Great action on table two as the fifth frame of the match went to a respotted black. Xu Si opted for Ding Junhui to go first and the three-time UK champion missed it and left a chance, only for Xu to then fail to pot the black.

But then Ding left a thin cut on into the right baulk pocket and this time Xu converted the opportunity to close the gap to 3-2.

Over on table one, Zhao Xintong is 5-0 up and at the table with what looks a potential match-winning chance.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at York Barbican

Image source, Michael Emons

Not only can you watch the world's best snooker players at the York Barbican, but you can also demonstrate your own playing skills.

The Cuezone is always a popular area of the Barbican in between sessions or matches and you can either have a go on the mini tables or try your luck on a full size.

The challenge is a tricky one. You have six reds, each over one of the pockets and the black ball is on the spot. You have eight shots to clear the table. Plus you may well have your mates heckling you at each attempted pot too.

Alternatively, you can just peer through into the practice room and watch how it should be done. Both Ding Junhui and Mark Williams, fresh from his 6-4 win over David Gilbert last night, were fine-tuning their skills not too long ago before Ding got back to action in the main arena.

Image source, Michael Emons

A near-perfect mini session from world champion Zhao Xintong as he leads 4-0 and only needs two more frames to move into the last 16.

Playing the current champion of the world was always going to be a tough assignment for UK debutant Long Zehuang, but can he stage an incredible fight back in the second half of this match?

Zhao Xintong is progressing nicely as he has just moved halfway to the last 16.

He missed a green into the middle to give Long Zehuang a chance to get his first frame but he couldn't take advantage before Zhao made a superb long pot on the same ball to move 3-0 up.

Over on table two, Ding Junhui has also hit the three-frame mark and has an impressive 93% pot success and an 88% safety success. If he maintains those numbers, he is going to be hard to stop.

He leads 3-1 over Xu Si.

Ding Junhui is 2-1 up on table two and at an inviting table as he looks to gain a two-frame advantage going into the mid-session interval.

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It has been a perfect start to the afternoon for reigning world champion Zhao Xintong as he leads 2-0 against compatriot Long Zehuang.

Zhou has made breaks of 107 and 68 so far and you can watch his century in frame one here...

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at York Barbican

Image source, Michael Emons

There is a piece of snooker history being made this afternoon as this is the first time in a Triple Crown event - the UK Championship, World Championship and Masters - when all four players on the two TV tables are from China.

Therefore it is fitting that Ding Junhui, the man who sparked China's snooker revolution, is involved in one of the matches.

Ding is seen as the trailblazer in Chinese snooker after he became their first winner of a ranking event when he beat Stephen Hendry in the China Open final in 2005, with the win coming two days after Ding's 18th birthday.

He has since won four Triple Crown titles - the Masters in 2011 and the UK Championship on three occasions, in 2005, 2009 and 2019.

A break of 103 from Ding was the perfect start to his 2025 campaign, but he then missed the yellow when starting the colours and that enabled Xu Si to make it 1-1, winning the second frame 80-47.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at York Barbican

Image source, Michael Emons

What a rollercoaster few years for China's Zhao Xintong.

He announced himself to the snooker world in 2021 when he won the UK Championship title, beating Luca Brecel 10-5 in the final here.

But then Zhao was one of 10 Chinese players to be banned in a corruption scandal and served a suspension of one year and eight months.

Zhao did not directly throw a match but was initially suspended for two and a half years, reduced after his early admissions and guilty plea. He accepted charges of being a party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself.

Zhao made his return to top-level snooker at this tournament last year, losing 6-5 to Shaun Murphy in a first-round epic.

But then Zhao produced a sensational run all the way from the first qualifying round of the World Championship to the Crucible final and his 18-12 victory over Mark Williams meant Zhao became the first ever Chinese world champion.

He has made a cracking start today as he rattled in an excellent century break of 107 against UK Championship debutant Long Zehuang.

We have had eight matches over the opening two days - with seven seeded players winning, before 12th seed Xiao Guodong lost 6-2 to Pang Junxu.

First round

Judd Trump (Eng, 1) 6-4 Stephen Maguire (Sco)

Si Jiahui (Chn, 16) 6-0 Ryan Day (Wal)

John Higgins (Sco, 7) 6-2 Ben Woollaston (Eng)

Shaun Murphy (Eng, 10) 6-2 Lyu Haotian (Chn)

Neil Robertson (Aus, 4) 6-2 Julien Leclercq (Bel)

Wu Yize (Chn, 13) 6-4 Michael Holt (Eng)

Mark Williams (Wal, 5) 6-4 David Gilbert (Eng)

Xiao Guodong (Chn, 12) 2-6 Pang Junxu (Chn)

Read the day one report here

Read the day two report here

BBC Two

As always you can follow all the action from York on the BBC and in this very page by pressing the 'watch live' tab at the top.

These are the coverage details today.

13:00-17:15 - BBC Two

13:00-18:00 - BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website, BBC Sport app and Red Button

19:00-21:00 - BBC Four

19:00-23:00 - BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website, BBC Sport app and Red Button

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at York Barbican

Image source, Michael Emons

Welcome to York Barbican for day three of the UK Championship.

We have two matches in the afternoon session and two in the evening session.

Up first is the reigning world champion Zhao Xintong.

The schedule for this afternoon is

Table one - Zhao Xintong (Chn) v Long Zehuang (Chn)

Table two - Ding Junhui (Chn) v Xu Si (Chn)

Image source, Michael Emons

The 2025 UK Championship takes place at York Barbican from 29 November to 7 December.

World number one Judd Trump gets the action under way, with World number five Ronnie O'Sullivan, who celebrates his 50th birthday on 5 December, will feature and bid for a record ninth title - 32 years after his first success.

Other former champions in action include John Higgins, Mark Williams, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson and Zhao Xintong.

The championship is the first Triple Crown tournament of the season, with the other two, the Masters and the World Championship, both taking place in 2026.

You can watch every pot of the tournament live on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app, while there is also extensive coverage on network TV.

You can catch up on all the snooker action here for up to 30 days.

All matches in York are best of 11 frames except for the final, which is played over 19 frames and two sessions.

To see the full schedule & results, click here.