World Snooker Championship 2022 LIVE scores - Judd Trump beats Stuart Bingham, John Higgins beats Jack Lisowski

ByDaniel Harris|Mike Gibbons

Updated 27/04/2022 at 22:13 GMT

Another dawn, another day of World Snooker Championship action as the quarter-finals conclude. Ronnie O’Sullivan only needs two frames to finish off Stephen Maguire (10:00 BST), while Mark Williams and Yan Bingtao (14:30) are locked at 8-8 heading into their last session. Judd Trump resumes his battle against Stuart Bingham, as does John Higgins against Jack Lisowski (both 10:00 BST, 19:00 BST).

‘I’ve played with worse and won’ – O’Sullivan shrugs off ‘unplayable’ cue

Refresh for live text updates, or stream live above

That'll do us

World Championship

O’Sullivan in favour of World Championship move - 'I don’t actually like The Crucible'

7 hours ago

It's been another thrilling day at the Crucible. Join us for another one from 12.45pm BST tomorrow.

That last four

For the first time ever I believe we have four former Crucible winners in the semi-finals. The one table situation gets going tomorrow with Judd Trump versus Mark Williams at 1.00pm BST, followed by Ronnie O'Sullivan versus John Higgins at 7.00pm BST. Four brilliant players, with 14 world titles between them; the vaunted Class of 92 and the devastating, trophy-hogging force of nature of snooker's last four seasons. What a line-up that is, don't you miss a minute of it.

John Higgins is through after a thriller

What. A. Match. This is why we plonk ourselves down, either at the Crucible or in front of the telly, for the World Snooker Championship. Jack fought all teeth and all nails to make a match of that, and bar the opening frame in the match was never in front again until he moved to the brink at 12-11 after an epic 23rd frame. For moxie though, look no further than John Higgins. He didn't play well tonight until a 105 and a 72 banked the last two frames and whipped the match from under Jack's nose. This is only a few weeks on from a defeat against Neil Robertson in the Tour Championship final from 9-4 in front that would have most of us still in a dark room, shaking and crying. Jack will rue that missed red in the decider for some time, but it's not a moment for that; stand up both players, for that was magnificent knife-edge entertainment.

Higgins 13-12 Lisowski

The 72 is enough, and John Higgins has won a Crucible classic!

Higgins 12-12 Lisowski (72-18)

Frame ball red duly goes, as does an insurance pink. What an effort from John in these last two frames! He's double the second to last red too, and that will be that!

Higgins 12-12 Lisowski (51-18)

This is a tough watch for Jack, who can only sit and hope from here. John tidies up a half-century, and the three remaining reds around the pink will be enough for him. They're all on, and he doesn't need to do too much with the white. Easy to say from here, but surely he'll see it home.

Higgins 12-12 Lisowski (21-18)

John retrieves position twice early on, with a thin cut from high on the black and then with a red into the bottom left with the rest. He goes in front in the frame, and there's a nice crescent of reds around the pink for him to play on.

Higgins 12-12 Lisowski (0-18)

What an epic this has been, more of an arm wrestle than pistols at dawn, but utterly compelling. They say you just want one chance in a coin flip frame and Jack gets the first look as a thick safety from John leaves a mid-range red to the bottom left. That goes in, but in trying to clear the path for the black to both corners he overcuts a red to bottom left and misses it. Here, then, is the chance for John.

Higgins 12-12 Lisowski

As good a time as any to hook your best to your veins. Under the most extreme pressure John registers 105 to bring us level again. Strap in.

Higgins 11-12 Lisowski (74-0)

Get everyone in the room folks. Frame ball black has gone, and we're going all the way here.

Higgins 11-12 Lisowski (59-0)

A split on the pack by John is a glancing blow that only releases a couple, but he cracks on to make a half-century. Another visit administers another mild clang, but he's on a red to bottom right from mid-range and drives it in to land on the black. What a magnificent response this is from him.

Higgins 11-12 Lisowski (27-0)

Although he's not played well tonight, John's not for chucking it in. A poor containing safety from Jack leaves a red on to the yellow pocket, and John calmly strokes it in. He's soon down the business end and buzzing around the black spot. Can he go to the well here and give us a decider?

Higgins 11-12 Lisowski

For the first time since the opening frame, Jack is in front! He clears up to the pink, which looked routine but is anything but under this pressure, and he's now one away from the semi-finals. What a slice of luck he had with that snooker, but it goes against you enough in this game and he still had to cash it in.

Higgins 11-11 Lisowski (52-54)

Jack blinks first and leaves the yellow on to the bottom right; John gobbles it up, but he's short of pace going back up for the green and is only left with a safety. Both players are right under it here, and Jack survives a mishit safety to fluke a snooker behind the blue. John escapes...but he's left the green and the frame on for Jack!

