World Snooker Championship 2026 recap – Updates, results and streaming details as Mark Allen leads Kyren Wilson, Zhao Xintong level with Ding Junhui

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World Snooker Championship 2026 live comments and streaming details. TNT Sports brings you frame-by-frame updates as Mark Allen and Kyren Wilson resume their second-round battle at the Crucible Theatre. Allen led 5-3 after the opening session in their best-of-25 encounter. Meanwhile, world champion Zhao Xintong faces Ding Junhui in a seismic all-Chinese clash.

'That's a great shot' - Allen wows Crucible with clever red

Video credit: TNT Sports

Allen remains in charge in topsy-turvy tussle with Wilson

Mark Allen produced a late surge to claim a 9-7 lead over a revitalised Kyren Wilson in a heavyweight second-round clash in the World Championship on Friday afternoon.

The Warrior, who had been 5-0 down prior to ending the first session trailing 5-3, continued his improvement with breaks of 71 and 52 dragging him level at five apiece.

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The world No. 2 then made it six frames on the spin to lead for the first time courtesy of a special 112 break before Allen finally stopped the rot with a dogged response involving a run of 33.

The Pistol snared an edgy first frame following the mid-session interval with a 39 clearance up to the pink, but Wilson hit back to level at 7-7 in a cagey, low-scoring affair.

Allen had struggled for big breaks throughout the contest but a stunning 140 clearance out of nowhere put him back in the box seat before he re-established a two-frame lead as Wilson’s failure to navigate out of a snooker on a whopping five occasions ultimately proved costly.

Elsewhere, reigning champion Zhao Xintong is locked at 4-4 in an all-Chinese tussle with Ding Junhui.

Ding led on three occasions but was continually pegged back before Zhao took the lead for the first time at 4-3.

However, The Dragon came up trumps in the final frame of the first session to ensure it is all to play for heading into the weekend.

Watch: 'Outrage' as Allen fortunate to nuzzle behind black after double kiss

Video credit: TNT Sports

End of session two - WILSON 7-9 ALLEN (36-72)

We are reliably informed this is the longest frame of the match by our friends on TNT Sports comms and it continues with Wilson searching for some sort of hope.

However, the inevitable happens as Allen sends down the yellow and Wilson offers his hand.

Join us again for the finale tomorrow morning!

WILSON 7-8 ALLEN (36-72)

Allen navigates away from brown and yellow to nick the red to the left and somehow fluke the cue ball behind the black near to the right middle pocket.

Kyren can’t find his mark and another foul swings the pendulum Mark’s way again. This time The Pistol hits the mark and the applause tells him he’s going to go into the final session leading by two frames.

However, a miss on the pink brings Wilson back to the table in search of three snookers with only the colours left.

WILSON 7-8 ALLEN (36-67)

A tense spell of safety ends with Wilson nicking a red up to middle right.

The Warrior knocks in a blue and a red and then glances at the scoreboard to do some calculations.

A green to its home pocket brings him down for the penultimate red to the left corner but he can’t move the final red off the bottom rail.

Foulds suggests it may be a blessing on TNT Sports comms and says the former champion can now lay a snooker up in baulk.

WILSON 7-8 ALLEN (25-67)

It’s another big miss from Kyren as he comes off the upper right and lower left cushions in his bid to clip that stray red at the foot of the table.

‘He’s gradually getting closer, but these points are mounting,’ says Neal Foulds on TNT Sports comms.

He’s not wrong as a FIFTH miss means Mark Allen can almost put his feet up.

It’s sixth time lucky for The Warrior, but those errors of judgement may well prove costly.

Crucible groans as Wilson's ambitious red narrowly stays out

Video credit: TNT Sports

WILSON 7-8 ALLEN (25-51)

More gasps from the audience as the cueball crawls towards the right corner off Kyren’s attempted safety.

‘Nobody sneeze,’ is the humorous comment on TNT Sports comms as the ball somehow stays up.

It’s awkward for Allen but he somehow finds his way to baulk and Kyren throws in a howler with a big miss trying to nick the lowest red tucked against the bottom rail.

