World Seniors Snooker Championship final 2025 LIVE RESULTS: Alfie Burden thrashes Aaron Canavan in epic showpiece match
ALFIE BURDEN has been crowned king of the World Seniors Snooker Championship for 2025 after humiliating Aaron Canavan in a thrilling Crucible final!
The English icon beat Canavan 8-4 but it could have been worse had he not let his foot off the gas.
This also marks Burden's first-ever Seniors title, snatching the crown off Igor Figueiredo.
Much-loved snooker heroes Jimmy White and Ken Doherty suffered shock exits in the first round.
BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK
Follow ALL the action from the Crucible Theatre with our live blog below...
Still a match to come
Not too many in the crowd remaining.
Can you blame them when there is a match getting underway at 9.42pm!!!???
Absolutely ludicrous scheduling.
Anyway, Aaron Canavan and Andrew Norman wait backstage and are due out any second now.
Townsend ecstatic
Wayne Townsend told Channel 5: “I can’t believe it, I didn’t even feel I played that great.
“I didn’t score well. He seemed to score well and I finished the frames off!
“I felt alright out there, but at the end was twitchy.”
Credit: Channel 5 Igor reacts
The dumped out champ told Channel 5: “Yeah, it was very tense. All the time the first match is hard.
“I missed some easy shots.
“Every time you come here is difficult but coming as champion is tough.
“I didn’t play at my best and he played better.”
Igor Figueiredo is OUT!
The defending champion is dumped out on the opening night as Igor Figueiredo loses 4-2 to debutant Wayne Townsend.
A massive punch of the air when he dropped that black with his wife and daughter jubilant in the stands.
A big upset but thoroughly deserved!
Igor Figueiredo 2-3 Wayne Townsend (53-49)
Black ball frame as Figueiredo fails to leave himself on the black.
Both men have pots at it which come up short.
Igor Figueiredo 2-3 Wayne Townsend (47-49)
Brown and blue is claimed by Townsend and he's on the cusp of victory!
But he misses the pink when trying to play for the right corner pocket.
And something you don't see all the time - Figueiredo CELEBRATES that Townsend miss, raising his arms aloft as it bounces back off the knuckle! Incredible.
Igor Figueiredo 2-3 Wayne Townsend (47-40)
Yellow and green go in for Figueiredo but the brown cut was too much so he plays that to the baulk cushion.
Pink and black very close to one another near the black spot and the blue is on its spot.
This brown is crucial.
Igor Figueiredo 2-3 Wayne Townsend (42-40)
Ouch! Sore one from Townsend who takes both reds in quick succession but not followed up with colours.
The latter was on the green into the left centre pocket and it just bounces back out and away to safety.
Igor Figueiredo 2-3 Wayne Townsend (42-38)
That break comes to a halt at 38 when not leaving himself an easy pot on one of the final two reds.
He can't make the tricky pot but he's fortunately not left anything on.
Two reds to go...
Igor Figueiredo 2-3 Wayne Townsend (42-26)
And clawing back he is!
It looked for all the world that his break was stopping dead at 25 when cannoning the cue ball into the three remaining reds.
But a ridiculously delicate, thin cut into the right corner pocket keeps it going, much to the delight of most in this crowd who appreciate what a pot that was.
Igor Figueiredo 2-3 Wayne Townsend (42-0)
He did open the pack of reds and managed to make the most of it with a visit of 42 there.
Again, it's a red he'd have backed himself for that he misses into the left corner pocket.
He heads back to his chair as Townsend looks to claw back this frame deficit.
Igor Figueiredo 2-3 Wayne Townsend (6-0)
Bit of a fluke of Figueiredo who sinks a red before leaving himself kindly on the blue.
Apology to his opponent for that, but he'll clearly not mean that.
Another red is loose but he'll need to open up the pack to win the frame in this visit.
Igor Figueiredo 2-3 Wayne Townsend
The defending champion is on the edge of defeat here!
Townsend with the pink and the headshake is getting more vigorous from Figueiredo!
Townsend needs one frame for victory.
Igor Figueiredo 2-2 Wayne Townsend (46-67)
Brown and blue go Townsend's way and he is 21 points in front with pink and black remaining!
Figueiredo isn't going to hand him this though and he's coming back to look for the necessary snookers.
Igor Figueiredo 2-2 Wayne Townsend (46-58)
Townsend doesn't take advantage of that position whatsoever and instead it's Figueiredo who gets back on the table.
He clears to the brown before knocking that ball safe but he's right back in this frame, 12 points back with 22 left.
Igor Figueiredo 2-2 Wayne Townsend (35-58)
Defending champ, Figueiredo is feeling this.
A simple shot the red is. Not to pot but certainly to hit on the right cushion.
A complete miscue sees him hit the BROWN on the baulk line to hand four more points to Townsend!
It's all happening at the minute as it's a free ball for him too...
Igor Figueiredo 2-2 Wayne Townsend (35-54)
Interesting shot from Townsend who only scores seven points more, largely due to pretty poor positional play on the final red on the table.
He plays the cue ball safe up to the baulk cushion.
Igor Figueiredo 2-2 Wayne Townsend (35-47)
Getting really tense now as Figueiredo adds 10 more to his score before Townsend adds 35.
It's the latter who's coming back to the table here with two reds remaining at a critical time.
Igor Figueiredo 2-2 Wayne Townsend (25-12)
Just 12 points in counter from Townsend but Figueiredo won't be able to pot from there and it looks like Townsend will be back on again shortly.
Really tense moment this, especially in these first to four matches.
Igor Figueiredo 2-2 Wayne Townsend (25-0)
And just like that, he throws in an ugly miss, Figueiredo!
An overcut when on a break of 25 and that's just put the brakes on what looked a fantastic opportunity for him.
He shakes his head aggressively back at his chair while wearing an almighty frown.
Igor Figueiredo 2-2 Wayne Townsend (1-0)
Great opening red from Figueiredo, which has been a theme of the night so far.
I won't stop highlighting just how good his cueing is.
Igor Figueiredo 2-2 Wayne Townsend
A miss from Figueiredo when coming back to the table and he won't claw the gap back.
He's quick to concede and we're back level again in this one.
Igor Figueiredo 2-1 Wayne Townsend (7-58)
Three misses it was for Figueiredo, who is now 51 points behind with 51 left on the table.
Igor Figueiredo 2-1 Wayne Townsend (7-46)
Excellent long red, with the cue ball on the baulk line and he smashes a red into the left corner pocket.
It did have a think about it, bouncing between the jaws before gravity ran its course to bring it into the pocket.
He plays it gently behind the black to snooker Figueiredo.
Igor Figueiredo 2-1 Wayne Townsend (7-45)
Good visit from Townsend to open up his lead in this third frame.
Still four reds out there and well spread too so this frame isn't over.