Ronnie O’Sullivan reached a record-extending 23rd World Snooker Championship quarter-final with a routine 13-4 win over Pang Junxu as a mouth-watering last-eight line-up was finalised tonight at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Multiple champions John Higgins and Mark Williams had already booked their spots in the last eight, as had Zhao Xintong, rebuilding his career after a betting ban, and Chris Wakelin.
History-chasing Ronnie O’Sullivan wasted no time in securing his spot alongside them, picking up the one more frame he needed when he resumed his last-16 match against Pang. The Rocket narrowly missed out on a century break, with 95 enough to book his place in the next round.
Luca Brecel joined him in the quarter-finals in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it night session, seeing off Ding Junhui 13-4 with a break of 71 when their encounter resumed, the 2023 world champion also requiring just one more frame.
First this afternoon came a battle between two former champions, Shaun Murphy and Judd Trump, with world No 1 Trump clinching a 13-10 victory. And on the other side of the arena, Si Jiahui saw off Ben Woollaston by the same score.
Follow all the scores, results and latest updates from the World Snooker Championship below.
World Snooker Championship 2025
- Remaining last-16 matches conclude today to fix quarter-final line-up
- Judd Trump beats Shaun Murphy 13-10 after resisting late fightback
- Si Jiahui beats Ben Woollaston 13-10 in other afternoon match
- Ronnie O'Sullivan cruises into quarter-finals with 13-4 win over Pang Junxu
- Luca Brecel joins the Rocket, making light work of Ding Junhui to win 13-4
'Should be a cracking game' - Luca Brecel
20:52 , Flo CliffordLuca Brecel will face world No. 1 Judd Trump in the other quarter-final that was decided this evening.
“It could be (explosive) but it could also go scrappy and you never know how the balls go, but if we both play well it should be a cracking game,” he adds.
It’s certainly an all-star line-up.
'Good enough to win' - Luca Brecel
20:40 , Flo CliffordNow we hear from Luca Brecel, who beat Ding Junhui by the same scoreline in the other evening match.
“I felt quite good, not 100% at the top of my game yet but good enough to win,” he tells BBC Two.
On whether his first session was the best he's ever played: “No, I think the session against (Mark) Selby in the final (2023) when I made three or four centuries in five frames, that was much better than this one and clean, but it was good.”
Tuesday's order of play
20:28 , Flo Clifford10:00
Zhao Xintong v Chris Wakelin
John Higgins v Mark Williams
14:30
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Si Jiahui
Luca Brecel v Judd Trump
19:00
Zhao Xintong v Chris Wakelin - second session
John Higgins v Mark Williams - second session
Up next: Si Jiahui
20:16 , Flo CliffordRonnie turns his attention to his next opponent, after Si Jiahui held on to beat Ben Woollaston 13-10 this afternoon.
“This’ll be the acid test, because he does score,” O’Sullivan says. “Opponents that I’ve played in the first two rounds have had enough chances to put me away and haven’t, but this guy will.
“He buried me in Saudi Arabia this year, because I was scrapping, his scoring power was just too much for me.
“Best of 25 match, three-session game, I’m going to have to be in good [shape], see where I’m at. if I get through that, it’ll be a good test for me.”
'I don't know where my back arm is' - O'Sullivan
20:08 , Flo Clifford“People tell me you're not as bad as you think but it's really hard for me to judge - it's probably the worst I've ever felt.
“I don't know where my back arm is, where my left leg is, sometimes I can't even see where I'm hitting and I'll butcher a shot.
“I'm a bit like Seve Ballesteros - I can spray it all over the gaff but if I'm in and around the greens I'm able to make a few.
“That's what break-building is, you have to be a bit creative - but long game, iron game, I'm in the bushes, I'm in the rough. The safety and long game are pretty much non-existent.”
Still into a record-extending 23rd quarter-final, though.
