John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Four

Xiao Guodong has a wonderful temperament but if John Higgins doesn't win now that frame will be haunting him.

Image source, PA Media

Xian Guodong gets a window after a John Higgins foul and the Chinese player spins the frame on its head. He clears up the colours, keeping his cool on the pink and black to win the frame 70-58.

A deciding frame it is to see who earns a place in the quarter-finals.

Eesh. John Higgins misses the pink into the middle pocket to leave Xiao Guodong needing snookers. There's still enough on the table at 58-25 in Higgins' favour for Xiao to win the frame.

On we go.

It's nip and tuck between John Higgins and Xiao Guodong in this pivotal frame and inevitably there's a period of safety shots. However, Xiao fluffs a long pot which opens the door for Higgins. Can he cash in?

John Higgins has made a solid start as he looks to wrap up this match against Xiao Guodong. However, with the reds well bunched at 33-8 the Scot gets a kick after potting a red and is unable to get on the black.

Back in his seat Higgins is chuntering to himself under his breath.

Whatever happens in the conclusion of the two matches in action right now, this man is going to take some beating as "performance of the night"...

Image source, PA Media

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Four

John Higgins will come out and play every ball as it is. He'll play every frame like it's the final one. Everything will be a pint of blood. You know what you get with him. A constant trier.

Ben Woollaston had a 35-point lead in the fifth frame, but Si Jiahui takes it with a break of 65.

A bit of a bonus for the Saturday evening crowd now, with John Higgins set to resume his second-round match against Xiao Guodong with a 12-11 advantage.

The concluding nine frames of their last-16 contest were scheduled for this morning, but they only managed to play seven before they were asked to depart the arena so that the afternoon session could begin.

Higgins had a chance to wrap up victory in frame 23 but missed while among the balls - and you could see how disappointed he was that the opportunity slipped by...

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Four

Image source, Getty Images

He arrived late after flying in by plane then Luca Brecel put the afterburners on. A phenomenal performance right from start to finish. He's played with a freedom there and produced an absolute peak display. He looks like he has played himself into form.

Whether he can produce another session like that again, it's going to be tough to repeat it. I felt sorry for Ding Junhui. He looks devastated and didn't have anything left.

We're well into the second round at the Crucible now, but how much do you remember about what happened in the first round of this year's World Championship?

There are six questions - can you clear all the colours for a score of 27 points?

John Virgo
1979 UK Championship winner on BBC Four

Luca Brecel - that was absolutely sensational. What. A. Performance. Remarkable!

Quite breathtaking snooker from Luca Brecel this evening and he signs off for the night with a break of 89 to give himself an emphatic 7-1 lead in his last-16 match against Ding Junhui.

The Belgian is unable to complete a clearance en route to winning his seventh consecutive frame but is lauded by the Crucible crowd as he leaves the arena to a standing ovation. They know they have seen something special tonight.

Even John Virgo and Steve Davis started to run out of superlatives to describe that.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre

Image source, PA Media

Earlier today, Mark Williams became the second man to get into the quarter-finals and will play whoever wins the late entertainment of John Higgins v Xiao Guodong, with the Scot leading 12-11 and needing one more frame for victory.

Williams, speaking in his news conference after his second-round win over Hossein Vafaei, said he hoped his fellow 'Class of 92' graduate Higgins would triumph.

"I would love for John to win," said the 50-year-old Welshman. "The occasion, our ages and where we are in our careers, it would be fabulous and the reception would be unbelievable, like the Masters a couple of years ago.

"I would really like to play in that atmosphere again and I'm really rooting for John so come on the old boys."

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Four

Image source, Getty Images

Ding Junhui came out all guns blazing in that first frame, and then this happens.

John Virgo
1979 UK Championship winner on BBC Four

Another sparkling frame by the Belgian Bullet. You have got to feel for Ding Junhui. He must be wondering what has hit him.

Luca Brecel is probably wishing this match could carry on beyond eight frames given the manner in which he is playing at the Crucible. The Belgian notches up his sixth consecutive frame amid a flurry of pots with a break of 88.

Incredibly, Ding Junhui made a 141 break in the first frame and has scored a grand total of 15 points since.

The two players have returned from their interval hoping to find some scoring power in the second part of this first session.

Neither has managed a 50 break in this match - Si Jiahui's best so far is 48, while Ben Woollaston's is 46.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Four

Not only is Luca Brecel comfortable but he's sensing that Ding Junhui is weakening here. It's given Luca more encouragement because Ding is playing like he doesn't know where he is. If Ding loses this 6-2 he'll probably be happy with it given the way its gone.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre

Image source, Michael Emons

Luca Brecel got his hands on this trophy two years ago when he stunned the snooker world to become world champion.

He had never won a match here at the Crucible before a sensational run saw him defeat Ricky Walden, Mark Williams, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Si Jiahui and finally Mark Selby 18-15 in the final to become the first world champion from mainland Europe.

The 'Crucible Curse' - often cited for no first-time winner repeating their success the following year - then struck again in 2024 when Brecel suffered a first-day opening-round loss to David Gilbert.

But the Belgian, who flew on a jet back from his home country earlier today and arrived at the Crucible 20 minutes before his match was scheduled to start, is flying high and looking in the mood tonight.