Talking points from The Crucible

Crowds are good

Snooker proved more combatready than most as it battled through a Covid-affected season in Milton Keynes, and still proved capable of serving up a series of classics in spite of the sterile atmosphere. But their extended absence only made the gradual return of crowds at the Crucible all the more welcome, and clearly inspired some players – most notably Shaun Murphy – to greater heights. Never again will the rustle of sweet papers nor the untimely chirp of a mobile phone be frowned upon quite so much.

Seventh heaven?

Ronnie O’Sullivan has defied the odds before – not least when he clinched his sixth Crucible crown in 2020 – but his second-round defeat to Anthony McGill may have scuppered his chances of matching Stephen Hendry’s record of seven titles at the famous venue. O’Sullivan (left) claims not to care about the record, and it is probably just as well – as the 45-year-old’s career is increasingly consumed by other interests, could be that he will never again get such a good chance to lift the trophy.

Juddering halt

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It is one thing sweeping all before you over shorter formats behind closed doors, and another outlasting your granitecued rivals over two long weeks of action. That is the predicament facing Judd Trump, who fell well short again despite a season which saw him cruise to five tournament titles. Trump’s still-solitary world title win in 2019 was seen at the time as the start of a golden Crucible era. Now it looks increasingly like an achievement he will struggle to emulate.

Young guns go for it

Dig deep enough into the qualifying draws and there is plenty of cause for long-term optimism in the likes of Iulian Boiko, Ben Mertens and Jamie Wilson, all of whom are yet to see their 18th birthdays. But for the time being at least, the game faces a chronic shortage of emerging talent, and the late-thirty and forty-somethings continue to reign supreme. This year’s tournament featured only two debutants, and just three players under the age of 29.

China crisis?

Yan Bingtao’s Masters win has been predicted to usher in a new era of Chinese influence on the sport. But such enthusiasm merely echoes the claims made after Ding Junhui’s first UK triumph in 2005, and, with a couple of fleeting exceptions, they have barely come to pass. The next two years will prove crucial.