Gary Wilson follows Mark Williams with unusual snooker break-off shot in Championship League match against Yuan Sijun
Published 08/01/2026 at 13:24 GMT
Gary Wilson plays an unusual break-off shot in his Championship League match against Yuan Sijun as instead of looking to get the cue ball back up the table, he rolls slowly into the pack of reds. Mark Williams had previously tried a similar break-off shot when he hit the cue ball off the cushion and into the bottom of the pack of reds to avoid giving opponents a loose red.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Snooker frames usually start in similar fashion.
The player breaking looks to glance the cue ball off one of the reds and send it back up the table close to the baulk cushion. Often the shot may result in one or two reds being removed from the pack.
But on this occasion, Gary Wilson decided he wasn’t having any of that in his Championship League match against Chinese player Yuan Sijun and tried something totally different.
Instead of attempting to get the cue ball back up the table, Wilson slowly rolled up into the pack of reds.
Wilson hit it at such a slow pace that the white just touched the reds but barely dislodged any.
"It’s Wilson to break off, and I mean that in the loosest possible sense of the word," said Dominic Dale on commentary as he watched the white slowly roll into the reds.
If Yuan was surprised by the shot he didn’t show it as he quickly got to the table and hit the cue ball into the reds - dislodging several - and towards the baulk cushion.
Wilson went on to win the match 3-1 which ensured he finished fifth in the group, allowing him to play in the next group, which starts on Thursday, January 8 and features former world champions Neil Robertson and Kyren Wilson.
Wilson is not the first player to try something different with his break-off shot.
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At the 2021 World Championship, Mark Williams started frames by rolling the cue ball down the table and off the cushion so it nestled underneath the reds, not allowing opponents an opportunity at a long opener.
Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins also tried out the tactic at the same tournament.
Judd Trump said he was a "not a big fan" of the break-off and saw it as "negative".
However, Williams defended it after revealing the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association had asked several top players whether the tactic should be banned.
"There’s a lot more going on in the world to worry about than my poxy break-off. Haven’t they got anything better to do than send emails out asking players if they like it and should it get banned?" he queried.
"I’ll think of another break-off. Why don’t I just smash it into the pack and leave all the reds on for everyone – would they be happy with that?
"If they ban the break-off they’ve got to ban rolling up behind baulk colours and rolling up behind the black. It’s not an illegal shot and I don’t see the problem with it, it’s farcical."
The 52nd staging of the Masters begins on Sunday, January 11 and is live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the Masters, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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