World Snooker Championship 2015: Round 2 Scores, Results, Schedule, Draw, More
The second round of this year's World Snooker Championship kicked off on Thursday, and the tournament is now wide open after top-seeded Mark Selby was stunned by Anthony McGill.
Ronnie O'Sullivan is the man to beat as the players negotiate the best-of-25 format, giving audiences an even greater chance to see who is most deserving of a spot in the quarter-finals.
Updated scores and fixtures are discussed in further detail ahead.
World Snooker Championship 2015 Schedule
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The second round of the 2015 World Snooker Championship has been completed.
Monday Results
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Ronnie O'Sullivan 13-5 Matthew Stevens
Ronnie O'Sullivan entered Monday's evening session needing just one frame to advance to the quarter-final, and after dropping the opening frame to Matthew Stevens, he came right back with a break of 77 to win the match.
Stevens, who was suffering from a minor neck injury, saved face with a break of 63 to win the first frame, but never had a chance when the Rocket returned to the table.
O'Sullivan shocked the Crucible crowd during his post-match press conference, admitting to the cameras he isn't really excited about the prospect of winning a sixth world title, via ESPN:
"For me I'm just happy to still be playing but nah, I don't get excited like I used to when I was going for one, two, threes and fours. You're just kind of hungry for it.
I've kind of settled at five. It's not a bad innings and if I can add to that, that's great, but you kind of lose motivation in the end. It's not the same kind of motivation, it's a different kind of motivation. A lot calmer, more relaxed about everything.
"
The Rocket is usually at his best when he plays free of stress, so the fact he's not really feeling the pressure of a sixth world title might be a good thing. He's certainly looked like his old self so far in the tournament, and remains the favourite for the title.
Neil Robertson 13-5 Ali Carter
If O'Sullivan is the favourite to win this year's title, Australia's Neil Robertson isn't too far behind. The 2010 World Champion started the evening session against Ali Carter up 11-5 and won both frames to advance, crossing the line in style with a 145 break, the highest of the tournament so far.
To watch the final frame, click here.
Carter didn't do himself any favours with some sloppy safety play, practically handing Robertson the match. He'll meet Barry Hawkins in the quarter-final.
Jupp Trump 13-8 Marco Fu
After a minor scare early in the session, Judd Trump secured a comfortable victory over Marco Fu, winning 13-8 to confirm his place amongst the quarter-finalists for the third successive year.
Trump lead 10-6 at the start of the day and many expected the 25-year-old to coast to victory against the Hong Kong-born potter. But to Fu’s credit, he won the opening frame of session to reduce the deficit to just three points, rattling in a break of 94 in the process.
As noted here by Matt of ProSnookerBlog, thoughts were quickly turning to previous collapses from comfortable positions for Trump:
"Remember that Carter beat Trump 13-12 from 12-9 down back here in 2012, it can happen...
— Matt (@ProSnookerBlog) April 27, 2015"
The 2011 runner-up is a much more mature player these days and he responded to that minor setback with class. He won two frames on the bounce to re-establish his lead, but Fu won another to take the match into a mid-session interval. It was only postponing the inevitable though, as Trump took the 21st frame in style with a classy clearance of 133.
Former Scotland international footballer Don Hutchison thinks Trump is showing the mettle to be champion this year:
"I’m going pretty early on @judd147t to win this years world Champs. #flowing
— Don Hutchison (@donhutch4) April 26, 2015"
There’s little denying that Trump has the talent to win this title, but he still seems to lose concentration in matches during critical moments.
From his perspective, hopefully these deficiencies will cease as we edge ever closer to the sharp end of the tournament. Ding Junhui will be his quarter-final opponent and the Chinese star will certainly pose a major test of Trump's champion credentials.
Shaun Murphy 13-5 Joe Perry
Shaun Murphy secured his spot in the quarter-finals, as he wrapped up a comfortable 13-5 victory over Joe Perry.
The 2005 champion was 12-4 up going into Monday’s afternoon session after some excellent play over the weekend. Perry did manage to get a frame back to reduce the deficit to seven, but Murphy remained a model of composure to confirm his progression.
As noted by Andy Goldstein of talkSPORT, Murphy has looked in brilliant form at the Crucible so far:
"Convincing win for @Magician147 ….Masters champion looking good
— Andy Goldstein MBE (@andygoldstein05) April 27, 2015"
The former winner will face Anthony McGill in the last eight in what’ll be an intriguing tie. The young Scot dumped out reigning champion Mark Selby in his last outing and will have nothing to fear when taking on another Crucible king.
