World Snooker Championship 2026 recap – Crucible curse strikes again as Shaun Murphy ends Zhao Xintong's title defence

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The defending champion will not get his name etched onto the trophy again in 2026, as Zhao Xintong fell to a 13-10 defeat to Shaun Murphy in the World Championship at the Crucible on Wednesday. It was up for grabs heading into the final session, but the Chinese sensation had no answer to Murphy’s aggressive approach as he set up a meeting with either John Higgins or Neil Robertson in the last four

'He means business' - Murphy wraps up frame with exhibition black

Video credit: TNT Sports

Murphy dispatches defending champion Zhao

There are few potters more electrifying than Shaun Murphy, the 2005 champion, and he was ruthless in seeing off defending champion Zhao Xintong to reach the World Championship semi-finals.

The pair began the final session locked together at 8-8, and it was Murphy who seized control by taking five of the seven frames that were played to secure a 13-10 success.

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A run of 96 saw him take the lead at 9-8 and though Zhao levelled, 'The Magician' took the final two frames of the mini-session to be two up with five to play.

When the players returned, he continued in similar vein, his long potting particularly exceptional, which, along with immaculate break-building, made him look impregnable.

At 12-9, Zhao did close the gap by one, but Murphy quickly secured the next frame to set up a semi-final meeting with either John Higgins or Neil Robertson.

World Championship LIVE - Wu 10-6 Vafaei

Yup, 10-6 it is, a blue rocketed along the bottom rail putting an exclamation mark on things and he clears the table. He's a truly wonderful talent, and already a fantastic player with so much scope to improve.

World Championship LIVE - Wu 9-6 Vafaei (37-35)

Wu struggles with nerves, but perhaps finishing off Mark Selby in the last round – which he found difficult and not because of anything his opponent did – has given him a new clarity. He's removing balls with little apparent effort, and this looks a lot like 10-6

World Championship LIVE - Wu 9-6 Vafaei (13-35)

Yup, down it goes, and this is lovely, composed stuff.

World Championship LIVE - Wu 9-6 Vafaei (5-35)

Bue to middle, ball around the angles ... but Hossein misses the pot, then Wu gets in with a lovely cut-back along the side. He's got work to do, going into the pack off the brown, and is he on one? Yes he is, and if he can bridge awkwardly to get it down, he'll be well set for 10-6.

World Championship LIVE - Wu 9-6 Vafaei (0-23)

Shock abounds as Wu misses a long starter; Hossein tidies and adds the black. With various balls already loose, he bumps the pack, and looks pretty good.

World Championship LIVE - Wu 9-6 Vafaei

Hossein misses, Wu concedes, and we've one frame left in the session.

'He means business' - Murphy wraps up frame with exhibition black

Video credit: TNT Sports

World Championship LIVE - Wu 9-5 Vafaei (23-48)

Hossein needs both remaining frames to have a chance tonight, you'd reckon, and he's at the table looking good to get the first one in his ledger.

World Championship LIVE - Shaun Murphy beats Zhao Xintong 13-10

A wonderful performance from The Magician, hanging in there before exploding at the key moment. He meets Higgins or Robertson in the last four, and if he maintains his level, they'd best look out. Well in Zhao, too, who's been a fantastic world champ, but today belongs to Shaun, and doesn't he deserve it!

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 10-12 Murphy (30-75)

Needing one to tie, he doesn't get it, but he does shortly afterwards; Shaun hits easily enough and, next go, he's offered a long cut to the green pocket ... AND IT'S THERE! SHAUN MURPHY IS GOING TO BEAT ZHAO XINTONG! THE CHAMPION HAS GONE!

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 10-12 Murphy (30-69)

Zhai goes hard at a pot to left corner and gets nowhere near, but he flukes it off the yellow into the yellow bag, before clearing balls; he'll presumably seek his snooker off the final red...

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 10-12 Murphy (0-69)

With one snooker needed, Shaun runs out of position so floats the white back to the top rail and himself back to his seat. This has been masterful stuff, though Zhao will doubtless rue losing five frames in a row from 3-0 up yesterday morning.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 10-12 Murphy (0-41)

Cast you minds back a few hours to the Allen-Hawkins game, and the nerves we saw from both those seasoned, garlanded pros, and now look at Shaun, demolishing the champ with a performance of composed brilliance. On this form, he'll take some stopping.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 10-12 Murphy (0-14)

Zhao misses to right-middle so Shain goes to left, drifting one obliquely... and it's in, last roll. Then off the black it's into the pack, he's one another to middle, and this is now a chance to secure f&m, the Crucible Curse that says no debut champ has come back to retain their title, asserting itself once more.