WILSON 7-8 ALLEN (25-43)

There’s a shake of the head from Mark when his left-hand screw into the three-ball pack off a pot on the pink does not reap the rewards he hoped for.

Some of the audience greet it with huge applause, perhaps not realising he has nothing available.

The Pistol cuts his losses and retreats to baulk with a 43 putting him in the driving seat for now.

WILSON 7-8 ALLEN (25-4)

Ouch.

Wilson looks to navigate an up-and-down from baulk without any damage but ends up flying in-off to the left corner.

WILSON 7-8 ALLEN (25-0)

A run of reds and low-scoring colours put Wilson in the ascendancy early doors, but he soon runs out of position and with the pack still mainly intact, he opts for the cover of baulk.

End of first session over on Table 2

Ding 4-4 Zhao

An expertly-crafted break from Ding to ensure he goes into tomorrow level with Zhao - some effort given the level the world champion was finding towards the end of this session.
It's just sheer perfection from The Dragon, with the killer blow coming as he nudged the final red over the middle right pocket after potting green. He completes the clearance to take the frame 62-61, a scoreline indicative of just how incredibly competitive this afternoon session has been.
All to play for, and off that showing, the resumption of this one should be thrilling.

WILSON 7-8 ALLEN

From out of nowhere Allen hits his groove, calmly striding around the table and gently knocking in red-black combos to move well clear on the board.

A red via the rest nestles in the left-corner bag before a black to the opposite flank takes him beyond the 50-mark.

Red-blue-red puts him on the verge of what will be a rare one-visit triumph in this session for either player and another run of routine reds with the black off its spot put the frame beyond doubt.

Indeed, it’s already his highest break of the match and a black to the right corner seals the century and earns him some deserved applause.

There’s no looking back from there as the routine colours off their spots ensure he raises the roof with a 140 clearance.

Table 2 latest

Ding 3-4 Zhao

WILSON 7-7 ALLEN

Wilson escapes another trap and almost flukes the final red into the green pocket.

Allen has no alternative but to pot it and nicks the pink to the right corner.

The Pistol then slaps down the yellow close to its home pocket and he needs three snookers again.

An attempt at a snooker behind the blue goes wrong and Wilson zaps down a long green to surely seal the deal.

The Warrior plays safe off the brown but knows Mark will give him the nod and he does.

All square once again here!

WILSON 6-7 ALLEN (62-19)

There’s one back!

‘Two to go,’ says Foulds on TNT Sports comms.

Mark steps forward with renewed belief and turns down a pot on the final red to the left corner, opting to keep chasing those snookers.

WILSON 6-7 ALLEN (62-15)

This time it’s Allen’s turn to have the crowd shouting with delight with the deftest pot on a red. However, he can’t land the long-range blue to the yellow corner and Kyren steps in to knock in a red via the rest.

A brown up to the green bag allows him to screwback for the penultimate red and a green to middle leaves Mark needing three snookers to tie.

The Warrior misses the final red tied to the pink and Allen decides to carry on given the yellow and blue are tight to the yellow pocket and could assist him in snaring a few fouls…

WILSON 6-7 ALLEN (53-14)

Wilson gets back in with a delightful long red that impresses the crowd, but he opts to play a loose safety in-behind the black.

Four reds left and the frame remains in the balance.

Table 2 latest

Ding 3-3 Zhao

On TNT Sports comms, Dave Hendon says that's the most dramatic frame of the match so far, and I'm inclined to agree. A great effort from Ding as he knocks home a handy half-century to lead 58-52, and he looks poised to take a two-frame lead, and ensure he would go into the second session at least level.

He opts for glory on a tricky blue instead of trying to play safe, and it backfires in a big way. Missing to the baulk left, Zhao lays a tricky snooker, and playing off the cushion, Ding gets the most unfortunate of double kisses, seeing the cue ball go in-off.

That allows Zhao to level the match once more.

WILSON 6-7 ALLEN (52-14)

Kyren extends his advantage and has Neal Foulds purring with some expert cue-manship, only for potential disaster to strike as the cue ball seems to sit behind a red and block his path to the black.

