Zhao Xintong aims to defy the odds and become the first debutant champion to successfully defend his World Championship title in Sheffield.
Defending champion Zhao Xintong mounted a spirited comeback against Shaun Murphy, leaving their World Championship quarter-final finely balanced at 8-8 heading into Wednesday’s decisive session.
In a captivating evening that showcased a flurry of impressive breaks, Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen also rallied from a 5-3 deficit to draw level at 8-8 against Barry Hawkins.
Hawkins’ missed pink, allowing Allen to restore parity, added to what was arguably the most compelling session of snooker at the Crucible this year.
Across both matches, which featured eight half-centuries and four centuries, Zhao concluded the night with a remarkable trick shot to pot the black, capping off a spellbinding evening.
Zhao, who has openly discussed the pressure of defending his title and overcoming the ‘Crucible curse’, showcased a transformation from the morning session, where he relinquished a 3-0 lead to trail 5-3.
The 29-year-old secured the opening frame of the evening and constructed breaks of 55, 67, and 117 as he went head-to-head with Englishman Murphy.
The 2005 world champion responded with breaks of 59, 90, and 65, and will be undeterred when their match resumes on Wednesday from 14:30 BST.
Allen and Hawkins’ match proved equally enthralling as they exchanged blows on the other side of the partition.
When the Northern Irishman compiled his 700th career century with a magnificent 138 to close the gap to 7-6, the 2013 finalist Hawkins responded with a 140 – the joint-highest break of the tournament alongside Allen and Murphy.
World number 14 Allen then responded with a superb 131 before claiming a dramatic final frame, with their contest resuming at 10:00 BST on Wednesday.
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Allen wins the frame to level with Hawkins.
Neil Robertson won the World Championship in 2010.
Neil Robertson established a narrow 5-3 lead over John Higgins in a fiercely contested opening to their quarter-final.
Higgins compiled breaks of 61 and 56 to secure the first frame and the fourth, drawing level at 2-2.
However, the emotional and physical strain of defeating Ronnie O’Sullivan 13-12 in an all-time Crucible classic on Monday appeared to weigh on the 50-year-old Scot at times.
The four-time champion committed six unforced errors before the mid-session interval and was far from his best in a scrappy affair.
Australia’s Robertson, who secured the world title in 2010, also failed to reach his peak despite runs of 77 and 70. At one point, he even required repairs to his chair, adding to the protracted nature of their contest.
While he claimed the final two frames of the session, his pragmatic approach and an unfortunate run of the balls contributed to a drawn-out eighth frame that lasted almost 52 minutes, delaying the start of the evening session.
Robertson and Higgins resume their match on Wednesday at 10:00 BST.
In contrast, Hossein Vafaei and Wu Yize are level at 4-4 after an entertaining start to their best-of-25 encounter.
With both players seemingly focused on attacking snooker, Iran’s Vafaei crafted a break of 66 to lead 2-1 before Wu underlined his status as one of the game’s emerging talents with runs of 90, 56, and 56 to move 4-2 ahead.
Vafaei, who had to navigate two qualifying rounds before overcoming Si Jiahui and then world number one Judd Trump in a final-frame thriller, responded with a break of 71.
He then drew level when Wu missed a presentable long black into the top left corner, clearing the table up to and including the pink.
They return for the second session of their best-of-25 encounter on Wednesday at 14:30 BST.
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