British Open 2025 snooker recap - Barry Hawkins comes from behind to beat Jak Jones after John Higgins impresses to beat world champion Zhao Xintong

Welcome to live text coverage from the British Open as John Higgins headlines a stacked afternoon session in Cheltenham. The Scot faces defending world champion Zhao Xintong, while English teenager Stan Moody is also in action on Wednesday evening. This comes after wins for Shaun Murphy and Judd Trump in the afternoon session.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

That's all for tonight

Right; thanks very much for joining us! After that display of vintage Hawkins, we are wrapping things up. But fear not, we are back tomorrow morning for some more excellent snooker action!

From 13:00, Mark Williams faces Mark Allen and Joe O'Connor takes on Mark Selby. We'll see you then!

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Around the tables

Noppon Saengkham 2-1 Chang Bingyu

Barry Hawkins 4-3 Jak Jones

Zak Surety 0-4 Louis Heathcote

Stan Moody 2-2 Ian Burns

Hawkins 4-3 Jones (88-0)

Hawkins eventually breaks down on 88, unable to convert a tricky black into the right middle, with the cue ball having ben tight on the cushion. But it's job done. Hawkins shows fantastic resiliance to come from behind and reach the last 16, where he'll face Mitchell Mann!

Hawkins 3-3 Jones (*81-0)

And there we go. Hawkins passes the winning line, while adding another pink means Jones won't be coming back to the table. His last mission is to try and get a century.

That won't be easy, but he keeps himself going with a thumping double into the right middle!

Hawkins 3-3 Jones (*59-0)

Hawkins reaches 45, having sunk seven reds with colours, before a clever plant near the left corner keeps him going. Ahother pink is added to bring up the half century, and he plays the shot perfectly, with the cue ball going across the table and back again for a red to the right corner.

With that, and another pink, he leads by 59 with 75 remaining. Two more, with a colour, will do.

Hawkins 3-3 Jones (*31-0)

The reds are incredibly inviting for Hawkins. Jones sits in his chair with a wistful look on his face. He knows he is in trouble here. Despite the black having reds either side of it, the pink being free is making is pretty easy to score quickly.

Hawkins 3-3 Jones (*7-0)

Crikey. Hawkins plays an aggressive safety shot. Quite what Jones is attempting to his escape is anybody's guess, but what is clear is that it goes all kinds of wrong.

Potentially, he catches the wrong side of the red he's attempting to hit, and that ultimately means that, although the black has run safe, there are potting options aplenty for his opponent. Carnage, and potentially his final shot of the match.

Hawkins opens with a red and a pink. He's up and running. In fact, this is the first time he's been ahead.

Hawkins 3-3 Jones (0-0)

So; where do we go from here? Jones has hit the front twice, but been pegged back on each occasion by Hawkins. It is the former who breaks off in the decider, which is underway.

Around the tables

Noppon Saengkham 2-1 Chang Bingyu

Barry Hawkins 3-3 Jak Jones

Zak Surety 0-4 Louis Heathcote

Stan Moody 2-2 Ian Burns

Hawkins 3-3 Jones (74-18)

And we are set for a decider. Hawkins puts those misses behind him and holds his nerve for a break of 44. He has the momentum going into the final frame.

Hawkins 2-3 Jones (*68-18)

The third black of his break sees Hawkins disturb the final cluster of three. The shot couldn't go much better, and within moments, he has pushed the break past the snookers required stage.

Hawkins 2-3 Jones (*46-18)

Hawkins leaves a cut-back into the right corner that Jones misses. His opponent cleans up and adds a black, before a plant from the cluster of five below the pink spot.

That pushes out at least one more, too. The winning line, and a deciding frame, is approaching.

Hawkins 2-3 Jones (30-18)

Now some luck is required. Hawkins screws into the pack off the black. Does he get any? Not really. He more brushes off them. Cue ball and a red come up the table. He thinks it passes the green into the corner. It doesn't. Break over.

Hawkins 2-3 Jones (*23-18)

But that snooker could prove fruitful. Jones attempts a one-cushion escape to hit a red on the top cushion, but he catches the wrong side and leaves it a long the top cushion.

Hawkins needs no second invitation. Down it goes, black follows. Big chance now, because - as is so often the cases - each red that goes down is opening up further pathways for those still in the pack.

Hawkins 2-3 Jones (6-18)

Not really. Just six put on the board as he runs out of position and plays safe in behind the yellow.

Hawkins 2-3 Jones (*5-18)

The Welshman adds another red and black and appears to be heading for victory. There's a red at the top of the pack to the left middle. It's fairly straightforward, but somewhat inexplicably, he misses!

Hawkins knows this is a big chance. He comes back oto the table and sinks a red into the yellow pocket to get things started. Now; can he make this a meaningful visit?

Hawkins 2-3 Jones (0-10*)

Worrying signs for Hawkins. He has a red that clearly, if not tightly, goes to the left corner, but he overcuts it and it catches the black.

That, in turn, gives Jones a chance to get his hand on the table. He takes a red and a blue to get back up to the business end of the table, before deftly running through the pack to open things up. Intelligent snooker.

Around the tables

Noppon Saengkham 1-1 Chang Bingyu

Barry Hawkins 2-3 Jak Jones

Zak Surety 0-4 Louis Heathcote

Stan Moody 2-1 Ian Burns

Hawkins 2-3 Jones (9-80)

And indeed Jones does go back in front. A calm, composed visit of 77 mean he moves to within one frame of the last-16.

That was impressive stuff, given what he has sat through over the last 40 minutes or so. The positional play was tighter, as was the potting.

Hawkins 2-2 Jones (9-67*)

And that should be the frame. Jones adds two more reds, one with a black, the other a pink, to go 58 ahead with 51 left on the table.

