Wu Yize Leads as Final Halted — Snooker Disruption Today

Snooker disruption today stopped the World Snooker Championship final between Shaun Murphy and Wu Yize after a female spectator jumped over the barrier and shouted about the TV licence. Wu Yize was leading 2-0 and 67-31 in the frame when play was halted at the Crucible.

Wu Yize at the Crucible

The interruption came while the 22-year-old was about to take a shot, with several security personnel rushing to the table as the disturbance broke the rhythm of the final. The Crucible crowd applauded when security apprehended the person protesting the TV licence fee, and play resumed after the brief stoppage.

John Parrott broke into the broadcast with a short line that captured how quickly the scene was brought under control: “Sorry for that disturbance, it's all sorted.” The final was being shown live on One to a large audience, which put the interruption in front of viewers as well as the players.

Shaun Murphy and the crowd

Murphy was left furious at a missed shot in the previous frame, while Wu Yize had already stormed into a 3-0 lead in the match. Referee Marcel Eckardt had earlier told the crowd, “Can you get this person out please, now please.”

The final was not the first time the session had been broken by crowd noise. Less than 24 hours earlier, another audience member was ejected for shouting “never forget the Epstein Files” before the deciding frame between Wu Yize and Mark Allen.

Before the third frame, referee Rob Spencer warned the crowd: “So before we start this frame, could I please ask you all to make sure your phones are on silent or switched off. Don't be the person that has to be thrown out, okay?” The message matched the tone of the night: the snooker kept moving, but the crowd had already crossed the line twice inside a day.