On Tuesday Stuart Bingham pulled off a never-before-seen shot - not that he wanted to.
In a frame he had to win against Mark Williams Bingham somehow managed to pot the black from his break off shirt.
But he recovered to win the frame and the match.
Judd Trump vs John Higgins - 1pm
Anda Zhang vs Stuart Bingham - 1pm
Jak Jones vs Michael Holt - 7pm
Chris Wakelin vs Kyren Wilson - 7pm
World No 1 Judd Trump facing four-time Crucible king John Higgins grabs the spotlight for today's last-16 clashes.
That 1pm encounter starts at the same time as World No 11 Zhang Anda vs 2015 world champ Stuart Bingham.
Then at 7pm Welshman Jak Jones, the 2014 World Championship runner-up, then takes on English outsider Michael Holt, ranked 98th on the planet
An all-English match runs alongside that contest on the other table.
World No 15 Chris Wakelin does battle with reigning Crucible king and World No 2 Kyren Wilson.
Seven-time world champ Ronnie O’Sullivan explained his view that players shouldn’t blame the York Barbican tables at the UK Snooker Championships, writes ROB MAUL.
The Rocket said: “Everyone is complaining about the tables.
“But if you hit the ball well, the ball will go exactly where you want it to go.
“If you’re not hitting the ball well, then you’re going to be chasing it around.
“You control the table. The table will never ever control you.
“The conditions are the conditions for all the players.
“The tables will play really good – they usually do when they are refitted.
“I really think you’ve got to get out of this table (talk). It’s the same for both players.”
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has told moaning players to put up with any dodgy conditions in York, saying: Use your snooker brain instead, writes ROB MAUL.
The UK Championship has been marred by complaints from top pros that the tables have been “unplayable” and unpredictable – with Ding Junhui appearing to join the critics this afternoon after losing to Shaun Murphy.Ronnie O’Sullivan has urged other snooker stars to stop complaining about table conditions at the UK Championship
Judd Trump and Neil Robertson were unhappy with the situation they experienced on table one yesterday afternoon.
Later that evening, Stuart Bingham and Mark Williams struggled for rhythm and consistency on the same cloth.
World Snooker Tour blamed the impact of Storm Bert, saying that the large volume of rainfall and high humidity around the country can “negatively influence the conditions”.
The tables were reclothed at the start of the Last 16 on Wednesday – in fairness, this was a scheduled refit – but the Rocket was not convinced it should be used as a legitimate excuse.
John Higgins says Ronnie O’Sullivan has rejected his offer to COACH the seven-time world champion.
Four-time world champ Higgins, 49, and the 48-year-old Rocket, who has lifted the Crucible crown on seven occasions, are long-term rivals.
But both are perhaps at a career crossroads.
Asked about coaching O’Sullivan, Higgins replied: “I asked him last night and he knocked me back!
“You would love to be asked in a way. He’s an unbelievable champion.
“I think I’d have the patience to be a coach. I don’t know if I’d be a coach or a mentor.
“Who knows what the future holds in this game for a lot of us. I’m quite happy dodging about like I am at the moment.
“I’m going out to China a bit more doing some ambassadorial stuff out there which I’m enjoying. Obviously I’m still competing as well.”
Shaun Murphy revealed he felt “silly” celebrating his 6-5 win over Ding Junhui - because of some of his misses.
The Englishman was below his best most of the time in an erratic but absorbing contest.
But a break of 65 set him up for a final-frame romp, which sparked a show of fist-pumping sheer relief from the 42-year-old.
Murphy told the BBC: “I felt silly with the celebration at the end but I tried so hard. I could not have given any more.
“It was like a survival instinct kicked in at five all.”
Barry Hawkins paid tribute to his club-room mentor whose funeral he missed on Wednesday to play in the UK Championship, writes ROB MAUL.
The Hawk, 45, knocked out David Gilbert 6-5 from the last-16 but he was unable to say goodbye to close pal Les Church, who passed away after a long illness.
Church worked at Jordans Bar in Rainham, Kent, and was always reminding Hawkins to hone his talent.
The world No 20 – into his third quarter-final in 20 appearances – said: “It’s strange, this game. There’s somebody looking down on me.
“It’s Les’s funeral, bless him. The person who gave me my table at the club and let me play there for the last 15 years.
“If I wasn’t at the club, he was always in my earhole, telling me to get to the club and practise. I will miss those voice calls. He was a big influence.
“I’m gutted I’m missing the funeral. If I had had a day off, I’d have got the train home. It’s a shame. He would have wanted me to stay here and try to crack on and do well for him.
