)10 Anthony Hamilton (ENG) (52)10 Robbie Williams (ENG) (45)10
 Iulian Boiko (UKR) (a)0 Alexander Ursenbacher (SUI) (109)7 Anthony Hamilton (ENG) (52)5England Robbie Williams (45)10
 Allan Taylor (ENG) (84)10 Lukas Kleckers (GER) (77)10 Chris Wakelin (ENG) (20)10England Chris Wakelin (20)9
 Vladislav Gradinari (MDA) (a)6 Allan Taylor (ENG) (84)9 Lukas Kleckers (GER) (77)5
 Marco Fu (HKG) (83)10 Ken Doherty (IRL) (78)6 Hossein Vafaei (IRN) (19)10
 Baipat Siripaporn (THA) (125)1 Marco Fu (HKG) (83)10 Marco Fu (HKG) (83)4Iran Hossein Vafaei (19)10
 Jiang Jun (CHN) (110)10 Fan Zhengyi (CHN) (51)8 Sam Craigie (ENG) (46)8China Jiang Jun (110)5
 Amir Sarkhosh (IRN) (a)6 Jiang Jun (CHN) (110)10 Jiang Jun (CHN) (110)10
 Hammad Miah (ENG) (94)2 Julien Leclercq (BEL) (67)10 Joe O'Connor (ENG) (30)10
 Haydon Pinhey (ENG) (a)10 Haydon Pinhey (ENG) (a)3 Julien Leclercq (BEL) (67)1England Joe O'Connor (30)10
 Muhammad Asif (PAK) (99)[b]w/d Aaron Hill (IRL) (62)10 Matthew Selt (ENG) (35)10England Matthew Selt (35)8
 Daniel Womersley (ENG) (a)w/o Daniel Womersley (ENG) (a)3 Aaron Hill (IRL) (62)4
 Ma Hailong (CHN) (102)10 Martin O'Donnell (ENG) (59)7 Cao Yupeng (CHN) (38)10
 Victor Sarkis (BRA) (122)1 Ma Hailong (CHN) (102)10 Ma Hailong (CHN) (102)4China Cao Yupeng (38)8
 Oliver Brown (ENG) (91)10 Dylan Emery (WAL) (70)8 Pang Junxu (CHN) (27)10China Pang Junxu (27)10
 Reanne Evans (ENG) (120)0 Oliver Brown (ENG) (91)10 Oliver Brown (ENG) (91)7
 Fergal O'Brien (IRL) (107)8 Graeme Dott (SCO) (54)10 Jackson Page (WAL) (43)10
 Mostafa Dorgham (EGY) (123)10 Mostafa Dorgham (EGY) (123)5 Graeme Dott (SCO) (54)5Wales Jackson Page (43)10
 Long Zehuang (CHN) (86)10 Andy Hicks (ENG) (75)10 Noppon Saengkham (THA) (22)10Thailand Noppon Saengkham (22)9
 Sydney Wilson (ENG) (a)1 Long Zehuang (CHN) (86)2 Andy Hicks (ENG) (75)5
 Rod Lawler (ENG) (87)10 Ben Mertens (BEL) (74)10 Si Jiahui (CHN) (23)10
 Gong Chenzhi (CHN) (a)7 Rod Lawler (ENG) (87)9 Ben Mertens (BEL) (74)9China Si Jiahui (23)10
 Stan Moody (ENG) (106)6 Tian Pengfei (CHN) (55)10 Wu Yize (CHN) (42)10China Wu Yize (42)4
 Mohammed Shehab (UAE) (a)10 Mohammed Shehab (UAE) (a)8 Tian Pengfei (CHN) (55)8
 Xing Zihao (CHN) (90)10 Daniel Wells (WAL) (71)10 Lyu Haotian (CHN) (26)10
 Michael Holt (ENG) (a)6 Xing Zihao (CHN) (90)5 Daniel Wells (WAL) (71)8China Lyu Haotian (26)10
 Jenson Kendrick (ENG) (103)10 Ben Woollaston (ENG) (58)8 Jordan Brown (NIR) (39)5England Jenson Kendrick (103)7
 Bai Yulu (CHN) (a)7 Jenson Kendrick (ENG) (103)10 Jenson Kendrick (ENG) (103)10
 Liam Pullen (ENG) (98)10 Sanderson Lam (ENG) (63)10 Xiao Guodong (CHN) (34)10
 Anton Kazakov (UKR) (113)3 Liam Pullen (ENG) (98)8 Sanderson Lam (ENG) (63)2China Xiao Guodong (34)6
 Peng Yisong (CHN) (95)10 David Lilley (ENG) (66)10 David Gilbert (ENG) (31)10England David Gilbert (31)10
 Manasawin Phetmalaikul (THA) (121)5 Peng Yisong (CHN) (95)9 David Lilley (ENG) (66)4
 Mohamed Ibrahim (EGY) (111)6 Scott Donaldson (SCO) (50)10 Joe Perry (ENG) (47)6
 Peter Lines (ENG) (a)10 Peter Lines (ENG) (a)6 Scott Donaldson (SCO) (50)10Scotland Scott Donaldson (50)9
 Ashley Carty (ENG) (82)10 John Astley (ENG) (79)10 Ryan Day (WAL) (18)10Wales Ryan Day (18)10
 Liam Graham (SCO) (115)4 Ashley Carty (ENG) (82)6 John Astley (ENG) (79)6
Note: w/o = walkover; w/d = withdrawn

Century breaks

Summarize
Perspective

Main stage centuries

A total of 63 century breaks were made during the main stage of the tournament.[142][146]

Qualifying stage centuries

A total of 122 century breaks were made during the qualifying rounds.[145][147]

Notes

  1. Martin Gould withdrew, so Jimmy White received a walkover.[28]
  2. Muhammad Asif withdrew, so Daniel Womersley received a walkover.[12]

References

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