David Gilbert crashed out of the 2025 World Snooker Championship after suffering a 10-6 defeat to Si Jiahui in Sheffield on Tuesday.
Last year’s semi-finalist came through two matches in the qualifying competition and would have fancied his chances against an opponent who has been struggling for form recently.
But despite contributing a brace of century breaks in the second session, Gilbert was unable to keep in touch with the young Chinese star.
The former Championship League Snooker winner felt that Si was there for the taking, however, and bemoaned poor luck in the opening exchanges of the contest.
Gilbert lost several close frames at the beginning of the match and found himself 6-3 down at the end of the first session.
Si extended his advantage to 9-4 by the last mid-session interval, and although Gilbert put the pressure on with back-to-back tons, the 13th seed was able to finish the job.
“I thought we were both very poor,” David Gilbert, who made only two quarter-final appearances in ranking events all season, told the World Snooker Tour.
“I couldn’t pot a long ball and my mid-range game was non-existent, so I was making it easy for him.”
“Plus the snooker gods were against me – to be 6-3 down after the first session was laughable.
“I really looked forward to coming here, and I was really pleased to qualify. I love the Crucible, but it’s not very nice when your game isn’t there.
“If it had gone 9-7, I honestly think he would have collapsed. He looked a complete edgy mess the whole way through.
“He will have to play a lot better than that. I am not Mark Selby, Ronnie O’Sullivan, or John Higgins where my bad game is good enough to come out of a bad session 5-4 ahead.
“If I had practiced more with Mark in the build up, I think I would have come out of yesterday’s session 8-1 ahead.
“I nearly didn’t even play in this tournament, so I’m pleased to have played here, I am not down about it.
“I’m disappointed the season is over now, because I am back into a better routine.”
Former semi-finalist Si Jiahui, who snapped a six-game losing streak on the main tour, has seen his betting odds to win the title slashed.
This season’s Wuhan Open runner-up is rated as a 25/1 chance, with MelBet download app offering several more odds at this year’s World Snooker Championship.
Si will encounter either Mark Selby – who is considered among the favourites with the bookies with odds of 5/1 – or Ben Woollaston in the last 16.
The Leicester pair will get their match under way on Wednesday with Luca Brecel’s tie against Ryan Day also to commence.
Day five will additionally see the conclusions of four other games.
Pre-tournament outright betting favourite and world number one Judd Trump boasts a 6-3 overnight lead over Zhou Yuelong, while Shaun Murphy enjoys a bigger 7-2 cushion against Daniel Wells.
It’s much closer in the other two ties, with Ronnie O’Sullivan and Zhang Anda edging Ali Carter and Pang Junxu 5-4 and 5-3 respectively.
Ding Junhui, meanwhile, joined countryman Si in the next round of the competition courtesy of a 10-7 victory over Zak Surety.
The latter compiled an impressive haul of four century breaks on his Crucible debut, but Ding was ultimately able to rely on his experience to advance.
There will be at least six Chinese snooker players in the second round of this year’s World Snooker Championship.
“I can be more relaxed now, because in the last few years I have lost in the first round,” 2016 finalist Ding told WST.
“I would love to see a Chinese player win the title. It would be great for Chinese snooker and for the young players and fans – it will help more people to start playing.”
Featured photo credit: WST
