Progress and Standings of the 2026 World Snooker Championship Second Round

Apr 26, 2026, 21:47

Introduction

The 2026 World Snooker Championship is currently in its second round at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, where several high-profile matches are either finishing or reaching their final stages.

Main Body

The match between Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins remains undecided. O'Sullivan initially took a strong 6-2 lead, which he later extended to 9-4. However, Higgins won the final three frames of the second session to bring the score to 9-7. Stephen Hendry emphasized that O'Sullivan seemed to lose his focus toward the end, even showing physical signs of frustration. This match is scheduled to finish on Monday at 13:00 BST. In other ongoing matches, Neil Robertson leads Chris Wakelin 10-6, while Judd Trump holds a 9-7 advantage over Hossein Vafaei. In contrast, Mark Selby is trailing 22-year-old Wu Yize 9-7, although Selby managed to win one frame at the end of the second session. All of these matches are expected to conclude on Monday. Meanwhile, defending champion Zhao Xintong has reached the quarter-finals after defeating Ding Junhui 13-9. With this win, Zhao hopes to overcome the 'Crucible Curse,' a trend where first-time winners fail to defend their title the following year. He will now face Shaun Murphy, who beat Xiao Guodong 13-3. Furthermore, other quarter-finalists include Barry Hawkins and Mark Allen. After his victory over Kyren Wilson, Allen criticized Stephen Hendry's commentary regarding his tactical choices during the game.

Conclusion

The tournament continues with the final sessions of the second round on Monday, after which the full quarter-final bracket will be decided.

Vocabulary Learning

criticized (v.)

to express disapproval or point out faults批評

Example:After his victory over Kyren Wilson, Allen criticized Stephen Hendry's commentary regarding his tactical choices during the game.

extended (v.)

to make longer or wider / to increase延伸

Example:O'Sullivan initially took a strong 6-2 lead, which he later extended to 9-4.

frustration (n.)

a feeling of annoyance or discouragement沮喪

Example:Stephen Hendry emphasized that O'Sullivan seemed to lose his focus toward the end, even showing physical signs of frustration.

trailing (adj.)

behind in position or progress落後

Example:Mark Selby is trailing 22‑year‑old Wu Yize 9‑7.

undecided (adj.)

not yet decided / not settled未決定

Example:The match between Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins remains undecided.

Sentence Learning

O''Sullivan initially took a strong 6-2 lead, which he later extended to 9-4.

Relative Clause: This clause adds additional information about the score, using the relative pronoun 'which' to refer to the earlier mentioned lead.關係子句: 此子句以關係代詞 'which' 為前面的主語 'lead' 提供額外資訊。

All of these matches are expected to conclude on Monday.

Passive Voice: The sentence is in the passive voice, where the subject receives the action; 'are expected to conclude' indicates that the matches will be finished by someone (implied).被動語態: 句子使用被動語態，主語 'All of these matches' 接受動作 'are expected to conclude'。

In contrast, Mark Selby is trailing 22-year-old Wu Yize 9-7, although Selby managed to win one frame at the end of the second session.

Contrast Conjunction: The conjunction 'although' introduces a contrast, showing that despite Selby's trailing position, he still managed to win a frame.對比連接詞: 連接詞 'although' 引入對比，顯示儘管 Selby 落後，他仍贏得了一局。

Meanwhile, defending champion Zhao Xintong has reached the quarter-finals after defeating Ding Junhui 13-9.

Adverbial Clause of Time: The clause 'after defeating Ding Junhui 13-9' functions as an adverbial clause of time, indicating when Zhao Xintong reached the quarter-finals.時間狀語從句: 子句 'after defeating Ding Junhui 13-9' 作為時間狀語從句，說明 Zhao Xintong 何時達到四分之一決賽。

Stephen Hendry emphasized that O''Sullivan seemed to lose his focus toward the end, even showing physical signs of frustration.

Participle Phrase: The participle phrase 'even showing physical signs of frustration' modifies the subject and provides additional information about O'Sullivan's behavior.分詞短語: 分詞短語 'even showing physical signs of frustration' 修飾主語，提供了關於 O'Sullivan 行為的額外資訊。