Hawkins 2-2 Jones (9-52*)

Is that rhythm returning for Jones? It looks like it. His shot clock time is surely coming down, especially now that the black is back on its spot. 49 the break after a nice controlled cannon on a red to hold for a black, which he pots. Four reds left on the table.

Hawkins 2-2 Jones (9-21*)

That's more like it from Jones! A long red that goes into the heart of the pocket and will have him feeling loads better. The green follows, and with the way the reds are spread at the other end of the table, he has a real chance here.

One thing he needs to do is get the black back on its spot. That will come soon enough. Firstly, he takes a couple of pinks and is opening up a few pathways.

Hawkins 2-2 Jones (9-3)

Jones pots a red and a yellow, but the cue ball runs up the table and nestles neart to the pink off the latter. He's beginning to look a bit frustrated, because there's no chance of a pot from here.

He lays up a safety that isn't great, and Hawkins subsequently misses a long red by the proverbial mile. Both players have lost any rhythm that the may have had.

Hawkins 2-2 Jones (9-0)

Every time you think Hawkins is in, he produces a surprising miss. This time, having got two reds and a black, the Hawk lands too straight on the black, and with the cue ball near the cushion. A forced run-through results in missing the object ball to the top jaw.

Around the tables

Noppon Saengkham 1-0 Chang Bingyu

Barry Hawkins 2-2 Jak Jones

Zak Surety 0-4 Louis Heathcote

Stan Moody 2-1 Ian Burns

Hawkins 2-2 Jones (55-1)

Nothing easy for Jones, to the point where he tries an incredibly thin cut with the extended rest. He misses and leaves it over the pocket. Hawkins tidies away and Jones concedes the frame from his chair. We are all square!

Hawkins 1-2 Jones (54-1)

Ah. Now there's a problem. Four reds left, three of them clustered near the black spot. One goes to the left corner, but he misses it high. Hawkins looks astonished at that miss. Relief can be drawn from the fact there is nothing easy for Jones.

Hawkins 1-2 Jones (*54-1)

Hawkins is scoring quickly and heavily, too, just as the table suggested he might when he came to it. He clean up the majority of those reds to move 53 ahead, although there is a pink that brushes the jaw on its way in and results in lost position with the cue ball. Thankfully he recovers quickly.

Hawkins 1-2 Jones (*20-1)

A clever start from Hawkins too, as he tidies up a red and then nudges the blue into play. There is a very, very strong chance that he takes the frame in this visit. With 15 accumulated in this break, there are nine reds left on the table, and the majority of them are out in the open.

Hawkins 1-2 Jones (5-1)

What has Jak Jones done here? He pots the opening red, then with position on the blue to go into the pack, he misses the colour off its spot, still clatters into the reds, they scatter everywhere and Hawkins has an easy starter.

Hawkins 1-2 Jones (5-0)

And Hawkins will be glad that was only a joke, because he's now up and running in frame four. A straightforward shot into the right corner, position on the green and then a second red leave him in a handy spot.

That is until he misses a pink to the left middle. He was cutting back on it, and also thinking about a cannon into a red. Big let off for Jones.

Hawkins 1-2 Jones (0-0)

Humerously, after a Jones safety shot, Hawkins now turns to referee Ben Williams and asks for another re-rack. All see the funny side, but I can honestly say I have never seen a situation before where the official has turned down a re-rack, certainly not with the table looking like that!

Hawkins 1-2 Jones (0-0)

Now we have an incredible situation. The two players want a re-rack, because the pink is right over the right corner, with the reds now congregating nearby.

The referee is refusing because "it's not a stalemate". Hawkins tells him "that's rubbish" and argues we are in for a long frame. Eventually the players get their wish.

Hawkins 1-2 Jones (5-0)

We have practically flown through the opening three frames. This one is more of a slow-burner, to put it kindly. The table has a bizarre look, too. The green is near the right corner, just a couple of inches below the pink, and each of the 14 reds left on the table are to the right of centre.

Hawkins 1-2 Jones (5-0)

Jones finds himself in a little bit of a pickle. A good safety by the Hawk leaves the Welshman questioning what to do. In the end, he opts for a thumping pot to the right corner, which misses and scatters into a few other reds.

His saving grace is the cue ball ging back up into the D, but Hawkins then pots a real fluke from his resulting safety, a red that hits the pink, which in turn cannons into a red that drop in! There is no colour to follow, though.

Hawkins 1-2 Jones (4-0)

Frame four is underway, and Hawkins bags four early points when Jones attempts a pot to the left corner, misses and sees the cue ball go into the right middle. The damage is minimal though, with no pot left.

Around the tables

Noppon Saengkham 0-0 Chang Bingyu

Barry Hawkins 1-2 Jak Jones

Zak Surety 0-2 Louis Heathcote

Stan Moody 1-1 Ian Burns

Hawkins 1-2 Jones (73-1)

52 the end break for Hawkins, before he misses the pink after a wonderful pot with the rest on the final red. The job has alrady been done though. He reduces the deficit.

Hawkins 0-2 Jones (*48-1)

An easy started for Hawkins now, then, as there is a red over the left corner. He then tidies up the blue, and is fortunate that there is another red at the baulk end of the table, given the cue ball cannons into the brown.

He is soon back at the other end of the table, or at least around the blue spot, and is now scoring very handily.

Hawkins 0-2 Jones (28-1)

And what does Jones do? He hammers a red into the right corner, playing a screw with reverse side through the pack. It opens up every single red, pretty much.

There is a heart in mouth moment as the cue ball nearly goes into the right corner. And then there is real disappointment as he misses the blue off its spot, perhaps hampered by the position of the white.

Hawkins 0-2 Jones (28-0)

So, where does the Hawk go from here? He has breezed into the last-32 with some glorious form this week, but he is really up against it now.

Jones makes a minor error early in frame three though, and that leaves his opponent with a fairly straightward opening red. He adds a blue to that, before sinking a red into the left middle.

