UK Championship LIVE – Zhao Xintong and Jack Lisowski clash after Ronnie O'Sullivan exit - LIVE snooker updates, TV

ByEurosport

Updated 03/12/2021 at 21:51 GMT

There will be a new name on the UK Championship crown after Kyren Wilson completed a 6-5 quarter-final win over Ronnie O'Sullivan today. Luca Brecel was a 6-2 victor over Anthony McGill. After O'Sullivan, Jack Lisowski is among the stars heading up the evening session at the Barbican in York. Stream the UK Championship and much more top snooker action live and on-demand on discovery+

O’Sullivan declares foul on himself as referee thanks him in UK Championship match

Lisowski 2-6 Xintong (0-83)

A magical break of 83 from Zhao to complete a rousing 6-2 success. That was brilliant. From 2-0 behind, he roared back winning six straight frames. Back to the drawing board for Jackpot. Back to the York Barbican for Zhao on Saturday night.

World Championship

'Every part of his game is really sharp' - White and McManus rave about O'Sullivan form

00:01:31

13 hours ago

Lisowski 2-5 Xintong (0-43)

All looking very ominous for Jackpot. This match has drifted away from him. Has slowly faded out of it despite having plenty of chances. Xintong growing in confidence with every shot.

Lisowski 2-5 Xintong (0-0)

Very impressive stuff this from Zhao. Can he get the one frame he requires to reach his maiden UK semi-final?

Lisowski 2-4 Xintong (0-88)

The Chinese lad is among the balls as he powers home a blue to move to the cusp of a 5-2 lead. A bit edgy early on, but he is the dominant force now with a 56 closing that frame out. Needs one frame for victory and a semi-final against Barry Hawkins or Andy Hicks. Hawkins 4-0 clear on the other table.

Lisowski 2-4 Xintong (0-39)

Again it is Zhao who makes the early running in this seventh frame. A handy early lead as he bids to move to the hill in this match with a fifth straight frame.

Lisowski 2-4 Xintong (0-0)

Zhao seems to be in control of his own destiny. A closing break of 33 and that is a 4-2 advantage. Lisowski in a spot of bother out there.

Lisowski 2-3 Xintong (42-57)

This frame coming down to a shoot-out on the colours after Zhao made a rapid 56. Superb long pot on a red and that might be the key to a 4-2 lead.

Lisowski 2-3 Xintong (61-74)

A superb break of 74 from Zhao to lead 3-2. That was a huge steal from the young Chinese player. Lisowski in first with 61, but that miss on the mid-range green was so costly. Three straight frames when it looked like being 3-0 to Lisowski.

Lisowski 2-2 Xintong (61-9)

Jackpot makes a quickfire run of 61 only to rattle a green in the pocket. Chance for Zhao to launch a counter attack. This would really hurt his opponent.

Hawkins 3-0 Hicks (0-0)

Looks like Barry Hawkins is heading for the last four. A 3-0 lead for the 2013 world finalist in the race to six.

Lisowski 2-2 Xintong (0-0)

Lisowski can't roll a red into the pocket along the top cushion. Didn't expect him to miss that. Was virtual frame ball for a 3-1 lead. Lisowski leaves a red over a pocket in baulk, but Zhao misses his chance. All getting very nervy with one red left on the table. Lisowski twice rattles the red in the jaws before Zhao sinks red, brown and the colours up to the pink. We are level at 2-2.

Lisowski 2-1 Xintong (5-36)

Looked like Zhao is poised to clear up for 2-2, but he pots the blue only to plant a red onto another red to halt him in his tracks. That was very unfortunate. Lisowski slams a long red home seconds later. Brilliant shot and he is back among the balls.

Lisowski 2-1 Xintong (0-0)

Lisowski looks set for a 3-0 lead, but he misses a tough brown on the cusp of winning the frame. Xintong has a chance seconds later, but can't drop brown in. Lisowski then makes a mess of a safety shot. Zhao slots brown, blue and pink to trail 2-1. Huge frame there.

Lisowski 2-0 Xintong (33-52)

Zhao on a break of 51 after Lisowski squandered several decent scoring chances, but he runs out of position with three reds left up. Plays safe.