Higgins 11-11 Lisowski (50-54)

What a shot from John! He glances in a long red as a shot to nothing, and he's got the pink over the green pocket. What a horror show he's had here though; he's too short on the yellow to get on the green, and in trying to launch the white around the table he misses the pot but doesn't leave it all on for Jack. The tension here is incredible.

Higgins 11-11 Lisowski (43-54)

You sense Jack is playing the better here and knows it, although not near his own best. He clips a red into the green pocket but can't land on the black as he comes down the table, and opts to put the brown safe. We're into a safety battle on the final red, during which Jack catches the black first when escaping a snooker and gives away seven, and then another four when he slides by the red and hits the brown. He escapes at the third attempt, and nudges the red safe; we go on.

Higgins 11-11 Lisowski (32-53)

John misses another off-straight red again, thick to the bottom left, and it's there for Jack. There are three reds near the left rail so a clearance looks taxing, but he can take charge of the frame here. An excellent shot off the black moves him to 31 and brings three of the reds into better positions. It's another great effort from him, but in reaching 47 he screws into the final two reds from the black but lands welded to one of them, necessitating a safety.

Higgins 11-11 Lisowski (16-6)

Heaven and hell for John here in frame 23. He drains a lovely red long to bottom left, followed by a pink to left middle; he then has a shocker on a red to bottom right where he cuts it too thick and misses. Jack's feeling it too though, as he pots red-blue but then misses a touch cut back on a red after opening the pack. It's getting edgy out there. John gets another red down but can't locate position, although finds it a few shots later after dropping in a long red and stunning a tough pink into the bottom left. There's a good spread on here and it's a serious chance.

Higgins 11-11 Lisowski

We're all square courtesy of a 79 from Jack.

Higgins 11-10 Lisowski (10-67)

There goes frame ball red, and he's on the blue; what a time to find your best break of the night. And what moxie, given the stakes and who's in the other chair.

Higgins 11-10 Lisowski (10-50)

This is some effort from Jack, who rides his luck a little when catching the yellow going in and out of baulk but recovers his nerve to bank a half-century. He's only a few balls away from levelling this up and making it a best of three.

Higgins 11-10 Lisowski (10-20)

Jack tries a long red to the bottom left, misses by a distance and leaves it on as a jab from mid-range for John. He soon goes into the pack off the blue, but only tentatively as he fears sending a plant into the bottom left. That leaves a tricky red with the rest to the bottom right, and he's missed it and left it. Jack's response reaches 20 as he opens the reds when potting another and lands on the black; what a chance he's got here!

Higgins 11-10 Lisowski

That's a huge steal for Jack, as he clears up to the pink. He's within one again!

Higgins 11-9 Lisowski (51-74)

Given the context, this is one of the most dramatic frames of the tournament. John snookers Jack on the yellow, and Jack escapes but sends the white in-off. That leaves John a long-ish yellow to the bottom right from the D...and he's missed it and left it! Jack mops it up, and he's on the green!

Higgins 11-9 Lisowski (47-72)

A fluked snooker from Jack, tight behind the green, draws three misses from John. The last of those leaves Jack on a red to the bottom left. Jack switches right-handed to put it away, and then drives the pink hard into the right middle. That leaves a tough red across the table to the bottom left, which he drops in but still can't land nicely on a colour which would be frame ball. Jack takes on a cut on blue to right middle, but misses; John is still in this one, just.

Higgins 11-9 Lisowski (47-52)

Jack splits three reds below the pink after potting a black; that's a gorgeous touch shot, but he still needs to bring a red off the bottom cushion too. He can't do it though and loses position as a result, so sends white to baulk. There are three reds left out there. Higgins gets one down, but in potting the black thereafter he sends the white in-off, and it's seven away. With the final two reds on the bottom cushion Jack makes John play from the D, where another four points come his way when John can't connect with a thin contact safety. This is a huge point in the match.

Higgins 11-9 Lisowski (46-25)

It's a huge chance for Jack, as John makes a hash of a safety and leaves a red to the green pocket. Jack thumps it in, but can only make seven as he loses the white to the upper right rail. Rather than chance the green he wedges the white in behind the yellow on the top cushion; it's a beauty of a snooker, although John is only a whisker from a four cushion escape. That's four away, position ceded and Jack has a real chance now.

Higgins 11-9 Lisowski (46-0)

We join it just as John misses a red to right middle, nixing a promising break on 38. He's straight back in though, as Jack can't fire the offending red into the bottom right and he's left it in the jaws. John can see it and drops it in, but his split of the pack off the ensuing black doesn't work out and he can only play safe thereafter.

The Old Switcheroo

Stick with us, we're now going live to the climax of the quarterfinal between John Higgins and Jack Lisowski. John is 11-9 up, and in the balls...

Judd Trump is through to the last four

What a streaky match that was. Five frames in a row from Stuart had Judd in all sorts of mither, only for one missed black in frame 14 to change the whole momentum of the match. From there, an out of sorts Judd suddenly found himself in sorts as he rattled off eight on the spin to blow Stuart away. He's been a little late in bringing his A game to this tournament but there were signs of it there, and what a semi-final we have in store when he takes on Mark Williams. As for Stuart, that missed black will be on his mind this summer, I shouldn't wonder.