The pack is pretty open, and Hawkins even does well to keep his concentration when potting a red, just as a phone loudly rings in the auditorium, much to the disdain of the referee.

There in unforgivable miss a few shots later though. The black is on its spot. It's a formality, a gimme. But Hawkins hits into the topside jaw. A reprieve for Jones.

Around the tables

Liam Davies 4-2 David Lilley

Barry Hawkins 0-2 Jak Jones

Zak Surety 0-1 Louis Heathcote

Stan Moody 1-0 Ian Burns

Hawkins 0-2 Jones (30-104)

He failed in his attempts for a century in the last frame, but there is no such mistake in this one. The black takes Jones to 104, and into a 2-0 lead. Fantastic stuff from the Welshman, who is in real form.

Hawkins 0-1 Jones (30-69*)

This has been an exhibition in potting from Jones. Nothing seems to have phased him. He just keeps going and keeps picking off the reds, with colours. The penultimate red on the table takes him to 63 ahead, with the following pink proving frame ball.

Hawkins 0-1 Jones (30-24*)

Jones sets about reducing that 30-point lead. Nearly half-way there, and he finds himself at the baulk end, on the brown. After potting it, the Welshman swings the cue ball up into the pack. How's your luck? Not great. It was a terrific shot, too. He will feel he deserved a bit more there.

He needs all kind of material to keep the break going, but brilliantly manages to keep going with a red using the extended rest. Position on the blue means he is very happy.

Hawkins 0-1 Jones (30-0)

Ah. Now a problem. Hawkins runs out of position and requires the rest for a tricky one to the left corner. He misses, and leaves Jones with a glorious opening to the left middle. He is frustrated at that one. Jones bounces back to the table.

Hawkins 0-1 Jones (*24-0)

How will the Hawk respond? Well, a stinker of a safety from Jones, in which the white rattle the jaws of the left corner, means he is at the table for the first time.

A strong red to the right corner gets things off, and with the black available, he can start accumulating points - and quick. Three of them, so far, screwing into the bunch off the latter to just open things up a little.

Around the tables

Liam Davies 4-2 David Lilley

Barry Hawkins 0-1 Jak Jones

Zak Surety 0-1 Louis Heathcote

Stan Moody 0-0 Ian Burns

Hawkins 0-1 Jones (0-85)

A further red and blue do mean Jones is home and hosed in this frame. Another red, for which he has to stretch to cut into the left corner, makes doubly sure. 1-0 to the Welshman after a glorious 85.

Hawkins 0-0 Jones (0-66)

The black has always been tied up, so Jones has not got to the snookers required stage as quickly as he might otherwise, but this has been some impressive stuff from the Welshman. He confidently slots a pink into the right corner to move on to 66. With just five reds left on the table, he's nearly there.

Hawkins 0-0 Jones (0-36*)

This has not been easy for Jones so far. He has never quite had the cue ball fully under control, and perhaps there is a bit of luck missing too as it nestles next to another ball on the odd occasion.

He finally gains a bit of position with a red into the left corner, off which he plays up for the green, moving 36 points to the good in the process.

Hawkins 0-0 Jones (0-14*)

And it is Jones who will get his hand on the table first, sending a long red into the left corner, then adding the black. The result of that shot is a lot of reds being disturbed by the cue ball, ultimately tying up the black. He'll have to do some work with the white from now on.

Hawkins 0-0 Jones (0-0)

We go again. Another last-32 match now, as Jak Jones goes head-to-head with the in-form Barry Hawkins. The winner knows they will face Mitchell Mann, who has defeated Antoni Kowalski 4-2.

Around the tables

Liam Davies 2-3 David Lilley

John Higgins 4-2 Zhao Xintong

Anthony McGill 3-1 Oliver Lines

Antoni Kowalski 2-4 Mitchell Mann

Time for the draw

Remember, this competition has an FA Cup style draw for each round, and here's what we can expect in the last 16.

Saengkham / Chang vs O'Connor / Selby

Cheung / Lei v Williams / Allen

Higgins vs Mertens / McGuigan

Mann vs Hawkins / Jones

Murphy / Robertson vs Trump / O'Donnell

Moody / Burns vs Boiko / Carter

Zhang / Xaio vs McGill / Lines

Davies / Lilley vs Surety / Heathcote

Around the tables

Liam Davies 2-2 David Lilley

John Higgins 4-2 Zhao Xintong

Anthony McGill 3-1 Oliver Lines

Antoni Kowalski 2-3 Mitchell Mann

Higgins 4-2 Zhao (87-20)

Game, set and match. Higgins converst the final red, adds the pink and then dispatches the remaining colours up to the pink. Is he inline for a fourth British Open crown? Nobody will want to play him.

Higgins 3-2 Zhao (66-20)

Higgins misses the last red, but there's a huge slice of luck too as the cue ball rolls behind the blue. Zhao is snookered, so comes off the top cushion to escape. He needs three snookers himself.

Higgins 3-2 Zhao (*66-20)

The Wizard is soon back at the table though. Zhao swerves round the black to try and pot that pesky red, but he took misses. Higgins now has the other one, across the top cushion, and rolls it in. The black puts the match to bed.

Higgins 3-2 Zhao (58-20)

I take that back; I got my maths slightly wrong. He needs another of the two reds across the top cushion, and frustratingly finishes straight on the black.

There is little angle to work with to disturb them, but an excellent shot, running through on to the side cushion and back into the reds, pushes one out. Can he cut it home? Would you belive it, it catches the jaw! A reprieve for Zhao!

Higgins 3-2 Zhao (*42-20)

If he is to win in this visit, Higgins needs one of the three reds on the top cushion. He wastes no time in heading towards them, and slides into the left corner before heading back up for the black.

Two more reds and colours now will move him past the winning line.

Higgins 3-2 Zhao (*19-20)

Higgins pots another red, but the cue ball sticks on the top cushion, so there's no pot on.

