World Snooker Championship 2026 recap – Updates, results, streaming details as Shaun Murphy leads Xiao Guodong, Hossein Vafaei advances
Updated 23/04/2026 at 16:26 GMT+1
React to this story
World Snooker Championship 2026 live comments and streaming details. TNT Sports brings you frame-by-frame updates as Shaun Murphy meets Xiao Guodong in the last 16, as Hossein Vafaei and Si Jiahui play to a conclusion with the former leading 6-3. Later, Kyren Wilson takes on Mark Allen in a mouthwatering encounter.
O'Sullivan feeling a 'different type of nerves' at Crucible - 'Not been a good three years'
Video credit: TNT Sports
Murphy takes commanding lead over Guodong
Shaun Murphy played some excellent stuff in building a 6-2 lead over Xiao Guodong in their race to 13, and though he will be slightly disappointed his advantage is not even more significant, he would have taken it before play started.
Three half-centuries and a ton helped The Magician race to a 5-0 lead, the latter a tremendous 103 coming after he had committed seven consecutive fouls trying to escape a fiendish self-imposed snooker.
But Xiao, who struggled to settle in the opening mini-session, improved thereafter, clawing back two frames, and had he taken the last of the afternoon, he would have felt almost like he was leading, given how imposing his arrears might have been.
But Murphy, though not playing as well as earlier, did enough to extend his lead to four, and from here, he will take some catching.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/04/23/image-e3aecbc5-2cf9-4176-957b-fb50efe291a4-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'Looking a million dollars' - Murphy shakes off seven fouls to hit fine century
Video credit: TNT Sports
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 6-2 Guodong
Xiao gets close, but the green catches the jaw of middle, rolls into play, and Shaun bags it to left corner, closing out from there.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-2 Guodong (61-33)
Long red to corner ... clunked it with a hollow thud, a decent pink follows, then an attempted snooker ... is less good. But Xiao gets in next, still searching for the opportunity he needs, sending the green up the table and getting nowhere near the brow he hopes will block off the route to it.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-2 Guodong (61-17)
He's played less well in the last hour or so, but Shaun has been well worth his lead and a pink to middle, plus another red, will secure a four-frame lead. Here he goes ... and down it goes, but the next ball isn't an easy one, needing cutting to corner, it grazes the cushion and near jaw ... staying on the lip! There are 51 points left and Xiao quickly develops the red on the top rail, only to send the black safe. And when he jiggers a mid-range, almost dead-straight diagonal pink, he needs a snooker - though potting all the balls feels as tricky an obstacle.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-2 Guodong (33-16)
Shaun lands way too close to red but, cueing away from it, he attempts the pot to right corner ... and it's into the heart of the pocket. He might just be playing his way back into form through the course of this run.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/04/23/image-31467cb1-c138-4237-a68d-c035a1308456-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Watch: Wild Murphy error Dale has not seen for 'years' - 'What a mistake!'
Video credit: TNT Sports
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-2 Guodong (12-16)
Pressure pot to middle ... lands, and the way the table is, you expect Shaun to do enough at this visit.
'Looking a million dollars' - Murphy shakes off seven fouls to hit fine century
Video credit: TNT Sports
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-2 Guodong (12-16)
Shaun goes long and gets close, but just when the white looks to be dropping into the green bag, then Xiao flukes a starter to middle, off the blue. But a cut-back yellow stops out, leaving a decent opportunity; will this be 6-2?
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/04/23/image-e5744faf-b0e3-46ad-ac3e-a57a3a787e0d-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'Everything in a muddle' - Crucible erupts into laughter over break confusion
Video credit: TNT Sports
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-2 Guodong
A thick break from Shaun ... and the white disappears into left corner! That's not something you see often. So Xiao bangs in a starter but soon fails to land on a red, and it's time for some safety.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-2 Guodong
If Xiao can get out of this session just 5-3 down, he'll feel he's had a right touch.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-1 Guodong (10-71)
Yup, Xiao does the necessary, improving as Shaun falters, and this is getting interesting.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-1 Guodong (10-35)
No sooner typed than history: Xiao, not for the first time, undercuts, leaving Shaun an opportunity to polish off another frame – one he knows will cause his opponent much pain. But then he undercuts, a black off its spot to corner, and surely the deficit will now be cut by one more?
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-1 Guodong (1-35)
Another positional error means Xiao must play safe then, shortly afterwards Shaun plays safe off a red ... which cannons another and rolls into right corner. But, not on a colour properly, it's in behind the yellow, from where getting everything safe won't be easy ... and Xiao pulls off a beauty. He's improving...
