Mark Williams v Zhao Xintong LIVE: Score and updates from World Snooker Championship final

“He’d make a very good ghost,” John Parrott quips on the BBC of Zhao Xintong, the 28-year-old calm and quiet around the table but mightily scary when a chance appears. Remember, it is 18 frames required to make certain of victory in this best-of-35 match.

Both men trade tough missed reds to open the second frame of the day.

A pink to the left corner moves Zhao Xintong 60 clear with just 59 remaining. One more red will make sure that Mark Williams will not return to the table…it’s there.

Contributions of 46 and 30 and the opening frame of the day is his.

Wow! A real statement of intent from Mark Williams, a three-ball plant conjured from thin air. There’s no obvious colour on; a tricky green is eventually the choice, and played with purpose and precision.

One more red and that’s that, though – Williams leaves himself on the wrong side of the blue and doesn’t get close with his cut. Back to his seat he saunters.

Up to 30 Zhao accelerates before plucking a plant out of the bundle of reds. He’d have liked another of the bunch to pop free, but there’s one more in the open to come.

In it goes via the rest. Can he burst the balls this time? Ooh, unfortunate, catching the wrong red and running aground on 46. Back up to balk he plays after a solid, but not frame-winning, start.

And it’s a super start from Zhao Xintong – a glorious long red after a loose break-off from Mark Williams. There’s about four more readily available if he can find a tough blue to the green pocket…in it goes, but he’s out of position.

A cut to the corner is played nicely. An unavoidable cannon on the black makes it trickier than it could have been, though Zhao is quickly into his potting form.

Out the players come, Zhao Xintong to the slightly strange strains of Redbone – I’ve heard worse walk-on music, in truth, but didn’t necessarily have the 28-year-old down as a fan. Apparently he became aware of it via the Marvel smash hit Guardians of the Galaxy.

Tom Jones croons Mark Williams out. Rather easier to find the Welsh connection there.

There was barely a wobble from Zhao Xintong in his first session of a World Championship final – though there were a couple of odd decisions yesterday evening, and his usually clean cueing just slipped slightly. It’s still a huge lead but Mark Williams will hope to force a few more nervy moments this afternoon.

We’re only a few minutes away from the players returning to the Crucible floor and getting the third session of this final underway.

Before then, here’s a reminder of what happened on day one as Zhao Xintong fought his way into a handy 11-6 lead:

It was an uphill struggle for Mark Williams on day one of the final yesterday but, perhaps crucially, he managed to win the final frame of the evening to narrow his deficit to 11-6.

Could we be looking back on this moment as a key turning point come the end of the day?

Ronnie O’Sullivan believes Zhao Xintong has what it takes to become the first Chinese winner of the World Snooker Championship, and with it a “megastar”, after beating the seven-time champion to reach the final.

O’Sullivan thinks 2021 UK Championship winner Zhao is capable of going all the way and feels it would be good for the sport if he did get his hands on the trophy.

He said: “I think it would be amazing. I think if he did win he would be a megastar.

“He’s still very big in China as it is. But if he becomes world champion it would just be amazing for snooker and for his life as well.

“He can definitely get over the line. He played great. You have to give credit where it’s due. We’ve got a really nice relationship. I’m always trying to help him if I can.”