Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Michael Emons

If you are inspired by what you have seen and are in the Sheffield area then get yourself over to the Cue Zone, which is in Winter Garden, a short walk from the Crucible.

That is where you can see the BBC studio with Hazel and the team, but there's also a full-sized table where you can show your skills.

There are a host of different exhibitions and fan competitions. One I saw had one red placed on each of the spots, with one of the other colours over each of the pockets.

The idea was to pot every one of the colours, but you are not allowed to hit a red and you must pot a ball with every shot.

Great entertainment as the competitors' friends were there, encouraging, heckling, mocking and taking pictures of their efforts.

Image source, Michael Emons

Gary Wilson flashes a wry smile in his chair after Judd Trump flukes a red for a second successive frame - and it's again pivotal.

A 77 break follows and the world number one has come from 4-1 down to lead 5-4 going into tonight's second and final session.

Not sure the few hours' break is enough time for Wilson to quite get over what happened in the final few frames there.

Everything that could go wrong for the Geordie, did - and Trump seems to have his mojo back as a result.

Liam Pullen had a chance to follow up that 97 in the previous frame but missed early doors.

Chris Wakelin steps in with a fine 82 to move back two frames ahead once again. Misses a tough last red so no century but both players showing signs of settling into this after a nervy opening few frames.

Joe Perry
Former World Championship semi-finalist on BBC Two

You can see the handbrake is off now.

That was more like Judd Trump - the flair shots at the end, the cue ball fizzing everywhere.

It's the first time today Judd Trump has looked like he's enjoying himself.

An absolutely outrageous fluke from Judd Trump to begin frame eight.

He misses a long red but it flies around the table, collides with the cue ball and just drops into the yellow pocket.

Little luck about what follows though - a sumptuous 128 clearance culminating in some exhibition shots on the colours.

The world number one levels from 4-1 down.

What an impressive, composed break from 20-year-old Liam Pullen on his Crucible debut.

The only shame is that he's unable to convert it into a century, missing a tough final red along the side cushion.

But the youngster will just be delighted to cut his deficit to one - will that give him a confidence boost ahead of a key final two frames of the session?

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Michael Emons

Judd Trump is the world number one and has been non-stop since the end of August 2024, but that run could end after this tournament if he loses today.

At the moment he is 4-3 down in a race to 10 and if he goes out in the first round then that throws open the opportunity for either Neil Robertson or Zhao Xintong to overtake Trump in the rankings.

However, for that to happen, Robertson or Zhao would have to go all the way and pick up a second world title.

If Zhao wins, it finally means we never have to talk about the 'Crucible Curse' ever again - the stat that shows that none of the previous 20 first-time winners here have ever gone on to retain their title in the following year.

Robertson, currently third in the rankings, won the World Championship in 2010 and a return to the world number one spot would be a remarkable turnaround for the Australian, who failed to qualify for the tournament two years ago.

Here's the 66 break that put Chris Wakelin 4-2 up on Table 1.

Liam Pullen is replying in style, though - he's already past the winning line in frame seven and has a chance of a century...

Joe Perry
Former World Championship semi-finalist on BBC Two

That could be a massive turning point. That's more like Judd Trump.

It might be the catalyst he needs to really turn his form around in this match. It's a huge frame.

Judd will be fired up, he's won a frame he shouldn't have won, in style. The momentum has changed.

Image source, PA Media

Wow. Match-changer?

Judd Trump looks for all the world like going three frames behind as he needs a snooker.

But he lays a cracker behind the green and then completes a gutsy yellow-to-black clearance with most colours off their spots.

That could be a real bodyblow to Gary Wilson - and a massive psychological boost for the world number one.

A 66 break - the highest of the match - helps restore Chris Wakelin's two-frame advantage against his fellow Englishman.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

This has been a fine performance from 20-year-old Liam Pullen, who at 86th in the world rankings is the second lowest-ranked player of the 32 Crucible competitors.

The only one lower was world number 92 Liam Highfield and he went out in the opening round, losing to reigning world champion Zhao Xintong on the first day of the tournament.

Pullen had to win four matches to get to the Crucible for the first time and if he can go any further then it would be a great story for a player who dropped off the tour, and then instantly bounced back on to it via Q School in May 2025.

These last four frames of the opening session will have a big impact on this match. Can Pullen dive into the lead? Just like his friend and fellow Yorkshireman Stan Moody yesterday, Pullen is showing his class and relishing the opportunity.

Both Chris Wakelin and Liam Pullen are 'feeling it' on Table 1.

A string of missed pots from both players in an incredibly scrappy frame four.

But it's 20-year-old Pullen who gets the best of it, picking off the blue and pink to bag a frame that could have gone either way.

Big frame for the debutant - huge difference between 4-1 behind and 3-2.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Michael Emons

Whoever wins this match on table one will have to be at their best to progress any further as Chris Wakelin and Liam Pullen were placed into a brutally difficult quarter of the draw.

Neil Robertson, the world number three and 2010 winner, is a potential opponent in the last 16, with maybe John Higgins or Ronnie O'Sullivan (with 11 world titles between them) a possible competitor in the quarter-finals.

Image source, Michael Emons

Here's that fantastic 139 clearance from Gary Wilson in the frame before last.

Well, Michael E - Trump has taken the first step on the comeback road.

Far from convincing, mind. The frame followed the pattern of the match so far with Trump building a cushion but letting Wilson back in.

This time though Wilson misses a key yellow and Trump's able to see the frame out and reduce his deficit to two.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Michael Emons

So world number one Judd Trump, a winner here in 2019 and a runner-up in 2022, finds himself in a bit of bother.

But he only has to look to yesterday for inspiration as Kyren Wilson hauled himself out of deeper trouble when he was 6-2 and 7-3 behind against Stan Moody, only to then win the final seven frames to advance.

We have had eight matches completed so far, and all of them have been won by the seeded player.

Trump v Gary Wilson finishes tonight and the next match to be completed almost certainly looks like being nine winning seeds out of nine as 10th seed Wu Yize is 8-1 up over fellow Chinese player Lei Peifan.

Savage scoring from Gary Wilson who punishes a miss on a long red by Judd Trump with a supremely classy 139 clearance.

He's 4-1 ahead and the world number one is in real danger of becoming the first upset victim at this year's World Championship.

Still a long way to go of course but what a start for the Tyneside Terror.

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

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 here.

Image source, Getty Images

With half of the first-round matches complete, we can really start mapping out a route to the final.

Some tantalising second-round games in store too.

Reigning champion Zhao Xintong faces Ding Junhui in a mouth-watering all Chinese battle.

John Higgins awaits Ronnie O'Sullivan if the 'Rocket' progresses while in the bottom half of the draw there's a heavyweight meeting between Mark Allen and Kyren Wilson.

Who do you fancy will meet in the final? Click the Get Involved button and let us know.