World Snooker Championship 2022 - Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins share opening session played on tough table

Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins are locked together at 4-4, after an opening session of their World Championship semi-final that ebbed and flowed. O’Sullivan made a shaky start, and his frustrations boiled over after a sloppy shot in the third frame as the match threatened to get away from him. Ad/> But he steadied the ship by taking the fourth and was a different player after the interval.

World Championship'He is furious' — O’Sullivan twice smashes cue into floor after poor positional shot2 HOURS AGO The pair shared the final two frames of the session, on a table that appeared extremely heavy, to leave the match locked together and tantalisingly poised ahead of the second session on Friday afternoon. The opener, as expected, was a tense affair between two players who know the importance of getting ahead of one another. Higgins passed up three excellent chances, but O’Sullivan did not capitalise and at the fourth time of asking the Scot picked off the final couple of reds and the colours to get on the board.

O’Sullivan appeared to settle after winning a safety battle and embarking on a run of 46 in the second, but he broke down and Higgins picked his pocket to claim a frame he was never really in to move two frames ahead. Referee Bozhilova shuts down noisy broadcast studio Trump dazzles with two brilliant pots Higgins took the third, but it see-sawed like the first two. Higgins was in control, only to break down on 56 to let in O’Sullivan for a counter.

He looked set to dish the lot, but ran out of position on the penultimate red and furiously smashed his cue into the ground. His mood was not improved as Higgins stepped in to pinch the frame. O’Sullivan still looked to be steaming at the start of the fourth and it