Stuart Bingham has revealed how a casual jibe from Irish cueman Mark Allen spurred him to become world champion.

Mark Williams claimed his first victory over Ronnie O'Sullivan in a ranking event for 12 years at the International Championship in China.

Ronnie O’Sullivan was in relaxed mood after a straightforward first-round outing at the UK Championship against Scottish amateur Rhys Clark.

Top seed Novak Djokovic retained the Shanghai Masters title by edging sixth seed Juan Martin Del Potro in a thrilling three-set final.

Top seed Novak Djokovic retained the Shanghai Masters title today by edging sixth seed Juan Martin Del Potro in an entertaining three-set final.

Former world number one Roger Federer has split with coach Paul Annacone after three and a half years.

Rafael Nadal began life back at world number one with a convincing victory at the Shanghai Masters to join Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in the third round.

Ronnie O’Sullivan will begin the defence of his Betfair World Championship title against Scotland’s Marcus Campbell.

John Higgins suffered a shock 6-3 defeat against home favourite Cao Yupeng in the first round of the International Championship in Chengdu, China today.

Peter Hanson suspects that nothing less than his top form will do if he is to stop Rory McIlroy winning for a fifth time this year in Shanghai tomorrow.

Ryder Cup team-mates Rory McIlroy and Peter Hanson allowed the chasing pack to close up with disappointing starts to the Shanghai Masters third round at Lake Malaren today.

The best season of Jamie Donaldson’s career could be about to get even better.

Andy Murray wasted five championship points as Novak Djokovic gained revenge for his US Open final defeat with a thrilling triumph at the Shanghai Masters.

Andy Murray will resume his rivalry with Roger Federer in the Shanghai Masters semi-finals today.

Andy Murray will resume his rivalry with Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters tomorrow.

Andy Murray made short work of Alexandr Dolgopolov at the Shanghai Masters today, advancing to the last eight in less than an hour.

If, as Buggles once said, video really did kill the radio star, then TV has done something equally harmful to a whole host of sportsmen and women whose efforts habitually disappear into a black hole of general apathy.

World champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has refused to sign the contract binding tour players as he backs up his promise to take a break from snooker.

The event in which Rory McIlroy grabbed the biggest first prize in golf last October – €1.5m – will become part of the European Tour later this year.

As Rory McIlroy became golf’snumber one-ranked player,three-time major champion Pádraig Harrington slipped out of West Palm Beach almost unnoticed on his way back home to Ireland.

Less than a year since his Masters meltdown – a collapse many people thought would leave long-lasting scars – Rory McIlroy is golf’s new world number one.

Dubai’s Desert Classic and the superb Emirates course will always hold a special place in Rory McIlroy’s heart.

The World Open will be held in the Chinese city of Haikou for the next five years, World Snooker has announced.

US OPEN champion Rory McIlroy was last night named RTÉ Sports Person of the Year for 2011.

Rory McIlroy feels his Hong Kong Open triumph shows he can now grind out victories, a vital quality if he is to reach number one in the world.

RORY McILROY will still visit a Dubai hospital later today despite an energy-charged performance in capturing the UBS Hong Kong Open.

THE Chinese government has a history of detaining dissidents, but putting the US Open golf trophy under lock and key sounds too bizarre to be true.

Despite capturing a maiden major championship and rising to number two in the world, Rory McIlroy still believes 2011 could have turned out even better as he looks to finish the season strongly, starting at this week’s Hong Kong Open.

KEEGAN BRADLEY has not stopped pinching himself all year — and he was at it again yesterday after taking the lead in the final world championship of the season.

RORY MCILROY says his shock split from manager Andrew “Chubby” Chandler was “a very difficult decision to make”.

Rory McIlroy says he remains “very close” to the man he dropped as his manager last month and insists there was “nothing personal at all” in the move that stunned golf.

THE European Tour and sponsors, the Andalucian Tourist Board, must have been furious the Andalucian Masters was bypassed by many marquee names in favour of the Shanghai Masters.

RORY McILROY is gunning for Luke Donald.

Rory McIlroy has a share of the lead on day two of the Shanghai Masters.

THERE was no poaching by Horizon and no enticement on my part.

World number three and US Open champion Rory McIlroy has ended his association with management company International Sports Management, they announced today.

Andy Murray has successfully defended his Shanghai Masters title by beating Spain’s David Ferrer 7-5 6-4, winning an ATP tournament for a third consecutive week.

Top seed Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Shanghai Masters today after being outplayed by Germany’s Florian Mayer.

Andy Murray edged a step closer to a third successive title after overcoming a tricky second set to see off Stanislas Wawrinka and move into the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters today.

World number one Novak Djokovic today pulled out of next week's China Open due to an ongoing back injury.

Andy Murray has warned the biggest names in tennis could go on strike to push through changes to the sport's busy calendar.

ANTHONY HAMILTON turned his angry attentions to a cameraman after his giant-killing run at the Shanghai Masters came to an end.

British potter Anthony Hamilton turned his angry attentions to a cameraman after his giant-killing run at the Shanghai Masters came to an end.

Stephen Hendry was poised to lose his place in the world’s top 16 after defeat by Robert Milkins in the first round of the Shanghai Masters.