Trump 13-8 Bingham

An additional 14 puts this one in the books, as Trump wins his eighth frame in a row.

Trump 12-8 Bingham (63-0)

There's respite here for Stuart as Judd miscalculates position and can't get on a red and plays safe. Stuart's return safety is poor though, leaving a red to the bottom right, and in it goes. Judd then nails a long, straight yellow with deep screw and frame ball red; we're done here.

Trump 12-8 Bingham (52-0)

In potting a red to open the pack to reach 43, Judd leaves a long yellow to it's own pocket to keep the break going. It doesn't touch the sides, and he's quickly up to a half-century. What a performance it's been tonight, this one looks over.

On our other table John Higgins and Jack Lisowski have resumed, with John leading 10-9.

Trump 12-8 Bingham (19-0)

We're back, with Stuart needing to replicate the five game blast that put him 8-5 ahead at one stage. Both players miss multiple attempts at reds as they settle down after the interval, before Judd tags one into the right middle. He's straight back into it and quickly onto the black. This is early, but it's a chance.

Trump 12-8 Bingham

Judd goes on to make 73 to secure the frame. He's swept that mini-session and now won seven in a row.

That's the interval, we'll be back in 15 minutes.

Trump 11-8 Bingham (52-13)

This might not just be Judd warming up in the match, but the tournament generally. He's not been truly firing so far at the Crucible, but he's really letting his arm go now. A blue to right middle brings up the half-century, and with four open reds remaining the frame looks inevitable.

Trump 11-8 Bingham (21-13)

Judd misses a long red at the start of the 20th frame, leaving an easy starter to the bottom right. It needs to happen now for Stuart, and he sets about his break. On 13 though he misses a black off its spot, leaving it in the jaws of the bottom left, and that could effectively finish this match. Stuart returns to his chair, head bowed, while Judd quickly takes control of the frame.

Trump 11-8 Bingham

Stuart's looking spent, while Judd is really enjoying himself now. He naughty snookers a long pink into the bottom left, loaded with topspin and drawing an 'oooh!' from the Crucible audience, as he mops up to take a sixth frame in a row.

Trump 10-8 Bingham (56-23)

Here's a reprieve for Stuart, as Judd is forced into taking a red long to the yellow pocket and it rattles out. Stuart then blams in a double to the right middle, and there's more than enough on to pinch this. Just as it looks on, he misses an off-straight pink as he tries to drop on the final red, and he's served this up for Judd.

Trump 10-8 Bingham (43-4)

Stuart is properly under it here. He throws everything at a long red to the bottom right, gambling on position and probably risking the frame if it stays out. The red doesn't drop, the white careers into and develops other reds and there are serious points on now for Judd. He's added 28 in no time, respotting pink and black as he does so; big trouble here for Stuart.

On the other table, John HIggins has moved 10-8 ahead against Jack Lisowski.

Trump 10-8 Bingham (15-4)

Judd flukes a red to start frame 19 and then lays a snooker tight behind the green that forces an error from Stuart, who escapes but leaves a tunnel through a pack of reds to a red to the bottom right. It booms in, and this is a chance. In reaching 14 though the white fair rockets off the side cushion and overshoots position on the black, which draws giggles from Judd as it was so out of proportion to the shot; that was like Sonic the Hedgehog jumping on a mushroom. Judd is directly behind the black and needs a couple of efforts to get the white safe, giving away four as a result.

Trump 10-8 Bingham

Stuart goes in-off, and sticks a fork in this one. That's five frames in a row now for Judd.

Trump 9-8 Bingham (50-6)

Both players get a solitary red down, but this table is a mess, and position is hard to come by. Judd then tags in another, jabs in a short green and then - hello, Paul Newman - pots two reds in the same shot, one into each bottom corner pocket! That's extraordinary. The green follows and Stuart now needs two snookers.

Trump 9-8 Bingham (40-5)

Stuart drops in a long red as a shot to nothing, and can't blag position on a colour. Soon after he gifts an easy red to Judd into the yellow pocket, but it's a difficult chance with pink, blue and black tied up. The white is doing some amount of work here, as Judd pots a load of balls just to add a mere 26 before finally losing position.

Trump 9-8 Bingham (14-4)

These are good signs for Judd, bad for Stuart, as Judd glides in an effortless long red to the bottom right to start frame 18. There's a break here for Stuart though, as after Judd pots the black it's respotted and blocking the path of Judd's intended next red, so it's end of break. Stuart gets another touch a few shots later as Judd goes in-off, but can't bash in a long red from the D thereafter. This one's gone a bit scrappy.

Trump 9-8 Bingham

Judd rolls in frame ball red to reach 66, which wobbles a little but drops nonetheless. A total of 78 puts him in the lead.