Lisowski 2-0 Xintong (0-0)

Was chance for Zhao to pinch the second frame, but he snookered himself on the yellow after slotting a stunning long red. Escaped from the snooker, but left the yellow and Lisowski cleared the colours to move 2-0 clear.

Lisowski 1-0 Xintong (63-22)

Lisowski breaks down on 63. Surprised he broke down as a tricky red fails to drop. Zhao then flukes a blue seconds later to compound Lisowski's misery. Chance to launch a counter attack.

Lisowski 1-0 Xintong (34-0)

A stunning long red from Lisowski and he is right back in among them again at the outset of this second frame. What a chance he has here to piece together a frame-winning contribution.

Lisowski 1-0 Xintong (0-0)

A nice 79 break from Lisowski after Zhao missed an easy blue. So fluent in that opening frame. Missed a green late in the break when it should have been a century, but very, very impressive start to the night for Jackpot.

Lisowski 0-0 Xintong (17-1)

Early nerves from both men with Jackpot missing a black and Zhao a blue. First to settle is key in this contest.

Lisowski 0-0 Xintong (0-0)

Lisowski gets the ball rolling in this match. Zhao can't slot a long red and Jackpot is first to the punch in this opening frame.

Jackpot holds the edge

Lisowski leads the head-to-heads 2-1 between the duo with Lisowski a 5-3 winner in their last match in the World Grand Prix quarter-final a year ago.

Welcome back

Zhao Xintong and Jack Lisowski do battle tonight with Andy Hicks and Barry Hawkins facing each other in the final two quarter-final matches. Kyren Wilson is the new UK favourite after his 6-5 win against Ronnie O'Sullivan earlier today with Luca Brecel a 6-2 winner against Anthony McGill. They meet in the opening semi-final on Saturday.

WILSON WINS: O'Sullivan 5-6 Wilson (1-103)

Wilson rolls into the red to leave him with a potentially decisive red, 62 ahead and 59 remaining. It's a long red, and he holds his nerves to sink it, with a little murmur to himself. He continues to break which will prevent O'Sullivan from trying his luck with snookers. He has a potential break of 115, with only a close pairing of the blue and pink which might prove a touch tricky, but the pressure is off. He misses the pink, but no matter. A centruy break of 102 seals an impressive victory after keeping the comeback of O'Sullivan just at bay.

O'Sullivan 5-5 Wilson (1-52)

The reds are now split up a fair bit, and he is now more than 50 clear.

O'Sullivan 5-5 Wilson (1-16)

Wilson sinks a long red to build his first break. The reds are bunched tightly, so he glances a pink into the middle and edges around the grouping to pick off what should be an easier single, with the pink placed back to the blue spot for now.

O'Sullivan 5-5 Wilson (0-0)

Some cagey opening play from the pair of them, with the ball now down at the end of the table. O'Sullivan rolls the ball into the corner and it rattles, awkwardly, without dropping in.

O'Sullivan 5-5 Wilson (96-25)

O'Sullivan bears down on the pink to move 36 ahead with 35 remaining. He glides in a red to move onto a simple black, and races back up the table to attempt to clear the remainder to move to 96-25, taking us all square with one to play.

O'Sullivan 4-5 Wilson (17-25)

More noise from the crowd as Ronnie takes his seat again before it dies down. After a short break, he gets back up, and just like earlier hits a brilliant red. He's holding on and, for the third time today, looks like pulling level.

O'Sullivan 4-5 Wilson (13-25)

Wilson splits them and ends up tied in the middle of the bunch. One red just goes to the left middle, just, but he misses it anyway. Enter O'Sullivan once more.

O'Sullivan 4-5 Wilson (13-25)

O'Sullivan is in the danger zone and looks for all the world like confidently smashing through 15 reds but he plays a poor positional shot on the blue and his break is brought to a halt. Wilson looks dodgy on a red but, unlike Ronnie, plays a brilliant recovery shot. Now, can he split them reds?

O'Sullivan 4-5 Wilson (0-3)

No easy starter here. O'Sullivan misses the long pot but there's little left for Wilson. He finds a red at the top right and goes bottom to top to cut it in. Wilson then cuts a yellow inside the top left too. The trusty rest is out now but this time, and only this time today, Wilson misses with it.

O'Sullivan 4-5 Wilson

O'Sullivan stays alive!

