Ronnie O’Sullivan suffered a damaging morning in his bid for a history-writing eighth snooker world title at the Crucible Theatre today as Zhao Xintong secured every frame in the early session in Sheffield.
The pair had matched each other in Thursday’s opening session to close at 4-4, but Zhao surged into a 12-4 lead with a fine display of potting, capitalising on regular opportunities offered by an error-ridden O’Sullivan. The pair will be back on the baize later in the evening with the seven-time world champion needing to launch a mighty fightback to retain hope of reaching Sunday’s decider.
In the other semi-final, the world No 1 Judd Trump and Mark Williams continued a nip-and-tuck affair as the Welsh veteran squared affairs at 8-8. Trump had extended his overnight advantage from 5-3 to 7-3 and had chances to further swell his tally, but Williams showed all of his experience to edge a couple of nibblers and leave the match beautifully poised ahead of the weekend.
Follow the score between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Zhao Xintong and all the key action from the World Snooker Championship below.
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World Snooker Championship 2025
- Two tight semi-finals continue at the Crucible Theatre on Friday
- Ronnie O'Sullivan fails to win a frame in morning session as Zhao Xintong surges into huge lead
- Judd Trump and Mark Williams resume their contest this afternoon
- O'Sullivan and Zhao will play the third of their four sessions this evening (7pm)
- Latest score: Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-12 Zhao Xintong (best of 33)
- Latest score: Judd Trump 8-8 Mark Williams (best of 33)
Ronnie O’Sullivan explains success of snooker’s ‘Class of 92’ at World Championship
18:15
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
While Ronnie O’Sullivan is struggling, it is testament to the longevity of the “Class of 92” that both he and Mark Williams are live Crucible contenders 33 years on from making their professional bow along with John Higgins. What is the secret to their sustained success?
Can Ronnie summon the spirit of resistance?
18:02
,
Will Castle
We’ve got just under an hour before Ronnie O’Sullivan and Zhao Xintong resume proceedings after this morning’s seismic session.
O’Sullivan’s mid-match change of tip backfired spectacularly as he was whitewashed by Zhao, losing eight frames on the bounce to fall 12-4 behind.
Zhao now needs just five more frames to book his place in the final against either Judd Trump or Mark Williams after inflicting only the fourth session whitewash of his career on a shellshocked O’Sullivan.
Read the full report from he morning session:
Judd Trump 8-8 Mark Williams
17:57
,
Will Castle
Mark Williams with an absolute clinic in the final frame tie the semi-final at 8-8 ahead of tomorrow.
World number one Judd Trump had extended his overnight advantage from 5-3 to 7-3 and had chances to further swell his tally, but Williams showed all of his experience to edge a couple of nibblers and leave the match beautifully poised.
The comeback is ON!
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) May 2, 2025
From 7-3 down, Mark Williams is now 8–8 against Judd Trump after two sessions!#WorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/MB89IBFucT
Judd Trump 8-8 Mark Williams
17:50
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
And another masterclass from Mark Williams leaves us all tied up at 8-8 heading into the weekend.
How nicely is thus bubbling away? A standing ovation from the Crucible as the head off into the evening.
Judd Trump 8-7 Mark Williams
17:44
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Trump errs - to the table again strides Mark Williams looking to capitalise.
Judd Trump 8-7 Mark Williams
17:40
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Just 30, though, with Williams’s run into the bunch from the blue thrown off course. He can only watch as the white runs up beyond the balk colours with not even a potter of his repute daring to take on a shot from real range. Into a battle of wits again.
Judd Trump 8-7 Mark Williams
17:38
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
The momentum, though, is all with Mark Williams - a delightful plant gets him started with a shot at squaring affairs.
Judd Trump 8-7 Mark Williams
17:34
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
So the final frame of the session again arrives with just a single one in it. It was at this point last night that Judd Trump found fluency and slammed in a century - he’d love another to take into tomorrow...
Judd Trump 8-7 Mark Williams
17:33
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
But there’s that potting prowess on show! A devilishly difficult brown is followed by a sensational blue, and the pink makes certain of the frame for Mark Williams.
And what a frame to win!