'Completely overachieved' on return to competition - O'Sullivan
20:02 , Flo Clifford“I’ve completely overachieved as far as this tournament’s concerned,” O’Sullivan concedes. “Every day I go to the table and just try to improve a little bit if I can. You feel like you’re getting somewhere and then you go backwards.
“I’ll give it two years and if it’s like it is now, then there’s no point playing because it’s just no fun. But I’m prepared to grind it out for the longer picture. You’ve got feel like you’re at one with the game.”
More from the Rocket
19:56 , Flo Clifford“It was hard [going back to the Crucible after a few months off], I just thought this could be a complete disaster. I was happy to make a game of it, win two or three frames maybe,” he adds.
“It's very different to when I had a year off in 2012 because the minute I put the cue in my hand, seven, eight weeks before the tournament in 2013 I didn't feel like I could miss.
“I’ve won this tournament many times before playing what I consider bad, so it can be done. But when you’re in your early 40s, late 30s, it’s probably much more achievable than when you’re 50 and struggling to bend down to do your shoelaces up, it gets a bit hard.”
'I just feel so un-confident' - O'Sullivan
19:50 , Flo Clifford“The cue’s fine, it’s just me,” O’Sullivan continues. “I give up even trying to work it out. You try so many things and you can either accept it or you can’t.
“I’m just going to try and coach my way out of it, probably haven’t devoted all my time to snooker the last three or four years. At the moment I just feel so un-confident, it’s horrible, even when you’re playing alright.
"I’ve successfully rebuilt my game before, it’s just the feeling [that’s missing]. I just can’t handle not knowing where the balls are going.”
'It's not about winning' - O'Sullivan
19:41 , Flo CliffordRonnie O’Sullivan is into a 23rd World Championship quarter-final, but cuts a less than happy figure after that routine win.
“I feel so unconfident it's horrible - even when I'm playing all right,” the Rocket tells BBC Two.
“In the balls I was all right tonight but there are so many different parts of the game you've got to get right. It's hell.
“It's not about winning, it's about going there and being confident enough to just do yourself justice. It's nice to win but you just want to be part of a good game.
“I've always felt better if I've played well in a game and lost than played terrible and won - I know I'm probably not normal so I've accepted that!”
World Snooker Championship 2025 Quarter-final line-ups
19:34 , Flo CliffordSo our quarter-finalists are set. Here’s the final draw - it’s a good one:
Zhao Xintong (a) v Chris Wakelin (20)
Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) v Si Jiahui (13)
John Higgins (3) v Mark Williams (6)
Luca Brecel (7) v Judd Trump (2)
Luca Brecel beats Ding Junhui 13-4
19:32 , Flo CliffordOver on the other table, Luca Brecel’s break of 71 is enough to seal victory over Ding Junhui. An extremely quick night session at the Crucible.
Ronnie wins! Ronnie O'Sullivan 13-4 Pang Junxu
19:31 , Flo CliffordHe looks to wrap it up with a century but just overcooks the green to finish on 95. No matter, he’s into the quarter-final regardless!
Classy stuff from the Rocket, but Pang Junxu will be kicking himself he didn’t make that tougher.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 12-4 Pang Junxu
19:27 , Flo CliffordRonnie is up to 79 already... this could be a grim night for Pang.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 12-4 Pang Junxu
19:25 , Flo CliffordO’Sullivan has been rewarded for his very patient start with that Pang mistake. He’s cleaning up the reds now, easy as you like.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 12-4 Pang Junxu
19:23 , Flo CliffordThe Rocket plays a safety and leaves Pang with a tough shot. He goes for a long pot but it glances off the cushion.
A fairly tentative start to this frame. O’Sullivan puts too much on his shot and leaves the door open for Pang. He duly puts it away, to left middle, leaving the white nestling behind the brown.
Pang commits to another long pot but overcooks it, allowing O’Sullivan back in with the reds spread perfectly.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 12-4 Pang Junxu
19:17 , Flo CliffordThe players get a great reception from crowd, Pang Junxu enjoying himself immensely, as he should.