From his safety, Zhao attempts another red into the left corner, but misses. Worse still, it hangs over the pocket.

Higgins cleans up, and although it is not an inviting table to come to, he is quickly able to free the black, which makes things somewhat more straightforward.

Things are opened up even more when he screws into a small cluster of reds just below the pink spot. Big chance, now.

Higgins 3-2 Zhao (2-20)

And now Zhao is in a spot of bother. He leaves a cut into the left corner for Higgins. It's a long effort, but the red is just poking out enough to be clipped home.

The cue ball comes back up the table and the Wizard puts it behind the brown. His opponent escapes, but at what cost? Higgins picks up the rest and fires another red into the same pocket.

The white clatters into the blue, which works out nicely for him too, as it heads towards the yellow pocket. It looks an easy shot, but, using the rest, he misses.

Higgins 3-2 Zhao (0-20)

We really do have a match on our hands now. Zhao thumps a long red into the right corner to open up frame six, and is able to screw back for the blue. The way the reds are spread is very inviting, and he can slot in behind a line of four of them.

The first that he takes is accompanied by a black, off which he wants to nudge another red to open up the path to the left corner. He misses the kiss, and as such has to play a stun shot up to the blue.

Again, though, things go wrong. Off that, he cannons the brown. Break over.

Around the tables

Liam Davies 2-1 David Lilley

John Higgins 3-2 Zhao Xintong

Anthony McGill 2-0 Oliver Lines

Antoni Kowalski 1-3 Mitchell Mann

Higgins 3-2 Zhao (0-135)

So, Zhao well and truly lets Higgins know that he is going nowhere. A second century of the match is brought up when he rolls a red along the top cushion into the left pocket, followed by a black to the opposite corner.

The final red is on the right cushion, just a few inches down from the blue pocket. He takes that too, and all the colours. 135. Very impressive. A second total clearance of the evening.

Higgins 3-1 Zhao (0-71*)

This has been a terrific response from Zhao. He spreads the pack to turn this into a truly frame winning opportunity, and the winning line is quickly approaching.

Red number 11 takes him to 66, and the following blue, sent long into the yellow pocket, is frame ball.

Higgins 3-1 Zhao (0-38*)

So, Zhao needs to take chances when they come his way. A few safety shots apiece to being frame five, before a slightly loose one from Higgins leaves a long red to the right corner.

Given the relative lack of table time, this is far from easy, but he wonderfully strikes into the heart of the pocket. Holding for a colour keeps him going, and he has soon found position.

There are a few reds that have come away from the pack now, and he is up and running.

Around the tables

Liam Davies 2-0 David Lilley

John Higgins 3-1 Zhao Xintong

Anthony McGill 2-0 Oliver Lines

Antoni Kowalski 0-3 Mitchell Mann

Higgins 3-1 Zhao (86-8)

This is Higgins at close to his best. He doesn't make a century, with a cut back to the right middle not quite working out, but a break of 82 takes him to a 3-1 lead.

Higgins 2-1 Zhao (*78-8)

Unless Zhao can change the momentum of this match, he's quickly heading home. Higgins is racing through these, with each red clearing the path for another.

With five left on the table, the Scot finally feels the need to go into a cluster of four below the pink spot off the black. That opens them up, and the next red takes him to the snookers required stage. A following blue puts the frame to bed.

Higgins 2-1 Zhao (*40-8)

And Higgins is making his way through these now. The opener was a gift, but the reds could barely be set nicer for him. Plenty are loose enough to pick off, and all bar one of them is accompanied with a black. Within the blink of an eye, he's put 36 on the board.

Higgins 2-1 Zhao (4-8)

This is, remember, a race to four frames, so Higgins is half way there. He's got a chance to chalk up another frame here, too.

Zhao fashions a lovely opening with a plant, and adds the black. The reds are well set, so once he gets position, given his previous form, it looks a formality. However, the world champion misses one along the top cushion, gifting Higgins a huge opening.

Around the tables

Liam Davies 1-0 David Lilley

John Higgins 2-1 Zhao Xintong

Anthony McGill 1-0 Oliver Lines

Antoni Kowalski 0-3 Mitchell Mann

Higgins 2-1 Zhao (76-0)

There will not be a century, as Higgins misses a thumping brown to the green pocket, but the damage had already been done.

Higgins 1-1 Zhao (*75-0)

The next red is not the easiest, cutting back into the right corner, but does not trouble Higgins whatsoever. The green follows, leaving him 67 ahead with just as many left on the table.

Five reds remain, clustered just below the pink spot. One is poking out enough to roll into the left corner, and in it goes. Black follows, a really delicate cut with the rest. He's heading back in front.

Higgins 1-1 Zhao (*63-0)

There is still plenty of work for Higgins to do. The reds have not spread too greatly, but there are enough to pick off for now, and that should get him close to the snookers required stage.

The cue ball is having to do a little bit of work as he comes up for the blue from time to time, but that's not concerning him too much.

Higgins 1-1 Zhao (*33-0)

Over to the WIzard of Wishaw for a response then, and he's wasting no time in doing so. He opens up with a delightful long pot to the right middle, which goes in the heart of the pocket, and swings the cue ball round for the black.

A few shots later, he comes up a little short on the blue, leaving a difficult red as a result, but he takes that and holds for the black once more.

This is looking promising, until the screw back off the pack. He's over-screwed it by some way, but, somehow, has forced the narrowest of openings for the pink to the middle. Now it's a big chance.

Around the tables

Liam Davies 0-0 David Lilley

John Higgins 1-1 Zhao Xintong

Anthony McGill 0-0 Oliver Lines

Antoni Kowalski 0-2 Mitchell Mann

Higgins 1-1 Zhao (0-133)

An absolutely marvellous total clearance of 133 from Zhao. That was not only faultless, but also effortless. He levels things up and draws level.

