Ronnie O’Sullivan v Zhao Xintong LIVE: World Snooker Championship semi-final scores, start times and updates

Not long now until we get going again at the Crucible. If you need a quick refresh of all of the action so far in Sheffield, we’ve got you covered:

It was a bit better from Ronnie O’Sullivan yesterday, though the seven-time world champion hasn’t yet maybe found properly fluent form. The Rocket can have a habit of talking down his game but his comments after his quarter-final reflected a player battling with himself even more than usual.

“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,” Hearn told BBC Two.

“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 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.

“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.

“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?”

Barry Hearn remains hopeful a deal can be struck to keep the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible but reiterated that “it all comes down to money”.

The Matchroom Sport president was positive about his latest round of talks with Sheffield City Council, whose staging agreement runs out after the 50th anniversary edition in 2027, but is unyielding when it comes to the bottom line.

With persistent whispers about more lucrative offers from the likes of Saudi Arabia, or even rebranding the prestige event as a roving showpiece, he renewed familiar calls to find more cash for the players.

Negotiations are set to continue in the summer, with a decision likely to come at the end of the year.

The semi-finals have not produced vintage snooker yet but amid some mistakes there has been some magic from four supremely talented, attacking players.

This swerve shot yesterday was surely the pick of the bunch:

There was no let-up in the tension with neither player able to seize control of the session and in the seventh frame Trump received a good slice of luck as having been presented with the trickiest of snookers, on the third attempt he fluked a red into the bottom right pocket.

Trump took a hard fought frame that both had ample chances to win and when Williams missed an easy black in the eighth, the Englishman pounced to compile a break of 109 that propelled him into a two-frame lead.

The edgy tone for the evening was set in a eventful opener that was ultimately won by Williams’ break of 73, but he needed a fortuitous red when escaping a snooker to put an end to Trump’s fightback.

The caginess continued into a second frame lasting 39 minutes that saw Williams pay the price for an aggressive approach that resulted in an important missed blue.

Trump also took the third after succeeding with a three-ball plant and punishing errors by Williams, although the 35-year-old Bristolian’s play lacked conviction.

When the interval arrived, Williams had drawn level 2-2 after producing a break of 116 and the roller-coaster play continued with mistakes made time and again as the score moved to 3-3.

Judd Trump punished a series of costly errors from Mark Williams to build a 5-3 lead in their World Snooker Championship semi-final at the Crucible.

A tense start to the match was filled with mistakes and it was a missed routine black by Williams in the eighth frame that enabled Trump to establish a healthy overnight advantage.

The world number one produced comfortably his worst session of the tournament so far but he finished strongly, even if at times he rode his luck against his 50-year-old opponent from Wales.

O’Sullivan’s roll continued after the restart as he got the better of a safety exchange then sealed the fifth, leaving Zhao over half-an-hour and two frames without scoring a point. When he snapped his barren streak he did enough to draw level once again.

Both players saved their best for last as they warmed to an engaging battle, O’Sullivan regaining the upper hand with a break of 82 before Zhao shot back with 86.

O’Sullivan, who considered his previous 13-9 win over Si Jiahui a let-off, won three frames in a row and at one stage stopped his opponent registering a point for almost 34 minutes.

Zhao showed no sign of nerves on his first appearance at the theatre’s one-table set-up, settling quickly into his work as he picked up the first two frames with minimal fuss.

O’Sullivan potted the white off the initial break and was restricted to just a couple of reds as the Chinese player put together a decisive 60 to take first blood.

It was a similar story next up, with O’Sullivan opening the door with a missed black and Zhao cashing in with a 62 break.

O’Sullivan came to life at 2-0, producing his best shot yet when he brilliantly hid the blue and getting into the zone with a breezy 64.

By the time the mid-session interval arrived he had wrestled back the momentum, conjuring a fluid 73 to even the scores before jamming a black in the jaws with a century for the taking.