World Snooker Championship 2026 recap – Zhao Xintong pulls level against Shaun Murphy, Barry Hawkins tied with Mark Allen

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World Snooker Championship 2026 live comments and streaming details. TNT Sports brings you frame-by-frame updates as Shaun Murphy and defending champion Zhao Xintong return to the table for the evening session in the quarter-finals. Murphy holds a 5-3 while Barry Hawkins and Mark Allen face off for a place in the last four at the Crucible.

What is the 'Crucible Curse' at the World Snooker Championship?

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Zhao pulls level with Murphy to maintain title defence

He took his time, but Zhao Xintong finally levelled his World Championship quarter-final tie against Shaun Murphy, having lost his three-frame lead earlier on Tuesday.

The defending champion raced into a 3-0 lead in the morning, but 2005 winner Murphy - under pressure with the match threatening to run away from him - reeled off five successive frames to surge into the lead.

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Zhao, two frames adrift heading into the evening session and far from his best, chipped away at The Magician, but Murphy continued to maintain at least a one-frame buffer.

And Zhao saved his best until last in a relatively low-scoring session, scoring a century (117) in the penultimate frame to move within one for the fourth time in the match.

And this time, he made it count. The Cyclone came out on top in the 16th frame to level matters, setting up a blockbuster finale to the quarter-final tie on Wednesday, which will continue live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

On table two, Mark Allen also made up two frames to draw level with Barry Hawkins, with the score 8-8 in that quarter-final match.

'What a pot' - Zhao keeps break alive with long red

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World Championship LIVE - Xintong 8-8 Murphy

What a way to finish! Zhao sinks the black with a dazzling double off two cushions and finally pulls level. It will be 8-8 overnight in this tense quarter-final!

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 7-8 Murphy (62-29)

Zhao is edging towards victory in this frame, which has become very tactical. Shaun has given away another couple of fouls on a tough red, only adding to the world champion's score. He eventually goes for the easier shot, which could have been worse, but it lets Zhao in; he will level this.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 7-8 Murphy (54-29)

Shaun takes his time, but finally escapes from Zhao's snooker at the fourth time of asking. It does some damage to the scoreboard.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 7-8 Murphy (42-29)

Zhao cuts in an excellent red to the bottom right but is very lucky not to go in off. He plays safe, rolling the cue ball up behind the yellow, right on the top rail. A handy visit from Zhao.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 7-8 Murphy (29-29)

Shaun moves ahead, but then misses a red you expected to drop. Zhao puts it away, and now the world champion is in position to take his second successive frame.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 7-8 Murphy (28-13)

Zhao is gradually working his way back into the frame, and we could be all square at the end of the day...but he undercuts a red to the bottom left and Shaun has the chance to take an overnight lead!

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 7-8 Murphy (0-13)

Shaun draws first blood in this frame, picking out a long red down the left rail before sending down the blue. Although the reds are spread apart, it's a tricky table for Murphy to navigate and his break ends at 13 after smashing a red into the jaws, leaving a lot of damage in his wake...

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 7-8 Murphy (0-0)

We're into the final frame on table one.

On the opposite table, Mark Allen and Barry Hawkins are also in their last frame of the evening, with Hawkins also leading 8-7.

It has been a really high-quality contest between those two, with three 130+ breaks, as well as clearances of 89 and 96.

Allen makes total clearance to bring up his 700th career century

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World Championship LIVE - Xintong 7-8 Murphy

A brilliant century from the world champion - his 82nd of the campaign!

The Cyclone nails that frame down with a total break of 117 ahead of the session's final frame. Murphy has held the lead all night, but could we finally see the pair level for the first time since the sixth frame earlier this morning? Let's find out!

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 6-8 Murphy (70-10)

Zhao is trickling along nicely in this frame after a stop-start beginning. Murphy let him in after missing a red, and although Zhao hasn't been able to pull level with Shaun just yet, he's put himself in a great position to do so, should he see this frame out.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 6-8 Murphy (0-0)

Here we go...the penultimate frame of the evening.

Trailing by two frames, Zhao cannot lead overnight but he will be desperate to level matters in his bid to defend his maiden crown and break the Crucible curse!

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 6-8 Murphy

Excellent stuff from Shaun, who pulls away in what was a tight frame to assert his authority in this quarter-final tie. A neat 60 break sees him move two frames ahead with two to play before the end of the session.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 6-7 Murphy (7-33)

It's all going on next door. Hawkins has replied to Allen's 138 break with a 140! Hawkins leads by two frames again.

On this table, Murphy was going well until he let Zhao in. But again, it's just not coming off for the world champion, who misses an easy red to the bottom right.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 6-7 Murphy

Excellent stuff from Zhao, who holds his nerve to pot a tough red along the bottom rail, before displaying some prolific positional play to fight his way back into the frame, which Shaun will be gutted to have lost - he had it in his grasp.

