Hearn pledges to keep event in 'Snooker City'

The Sheffield theatre has been home to the tournament since 1977 and will remain so until 2015 under a new agreement which was formally announced yesterday but revealed earlier this month.

Hearn said: "This is the home of snooker. While I have a breath in my body this event stays at the Crucible because this is where it's meant to be.

"This is no longer the city of steel, this is the city of snooker and we would not mess with the crown jewels.

"One hopes and prays we are successful enough to justify an extension of our invitation to Sheffield."

As chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, Hearn has been thrilled by the packed houses for almost every session this year, a contrast to the rows of empty seats which were frequently seen 12 months ago.

The action on the tables has delighted him too, plus large television audiences.

"We've seen some things here this week that have relit the furnace inside me that says this game is going to be massive – not small, medium or average, but massive," Hearn said.

Under plans unveiled yesterday, qualifying events for next season will move to the World Snooker Academy, a short drive out of Sheffield city centre.

"We are going to make a monumental effort to make sure every snooker player in the world knows where the centre of snooker is. The centre is Sheffield," Hearn said.

On the table, Graeme Dott became just the second man in World Championship history to make a 146 break as the resurgent Scot took charge of his semi-final against Mark Selby.

After winning Thursday's opening session 5-3, 2004 winner Dott maintained his dominance to open up a 10-6 lead, and requires just seven more frames today to secure a third appearance in the Crucible final.

Until this World Championship the event had never seen a 146 – there have been nine 147s – but Northern Ireland's Mark Allen made one in his second-round match against Mark Davis to create history.

Unless there is a maximum, Allen and Dott will be sharing the 10,000 top break prize.

Australian Neil Robertson led Essex's Ali Carter 14-9 in the other semi-final.