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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-8 Zhao Xintong
There is plenty of thinking for The Rocket to do during this mid-session interval.
Zhao will be on cloud nine but he has given nothing away in terms of showing what he is thinking.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-8 Zhao Xintong
Zhao mops up with a clever plant setting him on his way.
O'Sullivan concedes and rushes to the dressing room - he needs to find a change from somewhere as he is not looking his normal self.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-7 Zhao Xintong (23-63)
Spoke to soon. Zhao is forced to play safe with the two remaining reds in a difficult position.
O'Sullivan comes back to the table and plays perhaps his worst shot of the morning, missing the reds to leave a free ball.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-7 Zhao Xintong (23-57)
O'Sullivan can't make it count.
He overscrews as he pots the black, leaving a difficult red to the bottom right corner.
Zhao pots it and is unlikely to give up the frame now.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-7 Zhao Xintong (1-57)
Zhao has been excellent with every pot he makes measured and precise.
That is until he misses on the yellow! His first mistake of the session.
Big chance for Ronnie now - he has to take advantage.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-7 Zhao Xintong (1-24)
You make your own luck? Well Zhao may certainly think so as O'Sullivan's miss presents him with a break building opportunity.
At this stage of the tournament any small mistake is being punished, such is the class of the players involved.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-7 Zhao Xintong (1-0)
Touch of fortune from Zhao as he misses a powerful long range pot.
"Come on Ronnie" shout the crowd before the cue ball rests right next to a red on the balk line.
The Rocket attempts a safety but a plant sees a red ball drop.
O'Sullivan then goes agonisingly close with a blue to the top right pocket but it refuses to go in!
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-7 Zhao Xintong
Another accomplished break from Zhao and he is now three frames in front.
O'Sullivan has to improve his safety play as he cannot afford to keep letting Zhao in.
"Special stuff" says John Parrott just before Zhao misses while on 83.
The century escapes him but Zhao will not mind - he is playing superb snooker.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-6 Zhao Xintong (0-21)
Zhao gets rid of the troubling red that was keeping the black out of play.
He has set himself up very nicely once again and with the way he is playing, will likely win this third frame.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-6 Zhao Xintong (0-2)
O'Sullivan has some thinking to do with the cue ball resting on the balk cushion.
There is a difficult plant option but O'Sullivan opts to play safe but instead allows Zhao to sink yet another long pot.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-6 Zhao Xintong (0-1)
The players exchange safeties and O'Sullivan hits the blue once again - the mistake that cost him the previous frame.
Zhao takes advantage with a brilliant pot to the bottom left corner but he isn't on the black. Unlucky.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-6 Zhao Xintong
It's exquisite snooker from Zhao who once again takes the opening two frames of the session.
O'Sullivan will be kicking himself after presenting not one but two chances to his opponent, who makes no mistake.
A century break from Zhao delights the crowd and shows O'Sullivan can't afford many more mistakes.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-5 Zhao Xintong (0-32)
Zhao plays safe and O'Sullivan attempts to follow suit but miscues, allowing Zhao another pot.
He will still have to break up a few reds but this is a good opportunity for Zhao.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-5 Zhao Xintong (0-8)
O'Sullivan loses control of the cue ball and leaves his opponent with a simple pot.
He sighs as he goes back to his seat while Zhao powers in the black and attempts to break up the pack.
But the cue ball only brushes the side of the reds - the cue ball is back up to the balk end with no presentable shot on offer.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-5 Zhao Xintong
A clever pot on the black cannons into the final two reds, opening them up for simple pots.
Zhao has averaged just 14 seconds per shot in this frame and is looking sharp once again, having started yesterday's session in similar fashion.
The youngster takes the opening frame to settle his nerves.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-4 Zhao Xintong (23-47)
Zhao was presented with a glorious opportunity and it appears he is going to take it.
The reds are well positioned for a frame-winning break - it would take a glaring error to let O'Sullivan back in.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-4 Zhao Xintong (23-22)
Commentator's curse! O'Sullivan misses with his next attempt.