Pang gets underway, putting away a nice long pot on his first red.
A break of 12 for Pang as a red just bounces off the cushion, but it leaves the cue ball in a good position on the black.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 12-4 Pang Junxu
19:03 , Flo CliffordHere we go then, with the Rocket just one frame away from a record-extending 23rd quarter-final appearance.
Can Pang spring an upset? It’s a long way back from here...
Tonight's schedule at the Crucible
18:50 , Flo CliffordQuick reminder of our remaining last-16 matches this evening:
19:00
Ronnie O'Sullivan 12-4 Pang Junxu - to a finish
Luca Brecel 12-4 Ding Junhui - to a finish
Quarter-final line-ups
18:40 , Flo CliffordTonight’s action could be over with very quickly, with both Ronnie O’Sullivan and Luca Brecel requiring just one frame to book their spots in the last eight.
O’Sullivan or Pang will face Si Jiahui after he beat Ben Woollaston 13-10 earlier on today.
On the opposite side of the draw, the winner of Brecel v Ding Junhui will play Judd Trump, after he withstood a fightback by Shaun Murphy to win 13-10.
Pang and Ding will both be looking to emulate Murphy’s comeback and give tonight’s crowd some value for their money. Trump was within one frame of victory before the Masters champion got himself back into the contest, winning four frames in a row before Trump eventually sealed victory.
Ronnie O’Sullivan on brink of last eight after dominating Pang Junxu
18:25 , Flo CliffordRonnie O’Sullivan eased to the brink of a record-extending 23rd World Snooker Championship quarter-final after making short work of opponent Pang Junxu in the second session of their second-round match at the Crucible.
O’Sullivan was seldom required to reach top gear as he turned a 6-2 overnight lead into a 12-4 advantage, which leaves him requiring just one more frame on Monday evening to confirm his return to the last eight.
Playing in his first tournament since January, the seven-time champion often looked far from happy with his form, but still fired back-to-back centuries en route to establishing a seemingly unassailable lead over his outclassed 25-year-old opponent.
Ronnie O’Sullivan on brink of last eight after dominating Pang Junxu
Hearn issues ultimatum to Crucible over World Championship's future
18:06 , Lawrence OstlereBarry Hearn has declared the Crucible Theatre “not fit for purpose” and said that the World Snooker Championship will leave the Sheffield venue in 2027 unless changes are made.
The contract to stage snooker’s premier annual tournament expires in 2027, with a relocation to a larger, more suitable venue long mooted.
Hearn, a former chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), has been heavily involved in discussions in his role as president of Matchroom Sport, a body that effectively controls the World Snooker Tour.
The Crucible has hosted the World Championship since 1977, but the 980-seat theatre has faced criticism for a lack of spectator and practice space in recent years.
And Hearn has insisted that facilities must be improved if the tournament is to remain at the venue.
Full story:
Hearn issues ultimatum to Crucible over World Championship future
World Snooker Championship 2025 draw
17:45 , Lawrence OstlereAnd here is how the quarter-final draw is shaping up. O’Sullivan’s route would take him via Si, before a potential semi-final against either the rising Zhao or the impressive Wakelin.
Zhao Xintong (a) v Chris Wakelin (20)
Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) or Pang Junxu (27) v Si Jiahui (13)
On the other side of the draw, the meeting between Higgins and Williams promises to be a fascinating affair full of nostalgia, and the winner of that duel is likely to run into another former world champion in the semi-finals.
John Higgins (3) v Mark Williams (6)
Luca Brecel (7) or Ding Junhui (10) v Judd Trump (2)
Today's schedule at the Crucible
17:22 , Lawrence OstlereSo Trump and Si are through to the last eight, and they are likely to be joined by O’Sullivan and Brecel this evening.
