Ronnie O'Sullivan holds big advantage in round two meeting with Pang Junxu at the Crucible

The seven-time World Champion is playing in his first professional tournament since the start of January. In round one earlier this week, O’Sullivan produced a sizzling second session performance on his way to defeating Ali Carter 10-4.

After the opening 16 frames of their last 16 encounter, O’Sullivan leads Pang 12-4 and requires just one more frame to reach the last eight of snooker’s blue riband event for the 23rd time in illustrious career.

During their opening session on Saturday afternoon, O'Sullivan compiled breaks of 58, 91, 50 and 63 on his way to a 4-0 lead.

World number 27 Pang - who eliminated number 12 seed Zhang Anda in round one for his first match victory at the Crucible - got on the board in style with an effort of 119 in frame five, although O'Sullivan (break of 68 in frame six) won two of the final three frames for a 6-2 overnight lead.

On resumption Sunday afternoon, efforts of 87 and 62 got China's Pang off to a brilliant start as he reduced his arrears to just two at 6-4 behind.

However, O'Sullivan kicked into action with force as contributions of 79 and 80 helped him to go four clear again at 8-4 up heading into a mid-session interval.

After the break, ‘The Rocket’ went up another level as he fashioned breaks of 105 and 135 - his fifth and sixth centuries of this year’s competition - in consecutive frames to reach double figure first at 10-4 ahead.

The final two frames of the session were far less straightforward for O'Sullivan (62 break, frame 16) , but he still took them, mimicking the 6-2 first session result and all but going through to the quarter-finals where he would face either Si Jiahui or Ben Woollaston.

Luca Brecel on the brink of the last eight

On the other table at the Crucible on Sunday afternoon, 2023 champion Luca Brecel built on his sensational opening session display to establish an eight-frame cushion over Ding Junhui, and also stand just one more frame away from progression to the quarter-finals.

This contest had all the makings of a close one, but world number seven Brecel wasn't having any of that as he rattled in 121, 78, 55, 100, 88 and 88 again in winning seven consecutive frames in rip-roaring fashion during the opening session on Saturday night. Ding had won the first frame of the night with a break of 141.

Brecel continued the onslaught in the second session as he strung together another four frames (breaks of 53, 75, 56) for 11 in-a-row, in total.

The question now was whether Brecel would get the job done today without needing to come back on Monday night for their allocated third session.

Former finalist Ding stopped his opponent's streak in a bizarre frame 13 that Ding won on the final black having previously potted the final pink - somewhat casually - and going in-off when Brecel already required penalty points, thus allowing him to win without them.

A 63 aided Brecel to winning the next frame to move 12-2 ahead, but former world number one Ding showed great heart and character as he denied his opponent an extra night off by making by breaks of 107 and 110 in back-to-back frames at the end of the programme for 12-4.

Please visit our 2025 World Snooker Championship tournament information centre here for details on the draw, results, format and order of play.