A tournament that began with 144 players has been whittled down to just four with the 2025 World Snooker Championship semi-finals next on the agenda in Sheffield.
It has already been a memorable event with records broken, 147 breaks compiled, and classic encounters galore at both the English Institute of Sport and the Crucible Theatre.
What remains is a blockbuster semi-final lineup comprising four of the most exciting cueists that the game has to offer.
The venue will now transform into its most iconic setting – the single table setup where the very serious business is annually conducted.
Let’s take a look at both clashes, where the drama will continue to be played out across Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Zhao Xintong vs Ronnie O’Sullivan
A more compelling script couldn’t have been written with seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan up against the comeback kid, Zhao Xintong.
Both blessed with immense talent and an intense will to win, O’Sullivan continues his bid for a record-breaking eighth world title of the modern era, while Zhao remains on course for his first and a slice of redemption to go with it.
The 28 year-old has wasted little time in forging his successful return to the sport after a 20-month spell away from the game through suspension.
Since returning in September last year, Zhao has lit up both the amateur Q Tour circuit and now the main tour as well, with the £100,000 semi-final prize guaranteeing his return to the top 64 on the official world rankings list.
The former world number six was nowhere near his brilliant best during a routine 13-5 hiding of Chris Wakelin in the quarter-finals.
But he proved that he can win ugly just as well as he can do it in style, which makes him a dangerous opponent in anyone’s eyes.
Zhao, of course, already boasts a Triple Crown title having burst onto the scene with his breakthrough triumph at the UK Championship in 2021.
In O’Sullivan, the third player from mainland China to reach a World Snooker Championship semi-final comes up against the all-time greatest with a whopping 23 Triple Crown titles to his name.
The Rocket – himself making a return following a self-imposed hiatus from the game – has been downbeat on his own level of form throughout the tournament so far.
Indeed, each of his three opponents have wasted numerous opportunities to put more pressure on him, ultimately failing to capitalise every time.
O’Sullivan may not get away with leaving a formidable scorer like Zhao so many openings, but experience is obviously on the Englishman’s side.
Indeed, what has gone before rarely matters in O’Sullivan’s case – now that he is in the semi-finals, the winning line is coming into view and his champion’s mentality could instinctively kick into gear.
O’Sullivan and Zhao have encountered each other twice before with the former prevailing on both occasions.
Their third bout promises much, and it’ll be fascinating to see if it can deliver.
Mark Williams vs Judd Trump
Speaking of delivering, the last time Mark Williams and Judd Trump clashed in the semi-finals of a World Snooker Championship, it was an absolute humdinger.
The pair combined to produce an edge-of-your-seat battle at the same stage of the 2022 edition in Sheffield.
Eight centuries were exchanged in a gripping affair that Trump managed to clinch in a deciding frame, and emerging from dramatic ties with Williams has been a recurring theme from their head-to-head overall recently.
Soon after that match, Trump also edged Williams 10-8 in a titanic tussle at the 2023 Masters final.
There was even more drama last year when the Englishman pipped the three-time world champion on the final black to win the lucrative Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
Trump looked to be in trouble in the quarter-finals this week when swashbuckling snooker from Luca Brecel saw the Belgian Bullet transform a 5-1 deficit into a 7-5 lead.
But the 35 year-old, who compiled a record-breaking 104th century of a single campaign, demonstrated precisely why he is the world number one by raising his level amid dominating the final session.
Williams, meanwhile, came through one of the all-time Crucible classics as he survived a tremendous fightback to deny old rival John Higgins 13-12 on the last black.
For someone who claims that his vision has gone and the balls are blurry, he’s certainly doing alright.
In fact, the 50 year-old has become the oldest World Snooker Championship semi-finalist since countryman Ray Reardon reached the penultimate round as a 52 year-old in 1985.
Williams, like O’Sullivan in the other semi-final, is defying Father Time as he continues to pop up at the business end of the biggest events on the calendar.
Two enthralling encounters to come, then, with a special quartet of contenders just two victories away from the sport’s more prestigious prize.
For the full 2025 World Snooker Championship draw, results, and schedule, click here.
Featured photo credit: WST
It’s Trump’s tournament to lose now. He’s comfortably playing the best of this year’s semi-finalists. Williams is a very clever player but is able to find the scoring levels he reached three years ago? I sincerely hope so but Trump looks a much stronger favourite than last time they met here. He leads 23-11 in all meetings. Their first clash was at the 2008 Bahrain Championship.
Zhao Xintong’s idolising Ronnie O’Sullivan could be an added bonus for the 7-time champion as we’re also uncertain how the 2021 UK champion will settle as a first time participant in the one table setup. O’Sullivan also possesses the tactical edge. I fancy him to progress but if he plays Trump in the final – and their levels of performance are maintained – I feat things could get ugly for the GOAT. I much rather he lost to Zhao or Williams.
O’Sullivan appearing in a record-extending 14th World semi-final. Two more than second placed Stephen Hendry. He’s won the last six and eight in all.
Fred Davis World Championship Factfile:
An eight-time champion, he lost in a further six finals. His last final was in 1966. He won six successive titles from 1951-56.
Davis made seven Crucible appearances with the first in 1977 and the last in 1984.
The semi-final run he produced in 1978, becoming the oldest last four competitor at 64, saw him lose to Perrie Mans.
He made 27 World Championship centuries.
The last match he played in the World Championship was a Round 6 qualifying defeat, in 1993, to Mark King.
His first World Championship came in 1937.