Mark Selby and Wu Yize scrapped it out for the first frame of the evening on table two and it went the way of the former.

Nothing between the players with blue, pink and black left but after a bit of a safety exchange Selby gets over the line.

Superb snooker from Ronnie O'Sullivan.

It's a pretty good safety shot from John Higgins but O'Sullivan thumps his cue to pot a long red straight from right up on the baulk cushion, then deftly cannons the cue ball off his next red into the black to bring it into play.

The Rocket has a break of 30 and 46 points on the board so far in this frame.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Four

First impressions are John Higgins looks a completely different player from last night.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Michael Emons

Ronnie O'Sullivan is playing at the Crucible for a 34th season and is aiming to get into the quarter-finals for a record-extending 24th time.

He has won this tournament in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020, 2022 and was the runner-up in 2014, with six further exits in the semi-finals.

If he wins the last seven frames tonight, then he will beat John Higgins with a session to spare.

Higgins, a four-time champion, needs at least one more frame to ensure it will go to a third session, which would be at 13:00 BST on Monday.

John Higgins honing in on the first frame of the evening with a break of 83 as he clears the table. Here's that brilliant double which gave him an injection of confidence.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Four

Did John Higgins do much wrong last night? Not really. It was just all Ronnie O'Sullivan. John had to play the supporting role and he might have got away 5-3 but Ronnie was just too strong in the final frame. 6-2 was probably pretty hurtful over night.

John Higgins draws rapturous applause from the Crucible crowd as he counters a Ronnie O'Sullivan safety with a brilliant double into the middle pocket.

Some shot from the veteran Scot. Higgins 51-22 in front so far.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Four

John Higgins needs a fast start after what Ronnie O'Sullivan did to him last night.

Ronnie O'Sullivan starts with a break of 22 but a delicate pot into the corner just sits on the corner of the pocket and refuses to drop.

John Higgins gets a chance to come to the table and responds with a break of 31 before reverting to a bit of safety.

Image source, Getty Images

Over on the other table...

This morning's first session in the match between four-time champion Mark Selby and 22-year-old Wu Yize, the youngest player left in the tournament, finished level at 4-4.

Selby, 42, started in style with successive breaks of 123 and 124, only for China's Wu to then take the next three frames.

But breaks of 81 and 65 from Selby allowed the Englishman to win two of the final three frames.

Both players began their tournament with emphatic wins so perhaps it's no surprise they are so closely matched - Selby crushed 2024 runner-up Jak Jones 10-2 and Wu hammered compatriot Lei Peifan by the same score.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Four

On thing you can never do is write off John Higgins. He doesn't know the word quit. There's so many times in his career his back has been against the wall and finds a way to win.

John Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan fist bump before the latter breaks.

Here we go.

Ronnie O'Sullivan bossed the first session against John Higgins yesterday evening - and the statistics reflected that.

What was also noticeable was O'Sullivan's patience with safety play.

He was happy to grind it out and a 70% success compared to Higgins' 67% showed a side to the Rocket we do not see so frequently.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Four

The start of the match between John Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan last night was very excitable. Nobody knew what was going to happen, but it's slightly different tonight. There is an air of anticipation and the interest is around whether John Higgins can get back in the match. So it's a different dynamic tonight.

Image source, Getty Images

Ronnie O'Sullivan leads John Higgins 6-2 heading into tonight's second session of their World Championship last-16 tie.

The much-anticipated match between 50-year-olds O'Sullivan and Higgins comes 30 years after their first Crucible meeting.

Seven-time champion O'Sullivan was in superb form on Saturday as breaks of 86, 82, 137 and 95 saw him win four of the first five frames to lead 4-1.

Higgins got his first sizeable break of the match in frame six with a run of 68 but O'Sullivan won the last two frames, including a break of 76 in the final frame of the day to end with a four-frame advantage.

O'Sullivan, who beat He Guoqiang 10-2 in the opening round despite using different cues in the two sessions, is aiming to win an eighth world title, which would set an outright record in the modern era.

With the afternoon session concluded live coverage of the World Snooker Championship on BBC Sport website and on iPlayer has taken a short break.

We will also pause this live text commentary as well.

However, you do not have to wait long until the evening session which gets underway at 19:00 BST and it promises to be a cracker as Ronnie O'Sullivan resumes his match with John Higgins in a battle of the Class of 92.

O'Sullivan leads 6-2 but write off Higgins at your peril.

We will also have an eye on Mark Selby's match with Wu Yize, which is currently locked at 4-4 from this morning.

You'll be able to watch the action on BBC Four and via the iPlayer, and follow updates here.

Yep, the 'Thunder from Down Under' compiles a superb 101 break to ensure a four-frame cushion heading into tomorrow's final session.

He only needs three frames to seal a first quarter-final appearance in five years.

Chris Wakelin may not sleep well tonight after that controversial foul call at 7-6 which, as it stands, looks to have had a massive impact on this match.

Here's a breakdown of the stats of the match between Judd Trump and Hossein Vafaei after that session.

They will play to a finish on Monday evening.

Pivotal final frame of the session, you feel.

If Neil Robertson establishes a 10-6 lead, game over surely. 9-7 not so sure.

But the former is looking the likeliest as the Aussie is at the table and on a 47 break... oh and he's opened the reds lovely.