Murphy seems extremely confident, though. Since winning the title a decade ago he’s been unable to sustain a charge of comparable clout, but after some scintillating snooker in the early stages of this prestigious tournament, he’ll relish the challenge posed by McGill and be desperate to book a semi-final berth.
Sunday Results
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Ronnie O'Sullivan 12-4 Matthew Stevens
Ronnie O'Sullivan needs just one more frame to advance to the next round of this year's World Championship after a dominant performance against Matthew Stevens in their second session.
The Rocket won seven out of eight frames to build a massive lead over Stevens, who spent most of the day sitting by the table and looking on in awe. Sunday's performance was vintage Ronnie, a scary sight for the rest of the contenders.
O'Sullivan won five consecutive frames at one point, with back-to-back centuries of 110 and 139. Stevens' highest break during the afternoon was 55.
Consistency has been O'Sullivan's biggest problem during this World Cup, as evidenced by his frustrations during the first session with Stevens, where he almost snapped his cue, per BBC Sport. But if he can build on Sunday's session and put Stevens away quickly on Monday, the momentum of such a win should carry him deep into the tournament.
Neil Robertson 11-5 Ali Carter
Ali Carter's miraculous return to the Crucible seems to be coming to an end, as Australia's Neil Robertson will need just two more frames to win their match after Sunday's afternoon session.
The 2010 champion ran out to an 11-3 lead with breaks of 119, 72 and 71 before a late rally from Carter brought the lead back to six frames.
Carter was cleared after a lengthy battle with cancer just last year, per BBC Sport, and the crowd in Sheffield has been in his corner during every single frame of the tournament. But Robertson has been in fine form and was always going to be the favourite when the two met, and so far, he's lived up to his billing.
Their match will resume on Monday.
Marco Fu 6-10 Judd Trump
Judd Trump took a two-frame advantage into Sunday's evening session after opening up a narrow 5-3 lead in the opening exchanges of his match against Marco Fu in the last 16, and he continued his fine form late, moving within three frames of a spot in the quarter-final.
The 2011 Crucible finalist lost the first frame, but breaks of 75 and 80 saw him take the next two.
He then went 4-1 ahead as he edged a couple of close frames before Fu produced an excellent 120 visit to move back within two.
The pair exchanged the final two frames to hand Trump the lead after the first of three sessions.
During the evening session, Fu struggled with his safety play early, allowing Trump to build on his lead. After winning his fourth consecutive frame with a 111 break, Trump took his foot off the gas, allowing Fu to battle his way back into the match.
Trump still looks like a safe bet to advance to the quarter-final, where he would meet Ding Junhui.
Joe Perry 4-12 Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy took a commanding lead in his last-16 tie on Sunday morning, as he dominated a struggling Joe Perry to move within a single frame of the next round.
The pair shared the opening two frames in fairly pedestrian fashion before Murphy produced a 121 break to go 2-1 ahead.
The 2005 world champion then won the next four frames, and although Murphy played well with some good break-building, Perry was surprisingly poor. However, he looked set to pull one back in the final frame of the session after a break of 66, but an unfortunate in off the yellow into the middle pocket allowed Murphy to clear and tie things up.
Murphy potted the re-spotted black and took a six-frame lead into the second session on Sunday evening. He continued his momentum, building an incredible 10-1 lead before Perry finally started to find a rhythm.
A 131 break made it 10-3, but Murray fired back and came close to winning the match before the third session. Perry survived thanks to a well-worked 73 break, but his chances of advancing are all but gone going into Monday's session.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Saturday Results
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Ding Junhui 13-9 John Higgins
Four-time world champion John Higgins was dumped out by Ding Junhui in the last 16 of the 2015 tournament, with the Chinese star running out a comfortable 13-9 winner.
Higgins began the morning session trailing the world No. 3 by two frames with the scores poised at 9-7. But Ding pressed home his advantage and extended the deficit by winning three of the opening four frames of the day to scupper any hopes of a fightback from the former champion.
As noted by Matt of ProSnookerBlog, Ding is looking increasingly like a man who can make a major impression at this tournament:
"Good press conference from Ding, that's as confident as I've ever heard him here. Believes in himself and that he can win.
— Matt (@ProSnookerBlog) April 25, 2015"
The 28-year-old—who’s best showing at the Crucible was a run to the semi-finals in 2009—played with poise on Saturday after a tightly contested start to the match over the opening sessions. With the pressure on against a quality player, Ding relished the occasion, rattling in breaks of 89 and 92 on his way to an eventual victory.
Despite a minor faux pas in Round 1—when Ding was so engrossed in the game he spurned the chance of a maximum 147 break—the Chinese star has emitted the aura of a very focused competitor here.
