Ronnie O’Sullivan and Zhao Xintong ended their opening session locked at 4-4 in the World Snooker Championship semi-final, setting the stage for what could be a thrilling contest at the Crucible Theatre.
Zhao, a 28-year-old former UK Champion from China competing as an amateur, appeared unfazed by the occasion. Making his first appearance in the semi-finals, he quickly claimed a 2-0 lead with solid breaks of 60 and 62.
However, seven-time world champion O’Sullivan, playing in his 14th Crucible semi-final, responded in style. The 49-year-old composed three consecutive half-century breaks to edge ahead 3-2, showing signs of returning to his best form.
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The remaining frames were evenly contested. Zhao levelled at 4-4 with an impressive 86 break, despite a tricky pot into the right corner pocket. The match, played over four sessions and best-of-33 frames, will resume Friday morning at 10:00 BST
Later tonight, three-time world champion Mark Williams and 2019 title-holder Judd Trump will begin their semi-final clash.
Both O’Sullivan and Zhao received standing ovations as they exited the arena — a reflection of the high-quality play and mutual respect on display.
O’Sullivan, widely considered the greatest player in the sport’s history, is aiming for a record eighth world title in the modern era. His journey to Sheffield has been unconventional; he arrived without any match practice since damaging his cue at the Championship League in January.
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Following his quarter-final win over Si Jiahui, he openly acknowledged that his place in the last four was more due to his opponents’ errors than his own brilliance.
Zhao, whom O’Sullivan has previously mentored, has made headlines with his resurgence. He returned to competition after serving a 20-month ban related to a match-fixing scandal, having admitted involvement in helping another player fix two matches and placing bets himself.
Despite losing his professional status due to the ban, Zhao has already earned a place back on the World Snooker Tour for the next season, and his recent run — 45 wins from 47 matches — underlines his determination to rebuild his career.