World Championship LIVE - Wu 9-5 Vafaei

Wu narrowly misses a century, but he's taken total control of this match, and if he keeps playing like this will be almost impossible to stop.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 10-12 Murphy

One down, three to go. Zhao will need to maintain the level he's just shown us and even if he does, keeping Shaun off the table may be impossible.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-12 Murphy (81-0)

A run of this ilk looked almost impossible when Zhao came to the table, but this boy is a very serious player, and the gap closes to two.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-12 Murphy (50-0)

This is great work from Zhao and, as I type, he develops some of the reds on the side; he may be running out of road in this year's competition, but I'd bet everything he ends his career having won it more than once, and most probably more than twice or thrice.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-12 Murphy (19-0)

Zhao looks to be going at everything now, needing to hit a seam if he's to win. So he tries a cut-back down the side, lovely shot, a similar but even harder second red follows, and he's in.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-12 Murphy

I fear Zhao has gone - or Shaun has dismissed him. He unloads the suitcase at what must be a plant he's seen, sending a load of reds towards the left cushion and nothing anywhere near a pocket, somehow leaving nowt. This is the first time I've seen him properly lose his composure.

World Championship LIVE - Wu 8-5 Vafaei

Wu is on one, and he's just nailed another gorgeous opener, plenty of balls available, as he seeks a fifth frame on the spin.

'The speed it went in at' - Murphy strokes in long red

Video credit: TNT Sports

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-12 Murphy

To turn up and deliver this level against the champ is beyond almost everyone, but Shaun Murphy is not everyone, and he clears the table, finishing with a trick-shot black; he's one away.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-11 Murphy (0-99)

Shaun is flying – he can barely pot the balls quickly enough.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-11 Murphy (0-67)

But Zhao will come back to the table because when Shaun tries attacking the pack off the green, he misses it completely, following up with a safety that offers a long diag. The pressure, though, is a lot, and the attempt isn't that close, a point underlined in highlighter when Shaun tries sending one long the yellow bag and blasts it into the hearth of the pocket. This is brilliant, brilliant snooker.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-11 Murphy (0-42)

This frame is disappearing fast, the Crucible Curse knocking at the door with the champ almost gone.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-11 Murphy (0-19)

Oh I say! Another long one from Shaun, beautifully annihilated into left corner, and he quickly opens the pack – beautifully – and is in prime position, black passing to both pockets. This is near-perfect from The Magician.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-11 Murphy

We go again...

World Championship LIVE - Wu 7-5 Vafaei

Wu has settled into the session, and if he maintains his level, he can break the back of this match this afternoon.

'That's a fluke a and a half' - Wu benefits from wild slice of luck

Video credit: TNT Sports

'It just keeps coming and coming' - Zhao gets amazing action on cue ball when potting pink

Video credit: TNT Sports

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-11 Murphy

Except Shaun punishes it into the yellow bag, and that seals a 3-1 mini-sesh. He needs two more frames and, playing as he is, who'd back against him?

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-10 Murphy (40-60)

Zhao leaves a dead straight diag to the green bag and the brown is there if Shaun sinks a minger of a pot ... and ooh yeah, he's cueing beautifully today, powered in without touching the sides. Brown follows, then he takes the blue off the side, lasting a snooker, when Zhao needs one himself; the escape is fine.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-10 Murphy (40-53)

Shaun nails yellow but not green, the chase for which is on; Shaun needs it and the brown, which is to say it's tense.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-10 Murphy (40-51)

Frame not quite his, Shaun knocks blue towards corner ... and it stops out. So Zhao closes the gap, then plays safe off the final red, while the green, which both players need, is on the side, in baulk. But with The Magician in this form, nothing is safe, and he smokes a glorious starter into the green bag, then plays safe. But, next go, when he finds himself snookered on the yellow, he misses with his escape, hitting second go, frame still in the balance.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-10 Murphy (20-42)

A red to middle opens three more, and this should now be a two-frame lead. Just yesterday morning, I said I wasn't sure how Shaun could win this one as I feel Zhao is little bit better in almost every department, but he's sustaining a level close to his highest, and that makes him a difficult night for anyone.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-10 Murphy (20-11)

Looking to slide a red to corner while cannoning the black, Zhao takes his eye off the pot and doesn't even get on the colour because the plan was flawed from the outset. And though Shaun can only pot a red, missing blue to right corner, the champ then undercuts to the same bag, setting him away again.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-10 Murphy (14-0)

Zhao badly needs this frame and he takes on a snick to corner, sinking it nicely, but will he take on a blue-to-middle from the side? Of course he will, and down it goes, then it's back up the table off his second red, to clobber in the pink, opening part of the pack in the process. He's in, though he'll need to remove balls to get at the black.