13:00
Si Jiahui 13-10 Ben Woollaston
Shaun Murphy 10-13 Judd Trump
19:00
Ronnie O'Sullivan 12-4 Pang Junxu - to a finish
Luca Brecel 12-4 Ding Junhui - to a finish
Shaun Murphy: 'All I can do is praise him'
16:58 , Lawrence OstlereMurphy refused to be too downhearted by the defeat, saying: "Frankly it's the best I've ever played at the Championship and lost.
"I can't really criticise myself too much. I came up against the world No 1, the best player on the planet, playing really well.
"All I can do is praise him – he played fantastically well and we'll have to go again."
Trump will face either Luca Brecel or Ding Junhui in the last eight, with Brecel needing just one frame in the evening session to advance.
ICYMI: Trump holds off Murphy fightback
16:33 , Lawrence OstlereJudd Trump held off a spirited fightback from Shaun Murphy to reach the quarter-finals of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible.
Trump began the final session of the second-round clash of former champions with a 10-6 lead and moved to within one frame of victory with the aid of breaks of 63 and 86.
Murphy dug deep to win the next two frames with breaks of 88 and 72 to at least reach the mid-session interval and carried on where he left off when play resumed, breaks of 112 and 99 reducing his deficit to 12-10.
The Masters champion also got in with a superb long red in frame 23 but, after also potting the blue, missed a red to the corner and Trump stepped in with a break of 58 which effectively secured a hard-fought 13-10 win.
Si Jiahui 13-10 Ben Woollaston – SI WINS
16:03 , Lawrence OstlereFinally, after an almighty scrap, Si Jiahui gets over the line and books his spot in the quarter-finals.
Si Jiahui 12-10 Ben Woollaston
15:50 , Lawrence OstlereThis has descended into an incredibly scrappy frame, with only 20-ish points on the board each and the balls spread awkwardly. Both players are missing chances and looking nervous as the finish line approaches.
Si Jiahui 12-10 Ben Woollaston
15:32 , Lawrence OstlereNow over to the other match this afternoon, where Si Jiahui is on the verge of booking his place in the quarter-finals. He leads Ben Woollaston 12-10 and needs only one more frame to progress. But as we join the action, they are engaged in a scrappy safety exchange at the beginning of this frame which has seen all of the reds knocked over to the left-hand side of the table.
Judd Trump: 'I was starting to think the worst'
15:26 , Lawrence OstlereTrump smiles as he admits Murphy was starting to build a head of steam. “By the time it got to 12-10, you’re probably starting to think the worst. It was the way he was potting the balls as well. To be honest there’s probably one or two players who, you’re sat and you have the lead and you don’t want to be looking at them, and Shaun is one of them. He’s stomping around the table, he absolutely loves it when he gets the support around him.”
Judd Trump: 'I was a little bit worried'
15:21 , Lawrence OstlereTrump speaks to BBC Sport after his last-16 victory: “The table was reclothed today and I thought it suited Shaun. The table was so reactive that every time I put a little bit of side on, it was thrown, whereas Shaun hits the ball so central that he was in a world of his own for them four or five frames! So I was a little bit worried but I just had to back myself in that last frame to put a nice stroke on the first red and get in.”
Judd Trump 13-10 Shaun Murphy – TRUMP WINS
15:12 , Lawrence OstlereTrump battles his way through a testing half-century break, relying on the rest on a couple of occasions, before missing a mid-range red to give Murphy a way back in. But Murphy misses a difficult red into the left middle by some distance and that is his last shot of the 2025 World Championship. Trump finishes off the job and he will progress to the quarter-finals.
They shake hands, Trump acknowledges the crowd and perhaps breathes an internal sigh of relief that he held off that stubborn fightback.
Judd Trump 12-10 Shaun Murphy
15:04 , Lawrence OstlereFinally, Trump slows the relentless flow of potting against him with a nerveless long red, which he holds courageously for the blue knowing a miss would have left Murphy in prime position.
The reds are well spread for a big break here, one that would end Murphy’s challenge once and for all.
