Champion Zhao defeats Highfield after Virgo tributes
· BBC SportByMichael Emons
BBC Sport journalist at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
Published
37 Comments
China's reigning world champion Zhao Xintong defeated England's Liam Highfield on an emotional opening day of the tournament at the Crucible.
Zhao was 5-4 up against world number 92 Highfield after the first session, then won five of the next eight frames of the second session to seal a 10-7 victory in Sheffield.
Before play started on Saturday a host of the sport's biggest names, including the BBC television team, paid tribute to former player and commentator John Virgo, who died in February aged 79, with a minute's applause.
Last year Zhao became the first Chinese player to win the World Championship and will face compatriot Ding Junhui or England's David Gilbert in the last 16.
"It was very difficult for me and there's a lot of pressure, but it's good for me and this is a big moment in this season," said Zhao.
"I just tried to control myself but I didn't do it very well and hopefully in the next round I can do a lot better."
Highfield, who has lost in the first round on four occasions, said: "He played great in the first half of the second session and that took a bit of wind out of my sails.
"You don't play at the Crucible every day. I've only ever played four matches here in my life and the pressure gets on you and there's a big crowd.
"It's always great to be here. It is an amazing place to play and every time you play here you cherish it.
"But I'm proud of myself to be here from where I was a year ago when I was trying to get back on the tour.
"At times I thought he looked edgy and I got him on the ropes, and I let him off and he will punish you because he is that good."
Northern Ireland's former world number one Mark Allen is 3-5 behind against China's Zhang Anda, with their second session to come on Sunday morning.
Three-time champion Mark Williams secured a 6-3 lead over 22-year-old Antoni Kowalski, the world number 69 and the first player from Poland to play at the venue.
Before play started BBC presenter Hazel Irvine said Virgo was "universally loved by everyone in this sport and beyond - he really was the voice of snooker".
On Thursday there was a memorial service for Virgo in his home city at Sheffield Cathedral, a short walk from the Crucible.
"The cathedral was packed and we gave John a wonderful send-off as he was a very special man," 1985 world champion Dennis Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"I knew him for more than 50 years and he was a great all-round entertainer. There's a big gap here in the Crucible this year with John not being with us."
Zhao looking to break the 'Crucible curse'
Zhao beat Williams 18-12 in the 2025 final and has won four tournaments this season, including three of the past five ranking events.
That form has taken him to fourth in the world rankings and he has been tipped by many players and pundits to win this competition.
However, if is to retain his title, he has to do what none of the 20 previous first-time Crucible winners has done and win the tournament again the following year.
It has been dubbed the 'Crucible curse', although Zhao dismissed suggestions that he was under more pressure as a result.
As is tradition, the reigning world champion plays in the opening session of the competition, and he won three of the opening four frames, including a break of 123 in frame four.
But Highfield took advantage of mistakes to win three successive frames, including a break of 86 in the fifth.
Highfield, 35, only returned to the World Snooker Tour last year after he suffered a broken wrist in an e-scooter accident in 2023, and had to win four qualifying matches to secure his Crucible spot.
He had chances to take the final frame of the opening session but missed a yellow off the spot early on as Zhao nudged back in front.
When they returned, breaks of 68 and 128 helped Zhao win four frames in a row to move one away from victory, although Highfield made a break of 101 in frame 15 before taking the 16th.
But Zhao ended any potential fightback with a superb match-winning break of 112.
Williams in control but Allen with work to do
Zhang, 22nd in the world, is searching for a first win at the Crucible after losing in the opening round on his five previous appearances, and he holds a two-frame lead over Allen.
In 2025 Allen, a Crucible semi-finalist in 2009 and 2023, made a 147 break during his loss to Chris Wakelin in the last 16.
But Allen failed to register a single half-century against Zhang, who made two centuries - 129 in frame two and 109 in frame five - as well as three breaks of at least 58.
In the afternoon session Kowalski, who is the same age as 51-year-old Williams' oldest child, made a break of 82 in the first frame, although that would be the only time he led.
Helped by five successive Kowalski fouls, Williams took the second frame on the black, and a break of 85 put him ahead.
Williams won the final three frames of the session, including fighting back from 41-0 behind in the ninth frame, in a match that will be played to a finish on Sunday evening.
Xiao Guodong leads 5-4 against Zhou Yuelong in an all-Chinese match.
Former World Championship runners-up Barry Hawkins and Matthew Stevens went head-to-head in the evening session with Welshman Stevens taking the opener on the black 61-57 after he had been 57-0 behind.
But 11th seed Hawkins recovered well by winning seven of the next eight frames, including a break of 99 in frame six, to hold a 7-2 advantage before their second session on Sunday afternoon.