There will be some major challenges to conquer if he is to sample eventual glory in Sheffield. But for fans of Ding, hopefully this triumph over a classy operator will pave the way for a deep run in the competition.
Barry Hawkins 13-11 Mark Allen
Barry Hawkins produced a stunning comeback to proceed to the quarter-finals with a 13-11 victory over Mark Allen on Saturday evening.
The Englishman came into Saturday's final session trailing 9-7, and with breaks of 81 and 109, Allen won two of the first three frames to move within just two of victory at 11-8.
However, the Northern Irishman was not to win another frame, as Hawkins won five on the bounce to secure victory.
It was an immense effort from the world No. 5, as he came good at exactly the right time, taking the lead for the first time in the match with a 102 break for 12-11.
A somewhat error-strewn final frame was eventually won by Hawkins for the match, and the 2013 finalist moves into the quarter-finals to face either Ali Carter or Neil Robertson.
Matthew Stevens 3-5 Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan will take a two-frame advantage into the second session of his last-16 encounter with Wales' Matthew Stevens after taking a 5-3 lead on Saturday.
The five-time world champion started slowly and looked to be somewhat frustrated as he went 2-0 down, at one point banging his cue on the side of the table in anger.
However, he threw off his frustrations and won five consecutive frames to guarantee a lead going into Sunday's second session.
The 39-year-old produced an excellent century break in the third frame to get himself on the board, and a fantastic steal after Stevens' visit of 55 made it 5-2.
Stevens did well to take the final frame of the session, and he is still very much in touch with a long way to go in the match.
Ali Carter 2-6 Neil Robertson
Neil Robertson established a commanding lead in the first session of his last-16 clash with Ali Carter on Saturday, the Australian opening up a 6-2 lead.
Robertson was impressive, as he responded to going 1-0 down by winning five frames in a row, making two century breaks.
A 129 visit in the fourth frame and a 115 in the sixth were illustrative of Robertson's impressive play, and he looked as though he may run away from Englishman Carter.
Carter responded, though, stepping up to make it 5-2 with a 99 break. Robertson took a cagey final frame to make it 6-2, and Carter has a lot of work to do to get back in the game, but there is still a long way to go.
The pair will continue their contest on Sunday afternoon.
Graeme Dott 5-13 Stuart Bingham
Stuart Bingham proceeded confidently through to the quarter-finals of the World Championship on Saturday, as he won 13-5 against 2006 Crucible victor Graeme Dott.
The Englishman came into Saturday with an 11-5 lead, and he entertained no ideas of being victim to a Dott comeback as he claimed the required two further frames in no time.
He went within one of victory as a couple of Dott errors handed him the 17th frame, and he completed the win in style.
A tremendous break of 104 gave him the victory and saw Bingham through to only his second Crucible quarter-final, where he will face either Matthew Stevens or Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Friday Results
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Mark Selby 9-13 Anthony McGill
Defending champion Mark Selby became the latest in a long line of first-time world champions who failed to defend their titles at the Crucible the next year, suffering a shock loss against qualifier Anthony McGill.
The Scottish debutant had everyone buzzing with his clinical performance against the world No. 1, including FourFourTwo's Huw Davies:
"Fantastic. Unbelievable snooker. There's a star in the making here. Selby 9-13 McGill - wow
— Huw Davies (@thehuwdavies) April 24, 2015
"
The two players had been locked at 4-4 overnight, and Selby would have expected to kick on, but instead it was his opponent who proved to be the dominant player of the session.
McGill won the first two frames in the morning before Selby responded with a break of 120 to pull one back, only for the Scot to reclaim his two-leg advantage at the interval.
Selby came back out in determined fashion and closed the gap to one frame again with a break of 83, but McGill put himself within three frames of a stunning victory by closing out the session with three frames in a row, a run started with a break of 125.
The Scot continued his fine efforts in the final session, winning the first frame with a break of 68 and repeating his heroics in the third. Selby managed to close the gap to three frames before McGill sealed the win in the 22nd frame. As a result, Selby won't become the first player to successfully defend his first-time title at the Crucible.
As shared by World Snooker, the young McGill is bursting with confidence heading into the next round:
"McGILL: "I'm the man." Exclusive interview online next! #ilovesnooker @Betfred @BetfredSport pic.twitter.com/7FW4rBgpYl
— World Snooker (@WorldSnooker1) April 24, 2015
"
Ding Junhui 9-7 John Higgins
Ding Junhui seems to have battled through his dreadful form entering his second-round match with John Higgins, as he turned a two-frame deficit into a lead Friday. China's top player won six out of a possible eight frames on the back of some fantastic play, and a trip to the next round seems well within reach at this point.
