O’Sullivan Leads Higgins, Williams Falls to Hawkins

At the World Championship last-16 stage, Ronnie O’Sullivan extended his lead over John Higgins to 6-2 after the first session, setting up a dramatic continuation of their clash on Sunday at 19:00 BST. Meanwhile, Mark Williams, a standout figure from snooker’s iconic ‘Class of 92,’ was eliminated by Barry Hawkins with a 13-9 scoreline.

The Crucible arena was filled with energy as fans cheered the trio of O’Sullivan, Higgins, and Williams, who have collectively claimed 14 world titles. Their anticipated showdown between the 50-year-old O’Sullivan and Higgins marked a significant milestone, occurring 30 years after their initial meeting at the venue. O’Sullivan’s stellar performance included breaks of 86, 82, 137, and 95, securing four of the first five frames.

“I just had to try my best over the three sessions. In two I played OK but the second session, I didn’t play very well and that’s when he got a good lead,” said Williams. “I tried to come back but he was just the better player. I just don’t make enough breaks any more. I broke down on 40 or 50.”

Williams, a former champion in 2000, 2003, and 2018, struggled to recover as Hawkins capitalized on alternating frames to clinch the victory. The 47-year-old Hawkins, who reached the quarter-finals for the seventh time, was aided by two notable breaks of 85 in frames 18 and 20.

“This is definitely up there [as my best Crucible experience]. It’s not easy beating someone like that to get to the quarter-finals,” Hawkins remarked. “I didn’t just fall over the line so I’m quite happy with the way I played and my game – I enjoyed every minute of it.”

On the topic of the standing ovation, Hawkins added: “They were not standing for me, they were standing for the Class of 92. But when I walked out, what a feeling. It’s the best place to play when it’s like that.”

Elsewhere, Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen advanced to the last eight after defeating Kyren Wilson 13-9. Allen, 40, had a rollercoaster session, initially leading 5-0 before trailing 6-5. He eventually built a 9-7 advantage by the end of Friday’s middle session and added four more frames on Saturday. Allen’s past successes include semi-final runs in 2009 and 2023, though he remains eager for a breakthrough.

“I’ve got as much out of this event as I’ve deserved. I’ve not played well enough to win it,” Allen said. “There are no lucky world champions, you just have to go out there and earn it, but I’ve not earned it yet. I still think I have got the ability to do it. That’s why I keep on coming back.”

Allen, who briefly held the world number one ranking in 2024, has already claimed two of snooker’s Triple Crown events: the Masters in 2018 and the UK Championship in 2022. His performance this year has sparked questions about whether he can finally secure a world title in Sheffield.