In a historic match at the Crucible Theatre, Mark Allen faced Wu Yize, with their frame lasting an astonishing 100 minutes and 21 seconds. This duration marks the longest frame in Crucible history.
The match saw a notable stalemate, where no balls were potted for 55 minutes. Initially, Mark Allen led the frame 47-13 before the game took a dramatic turn.
Eventually, Wu Yize claimed victory in that frame with a score of 88-66 after an extended safety exchange. The session concluded with both players tied at 7-7 after only six frames were played instead of eight.
This new record breaks the previous one of 85 minutes set during the 2022 World Championship. Critics have been vocal about the implications of such lengthy gameplay.
Steve Davis described the situation as “an embarrassment to snooker,” emphasizing the need for changes in snooker rules to prevent similar occurrences in the future. He stated, “In a nutshell, that frame is an embarrassment to snooker, and the referees and players’ association need to try to work out a way that never happens again.”
Other pundits echoed his sentiments. John Parrott called it “the most bizarre frame I’ve ever seen here at the Crucible Theatre.” Kyren Wilson added that referee Marcel Eckardt should have intervened sooner, stating, “That game was going nowhere.”
This match exemplifies a darker side of snooker, as noted by Stephen Hendry: “This is the dark side of snooker.” Observers suggest that this incident may prompt discussions on how to amend existing rules to enhance gameplay.