Ronnie O’Sullivan is on the verge of extending his record to 23 World Snooker Championship quarter-final appearances after dominating his second-round match against Pang Junxu at the Crucible. Leading 6-2 overnight, O’Sullivan took control in the second session, swiftly building a 12-4 advantage. With just one more frame needed to secure his place in the last eight, O’Sullivan appeared untroubled, despite his occasional dissatisfaction with his performance. His two back-to-back centuries were a highlight in a match where Pang, though briefly showing signs of a comeback, was ultimately outclassed. The 25-year-old Chinese player had begun the session positively, winning the first two frames, evoking memories of his remarkable recovery from 9-4 down in last year’s first round. However, Pang’s consistent errors handed the initiative back to O’Sullivan, who responded with back-to-back half-centuries before running away with the match. By the time Pang was blanked in two consecutive frames, O’Sullivan had cemented a commanding lead, and the remaining frames were a mere formality.
Meanwhile, Judd Trump achieved a significant milestone, pocketing a £100,000 bonus for his 100th century of the season. In his second-round clash against Shaun Murphy, Trump made a slow start, leading 5-3 after the first session. His only regret was missing a difficult yellow when on 98, keeping his century tally at 99 for a little longer. However, the evening session saw Trump in top form, producing some outstanding breaks, including a 106 and a 132, which earned him a rare mid-frame standing ovation. Despite some early misses and fouls, Trump proved too strong for Murphy, moving into a 10-6 lead with the possibility of securing a place in the quarter-finals.
On the same night, former champion Luca Brecel was also closing in on a quarter-final spot after taking a commanding 12-4 lead over Ding Junhui. Brecel had looked set to win the match in just two sessions after a remarkable run of 11 frames in a row. Ding, who had started strong with a break of 141, managed to halt Brecel’s streak in frame 13 but found himself trailing heavily at 12-2. However, Ding mounted a brief fightback, pulling back two frames with consecutive centuries. Despite this, Brecel’s advantage remained unassailable, and he needed just one more frame on Monday to seal the win.
In other action, Zhao Xintong secured his place in the quarter-finals for the first time after a hard-fought 13-10 win over Lei Peifan. The Chinese player’s victory marked a significant milestone in his career. In contrast, Si Jiahui holds a 9-7 advantage over Ben Woollaston in their second-round clash, with both players heading into the final session with everything still to play for.
As the tournament progresses, O’Sullivan, Trump, Brecel, and others are gearing up for the final sessions, with several crucial frames remaining that could determine who advances to the coveted quarter-final spots.
