Day trails O’Sullivan in the final 16
The oldest player to win a world championship is Ronnie O’Sullivan, who did it in 2022 at the age of 46.
Seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan got off to a fast start in his World Snooker Championship last-16 match against Ryan Day of Wales, jumping out to a 5-3 lead.
With eight Crucible victories, the 48-year-old Englishman would surpass Stephen Hendry’s record of seven victories.
Day faced O’Sullivan, who had defeated Welsh qualifier Jackson Page 10-1 in the first round. O’Sullivan broke 123 and 84 in the first two sets, but the world no. 18 came back to win the following two.
O’Sullivan took a 4-2 lead after to breaks of 83 and 51. Day answered with a 115, but O’Sullivan closed the session with a 92 to regain his two-frame lead.
After losing in the quarterfinals in 2008, 2009, and 2012, Day, 44, is hoping to make it there a fourth time.
He’s played O’Sullivan here previously, losing their last-16 match 13-10 after blowing a 9-7 lead. That was in 2006.
Day remarked on Wednesday, “This place gives you plenty of fantastic memories and lots of scars.” That was undoubtedly one of the wounds. Although it is ingrained in your memory, it is not physically present in your flesh.”
They will resume their play on Sunday at 19:00 BST and finish it on Monday at 14:30. Their match is a best of 25 frames; therefore, they will go 13 games to 13.
Maguire declares triumph over adversary Murphy.
For the eighth time, Stephen Maguire is in the World Championship last eight.
Stephen Maguire of Scotland defeated 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy 13-9 to get to the quarterfinal.
On Saturday, a fervent Maguire had established a 10–6 advantage.
After Murphy had won two frames on the black earlier, he pumped his fist in response. Maguire followed suit, pounding the table and then the air to take the commanding lead into the third session.
Since they were little kids, Maguire, the best Scottish youth player, and Murphy, the best English young player, have been competitors.
At the 2004 Grand Prix, they made news for the ‘Chalkgate’ incident, in which Maguire lost his chalk, the first-round tie was postponed, and he lost a frame.
Although Murphy has always maintained he was not at fault, Maguire accused the Englishman of being the reason he was fined. Murphy had spoken to the referee.
Maguire won two of the first three frames on Sunday and was one break away from victory with breaks of 68 and 73.
The eighth-seeded Murphy won the next two, but Maguire sealed the deal with a magnificent break of 127.
In the first two rounds, 11 out of the 16 seeds were eliminated.
