Zhao Xintong edged closer to Crucible glory in the second session of the Halo World Championship final, moving 11-6 up overnight against Mark Williams.
The 28-year-old is aiming to become China's first World Champion and the first amateur to capture the sport's biggest prize. He made a significant step towards that in the afternoon session, building a 7-1 lead over his 50-year-old counterpart.
Welsh three-time World Champion Williams lifted the famous trophy at the Theatre of Dreams in 2000, 2003 and most recently in 2018, when he beat John Higgins 18-16 in an all-time classic final. He will have it all to do tomorrow if he wishes to win a fourth Crucible title. No player has ever overturned a deficit of five frames or more overnight in a world final.
The opening frame this evening saw Williams craft a defiant run of 86, to reduce his arrears at 7-2. A tight tenth frame went the way of Williams and his fans would have been beginning to hope momentum was swinging in his favour. However, the talented Zhao responded with runs of 71 and 56 to head into the mid-session 9-3 up.
When play resumed, 26-time ranking event winner Williams won the 13th, before a break of 72 in the 14th moved him within four at 9-5. Zhao fired in 96 in the next to move 10-5 up and then stole a crucial 16th frame. Williams had looked set to take it, but spurned a mid-range red on 63. Zhao cleared with 72 to make it 11-5. A tense final frame of the evening went the way of Williams, who retains hope at 11-6.
They return for the third of four sessions, in this best of 35 final, tomorrow afternoon at 1pm. The winner takes home a top prize of £500,000.