2026 World Snooker Championship: Draw, Results and Semi-Final Preview
The Road to the Crucible Final Takes Shape
The 50th edition of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield has reached its penultimate stage, with four players remaining in contention for the sport's most coveted title. As of Day 14 (1 May), Shaun Murphy and John Higgins are locked at 4-4 in their semi-final, whilst Wu Yize holds a commanding 6-2 advantage over Mark Allen in the other last-four encounter. The draw, results, and schedule for all remaining sessions are detailed in full below.
Full Draw and Results
Round 1 (Best of 19)
The first round produced several notable results across its 16 matches. Top seed Zhao Xintong opened with a 10-7 defeat of Liam Highfield, while second seed Judd Trump came through 10-5 against Gary Wilson. The most significant upset of the opening round came in match 15, where Hossein Vafaei defeated 15th seed Si Jiahui 10-3. Neil Robertson (4) beat Pang Junxu 10-6, and Ronnie O'Sullivan, seeded 12th, produced the most one-sided result of the round with a 10-2 win over He Guoqiang.
| Match | Player 1 | Score | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhao Xintong (1) | 10-7 | Liam Highfield |
| 2 | Ding Junhui (16) | 10-5 | David Gilbert |
| 3 | Xiao Guodong (9) | 10-6 | Zhou Yuelong |
| 4 | Shaun Murphy (8) | 10-9 | Fan Zhengyi |
| 5 | John Higgins (5) | 10-7 | Ali Carter |
| 6 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (12) | 10-2 | He Guoqiang |
| 7 | Chris Wakelin (13) | 10-6 | Liam Pullen |
| 8 | Neil Robertson (4) | 10-6 | Pang Junxu |
| 9 | Kyren Wilson (3) | 10-7 | Stan Moody |
| 10 | Mark Allen (14) | 10-6 | Zhang Anda |
| 11 | Barry Hawkins (11) | 10-4 | Matthew Stevens |
| 12 | Mark Williams (6) | 10-4 | Antoni Kowalski |
| 13 | Mark Selby (7) | 10-2 | Jak Jones |
| 14 | Wu Yize (10) | 10-2 | Lei Peifan |
| 15 | Si Jiahui (15) | 3-10 | Hossein Vafaei |
| 16 | Judd Trump (2) | 10-5 | Gary Wilson |
Round 2 (Best of 25)
The second round delivered the tournament's most significant upsets to date. Hossein Vafaei, having already removed a seeded player in round one, produced one of the results of the championship by defeating second seed Judd Trump 13-12 in a match that went to the final frame. Equally dramatic was Wu Yize's 13-11 victory over seventh seed Mark Selby, while Xiao Guodong's early exit at the hands of Shaun Murphy (13-3) underlined the unpredictable nature of the draw. John Higgins edged out Ronnie O'Sullivan 13-12 in a match that generated considerable attention given O'Sullivan's seeding and form.
| Match | Player 1 | Score | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Zhao Xintong (1) | 13-9 | Ding Junhui (16) |
| 18 | Xiao Guodong (9) | 3-13 | Shaun Murphy (8) |
| 19 | John Higgins (5) | 13-12 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (12) |
| 20 | Chris Wakelin (13) | 7-13 | Neil Robertson (4) |
| 21 | Kyren Wilson (3) | 9-13 | Mark Allen (14) |
| 22 | Barry Hawkins (11) | 13-9 | Mark Williams (6) |
| 23 | Mark Selby (7) | 11-13 | Wu Yize (10) |
| 24 | Hossein Vafaei | 13-12 | Judd Trump (2) |
Quarter-Finals (Best of 25)
The quarter-finals saw the top half of the draw produce a notable casualty as top seed Zhao Xintong fell 13-10 to Shaun Murphy. On the other side of the draw, Wu Yize continued his impressive run by defeating Hossein Vafaei 13-8, while Mark Allen progressed past Barry Hawkins 13-11. John Higgins secured his place in the last four with a 13-10 win over Neil Robertson.
| Match | Player 1 | Score | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Zhao Xintong (1) | 10-13 | Shaun Murphy (8) |
| 26 | John Higgins (5) | 13-10 | Neil Robertson (4) |
| 27 | Mark Allen (14) | 13-11 | Barry Hawkins (11) |
| 28 | Wu Yize (10) | 13-8 | Hossein Vafaei |
Semi-Finals: Schedule and Current Scores
Both semi-finals are best of 33 frames. Murphy and Higgins resume at 4-4 on Friday 1 May at 10:00 BST, with a third session to follow at 19:00. Should the match require a fourth session, it is scheduled for Saturday 2 May at 14:30. In the second semi-final, Wu Yize's 6-2 lead over Mark Allen resumes on Friday at 14:30 BST, continuing on Saturday at 10:00, with a potential fourth session on Saturday evening at 19:00.
| Semi-Final | Player 1 | Current Score | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SF1 | Shaun Murphy (8) | 4-4 | John Higgins (5) |
| SF2 | Mark Allen (14) | 2-6 | Wu Yize (10) |
The Final: Format and Schedule
The 2026 World Snooker Championship final is a best of 35 frames, played across four sessions beginning on Sunday 3 May. Session one gets under way at 13:00 BST, followed by an evening session at 19:00. Play continues on Monday 4 May with sessions at 13:00 and 19:00. The champion will be confirmed before the close of play on Monday evening.
Context: A Championship of Upsets
In the context of the world rankings, this has been a notably disruptive championship. The removal of top seed Zhao Xintong in the quarter-finals, alongside the earlier exits of second seed Trump and third seed Kyren Wilson, means no player ranked inside the top three will contest the final — a statistically rare outcome at the Crucible. Wu Yize, seeded tenth, is bidding to become the lowest-ranked finalist since the seeding structure was revised, whilst Shaun Murphy — should he progress — would be contesting his second World Championship final, having won the title in 2005. John Higgins, a four-time world champion, and Mark Allen, who has never reached a Crucible final, complete what is an unusually open final-four line-up by historical standards. All results data sourced from CueTracker and snooker.org.
