Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Four

Once Mark Williams gets someone on the hook he rarely lets them off. It's understandable that Antoni Kowalski has started to falter a little. The difficulty for Kowalski is keeping the intensity up which is something he will learn and grow as a player.

Antoni Kowalski brilliantly potted a red to kick off the scoring in the 13th frame which drew a fantastic reaction from Mark Williams sat behind him in appreciation.

However, when the Polish youngster missed a red with the rest into the corner pocket it allowed Williams to do his stuff.

A century break of 115 from the Welshman - the first ton of the match - has left him just one frame away from victory at the mid-session interval.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Four

Mark Williams is a great pressure player. He can flick a switch and turn it on and does not look like he will falter in the nerve department.

You could be right, Steve.

By the way, Antoni Kowalski hails from the city of Zielona Gora in Poland incidentally - but is not mentioned among their most famous inhabitants. Surely that will put change in the near future?

The Polish youngster faces a tall order to beat Mark Williams now, though, after the experienced Welshman clinically secured the 12th frame.

Williams potted two long reds to provide the impetus for a 67-15 success.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Four

Mark Williams is able to manufacture winning positions from difficult positions. Even if things go wrong or bad things happen he seems able to clear the slate quickly. Other players beat themselves up about things.

Across the other side of the screen on table one, Xiao Guodong has taken control of his match with Zhou Yuelong.

Xiao has won back-to-back frames against his compatriot without really breaking sweat.

Can Zhou force his way back into the contest?

Image source, Getty Images

Nerves well and truly settled for Mark Williams following that scrappy opening frame.

A break of 65 for the veteran Welshman was sufficient to give him a 89-9 victory in the 11th against 22-year-old Antoni Kowalski.

The Polish player never quite got started on an early visit to the table which enabled Williams to regain his three-frame cushion.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Four

Antoni Kowalski looks a cool customer. He came out of the blocks in the first session and looked really strong. Some rookies come here and freeze but he's been very fluent. He hasn't got any battle scars which is one of the advantages as a young player.

It is not easy to get to the Crucible at such a young age anymore - there's so many good players into their 40s and beyond these days.

There's no sense at all that Antoni Kowalski is overawed by the occasion.

If anything Mark Williams is the more nervous of the two players in the opening salvos.

The first frame of the evening descended into a bit of tactical battle and with blue, pink and black left Williams required snookers.

He picked up one off Kowalski on the blue but the Polish youngster was able to close out the frame at 80-48 to get his evening off to a positive start.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Four

I was impressed by Antoni Kowalski. I thought he played aggressively and went for his shots but Mark Williams' ring craft maybe came to his advantage at the end of the first session.

Mark should have enough nous and experience to get over the line.

The other of tonight's matches is an all-China affair between Xiao Guodong and his friend and compatriot Zhou Yuelong.

Xiao has won the opening frame of the session in pretty comprehensive fashion after he compiled a break of 52.

Zhou trails his opponent by two frames. First to 10 remember.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

What were you doing exactly 29 years ago?

A lot of you won't be able to answer that, and 10 of our 32 players at the Crucible had not been born, while Zhao Xintong was 16 days old.

But for a 22-year-old Mark Williams, he was walking down the Crucible steps for the first time - on his way to a 10-9 first-round win over Terry Griffiths in the 1997 competition.

Now Williams is 51 and he's got a 22-year-old opponent in Antoni Kowalski. Who will progress? The veteran has a three-frame advantage, but the newcomer will be looking to quickly change that.

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Four

Many debutants crumble and are like a rabbit in headlights at the Crucible but Antoni Kowalski wasn't. He scared the life out of Mark Williams early on. The scoreline could have been a lot closer.

The best way to approach the World Championship is to play it like you are still down the club and Mark is probably one of the few who can do that.

Mark Williams and Antoni Kowalski have just made their way out to the table after being introduced by Crucible master of ceremonies Rob Walker.

A quip by Walker about Williams not visiting a barber in decades draws an expletive from the Welshman preceded by the word "cheeky".

If Mark Williams sees out his match this evening then he will be one step closer to running down the M4 motorway naked.

That's the promise he made this week if he goes all the way and wins a fourth world crown.

Williams last triumphed at the Crucible in 2018, and fulfilled a similar pre-tournament pledge to strip off in front of the world's media after he beat John Higgins 18-16 in the final.

"I'd run down the M4 from London to Cardiff naked," Williams said earlier this week.

"I'd do anything to get another title, but the years go by and you're less likely to win it."

Victory in Sheffield would see 51-year-old Williams become the oldest world champion in history, something he came close to achieving last year before his 18-12 final defeat to Zhao Xintong.

He reached that final despite his deteriorating eyesight for which he is awaiting lens replacement surgery.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

There will be few news conferences more brutally honest in this competition than Mark Allen's chat with the media after his 10-6 win over Zhang Anda earlier today.

"Yesterday was absolutely embarrassing, very frustrating and I was completely gutted with my performance," added Allen.

"I had some drinks with my mates, a few more drinks, and watched the football. I came in today with less expectations but when you're out there you realise how much you want it and the fire in your belly comes back.

"I can't have many more sessions like I did yesterday, I got away with one there. It's not good enough at this level. That second session was decent, but I've been here for 20 years and I would like to think there's been better ones.

"I need to be doing that every single time I play here. Ronnie [O'Sullivan], [John] Higgins and [Mark] Selby produce that type of session every time.

"I'm not going out drinking on Wednesday, I just felt something needed to change as when you prepare properly and play like that, if I hadn't done that I would've imploded."

Live coverage has paused on BBC iPlayer and via the 'Watch & Listen' option above and this live text commentary will also be on hold until then.

We will, however, be back under way at 19:00 BST when we have Xiao Guodong v Zhou Yuelong and Mark Williams v Antoni Kowalski.

There will be live coverage on BBC Four as well with both those matches set to be played to a finish tonight.

Dennis Taylor
1985 world champion on BBC Two

Image source, Getty Images

I think I know who will sleep better of these two players this evening.

Hats off to Ali Carter, who has been superb to come from 4-0 down. Trailing by that margin will have knocked the stuffing out of him but he has fought back.

John Higgins just lost his way after the mid-session interval with his safety play and it has cost him.

We are in for a fabulous afternoon tomorrow with just one frame the difference between these two players. Tune in for that - could be a cracker!

Image source, Getty Images

Five frames on the bounce for Ali Carter who has come back from 4-0 down to lead 5-4 heading into tomorrow with a real gutsy effort.

It was an attritional start to the final frame of the session with safety shots for both players before John Higgins failed to cut a black into the corner pocket which allowed Carter the chance of a lengthy visit.

After a solid start to his break Carter went up through the gears.

The 46-year-old Englishman managed to cut couple of tricky reds into the middle pocket before he ensured it was a frame-deciding break of 74 which left Higgins with no choice but to concede the frame.