World Championship LIVE - Wu 6-5 Vafaei (0-31)

Hossein is at the table potting, this contest just as absorbing and high-level as our main one.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-10 Murphy

The final frame of a thrilling mini-session will soon be upon us.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-9 Murphy (0-74)

There aren't many players who can render their opponent irrelevant, but we've seen Shaun do it on numerous occasions, and to some of the best around. He's back in front, and the next frame is a biggie.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-9 Murphy (0-53)

Shaun continues potting, and if we have both of these playing at close to their top levels, we've got a helluvan afternoon in store.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-9 Murphy (0-21)

Lovely long red from Shaun – that final-frame clearance to beat Fan in round one has got him feeling himself as only he can, and he quickly opens reds. The message is clear: he will not beat himself; Zhao will have to play seriously well to move on.

'Magnificent cueing' - Zhao sinks stunning red-blue combination

Video credit: TNT Sports

World Championship LIVE - Wu 5-5 Vafaei (33-0)

I'd back Hossein over Wu if it gets really tight, but if Wu plays as well as he can, he can win this by a few.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 9-9 Murphy

A run of 71 and we're back level.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 8-9 Murphy (59-43)

The yellow is one the baulk cushion and Zhao needs the green; he gets on to the former, but can he pot it while also arranging position? Of course he can, and this is fantastic stuff.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 8-9 Murphy (28-43)

Seeking a thin contact, Shaun misses a couple of times, then leaves a free ball. How will Zhao handle the pressure?

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 8-9 Murphy (12-16)

Blue to middle, then around the angles of right corner and into the pack ... misses, end of break. But Shaun is playing well, his lead a useful one.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 8-9 Murphy (12-16)

Terrific red from Shaun but, on nowt, he plays safe and, when Zhao can't sink a longun, he has another go at a starter, this time moving on to a colour. He looks in lovely nick, and the champ will have to go some to beat him playing like this; he won't give it away.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 8-9 Murphy (12-0)

Left in the jaws of the yellow bag, Zhao takes on a red in the middle of the table as a shot to nothing ... and it goes into right corner, brilliant work. But dare he have a go at a long diagonal blue? What do you think?! He scorches it home and what a shot that is, never mind considering the pressure of knowing there are plenty of balls loose; now, can he build on it? He cannot, coming too far to be on the black and snookering himself on it, playing safe off the yellow instead.

World Championship LIVE - Wu 4-5 Vafaei

A run of 106 and Hossein hits the front once more.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 8-9 Murphy

A red sent acutely to middle falls over the edge last roll, but he can't get on the final red so must settle for a poxy 96 – and the lead.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 8-8 Murphy (0-73)

In double-quick time, Shaun makes the frame safe, and he'll now be gunning for a 60th ton of the season, already more than he's ever made before.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 8-8 Murphy (0-37)

This is confident stuff from Shaun, who's marching around the table with purpose. If Zhao was nervous before, he'll really be feeling it now.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 8-8 Murphy (0-17)

Zhao was nervous yesterday and Shaun willfor sure have noticed – he'll want to put the pressure on immediately and, when his young opponent leaves a long red in the jaws, he has an excellent chance so to do, though the black is tied up.

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 8-8 Murphy

And off we go!

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 8-8 Murphy

Oh man, what an afternoon we've got awaiting our pleasure. Shaun, one of the best shot-makers in our game and the 2005 champ, wants another one of these so badly you can feel it through the screen, but Zhao, the defending champ, is the best player in the world whose long-to-mid-range potting is so good it feels like he must somehow be cheating. Bring them on!

World Championship LIVE - Zhao 8-8 Murphy

Play will get underway at 2:15 UK time.

Zhao Xintong is level in 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.

The Chinese star continued to chip away in the evening session and the two are level going into Wednesday afternoon.

'He will sleep well tonight' - Zhao pots exhibition black in final frame of session to draw level

Video credit: TNT Sports

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