Archive April 17, 2025

Halo World Championship

Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Dates: 19 April to 5 May

Defending champion Kyren Wilson will play Lei Peifan in the World Championship first round – with Ronnie O’Sullivan set to face Ali Carter as he bids for a record eighth title in the modern era.

O’Sullivan, 49, who confirmed on Thursday that he plans to participate in the tournament, has not played competitively since snapping his cue at the Championship League in January.

His prospective meeting with Carter, who at 18th in the world is the highest ranked qualifier, is a repeat of the 2008 and 2012 finals, which were both won by ‘The Rocket’.

World number one Judd Trump will take on Zhou Yuelong, while Masters winner Shaun Murphy will play debutant Daniel Wells.

Four-time world champion Mark Selby will meet qualifier Ben Woollaston, who is appearing in the televised stages of the competition for the first time since 2013.

John Higgins, who has also won four world crowns, will play Joe O’Connor, while 2024 finalist Jak Jones faces a difficult assignment against former UK champion Zhao Xintong, who is competing as an amateur having served a ban for breaching betting regulations.

Zhao is one of a record 10 Chinese players to reach this stage of the tournament -with Ding Junhui facing another man making his debut in Zak Surety and Si Jiahui, who reached the last four two years ago, playing David Gilbert, a semi-finalist in 2024.

There are a number of other intriguing encounters in the draw, with 2010 champion Neil Robertson facing Chris Wakelin, Mark Allen taking on Fan Zhengyi, and Barry Hawkins playing Hossein Vafaei.

There is plenty of history when it comes to O’Sullivan versus Carter.

Formerly practice partners, their relationship appears to have soured over the years. They have met twice with the world title on the line and more recently played out a fiercely contested Masters final in 2024, with O’Sullivan victorious.

After that encounter, O’Sullivan called Carter “not a nice person” and “a nightmare” to play against after being criticised by his opponent.

O’Sullivan, who has claimed a record 41 ranking titles, has dominated their head-to-head statistics, winning 24 of their 27 matches in varying formats of the game.

However, Carter did triumph in the second-round contest at the World Championship in April 2018, in another match with a bit of spice to it.

The pair barged shoulders during the 19th frame of Carter’s 13-9 second-round win at the Crucible. Referee Paul Collier told the players to get back to the game after words were exchanged between the pair.

Kyren Wilson v Lei Peifan

Jak Jones v Zhao Xintong

Neil Robertson v Chris Wakelin

Mark Allen v Fan Zhengyi

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Ali Carter

Zhang Anda v Pang Junxu

Si Jiahui v David Gilbert

Mark Selby v Ben Woollaston

John Higgins v Joe O’Connor

Xiao Guodong v Matthew Selt

Barry Hawkins v Hossein Vafaei

Mark Williams v Wu Yize

Luca Brecel v Ryan Day

Ding Junhui v Zak Surety

Shaun Murphy v Daniel Wells

Mark Selby, four-time world champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

I don’t think either of them [Ronnie O’Sullivan or Ali Carter] will be happy with that draw. It is great Ronnie is in the competition – we’ve not seen him since January. I want him to play and as it stands, it seems like he is playing which is fantastic for the game.

Halo World Championship

Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Dates: 19 April to 5 May

Defending champion Kyren Wilson will play Lei Peifan in the World Championship first round – with Ronnie O’Sullivan set to face Ali Carter as he bids for a record eighth title in the modern era.

O’Sullivan, 49, who confirmed on Thursday that he plans to participate in the tournament, has not played competitively since snapping his cue at the Championship League in January.

His prospective meeting with Carter, who at 18th in the world is the highest ranked qualifier, is a repeat of the 2008 and 2012 finals, which were both won by ‘The Rocket’.

World number one Judd Trump will take on Zhou Yuelong, while Masters winner Shaun Murphy will play debutant Daniel Wells.

Four-time world champion Mark Selby will meet qualifier Ben Woollaston, who is appearing in the televised stages of the competition for the first time since 2013.

John Higgins, who has also won four world crowns, will play Joe O’Connor, while 2024 finalist Jak Jones faces a difficult assignment against former UK champion Zhao Xintong, who is competing as an amateur having served a ban for breaching betting regulations.