Higgins 1-0 Zhao (0-100*)

Job done. A very composed response from the world champion. He reached 100 with a ninth black off his 14th red. Clinical and very impressive.

Higgins 1-0 Zhao (0-47*)

That opening frame was so bitty and Zhao could not find any flow at all. This is the polar opposite. He is striding around the table, with his shot time decreasing very quickly.

Potting one red to open the path of the black makes things even easier, as do a few little nudges on the pack to open them right up. The winning line is quickly approaching.

Higgins 1-0 Zhao (0-13*)

We had quite the wait for a proper opening in frame one. That's not the case in the second. A loose shot from Higgins leaves a very tight red to the left middle. It just about passes the blue, and after giving it a few looks, Zhao sinks it.

A couple of very impressive pots, one on a red and another on the pink, come a few shots later, and now the table has really opened up for him.

Around the tables

Liam Davies 0-0 David Lilley

John Higgins 1-0 Zhao Xintong

Anthony McGill 0-0 Oliver Lines

Antoni Kowalski 0-2 Mitchell Mann

Higgins 1-0 Zhao (66-1)

The frame belongs to Higgins now. Zhao cannot contain him, or lay any kind of snooker, and eventually a potting chance presents itself. A red and blue means the Wizard takes the lead.

Higgins 0-0 Zhao (60-1)

The positional shot off the black is perfect, sending the cue ball up past the baulk line and onto a red near the top cushion. He sinks that to leave Zhao requiring snookers, while a blue means his opponent needs two snookers just to force a re-spotted black.

Higgins 0-0 Zhao (*54-1)

Being at the baulk end means Higgins cannot score too heavily, but there is enough down there to get him close to the winning line in this frame.

He does have to go down for the black at one point, that after a shake of the head at his positional play on a red at the top cushion. A nice red to the left middle follows, and a secondblack means he is nearly there.

Higgins 0-0 Zhao (*33-1)

Higgins gets back amongst the balls as he's left a delicate red to the right middle. Once that goes in, he can clean up the pesky pink.

If the eight reds left on the table, five are north of the blue spot. He picks one of them off and now starts making his way around the baulk end of the table.

Higgins 0-0 Zhao (21-1)

That control does not last for long, though. The Wizard misses the pink off its spot, hitting the top jaw and seeing it nestle between the knuckles.

An easy starter for Zhao means he now has a huge chance to put some points on the board, but a really careless shot means he misses a black off its spot.

Higgins 0-0 Zhao (*20-0)

Are we now up and running? A poor safety from Zhao leaves a tricky enough red to the right middle, but Higgins sinks it neatly, and finds a nice gap for the cue ball to run through to get on the black.

He's having a look at getting the pink back on its spot, and does that off his second red. After a good 20 minutes, he's finally taken control of the frame.

Higgins 0-0 Zhao (5-0)

A slightly misjudged safety from Zhao leaves Higgins with a long pot to the right corner. He sinks it, but is relying on luck for where the cue ball lands. Sadly, he has none of it, and is practically snookered on every colour. He takes a one-cushion escape to nudge the black, and we're now back to some intricate safety play.

Higgins 0-0 Zhao (4-0)

An error from both players threatens to open things up. Higgins attempts a thin safety, but catches a couple of reds with the cue ball. It leaves Zhao with a potting chance, which he takes, only for the cue ball to slip into the middle.

Higgins 0-0 Zhao (0-0)

A bit of a stalemate to get things started. There have been a couple of attempted pots, one long shot in particular from Higgins, but it rattled the knuckles and bounced away to safety. Otherwise, it's safety play so far.

Higgins 0-0 Zhao (0-0)

Here we go then! Zhao breaks off in this best-of-seven affair! What a match we have ahead of us!

Good evening!

Hello and welcome back to our coverage from the British Open. After wins for the likes of Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy earlier today, we've got John Higgins and Barry Hawkins in action tonight!

Join us again later

That's it for our live updates from the afternoon session.

We’ll be back shortly for the evening session where John Higgins meets Zhao Xintong from 19:00 BST.

Ruthless Murphy punishes Donaldson after Trump beats underdog

Shaun Murphy demonstrated a gritty side to his snooker as he saw off the challenge of Scott Donaldson to clinch a 4-1 victory at the 2025 British Open.

The Magician opened with a 70 clearance after his Scottish opponent had done most of the early running.

The world number 58, nicknamed The Perthshire Potting Prince, levelled but missed a brown late in the third frame to let Murphy once again pull off the steal.

It got worse for Donaldson in an epic fourth frame as he let a healthy 50-point lead slip, allowing the 2005 world champion to force a re-spot on the black after battling to earn the snooker required.

The Magician then arrowed a scorching long pot to clinch a 3-1 advantage before producing his best run of the match to seal a meeting with Neil Robertson in the next round courtesy of a break of 80.

Earlier, Judd Trump came from a frame down to ease past Irish underdog Leone Crowley.

The Juddernaut overcame scrappy spells early on to seize a 2-1 advantage courtesy of a 48 clearance before a century break and a run of 69 clinched a 4-1 victory over the Cork-born teenager.

RESULT! - MURPHY 4-1 DONALDSON

Murphy quickly erases Donaldson’s lead, mopping up a series of stray reds in what looks to be an inviting table even at this early juncture.

A blue to middle right tees up one of the reds free of the pack to the left and with the black also clear on its spot, it’s there for the taking.

A black to the right corner sees Shaun comfortably pass the half century and he guides in the last free red along with a black to move within sight of securing the win.

A red across to middle left and a yellow down to the left corner earn him the clap that suggests the crowd feel it’s done.

The Magician cues freely from here, firing down the final two reds before missing a black to the left corner to end his run on 80.

It matters little overall as Shaun moves into a clash with Neil Robertson in the next round.

MURPHY 3-1 DONALDSON (0-7)

Scott makes the early running again but loses position on a run of just seven.

