John Higgins v Mark Williams LIVE: Snooker scores from World Championship before Ronnie O’Sullivan plays – UK Times

Higgins makes a bit of a mess of the break-off in frame two, a red comes out of the pack, kisses the cueball as it goes back towards the baulk area and the white ends up int he yellow pocket.

Immediate four points to Williams and he can then stroke in a long-range red from there. What can he score at the table this time?

Higgins wins the safety battle and he’s able to get back in amongst the ball and pick off the remaining reds.

This time there are no mistakes and Higgins clears the table with a break of 69 and John Higgins wins frame one.

Perfect start for the four-time world champion, both men had chances but he prevails

Williams tries to cut a mid-range red into the right corner but it hits both jaws and stays out. He leads 35-14 but Higgins back in now with a simple red to start.

He has to come in and out of the baulk area after potting the blue but swings the cueball rounds the angles beautifully and lands on a red. Deserved applause from the audience.

A bit short of pace for the blue again so he’s left with a tough, long-ish pot on a red to the left corner. Finds the heart of the pocket! He’s almost level with Williams in this frame and still ticking along

Williams now gets his first chance and loosens his arm with a few pots. When he reaches 20 he’s left with a tough black from near the side cushion but strikes it well. Drops it in.

Following red is also well played – suddenly he’s on a break of 35 and this looks like a frame-winning chance.

This is a best-of-25 encounter with a place in the semi-finals at stake.

Higgins settles first with a red to the left middle and is left with a mid-range blue to the right corner. Good pot – rolled in nicely. A promising start as he looks to get his cue-arm going.

Then finds a second red with the rest but he’s low on the black, so it’s a thin cut. Makes it but runs well out of position and the break ends at 14.

MC Rob Walker with the introductions – Zhao Xintong and Chris Wakelin first up as they will face off in a quarter-final on the other side of the dividing wall.

Then it’s time for the main event. Mark Williams is brought out first to Delilah and it’s an incredible Crucible welcome.

Then it’s John Higgins. He strolls into the arena and the roars are equally loud. Standing ovations for both men and we’re ready to get underway. The atmosphere is crackling.

Right, before we get to Ronnie O’Sullivan this afternoon, we’ve got a mouth-watering clash getting underway this morning.

Old rivals, member of the ‘Class of ‘92’, both celebrating their 50th birthdays this year, John Higgins and Mark Williams will do battle.

They’re likely to get an incredible reception at the Crucible, with both men legends of the sport. How many more years they still have at the highest level, who knows, so let’s make the most of this. They’re both still playing brilliantly as well.

That best-of-25 match for a place in the semi-finals will begin shortly.

Despite being the greatest snooker player of all time, Ronnie O’Sullivan has spent his career talking himself down and downplaying his chances.

It was no different after his comfortable 13-4 win over Pang Junxu yesterday, with ‘The Rocket’ rating his form as “probably two out of 10”.

He’s adamant he’ll need to massively improve in order to beat quarter-final opponent Si Jiahui – the talented Chinese youngster.

“I wasn’t bothered about getting it over quickly – I need all the table time I can get,” insisted O’Sullivan

“I think I’ve dragged them (my opponents) down to a poorer level. I think they expected me to play better and were maybe shocked that I didn’t, but I don’t think Si will fall into that trap, and that’s what makes him dangerous.”

Asked about his chances of winning the tournament, O’Sullivan responded: “I’d have to play a lot better. I’d have to start potting a few long ones, pinning them to the back rail a bit more. It needs a bit more improving in those areas really.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan and Luca Brecel wrapped up one of the quickest Crucible sessions in history as they took just over a quarter of an hour to seal their respective places in the World Snooker Championship quarter-finals.

The two former winners returned on Monday evening, each requiring a single frame to complete wins over Pang Junxu and Ding Junhui respectively.

Brecel won the sprint to the dressing room as he summoned a break of 71 to see off the 2016 finalist 13-4, and he was swiftly followed by O’Sullivan, who rifled in a break of 95 to complete his victory over Pang by the same score.

Ronnie O’Sullivan is into the quarter-finals of the 2025 World Snooker Championship for a record-extending 23rd time after a routine 13-4 win over Pang Junxu in the second round.

The 49-year-old hadn’t played competitively since January and has pulled out of recent tournaments, including the Masters, to focus on his mental health and wellbeing and it was unclear whether he would participate in the World Championship in Sheffield.

He decided to take part in the competition, in what is his 33rd consecutive appearance at the Crucible, and made light work of old rival Ali Carter in the first round, running out the 10-4 winner.

The Rocket carried on where he left off and was scarcely tested by Pang, needing just one frame to win when the session resumed on Monday night and wrapping proceedings up with a break of 95.

Here’s everything you need to know about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s next match: