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Speaking before today's second-round match got under way, Stephen Hendry said he is convinced Ronnie O'Sullivan is showing the form that could bring him a record-breaking eighth World Championship title in Sheffield.

Scottish great Hendry was the Crucible king in the 1990s, and he and Englishman O'Sullivan jointly hold the record of triumphing seven times at the famous venue.

But that could change in the next 10 days as O'Sullivan chases the eighth world title of his career.

"Even though he will deflect away from his chances of winning this thing, I think the way he played [against Carter] definitely shows he is a contender," Hendry told the World Snooker Tour's Snooker Club podcast:

"So I'm really looking forward to seeing how he plays the rest of the championship."

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Hossein Vafaei has a 23-point lead with three reds left on the table. All of them are in safe positions as Mark Williams heads to the table.

The difference between 11-8 and 10-9 is massive.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC One

It's been a breeze for Ronnie. He's in his comfort zone. Pang Junxu has played some nice shots and potted some good balls in that third frame, but he's not putting Ronnie under pressure. The only way to do that is win frames in one visit and unless Pang starts to do that this match isn't going to a third session.

Pang Junxu is making some naive mistakes and Ronnie O'Sullivan has punished them. The Rocket notches up the fourth frame after a break of 63 following a couple of blunders by the Chinese player.

Plain sailing for O'Sullivan so far in this contest.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre

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There were interesting quotes from Ronnie O'Sullivan after his first-round win over Ali Carter with 'The Rocket' speaking of his desire to develop future snooker players.

"I help out with the academy in Saudi Arabia and I'm enjoying the work I do there. Hopefully I can do something similar with some young kids in the UK and China," he said.

"That's where my true love is, to help people, help snooker players. I'm really enjoying it and that's not a distraction for me. It's practising and playing, maybe learning some tips off them as you can always learn off other people.

"We need to put some academies in place here. How do we get funding? I would love to see one in Wales with Mark Williams, one in Scotland with John Higgins, one in [England] with me and one in Ireland with Ken Doherty, get the kids from as young as seven or eight and send them to the academies, put in nine or 10 Star tables in there and get the kids playing.

"Even if I was not playing I would still be in snooker, coming here as support for a top player to help him win a World Championship."

Dennis Taylor
1985 world champion on BBC One

Pang Junxu has had chances in all three frames but he has not been able to take them.

Very well played, Hossein Vafaei.

The world number 24 from Iran, who came through qualifying to reach the Crucible for the fourth successive year, clears up to the pink for an impressive break of 70 to get back to within two frames of Mark Williams.

Pang Junxu is struggling to stem the tide against Ronnie O'Sullivan and the seven-time world champion puts himself firmly in control of this contest.

The Rocket is not quite able to complete the clearance - missing a tough cut on the black - but a break of 34 is enough to close out the third frame in his favour. It's already looking like an uphill battle for Pang from here.

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Mark Williams starts the 18th frame with five reds and five blacks but, when he runs slightly out of position on the sixth red, he decides against going for the maximum and plays up for the blue.

Winning the frame at this visit has to come first - but he breaks down on 52 so there's still some work to do.

Mark Williams takes the 17th frame, which was re-racked twice and finishes about 50 minutes after it first got under way.

Hossein Vafaei catches the near jaw with a brown to the middle and left-hander Williams knocks it in, as well as the blue and pink, to move within three frames of the quarter-finals.

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An opening break of 50 from Ronnie O'Sullivan in the third frame.

In total, O'Sullivan and Pang Junxu have played each on five occasions. O'Sullivan has won three of those encounters and Pang two.

Their most recent meeting was in the last 32 of the 2024 International Championship in Nanjing, China where Pang triumphed 6-4.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC One

If the match continues in this way I'd be surprised if it goes to a third session. At the moment Pang Junxu has just not been good enough.

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It's not quite a century break but one of 91 is sufficient to give Ronnie O'Sullivan the second frame.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC One

I much preferred to play an older established player rather than a youngster. Because you never know when the younger player jumps up in level. That could be someone like Pang Junxu.

A solid start from Pang Junxu to the second frame but a poor choice of shot after a break of 25 looks to have cost him. Ronnie O'Sullivan goes through the gears as he looks to polish off the remaining reds eyeing a century break.

Oh, Mark Williams is so unlucky here...

He slams the blue into the middle and goes in and out of baulk with lots of side to run into the bunch of reds.

And they split perfectly for the Welshman... except for the one that drifts into the corner pocket.

Hossein Vafaei has a chance now to reduce his deficit to one frame.

Mark Williams and Hossein Vafaei share a few laughs and smirks as the re-racked frame 17 immediately ends up with the two players playing tippy-tappy shots into the pack of reds.

So we're going to have another re-rack.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC One

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Pang Junxu had chances early in that frame. The first session is going to be crucial for him if he is to get anything in this match. What you have to do when you play Ronnie O'Sullivan in these big events is not miss any easy chances. Then you'll go a long way against him.

Pang Junxu needs two snookers but decides to keep Ronnie O'Sullivan on the table with just the blue, pink and black remaining.

After a bit of play up and down the table O'Sullivan leaves the blue on the lip of the pocket. Pang ends up sending the cue ball spinning on into the pocket after potting the blue and concedes the frame.

We mentioned in the previous post that safety was the order of the day between Mark Williams and Hossein Vafaei.

Well, the frame gets into such a stalemate that the two players have decided to re-rack the balls and go again.