Wilson looks disappointed but then lines it up and dispatches it to the right corner.

‘He had everyone going there,’ laughs Foulds.

However, with five reds remaining the former champion has to retreat on 32, breaking up what is left of the pack along the way to baulk.

WILSON 6-7 ALLEN (20-14)

A rare spell of safety ends with Allen breaking the impasse with a lovely cut on a red low to the bottom deck that slides neatly into the right corner off his attempt from baulk.

The Pistol knocks in the brown and then asks for the cue ball to be cleaned, but what should be red-black combos galore goes pear-shaped and Kyren is licking his lips (not literally) as he moves to the table with a lead still intact.

'Just so good' - Zhao pots two reds and finds position with stunning shot

Video credit: TNT Sports

WILSON 6-7 ALLEN (20-0)

Wilson gets a major boost off the break-off as the cue ball ends tight behind the green.

Allen tries to escape without any collateral damage and ends up fouling on two occasions.

His third attempt opens the door for Kyren but the world number two can only muster a run of 12 and ends up playing safe up to the green pocket.

WILSON 6-7 ALLEN

Mark sizzles the penultimate red to the right corner and follows with a blue before sinking the final red of the pack.

A yellow up the rail to the green pocket means it’s down to the colours off their spots and a 39 clearance to the pink seals the deal.

WILSON 6-6 ALLEN (38-39)

Allen grimaces as he hands a big lifeline to Wilson. Indeed, he may even have made the former World champion the favourite for this frame now.

Kyren rolls in a red to open and drills a black down to the left corner.

The packs is well split here and it’s a very nice table for putting together a quick, easy run.

It proves to be the case too, but the world number two overcuts a simple enough red down to the left corner. It’s the penultimate one and it may well be costly!

Table 2 latest

Ding 3-2 Zhao

The Chinese superstars are trading blow-for-blow - a Ding-dong battle, if you will - as the master takes a 3-2 lead over his protégé. An excellent 80, with typical, pinpoint cue-ball control, as Ding recovers from the huge disappointment of the gift he gave his counterpart in the previous frame.

WILSON 6-6 ALLEN (1-39)

‘I think the shot deserved a better outcome than going in-behind the yellow,’ says Neal Foulds on TNT Sports comms as a delightful long red to the left corner means the cueball ends up in baulk with no way to develop a break.

WILSON 6-6 ALLEN (1-38)

Allen gets out of danger but leaves a red on down the rail to the right corner.

This time, luck favours Allen as The Warrior pulls off the pot but sees the cueball veer off to the opposite bag and disappear.

It’s a foul and justice served from Mark’s perspective!

'Would you believe it?' - Crucible stunned as Allen's frame-ball somehow stays out

Video credit: TNT Sports

WILSON 6-6 ALLEN (1-34)

Wilson gets a huge slice of fortune with a long red clipping the one furthest south and making a beeline for the right corner.

It allows Kyren to lay a nasty snooker behind the brown and green.

WILSON 6-6 ALLEN (0-34)

Allen returns and immediately notches a quick-fire six before earning the second opportunity to develop that further.

A red to the corner is followed by a yellow up to its home pocket before he plays off the blue to make inroads into the pack.

A pink to the left corner keeps him ticking along, but he still can’t quite find top gear and the run comes to a disappointing end at 28.

Zhao punishes Ding miscue to run home 'ridiculously easy' century

Video credit: TNT Sports

Table 2 latest

Ding 2-2 Zhao

Disaster for Ding. At 1-0 down in the fourth, he completely miscues to leave a free ball for Zhao - the type of opportunity you cannot afford against the reigning world champion who is bang in form, and Ding knows that all too well, holding his head in his hands, looking at the table in disbelief.

Indeed, he is punished, as Zhao runs home the first century of the match, again in assured and swift style. It's 2-2 at the interval, and living up to its billing with good drama thus far.