The world champion is just one frame behind again - he won't go away!

'Wonderful pot' - Murphy sinks stunning red

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World Championship LIVE - Xintong 5-7 Murphy (28-50)

Zhao is snookered with the cue ball in baulk and the red down the other end. He clips the black on the way through and he'll have another go at it. This frame is starting to get away from him, bit he gets it at the second attempt.

On table two, Mark Allen has scored a century to close the gap to one frame against Barry Hawkins, who leads 7-6.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 5-7 Murphy (27-43)

As predicted, it has got a bit edgy. Shaun reels off a 20-break to get himself back in the frame, but the problem is that both remaining reds are stuck to the bottom rail. And then The Magician plays a brilliant cannon to set himself up on one of the reds. He sends it down, screws it back for the black but it's straight and he needs to create an angle on the next red. After putting away the black, he plays safe.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 5-7 Murphy (27-1)

Zhao can only build a break of 27 before playing safe, leaving the ball along the top cushion with nine reds remaining. Shaun rolls the white into the bunch and this could get cagey.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 5-7 Murphy (0-1)

Shaun pots a lovely red in the top right pocket and, with the cue ball in baulk, refuses to turn down the brown to the bottom right. It looks like it's going down, but rattles the jaws and just about stays out.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 5-7 Murphy

The players are back out and we're ready to get back underway in this tense World Championship quarter-final, with the defending champion trailing by two frames!

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 5-7 Murphy

Shaun gets the job done with a break of 90 - the highest break of this second session so far - to lead 7-5 at the break.

The world champion is under pressure!

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 5-6 Murphy (0-65)

Shaun is bouncing back! And say it quietly...but he's on for a 147 here. That's a shame, he won't get it as he's out of position on the black, but he won't be bothered about that. He's just concentrating on getting this frame wrapped up and restoring his two-frame lead ahead of the mid-session interval.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 5-6 Murphy

Great stuff from the world champion, who clears up without fault to register his second 50+ break of the frame and once again cut Shaun's deficit to one.

Hawkins has restored his two-frame cushion against Allen and leads 6-4 on table two.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 4-6 Murphy (71-0)

Murphy needs a snooker after misjudging a red to the top left pocket, catching it thick as he gifts Zhao four points. You expect Zhao to return to the table and clear up from here.

'He’s knocked it in' - Zhao sinks three reds with one shot

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World Championship LIVE - Xintong 4-6 Murphy (66-0)

Zhao has quickly shrugged off that last frame and has raced ahead in this one as he looks to keep the scores as tight as possible. He's reeled off a break of 66 and counting, but he's out of position on a colour. Shaun can still tie this frame - he can't steal another one from this position, can he? Zhao can't find his next red, so it's over to you, Shaun.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 4-6 Murphy (0-0)

Mark Allen has won the first frame of this evening's session against Barry Hawkins, which means he is now trailing by one frame (4-5)

The winner of this one between Zhao and Shaun will play the winner of the match between John Higgins and Neil Robertson.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 4-6 Murphy

Zhao had this frame at his mercy, but Shaun was given a lifeline, and he certainly took it by delivering a flawless steal with a 59 clearance to restore his two-frame cushion.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 4-5 Murphy (55-0)

Could that be significant? Zhao charges towards a second frame in a row as he builds a handy advantage, but he's missed a red to the bottom left! All he needed was a red and a high-value colour to all but win this frame, but Shaun has a lifeline.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 4-5 Murphy (9-0)

Zhao sends a cracker of a red down the bottom right pocket to quickly spark this 10th frame into life, and that's much more like it from The Cyclone. He has a tricky shot going into the bunch. Does he have the room? Would you believe it?! He's potted three reds!

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 4-5 Murphy

Zhao is looking refreshed after that difficult session earlier today. He sends down the pink to all but secure his first frame in five and cut Shaun's lead to on, before missing a double on the last red. But the world champion takes the frame and we have a match on our hands!

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 3-5 Murphy (33-12)

Zhao builds a 33-point lead before missing a difficult red to the middle left pocket. Murphy returns to the baize and can put something together. TNT Sports commentator Philip Studd believes he'll be the "red-hot favourite" to progress to the semi-final should he win this frame, but he misses a red to the bottom left as overcuts while trying to split the remainder of the bunch.

World Championship LIVE - Xintong 3-5 Murphy (8-0)

Shaun makes the first mistake of the session when his attempt at a long red to the bottom right pocket stays out, as Zhao sends down the first ball of the session. Murphy made a similar mistake right at the beginning of this morning's session, before Zhao took a 3-0 lead.