Zhao is one of a record 10 Chinese players to reach this stage of the tournament -with Ding Junhui facing another man making his debut in Zak Surety and Si Jiahui, who reached the last four two years ago, playing David Gilbert, a semi-finalist in 2024.

There are a number of other intriguing encounters in the draw, with 2010 champion Neil Robertson facing Chris Wakelin, Mark Allen taking on Fan Zhengyi, and Barry Hawkins playing Hossein Vafaei.

There is plenty of history when it comes to O’Sullivan versus Carter.

Formerly practice partners, their relationship appears to have soured over the years. They have met twice with the world title on the line and more recently played out a fiercely contested Masters final in 2024, with O’Sullivan victorious.

After that encounter, O’Sullivan called Carter “not a nice person” and “a nightmare” to play against after being criticised by his opponent.

O’Sullivan, who has claimed a record 41 ranking titles, has dominated their head-to-head statistics, winning 24 of their 27 matches in varying formats of the game.

However, Carter did triumph in the second-round contest at the World Championship in April 2018, in another match with a bit of spice to it.

The pair barged shoulders during the 19th frame of Carter’s 13-9 second-round win at the Crucible. Referee Paul Collier told the players to get back to the game after words were exchanged between the pair.

Kyren Wilson v Lei Peifan

Jak Jones v Zhao Xintong

Neil Robertson v Chris Wakelin

Mark Allen v Fan Zhengyi

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Ali Carter

Zhang Anda v Pang Junxu

Si Jiahui v David Gilbert

Mark Selby v Ben Woollaston

John Higgins v Joe O’Connor

Xiao Guodong v Matthew Selt

Barry Hawkins v Hossein Vafaei

Mark Williams v Wu Yize

Luca Brecel v Ryan Day

Ding Junhui v Zak Surety

Shaun Murphy v Daniel Wells

Mark Selby, four-time world champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

I don’t think either of them [Ronnie O’Sullivan or Ali Carter] will be happy with that draw. It is great Ronnie is in the competition – we’ve not seen him since January. I want him to play and as it stands, it seems like he is playing which is fantastic for the game.

Serena Williams says she would have been banned for 20 years and had some of her Grand Slam titles taken away if she had committed the same anti-doping offence as men’s world number one Jannik Sinner.

Italy’s Sinner, 23, is serving a three-month doping ban after reaching a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) over two positive drugs tests last year.

Former world number one Williams, winner of 23 Grand Slam titles, claimed in 2018 that she was a victim of “discrimination” over the volume of drug tests she was required to carry out.

An article published by website Deadspin in 2018 revealed that Williams had been tested out of competition by the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) on five occasions by June that year – more than twice as many times as other top American players.

“I love the guy, I love his game. He’s great for the sport. I’ve been put down so much, I don’t want to bring anyone down. Men’s tennis needs him,” the retired Williams said of Sinner in an interview with Time.

“[But] if I did that, I would have gotten 20 years. Let’s be honest. I would have gotten Grand Slams taken away from me.”

Sinner, who won the Australian Open in January, accepted an immediate three-month ban in February after he twice tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024.

Wada had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) seeking a ban of up to two years after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) cleared Sinner of any fault or negligence last year.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion also expressed sympathy for former rival Maria Sharapova.

The Russian was banned for 15 months after testing positive for a substance she said she did not realise had been added to the banned list at the start of 2016.

“Just weirdly and oddly, I can’t help but think about Maria all this time. I can’t help but feel for her,” said Williams.

Sinner will return in time for the Italian Open on 7 May, before the second Grand Slam of the year – the French Open – begins on 25 May.

Williams is not alone among current and former players to have raised the issue of perceived preferential treatment in response to Sinner’s case – and also that of women’s player Iga Swiatek, who accepted a one-month suspension last year.

Former British number one Tim Henman called the agreement “too convenient”, while Australian Nick Kyrgios claimed “fairness in tennis does not exist”, and three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka said he “did not believe in clean sport any more”.

Such accusations have been disputed by the ITIA, whose chief executive Karen Moorhouse said: “The way we manage cases does not change, irrespective of the profile of the player involved.”