Judd Trump 8-6 Mark Williams
17:30
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
We are long beyond the half-hour mark now with some fine safety play from both men. Such natural potters, the other side of both men’s games can sometimes go forgotten but you don’t win the titles they have without the ability to tough it out in a frame like this.
Back to all square at 56-56 after Trump’s single-cushion escape is off-line.
Judd Trump 8-6 Mark Williams
17:28
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Judd Trump clears one of those reds from the table, but the white follows it into the corner, the left-hander unable to cue down on the shot after an excellent length on the safety from Mark Williams. 51-51.
One last scarlet sphere with which to manoeuvre. Williams and Trump battle again before the Welshman finds a pot...though he can’t follow up with a blue.
Yellow and green go in for the World No 1, but he’s soon in the mire, not doing anywhere near enough with the brown and leaving Williams able to squeeze him in between the black and the side cushion with his view to the right colour blocked. Under the circumstances, his reply is excellent, keeping the brown safe. This elongated frame is only getting longer.
Judd Trump 8-6 Mark Williams
17:20
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
A couple of fouls from Mark Williams levels things up in the frame at 47 apiece with one of those three reds gone.
Two more to play with, and play off, with both men showcasing their safety skill. Williams’s failed attempt at the thinnest of cuts earns Trump four more as a tense frame continues.
Judd Trump 8-6 Mark Williams
17:06
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
He cannot. A speedy progression to 35 threatens a frame-winning visit before the death rattle of the jaws ends the break with a trio of one-pointers left on deck.
Judd Trump 8-6 Mark Williams
17:03
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Not for the first time in this session, Mark Williams gets to the brink of securing a frame before enduring a mishap. It’s a missed red this time, sufficiently frustrating for the Welshman to throw a few punches at his cue on his way back to slump in his seat.
47 on the board that should have been more. Can Judd Trump pick over the carrion and clean up?
Judd Trump 8-6 Mark Williams
16:53
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Judd Trump errs and leaves Mark Williams a pot on...yet benefits to the tune of four points when the Welshman goes in-off! Snookers required for the veteran, who ploughs on for a while before draping cue over cue ball to signal the end of the frame. Trump extends his lead.
Judd Trump 7-6 Mark Williams
16:46
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Double double! Judd Trump goes again, his trigonometry correct once more as he swells his lead to 53 before pushing the green safe on the side cushion. 59 left on the baize.
Judd Trump 7-6 Mark Williams
16:43
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Trump adds nine more to his tally before again running around, the remaining eight reds strewn unfavourably. Mark Williams plays a rather lovely little safety to put his opponent back in bother, but the frame front-runner escapes niftily.
Back into a sort of stasis with both players searching for something meaningful. And how about that?! A driven double from Trump is perfectly placed and he’s off and away again.
Judd Trump 7-6 Mark Williams
16:34
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
To frame 14, then, with Judd Trump rather in need of getting back amongst things. A nice couple of reds to start build the foundations of the frame before he sets to work on some more advanced architecture.
But just a single storey is built before a tricky black stays on the table, a tough cut much like the one missed by Mark Williams in the frame before not quite there after a contribution of just 25.
Judd Trump 7-6 Mark Williams
16:26
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
The two players trade delicate dabs of a red next to that missed black, which has remained hovered over the pocket. Mark Williams breaks the stalemate with a beautiful escape off a couple of cushions.
Into yet more safety play. It’s hard to see where the snooker is going to come from...and having knocked a red into pottable position, Judd Trump concedes the frame! Williams is on a roll.
Judd Trump 7-5 Mark Williams
16:22
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Frame ball is a toughie along the bottom cushion...safely home!
But it’s not enough to keep Trump from coming back to the table with a snooker needed after an overcut black. The Englishman’s first attempt to put Mark Williams in a tangle leaves a pot faintly on but the Welshman can’t find it. On we go.
Judd Trump 7-5 Mark Williams
16:15
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
A tap of the table from Mark Williams as green and blue bail him out after a wayward missed pot should leave at least one of two reds on. He’s lucky with the ball he missed particularly, which had rolled beyond the yellow and would have been a sitter if not for the presence of the emerald cloak.
Its presence makes Judd Trump’s next safety a nightmare, the world No 1 unable to simply leave the ball up in balk. He tries to craft something, rolling up against a ball on the side cushion, but his angle is awry and he ends up jarring it free into potting position. Williams gobbles it up.
