Seats are being taken, the players are about to be welcomed into the theatre and it could prove to be a thrilling afternoon of action.

It is 30 years since Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins first met at the Crucible, with the Scot squandering a strong position late on as “The Rocket” advanced to the semi-finals. It really is remarkable that the pair – and Mark Williams, too, of course – are still contending in the biggest tournaments.

Former World Championship finalist Barry Hawkins has labelled the decision to suddenly cancel the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters “very disappointing”, with players blindsided by the announcement.

A 10-year deal for the Saudi Arabian tournament was announced in 2024 but it has been axed after just two editions.

The World Snooker Tour 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.”

Zhao Xintong made his breakthrough last year; could Wu Yize be next? He’s nudged in front of Mark Selby as they prepare to resume in a little while. Lawrence Ostlere profiles the whizz-kid:

Here’s what is coming up at the Crucible today as four round of 16 encounters reach a conclusion:

John Higgins (5) 7-9 Ronnie O'Sullivan (12) *

Mark Selby (7) 7-9 Wu Yize (10) *

Chris Wakelin (13) 6-10 Neil Robertson (4) *

Hossein Vafaei 7-9 Judd Trump (2) *

But if we are to break down the head-to-head between these two across various stages of competitions Higgins only has the edge in semi-finals, where he leads 9-5 according to CueTracker.

More pertinently, in last 16 meetings they are locked on 2-2 with O’Sullivan leading in first-round meetings, group play, quarter-finals and finals.

Three years on from the news that rocked the snooker world, Lawrence Ostlere tells the story of the ringleaders behind an unprecedented scandal that saw 10 Chinese players banned from the game

One of those Ronnie O’Sullivan may have to get past is Zhao Xintong. The defending champion is into the last eight after a hard-fought victory over compatriot Ding Junhui, and could yet break the so-called “Crucible curse”. Luke Baker suggested as much before the tournament.

Early in last night’s second session it looked like Higgins’ race had been run but a decent start today will set him up nicely for a first won against O’Sullivan since 2022 - a 3-0 win in the Championship League.

The previous three meetings have gone the Essex man’s way - most recently a 4-0 victory at the World Masters in 2024.

The smart money appears on this encounter being a far more close run thing but let’s see how both begin the most eagerly-anticipated session of this year’s Crucible so far.

Ronnie O’Sullivan still looks as good a break-builder as ever as he chases a record eighth Crucible crown. But can he conquer the next generation to make history? Lawrence Ostlere takes a look: