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Mike Chan

Wu Yize and Mark Allen have contested the longest frame in Crucible Theatre history during their World Championship semi-final, a 100 minutes and 21 seconds epic that was described variously as “horrendous” and “an embarrassment to snooker”.
Chinese star Wu, 22, competing in the last four for the first time, saw his four-frame lead disappear at the outset of the second session, as Allen recovered from 6-2 down to lead 7-6, before the pair became locked in an interminable 14th frame.
A 55-minute period passed without a ball being potted, as eight reds were left covering the black over the bottom right corner pocket.
Leading 43-13, Allen, whose earlier five-frame run featured breaks of 145 and 121, refused to re-rack. The impasse eventually ended after the Northern Irishman fouled and nudged in the black, allowing Wu to claim his only frame of the session.
The frame lasted nearly 15 minutes longer than the previous record time of 85 minutes and 22 seconds, set in a 2022 World Championship second-round clash between Mark Selby and Yan Bingtao.


“In a nutshell that frame is an embarrassment to snooker, and the referees’ and the players’ association need to try to work out a way so that never happens again,” six-times world champion Steve Davis said.
Stephen Hendry, who is a seven-times Crucible winner, believed German official Marcel Eckardt should have ended the stalemate much earlier.
“This is the dark side of snooker, it’s been a horrendous frame but it’s helped Wu Yize so much,” the Scottish legend said. “He didn’t look like winning another frame, but the ludicrous nature of this has just helped to lighten the load on him, free him up, and forget what was happening to him in this session.”
The prolonged frame contributed to a shortened session that featured only six of the eight frames scheduled, with both Wu and Allen still 10 away from the winning line. It also delayed the resumption of the other semi-final between John Higgins and Shaun Murphy.
Chinese social media users questioned Allen’s decision not to allow a re-rack.
“Is it worth it at the end of the day?” one Weibo user said. “Simply go for a re-rack and he might extend his overall lead.”

“Allen also wore himself down,” said another. “With his lead, he should just go for a pot or two, instead of knocking all the reds to the corner.”
Another commentator joked: “Anyone who can watch the 14th frame will succeed at everything they do.”
Wu and Allen will return to the table on Saturday morning local time in Sheffield for eight more frames, before coming back for the final session in the evening. The first to 17 will become the 34th player to reach a Crucible final.
In the other last-four match, four-time winner Higgins managed to pull away from 2005 champion Murphy in the latter part of the third session. Starting at 8-8, the pair split the opening four frames before Higgins finished strongly, claiming three of the final four, including a break of 101 – his only century of the match – to establish a 13-11 lead.
Higgins would equal Hendry’s record of nine Crucible finals with victory, while Murphy needs six of the closing nine frames to reach his fifth World Championship final.


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China star Wu Yize contests ‘embarrassing’ and ‘horrendous’ World Championship frame

Wu Yize studies the state of play that led to an “embarrassing” 14th frame in his World Championship semi-final against Mark Allen. Photo: AP

Mark Allen in contemplative mood during a second session in which he won five straight frames. Photo: AP

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Aiming to reach first Crucible final, 22-year-old involved in record 100 minutes and 21 seconds frame during Mark Allen semi-final clash


Aiming to reach first Crucible final, 22-year-old involved in record 100 minutes and 21 seconds frame during Mark Allen semi-final clash.


World Snooker Championship

China star Wu Yize contests ‘embarrassing’ and ‘horrendous’ World Championship frame

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Aiming to reach first Crucible final, 22-year-old involved in record 100 minutes and 21 seconds frame during Mark Allen semi-final clash

Aiming to reach first Crucible final, 22-year-old involved in record 100 minutes and 21 seconds frame during Mark Allen semi-final clash