Judd Trump 7-5 Mark Williams
16:10
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
A look to the rafters from Judd Trump, unable to believe his luck. What looks a really clever shot to drop on one of three balls to the left corner goes awry after a biff of the pink sends the cue ball spinning behind another of the remaining reds. There’s no pot on. He trails by 19 and plays safe.
Judd Trump 7-5 Mark Williams
16:07
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Four reds, four blacks, but a brief 147 watch for Mark Williams is over quickly as he is forced to go up for the blue. He leaves himself short on it, too, making the next pot slightly harder.
The red goes in, yet Williams is out of position on the black. A deft cut looks well judged but there’s not enough pace on it to squeeze past the jaw and in. 39 and that’s that for the Welshman - will Judd Trump afford him another visit?
Back on the baize...
16:02
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Off they go again - and it’s Mark Williams continuing his momentum with another beaut of a long pot.
Judd Trump 7-5 Mark Williams
15:45
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Mark Williams strokes his cue approvingly after another languid pot into the left corner. How he’ll be ruing that missed black in the 10th frame when it was so close to secure.
An inadvertent potting of both blue and brown (if not for Williams stopping the ball falling with his hand) ends the break at 84, meaning 100 No 100 will have to wait - but the Welshman is back firmly in touch at the mid-session interval.
Judd Trump 7-4 Mark Williams
15:37
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Not Judd Trump’s best moment, that. Having found a gorgeous red to the middle, playing the finest of cuts with pinpoint precision, he then misses a comparatively simple brown.
In amongst the balls again is Mark Williams - his ton in the previous frame was the 99th of the World Championship so far. Could this be a century of centuries?
Judd Trump 7-4 Mark Williams
15:34
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
One more frame to come before the mid-session interval, then, with both players in rather better scoring touch than they were last night.
Judd Trump 7-4 Mark Williams
15:27
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Much, much better from Mark Williams - a wonderful 105 could have been 112 if not for a needless trickshot on the black.
Judd Trump 7-3 Mark Williams
15:19
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Sloppy stuff once more from the Welsh veteran, the brown having a good old think about entering the pocket but eventually aborting its course. He is seated only temporarily, though, as Trump gets unlucky bursting the bunch, kissing the backside of the black having seemingly been certain to be on a colour with the pink nicely placed off its spot.
He can’t cut the black to the middle, allowing Williams in.
Judd Trump 7-3 Mark Williams
15:12
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Pilfered. A rueful shake of the head from Mark Williams - a frame he should have won thrown away and Judd Trump is starting to really build his lead.
Judd Trump 6-3 Mark Williams
15:10
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Frame ball...goes awry! All at the Crucible expect a middling black to fall and Mark Williams to get back within two, yet a slight overcut leaves it up.
A great shot for Judd Trump here, then. Away go the reds and it’s on to the colours.
Judd Trump 6-3 Mark Williams
15:03
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
A little loose from Mark Williams, short of position as he rolls up for the pink. A nicely-judged pot keeps the break going but the run of the white makes the next red tricky - though one of the game’s best potters makes no mistake. Up into the thirties and flirting with something large.
Judd Trump 6-3 Mark Williams
14:59
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
An extended safety exchange is snapped by a long pot from Mark Williams, nudging in a red along the left cushion. He’ll stand pat at one, tucking Judd Trump in under the cover of the brown.
Getting safe from here will be tricky. Trump rolls around the angles and into a thicket, recognising that the balls are blocking one another. Or so he thought - one of them will cut, and Williams is good enough to find the angle.
Judd Trump 6-3 Mark Williams
14:50
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Mark Williams fails to make contact as he attempts to skim a red to get back up beyond the balk line. Judd Trump grants him another go with his score swelled by four. Williams makes amends, though catches the topside of a middle pocket - a lovely mid-range red gets his opponent going again.
And onwards he goes until the frame is secure. A 70 follows that 56 and he’s up and running.
Judd Trump 5-3 Mark Williams
14:43
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
But that’s that for the scoring for now - in goes Trump via the bottom cushion after rifling in a black, yet luck does not look favourably upon him. 56 and out with eight reds left on the table as the Englishman plays safe.
Judd Trump 5-3 Mark Williams
14:42
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Smooth sailing for Judd Trump as he races into the thirties, picking off the scattered reds before dislodging a few after cannoning into the pack. The next black is slightly dicey and wobbles like a weevil before eventually toppling.
Here’s a bit of bother, though - Trump runs high and onto the cushion past the blue. The colour should simple enough but what about the next red? Handy! A friendly smooch on the bottom of the next ball makes certain that it’ll go into a centre pocket.
Judd Trump 5-3 Mark Williams
14:38
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
The first error is from Mark Williams - an eminently pottable long red isn’t there and into a middle pocket the white disappears. Trump knocks on the ball Williams missed from just beyond the yellow to get the scoring started.
Judd Trump 5-3 Mark Williams
14:37
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Into the arena step Judd Trump and Mark Williams. I’m sure they’ll have had half-an-eye on events earlier - one wonders what they made of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s complete collapse.
Trump’s break gets the match back underway
Judd Trump 5-3 Mark Williams
14:27
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
It has been suggested that the humidity was causing a few problems last night, a sticky evening in Sheffield for all involved as Yorkshire soaks up the spring sunshine with the United Kingdom experiencing something of a heatwave. It’s a fair bit cooler today, pleasingly - let’s hope for a fun, freer session of scoring.
Judd Trump 5-3 Mark Williams
14:15
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
There was some strange snooker played last night, both sublime and ridiculous:
“It’s a mad old game this one!”
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) May 1, 2025
Snooker at its VERY BEST on display between Judd Trump and Mark Williams pic.twitter.com/h7opd3w0sO
Next up...
14:00
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Just half-an-hour now before Judd Trump and Mark Williams get going again. Here’s a reminder of how they left it last night, with the World No 1 a couple of frames ahead at 5-3:
Ronnie O'Sullivan suffers session whitewash
12:45
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
That’s only the fourth time in his Crucible career that Ronnie O’Sullivan has been whitewashed in a full session - though Luca Brecel did win seven straight on his way to quarter-final victory two years ago.
1994 (vs John Parrott)1998 (vs John Higgins)2006 (vs Graeme Dott)2025 (vs Zhao Xintong)
Ronnie O’Sullivan suffers session whitewash as Zhao Xintong lights up Crucible
12:30
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s mid-match change of tip backfired spectacularly as he was whitewashed by Zhao Xintong in the second session of their World Snooker Championship semi-final.
O’Sullivan had the tip and ferrule on his cue changed overnight, having labelled it as “awful” ahead of the last-four clash with Zhao at the Crucible.
The seven-time champion had still emerged from the first session level at 4-4, but incredibly lost all eight frames on Friday morning as Zhao ruthlessly punished every missed pot and poor safety to move 12-4 ahead.
The 28-year-old left-hander now needs just five more frames to book his place in the final against either Judd Trump or Mark Williams after inflicting only the fourth session whitewash of his career on a shellshocked O’Sullivan.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-12 Zhao Xintong
12:13
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Not even two hours on the table this morning and yet that feels like the match is already out of sight. We’ve seen mighty comebacks at the Crucible before but Ronnie O’Sullivan’s game just feels so far off where it needs to be - and his overnight trip for a new tip doesn’t seemed to have worked the wonders he hoped it would.
Zhao Xintong wins EIGHT frames in a row against Ronnie O'Sullivan in a whitewash session!
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) May 2, 2025
He is just five frames away from the final at The Crucible.#WorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/W9TT63EJSD
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-12 Zhao Xintong
11:59
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s high break in this session is 23 - it simply hasn’t been good enough from The Rocket.
By contrast, what a morning for Zhao Xintong - he’ll tuck into his lunch having won all eight frames. He leaves the table clean with a mighty advantage in the match.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-11 Zhao Xintong
11:53
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
This is really concerning for Ronnie O’Sullivan. What should be a simple blue goes in and out after he tries to force it in, the seven-time world champion clearly not connecting cleanly at all. He’d split the pack nicely, too...
Back to the table Zhao Xintong comes looking to erase a lead of 28.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-11 Zhao Xintong
11:49
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Gah! Desperate misfortune for Zhao Xintong as he plucks a pot out of thin air only to go in-off after striking an errant red on his way back up the table. With the pink tied up and black off its spot on the bottom cushion, there’s work to be done but Ronnie O’Sullivan has a shot.