Trump 8-8 Bingham (52-0)

A couple of sensational reds from Judd - one cut with the rest, another deadweighted long into the bottom right - keep his break going when it's on the brink of being derailed, and a blue into the yellow pocket brings up his half-century. He then makes a plant to the bottom left, and this is a superb start from him.

Trump 8-8 Bingham (25-0)

It's an early look for Judd as Stuart catches the green full ball when playing safe, leaving a red on to the bottom left. Judd drains it, goes up for the brown and he's quickly into his stride.

Here we go

The crowd are properly amped for this session, as Rob Walker brings the players into the arena. Two games on the edge, a popping atmosphere...you've just got to love this game.

We're back up

Welcome back! We know the identity of two of the semi-finalists at the 2022 World Championship, with Mark Williams and Ronnie O'Sullivan waiting to find out their opponent tomorrow. Sorting out the other two places are three former world champions and one of the rising forces in the game, and there's barely anything between them. Four-time world champion John Higgins leads Jack Lisowski 8-7, and we'll keep you updated with how that one pans out. Our featured match will be 2019 winner Judd Trump against the 2015 champion Stuart Bingham; they're deadlocked at 8-8, so it's a best of nine shootout.

There's your menu, let's get tucked in.

That's us for now

On the other table they pulled it in a frame early, and John Higgins now only leads by a slender 8-7 over Jack Lisowski going into tonight's session. We'll have that, and the denouement of Judd Trump and Stuart Bingham, from 6.45pm BST.

Mark Williams is through to the semi-finals

He thrashed his first two opponents at the Crucible this year, but my word Mark had to dig deep to win that one. After leading 6-2 Yan flipped the whole script to take a 10-8 lead, and looked like he could achieve a landmark win in his young career. Mark is not for panicking though, and rattled off five on the spin to reach the last four.

Williams 13-11 Bingtao

Mark makes 78 and Yan concedes, both players acknowledge each other as they leave. What a match that was!

Williams 12-11 Bingtao (71-8)

If you looked up unflappable in the dictionary you'd see a mugshot of a very nonplussed Mark J Williams. He overscrews position badly on the reds, but recovers with a wafer thin red to right middle to hold for the black. This is so composed, as he approaches frame ball black...and it's there! He'll keep going too, and this valiant effort by Yan is over.

Williams 12-11 Bingtao (31-8)

Yan gets the first chance of frame 24 as Mark rattles a long red out of the bottom right and leaves out over the bottom left. His positional shot as poor though, and although he pots the black he's not on a red and a good chance goes begging on eight points. A few shots later Yan misses a long red and leaves it on for Mark, and will that be his last shot? Frame and match could be on here for Mark if he can work a split on the pack, and he reaches 30 by driving into it off two cushions after potting the blue. That leaves a plant that Mark makes, and he's on the black.

Williams 12-11 Bingtao

A 66 in total from Mark sees him move within one of victory.

Elsewhere, John now leads Jack 8-6.

Williams 11-11 Bingtao (58-7)

What a shot this is! Mark has another high, thin cut on the black and he slices it in, splitting two reds away from the pink thereafter as he does so. There's no discernable trace of emotion on his kipper, but he'll be well happy with that as the frame is now at his mercy.

Williams 11-11 Bingtao (23-7)

Mark ends a cagey safety exchange buy cueing a glorious red into the bottom left, and goes back up for the brown. This is a glimmer of a chance, more so now as Mark has just rehoused the black on its spot. The cluster will need a little tickle to sort this frame in this visit, but a previously deadlocked frame is now opening up.

Williams 11-11 Bingtao (3-7)

Every miss feels like it has some amount of enormity attached to it now. Yan takes on a long red to the bottom left, played with heavy drag to hold for the black. It's close but it rattles out, and Mark responds by cutting a red back into the same pocket. After that, it's a volley of shockers from both players. Mark loses position and plays an appalling safety that leaves a red over the yellow pocket; Yan then feathers that so thin that the red barely moves and stays out; Mark pots said red but goes in-off; from the D, Yan then rattles a red out of the jaws of the bottom left and straight into the bottom right. What larks! Yan can only add a yellow thereafter and plays safe to baulk, while we all calm down after a quite extraordinary run of shots.

Williams 11-11 Bingtao

Mark should pick off enough here to sort the frame, and after one compliant split on the remaining cluster he quickly puts 28 together before missing a red to the bottom right. Yan has no interest in the multiple snookers required and stays rooted; this match is now a best of three.

On the other table, John now leads Jack 8-5.

Williams 10-11 Bingtao (41-10)

Yan picks off a red as a shot to nothing; he's got a line to the black over the bottom right, but not the angle to disturb the pack. Instead, that fine snooker brain kicks in. Yan plays the yellow into the pack, and leaves the white in baulk. That forces an error from Mark, who leaves a red over the bottom right from his next shot, and Yan buries it. That was canny stuff, but Yan doesn't cash it in. On nine he misses a difficult cut on the green to it's own pocket, and he's left Mark in.