Williams retired from tennis in 2022 following her final US Open appearance, announcing that she would be “evolving away” from the sport.

“I miss it a lot, with all my heart,” Williams said.

“I miss it because I’m healthy. If I couldn’t walk, or if I was so out of it, I wouldn’t miss it as much.”

But a return remains unlikely as she focuses on other things, including her family after giving birth to her second daughter in 2023, and business pursuits.

“Hopefully I’ll feel better when I feel like, physically, I’m not able to have wins over some people,” she said.

Serena Williams says she would have been banned for 20 years and had some of her Grand Slam titles taken away if she had committed the same anti-doping offence as men’s world number one Jannik Sinner.

Italy’s Sinner, 23, is serving a three-month doping ban after reaching a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) over two positive drugs tests last year.

Former world number one Williams, winner of 23 Grand Slam titles, claimed in 2018 that she was a victim of “discrimination” over the volume of drug tests she was required to carry out.

An article published by website Deadspin in 2018 revealed that Williams had been tested out of competition by the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) on five occasions by June that year – more than twice as many times as other top American players.

“I love the guy, I love his game. He’s great for the sport. I’ve been put down so much, I don’t want to bring anyone down. Men’s tennis needs him,” the retired Williams said of Sinner in an interview with Time.

“[But] if I did that, I would have gotten 20 years. Let’s be honest. I would have gotten Grand Slams taken away from me.”

Sinner, who won the Australian Open in January, accepted an immediate three-month ban in February after he twice tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024.

Wada had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) seeking a ban of up to two years after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) cleared Sinner of any fault or negligence last year.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion also expressed sympathy for former rival Maria Sharapova.

The Russian was banned for 15 months after testing positive for a substance she said she did not realise had been added to the banned list at the start of 2016.

“Just weirdly and oddly, I can’t help but think about Maria all this time. I can’t help but feel for her,” said Williams.

Sinner will return in time for the Italian Open on 7 May, before the second Grand Slam of the year – the French Open – begins on 25 May.

Williams is not alone among current and former players to have raised the issue of perceived preferential treatment in response to Sinner’s case – and also that of women’s player Iga Swiatek, who accepted a one-month suspension last year.

Former British number one Tim Henman called the agreement “too convenient”, while Australian Nick Kyrgios claimed “fairness in tennis does not exist”, and three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka said he “did not believe in clean sport any more”.

Such accusations have been disputed by the ITIA, whose chief executive Karen Moorhouse said: “The way we manage cases does not change, irrespective of the profile of the player involved.”

Williams retired from tennis in 2022 following her final US Open appearance, announcing that she would be “evolving away” from the sport.

“I miss it a lot, with all my heart,” Williams said.

“I miss it because I’m healthy. If I couldn’t walk, or if I was so out of it, I wouldn’t miss it as much.”

But a return remains unlikely as she focuses on other things, including her family after giving birth to her second daughter in 2023, and business pursuits.

“Hopefully I’ll feel better when I feel like, physically, I’m not able to have wins over some people,” she said.

Santos forward Neymar left the field in tears after injuring his leg just 34 minutes into his first start in the Brazilian Serie A Championship this season.

The 33-year-old, who returned from six weeks out with a thigh injury against Fluminense on Sunday, was handed a start against Atletico-MG on Wednesday.

The former Barcelona forward was wearing a special number 100 shirt to commemorate his 100th appearances at Santos ‘ Vila Belmiro stadium.

But, after gesturing towards the bench following Alvaro Barreal’s goal to put the home side 2-0 up, Neymar sat on the field to await medical attention.

It was quickly decided that he could not continue and a clearly-emotional Neymar was taken off the field on a buggy, holding the left-thigh area that had kept him out for the previous six weeks.

“It’s still too early to give any definitive answer, we don’t have a diagnosis yet”, said Santos coach Cesar Sampaio.

“Now we really have to pray that it’s not something that will keep him out for a long time”.

The former Paris St-Germain forward has made eight appearances for Santos and scored three goals since returning to the club from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.

Neymar, Brazil’s record scorer, has not played for the national side since October 2023 – when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament.