Mark Allen was taken aback as Si Jiahui played what the snooker star called the “shot of the Championships” just three days into the World Snooker Championship. Si, facing off against David Gilbert in his opening match on Monday, will head into continuation with a 6-3 lead at 7pm on Tuesday.
And it was during the incredible eighth frame where Si produced a breath-taking shot that shocked fans and players alike. With the ball nestled by the cushion courtesy of Gilbert, Si approached to forcefully flick it towards an opposite, cornered red across the baize. The ball trundled along before propelling the intended red into the left pocket and subsequently setting up a perfect position for the black.
Si then vigorously rounded off with a formidable 97 to take the frame. Even though both he and Allen have eyes on their first World Championship title, Allen didn’t hesitate to commend Si for his outstanding play.
Taking to social media to share a video of the incident, Allen wrote: “Shot of the championships over after 3 days, ridiculous,” with multiple laughing emojis. And Allen wasn’t alone in his amazement at the skilled execution; commentator Rob Walker was also effusive in his praise during broadcast, reports the Express.
Caught on the microphone, Walker said: “What a shot that is. What a shot. High risk, high talent. That’s ridiculous.”
He added: “He made us wait more than a minute for this, and it was worth it.” Allen has secured his place in the second round of the tournament on Monday, following a 10-6 victory over Zhengyi Fan.
He’s set to go head-to-head with Chris Wakelin in the last 16, who made waves by defeating Neil Robertson 10-8 in a nail-biting opener. If Si maintains his lead and triumphs over Gilbert when the game continues on Tuesday evening, he’ll be up against either Mark Selby or Ben Woollaston in his next clash.
Still on the hunt for his first major snooker title, Si will also be aiming to outdo his 2023 performance at the World Championships, where he was knocked out in the semi-finals by Luca Brecel 17-15.
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