Players Championship - World champion Kyren Wilson ends Mark Allen's title defence, Mark Williams beats Ding Junhui
Updated 17/03/2025 at 22:39 GMT
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The snooker season is bubbling up nicely with just three tournaments remaining in the 2024/25 campaign. The World Championship is on the horizon, but first up is a trip to Telford for the Players Championship, with the top 16 in the world on the one-year list locking horns. Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Robertson reflects on historic World Grand Prix final whitewash over Bingham
Video credit: TNT Sports
A terrific performance from Kyren Wilson saw him ease to victory over a gritty but bitty Mark Allen in the first round of the Players Championship.
The world champion was excellent in the first mini-session, dominating the match to lead 3-1, though Allen – the defending champion – made a 125 in claiming his frame.
Allen fought back well after the interval, levelling the match at 3-3, but Wilson was playing too well to be denied, bossing the next three frames to eliminate the defending champions and set up a second-round meeting with Mark Williams who was a 6-2 winner over Ding Junhui.
Defeat ended Allen's title defence and dashed his hopes of reaching the Tour Championship, and will now shift his focus to the World Championship.
THAT'S US DONE FOR TODAY
Join us again tomorrow at 12.30pm GMT.
ON TABLE TWO
Mark Williams 6-2 Ding Junhui
KYREN WILSON BEATS MARK ALLEN 6-3
He played really well today and faces Mark Williams next; the defending champ is out and Mark Allen will not now play in the Tour Finals.
WILSON 5-3 ALLEN (59-46)
But it's still Kyren who ultimately leaves the yellow; this frame'll be decided by the pink. Mark opts to leave himself a double rather than develop it, and the angle he gets means he can't, the black in the way ... and he goes in-off! Kyren needs both balls for the match, and he's on one with a route to the other!
WILSON 5-3 ALLEN (53-46)
But the shot doesn't work out, so Mark opts not to force anything, keeping yellow in balk and sending the white up the other end; Kyren hits off the side, a double-kiss working out nicely.
WILSON 5-3 ALLEN (53-41)
One thing Mark does not lack is bottle, and he'll be relishing the challenge of this run. He'll need to promote that pink, still sat on the side where Kyren sent it, but for now, he sinks the final red and moves on to the blue for the yellow.
WILSON 5-3 ALLEN (53-9)
A poor safety from Mark leaves a blind cut-back to left corner, and Kyren gives it too much, leaving it on the lip! So the champ uses one red to pot another, leaving that one over the bag, then just about gets a black down; it returns to the pink spot, and this frame is back in the balance.
WILSON 5-3 ALLEN (53-0)
Just when the end looks imminent, an irritated Kyren runs out of position, so he knocks the pink safe and sits down leaving 76 points out there. Given black is also tied up, Mark'll have to go some to save himself.
WILSON 5-3 ALLEN (46-0)
Kyren's on the march, strutting about the table at pace. He feels like he's the best around, helpful even if he isn't, and will take some stopping over the stretch in Sheffield.
WILSON 5-3 ALLEN (12-0)
Mark breaks and Kyren really likes the tempter he's left, creaming it home before breaking pack off blue. It doesn't work out as hoped but he's on a prod to middle, hammers it home with power – great shot – and with the pink now in play, this is a chance to seize f&m. And the way he's playing, you expect him to.
ON TABLE TWO
Mark Williams 4-2 Ding Junhui
WILSON 5-3 ALLEN
Kyren can't get the final red off the side nor double it into the corner, so no century, but he's one away.
WILSON 4-3 ALLEN (45-0)
Kyren's just too sure of himself these days not to respond after losing a 3-1 lead. There's never really been a sense that Mark is playing well enough to beat him, and the chances of him winning three straight are remote.
WILSON 4-3 ALLEN (24-0)
In comms they rhapsodise the deftness of that snooker Kyren laid, while the man himself sets about his reward. I'd expect him to be two up with three to play at the end of this visit.
WILSON 4-3 ALLEN (3-0)
Mark takes his time making faces, almost laughing at the invidiousness of his position. "Thanks for that, pal, any ideas?" he says to Kyren, before hitting and hoping. It doesn't work out, so the world champ will now build.
WILSON 4-3 ALLEN (2-0)
If Kyren wins this frame, Mark'll have to go some to take three on the spin, and it's the former in first, snapping down a plant after controlling a safety exchange. But not on a colour, he can only play safe, so a long safety exchange follows, brought to an end when Kyren floats from middle to left corner; on nowt, he snuggles right up to the yellow.
