Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen caused the shock of the World Snooker Championships so far by knocking out defending champion and world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The world number 16 produced some high quality snooker to turn around a 9-7 overnight deficit and win 13-11.

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.

Mark Selby overcome his good friend Ricky Walden 10-6 this afternoon to book a second round clash against Graeme Dott at the World Snooker Championship next.

The ‘Jester from Leicester’ was dumped out by Mark King at the same stage last year, but 12 months on he looked a class act against an opponent who many tipped to cause a shock at Sheffield.

Selby said “If you do go out in the first round, going back home and watching it on TV really hurts you. Last year really did hurt me.”

Michaela Tabb will become the first woman to referee the World Snooker Championship final next month when she takes charge of the Crucible decider.

Tabb, who has refereed in some capacity at every Matchroom Sport-sponsored pool event since 1997 including the prestigious WPA World Nine-ball Championship and Mosconi Cup events, has admitted to being nervous at the prospect – “I will be nervous and the worst time for me will be after I set the balls up before the final.”

World snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan made light work of practice partner Stuart Bingham as he eased to a 10-5 victory in his Crucible opener on Saturday. Speaking to the media after his victory, O’Sullivan rated his performance as a “5 out of 10′ and went on to say, “I need to make a bit of improvement to my game. Scoring was good but I never normally have problems when I get among the balls. That is my strength. It’s the other areas which need a bit of improving on.”

Peter Ebdon claimed his first ranking event in over two years as he defeated John Higgins 10-8 in the final of the China Open. Ebdon always appeared to the upper hand on his Scottish opponent but he was never able to establish more than a two frame lead.
Ebdon took the first frame after the restart to restore his two frame advantage but a missed red allowed Higgins to claim the 11th and reduce the deficit to one and he followed up in the next to level the match.