Shaun Murphy and Barry Hawkins both advanced into the quarter-final of the UK Snooker Championship on Thursday, after both players progressed through their respective ties
What you need to know about the UK Snooker Championship
- The defending champion, Judd Trump, successfully began his title defence, despite facing a stiff challenge in his opening match. The world number one secured a hard-fought 6-4 victory against former UK champion Stephen Maguire to advance into the later rounds.
- The most significant early shock of the tournament was the elimination of eight-time record champion Ronnie O’Sullivan. He suffered an unexpected defeat in his opening match, failing in his bid to extend his record number of UK Championship crowns.
- The player responsible for O’Sullivan’s surprising exit was China’s Zhou Yuelong, who overcame the snooker legend in a notable first-round match. Zhou’s remarkable performance against O’Sullivan was one of the major headlines of the opening phase.
- Four-time world champion Mark Selby demonstrated strong form to secure his spot in the last 16 of the competition. Selby later confidently defeated Zhou Yuelong 6-2, showing his characteristic control and consistency on his way to the quarter-finals.
- The 2025 snooker season had proven highly competitive leading up to this event, highlighted by the fact that 11 different players won the 11 ranking events beforehand. This statistic underscores the current depth and quality across the professional circuit, suggesting a wide-open field for the trophy.
- Other top-ranked players are progressing steadily through the draw, maintaining the high standard of competition in the later rounds. These include reigning World Champion Zhao Xintong and three-time UK Champion Neil Robertson, who have both advanced to the last 16.
- Shaun Murphy continued his bid for the UK Championship as he scraped past John Higgins in a last-frame decider on Thursday night, having trailed 4-1 and 5-3.
- The UK Championship is a high-stakes event, reflected by its substantial total prize pot, which exceeds £1.2 million. The eventual winner is set to receive a quarter of a million pounds (£250,000), cementing the tournament’s financial and competitive significance.
