World Snooker Championship: Best bets for day seven at the Crucible

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World Snooker Championship dates, start time & TV info 

Dates Saturday, April 18 to Monday, May 4
Venue Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
TV BBC, TNT Sports & Discovery+

Zhao Xintong continues the defence of his World Championship title with a second-round contest against compatriot Ding Junhui, while three-time Crucible king Mark Williams meets former runner-up Barry Hawkins in two classy second-round ties.

Best bets for day seven of the World Snooker Championship

Mark Williams
1pt 8-11 general

Ding Junhui
1pt 7-2 general

Ding Junhui +4.5 frames
1pt 5-6 Hills

World Snooker Championship day seven predictions

Barry Hawkins vs Mark Williams predictions

Starts 10am

Mark Williams was a convincing 10-4 winner over Antoni Kowalski in round one, in as kind a first-round draw as you get, and the tournament gets underway properly for the Welshman when he meets Barry Hawkins in round two. 

The 51-year-old played some incredible snooker to reach last year’s World Championship final, before running out of steam against Zhao Xintong, but his performance in a 17-14 semi-final success over Judd Trump was one of the best ever seen at the Crucible. 

The Cwm cueman hasn’t been in great form in the lead-up to the Sheffield showpiece, but the Welsh Potting Machine won the Xi’an Grand Prix in October and recent form isn’t a huge consideration for Williams at this stage of his career. 

Working out how close Williams can get to a peak performance is  the key consideration in this spot, and on the evidence of his Crucible efforts 12 months ago, added to the first-round cruise against Kowalski, the answer could be pretty close. 

Hawkins is a capable opponent but his opening success against Matthew Stevens was the Hawk’s first victory in his last four visits to the Crucible. 

A tie against Williams is likely to demand far more and Hawkins may struggle to reach the Welshman's level. 

Zhao Xintong vs Ding Junhui predictions

Starts 2.30pm

Defending World Champion Xintong was given a scare by Liam Highfield in round one and the Cyclone could face stiff resistance against Ding Junhui in round two. 

The Shenzhen star was brilliant when claiming the Crucible crown 12 months ago but Xintong is now carrying the weight of expectation and it’s an interesting dynamic as the defending champion takes on compatriot Ding at the last-16 stage. 

The Dragon was for a long time the brightest snooker star in China and there were glimmers of peak form from the 2016 World Championship runner-up when he beat Dave Gilbert 10-5 in round one. 

Ding made nine breaks of 50 or more in that impressive success and that sort of scoring power should allow the Dragon to at least keep tabs on Xintong. 

A 4.5-frame start looks too generous to Ding and the 39-year-old is also worth a small punt on the match-betting market. 

World Snooker Championship second-round draw

Here is the draw for the second round of the 2026 World Snooker Championship.

(1) Zhao Xintong v (16) Ding Junhui
(9) Xiao Guodong v (8) Shaun Murphy

(5) John Higgins (12) v Ronnie O'Sullivan
(13) Chris Wakelin v (4) Neil Robertson

(3) Kyren Wilson v (14) Mark Allen
(11) Barry Hawkins v (6) Mark Williams

(7) Mark Selby v (10) Wu Yize
(15) Si Jiahui or Hossein Vafaei v (2) Judd Trump

Seedings in brackets. Second-round matches are the best-of-25-frames.

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FAQs

Where is the 2026 World Snooker Championship taking place?

For the 50th year in succession, the 2026 World Snooker Championship will be held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.

When is the 2026 World Snooker Championship?

The 2026 World Snooker Championship started on Saturday, April 18 and runs until Monday, May 4.

Where can I watch the 2026 World Snooker Championship?

Every frame of the 2026 World Snooker Championship will be shown live on the BBC, TNT Sports and HBO Max.

Who are the favourites to win the 2026 World Snooker Championship?

Defending champion Zhao Xintong began as the general 2-1 favourite to win a second world title in Sheffield, with 2019 winner Judd Trump and snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan, who is attempting to win a record eighth world title, rated among the Chinese ace's biggest threats.

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