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Defending champ Wilson to face China's Lei in first round of World Snooker Championships

IANS April 18, 2025 133 views

Kyren Wilson begins his world championship title defense with a challenging first-round match against China's Lei Pengfei. The 33-year-old champion is looking to break the historic "Crucible curse" that has prevented first-time winners from retaining their title since 1977. This year's tournament features a record 10 Chinese players, adding international excitement to the competition. With a top prize of £500,000, the stakes are high for Wilson and other top players like Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui.

"No first-time champion has retained the title since 1977" - Snooker Commentary"
London, April 17: Kyren Wilson will start his world champion title defending campaign with an opening round clash with China's Lei Pengfei as the draw of the 2025 World Snooker Championships was unveiled here on Thursday.

Key Points

1

Wilson aims to overcome challenging "Crucible curse" defending his title

2

Record 10 Chinese players compete in prestigious tournament

3

Championship offers £500,000 top prize

4

Matches run from April 19 to May 5

Wilson, 33, clinched the world champion title for the first time after beating qualifier Jak Jones 18-14 in the final one year ago.

Wilson will attempt to overcome the so-called "Crucible curse", by which no first-time champion has retained the title since the tournament moved to the Crucible Theatre in 1977.

The current world No. 2 will on Saturday play against Scottish Open winner Lei, who edged Chinese compatriot Gao Yang 10-0 in the last round of qualifiers, reports Xinhua.

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan is set to meet Ali Carter, and veteran John Higgins will face Joe O'Connor.

A record of 10 Chinese players have secured their places at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield this year. Ding Junhui, seeded No. 10, will face debutant Zak Surety while Zhao Xintong is going to challenge last year's finalist Jones in the first round.

The 2025 World Championships will be held from April 19 to May 5. The winner of the event will receive £500,000 from a total prize fund of £2,395,000. The runner-up will bag Runner-up: £200,000, while the semifinalists will get £100,000 each.

Reader Comments

J
James K.
Wilson has been in great form this season! Really hope he can break the Crucible curse 🤞 That would be legendary. Lei is no pushover though - saw him play in Scotland and he was brilliant.
S
Sarah L.
So excited for this year's championship! The Chinese contingent is stronger than ever. Would love to see Ding Junhui finally get his world title after coming so close before.
M
Michael T.
While I'm a Wilson fan, I think the article overstates the "Crucible curse" - it's just statistics. That said, the pressure of defending a title is real. First round could be tricky against an in-form Lei.
L
Lisa P.
That 10-0 qualifier win by Lei was brutal! 😳 Can't wait to see if he can bring that form to the Crucible. The China vs UK snooker rivalry is getting more intense every year.
R
Rajiv C.
Prize money has increased so much! Remember when £100k was the winner's purse? The sport has grown tremendously. Hope the quality of play matches the financial rewards.
E
Emma S.
Honestly think O'Sullivan vs Carter is the match to watch in round 1. Their rivalry always produces fireworks! 🔥 Though part of me wants to see the young Chinese players cause some upsets.

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Tags:
Snooker World Championships Kyren Wilson Lei Pengfei Crucible Theatre Ronnie O'Sullivan
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