The first points of the night come through a mistake - Zhao Xintong missing the red after being snookered by Ronnie O'Sullivan.

And he's done it twice! Now he's been warned he has to hit a red this time - as there is at least one ball fully available, he has to hit or the frame is forfeited.

Zhao ensures he makes a legal shot this time, but that's far from an ideal start.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

Image source, Getty Images

Let's face it - if Ronnie plays anywhere near his best, he could win eight frames tonight, we all know that.

But we always say when you start well behind - you've got to play "no miss" snooker and you need a bit of help from your opponent as well.

You'd think for him to get back in this match, he's going to need a massive dip in form from Zhao Xintong.

Ronnie O'Sullivan gets us under way in the 17th frame of this match.

How many of the eight frames tonight does he realistically need to win to have a chance of a comeback?

A good reception from the Crucible crowd for the "Cyclone", Zhao Xintong.

But a huge ovation for Ronnie O'Sullivan. No doubt who the majority of the fans in Sheffield want to see win this one.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

If you go back to the opening session of this match, which seems such a long time ago after the events of this morning, Ronnie O'Sullivan has lost nine frames in a row.

Has he ever lost 10 frames in a row in a single match to anyone ever before?

He certainly hasn't at the Crucible and I am struggling to think of another occasion when it might have happened.

The players are about to take the floor - Zhao Xintong will be introduced to the crowd first, then Ronnie O'Sullivan.

This could be over in a flash, or it could become a Crucible classic. Which will it be? Let's find out together.

BBC Two

Coverage is now under way on BBC Two - it will be there until 20:00 BST, when it will switch channels to BBC Four for the remainder of the evening session.

Live action is also available on the BBC iPlayer, and you can find all coverage options by clicking the "Watch and listen" tab at the top of this page.

Before the drama of Friday morning, Thursday's opening session between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Zhao Xintong finished all square, with the first eight frames shared.

There was a funny moment towards the end of the session when Zhao potted a black and broke the rail underneath the pocket - causing a few balls to scatter on the Crucible Theatre floor.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

This match is available to watch in 378 million households in China on CCTV5, with World Snooker expecting an audience of 50-150 million.

And if previous history is anything to go by, there is a potential audience of 150-200 million live streams.

China is without a doubt the sport's biggest market when it comes to the television landscape and it constitutes more than 50% of snooker's global audience.

A record 10 Chinese players made it to the Crucible Theatre this year and Zhao Xintong is the last one standing.

A phenomenal display in the second session against Ronnie O'Sullivan has put him on the brink of the 2025 final in Sheffield.

The only other player from China to reach a World Championship final is Ding Junhui (pictured below), who lost 18-14 to Mark Selby in 2016.

Read more about the growth of snooker in China and the nation's wait for a world snooker champion

Image source, Getty Images

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

When they come back this evening, Zhao Xintong only needs five more frames so realistically it could be over tonight.

The thing I'll say is Zhao has never been in this situation before.

Will he fall before the winning line? At the moment it doesn't look like it. He looks like he has been playing here for years and years. He's great to watch. He really is.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

Zhao Xintong was the ultimate snooker bully this morning. What he has done, which is so impressive and I always go on about, is the easy stuff well. He's not missed a pot he is supposed to get.

When he gets in, his cue ball his so good. That's the secret - keep doing the easy stuff well and he does it. He makes it look easy. Add that to his long game, that's quite hard to beat.

Zhao Xintong may have had to qualify for this year's World Championship, but his form at the Crucible should not come as too much of a surprise, given he would most probably have been challenging towards the top of the world rankings but for his 20-month suspension.

Prior to his ban, he won a Triple Crown event - the 2021 UK Championship - and was widely tipped to become one of the stars of snooker.

He returned to the sport at the start of this season and won four events on the Q Tour, earning him a spot back on the main tour from the start of next season.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

Zhao Xintong could wrap up victory against Ronnie O'Sullivan this evening.

It is a scenario that seems almost unimaginable but if it should happen, what comes next given there will be a spare session in the schedule for 14:30 BST on Saturday?

Plans are currently being put in place to fill that void, with an exhibition the likely outcome.

However, given tickets cost anything from £121 to £660, will that really satisfy fans?

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

Ronnie O'Sullivan has been completely outplayed and bullied on the table. We're used to watching Ronnie steamroller opponents and going off into the distance and not looking back. He's been on the other end of it. He's not playing well and hasn't at this World Championship. He's made two or three centuries but that's what he does even when he is playing badly.

I think he's come up against someone who is not making unforced errors and missing the way the other guys have so far.

Ronnie O'Sullivan returned to action at this year's World Championship after three months away from playing snooker, speaking extensively before the tournament about how much he had been affected by struggles with his technique.

His 2025 campaign looks likely to end in the semi-finals.

Even so, his run to the last four (and possibly beyond - never count out Ronnie) keeps up an impressive recent record at the Crucible.

Since going out in the first round in 2019, he has only failed to reach at least the quarter-final stage once - and that was after coming out on the wrong side of a deciding frame against Anthony McGill.

Two of his seven world titles were secured in 2020 and 2022.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

Only two players have recovered a deficit of eight frames and gone on to win a match at the Crucible Theatre.

Dennis Taylor trailed Steve Davis 8-0 early in the 1985 final (I expect you know how that one finished), while Luca Brecel came from 14-5 down to beat Si Jiahui 17-15 in the semi-finals in 2023.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

Coming in with very little time to get used to a new cue, and a dynamic change with the ferrule, has caused massive problems for Ronnie. He's managed to get through to a stage where all of sudden the wheels have fallen off.

He's all at sea. You need a cue you can trust and until that happens you cannot play the game. Even someone like Ronnie O'Sullivan. He did it once before with a new cue, but not now, there's too many good players around.

When you are going to get found out as an old champion, it is the next generation that do it. It's the circle of life.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

Ronnie O'Sullivan is not playing well.

Yes, he's mucking around with cues and ferrules. A lot of shots he has exaggerated the elbow behind, which means he's not cueing well. It doesn't matter what equipment you are using - if you are not cueing well you are not going to play well.

His game is not on point at the moment. For the first time in the tournament he has been found out about it.