Scotland's Alan McManus ended a seven-year wait for a Crucible return yesterday when the two-time World Championship semi-finalist earned his place in the main draw.

The Scottish Crown Counsel have found insufficient evidence to justify a criminal prosecution following an investigation into the 2008 UK Championship match between Stephen Maguire and Jamie Burnett, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association have confirmed in a statement.

Ronnie O'Sullivan won the battle of the game's great entertainers as he knocked out veteran Jimmy White to reach the last 16 of the World Open in Glasgow yesterday.

Ronnie O'Sullivan had to be persuaded to pot the black to secure a 147 break at the World Open in Glasgow yesterday after learning there was no bonus prize for a maximum.

This week the snooker world will cast its bleary eye over John Higgins as he attends a hearing into gambling allegations. Another News of the World sting; perhaps his slow, deliberate style of play might help to shore up the Pakistan middle-order. But while the framed Higgins waits for total clearance, his namesake Alex could have faced all sorts of insinuations about match-fixing, such was his often chaotic approach to the biggest games and his obsession with gambling.

The coffin of snooker player Alex Higgins WAs carried by his son Jordan and the former snooker player Jimmy White (back) from his family home in Belfast, Northern Ireland yesterday.

Snooker legend Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins struggled to cope with the fame and fortune thrust upon him at a young age, a memorial service heard today.