There’s no safety in mind either, which leaves the door open for Shaun here…

MURPHY 3-1 DONALDSON

Donaldson is the first to offer up a half chance.

Shaun lines up the long black from near the yellow pocket to the right corner – and he sinks it like an arrow!

MURPHY 2-1 DONALDSON (64-64)

Murphy puzzles over a blue to middle right. It’s a sitter of a pot but he obviously doesn’t want it.

Instead he plays it away to baulk and comes off the cushion to tuck in-behind the black.

It’s a wonderful attempt and you feel that if he’s going to get the snooker, it’ll be from this.

Indeed, Scott can’t find the answer and does cough up the five-point foul.

This time Shaun lays a trap behind the pink and his opponent does hit it, but there’s a chance for Shaun to take this to a re-spot black.

A long blue to the yellow pocket, a pink to the right corner and then the black to the left means he levels and has a chance in a face-off on the re-spotted black!

MURPHY 2-1 DONALDSON (41-64)

Murphy escapes a snooker off the bottom deck and clips the yellow up towards the far corner and into the pocket.

The yellow was close to the black and Shaun, very sportingly, asks the referee to check on the video replay that he didn’t hit the black first.

He didn’t and it allows him to finally play a snooker, moving the green towards its own pocket and the cue ball behind the black.

Donaldson stays calm and escapes, forcing Murphy to knock the green tight to its own pocket in.

The Magician slides the brown down to middle left and then plays the attempted snooker, but he won’t get it this time around.

MURPHY 2-1 DONALDSON (32-64)

It’s been a lengthy face-off around the yellow with Shaun still chasing a snooker without really looking like laying a trap as of yet.

MURPHY 2-1 DONALDSON (32-64)

Murphy fires down the final red to the yellow pocket and screws back off the upper right cushion to come down the table for the black.

He halts his run on eight in search of a snooker, but his safety is weak.

MURPHY 2-1 DONALDSON (24-64)

Murphy knocks in a tough long red to the right corner and then nudges the pink along the bottom rail to the opposite bag.

He lands the penultimate red but can’t sink the pink with the rest to the right corner.

Donaldson misses a relatively straight-forward pot on the red and Shaun will return in search of two snookers.

MURPHY 2-1 DONALDSON (16-64)

Donaldson punishes another sloppy safety from Murphy with a splendid long red to the right corner from baulk.

A routine blue is followed by a red down to middle right that was by no means easy. The angle was acute but he executed the pot wonderfully well.

The Perthshire Potting Prince lives up to the name as he continues to flow nicely. He passes the half century mark with a blue to middle right, but it was too straight and he can’t pull off a spectacular attempt on a long red up to the green pocket.

The Scot still needs a red and Murphy will return to again try and pull off a steal.

MURPHY 2-1 DONALDSON (16-12)

Donaldson knocks in red-blue-red but starts to run out of position.

A belting blue up to the yellow pocket takes him into double figures but it all goes awry from there.

MURPHY 2-1 DONALDSON (16-0)

What a beauty!

Shaun tickles a slow-paced red from south west of the pack up to the middle left bag from a very tough angle.

The Magician splits the pack with a thumping pot on the black but misses another slow-paced red to middle right.

MURPHY 2-1 DONALDSON

That miss on the brown proves costly.

Murphy knocks it down and polishes off the last few colours to complete a real steal and hit the front on the board.

MURPHY 1-1 DONALDSON (37-53)

Ouch.

The face-off on the final red sees Shaun blink with a miss trying to get the thinnest of edges.

It’s a free ball and Scott clips in the yellow to its home pocket.

The world number 58 slides down the green and lands neatly on the final red that he guides neatly to the left corner.

The green is on the black spot due to the position of the brown in baulk and he clips that down to move back up for the yellow.

He does some calculations via the scoreboard as he has to address the green on the black spot and get back up for the brown.

He can’t find optimum position and misses the long brown from left to right to give Shaun a lifeline.

MURPHY 1-1 DONALDSON (37-36)

Murphy breaks a brief impasse with a lovely red up the right rail to the green pocket.

The Magician plays intelligent snooks from there, shrugging off his natural instinct to have another go at a pot and tucking in tight to the blue for a snooker.

Donaldson can only touch one of the two remaining reds on the bottom cushion and it allows Shaun to knock the penultimate one to the right corner and clip in the pink.

He can’t do pot the final red, so plays a sloppy safety up to baulk, although he doesn’t leave it on either.

MURPHY 1-1 DONALDSON (29-36)

Donaldson lures the error with some great length on the safety exchange into baulk.

The Scot slots away a mid-range red down to the left corner and then regularly plays off the blue to middle to eat into Murphy’s advantage.

The Perthshire Potting Prince moves ahead on the board and unleashes a spectacular red down to the right corner, but he’s unfortunate that the cueball races tight to the blue to effectively end his run on 36.

MURPHY 1-1 DONALDSON (29-0)

Shaun is first to show with a quick surge of red-green-red.

A lovely pink to middle left keeps him ticking along before a high angle on a red to the right corner tees him up topside of blue to have his first attempt at freeing up some reds from the pack.

The Magician has another go off the blue to middle and the slight grimace shows that he doesn’t get the outcome he was hoping for.

He decides it’s no time to risk anything and plays up to baulk off a break of 29.

MURPHY 1-1 DONALDSON

Scott gets back in with a double from baulk that flies into the left corner.

He holds up his hand in apology to suggest that wasn’t exactly the intention. It offers him the chance to finish the job at this visit, however, and a red to the left corner and a black are enough to ensure Shaun doesn’t return to the table.

Selby edges through in a decider

MURPHY 1-0 DONALDSON (0-40)

It’s déjà vu as Murphy fouls early in the frame.

Donaldson knocks in a red but decides to play safe, teasing the cue ball from left to right along baulk.

