Drama galore as the semi finals got underway yesterday.
Ronnie O'Sullivan picks up his last-four clash in a 4-4 stalemate with Zhao Xintong after their one session yesterday.
It comes after a cue change for the Rocket was revealed yesterday, having branded his previously new one as "awful".
Judd Trump got the better of Mark Williams last night in a cagey battle to come back today with a 5-3 lead.
All to play for in another busy Crucible day.
First session: Thursday, May 1 – 7pm
Second session: Friday, May 2 – 2.30pm
Third session: Saturday, May 3 – 10am
Fourth session: Saturday, May 3 – 7pm
First session: Thursday, May 1 – 1pm
Second session: Friday, May 2 – 10am
Third session: Friday, May 3 – 7pm
Fourth session: Saturday, May 4 – 2.30pm
Snooker star Zhao Xintong was left baffled when he accidentally broke a POCKET during his World Championship semi-final against Ronnie O'Sullivan.
The 28-year-old was 4-3 down when the mishap occurred.
After he potted the black to go 66-32 up in the frame, Zhao paused for a brief moment while two reds hit the floor.
The TV camera then panned to the corner of the table, were it was revealed that a pocket had become loose.
Members of the crowd gasped in shock when the two reds dropped.
Meanwhile, O'Sullivan didn't seem fazed in the slightest.
Barry Hearn expects the future of the Snooker World Championship to be decided by the end of this year – and it “comes down to hard cash”.
Positive informal talks were held on Thursday morning with Hearn and Sheffield City Council officials and they will all meet again in three months’ time.
Hearn, who managed Steve Davis during his six world championship wins, said: “I want a bit more respect. We love Sheffield. We love the Crucible.
“In any relationship if the other side doesn’t love you back, it’s destined for failure.
“So, at the moment we’re engaged and I’m hoping in the next few months we’re going to get married again. Let’s keep our fingers crossed."
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-4 Zhao Xintong
Judd Trump 5-3 Mark Williams
Ronnie O'Sullivan has had enough of his "awful" new cue and has made the change deep into the tournament.
The Rocket has been fairly critical of his new stick, having snapped his previous one.
He branded the cue "awful" on several occasions since getting his Crucible charge underway and he's finally had enough.
A new tip has been added, while he's ditched the titanium for his favoured brass ferrule.
Steve Davis reckons Judd Trump taking a lead into tomorrow's session might just 'free him up' and build on the two-frame advantage.
He told the BBC: "It's difficult to get a grip on that first session.
"judd found a way to be 5-3 in front. Mark won't be very happy. It was a bad session to lose and come out behind.
"Judd's got the springboard now to maybe open his arms a bit and show a bit of class.
"He's got the advantage and he's got the first crack at getting ahead of his opponent."
And Judd Trump makes Mark Williams pay after that horrible miss on the black - another CENTURY for his 105th of the season!
Trump now goes to bed with a two-frame lead, ready to come back tomorrow and do it all again.
Williams has to go to sleep wondering how that black didn't go in - and rue the missed opportunities with Trump so far below the standard he's shown in this tournament.
The first session of four complete - so plenty more snooker to play.
Not just that, it's left a fabulous chance for the break-building maestro, Trump to put up a score to beat in this visit.
Midway through writing how superb a Mark Williams pot was and he's undone it with an absolute shocker.
He sinks this red.
And as the huge applause turns to silence, he misses this black. No wonder he's swinging his cue round in frustration.
Big last frame of the evening to round off the first session of four.
Can Williams level it up once again and leave both semis delicately poised?
Topsy-turvy, nervy, rollercoaster, dramatic.
What a bloomin' frame of snooker, which lacked any sort of quality yet might be one of those we look back on come Monday when the winner is announced.
Trump cleans up the brown, blue and pink to take the frame and he won't go to behind in a losing position later!
What on EARTH is going on!!?
Williams swerves the cue ball superbly to catch the green right and thin to knock it into the right corner pocket.
A huge puff of the cheeks as it looks like he's almost there.
Then MISSES the brown and leaves it over the left centre pocket!
This is getting a bit too silly now and might well get snooker stopped!
Trump misses the green into the yellow pocket and it brings his visit to a close and looks to have handed it to his opponent.
Williams comes back for the green at a tiny bit of an angle and he misses it too!
Four balls remaining - one point in it!
This is ludicrously extraordinary.
Williams tries to get out the snooker with Trump leaving the cue ball behind the black.
He plays off the left cushion and misses the first red, much to gasps from the audience.
The cue ball keeps running, hits two more cushions at an angle and just clips the other red further down the table!
In both of their cases - if you can't be good, be lucky!
Absolutely RIDICULOUS - he's potted a red from getting out the snooker!
Again Trump has just thumped the cue ball off the cushion and it has sent a red arrowing into the right corner pocket.
Incredible.
Two complete hit-and-hopes from Trump from that position. He sees no other way out than to smash it off the bottom cushion and pray.
Twice he's done it and given away nine points in fouls so far.
Excellent shot from Williams and he's put Trump in all sorts of trouble!
Trump got out the snooker previously with a delicate shot into the bunch that remain. Williams uses the red superbly to send the cue ball down the table and almost within touching distance of the green in the baulk area.
Real world class shot.
He does do well to put himself ahead in the frame, Williams.
Four reds left - one on the right cushion and three grouped that haven't moved all frame.
Trump comes back to the table and produces another terrible safety, with Williams adding another single to his tally before knocking the cue ball behind the black for the snooker.
Trump's next safety shot isn't great and leaves the cue ball up the table for Williams to return.
Still not many reds to take here though so this'll need to be a good visit if he's to close this gap.
Trump will be bitterly disappointed how that turned out.
He's played a superb shot to leave himself on the only remaining loose red and at an angle to attack the packed reds.
He fires the red in at some pace and the cue ball screws into the pack. Only two reds come out of it and he's not left himself on a colour! He plays safe to baulk off the yellow.
But the break ends at just 13 as when using the rest to cut a red into the right corner pocket, he overcuts it so much is hits the cushion instead of the jaws of the pocket!
Pretty terrible attempt if we're brutally honest and Trump is hoping to punish him from it.
Excellent from Williams! A really good, attacking pot on a red and he's maybe a touch fortunate to leave himself a shot at the pink.
But he sends the pink from its spot away into the green pocket and it looked so good the whole way, dropping right bang in the centre of it.
And Williams makes no mistake this time with a clearance of 48 to wrap up the frame emphatically in the end!
It all stemmed from a splendid red after the Trump miss, arrowed into the right corner pocket at superb pace.
Clever, deft shots on the black and then brown see him freeze Trump out before he clears the rest. Hopefully that sparks them both out first gear.
