World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025 | Day Two Preview and Order of Play

Ken Doherty launches his latest quest for a maiden World Seniors Snooker Championship title against South Africa’s Charl Jonck on Thursday.

The 1997 World professional champion is one of eight more players in action on day two at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, along with four-time World Seniors champion Jimmy White, and crowd favourites Tony Drago and Tony Knowles.

Two-time World Seniors runner-up Doherty will be hoping this is the year he makes it third time lucky, and finally becomes the first player to win the World Championship at under-21, amateur, professional and senior levels.

The popular Irishman came agonisingly close to achieving the feat five years ago, losing 5-4 from 4-0 up against White in the final.

Doherty also narrowly missed out last year after a 5-2 defeat by Igor Figueiredo in the showpiece.

In fact, he has now lost to either the winner or runner-up in all seven of his appearances in the World Seniors Snooker Championship.

That will encourage debutant Jonck as he looks to claim a huge scalp on his Crucible bow.

The South African was one of the first players to qualify for this tournament, doing so last August after beating compatriot Mutalieb Allie 4-2 in the final of the African Seniors Championship in Johannesburg.

Jonck was in fine form during the event, dropping just three frames and compiling the high break of 128 along the way, and will be hoping for more of the same in Sheffield.

Meanwhile, White begins his mission to land a record-extending fifth World Seniors crown against Alfie Burden in what will be a repeat of the 2023 final.

The Whirlwind prevailed 5-3 that day, but his run to five successive finals ended 12 months ago when he was whitewashed 3-0 by eventual champion Figueiredo in the last eight.

Burden was the last player to qualify for this event as he won the Golden Ticket Play-Off in mid-April, and will be eager to avenge his defeat by White as he looks to go the extra step this time around.

Elsewhere, Drago faces a tricky test in 2023 quarter-finalist Gerard Greene, who returns to The Crucible via the Race to the Crucible Series, having missed out 12 months ago.

The Tornado has reached the semi-finals in each of the last two years, before losing to the eventual champion on both occasions.

The day’s other match sees former world number two Knowles look to record his first victory in the event since 2012 when he goes up against Australia’s Hassan Kerde, who qualified after winning the Asia-Pacific Seniors Snooker Championship in February.

Play gets under way at 12pm BST on Thursday with all matches contested over the best of seven frames at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

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World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025 Day Two Schedule

Thursday May 8

Round One

12pm
Jimmy White v Alfie Burden
Ken Doherty v Charl Jonck

7pm
Tony Drago v Gerard Greene
Tony Knowles v Hassan Kerde