Mark Selby makes Wu Yize work for the last frame before the mid-session interval.

Is Selby trying to wear down the 22-year-old Chinese player who is playing at his first World Snooker Championship?

Wu eventually takes the frame to regain a two-frame cushion. The finish line is on the horizon but still a long way to go in this one.

John Higgins gets some table time but after a break of 28 but has to work around the blue with the pink and black out of commission due to their proximity to clusters of reds.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Michael Emons

The Crucible first hosted the World Championship in 1977 and since then 29 different players have lifted the famous trophy and become world champion.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is on the above board seven times, with both John Higgins and Mark Selby featuring four times apiece.

Will Wu Yize add his name to this list one day?

Of the four players already through to the last 16, two of them, Mark Allen and Barry Hawkins, have not won this tournament - Allen losing twice in the semi-finals and Hawkins being defeated in the 2013 final.

Tonight's evening session features two former winners in Neil Robertson and Judd Trump and two players hoping to one day join them in Chris Wakelin and Hossein Vafaei.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

That 20th frame was inspiration for Ronnie O'Sullivan and now his tail is back up again. He's produced another wonderful break despite only really having the pink and blue to play with.

You saw how frustrated he was last night but he's back cueing the ball beautifully.

Ronnie O'Sullivan switches to his left hand for the final red tight on the left cushion but it pops back. He scratches his nose.

It matters little as a break of 93 is enough to give him the frame and put him back in front.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is picking off reds at will. He continues to compile an impressive break now up to 70 while milking the pink before finally bringing the black into play.

Dennis Taylor
1985 world champion on BBC Two

When you look at these two players and their break-building prowess it's incredible. They have made 2,391 centuries between them. Ronnie is 1,330 centuries and John is 1,061. Two of the greatest break builders ever.

Back under way on table one after the mid-session interval and it's a bit of cat and mouse between Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins during a safety exchange.

O'Sullivan is the early stages of a promising break of 14, but the black is out of action for the time being so he's having to navigate round the pink.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Michael Emons

It is going to be a very busy day at the Crucible.

The media room is already buzzing with excitement, with the final four last-16 ties to be completed later on.

After each match, win or lose, the players have a number of media commitments they need to fulfill.

Firstly they head off to the broadcasters for live televised interviews (BBC and TNT Sports), then they come into the media room back stage.

BBC Radio 5 Live start off asking the questions at the top table, before questions come from other written and broadcast journalists, before the World Snooker Tour do their own interviews for their website and social media.

After the Zhao Xintong v Ding Junhui match, both players first answered questions in English, then in Chinese, then going back to English.

Eight players will be in this section of the media area later on. Four will be delighted, four will be devastated.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

That was a tremendous break from Ronnie O'Sullivan given the circumstances. He was being kept cold by John Higgins who was playing so well and keeping Ronnie in his chair. So to come back and produce that break showed a lot of character and heart from Ronnie.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

Great resistance from Ronnie O'Sullivan. The table in that frame was probably a break of eight and he made it a 62. Without a shadow of a doubt his best break of the match.

It's all setup nicely now.

Not much to choose between the players in terms of statistics now which is a very different picture from when John Higgins trailed 9-4 yesterday.

John Higgins comes to the table.

The Scot pots the red but his attempt on the black rattles the jaws before sliding along the cushion and sitting just over the pocket.

Higgins promptly concedes the frame which means it's 10 frames all at the mid-session interval in this compelling Crucible encounter.

Incredible cue-ball control from Ronnie Sullivan as he screws back to nudge a red clear of the break. He pots a red then the black wipes its feet before sliding own the middle pocket.

A break of 62 from O'Sullivan before the cue ball ends up on the baulk cushion and he's forced to play a safety shot...but he leaves a potential on for John Hggins.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Those in the media room have been looking through the records and these are the times when Ronnie O'Sullivan has lost a large number of frames in a row at the Crucible.

• Lost nine successive frames v Graeme Dott in the 2006 semi-finals from 8-7 up to 8-16 down (finished 11-17 to Dott).
• Lost nine successive frames v Zhao Xintong in the 2026 semi-final from 4-3 up to 4-12 down (finished 7-17 to Zhao).
• Lost seven successive frames v Luca Brecel in the 2023 quarter-final from 10-6 up to losing 10-13.
• Lost six successive frames v Mark Selby in the 2014 final from 10-5 up to 10-11 down (finished 14-18 to Selby).
• Lost six successive frames v John Higgins in the 2026 last-16 match from 9-4 up to 4-10 down.

However, obviously, you would be a fool to write O'Sullivan off. One thing is certain, there's no way John Higgins will be thinking of the finish line just yet.

Another thing that's certain, this match has been brilliant. What will be the next twists and turns?

Ronnie O'Sullivan finally has some time on the baize to try to reignite his game.

A promising break of 32 but the black is currently nestled in among some reds. Can he get it free?

Not sure Mark Selby is aware of what is going on in the match on the other table but he too is showing his battling qualities.

Selby edges a gritty frame 57-43 against Wu Yize to move back to within a frame of the Chinese player.

Tense stuff.