Williams 10-11 Bingtao (41-0)

Mark fires straight back and opens frame 22 with a barrage of quick scoring, getting in with a red to the bottom right and then accumulating points with the languid demeanour of someone strolling over the road to pick up a pint of milk. It's gone wrong here though, as after bridging high over the pack to drop a red into the left middle he then misses a tough cut on black to bottom right. He's cover the pocket though and therefore not left Yan a pot, so there's no immediate punishment for the miss.

Williams 10-11 Bingtao

This game! Yan flukes the final red and clears up everything else for good measure. He's two away!

Williams 10-10 Bingtao (34-61)

After much deliberation, because he wants to keep Yan in his seat, Mark plays a snooker in behind the black, which is close to the pink, which is on its spot. The red - all Yan needs - is in baulk, and he has a really good go at hitting it, missing by fractions and pulling it off second time.

Williams 10-10 Bingtao (24-61)

Yan's not played as well in this frame as earlier or last night, and cues across one to left corner that stays out accordingly. If Mark stole this, he'd feel like he was on his way, and make no mistake, this is a chance so to do.

Williams 10-10 Bingtao (13-54)

Ach, Yan overcuts one he shouldn't to left corner, but there are two reds close together on the side and more central, pods of two and three, so Mark's got work to do if he's to steal this frame. It won't be at this visit, but when Yan gets in again he can't make it count - and nor can Mark, though he punishes a green into the yellow pocket. He tries a cut-back red down the side cushion, and when he jawses it, he knows it means the frame.

Williams 10-10 Bingtao (0-37)

It's more a settle in than a buckle up, but no less compelling for that while, on the other table, they're also just back after the interval, Jack winning a last frame he dominated but almost lost to trail John 7-5. Back in our match, Yan drains a long red then adds pink, red and blue. Quicksmart, this looks a decent chance.

We go again!

Williams 10-10 Bingtao

You can tell both men are loving the quality and intensity of the battle. How couldn't they?!

Williams 9-10 Bingtao (65-0)

Mark misses a red to the corner and goes to sit down with 72 points still on the table. Yan then plays a roll-up, only catching the red with the outermost fibre of the right. mark plays away, then a few shots later Yan leaves him a sitter into the yellow pocket, and we're going to start the final session all-square. This is great, great stuff.

Williams 9-10 Bingtao (45-0)

Superb from Mark, who cues perfectly straight to send a red to left corner. On nothing, he finds another good length and this is such an engrossing frame, the standard of safety so high - though as I type that, Mark has a hack at one and misses, then Yan misses one to left corner by a fortnight which will, I think, cost him the frame.

Williams 9-10 Bingtao (40-0)

On 40, Mark runs out of position, so plonks Yan on the baulk cushion and a safety exchange ensues. This has been such a great mini-sesh, nails matchplay snook by two proper players. The reds are pretty open now, so whoever gets the next chance will be a strong favourite for the frame.

Williams 9-10 Bingtao (24-0)

John now leads Jack 7-4 - it's hard to see how he loses three more than he wins from here - while Mark pots a fine long red and lands on nowt, then prods a beauty with the rest, from right of the table to left corner. He's been set a challenge, and he's attacking it with all the chilled-out fervency you'd expect.

Williams 9-10 Bingtao (64-15)

Mark Williams is good at snooker. A 135 and he closes to within one; I can't pick a winner from here.

Williams 8-10 Bingtao (64-15)

This is great from Mark. A red to right corner goes down on its last roll, then he absolutely strokes one to the green pocket. I can't wait for the rest of this match, which is handy as we're about to enjoy it right now.

Williams 8-10 Bingtao (16-15)

A poor safety from Yan cannons a red, the white staying up the table, so Mark gets to work. He really needs this frame - if he loses it, given Yan's form and temperament, I think he'll also lose the match. But he's doing nicely for now.

Williams 8-10 Bingtao (0-15)

On the other table, Jack has taken a topsy-turvy tenth frame off John, who now leads 6-4. That was a biggun. Back in our match, Mark misses with a roll-up twice, hitting the black twice; if he does it again, he loses the frame, so he breaks the pack and hopes. Forlornly, as it turns out, a red freeing itself and stopping as close to the lip as it's possible to get without dropping. Yan, though, can't capitalise, knocking it into the bag before almost snookering himself; he plays safe off the black.

Williams 8-10 Bingtao

He can! A 102 clearance, and if Mark J isn't careful, he'll be off hame in an hour or two.

Williams 8-9 Bingtao (29-88)

I wonder how good Yan will be in three years' time. Can he make it a ton?

Williams 8-9 Bingtao (29-45)

It's Yan in again when Mark's safety leaves him a red, and there are plenty of cheap points available for his delectation; he's taking them nicely. Mark, on the other hand, hasn't made a 50 since frame eight and this is now frame 18.

