Dennis Taylor Backs Zhao to Break the Crucible Curse — Names Three Contenders and Flags Crucible’s Future
In a candid appraisal ahead of the 2026 World Snooker Championship, dennis taylor says he would back Zhao Xintong to end the long-standing “Crucible Curse. ” Taylor points to Zhao’s 2025 run — an 18-12 victory over Mark Williams — and places him alongside Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump as the season’s standout title threats, while tempering expectations about Mark Allen’s timing for a first world crown.
Dennis Taylor’s case for Zhao Xintong
Taylor frames Zhao’s position as exceptional because the Chinese player is not only the reigning champion but also seen as a stylistic match for long-format success. Taylor highlighted the 2025 final scoreline — Zhao 18, Mark Williams 12 — and described Zhao as a “complete player” who “flows into the shot, ” drawing a stylistic comparison with Ronnie O’Sullivan. The broader context matters: no first-time world champion has successfully defended the title since the tournament established its home at the Crucible in 1977, a run commonly referred to as the Crucible Curse. Taylor said he would “go for Zhao Xintong beating the Crucible Curse, ” framing such a defence as a major narrative heading into Sheffield.
Mark Allen, Northern Ireland and the long wait for a world title
While optimistic about Zhao and cautious about Ronnie’s match practice, Taylor also weighed in on Mark Allen. He believes Allen “has the game” to win the World Championship, yet added that this particular year may not be the one for him. Allen’s body of recent Crucible accomplishments is factual: he registered a 147 at the Crucible 12 months ago and became the first player to compile a maximum in all three Triple Crown events. His best runs at the World Championship remain semi-final appearances in 2009 and 2023. Taylor emphasised the significance of another Northern Irish world champion, noting that he and Alex Higgins are the previous winners from the jurisdiction. Taylor cautioned, however, that the rise of Chinese talent increases the competition Allen faces.
Expert perspectives: Dennis Taylor and Barry Hearn
Dennis Taylor, 1985 World Snooker Champion, provided the clearest endorsement: “For me, I have three players who I believe can win this year’s World Championship. Ronnie, Zhao Xintong and Judd Trump. ” He elaborated on Ronnie’s credentials after a recent tournament in which Ronnie made a 153 break and reached the final, describing the 153 as “incredible” while noting concerns about match sharpness when a player does not contest as many events.
Barry Hearn, former World Snooker Tour chairman, has warned that the Crucible’s future depends on redevelopment if the tournament is to remain in Sheffield beyond the current venue horizon. Taylor echoed the sentiment that many players value the Crucible’s atmosphere, even if younger competitors are more accustomed to larger arenas and the commercial opportunities they present. Taylor also contrasted prize disparities in the wider sporting landscape and referenced previous remarks about a potential first £1 million prize for the event, observing that such a sum has yet to materialise.
Regional and global consequences: talent migration and venue debate
The immediate ripple effects of Taylor’s comments are twofold. Competitively, his endorsement of a three-player shortlist — Zhao, Ronnie, Trump — crystallises a narrative that the championship could be decided by a proven elite even amid a season of varied winners. Taylor noted that the first 12 tournaments of the season produced different winners, underscoring a competitive depth that both elevates the tournament and complicates title predictions.
Structurally, the debate over the Crucible’s future in Sheffield carries economic and identity stakes. The venue’s capacity of 980 is an explicit constraint, and calls for redevelopment surface as a condition for remaining the championship home. Taylor argued for preservation of the Crucible’s historical role while recognising commercial pressures that favour larger venues; the question of where the World Championship sits in the sport’s financial hierarchy remains live.
As the tournament window approaches, Taylor’s interventions peg Zhao Xintong as the headline favourite to shatter a long-standing pattern, list Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump as his immediate challengers, and leave Mark Allen’s title ambition framed as realistic but perhaps deferred. The projection is precise in its limits; it rests on match form, venue dynamics and the accelerating emergence of players from China. Will dennis taylor’s backing be vindicated when the Crucible lights go up?
