Dennis Taylor
1985 world champion on BBC Two

There's only one frame the difference, but this is a key frame for Mark Allen.

He's got to get on the board, he's lost six in arow. If he can go in to the mid-session interval all square, then it's game on.

If he loses another it will be seven in a row.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

I've heard from two or three sources that Ding has really been practising hard coming up to this.

You would think he will be so up for this playing against his compatriot, the world champion.

Ding Junhui gets an opportunity to score and takes it. For once Zhao Xintong fails to drop in a red down the rail and his compatriot goes aggressive and splits the reds when he does so.

It opens up the balls and frame nicely and is the precursor to a break of 81 for the three-time UK champion.

Kyren Wilson is purring now as he wins a sixth frame in a row to take the lead for the first time.

The 2024 world champion takes full advantage of Mark Allen's failure to find the bottom right pocket on a red.

Wilson constructs a superb century break - his first of the match - of 112 to win 112-0.

Allen has potted just 10 balls since going 5-0 up in this match.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

Zhao Xintong puts your safety play under so much pressure because he goes for everything, it puts you on the back foot because you never know what he is going to take on next.

Zhao Xintong did not look settled at all in the opening frame and there are a couple of nervy shots in frame two.

However, when Ding Junhui misses a red to the right middle the world champion is given an easy starter. A break of 64 follows and it's all square.

Kyren Wilson gets a huge kick on frame ball. 'No' he says as his intended red straightens up and misses the right corner.

When Mark Allen hits the knuckle of the middle it gives him another opportunity and he knocks in a long red to get back on terms.

Norther Ireland's Allen has scored just 33 points across the previous five frames in this match.

Zhao Xintong is a little bit all over the place in the opening frame and when he misses his intended safety it allows Ding Junhui to the table to secure the opening frame.

It is far from pretty and a little tense but Ding will be delighted to get ahead.

Mark Allen misses a red to the left corner by a mile.

And it allows Kyren Wilson to make the ideal start as he wins his fourth frame in a row in this match, with a break of 71.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

This could probably be the biggest match that has ever been seen in Chinese billiard sports. How many tens of millions will be watching this right now.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

Kyren Wilson was all over the place, he looked like he didn't even want to be there when he was 5-0 down.

He was having problems with his tip, it was quite noticeable with his body language as well. Mark Allen was picking up on it.

But then all of a sudden Mark went into his shell. He refused the pink, we couldn't believe it.

He cannot play like that and hope to coast to the line against Kyren.

Zhao Xintong opens with a foul when he misses his intended red while trying to play safe. He coughs up another four points by going in off and then gets lucky to not leave Ding Junhui in after playing a loose safety shot.

An unconvincing start from the reigning champion, who now watches Ding fluke his opening red.

Lee Walker
Former World Seniors champion on BBC Two

I saw Kyren in the practice room earlier on and he was putting a new tip on.

The tip he used yesterday was a little soft for him, so he has put on a harder one today.

He was definitely struggling, so it will be interesting to see how he does today.

Northern Ireland's Mark Allen heads into this afternoon's session with a 5-3 lead against England's Kyren Wilson.

Two-time semi-finalist Allen made breaks of 50 and 78 to race into a 5-0 lead, but Wilson won the last three frames of the session, helped by runs of 75 and 50.

Wilson, who won the world title a couple of years back had cue troubles in his opening match so it'll be intriguing to see how things play out today.

This match is secheduled to be played to a finish on Saturday morning.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

Zhao Xintong would have been inspired by Ding Junhui and what he's done for the game in China.

I call him the Godfather of Chinese snooker because he came to Sheffield and he's opened an academy and a lot of the other professionals are there or at Victoria's, who is Zhao's manager.

He inspired the Chinese revolution in snooker. He will be here to prove a point for himself.

We all thought he'd be the first Chinese world champion but now Zhao has taken over that mantle and all the attention.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Will Zhao Xintong and Ding Junhui's match break the record for snooker's biggest-ever television audience.

Such has been the rapid growth of the game in China, the contest between the country's first ranking event winner and trailblazer and its first world champion is a huge deal.

"It's a big clash and it could surpass all records, it could be hundreds of millions [watching] in China," said Jason Ferguson, the chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), who has been a key figure in the growth of the sport there.

"It could be the highest [television audience], we just keep on breaking records with snooker, it just keeps growing. Since Zhao Xintong won [the world title], snooker has continued to grow and recently we went to the number one sport watched on state media, China Central TV.

"We have a really popular world champion. He is popular, cool and funny - and funny in both languages. Him winning has had a huge impact on the sport and it has gone from strength to strength."

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Image source, BBC Sport

Just the small matter of the reigning world champion in action this afternoon.

Zhao Xintong takes on Ding Junhui in an all-Chinese enounter, which promises to be an absolute blockbuster.

And on the other side of the auditorium, Kyren Wilson, who won the world title two years ago, will be trying to fight back against Northern Ireland's Mark Allen.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

They are really mixing it. Going blow for blow. It is shaping up very nicely.

Mark may not practice as much as he used to but when he is here you see them in that practice room.

You saw Ronnie O'Sullivan in there for four hours the other night. They don't have the same energy as 20-odd years ago but they are still producing some wonderful snooker into their fifties.