The 2025 World Seniors Snooker Championship has made headlines for a number of reasons, with the tournament already producing plenty of talking points both on and off the table.

One of the biggest early issues came during the opening stages of the event when a cracked slate on Table Two caused play between Matthew Stevens and Dominic Dale to be suspended. Players and viewers noticed balls jumping unexpectedly as they travelled across the table, with the fault later traced back to damage beneath the cloth. The issue forced tournament organisers to suspend play and replace the table overnight.

The disruption had a significant knock-on effect for the schedule. Reigning champion Alfie Burden was forced to play his opening match against Igor Figueiredo in the practice room rather than inside the main arena. Figueiredo secured a 4-0 victory, meaning Burden’s title defence came to an abrupt end without him having the opportunity to play a single frame in front of the Crucible crowd.

Adding further attention to this year’s event is the long-awaited World Seniors Championship debut of Ronnie O’Sullivan. The seven-time world champion is set to face 1997 world champion Ken Doherty in what is one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.

With technical issues, scheduling disruption and the arrival of one of snooker’s biggest names, the 2025 World Seniors Snooker Championship has already delivered a dramatic and highly eventful start.