Thank you for your company during an intriguing day at the World Snooker Championship. A quick reminder of the results in today's matches, with four of those now completed:

• Barry Hawkins 10-4 Matthew Stevens
• Mark Williams 10-4 Antoni Kowalski
• Xiao Guodong 10-6 Zhou Yuelong
• John Higgins 4-5 Ali Carter
• Mark Allen 10-6 Zhang Anda
• Ding Junhi 7-2 Dave Gilbert

Be sure to read a report on everything that happened on day two at the Crucible from our man Michael Emons in Sheffield.

We will back bright and early on Monday with more of the action the but if you want some reading between now and then check out these stories:

• O'Sullivan chasing eighth Crucible title aged 50
• 'I'd run the M4 naked' - Williams targets snooker history
• How many nationalities have played at the World Snooker Championship?
• What is the Crucible curse?

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC iPlayer

What a performance from Xiao Guodong with the manner he got over the line in the past few frames. Xiao potted some amazing balls, particularly his long balls - some of those were incredible.

Job done for Xiao Guodong.

After back-to-back century breaks this frame was a little bit more attritional for Xiao.

He opened the door for Zhou Yuelong on a couple of occasions but his fellow countryman, who had been sat down watching for the previous two frames, was unable to capitalise.

2025: Zhao Xintong (China) *

2024: Kyren Wilson (England) *

2023: Luca Brecel (Belgium) *

2022: Ronnie O'Sullivan (England)

2021: Mark Selby (England)

2020: Ronnie O'Sullivan (England)

2019: Judd Trump (England)

2018: Mark Williams (Wales)

2017: Mark Selby (England)

2016: Mark Selby (England)

* first-time winners

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

It has been a good tournament so far for the seeded players.

If Xiao Guodong, the ninth seed, can finish the job off then all five matches completed would have been won by the seeded players.

Already through to the last 16 are top seed Zhao Xintong, sixth seed Mark Williams, 11th seed Barry Hawkins and 14th seed Mark Allen.

Ding Junhui, the 16th seed is 7-2 up over David Gilbert, but fifth seed John Higgins is trailing 5-4 against Ali Carter.

Last year six seeded players went out in the first round and the year before half of them, eight of 16, went out in round one.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC iPlayer

We didn't know what kind of reaction we would get from Xiao Guodong to losing that 15th frame but he has come out firing on all cylinders. A brilliant response.

Imperious snooker from Xiao Guodong.

Back-to-back century breaks from the 37-year-old has given him a three-frame cushion on compatriot Zhou Yuelong.

A total clearance of 128 from Xiao this time and he is on the verge of a place in the second round.

The winner of the 2026 Snooker World Championship will receive £500,000, while there is a total prize fund of almost £2.4m.

Winner: £500,000

Runner-up: £200,000

Semi-finalists: £100,000

Quarter-finalists: £50,000

Last 16: £30,000

Last 32: £20,000

Highest break (qualifying stage included): £15,000

What a response from Xiao Guodong.

The 37-year-old has come out fired up and rattled off a break of 115 to regain a two-frame cushion on Chinese compatriot Zhou Yuelong.

It was Xiao's second century break of the match following his 122 in the fourth frame and he is now just two frames away from a place the second round.

Zhou will not give this one up without a fight, though.

Mark Williams, speaking on BBC Four, said: "Antoni is a cracking potter. There was a little bit of inexperience coming here for the first time but he's definitely one to watch out for. I know I won 10-4 but it was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests.

"I missed a few easy balls but I was alright. The older you get the more easy balls you miss. But I've made my mind up that I'll never retire. I'm going to play in the amateurs or whatever so it's whoever is going to crack first between those two [Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins] as I'm out of that equation!

"I won a big ranking tournament this year and I'm still doing it at 51 which is amazing. I don't enjoy the practise really but I still love competing.

"I know I can still pot but I miss so many easy balls and I just go back to the chair and laugh and think 'how did I miss that?'. It can be a sitter and I can just miss it. I am not going to get any better at 51! I'll keep trying and trucking on."

Image source, Getty Images

Antoni Kowalski, speaking on BBC Four, said: "I just ran out of steam. I gave it my all in the qualifiers and during the second session I could feel it. Obviously not the score I wanted but I feel proud.

"The whole reception at the Crucible lived up to expectations and if I could I would play here every single day. I have more hunger to come back here every year. I am more experienced in the longer format matches now and against one of the top players."

A 49-minute frame before the mid-session interval between Xiao Guodong and Zhou Yuelong which also went down to the black.

After several tactical shots Xiao left his opponent with a long pot and Zhou duly thumped it into the corner pocket.

This one could go the distance.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Four

What a brilliant pot from Mark Williams. Well done to young Antoni Kowalski, who was given a tough draw on his Crucible debut after he came through qualifying to play the three-time world champion.

Williams will be delighted to get through to the second round and meeting with Barry Hawkins.

Mark Williams was far from his fluent best but showed enough of his experience to end the hopes of debutant Antoni Kowalski and secure his place in the second round.

Williams eventually wrapped up a bit of a tactical final frame which went down to black-ball decider with a long pot cut into the corner pocket.

Tougher tests to come for the Welshman.

It's an emotional few days for all those who worked - or played - alongside John Virgo, who died in February aged 79.

BBC snooker commentator Dennis Taylor spent years in the commentary box with Virgo and shared many special moments.

He paid tribute to his friend and colleague.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

We heard from Matthew Stevens and Barry Hawkins a little earlier - with both players critical of the conditions on table two.

Stevens said: "The conditions were really tough out there, I couldn't string two balls together and he coped with the conditions better. A few people have said the cushions are a bit bouncy, but it's the same for both players.

"It's the worst I felt [here], it spoilt the game a bit and the conditions were really disappointing."

Hawkins added: "It was no good at all. I don't like slating the conditions and the fitters do a great job. The cushions, they [the balls] are coming off so much quicker than they are coming in and it's so hard to control the cue ball and you have no confidence in your cueing.

"I don't know what it's going to be like for those on Tuesday, it's going to be like a ping-pong table."

A statement from the World Snooker Tour said: "There are always challenges in providing the best possible conditions for players as there are many factors which affect this.

"Our dedicated team of table fitters work tirelessly in delivering the best possible conditions and they are constantly monitoring the tables. We have systems in place where players can give feedback after every match."

Over on table one, Zhou Yuelong has refused to lie down in his match against Xiao Guodong.

Xiao won the first frame of the all-China affair but Zhou has battled back and won the 12th frame 72-20 after three visits to the table.