Ding clearance forces deciderpublished at 13:17 British Summer Time 24 April

13:17 BST 24 April

Ding 9-9 Lisowski

A frame away from exiting the tournament and Ding Junhui compiles a stunning century to ensure we're going all the way, a fabulous 131 clearance.

This had 10-9 either way written all over it when the draw was made and these two terrifically talented players have not let us down.

A careless safety shot from Jack Lisowski gives Ding first chance in frame 18.

After an easy opening red, he has a really tough cut pink to the middle. If he misses, it could be his last shot of the tournament - but it's right in the heart of the pocket.

As is a mid-distance blue a couple of shots later. Ding digging deep.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

I mentioned that Jack Lisowski had three bites of the cherry - the first one has just gone.

Ding is not going down without a fight - a break of 56 gets him back within a frame of Jack Lisowski.

Lady Luck fails to shine on Ding Junhui in frame 16. He breaks into the pack of reds but lands on nothing - and his attempted safety, with awkward bridging, goes in off.

Jack Lisowski pounces like a caged lion, knocking in a fantastic long red to start a frame-winning break of 72 that included an audacious double on a red when he'd run out of position.

The world number 17 needs just one more frame to end Ding's dreams of a first World Championship title for another year.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Red Button

Both times Ding has gone two frames behind, he has found his best snooker of the morning session.

It shows again, the best players in the world, when they are put under pressure, they are able to produce their best snooker.

A wonderfully-crafted 59 break, with the balls hardly ideally placed throughout, helps Ding Junhui once again close within a frame of Jack Lisowski.

He had to escape this horrible snooker at one point - when Lisowski was at the two snookers required stage.

Ding came off five cushions, going between pink and black and finally off baulk and side rail to just touch the red.

Shot of the Championship contender material.

Image source, BBC Sport

Today is the annual World Disability Snooker Day, which aims to raise awareness of the opportunities for people with disabilities to pick up a cue and get involved in snooker.

It has been a season of continued growth for the World Disability Billiards and Snooker (WDBS) tour which has featured ranking events in four countries as well as the Shanghai Invitational Disability Snooker Cup in China and a ground-breaking week at the World Abilitysport Games in Thailand.

WDBS players, including gold medallists from the World Abilitysport Games, have been invited to take part in the day at the Cue Zone in the Sheffield Winter Garden and will include activities led by snooker coaches including Steve Rutter.

The event is jointly organised by World Snooker Tour and WDBS, a subsidiary body of snooker’s world governing body the WPBSA, which has staged disability snooker events since 2015.

WDBS aims to provide opportunities for people around the world with disabilities to play snooker competitively, with the long-term goal of taking the sport back to the Paralympics for the first time since 1988.

Image source, World Snooker Tour

Drama in the first frame after the mid-session interval as Ding Junhui requires two snookers - and gets them.

Jack Lisowski is unlucky with the first foul, escaping a snooker and hitting the red but it collides with the green and knocks it in the middle pocket.

The second foul is an ill-advised swerve, though - but it ends up not mattering as Ding misses the final red and leaves it for a relieved Lisowski to mop up. He's two frames away from the second round.

Image source, PA Media

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Please leave your name on text messages - and we look forward to hearing from you!

Image source, BBC Sport

Pretty even, as reflected by the scoreline.

Ding Junhui has actually scored more points and potted more balls than Jack Lisowski despite being a frame behind.

Ding Junhui needed a response after losing the past two frames - and, after Jack Lisowski missed an early red in frame 14, the Chinese punishes him with a clinical break of 84.

This one's back in the melting pot as the players head for their mid-session interval.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre

Image source, Michael Emons

What a start to what always promised to be a great day of snooker, with four matches to be completed as well as the start of the campaign for snooker superstars Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins.

We almost had Kyren Wilson making another maximum in only the second frame of the day - an achievement that would have also got him on the 147 board in the venue, for a second time.

There have only been 14 maximums at the Crucible - three for Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry and one apiece for Cliff Thorburn, Jimmy White, Mark Williams, Ali Carter, John Higgins, Neil Robertson, Wilson and Mark Selby.

Wilson's maximum came in a 10-5 win over Ryan Day in the first round last year and he was up for the £40,000 prize that goes to anyone that makes a Crucible maximum in 2024.

He would also have gained a share of the £15,000 for the highest break in the whole tournament along with Thailand's Noppon Saengkham, who hit a 147 in the third qualifying round against Andy Hicks.

But it was not to be as Wilson, after 11 reds and 11 blacks, faltered at 88 in his 10-1 win over Dominic Dale.

Image source, Michael Emons

Meanwhile, Jack Lisowski, who trailed Ding Junhui 2-0 early doors on Tuesday, has opened up a 7-5 lead over the Chinese star with consecutive half-centuries.

The 32-year-old Gloucestershire native has compiled runs of 52 and 63 to move three frames away from a second-round meeting with Stuart Bingham.

With the other match in the arena now complete, the partition wall has been removed so this pair will conclude their encounter in front of the entire Crucible crowd.

Image source, Getty Images

Twelfth seed Kyren Wilson will meet Joe O'Connor - conqueror of Mark Selby - in round two after his demolition job on Dominic Dale.

Kyren Wilson also had a bit to say about the venue after Hossein Vafaei's comments that the Crucible "smells" amid the ongoing debate over its future as host of the tournament once the current deal expires in 2027.

"I love it here - it's always exciting coming here, driving up and seeing the signs for the World Championship," Wilson told BBC Two.

"There always seems to be a bit more of a buzz here. I can confirm it smells beautiful at the Crucible.

"I just love it and it's great to have my children come up and experience it. Hopefully they get inspired and want to take it up as well."

Former Crucible runner-up Kyren Wilson, speaking to BBC Two:

"It's no disrespect to Dom but it's not often you find yourself in that position where you can just have a free shot at it [a 147].

"My family - my wife and my kids - came up for today's session so I thought it might be nice! They watched my last 147 at school in this tournament last year so I thought it might be nice to try to do one for them live.

"Last year I was in position until the very end with the last two reds - but this one, I was constantly fighting and every time a ball went in the crowd got more and more excited which then got the adrenaline going and I felt more under pressure to try to do it for the kids live.

"It's always special here but it's nice to play with freedom."

He's not wrong - Wilson leaves himself a very thin black that somehow drops despite clipping the jaw of the corner pocket...

But then a mid-distance red proves his undoing and the 147 attempt ends at 88.

Regardless it's been a brilliant performance to totally outclass 52-year-old qualifier Dominic Dale. He's hit breaks of 52, 75, 123, 96, 50, 77, 73 and that final 88 in a virtuoso display by the world number 12.

Wilson will meet Joe O'Connor - conqueror of Mark Selby - in the second round.

Image source, Getty Images

The reds not ideally placed for a 147 and Kyren Wilson has had to pull out some cracking shots to keep this maximum attempt alive.

He's past the snookers required stage so he can fully focus on the max now.

"I'm making hard work of this," he jokes to the crowd!

Now then, eight reds and seven blacks down - Kyren Wilson is on 57 and clearly eyeing a maximum.

The eighth black is a very tough one.... but it drops! Just!

There's a murmur of anticipation around the Crucible Theatre.