WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZE MONEY. .

The World Snooker Tour have confirmed that the prize fund for the 2027 World Championship will rise

The World Snooker Tour have announced that the prize fund for next year's World Championship will rise to £3million. The UK Championship will also receive a £1.5m uplift.

The opening round of the World Snooker Championship is currently taking place at the Crucible. Defending champion Zhao Xintong overcame a challenging first session against Liam Highfield to progress, with Mark Allen and John Higgins also going through.

Kyren Wilson delivered a remarkable fightback from 7-3 behind to prevent giving Stan Moody a surprise win on his debut. The 2024 champion secured a 10-7 triumph against the teenage prodigy and faced criticism for his excessive celebrations

From next year, competitors will be playing for a bigger prize fund in Sheffield following approval of a 25 per cent rise. The overall pool has been increased to £3m, up from £2.4m.

The victor will receive £625,000, up from £500k. The UK Championship will also benefit from a substantial financial boost when it takes place in York later in November.

Competitors will battle for their portion of £1.5m, up from £1.2m. The winner will claim £312,500, an improvement on last year's figure of £250k that Mark Selby secured.

The WST confirmed that comparable financial increases will be implemented for each stage of both competitions. Complete details of the prize money distributions will be revealed in due course.

Meanwhile, Judd Trump takes on Gary Wilson and Chris Wakelin meets Liam Pullen in the World Championship this morning. Ronnie O'Sullivan returns to the Crucible in the 2.30pm session as he faces He Guoqiang in his quest to win his eighth World Championship crown.

Shaun Murphy will finish his final session against Fan Zhengyi, with the Englishman holding a 5-4 advantage ahead of their 7pm encounter.

On Wednesday, Wakelin and Pullen wrap up their match with Mark Selby going head-to-head against Jak Jones. Si Jiahui meets Hossein Vafaei in the afternoon and Neil Robertson plays Pang Junxu in the evening session.

- Abbie Meehan

CHINA'S XIAO GUODONG CAPTURES FIRST-EVER RANKING TITLE AT WUHAN OPEN

Xiao Guodong of China prepares to take a shot against Si Jiahui of China in the final at the Wuhan Open in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, October 12, 2024. /CFP

Xiao Guodong of China outlasted compatriot Si Jiahui 10-7 in the final at the World Snooker Tour (WST) Wuhan Open in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, on Saturday, winning the first ranking title of his career.

Both players overcame a series of top opponents to advance to the championship contest. Xiao knocked out World No. 2 Kyren Wilson and world champion Shaun Murphy of England, while Si defeated World No. 1 and 29-time ranking event winner Judd Trump of England.

The match at the China Optics Valley Convention & Exhibition Center marked the third time for two Chinese players to face each other in a final. Eleven years ago, Xiao found himself on the losing end of the first all-Chinese title match on the Tour, when he fell to Ding Junhui 10-6 in the Shanghai Masters final in 2013.

Xiao closed the first session leading 6-3. He took four of the first five frames and tallied breaks of 128 and 73 in the eighth and ninth. Si, despite being outperformed, reeled off a century run of 108, in addition to two breaks of 84, in the three frames he clinched.

Xiao Guodong (R) of China displays the championship trophy after beating Si Jiahui of China 10-7 in the final at the Wuhan Open in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, October 12, 2024. /CFP

Xiao started the second session with an 82-0 run in the 10th frame, but Si immediately responded a break of 109 to take the 11th. Xiao then extended his lead to 9-4 with a century run of 113, and a break of 77, in the following two frames.

Although Si rallied again to claim three straight frames, including rolling in a break of 131 in the 15th, Xiao came back by laying a snooker on the last red ball in the 16th to seal the deal.

"Before winning a title, I thought the moment of victory would be incredibly exciting," the 35-year-old Xiao said. "I'm really happy now, but it's not as overwhelming as I imagined. Nevertheless, I feel that all the hard work over the years has finally paid off. For a player, winning a title is extremely important. I turned professional in 2007, and after 17 years of competing, I've finally won my first ranking title. No matter what, it's all been worth it."

"I was a bit nervous in the final, but I have no regrets. I played well enough. It's a bit of a pity, but it's okay. I'll come back next time and aim to win my first title," Si noted. "The Masters (scheduled for January) is an opportunity to play against the top 16 players, which is a great chance to learn from them. Gaining experiences like these will be very helpful for me in the future."

- CGTN