ON TABLE TWO
Mark Williams 4-2 Ding Junhui
WILSON 4-3 ALLEN
Yup, Kyren runs out of position, lays a snooker, and Mark has see enough. These two are really well-matched but the former is in the better nick and that looks likely to be decisive.
WILSON 3-3 ALLEN (55-25)
This is really good work from Kyren, who's so confident in his game and mentality that he can just ignore errors and keep doing what he was doing. There's nothing to suggest he won't win the frame at this visit.
WILSON 3-3 ALLEN (8-25)
But Mark isn't yet playing well enough to honour their wishes, first running out of position then missing a thin contact; he hits second time but Kyren then smokes in a starter, shortly afterwards has the confidence to play a cut-back dead slow, and he's in.
WILSON 3-3 ALLEN (0-24)
...and ahahahaha! He misses green to its own bag ... only to see it roll into left-middle. The snooker gods did not approve of Kyriz failing to put that last frame away.
WILSON 3-3 ALLEN (0-8)
Kyren steadily steers a starter to corner ... but no, he's not that close. So Mark picks a plant, makes it, and is this a shift in momentum? The champ is prowling about the table now...
ON TABLE TWO
Mark Williams 3-2 Ding Junhui
WILSON 3-3 ALLEN
Yup, Mark levels the match, and this could go deep.
WILSON 3-2 ALLEN (58-45)
Mark's such a good competitor that he can beat you even if you're playing the better stuff. Kyren will be sick he missed that red when needing just it and a colour to go two in front – all the more so if the steal gets the champ going.
WILSON 3-2 ALLEN (58-36)
It's Kyren who pots next and, with reds now accessible following the safety battle, he ought to seal the frame. But he misses to left corner – I didn't see that one coming - meaning he's 34 ahead with 43 left. So Mark gets away and if he can drop on the final red, stuck on black cush, he's favourite for the frame. He does too, sees it away well, and are we going level?
WILSON 3-2 ALLEN (36-24)
He's having to fight, but he doesn't mind that, running out of position after doing all he could; he sends white to balk with three of the remaining five reds on or near cushions and another almost stuck to the pink.
WILSON 3-2 ALLEN (36-8)
Kyren's playing with such confidence; when he's in there's no sense he's going to miss. But as I type, a poor positional shot means a tight one needing sent across the table with the rest, and he hits the jaw. So Mark gets going, forcing the brown down after landing too close to it, and though the balls aren't easy he's still at the table.
WILSON 3-2 ALLEN (25-0)
Left one to right corner, Kyren gets away, happy to leave himself a nasty pink to middle next. He slots it beautifully, soon breaks pack off blue, and he's looking good.
ON TABLE TWO
Mark Williams 2-2 Ding Junhui
WILSON 3-2 ALLEN
Kyren leaves the red and Mark makes extra-sure.
WILSON 3-1 ALLEN (22-64)
Down they go, but a missed red then allows Kyren back to the table with two snookers required. He quickly frees the black then puts the final red behind the brown with the white on the top rail; Mark hits well.
WILSON 3-1 ALLEN (0-57)
Mark needs to win this match to have any chance of qualifying for the Tour Championship, and he'll also be mindful that he wants to be in the world's top eight going into the Worlds. He's doing a decent job at this visit too, using the pink as the black is busy, and he's a red-colour away from 3-2.
WILSON 3-1 ALLEN (0-29)
Mark runs out of position and will be disappointed to spurn a decent chance. But when Kyren misses, he leaves all sorts and, as Angles notes, if El Pistolero can't make this chance pay, he'll struggle to win here.
WILSON 3-1 ALLEN (0-20)
A terrific red to left corner sets Mark away again, and working with blue, he builds, removing balls from around the pink.
WILSON 3-1 ALLEN (0-4)
Mark knows he must win this frame, and also that, if he misses a ball, there's a strong chance Kyren punishes him. But as I type, he twice escapes poor shots with nothing left on, then gets away and hammers down a green, doing well to avoid the yellow only to finish on nowt; end of break.
WE GO AGAIN
ON TABLE TWO
Mark Williams 2-1 Ding Junhui
WILSON 3-1 ALLEN
A missed green means no ton, but a 94% pot success-rate means a 3-1 interval lead, and when we return in 15 minutes, Mark is under pressure.
WILSON 2-1 ALLEN (66-0)
Yup, Kyren secures the frame and he's in control of this match now. The defending champ is in trouble.