Williams 8-9 Bingtao (29-8)

Yan has a simple red to right corner, problem being the white is backed against the cluster. He tries every contraption under the table but none help, so he has to play safe. That'll be annoying, but one of the things that makes him such a good player is that he moves on from disappointments quickly.

Williams 8-9 Bingtao (29-8)

Again, it's Mark in first; can he make the most of that this time? He ruffles the pack, looks good ... then misses a dolly to left-middle! I've said it before and I'll say it again: the player playing best in the first week is rarely the player waving the trophy about at the end of the second week. Again, Yan is away.

Williams 8-9 Bingtao Back in out match,

What's so odd about Yan, as Neal notes, is that you never see a 22-year-old who plays like he does - him aside, those who are elite at that age are all about pots and break-building. That's part of what makes him so interesting, and he's in front here after seeing away the penultimate red.

Williams 8-8 Bingtao (18-62)

Yan removes the two reds on the top before playing safe and sitting down 62 points to the good. Meantime, next door, John Higgins has taken the first frame of the afternoon of Jack Lisowski, with a ton too. That is so typical.

Williams 8-8 Bingtao (18-55)

In comms, Neal notes that Yan's cue-ball control isn't as good as that of some, but he finds ways to get things done. That's what's happening here - he's not fluent, but he's prtety damn alright, though the last four reds, two on the top and two on the side, will be taxing.

Williams 8-8 Bingtao (18-12)

Mark J has been brilliant in this competition - until last evening, which tells you just how well Yan played. But he's in first here, picking as ever, before the opportunity to split the pack off the blue presents itself and he can't turn it away. But it doesn't work as he'd hoped, he misses a plant, and Yan then gets in to enjoy the fruits of his labour.

Boyz = baized

We back

Lovely stuff. We'll be sitting with Bingtao v Williams, given that's been a thriller so far and they're playing to a finish, but I'll keep you updated on Higgins v Lisowski too.

That's us done for the morning

Join me again at 2.15 pm BST for ... this!

Yan Bingtao (Chn) 8-8 Mark Williams (Wal)

John Higgins (Sco) 5-3 Jack Lisowski (Eng)

Trump 8-8 Bingham

Judd misses a red, but his it so hard he accidentally trebles it down the side rail! All of a sudden he can't miss, and it's going to be a best of nine to decide who reaches the one table situation. What a morning it's been at the Cruce, Ronnie ronnieing, then a meltdown and recovery for the ages. There is nothing - nothing - like the snooker at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.

Trump 7-8 Bingham (61-24)

Nothing important is easy, and when Judd rockets into the pack off the pink, he winds up on nowt. He's got a fiendish cut to left-centre if he thinks he can do it ... but have a look! He sends it long to yellow pocket, en route missing a red by fibres! What a pot! That black Stuart missed will haunt him till the day he dies if he loses this match.

Trump 7-8 Bingham (46-24)

Here comes the split ... and again, Stuart can't find the cue-power to make it work for him. Judd has a look at the table because there's a red to the right of the pink that cuts to left corner ... and that's a tremendous pot! He's in great shape to level the match, which looked a forlorn hope just 20 minutes ago.

Trump 7-8 Bingham (39-18)

Ach, Judd doesn't get the position he wants off the black, so the next red is a tight cut to right-middle ... and he catches another red en route, pretty thick too. That wasn't a great effort and he's not got away with it, but at some point Stuart will need to crack the pack, the frame likely decided by how that goes.

Trump 7-8 Bingham (23-0)

Gosh, this is hard - or, put another way, this is exactly what it's meant to be. Becoming world champions isn't a cruise - usually - it's a slog, that works technique, character and nerves. So Judd misses a long one, Stuart misses a mid-distance one, and now the Ace is at the table with the chance to level the match. It's every bit as tense as we want it to be - they're suffering out there.

Trump 7-8 Bingham

Ah that's nice to see. When Judd runs out of position, the ref turns away when he points to the crowd and he moves the pink, all smiles. That'll help him, also telling Stuart that he's through the worst of it.

Trump 6-8 Bingham (60-8)

I feel nervy watching this, so I've no idea how Judd feels. It's not because I want him to win, just that watching someone struggle is hard, never mind someone so amazing. But in the muck, he takes on a plant to left corner, sees it away, and should close to one now - but more than that, it'd mean that he'll be in the match tonight, whatever happens in the last two frames of the session.

Trump 6-8 Bingham (10-8)

Judd gets in again, and if he can just nab this frame he knows he'll be bang in it tonight, following some time on the practise table and sorting his head out. His average shot time is normally 20 seconds a shot, and it's getting towards 25 now, but he's taking these well enough so far.

