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Draw, results, schedule and more from the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship 2012 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. Scotland's John Higgins beat surprise finalist Judd Trump 18-15 in last year's final to win snooker's premier tournament for the fourth time in his career.

Luca Brecel has become the youngest player ever to reach the Crucible by beating Mark 10-8 in the final round of the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship qualifiers. The man who's record he took, seven-times world champion Stephen Hendry, also qualified.

Neath's Jamie Jones recorded the best victory of his career, a 10-2 victory over Ricky Walden, to qualify for the televised stages of the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship at the Crucible for the first time. Others through today included 1997 champion Ken Doherty & Sussex's Mark Davis.

Here is an exclusive interview with Barry Hearn. What does the charismatic Londoner think about his first two years as World Snooker chairman, his thoughts about the reduction of television coverage by the BBC, snooker at the Olympics, his tip for the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship and much more.

Legends Steve Davis & Jimmy White lost their penultimate round matches at the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship qualifiers against Ben Woollaston & Liu Chuang respectively. One winner however was Belgium's Luca Brecel who recorded a 10-9 victory over Michael Holt.

Gloucester's Robert Milkins has made the second maximum 147 break of his career today in his Betfred.com World Snooker Championship qualifying match against China's Xiao Guodong at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield.

Draw, results & format from the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship Qualifiers 2012 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. Will former champions Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis & Ken Doherty be joining the top 16 at the televised stages in the Crucible?

Top referee Michaela Tabb was given the news recently that she will be officiating her second Betfred.com World Snooker Championship final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield next month.

Peter Ebdon has won his ninth ranking title and his first since capturing the same tournament in 2009 by winning the China Open again, this time as a qualifier, beating favourite Stephen Maguire 10-9 in a high quality final in Beijing.

Tournament preview of the 2012 China Open by Daniel Clarke. Will Judd Trump be able to recapture the title in Beijing which he emphatically won last year beating Mark Selby 10-8 in the final?