O'Sullivan 3-5 Wilson (26-35)

A very low standard of snooker in this frame now but Wilson is the first to pay for it as he leaves a red on for Ronnie. O'Sullivan sinks it with the rest adding insult to injury (Wilson loves the rest), and will fancy taking the frame now.

O'Sullivan 3-5 Wilson (26-35)

O'Sullivan has gone all O'Sullivan now and just looks a little bit like he wouldn't mind so much if this ended right now. He leaves a red over the top right and Wilson takes it but his shot is poor, with far too much top spin, and there are no colours available. Ronnie returns to the table, hits a shot that I cannot explain because there was no discernible goal to it, but somehow he finishes safe. He's playing very recklessly.

O'Sullivan 3-5 Wilson (26-34)

Wow. So unlucky that Wilson makes an audible moan and raises his hand in frustration, which is a fairly big reaction in snooker. He splits the pack but the white is just tied up behind the red by the finest of margins. He plays it safe.

O'Sullivan 3-5 Wilson (26-21)

So near the finish line, yet so far. The reds are pretty nasty at the moment but Wilson gets out his trusty rest...10/10 now. Now, if he can open up these reds he has a chance to win the match.

O'Sullivan 3-5 Wilson (26-0)

A flurry of poor shots from both players starts off this ninth and crucial frame. Wilson makes a mess of the break but is saved by the black. Ronnie hands back to Wilson with a poor safety but Wilson can't capitalise and gifts Ronnie the next red. Finally someone takes advantage of it all, and it's the man fighting to stay in the match.

Oh wow. He tries to split the pack on a routine red. Splits them, but the red stays out...advantage Wilson.

O'Sullivan 3-5 Wilson

Kyren Wilson is one frame away from his first UK Championship semi-final while seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan needs three in a row to save himself here.

O'Sullivan 3-4 Wilson (19-32)

A nasty frame this is. O'Sullivan misses the red off Wilson's safety but gets it second time. We're 25 minutes into this one now. A true marathon frame. But O'Sullivan misses - with some frustration - a red that cannons off the jaws and brings everything else into open play. Wilson a huge favourite to take this frame now and make it 5-2.

O'Sullivan 3-4 Wilson (19-31)

Wilson makes it nine out of nine with the rest here. There's work to do but two of the remaining four reds are well placed. If he can free up the other two then he's golden. He sinks both the easy ones without trouble and brings one of the others into play too.But there's no easy way to keep the break going here...he plays safe instead.

O'Sullivan 3-4 Wilson (19-12)

Pre mid-session interval they couldn't go quickly enough and now we're at snail's pace. Ooof, that's unlucky. O'Sullivan finally gets a look at an easy red but pots the white too. Wilson could go within one of victory here.

O'Sullivan 3-4 Wilson (18-1)

O'Sullivan sinks a brown off the side door but there's drama in the crowd because people keep getting out of their chairs, moving around and causing noise. O'Sullivan doesn't like it one bit and sits back at his chair until the commotion is over. Eventually he gets back up with a cheeky grin and whacks a red into the bottom right. He looks good for a decent break it but then misses a green. Scrappy stuff.

O'Sullivan 3-4 Wilson (0-1)

O'Sullivan goes for a truly outrageous long pot with right hand side swerving the cue ball into the red and he SO NEARLY sinks it. Instead, the red is left over the pocket and Wilson snatches it. There's nothing left for him though and he goes safe up the table.

'He hasn't got a tripod' - O'Sullivan upset at cameraman during tense match

O'Sullivan 3-4 Wilson (0-1)

Wilson leads again!

O'Sullivan 3-3 Wilson (0-64)

Liquid snooker from Wilson who has done so well - mentally - to respond here. He's been pegged back twice but has just kept on playing his snooker, taking risks and taking frames.

O'Sullivan 3-3 Wilson (0-28)

Not quite enough top spin on the yellow for Wilson to get back around the table and into the reds. But, wait, what's this...he cuts a beautiful red into the bottom right. Now he splits the pack.

O'Sullivan 3-3 Wilson (0-7)

A long red for Wilson kick starts his quest to take the lead for the third time.

O'Sullivan 3-3 Wilson

He gets them. We're level.

O'Sullivan 2-3 Wilson (49-45)

Wilson's biggest fear...O'Sullivan is storming back and takes the lead in this frame. He needs the green, brown and blue.

