11 hours ago
14
Seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan is level at 4-4 with Zhao Xintong after an entertaining opening session to their World Championship semi-final.
China's Zhao, 28, a former UK champion who is competing as an amateur, showed few signs of nerves having reached the single table set-up for the first time, racing into a 2-0 lead with breaks of 60 and 62.
However, O'Sullivan, 49, appearing at this stage for the 14th time, clicked into gear and responded with three consecutive half centuries of his own as he took the next three frames to lead 3-2.
The players then traded frames, with Zhao breaking the right corner pocket potting the black while crafting an 86 to draw level at 4-4.
On Thursday evening, world number one Judd Trump opened up a 5-3 advantage over three-time winner Mark Williams in their first meeting at the Crucible since their thrilling semi-final in 2022.
The 50-year-old Welshman, who is the oldest player to reach the last four since his compatriot Ray Reardon featured as a 52-year-old in 1985, compiled breaks of 73 and 116 as he shared the opening four frames with 2019 champion Trump.
Trump, who has won three tournaments this season including the Saudi Arabia Masters, where he pipped Williams in a decider, took the first frame following the mid-session interval after making 52.
And while his opponent again responded, the 35-year-old Englishman won an edgy seventh frame and punished Williams for missing a black off its spot to claim a two-frame cushion overnight by knocking in his 105th century of the season.
O'Sullivan and Zhao resume their best-of-33 frame match, due to be played over four sessions, on Friday at 10:00 BST, with Trump and Williams scheduled to get back under way at 14:30.
Both O'Sullivan and Zhao received a standing ovation as they left the auditorium after a hugely promising opening to a contest between opponents with a shared mutual respect, who are both seeking some sort of restoration.
Widely regarded as the greatest player of all-time, O'Sullivan is bidding for a record eighth Crucible crown in the modern era.
However, it comes against a backdrop of arriving in Sheffield without any competitive action since breaking his cue in frustration at the Championship League in January.
After Wednesday's quarter-final 13-9 win over Si Jiahui there was also an open admission that he has only reached the last four due to the shortcomings of his opponents so far.
Zhao, who he has mentored at times, is only the third player from mainland China to reach a world semi-final and is on a run of 45 wins from 47 matches since returning from a 20-month ban.
He was one 10 players from China sanctioned in a match-fixing scandal and while he did not directly throw a match, he accepted charges of being a party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself.
As a result of that suspension he lost his place on the World Snooker Tour, although he has secured his card to return to the professional tour next term.
