Former world snooker champion Alex Higgins has claimed that 4 top snooker players have taken bribes.

The 1972 and 1982 Crucible king said: “I’m still in touch with top agents in the game and the only thing they’ve said about this is, “How greedy do you want to be?” I know of at least four pros who have taken big bribes to chuck games. The names would shock the public if it was proved they were on the take.”

“Just because they wear crisp white shirts doesn’t make them clean…

Jimmy White rolled back the years to defeat Barry Hawkins 8-6 in the final of the Sangsom 6-red World Grand Prix 2009.

The six times World Championship runner-up picked up a million-baht (approx £18,200) for winning the Montien Riverside Hotel event in Thailand

White, who had only received a wild card entry into the tournament, chalked up impressive wins against Shaun Murphy, Ricky Walden and Mark Williams on his way to reaching the final.

Mark Allen took just 70 minutes to dispatch Ding Junhui 6-0 in the final of the Wuzhou International Group Jiangsu Classic.

The Northern Irishman, who is enjoying a rich run of form at the moment having reached the semi-finals of the World Championships recently, was simply too good for the local favourite.

“I started very well to go 3-0 up, then nicked the fourth frame and stayed solid after the interval,” said 23-year-old Allen to www.worldsnooker.com.

“Although this isn’t a ranking tournament, it still means a lot to me, to get my first professional title under my belt.”

Can two-time Crucible winner John Higgins seal a hat-trick of World Championship victories when he takes on 2005 champion Shaun Murphy?

The ‘Wizard of Wishaw’ triumphed back in 1998 and 2007, but can take nothing for granted against an opponent who has enjoyed a rich vein of form in Sheffield.

Higgins led 11-5 after the first two sessions. However, this match is far from over and Murphy will be looking to close the gap heading into tonight’s final session.

Snooker great Stephen Hendry hit a maximum 147 snooker break in his World Championship quarter-final clash with Shaun Murphy.

The seven-time champion looks set to pick up a cool £157,000 for the highest break of the tournament.

“It’s a tremendous feeling and I’m absolutely delighted” said the Scot after taking a 5-3 lead over former world champion Murphy.

John Higgins stormed back from 12-10 down to defeat Jamie Cope and reach the World Snooker Championship quarter-finals.

The two-time champion began the day all square, with the world number 19, at 8-8, but he was unable to find any rythmn on the green baize.

It was instead the attack-minded Cope who looked certain to progress when a superb break of 103 left him on the brink and needing just one more solitary frame to triumph.

Six times world snooker champion Steve Davis was thrashed 10-2 by Neil Robertson in the first round of the World Snooker Championship, but will he be back again?

The ‘Nuggets’ inability to score heavily when given the opportunity proved costly against a clinical Robertson who simply outplayed the snooker legend from the opening frame of the match.

Davis faces the daunting prospect of going through qualifying again next year, as he remains outside the world’s top 16. However, the prospect of doing is one that doesn’t seem to phase him.

China’s Ding Junhui survived a spirited fightback from compatriot Liang Wenbo to run out a 10-8 winner at the Crucible earlier today.

Ding, the world number 11, went into the last session with a 5-4 lead which was extended to 7-4 with runs of 58 and 72.

But qualifier Liang hit back to win the next four frames with Ding failing to pot a single ball for over an hour.

However, nerves started to get the better of Liang and Ding fired in 111, 91 and 63 to clinch the match.