WILSON 2-1 ALLEN (40-0)
Kyren can't do much, but a decent safety incites Mark to miss his thin contact and when he goes again, he catches his chosen red thick, leaving a starter to left corner. Down it goes, and that might mean the frame.
WILSON 2-1 ALLEN (28-0)
Ach, Mark misses a nasty one to right corner and a double kiss means the white stays up the table, allowing Kyren to get away to left-middle.
WILSON 2-1 ALLEN (28-0)
Kyren's into this now, getting going with a lovely plant ... that sends one ball to corner and another to middle. "To be sure, to be sure," chuckles Ken – on St Patrick's Day, too. Meantime, Kyren continues working and when he runs out of position he doesn't panic or sulk, pinning th white to the top rail.
ON TABLE TWO
Mark Williams 1-1 Ding Junhui
WILSON 2-1 ALLEN
Kyren can't get on to the final red so no ton, but a 72 is more than enough to regain the lead.
WILSON 1-1 ALLEN (66-21)
He takes those reds anyway, and this is really good stuff. Both men should now be grooved.
WILSON 1-1 ALLEN (46-21)
Kyriz breaks pack off cushion and he's so composed at the table, playiong really quickly and smoothly. He won't need the two reds on black cush, the frame looking certain to be his.
WILSON 1-1 ALLEN (15-21)
My ITVX crashes so I'm not sure if Mark misses or runs out of position, but Kyren is most definitely at the table potting balls with the promise of more to come.
WILSON 1-1 ALLEN (1-14)
Kyren gets in only to miss a difficult brown to middle and, going at it hard, he leaves one for Mark ... who can't get it down left corner. But another miss from the Warrior leaves another chance and this time, El Pistolero doesn't let it go begging.
ON TABLE TWO
Mark Williams 0-1 Ding Junhui
WILSON 1-1 ALLEN
A total clearance of 125 and we're back level.
WILSON 1-0 ALLEN (0-81)
Frame secure, Mark goes in search of a century break.
WILSON 1-0 ALLEN (0-54)
Mark, the reigning champ, is easing into his defence, his cue-bal control excellent through this run. Parity is imminent.
WILSON 1-0 ALLEN (0-17)
Though we've the Tour Championship to come after this, it's impossible not to look beyond that to the Cruce. Kyren is, of course, the defending champ, while Mark has never won it or even reached the final - odd given how brilliant and complete a player he is. A couple of months ago it looked like he'd found the balance between attack and defence but he's not been so good lately; he is, though in first in frame two, with points available.
ON TABLE TWO
Mark Williams 0-1 Ding Junhui
WILSON 1-0 ALLEN
Yup, a clearance of 87 and Kyren hits the front.
WILSON 0-0 ALLEN (56-39)
Lovely shot from Kyren, developing the final red, formerly on the side rail, but the pink isn't easy; he sinks it well and the frame ought soon to be his
WILSON 0-0 ALLEN (49-39)
Very quickly, the black goes down, a further red opens everything, and Kyren is parlaying this into a decent opportunity to forge in front.
WILSON 0-0 ALLEN (18-39)
Mark accumulates, the black nearly liberated, but further from a red than he'd like, he misses it thick and leaves the fruits of his labours for Kyren.
WILSON 0-0 ALLEN (17-18)
A poor safety from Kyrizzle leaves an easy opener to left corner which Mark taps home, but with the black tied up he'll need to work with pink and blue.
WILSON 0-0 ALLEN (17-4)
Kyren soon runs out of position and misjudges his safety, fouling but leaving nowt, then each man misses to corner and on we go.
WILSON 0-0 ALLEN (9-0)
Seeking a thin contact, Mark misses twice, so the ref warns that he'll forfeit the frame should he do so again; he does not, narrowly avoiding going in-off and leaving a simple starter to middle. Chance for Kyren to score.
OUR BOYZ BAIZE
Bring it on.
AND WE BEGIN WITH A BELTER
Tonight, our main match is Kyren Wilson v Mark Allen, but we'll also be updating from Mark J Williams v Ding Junhui – not bad, eh? First-round matches are best of 11.
HELLO THERE
And welcome to the Players Championship – day one!
The Players Championship gets underway on Monday evening with two cracking contests at the Telford International Centre.
Mark Williams takes on Ding Junhui, while world champion Kyren Wilson faces off with Mark Allen.
You can follow the evening’s action with our live text coverage right here.
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Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
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