Trump 6-8 Bingham (1-8)

Stuart picks a nice starter and the black is over right corner, giving him an angle to develop some reds. But he plays it with no power - it's that pressure we were talking about just a minute ago - so has to prod at one, seeking right-middle. Off his cue, you can see it's going into the far knuckle, but Judd plays his red tentatively and winds up on nowt. "Oh Judd," says Dominic. "Judd, Judd, Judd, Judd, Judd."

Trump 6-8 Bingham

Judd wins his first frame of the session, but the question really is whether so doing has given him the confidence he needs to build on it, and whether the pressure starts to tell on Stuart.

Trump 5-8 Bingham (69-16)

This is exactly what Judd needed - Stuart to show fallibility, him to pot some balls. It's only his second break over 30 in the last eight frames, then he misses a cut to right corner. So Stuart returns to the table with one snooker needed, misses a thin contact and hits the black so now he needs three of them!

Trump 5-8 Bingham (29-16)

Off Stuart's break, Judd picks out a terrific clip to right corner, but as luck would have it finishes on nowt. So it's in behind the brown, Stuart leaves his escape short, and this is another chance. But just when you'd expect him to screw into the pack, Judd plays a tentative black, winds up on nowt, and his safety leaves one to right-middle that just about wriggles in. It's not going for Judd at all, and when Stuart's attempt at opening the pack fails, he's still on a pot. He fails a second time, though - he doesn't have the cue-power to do it off two cushions - so finds a decent safety. But what's this? There's a pottable red near left corner! Judd gets close, and as it bounces out, disaster! A double kiss! Goodness me, this is a horrible morning, one of the worst you'll see, but then Stuart underhits his black! That is one of the worst shots I've ever seen! Can Judd capitalise, and if so, what kind of turning point might this be?

Trump 5-8 Bingham

Judd leaves the arena, perhaps to scream as his reflection in a cold, dank toilet or similar. It's tough to watch, but he's got the ability and moxie to turn it around - perhaps.

Trump 5-7 Bingham (34-72)

I hate to say it, and I'm pleased Uncle Joe isn't on comms because no one loves watching Judd more than him, but when Stuart hands Judd a third chance at this frame, he badly misses a simple ball. So he's now sat in his chair looking down - in both senses of the word - scratching his head. It doesn't seem like his problems will be solved mid-match, unless he can finagle at least one and really two of the remaining frames this morning. Stuart then misses a simple one - sometimes bad form is contagious, and he's under pressure himself knowing he should finish this now - but Judd can't see it down either, and this is five out of five for Stuart in this session.

Trump 5-7 Bingham (34-40)

Oh mate. Ohhhhh maaaate. Judd gets in again then misses a straightforward red, after which Stuart sinks a much harder one. The way this going, he could be close to through at the end of this session but even if Judd somehow muddles through, it's hard to see him kissing the trophy five days' time.

Trump 5-7 Bingham (27-8)

Judd returns in better shape, taking his first opportunity ... before an enormous kick that sends the white into the air as he's potting the black sees him finish on nothing. Dominic notes that he's still using the old chalk, when for those on the new, bad contacts have almost disappeared from the game, so he's played a role in his own downfall, and worse still he leaves a red on for Stuart - though he'll have to play safe after potting the black.

Trump 5-7 Bingham

A third half-century in a row from Stuart gives him a sweep of the mini-sesh, and Judd needs to sort himself, quickly. See you in 15 to see if he can.

Trump 5-6 Bingham (0-63)

Stuart glides in a very nice red, from a long way away and taking it from closer to the top cushion than you'd like to right corner. It'll be enough to secure him the frame, because there are other, easier points there for him.

Trump 5-6 Bingham (0-53)

Stuart racks up a handy lead without going into the main cluster, but he'll need to if he's to clinch the frame at this visit. He does, it doesn't work out, so he plays down the table and close to the baulk cushion. Judd, who badly needs the interval and the calming words of his brother, takes on a long one to right corner trying to make something happen ... and gets really close but not close enough. He leaves nothing easy though, and Stuart misses one with the rest so we're back playing safety.

Trump 5-6 Bingham (0-16)

Judd takes on a red to right corner and misses, attacking the balls with none of his usual conviction. To rub it in, a few shots later Stuart cues beautifully to send one to the same pocket and from further away too - he knows what time it is, and won't need telling that his opponent is struggling.

Trump 5-6 Bingham

He's only a frame behind, but Judd is in trouble because he's lost three straight, badly.

Trump 5-5 Bingham (16-73)

Trying to coax a red along the top cushion, Judd jawses it, and Dominic notes that his problem isn't just one of confidence but of technique which of course feeds into confidence. His action is rounder than most, and it's not smooth, he advises us, and I'm regretting not having a few pennies on Stuart when I said I fancied him at the start.

Trump 5-5 Bingham (16-62)

Judd catches a safety shot far too thick and leaves a red close to right corner as a consequence; Stuart cracks it hame, and if he can find the angle on a steep cut-back black, he'll be close to the frame. But the next ball is a tester too, mid-range and needing to go from middle to left corner ... and he doesn't get that close to it. Judd is still in the frame, but the four remaining reds are close to each other and also close to black cush.