Signs that both players are still getting their eye in - they were not missing simple pots like that yesterday!
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-4 Zhao Xintong (23-22)
There's a murmur from the Crucible crowd as Zhao misses a red - it bounces out of the jaw of the pocket, allowing O'Sullivan to score his first points of the day.
There is a big chance here now for the Rocket but he will have to pick off the bunched up reds one by one.
"This is working out really nice" says BBC commentator John Parrott.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-4 Zhao Xintong (0-22)
Zhao Xintong pots three more reds but is unable to built a break so plays safe on the yellow.
O'Sullivan returns to the table and does likewise.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-4 Zhao Xintong (0-7)
Both players go close but miss with their first potting attempts on a red.
There are a few loose reds open and Zhao Xintong makes no mistake with his second potting attempt to the bottom right hand corner.
He follows that up by sinking the pink.
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Latest scores: O'Sullivan vs Zhao Xintong
Play gets underway at the Crucible after the semi-finalists are treated to a raucous reception from the crowd.
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What have stars said about each other?
O'Sullivan is a huge admirer of his opponent Zhao Xintong and he has tipped him to do big things.
He said of the youngster: "I think in three years, he'll be No. 1, world champion. He's our Luke Littler, and he's a cool-looking guy; he's got something about him. Unbelievable talent.
"To me, he's the nearest thing to Stephen Hendry. His scoring is unbelievable, his positional play, his touch. He's got power. He's got everything, this kid."
Zhao himself sees O'Sullivan as a personal idol, calling their showdown at the Crucible "a dream" come true.
He said: "Ronnie is the greatest player ever. I watched him when I was a kid, and to play him in a semi-final is a dream.
"I just want to enjoy it and play my game."
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O'Sullivan makes bold cue decision
Ronnie O’Sullivan has continued to make changes to his cue, even in the middle of his World Snooker Championship semi-final against Zhao Xintong.
The Rocket arrived in Sheffield with a new cue for this tournament after smashing his old one during the Championship League in January and not playing competitively since then.
Speaking on the BBC, presenter Hazel Irvine said on Thursday night: "We knew that Ronnie O’Sullivan was playing with a new tip in that session.
"Immediately afterwards, we are hearing, he actually went to a shop in Sheffield and changed not only the tip but the ferrule of his cue. A rather extraordinary thing to do in the middle of a semi-final."
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Davis rediscovering snooker love
Steve Davis is loving snooker now as much as he has done for years, rediscovering the fan within him.
The 67-year-old admits that his time as a pundit and commentator has not always seen him remain deeply in love with the game he ruled in the 1980s, but that has changed recently.
Davis told The Metro: "Funnily enough, there was a time a little while I go where I thought, 'Oh here we go, World Championship, it doesn’t matter to me who wins. I’ll go up there, do my job and keep my head down'.
"But as time’s gone on I’m getting more into trying to see who the best players are, who’s going to win it and I’m enjoying it more, remembering what it’s like being a player.
"I’ve turned a corner, it’s very strange. So I’m looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds.
"The older players trying to hold back the years, the younger players coming through. It’s a really great time to be a snooker fan now. So many great players."
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Top stars discuss rule changes
Snooker stars have discussed six huge rule changes to improve the game.
Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby and Barry Hawkins, who have six Crucible titles between them, were asked for their thoughts on a range topics from shot clocks to fouls.
Murphy believes playing for snookers should be scrapped entirely to reward "attacking" and stop "frames dragging on and becoming a snoozefest".
Selby and Robertson wanted a limit to stop rivals trying to come back from the impossible as the Aussie claimed it does not entertain fans and is poor for TV.
But Hawkins felt getting rid of them would be axing a "tactical" side of the game.
The Hawk was also in favour of keeping the miss rule and not introducing a shot clock.
But Murphy wanted deliberate misses out of the sport, Selby wanted a limit on fouls and Robertson demanded it leading to a ball in-hand situation.