Thrilling climax in store as Higgins battles back against O'Sullivan at World Snooker Championship

‘The Class of 92’ graduates will return to the sport’s grandest stage on Monday afternoon (13:00BST) to conclude the tie, with 13 being the target and passage through to the quarter-finals.

Coming into Sunday night’s act in Sheffield, seven-time world champion O’Sullivan held a 6-2 advantage after a strong display during the opening session the evening before.

Needing a fast start, world number five Higgins got it with a break of 83 after his opponent missed a red whilst bridging over balls earlier on.

However, O'Sullivan was not perturbed as runs of 116 and 80 put him 8-3 up, stretching his advantage to five for the first time.

Four-time Crucible conqueror Higgins (55 break) took the frame before the mid-session interval, but O'Sullivan (91) claimed the one after it to move 9-4 up and guarantee himself an overnight advantage.

It was now a question of how big that difference would be, and to Higgins' delight, it was the narrowest outcome possible.

Despite a scare after his peer got the penalty points he needed to get back into it, a sequence of 71 was crucial for Higgins in depositing frame 14.

After Higgins missed a multi-ball plant at the start of frame 15 - scattering reds across the table - it looked as if O'Sullivan would mop up, but when he failed with a cut-back red whilst on an effort of 55, it opened the door for his rival who would later steal the frame on the final black.

More drama was delivered in a huge final frame of the night.

Frustration started to show from 'The Rocket' as he whacked the table with his fist after missing an initial red down a side cushion. Higgins went about his business, but went in-off whilst on a break of 39.

O'Sullivan manufactured a glorious chance to counter clear, but did not obtain perfect position on the final red. Having to take the ball into the yellow pocket, he missed it, only for Higgins to miss a very similar shot a few moments later into the green pocket.

After a small passage of play, O'Sullivan was partly snookered on the red which was positioned near a corner pocket. Playing a soft swerve to get to it, he potted the red but the cueball followed it in with the side that was applied.

With cueball in hand, Higgins made no mistake in clearing from yellow to pink to cut the deficit to only two frames and set up a grandstand culmination.

What else happened on day nine of the Championship?

Elsewhere during Sunday’s action at the Crucible, reigning champion Zhao Xintong progressed to the last eight after defeating Chinese compatriot Ding Junhui, 13-9. Full report on that match, here.

World number one Judd Trump carved out a two-frame overnight lead against qualifier Hossein Vafaei.

The third time that these two cueists have met on in South Yorkshire - Trump winning both previous encounters in 2022 and 2024 - the score was locked at 4-4 when they returned on Sunday afternoon.

In what would be a high-quality session, Vafaei nudged in front before breaks of 65 and 76 saw Trump go back-to-back for a slender advantage.

Iran's top player Vafaei (runs of 82 and 65) followed suit with frames either side of the mid-session interval for 7-6, but 2019 World Champion Trump took it up a level as he strung together three frames with efforts of 100, 74 and 94 to move 9-7 ahead.

On the other side of the divide, Neil Robertson also claimed the final three frames of the afternoon act to put himself in control of his encounter with Chris Wakelin.

Resuming at 4-4, Robertson deposited three of the first four frames (breaks of 66 and 57) to go two clear at 7-5.

Scottish Open title holder Wakelin - who eliminated Robertson here last year - had taken frame 11 with a 73, and he reduced the gap to one again as he secured the 13th.

Then a moment of big controversy in frame 14. Whilst on an effort of 42 and approaching parity in the match, Wakelin potted a red to continue the sequence, but was adjudged by referee Peggy Li to have fouled by brushing the yellow that was near his bridge hand with his cue.

Li subsequently checked the video footage, and maintained her initial call. Wakelin graciously accepted the decision, but didn't seem to think it was correct.

Crucible conqueror in 2010, Robertson won the frame from that visit with a 65, before finsihing the session impressively with another 65, and then a 101, to create a four-frame cushion between the two for the first time at 10-6 ahead.

The Trump and Robertson fixtures both conclude on Monday evening from 19:00BST.

Finishing alongside the O'Sullivan/Higgins match on Monday afternoon will be Mark Selby and Wu Yize, with the Chinese youngter holding a 9-7 lead over the four-time world champion.

To view the full draw, results, schedule, and other information from the 2026 World Snooker Championship, visit our tournament information centre here.