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-1 Guodong
Xiao will want the two remaining frames of the session – if he can win them, he'll feel he's escaped – but even one would keep him in it, whereas if he loses both, he's done for. He gets in first too, only to miss a nasty brown, but when Shaun overcuts an opener, he's back in business. Is momentum switching?
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-1 Guodong
Xiao makes the frame safe, and he'll be extremely relieved. But can he inch his way back into the match?
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-0 Guodong (6-52)
Shaun misses one you think he won't, Xiao pots one you fear he'll miss, and slowly slowly, the frame is becoming his.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-0 Guodong (6-44)
Before he even gets to them, though, Xiao hits the near jaw of middle with a pink, bringing Shaun to the table, but he can't get position on his first colour so, with three balls on the top and two just off the side, he plays safe. It'll take a major effort for him to steal this frame.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-0 Guodong (0-29)
Xiao knows how important this visit is and he takes his time over this one, in the knowledge that he'll need some of the four reds on the top rail and two on the side. But in the meantime, he builds a lead.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-0 Guodong (0-5)
Another thick break from Shaun to open the pack, but this time, Xiao knocks in the longun, and can he force his way into the contest?
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 5-0 Guodong
Another break in excess of 50 and this match is running away from Xiao at quite the rate.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 4-0 Guodong (62-53)
Using the extension and spider, Shaun stretches over a red to access another ... and it's there. Xiao is in all sorts.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 4-0 Guodong (46-23)
Shaun picks off the balls Xiao developed for him, and should soon be assured of taking a lead into the second session – though he'll want a lot more than that.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/04/23/image-8b4aa1a0-5706-4c95-ba0a-bfbb6c86e267-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Watch: Murphy takes a bow after escaping self-imposed snooker on eighth attempt
Video credit: TNT Sports
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 4-0 Guodong (25-23)
Cut-back to corner ... missed so thick it sets, Xiao getting closer to flunking a different red to middle, so far was he off the pot. So Shaun gets going via rest, and if he can increase his lead to five, though it's a first to 13 situation, he'll be very hard to stop.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 4-0 Guodong (13-17)
Immediate trouble for Xiao, as he leaves one to middle off his break, but when Shaun overcuts to corner - unexpectedly so – he has a chance to build, opening he pack off a missable black. Big visit.
World Championship LIVE - on table two
Si Jiahui 3-10 Hossein Vafaei
The first seed goes, the first qualifier makes round two, and there, Hossein will meet Judd Trump.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 4-0 Guodong
Shaun polishes off the frame, his narrow escape and brilliant response firing him with confidence, and when he feels that way, there are few better. We'll be back in 15.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 3-0 Guodong
Shaun overcuts a delicate pink, so Xiao returns to the table needing three snookers. Good luck with that, old mate.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 3-0 Guodong (54-2)
We associate Shaun with flourishes, but this mini-sesh has been defined by his ability to manufacture pots and stick in breaks. As I type, he opens what remains of the bunch, and again, he's making what looks likely to be a frame-winning contribution from a situation that initially looked uninviting.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 3-0 Guodong (25-2)
Xiao manages a red and no more, then lands another and does what Shaun did, snookering himself on everything. So he plays off the side and on to the pink, the only option he had, leaving a scoring opportunity.
World Championship LIVE - on table two
Si Jiahui 3-9 Hossein Vafaei
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 3-0 Guodong
That is a fantastic break from Shaun, a 103 following seven straight fouls. Xiao will have to play seriously well to beat him in this nick.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 2-0 Guodong (75-28)
A fine cut-back to middle keeps the run going, then Shaun breaks that cluster, and this'll be another to him - well earned too, he's had to work really hard for this on an unfriendly table. Might he fight his way to a ton?
