Igor Figueiredo and Aaron Canavan each gained their opening matches because the 2026 World Seniors Snooker Championship commenced on Wednesday night.
Many individuals would have been forgiven for pondering that the motion on the Crucible Theatre was over following Wu Yize’s dramatic 18-17 defeat of Shaun Murphy within the World Championship last on Monday.
However the iconic Sheffield venue can also be appearing because the host for this week’s blue-riband occasion on the World Seniors Snooker Tour.
An elevated subject of 24 gamers is concerned, together with a number of marquee newcomers to the circuit like Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ali Carter.
They’re among the many high eight seeds who’ve been given byes straight via to the final 16 of the competitors.
On Wednesday, then, the spherical of 24 received going with 2024 seniors king Figueiredo and 2018 champion Canavan each safely negotiating their opening hurdles.
Figueiredo, who beat Ken Doherty within the last a few years in the past to land essentially the most prestigious title of his profession, overcame Mohamed Elkhayat with a 4-2 scoreline.
The Brazilian will tackle high seed Alfie Burden within the subsequent spherical, the latter hoping to efficiently defend the crown he claimed a yr in the past.
Canavan was the overwhelmed finalist in 2025, and the 50 year-old from Jersey could have aspirations of going one higher this time round after beating Reanne Evans 4-2.
Elsewhere, there was the event’s first notable shock with former world quantity ten Tony Drago – a quarter-finalist 12 months in the past – dropping 4-2 to Australian Roger Farebrother.
Craig Steadman recorded essentially the most convincing victory of the opening night of play, the previous skilled thumping Neal Jones with a whitewash show.
Farebrother and Steadman will face Ali Carter and Nigel Bond within the final 16 respectively.
The remaining ties from the spherical of 24 happen on Thursday afternoon with document four-time world seniors champion Jimmy White amongst these coming into the fray.
The Folks’s Champion performs Daniel Ward within the first spherical with Ken Doherty, Dominic Dale, and Anthony Hamilton additionally in motion.
Pre-tournament favorite O’Sullivan doesn’t open his account till Friday afternoon, when he’ll face both Doherty or Gerard Greene for a spot within the quarter-finals.
A event and tour that’s seemingly all the time tinkering with codecs and new improvements, this version of the World Seniors Snooker Championship has been no completely different.
The introduction of the Riley Aristocrat desk, full with blinding white cushions, actually divided the opinions of these watching.
Click on right here: full draw and schedule
Featured photograph credit score: WST
