Steven Hallworth
Snooker commentator

That felt like a big visit from Hossein Vafaei. It was a chance that he thought maybe would never arrive when Judd Trump was poised to take the frame.

How often do you see those [the missed black] from the world number one?

It looked like another frame that had gotten away from Hossein Vafaei but a missed black from Judd Trump allowed him in and he punished the former world champion.

A 57 clearance from 'The Prince of Persia' gets him right back in the game.

Image source, Getty Images

Stylish snooker from Zhao Xintong as he glides round the table with a spring in his step.

A break of 87 secures the 13th frame and he now has a three-frame advantage over Ding Junhui.

Ding is going to have to rally pretty soon or this match could be over in a flash.

Steven Hallworth
Snooker commentator

When you come up against someone like Judd Trump, one of the most dominant players on the World Snooker Tour, you expect them to turn up every time and the only way to possibly get under their skin, and even then it is not guaranteed, is to put them under as much pressure early on and plant the seed of doubt.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

It's a very dangerous session coming up for Ding Junhui because Zhao Xintong is just starting to bubble up. Ding hasn't been in full flow with his game and has let the cue ball go awry a few times.

No re-rack drama this time, just a nice clean frame for Judd Trump to extend his lead into the mid-session interval.

He's performing well but he's definitely got another gear in him.

Hossein Vafaei may need to change his approach after the break. The Iranian is clearly looking to disrupt Trump with a slower game but it hasn't worked as to yet.

Still searching for a century in the games I'm across today.

Maybe it's me?

Zhao Xintong establishes a two-frame lead heading into the mid-session interval.

Ding Junhui compiles break of 43 to go 56-25 up in the 12th frame but rues his lack of cue-ball control with the frame seemingly within his grasp.

Inevitably fellow countryman Zhao makes him pay. Once the world champion gets into his stride there is no stopping him as he coolly builds a break of 39 to seal the frame.

Zhao had left himself with a tricky brown on the cushion but once that was cut in he sunk the blue and pink with ease.

Steven Hallworth
Snooker commentator

We've seen a lot of balls missed to these middle pockets throughout this championship so far and again it just illustrates how tight they are on these championship tables.

After another sketchy frame which again looked destined for a re-rack, it's Judd Trump that this time pulls away to retake the lead.

After initially keeping Trump at the table again despite being 15 behind, Hossein Vafaei eventually concedes.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

It's been neck and neck through this match so this is a big frame before the mid-session interval. Nobody has had a two-frame lead yet so Zhao Xintong will want to take this chance to pull clear.

What a response from Zhao Xintong to Ding Junhui pulling level.

The world champion is at this ruthless best in punishing a Ding safety shot into the pack early in the frame.

Zhao bridges beautifully before nudging a red into the middle pocket which kicks off a break of 115.

He can even afford himself a wry smile after missing a relatively straightforward black to complete the clearance.

Hossein Vafaei said no to the re-rack and he'll be glad he did because he takes the second frame of the day.

Once the reds eventually got separated, Vafaei produced a break of 70 to take the frame.

A long way to go in the session but we've started off nicely.

Ding Junhui battles superbly to pull himself level.

A promising break of 28 from Ding ends when he misses a tough red into the bottom-right corner pocket.

Zhao Xintong switfly breaks up the pack off the black and compiles a break of 59 and the frame appears his for the taking.

However, two awkward reds at the top of the table prompt a safety battle.

Ding eventually sinks a long pot left on by Zhao and the goes on to complete a superb clearance to take the frame 67-59.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion

From what I've seen in this first frame-and-a-half, I think Hossein Vafaei has got a gameplan not to be too attacking and try and maybe spoil the game a little bit with the rhythm.

I'm not the best lip-reader in the world but it looks like Judd Trump has just murmured something along the lines of, "fancy a re-rack?"

We have an incredible number of bunched up reds in the bottom right corner of the table with the black sitting precariously behind them, right on the pocket.

It appears inevitable we get a re-rack. Seemingly it's just a when, rather than an if.

"I do not see the point in this," says Stephen Hendry on commentary.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

Zhao Xintong doesn't give much away with his facial expressions but he acknowledged in the last round when we spoke in the studio after he was struggling a bit.

It's a different prospect playing as defending champion and being the hunted rather than the hunter. But signs during that first frame that he is finding his feet.

Zhao Xintong takes the first frame of the afternoon session after quickly finding his rhythm.

Ding Junhui had started the frame brightly but when he rattled a red into the top-right corner pocket it opened the door for the world champion.

Zhao moved effortlessy round the table as he chalked up a break of 77.

Impressive form from Judd Trump who takes the first frame.

A 58 break the best it got for him in that but you can see the former world champion just slowly getting into his rhythm.

Hossein Vafaei kept Trump on the table despite being well behind towards the back end of the frame.

A cheeky ploy, perhaps?

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Getty Images

The World Snooker Tour have just announced that the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters will not take place in future.

The ranking tournament, originally announced as a 10-year deal, had been held in Riyadh in 2024 and then in Jeddah in 2025, with the winner picking up £500,000 - the same as the World Championship.

Judd Trump won the first final in September 2024, beating Mark Williams 10-9, with Neil Robertson defeating Ronnie O'Sullivan by the same score last August.

A WST statement said: "Following constructive discussions between The Saudi Billiard and Snooker Federation and Matchroom following the conclusion of the 2025 editions, it has been mutually agreed not to proceed with future editions of the World Pool Championship and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters."

Earlier this week, Barry Hearn said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could affect competitions in the area.

"Saudi is a problem," said Hearn. "We don't know where that problem's going to lead to, but we've got good influence there, particularly through the boxing and all the other sports we do.

“We can't interfere with what's going on at the moment. This is a terribly difficult time for the Middle East. Saudi, whether we're talking LIV Tour or other Olympic sports, are looking to cut back which is fine, providing we've got other places to go, which we do.

“So on the one hand, we're looking at Saudi and saying: ‘Yes, there will be snooker in Saudi’ but in fairness I can't tell you what exactly at the moment until this problem changes."

Image source, Getty Images

Former world champion Judd Trump gets his second round under way today against the unseeded Iranian, Hossein Vafaei.

Vafaei became the first and only qualifier at this year's championship to reach the second round as he won nine frames in a row to beat Si Jiahui 10-3.

The 31-year-old has never reached the quarter-finals at the Crucible but will have to take down the 31-time ranking event winner if he is to do so.

Trump remains determined to claim his second world championship win after doing so for the first time in 2019 but will not be able to overlook his opponent.