“I contributed to the charity that they wanted us to donate to. He will be sadly missed.
“Out there you’re in a little bubble, your mind is on the job. This morning I was a bit disappointed. I’m thinking of the family.”
Barry Hawkins was “over the moon” to beat Dave Gilbert 6-5 in a “crazy” contest”.
Gilbert wasted a gaping green that would have clinched the match for him 6-4 and Hawkins told Eurosport: “It’s just crazy, isn’t it."
But he reckons his fellow Englishman must be “kicking himself to lose” – after some glaring misses in the final frame.
“Dave had a couple of golden opportunities to put the match away.
“It will be a tough one to take for him, I think.”
Hawkins also claims he wasn’t surprised Gilbert failed to battle back cautiously in the final frame.
He said: “It was very difficult for him to get snookers.
"I think he’d just had enough by then. He knew he’d had his chances and he threw them away.
“Knowing Dave, he probably thought ‘I don’t deserve to win anyway’.”
World No 1 Judd Trump facing four-time Crucible king John Higgins grabs the spotlight for Thursday's last-16 matches.
That 1pm clash starts at the same time as World No 11 Zhang Anda vs 2015 world champ Stuart Bingham.
Then at 7pm Welshman Jak Jones, the 2014 World Championship runner-up, then takes on English outsider Michael Holt, ranked 98th on the planet
An all-English match runs alongside that contest on the other table.
World No 15 Chris Wakelin does battle with reigning Crucible king and World No 2 Kyren Wilson.
Mark Allen, take a bow!
The World No 3 reeled off four brilliant frames in a row to clinch victory in a match of incredible quality.
His 80 break to clinch the tenth frame 80-5 summed up his flawless all-round play after he trailed 4-2 in the match.
That deficit was down to Yize's own purple patch of four straight frames.
But from that point Allen rallied to give the 21-year-old barely a sniff.
The Northern Irishman ended with a foul - but with Yize so far behind, the Chinese prodigy conceded.
Allen is crafting this break so carefully and expertly.
A firm black took him to a 50 break.
And all the remaining reds look inviting.
There aren't many gaps in the audience at York for this enthralling match - with spectators staying put despite the late hour.
A clever blue put Allen back on the reds, with a significant break still looking possible
Yize is looking on nervously - with Allen on course for a useful break.
Yize put Allen in instant trouble.
But after taking plenty of time, the Northern Ireland star somehow picked out a red that enabled him to kiss his his way back to apparent safety.
Yize found a way through for a cracking first pot of the frame.
But he was left with no scoring options and went for safety.
Allen then pulled off one of the pots of tournament - to give himself a slight opportunity.
Allen's remarkable comeback from 4-2 down has left him in sight of victory.
His clearance of exactly 100 to go 5-4 up is as good a break as any we've seen in this match.
Allen took the frame 107-10 to leave him favourite for a thrilling win.
And he had to show an all-round game perhaps better than he's shown in months to recover from trailing 4-2 down.
Yize hasn't really dropped off in standard - he's just not been given much of a chance in these past three frames.
A meticulous half-ton break has left Allen poised to move one frame from victory.
And you can only commend his focus.
Now he's eyeing a possible century - with Yize needing snookers.
Allen is into the 30s - but having to think carefully about each pot.
But at least there are no reds crammed around the black any more.
Allen is still building neatly.
But he's working quite hard for every pot.
Allen bagged another classy red.
But this frame has become a real test of match play.
Yize finally clipped the pack of reds to leave one over the bottom corner for Allen.
He pocketed it (pictured below) - but the balls are badly placed for any sort of decent break.
Nonetheless, he pouched a pink next ball to give himself half a chance
With four reds huddled round the black, this frame could be a test of endurance.
Both players have been taking plenty of time to weigh up options.
And Allen was forced to take on the toughest of long reds (pictured below)... which he pulled off.
He then snookered Yize but the Chinese ace trickled the ball delightfully down the table onto a red.
Yize swerved an amazing long red to get off the mark in this frame.
But he immediately settled for a very difficult snooker - leaving the cue ball tucked behind the brown for Allen.
He got out of it - but faced another tricky position from which he left Yize a free ball.
The youngster chose an easy green - but then had to settle for safety.
Allen is doing all his can to put the pressure on Yize early in the ninth frame.
But so far the 21-year-old ha dealt well with the safety challenge.
Allen's precision break of 73 means this absorbing, high-class match is all square.
They've gone for a well-deserved interval now.
Allen cleared to the pink from 41-0 down.
So after leading 2-0 then trailing 4-2 he's truly showed why he's ranked third in the world.