Judd Trump 12-10 Shaun Murphy – MURPHY WINS FRAME 22
14:59 , Lawrence OstlereThis is extraordinary!
Murphy rattles off another beautiful break, finishing agonisingly on 99 with an acute red which rattles in the jaws, but he won’t care much about the century – that’s four frames in a row and this is very much game on.
Judd Trump 12-9 Shaun Murphy
14:49 , Lawrence OstlereAnother big chance for Murphy here, after he wins a safety exchange at the start of this 22nd frame with a long-ish red to the right corner. Can he build another frame-winning break? His cue arm is flowing freely right now.
Judd Trump 12-9 Shaun Murphy – MURPHY WINS FRAME 21
14:45 , Lawrence OstlereMurphy rattles off a quick, controlled break of 112 to win his third frame in a row and cut the deficit to three. He’s still alive.
Judd Trump 12-8 Shaun Murphy
14:38 , Lawrence OstlereTrump takes on a long red to the corner and it bounces off the jaws, while the cue ball rolls into a perfect position for Shaun Murphy to begin a telling break. The reds are spread invitingly...
Judd Trump 12-8 Shaun Murphy
14:34 , Lawrence OstlereThe players are back on the table, and Judd Trump breaks off. He’s just one frame from the quarter-finals.
Judd Trump 12-8 Shaun Murphy - MURPHY WINS FRAME 20
14:15 , Luke BakerI spoke too soon! Murphy tries to cut a red into the right corner but it hits both jaws of the pocket, wobbles and doesn’t drop. An ‘ooh’ of disappointment from Murphy.
But Trump lets him off the hook! After potting the red, he misses the black to left corner and that leaves him needing snookers.
He concedes the frame soon after and Shaun Murphy wins frame 20 to narrow the gap to 12-8. Still an uphill climb ahead but Trump at least has some thinking time at the mid-session interval. And funny things do happened on a 12ftx6ft snooker table...
Judd Trump 12-7 Shaun Murphy
14:13 , Luke BakerA ropey positional shot when he reaches 58 means he has to try and make a plant from two reds after he pots the pink. Key shot as he leads 64-0...
It’s there, nudges one red into the other and sends it floating into the heart of the pocket. No more obstacles from here, that I can see and Murphy should win this frame. He’ll have his eyes on a century now.
Judd Trump 12-7 Shaun Murphy
14:11 , Luke BakerMurphy gets to work and the break quickly passes 30 as he mainly makes use of the black ball. The half-century is brought up with a red to the left corner. Plenty more points still available and the 2005 world champion should wrap this frame up from here.
Judd Trump 12-7 Shaun Murphy
14:08 , Luke BakerMurphy is playing aggressively now. Takes the opportunity to split all the reds on a safety shot and that pays dividends when he pots a long red into the corner.
The reds are well spread for a possible break here. Can Murphy take advantage?
Judd Trump 12-7 Shaun Murphy
14:04 , Luke BakerUnderway in frame 20. Can Murphy win it to at least take this contest to a mid-session interval in the final session?
Trump will want to get things wrapped up before that 15-minute break you’d think
Judd Trump 12-7 Shaun Murphy - MURPHY WINS FRAME 19
14:02 , Luke BakerThat was a good clean wrapping up of the frame by Murphy there. In the end, he actually clears the table for a break of 88.
Shaun Murphy hangs in there and wins frame 19 to close the gap to 12-7. Judd Trump still needs one frame to get over the line.
Judd Trump 12-6 Shaun Murphy
14:00 , Luke BakerMurphy almost goes wrong immediately but pulls out a nice pot on the black, all the way across the nap of the table into the left corner. Rolled it in dead weight.
That sets him up to pick off the remaining loose reds and he builds his lead up quickly. There’s a tricky red left on the bottom cushion but Murphy should be at snookers required before he gets there.
Judd Trump 12-6 Shaun Murphy
13:56 , Luke BakerTrump is left a mid-range red, which he pots but then misses a red to right middle when on just six. That was potentially a chance to win this match that slips away.