He tries to sit in-behind the green but doesn’t get the snooker.

The Scot is frustrated but that quickly dissipates as slack play from Shaun tees up another opening.

Red and yellow are followed by another northern red down to middle right. He sits topside of blue and uses the angle on the pot to left centre to make his way towards the pack.

It’s all rather compact but he spies a red amidst the group to the left corner and has just enough space to squeeze past the red furthest east to knock the black to the same bag.

The world number 58 recovers from a tough pot on a red to the right corner with the rest and then breathes a sigh of relief when he moves too close to the pink with the cue ball.

He needs to cut up the red to middle right but is so tight to the yellow that he opts to play safe with a nudge off the colour to the baulk cushion.

MURPHY 1-0 DONALDSON

Donaldson undoes a lot of his excellent work by taking on a long-range plant with the target of the left corner that never really looked on.

It leaves an open table for Murphy who starts the comeback with a red up to middle left before a heart-in-mouth moment when the black to the corner teeters on the brink before finally disappearing into the bag.

The Magician quickly moves through the remaining reds, moving the pink clear of the left cushion via a smart pot on the blue.

It allows him to make use of that colour to the left corner and a fine cut on a red and a black to the right corner leave him on the final red to the opposite pocket.

The black to the right allows him to come off the cushion and line up the diagonal yellow to its own pocket and all of a sudden it’s his to lose.

Green and brown take him past the 50- mark and put him in front on the board. There’s no late twist either as he chalks up a 70 clearance to pull off the steal in style.

MURPHY 0-0 DONALDSON (9-60)

Donaldson guides a neat red to the right corner via the rest and is looking far more secure in his game so far.

The Scot plays some astute, no frills snooker to surpass his previous break, but he needs a good recovery cut on the black to the right corner after catching the far jaw with a red.

It’s a super shot but leaves him with nothing on and he plays safe off a break of 36 by knocking a solitary red in baulk down the table and holding the cue ball in the north.

AROUND THE TABLES

LIU 3-3 SELBY
PEIFAN 2-1 SELT
CHEUNG 3-3 STEVENS

MURPHY 0-0 DONALDSON (9-24)

Shaun gets his first serious look at the table but his travails continue as he comes up shy on nine and leaves the door ajar for Scott.

MURPHY 0-0 DONALDSON (0-24)

Donaldson gets an immediate opening as he clips a red up to the green pocket and works the cue ball nicely off baulk to land on a red near the black on its spot.

There’s a few reds free of the pack but the Scot loses position all too quickly on a run of 16 and has to play safe up to baulk.

It’s not the end of the world as Shaun instantly goes in-off to foul.

The Magician can’t quite believe it as he follows that with another in-off after a horror miss on an attempted pot.

Not the start he would have wanted here!

Next up

Shaun 'Magician' Murphy faces Scott 'The Perthshire Potting Prince' Donaldson.

AROUND THE TABLES

LIU 1-3 SELBY
PEIFAN 1-1 SELT
CHEUNG 2-1 STEVENS

RESULT! - TRUMP 4-1 CROWLEY

Judd spies a shot for nothing red amongst the pack that he clips to the left corner from distance.

The world number one smashes down the green and screws right back, all the way down the table to land on a red.

That was sublime and there’s a certain swagger to Judd as he manipulates the cue ball into areas many wouldn’t dream of trying.

He knocks in blue, pink and black around a succession of reds to erase Crowley’s advantage with five reds remaining.

He misses a cannon off a red tied to the pink off a pot on the black but is still well-placed to take out the red north of the blue.

It tees up the half century and he knocks in the blue to land on the red near the pink to the right corner.

It’s poetry in motion as he comes off the left cushion via the pot to move the final red clear and he uses the pot on the black to move up to the middle to take care of that red.

He goes for the double on the yellow, but can’t make it happen and it’s a break of 69 that seals the deal and secure his progress.

TRUMP 3-1 CROWLEY (0-29)

Leone buries a long red down to the left corner and preys upon a succession of a red-blue combos to build a steady advantage.

The Irishman needs the spider to clamber over the pack and jab at a red to the right corner. It doesn’t look clean and it jiggles both jaws before finally dropping.

The break still ends there as he has no position and plays off the black up to baulk.

TRUMP 3-1 CROWLEY

Judd eases a red to the left corner and helps himself to the black and blue either side of another routine red to build some momentum.

The world number one looks a touched surprised when the cue ball jumps back off the baulk cushion despite his intent to slow it down.

He’s clearly not happy with the speed off the rails today but he stays on course to reach the half century with a red and pink to the left corner.

Some sublime left side on a rocket pink to the right tees him up for a red near the left rail to the same corner.

It’s his best spell of the contest so far and when he rolls the final red down the left rail to the corner, he presses ahead in the hunt for a century.

He needs a long yellow from right to left to remain on track and the blue confirms the ton before he fouls on the pink.

TRUMP 2-1 CROWLEY (0-15)

Crowley is first to show with a sharp long red but a tidy run of 14 is placed in jeopardy when he’s sloppy on position and his path to his target red to the left corner is blocked by the blue.

A risky red down to the opposite corner is nicely despatched but he can’t tease the black to the left and he leaves Judd on for a choice of reds.

AROUND THE TABLES

LIU 0-3 SELBY
PEIFAN 0-1 SELT
CHEUNG 1-1 STEVENS

TRUMP 2-1 CROWLEY (31-1)

Judd thuds a red down to the right corner and separates the remainder of the pack in the follow-through.

A surge of red-pink combos put him firmly in the driving seat and he goes on to make full use of the table, playing up to the green to its own pocket and taking on a long red down to the right corner.

The black puts him well out of sight and he rolls the penultimate red along the bottom deck before a Hollywood blast on the black sends him up to baulk and down again for the final red down the right rail.

It’s not an easy shot and he can’t pull off the pot with the rest, but the break of 48 is enough to put him 2-1 up.

