Ronnie O'Sullivan all square with Zhao Xintong after high-quality first session of World Snooker Championship semi-final at The Crucible

Zhao Xintong made a blistering start to his World Snooker Championship semi-final against Ronnie O'Sullivan, but back came 'The Rocket' to leave things beautifully poised after the first session at The Crucible in Sheffield. The players will return for session two on Friday morning. Watch and stream the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+.

'What a start' - Zhao sinks brilliant red after awful O'Sullivan break

Video credit: TNT Sports

Ronnie O’Sullivan withstood an early barrage from Zhao Xintong to share the opening eight frames of the first session of their World Championship semi-final.

Zhao showed no signs of nerves as he rolled in a stunning long red with his first shot in the one-table setup at the Crucible, and he picked off the opening two frames.

O’Sullivan did not look alarmed; he took the third before settling into the contest.

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‘The Rocket’ levelled at the interval and they shared the four frames upon the resumption to leave the contest well poised at 4-4 ahead of the second session.

Armed with a new tip, on his relatively new cue, O’Sullivan made an inauspicious start to the match as he caught the pack too thin off his break and the white drifted into the green pocket.

TNT Sports expert Alan McManus has been drooling over Zhao’s long potting, and the Chinese player demonstrated why with a stunning pot to get his semi-final underway. He picked off a break of 60, and it ultimately proved enough to secure the first frame.

O’Sullivan knocked in an excellent long red at the start of the second frame, but he missed a tough black. A further miss followed, and it proved costly as Zhao played a series of excellent shots in a break of 62 to double his lead.

'Look at the action' - O'Sullivan strokes in superb long red

Video credit: TNT Sports

After a couple of shaky frames where his errors were punished, O’Sullivan got a foothold in the semi-final when taking the third.

It could have been three on the spin for Zhao, but he lost position when in the balls and O’Sullivan knocked in a long red before speeding through a break of 64.

Zhao has demonstrated a fearless approach at this tournament, and he pushed the boat out when taking on a tough red to the left middle. It caught the top knuckle and stayed above ground. O’Sullivan did not have an easy start but a red to the right corner found its target, and he knocked in a break of 73 to draw level at the first interval.

After Zhao went past the half-hour mark without potting a ball, O’Sullivan forced an error from his opponent and raced through a break of 60 to edge himself in front for the first time in the contest.

Zhao snapped his lengthy run without potting a ball when stroking in a red at the start of the sixth. A surprising miss followed, but it did not prove fatal as O'Sullivan missed a brown when he was arguably focused on position on the next red. He got that position, and Zhao cashed in with a run of 49 to level the contest.

'What an atmosphere' - O'Sullivan and Zhao given standing ovation by Crucible crowd

Video credit: TNT Sports

O’Sullivan’s positional success percentage usually lives in the 90s. It was in the 80s during the first session, with him likely getting to grips with a new tip, but his recovery shots were on point and they helped him race through a break of 82 to take the seventh.

The seven-time winner had a chance to take a lead into the second session, but he missed a tricky black and Zhao made him pay a price as the younger player closed out the session with a break of 86, which came despite the pocket on the right corner bizarrely falling off mid-break.

O’Sullivan and Zhao will return for session two on Friday morning, with the action live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Snooker