OLBG was as surprised as anyone by the remarkable turnaround: "So currently in Sheffield we have Ding 9-7 up against John Higgins, which is remarkable given how out of sorts he has seemed to be recently."
Ding has always been a fantastic shot-maker, but tactics and a lack of concentration have been weak points throughout the past season. On Friday, he took a careful approach and was in full control of his safety play, allowing him to pick his shots with care against an overmatched Higgins.
This back-and-forth battle has been one of the highlights of the second round, and with Ding now within four frames of advancing, we may be seeing more drama when the duo return to the table.
Graeme Dott 5-11 Stuart Bingham
2006 champion and two-time runner-up Graeme Dott is facing a similar battle to stay in the tournament as he trails Stuart Bingham 11-5 heading into the final session of their match.
Bingham quickly hit his stride in a session that didn’t contain a century break until the final frame. He opened up with a break of 64 before picking up the second frame.
Dott replied with a break of 69, only for Bingham to win two frames on the spin again as a break of 59 opened up a three-frame cushion.
After Dott had clawed one frame back, Bingham reeled off the last two frames, the second of which was sealed with a break of 100, to give himself an outstanding chance of advancing to the quarter-finals.
He continued his excellent form during the evening session, winning the final two frames to go into the interval with a six-frame lead. His showing in the 15th was particularly impressive, overcoming a 48 break from Dott and fighting his way back to win the frame.
Bingham is well on course to manage the second quarter-final appearance at the Crucible of his career, needing to win just two more frames when the match resumes Saturday.
Mark Allen 5-3 Barry Hawkins
Mark Allen rode an early hot streak to a two-frame lead over Barry Hawkins, but he'll have his work cut out for him when he returns to the table Saturday.
The Hawk looked excellent in the middle portion of their bout before Allen won the final two frames to restore his advantage, as Hawkins made a handful of crucial mistakes trying to chase a high break.
Neither player was able to put together massive breaks, keeping fans entertained throughout the match. There's little separating these two, and the second session should make for must-watch TV.
Thursday Results
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Mark Selby 4-4 Anthony McGill
Having just about dealt with compatriot Stephen Maguire in the first round, Scottish underdog McGill continued a fine run of form on Thursday after ending his first session with Selby at four frames apiece.
To go in level at the interval with the tournament's No. 1 seed required a sterling effort from the 24-year-old, whose best professional tournament finish to date is a quarter-final in the 2014 UK Championship.
What's even more startling is the fact McGill could have gone in at the break 5-3 ahead, but as Live Snooker details, he left the black dangling in front of his foe for an easy eight-frame conversion:
"McGill recovered from one snooker required in frame eight, but after doubling the final pink, rattled the black and left a tap-in for Selby!
— Live Snooker (@Livesnooker) April 23, 2015"
Selby got off to a horrible start in the second round too, slipping to a two-frame deficit early on Thursday. McGill showed there was no intimidation factor being felt on his side of the table.
The top seed swiftly dusted himself down and gathered his thoughts, though, before rallying to overtake his opponent with three frames in succession, the third of which produced a wonderful 87 clearance.
It was at this stage of the contest the pair started to show some lapses in concentration. Mistakes came to the fore, with McGill taking a 4-3 advantage before gifting his foe that equalising opportunity.
All things considered, however, McGill most assuredly had his share of positives to take into Friday's matchup, where he'll hope his fairy-tale start to this year's championship can continue past the second round.
Ding Junhui 3-5 John Higgins
John Higgins conceded two frames at the end of his first session against Ding Junhui on Thursday as the Chinese competitor rallied to salvage a 5-3 scoreline heading into Friday.
Ding dropped the first two frames of the fixture but exploded back into Thursday's meeting with a century break of 135, per Snooker Room, to re-establish his candidacy:
"Ding Junhui 135 v John Higgins Last 16 2015 World Championship: http://t.co/7ZXOv9CMFn на @YouTube
— SnookerRoom (@SnookerRoom) April 23, 2015"
The "Wizard of Wishaw" didn't take too kindly to that response, though, and took the next three frames in succession to assume a 5-1 lead in what began to look like a rout.
Breaks of 67 and 94 in the respective seventh and eighth sets pulled the fixture back into some sense of competition, though, proving Ding wouldn't be so swatted away with such ease.
The pair will resume action on Friday and each combatant can look to take inspiration from their first-session display in the hopes of sealing a spot in the quarter-finals.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
