Drama as bizarre incident halts Mark Allen-Wu Yize tie in shades of 1986 at World Snooker Championship
‘Looks like 1986’ – ‘Magic of television’ brings action from Allen break as cameras go blank
Video credit: TNT Sports
Allen saw Wu race through the opening two frames of the match, but was in the process of hitting back when the screens went blank.After a brief pause, Radzi Chinyanganya, Jimmy White and Alan McManus sprang into life in the TNT Sports studio.
It quickly emerged that power to the cameras in the arena had failed, meaning there was no feed of events from inside the Crucible. Or so we thought.
Setting the scene, Chinyanganya urged the camera inside the studio to close in on the action taking place over his left shoulder.
In the words of Chinyanganya, and a nod to TNT Sports commentator and Crucible champion in 1986 Joe Johnson, the grainy pictures appeared to be from that golden year when Johnson beat Steve Davis 18-12.
“In a fairly unprecedented fashion, unfortunately all broadcasters are not able to communicate what is taking place on the table behind us here,” Chinyanganya said.
“But thankfully, courtesy of the magic of television, we do have a wide camera angle showing what is going on.
‘Very attacking shot’ – Wu opens up semi-final with dazzling double
Video credit: TNT Sports
“Those shots that you are seeing there, that looks like it is 1986 by the way, the same year Joe Johnson won it.”
Allen was unaware of the issues inside the arena, as he picked off a superb break of 91 to get his foot in the door of the match.
Once the applause for Allen’s excellent effort had died down, referee Marcel Eckardt entered into conversation with an official and a decision was taken to take the players out of the arena.
Whether plugs were unplugged and plugged back in and buttons frantically pushed is not yet clear, but the players returned some five minutes later.
Allen’s momentum was not checked, as he followed up the 91 to take the second and head into the official mid-session interval at 2-2.
Wu pots superb thin red to leave Allen needing snookers
Video credit: TNT Sports
– – –
Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this.Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the World Championship, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
