John Virgo
1979 UK Championship winner on BBC Two

I didn't expect Williams to miss that.

But wait. A surprising miss from Williams and it looks a bad contact with the cue ball springing up off the baize. Higgins 51-26 up.

Williams was gifted four points with a rather nervous twitch from Higgins who fails to hit the cue ball hard enough when close to the pack of reds. But then another long red from Williams and he is up and running.

From 51 points down, this would be the second steal in a row after Higgins threw away a 46-10 lead in the ninth.

Steve Busfield: Does it make me a sad old man that I'm gripped by this? Or am I already a sad old man which is why I'm enjoying it? Either way it's lovely to see Mark Williams & John Higgins doing it for the old guys.

No way, Steve, no way!

Higgins had chances in the ninth and comes to a stop with 51 points on the board in the 10th. He overhits a positional shot, misses the next red and Williams returns.

Higgins up to 45, a good chance to seal the frame in one visit.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

Mark Williams is very effective without looking it. John Parrott mentioned it earlier about John Higgins and I think Mark Williams is pulling the cue back a shorter distance than he did a few years ago.

So he's very compact and hitting through positively because he's not pulling the cue back too far and when he hits it he's punching it rather than stroking it. On faster tables you don't need as much of a pull back and he's stolen a frame there off John Higgins.

Oohs from the Crucible crowd as Mark Williams, hampered by some tricky cueing, leaves a red over the pocket. Scoreless in the 10th, but it won't be like that for long.

Matthew Rudd: Mark Williams so cool, calm and collected around the table, Higgins not converting the chances he’s given...it's looking good for Williams.

Declan Eccles: Absolute pleasure watching two legends for this year's final. Williams looking SOLID so far. Could never write off Higgins though, GAME ON!

One that got away for John Higgins. A clearance of 72 from Mark Williams takes him 6-3 ahead. Higgins should have had that one.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

This is absolutely vintage Mark Williams.

John Virgo
1979 UK Championship winner at the Crucible

We have a new favourite for the frame now.

This could be one of those frames that John Higgins wonders just how he lost it. Williams is now ahead in the ninth.

Image source, PA

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre

Ever wondered about the numbers behind a World Championship?

Not talking number of balls potted or centuries made, it's the little things behind the scenes.

I am told the TV crew use 15 miles of wiring during the tournament for all the cameras and technical equipment. They also need 400 AA batteries for the presenters and pundit's microphones

Organisers order 1,000 bottles of water for the 32 players and 3,500 programmes for journalists and spectators.

Higgins looked in a frame-winning position. But he loses position and Williams, 46-10 behind, has a chance, albeit a tough one.

Rupert Budgen: I don't mind who wins this. It's wonderful that the "old boys" are in the Final.

That's better. A long red vanishes from Higgins and this is a chance for him in the ninth.

And another error. Higgins tries to slot the red into the middle but gets his angles wrong. We may be here a while in this frame. 22-9.

We ended the afternoon session with breaks of at least 52 in the last five frames earlier on. It is an error-strewn opening to the evening session. 0-9

First chance for Higgins, wasted. A red into the middle rolls around the jaws of the pocket but stays on the table. Nervy start to the second session from both men. 0-1