Gary Wilson
Former Crucible semi-finalist on BBC Sport

Neil will be pleased. It was a big frame to steal to go into the interval two frames up and in control.

He will be happy with his work this afternoon so far.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Four

Hossein Vafaei is not going to go away in this match. There were a couple of really good pots in that break and a brilliant visit to the table.

A best-of-25 match will always be full of turning points - but this feels like it could be a key one.

Chris Wakelin picks out a plant to the middle and it goes in - but so does the cue ball in the bottom right corner.

That gives Neil Robertson a massive chance to clear from 30-odd behind - and he takes it with a 57 break to re-establish a two-frame advantage as the players depart the arena for the mid-session interval.

Stephen Hendry is absolutely spot on - Judd Trump cannot shake off Hossein Vafaei.

The Iranian shows great control of the cue ball as he clinically goes about compiling a break of 82.

Vafaei winces after slightly miscuing a red knowing a century break was in the offing, but he banks the 12th frame in his favour to pull level with Trump again at the mid-session interval.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Four

Judd Trump will not want to be putting himself under too much pressure heading into the final session of this match. At the moment he is in front but cannot quite seem to be able to shake off Hossein Vafaei.

That break in the previous frame has given Judd Trump an injection of confidence.

His body language is relaxed as he strolls round the table during an impressive break of 76 and Hossein Vafaei concedes the frame.

After winning two frames on the spin the world number one gets his nose back in front.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC

Image source, Getty Images

That was a very important visit - and it was some break from Chris Wakelin. He had to pot some really good balls in it.

Some response from England's Chris Wakelin.

The 13th seed continued to remain aggressive despite losing the opening two frames of this afternoon's session.

Several times, he could have taken a safer option but he went for his pots - especially a tough green to the middle - and constructed an excellent 73 break to cut his deficit to one frame.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Four

Judd Trump goes about break building much more differently than he used years ago. He now picks them off rather than opening them up. He will be mightily relieved to win that frame because Hossein Vafaei looked primed to steal it at one stage.

Much more like it from Judd Trump...but boy does he have to work for it.

A skillful break of 65 puts Trump in prime position to take the second frame of the session on table two before he plays safe.

With the black at the apex of three reds Hossein Vafaei is able to superbly position himself to nudge it into the middle pocket, to the appreciation of the Crucible crowd.

The Iranian is patient and is able to slowly nudge his way into contention.

With blue, pink and black left a safety battle ensues before eventually Trump is able to cut in the blue and sink the pink to clinch the frame.

Gary Wilson
Former Crucible semi-finalist on BBC Sport

It's not been the best of standards but Neil won't be too concerned about that.

Chris Wakelin is not afraid to take shots on but he pushes the boat out two or three times too often in frame 10.

The first miss allows Neil Robertson to build a healthy 40-odd lead - and another, later on, also on a tricky red to the middle pocket, virtually gifts the Aussie the frame.

Robertson has, in the past, often been vocal of his dislike of the, let's say cosy set-up at the Crucible but he seems at home enough this afternoon.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Four

The world number one has not started this session convincingly. But Hossein Vafaei was able to forget about the bad shots he played in that frame to win it.

Hossein Vafaei with a promising break of 29 but it comes to an end when he rattles the jaws of the bottom-left corner pocket and sends the cue ball flying into the left middle.

Judd Trump pots a long red and an Alex Higgins-esque blue into the top-left corner but has to revert to a safety battle against the Iranian.

At 39-35 in Trump's favour, Vafaei beautifully cuts in a long red and from there is able to complete a superb clearance.

The world number one has work to do here.

Gary Wilson
Former Crucible semi-finalist on BBC Sport

Although his positional play wasn't the best during the break, those breaks are sometimes more pleasing.

When you run out of position and you keep potting balls, it gives you the confidence you can make breaks from anywhere.

Neil Robertson, the 2010 world champion, takes the opening frame of the afternoon with an excellent 66 break.

It was one of those breaks where there was a lot of work to do in terms of positional play - they weren't on a plate.

That will be a nice confidence booster for the 'Thunder from Down Under' - who was pegged back from 4-1 up to 4-4 by a player in Chris Wakelin who ousted Robertson in an upset here last year.

Most likely a) to make sure the tip is definitely fully chalked and b) just out of habit, we reckon....

The opening eight frames were split in the first session between Australia's 2010 world champion Neil Robertson and England's Chris Wakelin on Saturday.

Robertson, helped by breaks of 65 and 59, moved 4-1 ahead, but Wakelin made a run of 77 in frame six to reignite his challenge and added the next two to level things up.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Getty Images

Iran snooker player Hossein Vafaei said he "is fighting to make Iranians proud" as he aims to go further than before at the World Championship

The 32-year-old beat Chinese practice partner Gao Yang 10-4 in the final round of qualifying last week to secure a place at the Crucible for a fifth successive season.

Vafaei, who lost in the last 16 twice, then became the only qualifier to win in the first round with a comprehensive 10-3 win over China's 15th seed Si Jiahui.

But Vafaei said it had been extremely difficult to focus on the sport with the ongoing conflict in his home country, which began at the end of February.

"It's been very hard, very, very hard. My family are safe," said Vafaei. "I'm fighting as well for my country, for my family and I'm trying my best and will give it my all.

"If I do well, if they can see me - of course some of them can see me - it will be a proud moment," said Vafaei.