Zhao Xintong Thrash O'Sullivan in Crucible Semi-Final

Zhao Xintong dominates Ronnie O'Sullivan in World Snooker Championship semi-final, taking 8-0 session lead. Get the latest updates.

Ronnie O'Sullivan suffered a disastrous second session in his World Snooker Championship semi-final against Zhao Xintong, losing all eight frames to trail 12-4. The seven-time champion's mid-match decision to change his cue tip backfired, with O'Sullivan having previously described the new tip as “awful” before the match against Zhao at the Crucible.

Having defeated the legendary Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-final last night, Zhao Xintong took to social media to thank him for all the help 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/StpeZWDiOO

— TNT Sports (@tntsports) May 3, 2025

Zhao Xintong dominated the second session, winning all eight frames to take an 8-4 lead after the first session was level at 4-4. The 28-year-old left-hander punished every mistake from Ronnie O'Sullivan, who struggled to score, managing just 50 points in the eight frames with a highest break of 23.

Zhao's impressive performance included breaks of 57, 112, 82, and another 57, leaving O'Sullivan shell-shocked. Zhao now needs just five more frames to secure his place in the final.

The second session's momentum didn't shift after the interval, as Zhao continued to dominate, making breaks of 67 and 115 to further extend his lead. O'Sullivan's struggles persisted, including a missed yellow off the spot that allowed Zhao to capitalize.

Zhao sealed the session with an 87 break after O'Sullivan inexplicably missed a simple blue. Notably, Zhao is playing as an amateur in the World Championship while continuing his comeback following a 20-month ban for involvement in a betting scandal.