Six reds left on the table, Zhao has a lead of 21.

And Zhao Xintong will get the first chance to work things out.

A wonderful long, straight red, screwing back towards the baulk end - brilliant.

Image source, Getty Images

Zhao Xintong edges into a 22-point lead with a modest break and a couple of Mark Williams fouls.

But the colours have all gone awkward so this one will take a bit of working out.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

It's a complete hybrid of break-building and calmness. He's been totally cool out there, he's been sauntering around the table like he's in the practice area, and he's playing one of the grand masters of the game. It's an unbelievable performance.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

It definitely was a massive advantage for Zhao to beat Ronnie O'Sullivan in the way he did for this final, because Mark Williams had the opposite way to get there.

But he did himself - he beat Ronnie with a session to spare.

A composed break of 67, superbly taken with very few alarms, means Zhao Xintong needs two more frames to become world champion.

There's one more frame in this session, so he'll have to come back in a few hours to do it, but in of the actual snooker left in this world final, you'd think there's not too much.

A nice split on the bunch of four reds around the pink spot and Zhao Xintong has a chance to win the frame now - although pink and black are out of commission for the moment, so it will be reds and blues for the time being.

And Mark Williams gets in during frame 24, after Zhao Xintong pushes the boat out a little bit early in the frame.

But there's a big shake of the head from the 50-year-old as he misses a routine red when on 26.

That miss gifts Zhao an easy starter.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

Image source, PA Media

There will be a lot of relieved people who had tickets for this evening.

Pride comes into it, Mark would have been deflated over his performance [in the final] and hasn't peaked like he did against Judd Trump. That may gave taken a lot of energy out of him.

He's a great champion and great champions have big hearts. Even when the chips are down, a pride of performance kicks in.

Mark Williams knocks in a break of 66 and guarantees that the two players will return at 19:00 BST to complete this final.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

As I understand it, contingency plans are still being drawn up in case this match does not reach Monday evening's session.

Mark Williams getting another frame on the board would be very helpful indeed for World Snooker - and he looks in a good position to do so, currently leading by 32 with all four remaining reds in the open.

Meanwhile, the Metro's Phil Haigh has just been crowned the media world champion after defeating 's Diana Schuler in the final. She had been scheduled to face former Masters champion Alan McManus in the last four, but he had to withdraw.

Shaun Murphy
2005 world champion on BBC Two

They talk about the World Championship being a marathon of the mind, but this has been even longer for Zhao Xintong because his championship started on 7 April. He had four matches to get through qualifying.

It's hard to know how he's going be feeling - it's his first world final, he looks like he's going to win it and he hasn't been pushed.

Mark Williams plays a cut-back black with pace but wobbles it in the jaws. An 18 break for the Welshman.

No massive harm done for now, as Zhao Xintong can only pot a solitary red in response.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

As things stand, it is hard to look past Zhao Xintong inflicting the heaviest Crucible final defeat on anyone since Stephen Hendry defeated Jimmy White 18-5 in 1993.

Mark Williams needs to win one more frame to ensure that is not the case.

Kyren Wilson (2020), Graeme Dott (2004) and Ali Carter (2008) were all beaten 18-8 by Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Dennis Taylor
1985 world champion on BBC Two

I thought the pressure of everyone following him and watching him in China would have taken its toll but it hasn't, he's coped so well with it.

This is an unbelievable player you're watching, with sheer natural ability.

He's had some help in this frame, a couple of outrageous flukes. But he marches on. What can Mark Williams find here?

Image source, PA Media

It now seems a matter of when, not if, Zhao Xintong becomes world champion.

When it's your day...

Zhao Xintong misses a blue off the spot, it rattles both jaws and runs into the opposite middle.

Mark Williams can only watch as Zhao adds to his lead, which is now 51 with 59 left on the table.

Shouts of "come on Mark" from some of the Crucible crowd as Zhao Xintong leaves a red over the corner pocket, leading by 42.

That's the only loose red but the colours are all on their spots.

But Mark Williams misses his first black - albeit he's not left anything on for Zhao.

Zhao Xintong is seven frames ahead so he doesn't really need the benefit of the run of the balls at the moment - but he gets it when he misses a green and it travels around the angles to drop into the middle pocket.

He won't win the frame in one visit though - his break ends on 31 - but he returns soon after to pot a red to the middle.

The players are back out for four more frames to complete this third session.

If Zhao Xintong wins all four, he will be world champion.

And the Chinese sensation starts with a powerful long red into the right corner.