Stan Moody missed the opportunity to become the first teenager to win a match at the World Snooker Championship since 2005, suffering a 10-7 defeat to Kyren Wilson, the reigning champion of 2024.
The 19-year-old from Halifax had a remarkable start to his debut at the Crucible, making two century breaks and two additional scores over 80, which allowed him to secure a surprising 6-3 advantage by the end of the morning session. Moody further extended his lead by winning the first frame after the evening session resumed, but Wilson then dominated, winning seven consecutive frames to extinguish Moody’s hopes of replicating Ronnie O’Sullivan’s achievement from 21 years ago.
Feeling “gutted,” Moody reflected, “I had the match in hand at 7-3 and was on the verge of going 8-3. Then everything changed. I felt confident, but losing frames in that manner is painful. I’ll go back, practice hard, and return stronger.”
The turning point occurred in the 11th frame when Moody failed to pot a red ball that would have given him an 8-3 lead. Instead, Wilson capitalized on the error, clearing the table and winning a re-spotted black ball to narrow the gap to 7-4. As Moody’s game began to falter, he became overly relaxed while attempting to escape from a snooker situation in the 14th frame, allowing Wilson to level the match. After that, Wilson found a relatively straightforward path to victory as the third seed.
Wilson’s next opponent will be Mark Allen in the second round. However, he expressed concerns about his cue, which he plans to replace after the tournament in preparation for the next season. “I absolutely hate my cue,” Wilson admitted. “It’s too flexible at the top, making it difficult to control. I’m constantly fighting with it. It’s frustrating, but I’m pushing through.”
In other matches, former world number one Ding Junhui advanced to the last 16 by defeating David Gilbert 10-5. Ding will face his fellow countryman and reigning world champion, Zhao Xintong, next. Gilbert managed to win three of the first four frames to chip away at Ding’s 7-2 overnight lead, taking advantage of a miscalculated plant by Ding to secure the 13th frame by a single point. However, Ding responded strongly with breaks of 106 and 61 to clinch the match.
Ding commented to the BBC, “There’s still some pressure, and I try to focus on each shot between matches. It seems to be working, but I’m not fully enjoying it yet.”
Meanwhile, John Higgins is looking forward to a potential seventh meeting with O’Sullivan at the Crucible after overcoming Ali Carter to progress to the second round. They are set to face off again on Saturday night, provided O’Sullivan wins his first-round match against Chinese newcomer He Guoqiang, which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
The four-time champion Higgins emerged victorious from a challenging match against former finalist Carter, coming back from a 5-4 overnight deficit to win 10-7, marking the 28th time he has reached the last 16 in his illustrious career.
Higgins remarked, “It would be an incredible occasion. This could be our last encounter at this venue, making it a match worth cherishing. We’ve shared so many years in this sport, and I would love to compete against him again. Playing one of the greatest players ever would make for an exciting match if he comes through.”
Despite the shock of losing the last five frames during the first session on Sunday, Higgins regained his composure, taking a 7-6 lead before capitalizing on a critical mistake by Carter in the 14th frame. This allowed Higgins to move two frames ahead. As Carter’s frustration mounted, Higgins extended his lead with a composed half-century, and Carter’s spirited attempt to respond in the subsequent frame was insufficient, with Higgins ultimately securing his victory and celebrating with a fist pump.
