Root and Stokes grind down weary India to stretch lead beyond 100
A qualifier success - Sheffield's world snooker marathon
JAMES NALTON discusses how players have overcome the odds at this year’s World Snooker Championships, as three of the four semi-finalists came through the qualifiers
A general view inside the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield ahead of play on day fourteen of the 2024 Cazoo World Snooker Championship, May 3, 2024
IT ENDS with a trophy lift at the sport’s most prestigious venue, accompanied by an emotional BBC snooker montage of thrills and spills and the adulation of the audience packed into the Crucible Theatre, right in the heart of Sheffield city centre.
But it starts in a sports hall on the outskirts of town. A state-of-the-art sports venue at the English Institute of Sport, no less, but as you walk through the leisure centre halls, behind the thick sound-muffling curtains, skirting towards the temporary seating as one of two sets of four tables come into view, it is a far cry from the Crucible.
Referees operate scoreboards with remote controls, multitasking as they tot up the latest break and respot balls, and it costs punters just £12 for an entire day’s snooker.
More from this author
The Red’s title defence is built on clever recruitment, long-term planning, and data-led strategy. In contrast, the Magpies are falling behind — and blaming the wrong things, writes JAMES NALTON
With climate change, commercial overload and endless fixtures, footballers are being pushed to breaking point. It’s time their unions became a more powerful, unified force, writes JAMES NALTON
Joao Pedro’s emotional goals against Fluminense captured the magic of an international club competition. But even as fans bring colour and passion, the Club World Cup’s deeper issues loom large, writes JAMES NALTON
