Desislava Bozhilova will make history when she takes charge of a Crucible final, and she’ll hope there won’t be commentators who need a telling off on Sunday.
Fan favourite World Snooker Championship referee Desislava Bozhilova once banged on the commentary box window to quieten broadcasters during a Crucible semi-final. Bozhilova will become only the second female to officiate over the Sheffield showpiece when she dons the white gloves on Sunday, but rewind three years, and she was giving broadcasters a telling off at the iconic snooker venue.
In 2022, Judd Trump and Mark Williams – who are currently duelling it out at the Crucible in a renewal of their battle three years ago – were trading blows during a Thursday afternoon final four session. Trump stepped up to pot in the eighth frame, but just as he was about to draw, a knocking sound could be heard off camera.
The crowd in Sheffield broke into laughter, and commentators for Eurosport hilariously clarified that it was Bozhilova politely asking the commentary box to quieten down with a knock.
“Just a bit of noise coming from the host broadcaster’s studio,” said the commentary team, likely referring to the BBC. “Desislava banged on the window and told them to keep quiet. That’s the way to do it!”
With the jovial interruption put behind him, Trump strolled to a convincing 7-1 lead in that opening semi-final session. However, what played out next was one of the Crucible’s greatest matches.
An eventual 11-5 Trump lead was raked back in by the iconic Williams, who rallied to make things 13-11, tie the match at 13-13, and then 15-15 in the final session. Both players exchanged frames to ensure a stunning deciding frame ensued, with Williams taking a 16-15 lead and Trump pegging him back.
Both had chances to claim victory, but Trump prevailed in the epic 17-16. The Ace in the Pack would go on to lose the final to Ronnie O’Sullivan 18-13.
Now, both players are facing one another in a tightly contested semi-final, hoping to reach the final and a date with Chinese phenom Zhao Xintong. Bozhilova will meet one of the former world champions again come Sunday’s main event, and she has admitted that overseeing such a momentous occasion is a true ‘dream’.
“I am really excited, it was an amazing feeling when I was given the news,” Bozhilova, who will become only the second woman to referee a world final after Michaela Tabb in 2009 and 2012, told World Snooker.
“It is what I have worked towards for many years. It has been my dream. It will be different to any other final because of the atmosphere at the Crucible. Since I started working in snooker, I have learned everything from the more experienced referees. They give advice and tell us how to improve. There is a lot of teamwork, and we support each other.”