Or not! A poor potting attempt and away he slopes again.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-11 Zhao Xintong
11:45
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Seven straight. Ronnie O’Sullivan remains frameless this morning as Zhao Xintong asserts his authority.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-10 Zhao Xintong
11:43
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Well well well. Break over at 32 with a rattle of the mandible in the left corner. A very pottable red passes Zhao by.
No matter. Ronnie O’Sullivan exchanges pleasantries with the edges of the same pocket with a slightly hurried effort. It’s just not happening today for him.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-10 Zhao Xintong
11:41
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
O’Sullivan goes into the bunch surprising early with a couple of available reds not taking his fancy. He sticks amongst them but finds a lovely pot to the left middle.
But you can’t miss that yellow, Ronnie! Another uncharacteristic error caps his scoring in the low twenties again, and Zhao Xintong has soon closed to within a colour with a canny shot that frees a couple more one-pointers.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-10 Zhao Xintong
11:38
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Right, that’s more like it from The Rocket - a pleasing red followed by an agreeable green. Into the teens with a blue - he simply must convert from here.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-10 Zhao Xintong
11:34
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
This is unrelenting excellence from Zhao. Without fuss, another frame is secured in short order after that O’Sullivan misstep. The lead extends further with another gorgeous century, only a nasty brown on the top cushion denying him a clearance.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-9 Zhao Xintong
11:29
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
More of the same. Ronnie O’Sullivan finds himself in an awkward predicament nestled against the reds and doesn’t do a great job of extricating himself. Another exhibition of clean cueing from Zhao Xintong leaves the scorer fetching the abacus again.
His parting of the red sea is nice enough, too...
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-9 Zhao Xintong
11:25
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Zhao just doesn’t look like missing. A tricky black crawls to the corner, before a pink takes him to frame ball. It’ll be a tough one down the cushion...never in doubt.
An unexpected error on the black could give O’Sullivan a shot if he fancies it, but the seven-time world champion stays in his seat, accepting a five-frame deficit.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-8 Zhao Xintong
11:21
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
An error in positioning leaves Zhao all but straight on the blue, leaving him with work to do to keep the break alive. A superb strike ensures the next red goes in and sends the rest of them hither and thither. Can he find a tough green to build further? He can! This is wonderful stuff. Up to 29 he climbs with another blue.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-8 Zhao Xintong
11:17
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Back into the Crucible our combatants step. Ronnie O’Sullivan is quick to the table, ready to break almost before the referee is back in position. Can he find something?
Maybe not - a scintillating start from Zhao Xintong, rocketing a red into the right corner from the other side of Sheffield. Tasty.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-8 Zhao Xintong
11:05
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Off to the mid-session interval, then, with Ronnie O’Sullivan four frames behind and yet to make a score of substance. Problems. Plenty of them.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-8 Zhao Xintong
11:00
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Wretched! O’Sullivan screws back way too far after potting a black on its spot and leaves himself out of position on the next red. He tries his best to cut it in but no dice.
Zhao swells his lead to 40 points with 43 remaining, leaving two reds up on the table. And a foul from O’Sullivan leaves him needing snookers - not that Zhao lets him back to the table with a delectable plant making certain of the frame.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-7 Zhao Xintong
10:56
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
An error! Just when it looked like a four-frame lead was inevitable, a nasty missed yellow ends Zhao Xintong’s break at 57. Two reds below the black will pose a problem but this is an opportunity Ronnie O’Sullivan simply must take.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-7 Zhao Xintong
10:51
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
How’s your luck? A wild, slightly weird effort at a very, very ambitious long pot sends the balls all over the place from Zhao Xintong, only for the cue ball to settle nestled behind one of the reds and leave nothing on. Extraordinary.
But turnabout is fair play! A remarkable fluke from Ronnie O’Sullivan should grant him a chance...only for a missed blue to follow! A rueful saunter back to his seat with Zhao let in again.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-7 Zhao Xintong
10:48
,
Harry Latham-Coyle
Add another to the tally! A missed black prevents a century but a pleasant 82 is plenty enough to secure a third frame of an excellent morning so far for Zhao Xintong.
Ronni