His conquerer, Stuart Bingham, will now face Welsh qualifier Jak Jones but his win was overshadowed by an incident involving referee Desislava Bozhilova.

‘In China, they love to see players grow up so quick. They want to see them at 20 years old winning everything, and it’s too much pressure,’ country’s No 1 Ding Junhui says.

All-Star Challenge saw fans paying HK$3,380 for top-level tickets that did not give them a view of the table, but world No 1 O’Sullivan says he enjoyed his visit.

Ding Junhui begins his 18th snooker World Championship still chasing an elusive first crown for China, but with a healthier approach to expectation that includes his beloved United.

Hossein Vafaei loses first-round clash 10-5 to Judd Trump and lashes out at the conditions, says he feels ‘like I’m practising in a garage’.

Zhang Anda ‘put too much pressure on myself’ in early exit at snooker’s World Championship, after defending champion Luca Brecel is also knocked out on the opening weekend in Sheffield.

Queen Elizabeth Stadium venue sparsely populated as organisers defend ticket prices, as source says cost of bringing Ronnie O’Sullivan and others to city in excess of HK$6.5 million.

Fans who paid HK$3,000 a ticket fume over seating arrangements that mean they can’t see the table, but organisers Beyond Borders Sports Academy say ticket price doesn’t guarantee a good view.

Cheung Ka-wai ‘can’t believe it’ after becoming only the fourth Hongkonger to hit the big time by earning a place on the professional World Snooker Tour circuit.

‘In the UK, I don’t seem to get the same support as I do here,’ the world No 1 says on trip to Hong Kong to promote his return to the city in March.

Cheapest ticket to attend Hong Kong Snooker All-Star Challenge in March set at HK$880, with most expensive costing HK$3,380.

Hong Kong Snooker All-Star Challenge will also feature local favourite Marco Fu, Jack Lisowski and China’s Si Jiahui.

Shaun Liu wins opening encounter at World Snooker Tour event in Swansea, and at 13 years old becomes youngest winner of a game at televised ranking event.

Ronnie O’Sullivan speaks out over players’ right to favour big-money events, after recent conflict with the game’s chiefs over doing so.

O’Sullivan becomes oldest UK champion, 30 years after he was its youngest winner aged 17, and says it’s ‘bonkers’ that the ‘class of ’92’ keep winning.

Ronnie O’Sullivan and World Snooker Tour on collision course over money-spinning exhibition events.

Cheung Ka-wai and Chang Yu-kiu are the first to win the title for the city since Fung Kwok-wai and Lee Chun-wai won the tournament in 2014.

Andy Lam, who is forced to hold a cue with one hand, used to face only able-bodied opponents but is set to compete at the World Abilitysport Games – which could help secure funding.

Snooker player handed penalty after forgetting about all-black dress code for London tournament.

As snooker re-establishes itself in China after its long Covid-related absence, Ronnie O’Sullivan says the sport is ‘getting bigger’ in the country.

He also hopes to play in Hong Kong Masters if last year’s event is repeated – and believes taking Ronnie O’Sullivan’s world No 1 ranking is in his reach.

Repeating last year’s Hong Kong Masters is ‘difficult, because of lack of long-term financial commitment from the government’, city’s snooker boss says after Macau unveils Christmas tournament.

The likes of Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong could effectively remain banned outside China even after their global suspensions end, governing body reveals.

Wang Yuchen and Chau Hon-man lose in semi-finals of Asia-Oceania Q School 2 in Bangkok, as wild cards for professional tour go begging.

Ng loses in second Asia Oceania Q School event and will play only on women’s circuit next season, but coach hopes her form will return now that the burden of qualifying is gone.

10 Chinese players were the latest lured into corruption, but experts from betting, law enforcement, military intelligence and financial fraud are on the trail, armed with data-crunching tech.

Disgraced players found to have made £30,000 from one match, as verdict outlines the match-fixing plans that succeeded – and others that were bungled.

Zhao Xintong tried to dissuade Yan Bingtao from fixing, only to be dragged into it himself, verdict reveals after both are banned along with eight other Chinese players.