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 2-0 Guodong (44-28)
Shaun works his way on to the red that's next to the black, sinks a tricky one nicely, and those could be the shots which settle the frame. There's still work to do, a cluster of five needing breaking, but you'd back him to get there eventually.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 2-0 Guodong (12-28)
Xiao hits first go, but in so doing reminds us why Shaun took such pains to play the shot he eventually did, leaving an opener; he'll be relieved pink and black are out of commission.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 2-0 Guodong (5-28)
We're now on miss seven – he's close, really close – then lands it on the eighth attempt, bowing and psoing for the crowd thereafter like he's Eric Cantona – for avoidance of doubt, he is not – and now it's Xiao in a predicament.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 2-0 Guodong (5-12)
There are reds near right corner that all look on but good safety from each prevents the other from attacking one. Eventually, though, with most of them cleared away, Shaun goes at one, pots it well ... and snookers himself on every colour. So he nominates brown, gets really close to tucking in behind ... but not close enough, so Xiao puts him back and he misses twice more.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 2-0 Guodong (4-0)
Xiao can hear John Williams' Jaws score: Shaun strokes him an opener ... but then gets too heavily into the white, the baize giving him more reaction than he expected, so it's end of break and back to baulk. Relief for his opponent.
World Championship LIVE - on table two
Si Jiahui 3-7 Hossein Vafaei
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 2-0 Guodong
There are few players who experience flow as intensely as Shaun, so Xiao needs to intervene and soon.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 1-0 Guodong (71-0)
Shaun makes the frame safe; Xiao needs to get himself going.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 1-0 Guodong (34-0)
The last thing Xiao wants is Shaun on a roll but, flush following what he called the break of his life to beat Fan Zhengyi in round one, he's carrying on where that match left off.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 1-0 Guodong (11-0)
Confidently, Shaun opens the pack, backing himself to get a good white, win the safety exchange, then pot balls. And he does, sort of forced into playing a pot by Xiao and sneaking the cue-ball through a narrow gap; immediately, Dom announces a good chance.
World Championship LIVE - on table two
Si Jiahui 3-7 Hossein Vafaei
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 1-0 Guodong
Yup, a 36 followed by a 38 and Shaun has the lead; Xiao has yet to settle.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 0-0 Guodong (56-7)
Xiao snicks in a red, misses a mid-ragne brown to the green bag, and that will surely mean the frame.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 0-0 Guodong (42-6)
Tight-lipped, Shaun runs out of position and plays safe, leaving the white a fair way shy of the bottom rail. His lead is decent, but given the whereabouts of the balls, the next chance, should go to Xiao, might well render it irrelevant.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 0-0 Guodong (23-6)
But it's Xiao who makes the first error, leaving a starter - not something you want to do against such glorious a potter as Shaun. He quickly nudges more reds loose, developing a chance to score into a chance to score heavily.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy 0-0 Guodong (6-6)
A freshly shorn Shaun misses, seeking to land on the pack and ceding six, then clips in a starter, only to soon run out of position. It's circumspect stuff so far.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy v Guodong
Here come our players...
How to watch and stream the World Championship
You can watch every day of the 2026 World Championship live on TNT Sports.
It is available both live and on-demand on HBO Max.
For the latest information on which snooker events are on TNT Sports, click here.
Here is the TNT Sports schedule and TV guide.
World Championship LIVE - Murphy v Guodong
Welcome to round two! Though its predecessor isn't quite over and done with, we'll be focusing this afternoon on Shaun Murphy's battle with Xiao Guodong.
Shaun is, quite simply, one of the most natural potters we've ever seen, winning the 2005 edition of this competition as an unseeded lesser-known, and since then, he's completed the triple crown while oozing style.
Xiao, though, is a different thing, a player who discovered his best self relatively late in life, but is now an all-round brute comfortable in all facets of the game. Though I haven't a clue who'll win this, I'm certain finding out is going to be a lot of fun.
Shaun Murphy meets Xiao Guodong in the last 16 of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Murphy, the 2005 winner, saw off Fan Zhengyi in the first round, while Xiao got the better of Zhou Yuelong.
Meanwhile, Hossein Vafaei leads his Chinese opponent Si Jiahui 6-3 after a classy showing in which he won five frames in a row, and will look to finish the job.
Later, 2024 champion Kyren Wilson meets Mark Allen.
This live blog covers frame-by-frame action from Thursday's action, with full scores across all matches available on the TNT Sports scores page.
HBO Max is the streaming home of TNT Sports - watch the match below.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/07/03/image-c2936b78-b8a4-4e96-a63d-efc7fcbf874d-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
O'Sullivan turns down 147, hits dazzling century to put match 'beyond any doubt'
Video credit: TNT Sports
World Snooker Championship 2026 live comments
How to watch and stream the World Championship
You can watch every day of the 2026 Halo World Snooker Championship live on TNT Sports.
It is available both live and on-demand on HBO Max.
For the latest information on which snooker events are on TNT Sports, click here.
Here is the TNT Sports schedule and TV guide.
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement