Snooker star creates history by becoming youngest-ever World Championship winner

Teen snooker sensation Michal Szubarczyk has become the youngest ever winner of a World Snooker Championship match.

Aged just 15 years and 25 days, Szubarczyk was victorious in a first qualifying round match against Hong Kong’s Ng On Yee, winning 10-7 on day one of the qualifiers at the English Institute of Sport.

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The Polish wonderkid has now eclipsed the record set by Liam Davies in 2022 and faces Sanderson Lam next as his qualification campaign gathers pace.

Following his record-breaking win, Szubarczyk spoke of his jubilation at achieving the feat.

Pride and joy

“I feel very proud,” he told the World Snooker Tour.

“I’m very excited to play the next match, and maybe this year or next year, I can become the youngest Crucible player.

“For me, it’s the first goal of every player in professional snooker [to play in the World Championship]. I’m enjoying the pressure. It doesn’t work in a bad way for me.

“I even like it, and I think that’s good. For the last six years, I have been dreaming about playing at the Crucible.

“I love representing Poland. Without the Polish events I wouldn’t be here, because I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to play at European or World Championships.”

There is still more history for Szubarczyk to achieve.

Should he win his next three matches, the teen will become the youngest player to qualify for the Crucible event.

That will see him surpass the record set by Belgian Luca Brecel, who made his debut at the iconic venue in 2012, aged 17 years and 45 days.

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Szubarczyk, who has already claimed the scalps of Martin O’Donnell and Jamie Jones, is already creating a stir on the snooker circuit.

Despite his tender age, Szubarczyk appears unfazed by his rise and by the calibre of opponent standing in his way.

He announced himself to the world last year by sweeping aside snooker legend Jimmy White 6-2 in a qualifier for UK Championship.

High praise

Mark Williams, a three-time world champion, caught a glimpse of the teenager’s talents at last year’s European championship and was left in awe by what he had seen.

And that saw Williams provide Szubarczyk with the highest possible endorsement.

“I was in Turkey watching the Europeans, I watched a young boy there and came back and told everyone in the club that this is one of the best 14-year-olds I’ve ever seen in my life,” Williams told Metro last year.

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“Up there with [Ronnie] O’Sullivan. Maybe not as good, but not far away.

‘“Every time I watched him he was knocking in 80s, 90s, 100s. It was frightening.

“I was speaking to John Higgins up in Telford and said: ‘Watch out for this kid, it’s something I haven’t seen for donkeys!’”

The World Snooker Championship proper begins on Saturday April 18, with the tournament set to end on Monday May 4.

O’Sullivan is due to take part in the tournament as he chases a record-breaking eighth world championship.