O'Sullivan-Higgins match set for thrilling finish
John Higgins (left) and Ronnie O'Sullivan are competing in their seventh match against each other at the Crucible. Both players have won three of the first six frames.
The World Championship last-16 tie between Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins is poised for a thrilling conclusion on Monday after the Scot secured the last three frames of the second session, reducing the deficit to just two.
Seven-time Crucible champion O'Sullivan led 6-2 after Saturday's first session, and the match appeared to be decided when he extended his lead to 9-4 in the first-to-13 format.
However, fellow 'Class of 92' member Higgins, who holds four world titles himself, mounted a comeback on a night filled with high drama, narrowing O'Sullivan's lead to 9-7. O'Sullivan now requires four more frames to claim victory.
The two 50-year-olds will resume the final session of this captivating match from 13:00 BST on Monday, with live coverage on BBC Two.
"John has been incredible and it is incredible he is in this match," said seven-time world champion and BBC pundit Stephen Hendry. "Last night [in Saturday's first session] he really struggled for whatever reason. "Ronnie's play was outstanding but John seemed really un-Higgins like. Maybe it was a little bit of nerves, a bit of intimidation, but he has just battled to stay in this match. Ronnie did not look the same player."
'We can't believe it' - Higgins foul shocks pundits, although he still wins 14th frame
Following an 83 break from Higgins in the ninth frame, O'Sullivan won two consecutive frames with breaks of 116 and 80, maintaining a commanding five-frame lead at 8-3.
Higgins claimed the 12th frame, but O'Sullivan's 91 break left him 9-4 ahead.
The final three frames were marked by intense drama. Higgins appeared to control the 14th frame, with O'Sullivan needing a snooker to remain in contention, which he achieved but failed to capitalize on.
Higgins won the 15th frame on a black-ball finish. Frustrated, O'Sullivan punched the table after missing a red early in the last frame of the night.
His frustration deepened when he potted a long red only for the cue ball to follow into the same pocket, committing a foul that proved crucial as Higgins took the frame and gained momentum.
O'Sullivan is aiming to reach the Crucible quarter-finals for the 24th time and pursue an eighth world title, which would be a modern-era record.
During his 10-2 victory over Chinese debutant He Guoqiang, O'Sullivan was observed by former Manchester United footballer Paul Scholes. This time, UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett and Liverpool defender Milos Kerkez attended the match.
They, along with the rest of the Crucible audience, witnessed an entertaining contest.
Ronnie O'Sullivan punches the table after missing red
Reigning champion Zhao beats Ding to reach quarters
China's reigning champion Zhao Xintong defeated compatriot Ding Junhui 13-9 in a high-quality encounter to advance to the 2026 World Championship quarter-finals.
Zhao, 29, began the final session with a 9-7 lead. However, 39-year-old Ding, the first Chinese player to win a ranking event, won the opening frame of Sunday’s session, which lasted 46 minutes.
Zhao responded by winning the next two frames to extend his lead to 11-8, before Ding took the 20th frame with a break of 76.
A 108 break from Zhao, his third century of the match, brought him to the brink of victory, which he secured in the following frame.
Zhao, who also compiled five half-centuries, is attempting to overcome the so-called 'Crucible Curse,' a phenomenon where none of the previous 20 first-time winners at Sheffield have successfully defended their title the following year.
He will face 2005 champion Shaun Murphy in the quarter-finals.
'A very special match for us'
The match between Ding and Zhao attracted significant interest in China, with Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, suggesting that "hundreds of millions" could be watching.
"This was a very special match for us that everybody knows about and wants to keep eyes on it," said Zhao. "There was more pressure, it is not like before. "It was very different last year when I was a nobody guy, but now I don't want to lose any match and just want to keep going."
Regarding his upcoming quarter-final against Murphy, Zhao added:
"When he won the World Championship I was eight years old. When I was eight I saw him play with Ding many times and I know he's very good and still plays very good snooker. "I will try my best. I'm far from my best."
Ding, the 2016 runner-up, made eight breaks of at least 54 during the match but expressed dissatisfaction with his performance.
"It was not good enough, I was a little bit disappointed in the first two sessions," said Ding. "It's hard when I'm 7-9 down and he found his game quickly. I tried, it was just not working. "He [Zhao] is doing well and he is improving every time. My thought is he is better than anyone."
Trump and Robertson ahead in their last-16 ties
World number one Judd Trump holds a 9-7 lead over Iran's Hossein Vafaei with one session remaining.
The match was tied at 4-4 after Saturday's opening session. Vafaei, ranked 32nd and the only qualifier to progress beyond round one, won the first frame on Sunday, but Trump responded by taking the next two.
Breaks of 82 and 65 restored Vafaei's lead, but 2019 champion Trump won the final three frames of the session, compiling runs of 100, 74, and 94 to hold a two-frame advantage before the concluding session on Monday at 19:00.
Another former champion, Australian Neil Robertson, who won in 2010, also leads going into Monday's final session against England's Chris Wakelin.
That match was level at 4-4 at the start of Sunday, with world number three Robertson winning six of the eight frames played, including a 101 break in the final frame, to lead 10-6.
- Watch: World Snooker Championship - Zhao v Ding; Selby v Wu
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- Will Zhao v Ding draw the biggest TV audience in snooker history?
- World Championship 2026: Match schedule, BBC TV times & results
