Ronnie O’Sullivan v Si Jiahui LIVE: Score and updates from World Snooker Championship

Hard competition and enduring happiness are the reasons why snooker’s ‘Class of ’92’ have continued to hold the sport’s new generations at bay, according to seven-times world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The 49-year-old eased into a 6-2 lead after the first session of his Crucible quarter-final against Si Jiahui on Tuesday while John Higgins slugged out a 5-3 advantage over Mark Williams.

The trio boast 14 world titles between them and and few would dare bet against that number increasing as they continue to cut a swathe through the draw in Sheffield.

On the other table, it’s world No 1 Judd Trump who will lead overnight as he earns a 5-3 advantage against the 2023 world champion.

A slightly harrowing first session for Si Jiahui in the end. He took a while to get going and even when he did, any error was punished by Ronnie O’Sullivan. That missed black in frame seven in particular might haunt him.

The Rocket leads 6-2 overnight, with the next session starting at 10am tomorrow morning before the final session at 7pm tomorrow evening.

Can Si mount any sort of fightback? We’ll have to see

O’Sullivan wraps the frame up as he moves 70 points ahead with just 67 available. Can he finish this session with a flourish and make a century?

He tries to cannon a red away from the pink and misses but then pulls out a double to right middle to keep the break alive!

And he goes on to make the ton. The pink after he final red gets him through the 100 mark. In the end it’s a break of 121 and Ronnie O’Sullivan wins frame eight to lead 6-2. He already has one foot in the semi-final.

Oof. A pink to left middle wipes its feet, wriggles but drops in on 17. O’Sullivan’s cueball control is as immaculate as ever though and he builds a healthy lead.

He’s suddenly 45 points in front without breaking sweat. He cannons into the pack and splits them beautifully. This is the Rocket with his swagger back

Si’s break-off leaves a long red for O’Sullivan to have a go at and he crunches it into the heart of the pocket. A tricky yellow is dispatched with aplomb, as is a red along the cushion.

The Rocket beginning to fire on all cylinders here. If he makes it 6-2, it could be curtains for Si.

Final red is stroked to right middle and O’Sullivan just needs the colours, all of which are on their spots.

It’s simple for the Rocket really and he mops up the balls that should have been Si’s. Punished, badly for his miss.

Ronnie O’Sullivan wins frame seven with a break of 67 to extend his lead to 5-2.

This would be a painful steal to endure for Si but you know that’s exactly what Ronnie has in mind.

He cruises to 24 but a split of the reds goes slightly wrong. Leaves him a tricky cut on the red to right middle but it’s a great pot. Beautifully controlled, heart of the pocket and perfectly on the black.

There doesn’t look like any real obstacles left for him now in this break

This is more like the Si Jiahui we saw two years ago when he reached the semi-finals of the World Championship. He is timing the ball beautifully and the white is zipping round the table, directed by his wand of a cue.

His lead climbs beyond 50 but then a bad error. He misses a black off the spot. Inexplicable. His is 52-0 ahead but there’s more than enough left on for O’Sullivan to hit back here. That could be costly

O’Sullivan leaves Si a long red straight from the break-off but the Chinese star rattles the jaws. However, he has a mid-range red on his next visit and that does find the heart of the pocket.

A couple more reds with blues follow and then a lovely shot back across the table to land beautifully on a red just below the black. Then smashes into the pack to free a few.

He’s starting to look in good nick here. Break of 20 and the balls are now nicely positioned to build a big lead.