Image source, Getty Images

Performance of the World Championship so far? Luca Brecel was in sensational form in the first session of his second-round match against Ding Junhui.

Ding made a superb 141 break in the first frame but managed only 15 more points in the next seven as the 2023 world champion stormed into a 7-1 lead.

Brecel was simply brilliant, knocking in two centuries and four more breaks of 50 or more. No wonder Ding looked pretty non-plussed...

Image source, Getty Images

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre

World number one Judd Trump took a 5-3 lead in his World Championship last-16 tie with fellow former world champion Shaun Murphy, but narrowly missed a chance to move closer to winning a £100,000 bonus.

Trump, 35, fought back from 2-0 and 3-2 down, winning the last three frames of the session, but, when on 98 in frame eight, missed a pot on the yellow that would have given him a century break.

He has made 98 centuries this season and is the only player who could get to one hundred tons this term, something that would earn him a £100,000 prize.

Trump will have another eight frames to play later on Sunday as the match resumes at 19:00 BST, before the final session on Monday from 13:00 BST, in the best-of-25 match.

Only two players have made a hundred century breaks in one campaign - Neil Robertson in 2013-14 with 103 and Trump himself with 102 in 2019-20.

On the other table, Zhao Xintong completed victory against Lei Peifan to set up a quarter-final with fellow qualifier Chris Wakelin.

• 14:30 BST - Table One - Ronnie O'Sullivan v Pang Junxu (6-2)
• 14:30 BST - Table Two - Luca Brecel v Ding Junhui (7-1)
• 19:00 BST - Table One - Si Jiahui v Ben Woollaston (5-3)
• 19:00 BST - Table Two - Judd Trump v Shaun Murphy (5-3)

It's day nine at the 2025 World Snooker Championship and in Sunday's afternoon session we will be watching two of the game's great entertainers.

Ronnie O'Sullivan and Luca Brecel had built handsome leads by the end of the first session of their respective second-round matches - can either produce a repeat today and earn themselves a day off before a Crucible quarter-final?

Or will Chinese duo Pang Junxu and Ding Junhui find a response?

We are taking a short break on the updates for now, but will be back from about 14:15 BST to build up to Ronnie O’Sullivan against Pang Junxu (6-2) while Luca Brecel leads Ding Junhui 7-1.

A 98 break from Judd Trump put him ahead after the morning session.

Judd Trump hits the front for the first time thanks to a break of 62 to move 4-3 ahead in his last-16 tie with Shaun Murphy.

One frame more to go in this session.

We're back level on table one as Judd Trump took frame six, winning it 88-6.

Trump is two century breaks away from winning £100,000 but his best break so far today is the 70 he made in frame four.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre

A delighted Zhao Xintong has just been speaking to the media after his 13-10 win over Lei Peifan.

"I'm so happy, that's the first time into the quarter-finals and I'm so proud of myself," he said. "In the first round he [Lei] came back against Kyren Wilson so I knew I wasn't ready to win and I needed to be strong.

"I just want to go through the Crucible and I need to try my best and enjoy it as it is very nice, the crowd is nice and I want to stay longer. This is my first time to play Chris Wakelin, I know he is really good player."

On potentially becoming world champion, he said: "It's a dream for every snooker player, if I do that I would be really happy."

On what winning the world title would do to Chinese snooker, he replied: "It would be very good for Chinese snooker. Now Chinese snooker is stronger and has a lot of young Chinese players starting."

Shaun Murphy has retaken the lead against Judd Trump and done so with a break of 103 in frame five.

It is all over on table one as Zhao Xintong becomes the fourth man into the quarter-finals after beating compatriot Lei Peifan 13-10.

One last opportunity for Lei as he comes to the table 59-25 behind. He is 34 points adrift, with 35 on the table. He needs perfection to stay in the tournament.

Zhao Xintong is up to 41 and has a potential match-winning chance here.

Zhao Xintong may just be getting a bit nervous. He was 41-12 ahead in the 20th frame and closing in on victory, only to then lose it with Lei then making breaks of 94 and 65 in the next two frames for three successive frames.

First to 13 gets through and plays Chris Wakelin in the quarter-final.

We always thought the Judd Trump versus Shaun Murphy match - the current world number one against the reigning Masters champion - was going to be close and that's exactly what it has been.

Murphy took the opening two frames, including a break of 75 in frame one, only for Trump to respond by taking the next two, making 70 in frame four.

At the mid-session interval it's 2-2 with four more to play in this session before they return to the arena for another eight from 19:00 BST.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre

Image source, Getty Images

There were 10 Chinese players in the 32 at the Crucible, with six of those making it to the last-16, while there will be at least one player from China in the quarter-finals.

The country is searching for its first world title, having come close in 2016 when Ding Junhui lost in the final to Mark Selby.

Australian Neil Robertson knows what it is like to break through the British dominance of snooker and felt the unity the Chinese players were showing this year was a massive boost.

The 2010 champion added: "Xiao Guodong said it's like 'Team China' and they are really happy for each other and I like that mindset. He said they're trying to take the burden off Ding and support him and they're in it together.

"The game is getting stronger and stronger in China and it makes first rounds in all tournaments harder as we're only going to get more Chinese players qualifying.

"They don't seem fazed by the Crucible and all seem to play well, even on debuts, so it's exciting for snooker. We're seeing a lot of international flags, which is great for the game."

• Read more of our feature on how snooker has grown in China.

Lei Peifan is making a real fight of it over on table one.

Zhao Xintong is one frame away from victory, but Lei, who edged a thrilling final-frame decider against 2024 world champion Kyren Wilson in round one, has just made a superb break of 94 to stay in the competition.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre

Image source, Michael Emons

This is where the winners and losers from each match go as they face questions from the media and the World Snooker Tour media team.

Will Ronnie O'Sullivan and Luca Brecel be in these seats later on? They can both win their last-16 matches with a session to spare, although they will need to be in superb form to do so.

O'Sullivan leads 6-2 over Pang Junxu and needs to win seven of their eight frames in the afternoon session, while Brecel is 7-1 ahead against Ding Junhui and will win if he collects six of their eight frames today.

Image source, Michael Emons

Judd Trump is off the mark in his last-16 tie with Shaun Murphy, who won both of the opening two frames.

Trump took the frame 60-40, Murphy played on trying to get a snooker with only a few balls left but could not get it.

That was a chance to get into the quarter-finals for Zhao Xintong as he held a 41-12 lead, but Lei Peifan fought back to take it 87-41 and stay in the competition.