'Oh dear' - Ding has head in hands after leaving free ball with comical foul

Video credit: TNT Sports

WILSON 6-6 ALLEN

It was always a tall order for Wilson to rescue it from this deficit and so it proves as The Pistol lands another red, leaving Kyren to quickly concede.

Allen needed that after losing six in a row and we are finely poised heading into the mid-session interval.

'Well done Kyren' - Inspired Wilson charges into lead from 5-0 down with excellent century

Video credit: TNT Sports

WILSON 6-5 ALLEN (7-55)

Allen takes advantage of the misfire from his opponent and slowly develops a healthy lead on the board.

It’s a bit like babysteps as he tries to rebuild some flow and confidence and a tidy pink up to middle right will help with that.

The frame is within his grasp but he can’t guide a red along the bottom rail to the right corner and it still doesn’t fall when there’s a double kiss off the cue ball.

The run ends on 33 but he’s still in a commanding position.

Indeed, Wilson fails to land a colour after knocking in that red and Mark is still odds-on to level matters here…

WILSON 6-5 ALLEN (6-22)

‘Oh that’s brilliant,’ gushes Neal Foulds on TNT Sports Comms as Kyren somehow guides a mid-table red to the right corner after cueing off the baulk cushion.

It’s followed by a gasp of dismay from the crowd as Wilson misses on the ensuing colour to hand the initiative to Allen.

WILSON 6-5 ALLEN (5-22)

Wilson pulls off a belting long red to wrestle control of the table his way and forces a foul and a miss with a smart safety when he doesn’t get the reward he was looking for in terms of position.

It’s a foul and miss from Allen as he tries to navigate out of trouble from behind the brown, but he gets the pace right on his second effort to touch a red tight to the bottom rail.

Table 2 latest

Ding 2-1 Zhao

Bit of a hairy moment as Ding seemed to realise too late he needed another red and black to secure the frame. He ran himself into an awkward position, central, with two reds lined up near the right cushion. But no need to fret, the veteran pulls out an immaculate double into the left middle, allowing him to continue a frame-winning break of 81.

WILSON 6-5 ALLEN (0-22)

There’s frustration for Allen as he screws back too heavily off a pot on the yellow to completely lose position and land too tight to a red below the pink.

The Pistol plays safe up to baulk and settles for a run of 21 when he will have felt he had the opportunity to build more there.

WILSON 6-5 ALLEN (0-1)

Allen nicks a long red from the centre of a split pack into the left corner and retreats to baulk where he hides the cue ball behind the yellow.

The Pistol is very much in need of a response here, can he deliver it?

WILSON 6-5 ALLEN

Allen eyes a fine cut on a long red to the right corner but can’t quite tease it down, leaving it hovering over the pocket.

Wilson jumps in and duly slaps it home before easing a delicate blue to middle right.

A thunderbolt red shows the confidence is now flowing and the world number two begins another assault on the scoreboard.

The lay of the reds makes scoring nice and regular off the black and it’s the colour that once again moves him beyond the 50-mark and within range of a sixth frame on the bounce!

Allen looks subdued as he watches Kyren click through the gears.

A possible century is very much on the cards as he arrows one of three remaining reds tight to the pink up to middle left.

It makes the ton inevitable and when the penultimate red falls the century is achieved with a black to the right corner.

He slides the final red down to the left corner and with the colours on their spots, he seems all set for a clearance but he makes a mess of the brown and ends up on 112.

It's a very minor irritation as the bigger picture sees him take charge of the match!

Table 2 latest

Ding 1-1 Zhao

That will do Zhao the world of good. A prolonged visit, a break of 64, strolling around the table with an average shot time hovering around the 15 second mark. This one is warming up nicely.

WILSON 5-5 ALLEN

Kyren gets in again with a solitary red but overcooks a blue to the yellow bag.

Mark needs snookers but when he immediately misses a red with the rest he throws in the towel, much to the relief of Wilson, who was making hard work of that.

From 5-0 down, Wilson has come roaring back to tie it at five apiece!

WILSON 4-5 ALLEN (61-5)

A howler from Mark not only loosens the pack but also leaves the door open for Wilson.