Trump 5-5 Bingham (16-54)

Stuart runs out of position so plays safe off a red in a good nick, but his next safety catches the pink en route back to baulk, leaving Judd a starter, and when he cuts a tricky black down the side cushion next shot, he's got a chance for a confidence-building steal. "I've never seen him look so timid," muses Dominic in comms - he really needs this. But getting straight on a red, he needs to force it with the rest because he needs to go down the table for a colour, unable to get on the black ... and he jawses it! He leaves nothing, but that was a chance, not just to take the frame but to get himself going again.

Trump 5-5 Bingham (4-8)

Judd's break clips the blue, but he gets away with it ... only to miss a long one to left corner and leave Stuart a selection. He opts for a cut-back to left-middle but misses it, and Judd gets away with a diagonal glide to right corner. A green follows - that's a good pot - but playing safe off the next red, he catches the middle jaw and Stuart will know his opponent is teetering. This is his chance.

Trump 5-5 Bingham

An 83 from Stuart and he's back level. But more importantly, he's found his level, and if Judd can't respond he's in trouble.

Trump 5-4 Bingham (0-61)

Judd looks pensive sat in his seat, the lead for which he laboured so hard no longer his. Winning when not playing well is a skill, but you can't really perform it if your opponent is on, and that might just be the case now.

Trump 5-4 Bingham (0-22)

Judd tries a long one to left corner, misses, leaves one into the middle, and Stuart is bang into this.

Trump 5-4 Bingham

It took longer than it might've done - the story of this match so far - but Bingham wins frame one to close the gap. Back to Ronnie, though, he wasn't great yesterday in racking up an eight-frame lead - ! - but he was absolutely sensational in the 15 minutes he needed this morning to finish the job.

Righto, we're off to watch Trump v Bingham

Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Stephen Maguire 13-5!

Of course he can, though it won't bother him all that much. As he noted himself, he holds almost all the records, but the one he wants most - most world titles - still eludes him. But if he wins here, they're level, and he's in the last four without having played that well.He meets Higgins or Lisowski next - and has the rest of the morning off. Not bad!

O'Sullivan 12-5 Maguire (77-0)

Stephen may as well have come in his pyjamas. I think he's played three shots this morning. Can the genius finish with a ton?

O'Sullivan 12-5 Maguire (54-0)

Ronnie wobbles in a red to left corner that means the next pot will have to be a blue to the green pocket ... and he takes it off the set. Of course he does. Bye bye Stephen, old mate.

O'Sullivan 12-5 Maguire (27-0)

The Rocket rockets in a long red to right corner off Stephen's break, follows it with a black, but runs out of position. No matter: Stephen leaves a tight one to right-middle, Ronnie glides it home, and it's beginning to look a lot like curtains.

O'Sullivan 12-5 Maguire

A run of 71 and Ronnie is one away from the one table situation.

O'Sullivan 11-5 Maguire (37-1)

This is classic Ronnie, a succession of apparently easy shots that are actually of barely perceptible subtlety, opening up the table for a framewinning break.

O'Sullivan 11-5 Maguire (7-1)

Only twice in this history of this championship has an 11-5 deficit been overturned: Robertson v Gould in 2010, on his way to winning the thing, and Matthew Stevens v Sean Murphy in 2007. Or, put another way, Stephen has next to nae chance, but he begins his day with a fine opening red to left corner, only to miss a nasty cut-back black. Worse still, he's left a starter, and will already be wondering why he got up this morning.

Baizing, by boyz

We'll be starting with Ronnie...

I doubt he'll keep us long.

Morning all

Just the two geniuses for our delectation this morning:

Stephen Maguire (Sco) 5-11 Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng)

Judd Trump (Eng) 5-3 Stuart Bingham (Eng)

It's not a bad old life.

‘I’ve played with worse and won’ – O’Sullivan shrugs off ‘unplayable’ cue

Ronnie O’Sullivan claims his cue has been “unplayable” at times in his World Championship quarter-final with Stephen Maguire – but insists he has “played with worse and won”.

The six-time world champion sits two frames from the last four after opening up an 11-5 lead at the Crucible, although the scoreline reflects Maguire’s missed opportunities as much as any Rocket magic.

A wild miscue in the 12th frame summed up an indifferent outing for O’Sullivan, who spent much of the time in his chair fiddling with his cue tip.

O’Sullivan admitted he called upon cue tip connoisseur Les Dodd for assistance after struggling in the first session earlier on Tuesday, despite taking it 6-2.

“As long as it doesn’t implode on me, then obviously it will stay on,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport when asked about his tip.

“Les Dodd did a fantastic job. It was unplayable at the start of the day. I called him up to come and tidy it up, he’s tidied it up.

“Listen, it’s not ideal, but hopefully the more I play with it, the more I get comfortable.

“I have played with worse and won.”