TRUMP 1-1 CROWLEY (31-1)

Ouch.

Crowley knocks in a red but then overcuts a blue to middle left and hands the initiative back to his opponent.

TRUMP 1-1 CROWLEY (31-0)

A poor safety from Crowley allows Trump to swoop in and slip a simple enough red to the left corner.

A blue to middle lines up a red to the right corner and he opts to play off the cushion to move the cue ball back up the table for the blue.

He’s overrunning on position at times but manages to cue off the left cushion to steer in the colour to middle right.

It’s déjà vu a moment later when he doesn’t land on the red to the corner he was targeting and needs to consider a plant.

Ot’s not really on and he duly misses to end the break on 20.

TRUMP 1-1 CROWLEY (11-0)

Trump maintains his 100 percent start on long pots with a stonking strike to the right corner.

A green up its own pocket brings him back down the table, but it’s slim pickings early doors and with the black in a tricky spec left of the pack, he can only notch up a run of 11 before retreating to baulk.

AROUND THE TABLES

LIU 0-2 SELBY
PEIFAN 0-0 SELT
CHEUNG 0-1 STEVENS

TRUMP 1-1 CROWLEY

Trump punishes the miss by knocking in the yellow to the same pocket from right to left of baulk and pulls level as he clears up the rest of the colours up to the black.

TRUMP 0-1 CROWLEY (61-65)

Leone sizzles down a mid-range red to the left corner and takes full advantage of Trump’s groundwork with the split.

The Cork-native takes care of the stray reds to land just above the blue to middle left, allowing him to despatch it and take his pick from the line of remaining reds.

A nice nick on a pot to the left corner also separates the final two reds and he mops up the black to the right to gain perfect position on the penultimate red to the same bag.

He tries to come off the final red to the yellow near to the upper left cushion. Instead, he lands on the pink on the brown spot and sends that down, screwing back to give him hope of what remains an awkward yellow via the extended rest.

The teenager has a four-point cushion but knows he can’t afford to miss it, but the colour refuses the invitation, jiggling with both jaws and racing free across baulk.

TRUMP 0-1 CROWLEY (61-12)

Crowley lays another trap behind the green and brown, tightly-knit together close to the green spot.

Judd fouls and misses twice in succession, but Leone fluffs his lines on a tough red via the rest and opens the door for his illustrious opponent.

Trump quickly reels off a run of red-black combos and then plays a good recovery shot on a red to the left corner that puts him back on track with a blue to middle right.

The world number one heads back down for the black off its spot and uses the red right at the foot of the pack to continue his run and free up an extra ball or two.

A pink up to middle left is followed by as red to the same bag as he moves beyond the half century.

It turns sour there as an attempt to fully split the pack doesn’t leave much on. He tries to keep the run of 57 going but can’t find the angle on an awkward angle on a red to the left corner and there’s another lifeline for Crowley.

TRUMP 0-1 CROWLEY (4-4)

Crowley tries to nick the left edge of the pack and return to baulk but completely misses it.

Trump can’t take advantage of the free ball with a miss on the brown down to middle left.

It’s not going to plan for JT so far as he follows up with his own foul trying to come off two cushions from behind the green and brown and into the right side of the pack.

TRUMP 0-1 CROWLEY

Leone sizzles the green to its own pocket and slips in the brown to the yellow bag.

He comes down for the blue to middle right and cues up to land on the pink on the brown spot.

It’s not ideal position but he hammers it down and plays off two cushions to land on the black from right to left.

There’s no lapse at the end as he steers it down to snatch the opener with a clearance of 25.

TRUMP 0-0 CROWLEY (50-31)

It’s Crowley who blinks first in the safety exchange and he looks away in disgust as he leaves the final red on, down to the middle right.

Trump duly knocks it in and tries side spin and power sinking the yellow to come off the bottom deck and land way below the green.

He takes on the pot but can’t send the ball down, offering Crowley a half chance he wasn’t expecting.

TRUMP 0-0 CROWLEY (40-31)

Crowley’s attempt at safety goes badly wrong and Trump knocks on a long red to the right corner to take control.

The balls are in an unorthodox position with the yellow near to the blue and the pink on the brown spot.

The Juddernaut remains unfazed as he makes good use of the rest to move in front on the board.

A bullet black to the right corner doesn’t quite come off in terms of the follow-in intent of moving the final red over the middle right pocket.

Instead, the world number one plays off the cushion and hides the red next to the yellow and blue, leaving the cue ball in baulk.

TRUMP 0-0 CROWLEY (9-31)

Trump earns a couple of ripples of applause but can only chip in another run of five.

There are five reds remaining as he retreats to baulk with no real sign of who is going to seize the day.

TRUMP 0-0 CROWLEY (9-31)

It’s been a touch scrappy, but Crowley won’t mind that.

If there are any butterflies, he’s not really showing it and although this latest run is a measly six, he still has ambitions of bagging this opening frame.

TRUMP 0-0 CROWLEY (9-25)

Trump gets off the mark with a routine red and then slips the black into the yellow pocket that had denied his opponent.

The world number one gets a touch sloppy as he attempts to hit double figures, slapping the yellow into the nearby brown to miss out on what looked like being a simple enough pot.

TRUMP 0-0 CROWLEY (0-25)

Crowley gets in again but his run stops at 11 when he takes a long black up to the yellow pocket and can’t quite negotiate its drop.

TRUMP 0-0 CROWLEY (0-14)

After the chalk drama and a decent safety exchange, it’s Crowley who kicks off the scoring with a tidy red up to middle right and blue to the left.

The 19-year-old positional play is pretty good early doors as he lands nicely on a red to the left corner and sends a pink to the opposite side with the help of the right jaw.

A ricochet off the left cushion into three reds clustered together doesn't oay-oof, however, and he opts for the pragmatic approach to fight another day.