The 2024 world champion slots a routine red from right to left and plays off the pink, now sat on the black spot with the latter way out west to the left.

Kyren was so out-of-sorts at the start of this match, but he looks to be a different player in this second session as he passes the half century for the second time today.

The finish line is within sight but the groan says it all when he drags the red most north of the pack wide off a cut to the right corner.

It ends his run on 52, but there’s still a lot of work for Allen to do to turn this around.

'Wow!' - Ding sees funny side after outrageous fluke

Video credit: TNT Sports

Table 2 latest

Ding 1-0 Zhao

It hasn't been an easy start for Zhao, breaking down early when among the balls, and Ding - far from fluid - has gradually cobbled together a 56-point lead which will end up being decisive.
He snookers himself on the final red, attempting a cheeky one off the cushion, but it doesn't come off. Alas, the frame is his.
It cannot be understated how much pressure is on these guys with a huge Chinese audience likely tuning in - more so for Zhao, which is natural.
Luckily, this will be a three-session encounter, and you'd expect both to grow into it.

'Like Ronnie O'Sullivan' - Ding says Zhao will 'take everything over' in snooker

Video credit: TNT Sports

WILSON 4-5 ALLEN (9-5)

Kyren briefly wrestles control of the table his way with a long red to the right corner and floats a tidy blue to middle right to get into another flow.

It’s a short and sweet visit as he plays safe up to baulk with little to chew on from a pretty much intact pack.

WILSON 4-5 ALLEN (0-5)

Allen plays a sublime long-range plant to sink a red via a red to the left corner. He ends up back in baulk and plays safe behind the green.

Kyren duly misses on his first attempt to duck out of dodge and offers up a foul and a miss, but he adjusts nicely to pull off the recovery on his second effort.

Why Murphy has 'extra motivation' to make centuries at the Crucible

Video credit: TNT Sports

WILSON 4-5 ALLEN

Kyren can’t miss with a red to the right corner and he follows it with a clinical pink to the opposite flank.

A red follows to the same bag and a blue to middle left brings him down for a routine red just above the black to the right corner.

The world number two continues his run by preying upon blue-red combos with the black closely guarded by a wall of reds on its spot.

It’s rinse and repeat on some nice pinks up to middle left and a sharp pot on a red to the corner opens up the black, which he sends down with a deliciously thin cut.

It's a real beauty and paves the way to the half century as red-black-red moves him to within sight of frame ball.

The Warrior is happy to move up to mid-table to maintain his rhythm and when he sends a pink to the left corner, the applause from the crowd tells him he’s over the line.

The only blot on his copybook is that there’s no century in sight as he fails to slip down the black to the right corner and has to end his break on 71 – but it’s enough to seal the frame and move him ever closer to Allen.

WILSON 3-5 ALLEN (0-6)

It’s Mark who makes his, er, mark first with a neat red up to the green pocket.

The Northern Irishman rolls a blue to middle right but then fires well wide of the right jaw with an attempt on a red down to the left corner.

WILSON 3-5 ALLEN (0-0)

The Warrior takes on a long shot for nothing to the right corner that refuses the invite and jumps clear of the pocket.

It’s a similar issue for Allen when he takes on a red to the same bag and it’s a rather scrappy start to the proceedings, despite the pack being nicely splintered.

Show time!

The boys are due at the balk imminently.

The intros are underway and another afternoon of snooks is upon us!

Mark Allen of Northern Ireland reacts to a shot against Kyren Wilson of England during day six of the Halo World Snooker Championship at The Crucible Theatre

Image credit: Getty Images

Mark Allen and Kyren Wilson resume their tense World Championship second-round tie on Friday afternoon, with Allen in a 5-3 lead after the opening session.

Wilson will be pleased the deficit stands at just two frames after the opening session, having endured an early onslaught, with visible frustration over his cue.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xintong and Ding Junhui begin their highly-anticipated second-round meeting on the adjacent table.

Reigning world champion Zhao is looking to banish any talk of the Crucible curse, as he defends his title in Sheffield.

This live blog covers frame-by-frame action from the featured match, 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.

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.

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