2026 World Snooker Championship: Quarter-finals preview and predictions

The quarter-finals of the 2026 World Snooker Championship are set, with the race for the title heating up at the Crucible Theatre.

After a strong start with our predictions – correctly calling 18 of the 24 results across the opening two rounds – attention now turns to the last eight.

The best-of-25 format remains in place, but the intensity levels rise a notch with all four quarter-final games taking place over a quick two-day burst.

The top half of the 2026 World Snooker Championship draw is crammed full of proven world champions, while the contenders in the bottom half are each hoping to get their hands on the silverware for the first time.

Arguably the most entertaining round of the entire championship, here is our preview and predictions for the last-eight ties in Sheffield.

Zhao Xintong vs Shaun Murphy

Head-to-head in all comps: 6-3 to Murphy
Last result: 6-3 to Zhao at the 2026 Players Championship

Zhao Xintong continues his title defence as the top seed and remains firmly on course to break the Curse of the Crucible.

Hard-fought victories over Liam Highfield and Ding Junhui have underlined both his scoring power and his resilience, with three century breaks compiled in each match.

The win over Ding, in particular, carried added pressure given the all-Chinese narrative and the significance of the occasion, yet Zhao came through it impressively despite not being at his absolute best.

With three ranking titles already secured in 2026, he is still the form player in the draw and remains the favourite with the bookies.

Meanwhile, Shaun Murphy is enjoying one of his strongest campaigns in years and looks a serious contender for a second world crown.

The 2005 champion had to dig deep to edge past Fan Zhengyi 10-9 in the opening round but emphatically improved in the last 16 with a 13-3 rout of Xiao Guodong.

That dominant victory, completed with a session to spare, has afforded him valuable rest time and momentum heading into this clash.

A four-time finalist at the Crucible and a multiple ranking event contender this season, Murphy is always dangerous when his confidence is high.

Indeed, this contest has all the makings of potentially being a Crucible classic between two of the most in-form players left in the tournament.

Prediction: Zhao 13-10

John Higgins vs Neil Robertson

Head-to-head in all comps: 18-16 to Robertson (+1 draw)
Last result: 6-1 to Higgins at the 2026 Players Championship

John Higgins produced one of the performances of the tournament so far to overturn a 9-4 deficit and beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 13-12 in a classic second-round encounter.

The fifth seed was outstanding in the closing stages, compiling three century breaks in a superb final-session display.

Now into a remarkable 20th World Championship quarter-final, the four-time champion and eight-time finalist continues to defy age at 50 and remains a formidable force over the longer format.

For Neil Robertson, the Australian arrives at this stage for the first time since 2021 after a solid 13-7 victory over Chris Wakelin.

The 2010 world champion has long been one of the game’s elite players, but his record at the Crucible has not reflected his overall success with no semi-final appearances since 2014.

With Judd Trump already out of the tournament, Robertson has an additional incentive knowing that sealing a second global crown would simultaneously see him return to the number one spot in the world rankings.

Two of the modern-era’s finest players do battle and their head-to-head record suggests it’s evenly matched, but Higgins’ momentum and proven Crucible pedigree could prove decisive.

Prediction: Higgins 13-9

Mark Allen vs Barry Hawkins

Head-to-head in all comps: 12-10 to Allen
Last result: 6-5 to Hawkins at the 2024 UK Championship

Mark Allen is through to only his sixth World Championship quarter-final since making his debut back in 2007, a statistic that underlines his surprisingly modest record at the Crucible given his stature in the sport.

The 14th seed has produced solid wins over Zhang Anda and Kyren Wilson to reach this stage and now has a genuine opportunity to match his best-ever run in Sheffield.

It seems to be clear to everyone but Allen that his finest form materialises when he releases the shackles and breaks away from becoming bogged down in protracted tactical exchanges.

While Allen has underachieved in Sheffield, next opponent Barry Hawkins is someone who has frequently punched above his weight at the World Championship.

From 2013 to 2018, Hawkins reached the single table setup five times and was, of course, the runner-up in the first of those impressive runs.

The Hawk has looked assured so far, beating Matthew Stevens 10-4 and Mark Williams 13-9 with minimal fuss.

Already in good form following his Welsh Open triumph, Hawkins will take further confidence from having won each of his last three meetings with Allen, including victories at the UK Championship and the Masters.

This will be the third time the pair have met over the best-of-25 frames in Sheffield, with Allen edging a 13-12 thriller in 2011 before Hawkins gained revenge with a 13-11 success in 2015.

Prediction: Hawkins 13-11

Wu Yize vs Hossein Vafaei

Head-to-head in all comps: 1-0 to Vafaei
Last result: 4-3 to Vafaei at the 2021 Scottish Open

Wu Yize continued his impressive rise with a 13-11 victory over Mark Selby in the second round, a result that underlined his pedigree on the biggest stage.

Now into his first World Championship quarter-final, the 10th seed is in the midst of a breakthrough period that has already included a maiden ranking title at the International Championship.

The 22-year-old showed flashes of his attacking brilliance against Selby but also had to battle through a nervy finish that featured a number of errors from both players.

Hossein Vafaei produced one of the standout results of the tournament so far by edging world number one Judd Trump 13-12 in a dramatic contest.

The Iranian made history as the first player from his country – and the first from the Middle East – to reach the quarter-finals at the Crucible, and he did so in style with breaks of 106 and 91 to close out the match.

A passionate and often polarising figure, Vafaei brings intensity to the table but has also demonstrated the temperament required to handle the biggest occasions.

This encounter presents an intriguing contrast between emerging talent and proven resilience, with Wu’s natural talent and flair up against Vafaei’s fighting qualities and inner belief on the sport’s biggest stage.

Prediction: Vafaei 13-10

Featured photo credit: WST
H2H stats: CueTracker