O'Sullivan 2-3 Wilson (0-45)

Wilson so close to guaranteeing a two-frame lead but he can't split the remaining reds and a safety will have to do for now.

O'Sullivan 2-3 Wilson (0-9)

Wilson goes for AND pulls off a brilliant plant to get on the scoreboard in this sixth frame. Brave snooker. Wilson playing fearlessly this afternoon and getting the better of his illustrious opponent so far.

O'Sullivan 2-3 Wilson

A far from straightforward frame sees Wilson take a very unlikely lead...He's back in front but these two are neck and neck.

O'Sullivan 2-2 Wilson (44-48)

Wilson is racing through this now...

O'Sullivan 2-2 Wilson (44-9)

This is a very messy frame. O'Sullivan plays a wild red that leaves Wilson a gift for his first pot in 24 minutes. Easy. He's back in business and is well placed to steal this frame from O'Sullivan.

O'Sullivan 2-2 Wilson (37-0)

A short break in O'Sullivan's rhythm as the mid-session interval in this afternoon's other match causes a mass exodus from the arena. The Rocket is back at the table now and batters a blue to try and cannon in to the reds. But the cueball goes awol and there's nothing on. He's forced to play a safety.

O'Sullivan 2-2 Wilson (1-0)

Let's go! Wilson catches a red too thick early doors and O'Sullivan is right in amongst it at the beginning of this frame. 147 anyone? Maybe not, he sinks a red and goes opts for green next...143 anyone?

McGill 0-2 Brecel

This afternoon's other quarter is not exactly moving at the same pace. Just two frames down in that one with Brecel in the lead. Sloowwwwww.

O'Sullivan 2-2 Wilson

We're all square! O'Sullivan has his century to make it one apiece. Big, stylish clearance for the Rocket. We're all square at the mid-session interval.

O'Sullivan 1-2 Wilson (48-8)

Wilson could very well be on the way to a four frame lead here but instead O'Sullivan looks like drawing level. That bad brown in the last and the red just now have derailed his early momentum and O'Sullivan - who has not played well himself - is now racing through the reds here.

O'Sullivan 1-2 Wilson (0-8)

Wilson grabs a red and a black before flunking a red big time and is in prime real estate territory in among the balls, but he rattles a red off the bottom right and O'Sullivan is back in!

O'Sullivan 1-2 Wilson

O'Sullivan has on the scoreboard.

O'Sullivan 0-2 Wilson (67-16)

Wilson gets himself in perfect snookering position but makes an absolute mess of it and Ronnie has a clear view of the red. He responds with a fairly poor safety but Wilson gifts O'Sullivan the frame by placing the red in front of the left middle. Almost looked like he meant that just to get the frame over and done with.

O'Sullivan 0-2 Wilson (59-1)

This game is flying by at a pace that suits both players down to the ground. Snooker played the right way. Anti-Ebdon snooker. O'Sullivan has one tricky red left to take the frame and he cuts it so sweetly in to the bottom left. That looks like the frame BUT WAIT...O'Sullivan's next red rattles of the jaws of the pocket and Wilson is back at the table in need of two snookers.

O'Sullivan 0-2 Wilson (22-1)

O'Sullivan leaves a red over the bottom left pocket and Wilson eats it up. He's back at the table but hits the wrong side of a brown and sits straight back down. Easy come, easy go.

O'Sullivan 0-2 Wilson (22-0)

O'Sullivan is hitting long-rangers for fun now. Bang, bang, bang. Oh but that's so unlike O'Sullivan! He gets a very bad cannon off a red that leaves neither the black nor pink in sight. He is forced to play back up the table for a safety.

Wilson's first-frame fluke

'This is incredible' - Wilson smashes 'outrageous' fluke against O'Sullivan

O'Sullivan 0-2 Wilson (1-0)

Third frame here we go. A rapid match so far but the players are slowing things down now with a nice safety battle. very well played from O'Sullivan who rolls the white right up against the back cushion without freeing a single red. World class safety. Wilson can't following suit and gets an unlucky kiss off the yellow that leaves O'Sullivan with a chance on a long red. BANG! Sinks it.

O'Sullivan 0-2 Wilson

Wilson doubles his lead with a run of 117. Brilliant.

