That's all for this page for a few hours after a thrilling first session of the semi-final between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Zhao Xintong ended 4-4.

We're back tonight as the superb other tie, between Judd Trump and Mark Williams, gets going.

Image source, PA Media

Shaun Murphy
2005 world champion on BBC Two

On whether the World Championship should stay at the Crucible...

It's a difficult one. With our hearts - as a nine-year-old boy I came here in 1992 and it bit me, I got the bug and it was in this room.

Barry's making the link between finance and payments and size of audiences - that's not the only income stream for World Snooker Ltd or Matchroom Sport, they make a lot of money in a lot of other areas.

While we sell out the Crucible for three sessions a day for 17 days, could they sell out a 4,000 or 5,000-seater arena for three sessions a day for 17 days? There's a bit of a question mark over that.

He's making a very strong link between the financial rewards of professional sport and ticket sales. There are other avenues.

More from Barry Hearn, speaking to BBC Two about the views of snooker fans who do not want the World Championship to leave the Crucible:

"I agree with them, I don't want it to move. But I have to live in the real world. While every player says there's nothing like walking out at the Crucible, every player would jump at the chance to earn double or treble the prize money. That's the world we're in.

"I'm a fan as much as anybody else, but I'm a realist. I built a big business on making sure that we deliver to players first and the public second. Whether it stays in Sheffield or somewhere else in the UK, or whether it moves to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Beijing - it's going to be a tough one.

"We have got to try to find some middle ground. We're not going to be difficult, our heart says we want to stay here because we're fans as well. Players need to be paid - that's what it comes down to."

Matchroom Sport president Barry Hearn, speaking to BBC Two about the latest regarding the future of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible beyond 2027:

"It's a good time to talk because I've had a very productive meeting with Sheffield City Council. We all know where our heart is, unfortunately it's got to marry up with our wallets because that's what professional sport is about.

"I'm looking at prize money levels and thinking snooker players have got to have more, so it's Matchroom's job and World Snooker's job to generate more.

"I'm impressed with their attitude. There's still some way to go, we've set ourselves a target of getting together again in three months to see where we're going towards. I've been honest with them in saying what we need. It all comes down to money of course.

"They're going to need some help [in finding that money] and on an even bigger scale, hopefully the government identifies this as an event that is very good for Britain. Sometimes it hasn't had the respect of that because we've always been here.

"We've got the history, my life changed at the Crucible and I don't want to leave, but if the money's right then I have to. Because I'm going to be under pressure from players who say everyone else's prize money is going up - darts players, boxers, whatever - and not us.

"And how do we inspire the next generation of people, other than saying like Luke Littler in darts, you can change your life through playing this sport. I've got to give that and that's going to involve negotiations on both sides.

"I think we'll know much clearer where we are by the end of this year, we have a contract until 2027, so we're looking at where we will be in 2028."

Barry Hearn, president of Matchroom Sport, who hold a majority shareholding in World Snooker Ltd, has been talking to BBC Two about the future of the World Championship at the Crucible.

The iconic Sheffield theatre has hosted the World Championship since 1977 but its current contract expires after the 2027 event, with speculation it could move elsewhere in the city, somewhere else in the UK, to China or the Middle East.

Here are the quotes...

What a way to end the session from Zhao Xintong, who pots one of the balls with such ferocity that the part of the table where the balls go when potted, collapses.

Every successful pot in that pocket sees the ball scattered on the Crucible floor, like a dodgy table at your local club.

There will be work to do for one of the table-fitter team to fix it.

Zhao smashes in a break of 86, the best of the match, to leave it perfectly poised at 4-4 and that's them done for the day. They resume at 10:00 BST on Friday.

Dennis Taylor
1985 world champion on BBC Two

Image source, PA Media

It's a dream semi-final really - the seven-time champion against a young player that could potentially be the first player from China to lift the world title.

It's a wonderful match-up.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is at a break of 32 and misses a black off the spot, and once again indicates he is having a problem drawing the cue through.

An unexpected chance for Zhao to leave the first session all square.

Vintage Ronnie O'Sullivan after Zhao overcuts the black ball. The Rocket blasts through the balls to get to 82, but we don't get to see the first century of the match as he then misses a black, but with the frame long won.

Shaun Murphy
2005 world champion on BBC Two

Image source, PA Media

Fatigue does usually [catch up with you] at some stage on your journey to this trophy. There's usually a session in there where you have a bit of a wobble.

That doesn't seem to have happened for Zhao Xintong just yet, but there will be a trialling session out there - it's coming.

Zhao did not register a point in the previous two frames, but he gets back to the table in frame six and pounces on that missed brown from O'Sullivan.

The run of breaks of at least 60 in every frame ends, but Zhao won't mind about that. All square, 3-3.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

It's very important that Zhao Xintong makes Ronnie O'Sullivan pay for that miss.

What's been happening throughout the World Championship so far is that Ronnie has not been punished for a lot of his mistakes.

Errors from both men in the early stages of frame six. O'Sullivan, after downing a fine long red, misses a green, Zhao gets 22 points on the board but misses.

O'Sullivan then fails with an attempt on the brown to give Zhao another chance.

Image source, PA Media

Ronnie O'Sullivan has continued where he left off before the mid-session interval. A break of 60 continues the run of there being a break of at least 60 in every frame of a thrilling semi-final.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

The vast majority of Ronnie's scoring chances are going to come from winning those tactical battles.

Ronnie is dominating the safety exchanges. The shots he's playing are just far more advanced than those of his opponent and he's starting to get results from the superior safety play.

We're back in action and O'Sullivan, after losing the first two frames and winning the next two, is in with a chance first, only to miss a red.

He then shows that he did not force the cue through correctly, something he says he has been working on in an attempt to "rebuild" his technique.

But Zhao can't take advantage and O'Sullivan is quickly at the table, only to miss a red into left middle.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Players from eight countries have won snooker's most prestigious title and become a world champion - but China is still waiting for its first success.

Could 2025 be the year that changes - with Zhao Xintong down to the final four?

So what happens to snooker if he lifts the famous trophy on Monday, 5 May?

"It's something the authorities we've been working in China with have dreamed of, that one day they would have the world champion," said WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson.

"If a Chinese player wins it would be magical, a historical moment, a real shift in the sport, and I can't tell you the media frenzy it would cause for snooker around the world."

"There's no doubt that player would become a national hero."

• Read more of our feature on the growth of the game in China.

The BBC's Ask Me Anything team asked for your questions about snooker during the ongoing World Championship.

Some of those questions about the sport were put to the World Snooker Tour, who have provided responses.

Roger asked: Why do snooker players keep playing a break after they have won a frame?

A: Perhaps to give themselves extra confidence, and because they enjoy potting balls! Also there may be a chance of a century break which is great for the player and the crowd.

In addition to World Snooker's answer, it's also worth adding that there is a £100,000 bonus available from the World Snooker Tour for the first player who makes 100 century breaks in a season. Judd Trump reached that milestone during his second-round match against Shaun Murphy.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

If I'd have been in Zhao's camp, I'd have taken 2-2 to get a footing in the match.

The fact he was 2-0 up, he'll be slightly disappointed, but I'd have said that 2-2 is alright just to get a footing in the semi-final.

Shaun Murphy
2005 world champion on BBC Two

It was very brisk indeed and particularly with Zhao, we spoke about the great rhythm he has, he doesn't look like he's in a hurry.

It does help when you've got pinpoint cue ball control. When you're constantly in the right place, it makes the game easier.