Dennis Taylor
1985 world champion on BBC iPlayer

Chris Wakelin lost the opening frame but will just relax in his dressing room. He will be very comfortable with this mini session.

Chris Wakelin can see the finish line in sight and puts his foot on the accelerator.

He's helped as Liam Pullen misjudges a safety and presents him with a decent starter and he enjoys a run of 62 before breaking down.

There are 75 points to play for and when he makes a complete mess of a safety with a rest he hands the debutant a way back.

Pullen makes only eight and misses a sitter of a black. That will be that.

Image source, BBC Sport

When it gets to this level shot selection is crucial.

So when Liam Pullen takes on, and then misses an inadvisable attempt to pot the brown to the top left corner playing with swerve, it presents Chris Wakelin with an opportunity to get his hand on the table.

The world number 13 capitalises and knocks in a break of 60 that helps him take back-to-back frames.

Joe Perry
Former World Championship semi-finalist on BBC iPlayer

It's job done for Mark Selby so far in this mini-session. You set your stall out to win three out of four frames but knowing Mark, he will want all four.

This is a big moment. If Jak loses this frame he will be really up against it.

Jak Jones leaves the brown over the right corner during a safety exchange. He nearly had a frame on the board but Mark Selby punishes the error to knock it in and get on the blue.

The Englishman makes no mistake from there and rolls in the blue and pink to put the frame out of reach.

Jak Jones gets to 54 but then breaks down after grazing the green. With the potting angle gone he does the next best thing and gets a snooker, albeit Mark Selby easily makes a one-cushion escape.

The Welshman lays another and Selby again hits the green and double kiss carries it safe.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Getty Images

Two years ago, half of the seeds, eight of 16, were eliminated in the first round, with that figure dropping to six big-name early casualties in 2025.

But so far the seeds would be top of the league - played 11, won 11.

Never before at the Crucible have all 16 seeds made it through round one, with the current record being 15, which has happened on two occasions. In 1983 Jimmy White went out to Tony Meo and 10 years later Alain Robidoux lost to Doug Mountjoy to spoil the perfect records.

Eighth seed Shaun Murphy came the closest to falling this year, trailing 53-17 in the deciding frame against Fan Zhengyi before a break of 50 from Murphy saw him scrape through 10-9.

"Of all the breaks I've made here, and there have been some good ones, that was the best I've ever made and I'm so proud of that," said Murphy in the very, very early hours of this morning after play finished at 23:46 BST.

"I didn't want to be the first one in the WhatsApp group getting all abuse. Now it's up to the rest of the seeds, I'm sure one of the qualifiers will spoil the party."

Joe Perry
Former World Championship semi-finalist on BBC Two

Out of nowhere. A collector's item to see Mark Selby miss a ball like that. That's a big reprieve for Jak Jones.

Mark Selby has a 46-point lead and then misses what will go down as a routine red to the middle. Could this be a turning point?

Jak Jones really needs to get his cue arm going now.

Another wayward Jak Jones pot to the right corner misses by miles and even worse he's left Mark Selby among the balls.

The Englishman is not having to work at all for his chances so far. His Welsh opponent really needs to tighten up his game, the long tactical battles expected for this match have not materialised at all as of yet.

Mark Selby extends his lead. The Englishman is looking extremely sharp and and Jak Jones, who heads out of the arena at the end of the second has been guilty of playing a few loose shots so far that have cost him.

What a start over on the other side of the auditorium.

Liam Pullen opens up with a break of 96 to get back to 5-5 and Chris Wakelin responds with a 72 to regain the initiative.

Mark Selby opens the match with break of 67 to take the opening frame. That was rapido.

What a start from the four-time world champion, who appears in fine touch.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

Jak Jones is a danger. He knows the game inside out. I like what he did when he got to the final. He looked very dangerous and composed.

He is up against one of the most composed players that's ever played at the Crucible and people are saying 'this could be a long one'.

There are some players, that know how to shut up shop if they are not playing their A game. Instead of risking it all they know to take their time to get into a match.

If they are playing well it will still be a fluent game.

Image source, Getty Images

Chris Wakelin has the slight edge as he heads into the concluding session of his first-round encounter with debutant Liam Pullen.

Scottish Open winner is a firm favourite with the bookmakers to get over the line in this match.

However, Pullen, who defeated the likes of Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Noppon Saengkham in qualifying to get to the Crucible, cannot be discounted.

The 20-year-old has a burgeoning reputation and knocked in four half-century breaks in the opening session of the contest.

Image source, Getty Images

Mark Selby arrives in Sheffield as one of the favourites to triumph after winning the UK Championship and the Champion of Champions earlier this term.

And if he is anywhere near his best he has the all-around game to take on anyone as he pursues a fifth world crown.

But he will first have to negotiate a tricky first-round tie against 2024 finalist Jak Jones having lost at the same stage in the two previous years against Ben Woollaston and Joe O'Connor.

Live coverage

10:00-23:00 - uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, website and app

10:00-11:15 - BBC Two

10:00-14:00 - Red Button

14:15-18:00 - BBC Two & Red Button

19:00-22:00 - BBC Four & Red Button

Highlights

00:00-02:00 - World Championship Extra on BBC Two

Here's what's on the menu for Wednesday:

10:00

Chris Wakelin (13) 5-4 Liam Pullen *

Mark Selby (7) v Jak Jones

14:30

Ronnie O'Sullivan (12) 7-2 He Guoqiang *

Si Jiahui (15) v Hossein Vafaei

19:00

Neil Robertson (4) v Pang Junxu

Mark Selby (7) v Jak Jones *

The 2026 World Snooker Championship got under way at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on Saturday, 18 April - and you can watch every shot of the tournament live on the BBC.

Top seed Zhao Xintong, who became the first champion from China by beating Mark Williams in last year's final, is the favourite.

This year is the 50th championship to be held at the Crucible since the tournament moved to Sheffield in 1977.

The final starts on 3 May and finishes on 4 May, with the winner taking home £500,000.

To watch live on BBC TV and follow uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, click