O'Sullivan 0-1 Wilson (6-112)

Wilson is in a spot of bother on the black but he gets the perfect cannon into the reds that means the frame is a procession now. He keeps going too, on to the century we go...brilliant snooker so far from the underdog.

O'Sullivan 0-1 Wilson (6-43)

Wilson is looking very smart here and the reds are well spread for another big break. The pink is tied up but he's alternating nicely between blue and black and looks very good for a two-frame lead after just 10 minutes.

O'Sullivan 0-1 Wilson (6-8)

A shot for shot repeat of the first frame flipped on its head. Wilson breaks, and now it's O'Sullivan's turn to sink a long red and take early control of the second frame. Oh, what's this? O'Sullivan - who has struggled with mid-range shots week - makes a mess of a fairly routine red and Wilson could be in again here as he sinks a red and a black.

O'Sullivan 0-1 Wilson

Wilson snatches frame ball here and he's well on his way to a huge opening break here, a potential 135....ah, maybe not, he misses a red just short of a century but O'Sullivan concedes the frame and Wilson is 1-0 up.

O'Sullivan 0-0 Wilson (0-38)

Wow...Wilson looks like he's fluffed the blue but it creeps in the left middle! Massive fluke early doors! Huge chance for him to take the lead here...

O'Sullivan 0-0 Wilson (0-12)

We're underway...O'Sullivan breaks and then Wilson kicks things off with a lovely long red. He grabs a green and is now well placed for a decent run if he can break up the reds...

Get Ready

Anthony McGill and Luca Brecel are in action in this afternoon's other quarter-final!

We'll bring you updates from that one but all eyes are on O'Sullivan vs Wilson today!

Wilson speaks

"I've been pretty consistent so far. I'm ten times the player I used to be. I'm knocking in a lot more centuries, I'm a lot better now and I've made changes that have made me cope better under pressure".

O'Sullivan speaks

"The truth is I'm in the quarter-finals, there's eight fantastic players left who all fancy their chances. So much of it comes down to the day."

"Kyren's a brilliant player, he's going to be around for a long, long time. He's a fantastic professional and improving all the time. I like his attitude and I like his game. "

Centuries

O'Sullivan vs Wilson

Here we go. The big one. Due to a series of huge upsets in the UK Championship so far, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Kyren Wilson are the only two top ten players remaining in the tournament. However, a twist of fate means they meet each other at the quarter-final stage, when really these two deserve the biggest stage of all.

O'Sullivan has been on song so far, while Wilson looks every bit a Triple Crown winner in the making. We've all the action right here.

Welcome

Join us for live updates from 12:45 UK time.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is in quarter-final action against Kyren Wilson at the 2021 UK Championship on Friday.

After O'Sullivan, Jack Lisowski is among the stars heading up the evening session at the Barbican in York.

Quarter-final schedule

Here is the line-up of matches today...

13:00 - Anthony McGill vs Luca Brecel
13:00 - Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Kyren Wilson
19:00 - Barry Hawkins vs Andy Hicks
19:00 - Jack Lisowski vs Zhao Xintong

O'Sullivan fires warning at 'Roger Federer' of snooker Zhao

Ronnie O'Sullivan has described Zhao Xintong as snooker's "Roger Federer" but believes it is time he turned his potential into titles on the green baize.

Zhao joined O'Sullivan – a 6-3 winner against Noppon Saengkham in the last 16 at the York Barbican – in the quarter-finals of the UK Championship with a 6-4 win over Peter Lines on Wednesday after evergreen Leeds potter Lines threatened an upset by recovering from 4-1 behind to level at 4-4.

"I think he is amazing. I think he is our [Roger] Federer," said O'Sullivan, who is chasing a record eighth UK crown 28 years after his first.

I've never seen a more talented snooker player.

‘I feared the worst!’ - O'Sullivan explains mental approach

"He could do with maybe tightening up. I watch him sometimes and I was a bit like that, but then I got Reardon around me for a couple of years and you start to play a better defensive game," commented O'Sullivan.

"He needs that because when those frames go a bit scrappy, he looks like he is always going to come off second best.

"He is good, he is unbelievable, but he is 24, he's got to do it at some point. [Seven-times world champion] Stephen Hendry was winning tournaments at 17.