Ronnie O’Sullivan and Luca Brecel are both just one frame away from reaching the quarter-finals of the 2025 World Snooker Championship. They each lead 12-4 against Chinese players Pang Junxu and Ding Junhui.
O’Sullivan, 49, is aiming to win his eighth world title, which would be a modern-era record. Brecel, meanwhile, is trying to win again after claiming the title two years ago.
Both players will try to finish their matches quickly when play continues at 7:00 PM BST on Monday.
O’Sullivan was ahead 6-2 after the first session. Pang fought back a little with breaks of 87 and 62, but O’Sullivan quickly took control again, winning six straight frames with strong breaks of 79, 80, 105, 135, and 62.
Brecel put on an amazing performance on Saturday night. Even though he arrived just 25 minutes before his match started after flying in by private jet, he lost the first frame but then won seven in a row with exciting, attacking snooker.
On Sunday, Brecel kept up his form, making scores of 53, 75, and 56 to win four more frames and lead 11-1. Ding showed some fight, winning three of the next four frames, and finished with two great centuries of 107 and 110.
In another match, world number one Judd Trump leads Shaun Murphy 10-6. Trump also earned £100,000 after making his 100th century of the season.
Zhao Says, ‘I’m Proud of Myself’ After Big Win
China’s Zhao Xintong reached the quarter-finals for the first time in his career after beating Lei Peifan 13-10.
Zhao, 27, was leading 10-6 after the second session and almost made a perfect 147 break at the start of the day. He potted nine reds and nine blacks but ended his run with a break of 72. In frame 20, Zhao was ahead 41-12, but Lei fought back by winning that frame and the next two, raising hopes of a comeback. However, Zhao stayed calm and made a break of 54 to seal the victory. He will now face England’s Chris Wakelin, who has already knocked out 2010 world champion Neil Robertson and former world number one Mark Allen.
“I’m really happy — it’s my first time in the quarter-finals and I’m proud of myself,” Zhao said. “I knew I had to stay strong because Lei had made a comeback against Kyren Wilson earlier. I want to enjoy playing at the Crucible because the crowd is great. I’ll be facing Chris Wakelin for the first time, and I know he’s a very good player.”
Zhao had been banned for 20 months in June 2023 for being involved in a match-fixing scandal. Although he didn’t fix a match himself, he admitted to being part of two cases and betting on matches. He is officially listed as an amateur in this tournament but has already earned his spot back on the World Snooker Tour for next season.
In another match, China’s Si Jiahui leads England’s Ben Woollaston 9-7. Woollaston had defeated world number four Mark Selby in the first round. Si started the evening with a 5-3 lead, and although Woollaston made strong breaks of 100 and 85, Si managed to win an important 16th frame on the black. Their match will finish on Monday at 13:00 BST, with the winner set to face either Ronnie O’Sullivan or Pang Junxu in the quarter-finals.