He’s left it for Murphy who really needs make the most of this opportunity. He trails 24-7.
Judd Trump 12-6 Shaun Murphy
13:53 , Luke BakerIt’s the point of no return for Shaun Murphy now. He has to win the next seven frames to produce a remarkable comeback.
Frame 19 sees Murphy pot a couple of reds but neither time can he land on a colour. Trump gets in and makes 18 but then runs out of position. It’s 18-6 to Trump as they enter a bout of safety
Judd Trump 12-6 Shaun Murphy - TRUMP WINS FRAME 18
13:47 , Luke BakerTrump pots the third-last red, adds a routine black off the spot and that leaves Murphy needing snookers in this frame. But the 2019 world champion is showing no signs of stopping here.
He pots the final red down the cushion into the left corner and has a real chance of making a century.
We’ve reached the ‘naughty snooker’ stage now as he spectacularly arcs the cueball up the table from black to yellow to big applause and although he misses the yellow to miss out on the ton, Judd Trump wins frame 18 in style. That frame took less than 10 minutes.
It’s 12-6 and he’s just one frame away from the quarter-finals now.
Judd Trump 11-6 Shaun Murphy
13:43Trump rattling along here and the break moves beyond 35 with a blue to right middle and a lovely positional shot on the next red.
Murphy starting to look concerned in his chair because Trump is flowing round the table and looking imperious. He plays at such pace when he’s confident and in among the balls.
Picking off loose reds and he’s only a couple of pots away from reaching the snookers required stage.
Judd Trump 11-6 Shaun Murphy
13:40 , Luke BakerHowever, Murphy breaks down on 20. He loses position as he tries to split the reds and is left with no pot.
However, Trump wins a quick safety battle and now he can counter. At the table, just 19 points behind with the balls nicely spread for a decent break.
Judd Trump 11-6 Shaun Murphy
13:37 , Luke BakerMurphy in first in frame 18 with a nice, mid-range pot. He could do with scoring heavily here and start putting away frames in one visit because his margin for error in this match is becoming ever smaller with his opponent needing just two frames for victory.
This is a good scoring opportunity for Murphy and his break quickly reaches 20.
Judd Trump 11-6 Shaun Murphy - TRUMP WINS FRAME 17
13:32 , Luke BakerTrump wins the safety battle and pots yellow and green. Murphy does now need snookers in this frame.
But he sticks the brown up, Trump hammers it in and Judd Trump wins frame 17.
He now leads 11-6 and needs just two frames for victory
Judd Trump 10-6 Shaun Murphy
13:25 , Luke BakerThis is a nice start by Trump and he quickly races to a 63-point lead. That’s not quite enough to leave Murphy needing snookers and the 2005 world champion can counter-attack.
He makes 38 in response before playing safe. Trump leads 63-38 with 27 points left - it will be a battle on the colours
Judd Trump 10-6 Shaun Murphy
13:16 , Luke BakerLovely riposte from Trump as he’s left a long, straight red to the left corner and crunches it into the heart of the pocket, screwing the cueball back to land nicely on the brown.
Both men showing off their long game early on. Trump has a chance to build a bit of a lead in this first frame of the session now.
Judd Trump 10-6 Shaun Murphy
13:14 , Luke BakerMurphy needs a good start to this session and he smoothly knocks in a long red to the left corner with his first shot.
He’s very unlucky as the cueball ends up stuck on the side of the cluster of reds and he’s got no shot at a colour. Just one point but he should take heart from that long pot.
Judd Trump 10-6 Shaun Murphy
13:13 , Lawrence OstlereSo here we go, then, as we get set for the conclusion of these last-16 ties.
Can Shaun Murphy stage a dramatic comeback against Judd Trump? Trump leads 10-6 in this race to 13, and Murphy surely needs to win the first frame of the afternoon to give himself a chance.
Yesterday: Brecel crushes Ding to lead by eight frames
13:06 , Lawrence OstlereTonight’s ticket holders can expect to be short-changed as, like O’Sullivan, former champion Luca Brecel will also come back requiring a single frame to complete a comprehensive win over Ding Junhui.
The Belgian had looked certain to clinch the match with a session to spare after reeling off 11 frames in a row after former champion Ding had opened proceedings in their first session on Saturday with a break of 141.
Ding finally stopped the rot in frame 13 and after Brecel moved further clear at 12-2, Ding then summoned successive centuries out of nothing, to pull back to 12-4 and require Brecel - who had flew in for Saturday's first session by private jet - to hang around for a final session.
Yesterday: Judd Trump reaps rewards for century of centuries
12:49 , Lawrence OstlereJudd Trump hit his 100th century break of the season - pocketing a £100,000 bonus from the World Snooker Tour - as he moved into a 10-6 lead against Shaun Murphy.
Trump shrugged off a slow start to this second-round clash to lead 5-3 at the end of the first session, his main regret being the miss of a difficult yellow when on 98 in the final frame of the session, leaving him stuck on 98 centuries for a little longer.
The evening instalment began with a tense frame full of misses, fouls and snookers but from then on it was a contest of big breaks, and one which Trump edged.
There was another near miss for Trump in the 12th frame as his break ended on 97, but he took the 14th with a 106.
And shortly afterwards he received a rare mid-frame standing ovation after sinking a black that took his next effort to 105 - it would eventually reach 132 as he cleared the table.
It is the second time Trump has reached a century of centuries with Neil Robertson, who had a record 103 in the 2013-14 campaign, the only other player to achieve it.
Yesterday: O'Sullivan on the brink of quarter-finals
12:37 , Lawrence OstlereRonnie O’Sullivan eased to the brink of a record-extending 23rd World Snooker Championship quarter-final after making short work of opponent Pang Junxu in the second session of their second-round match at the Crucible.
O’Sullivan was seldom required to reach top gear as he turned a 6-2 overnight lead into a 12-4 advantage, which leaves him requiring just one more frame on Monday evening to confirm his return to the last eight.
Playing in his first tournament since January, the seven-time champion often looked far from happy with his form, but still fired back-to-back centuries en route to establishing a seemingly unassailable lead over his outclassed 25-year-old opponent.
Pang had briefly stirred, winning the first two frames upon the resumption and fleetingly threatening to launch a comeback to match his recovery in their first-round meeting in 2023, when he hit back from 9-4 down to win three frames in a row.
World Snooker Championship 2025 draw
12:22 , Lawrence OstlereAnd here is how the quarter-final draw is shaping up. O’Sullivan’s route would take him via either Si or Woollaston, before a potential semi-final against either the rising Zhao or the impressive Wakelin.
Zhao Xintong (a) v Chris Wakelin (20)
Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) or Pang Junxu (27) v Si Jiahui (13) or Ben Woollaston (44)
On the other side of the draw, the meeting between Higgins and Williams promises to be a fascinating affair full of nostalgia, and the winner of that duel is likely to run into another former world champion in the semi-finals.
John Higgins (3) v Mark Williams (6)
Luca Brecel (7) or Ding Junhui (10) v Shaun Murphy (15) or Judd Trump (2)
Today's schedule at the Crucible
12:10 , Lawrence OstlereThe remainder of the last-16 matches will be decided today to lock in what is shaping up to be a mouth-watering quarter-final line-up.
Here are today’s matches at the Crucible:
13:00
Si Jiahui 9-7 Ben Woollaston - to a finish
Shaun Murphy 6-10 Judd Trump - to a finish
19:00
Ronnie O'Sullivan 12-4 Pang Junxu - to a finish
Luca Brecel 12-4 Ding Junhui - to a finish
World Snooker Championship 2025
12:03 , Lawrence OstlereHello and welcome along to live updates from the 2025 World Snooker Championship.
