World Snooker Championship 2024 LIVE: Robert Milkins v Pang Junxu, Barry Hawkins v Ryan Day (2024)

That's day four in the books and what a day we have on Wednesday with Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins beginning their campaigns, while four other matches will be completed.

This is the schedule for tomorrow.

Morning session (10:00 BST)

• Kyren Wilson (Eng, 12) 8-1 Dominic Dale (Wal)
• Ding Junhui (Chn, 7) 4-5 Jack Lisowski (Eng)

Afternoon session (14:30 BST)

• Mark Allen (NI, 4) 7-2 Robbie Williams (Eng)
• Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng, 2) v Jackson Page (Wal)

Evening session (19:00 BST)

• John Higgins (Sco, 13) v Jamie Jones (Wal)
• Barry Hawkins (Eng, 15) 4-5 Ryan Day (Wal)

Thanks for joining us today. See you tomorrow.

Robert Milkins, the 16th seed, almost became another seed to lose, but recovered from 24-0 down in the deciding frame to scrape through 10-9 against China's Pang Junxu in a match that finished at 23:05 BST.

Milkins had lost the first three frames of the match and was also 9-8 behind but held his nerve to win the last two to set up a meeting with David Gilbert, who beat 2023 champion Luca Brecel on Saturday.

"I can't believe I got through," said Milkins. "I just didn't play great and I was lucky that Pang didn't play well. I had actually played OK, but even when I was 6-5 up I got down on myself.

"I'm like a dodgy horse, he hits the front and doesn't want to get on with it. The last two frames I played OK and when I went 9-8 behind that was the only time I relaxed."

It was expected to be a tight encounter as 2013 finalist Barry Hawkins,15th in the world, met Welsh world number 18 Ryan Day and so it proved with Day edging the session 5-4.

Ryan Day goes into tomorrow's play with a 5-4 lead over 15th seed Barry Hawkins.

The Welsh qualifier took the first frame with a break of 61 and the Englishman responded with a 108 and then a 66.

Day pulled it back to 2-2 before he won another three frames to pull clear at 5-2, thanks to a 110 in frame five and a 76 two frames later.

But Hawkins ended the session strongly to pull it back to 5-4, ending the session with a run of 93.

Six seeds have been knocked out, and Robert Milkins, the 16th seed, is in a real dogfight against Pang Junxu.

The Chinese world number 27 started the day 5-4 ahead and the pair have shared the first mini session.

Pang took the first two frames today, Milkins the next two. Not too much for the highlight reel with just one half-century break, a 58 from Pang in the second frame of the session.

There are only three places in the world rankings separating Barry Hawkins and Ryan Day - and nothing separating them at the mid-session interval in the opening session of their first-round match.

A break of 61 helped Day take the opener, but breaks of 108 and 66 gave Hawkins a 2-1 advantage, only for Day to make it 2-2.

It's going to be a tight, hard-fought match, just as we thought it would be.

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We have two matches tonight and you can watch Barry Hawkins v Ryan Day on BBC Four and the conclusion of the Robert Milkins v Pang Junxu clash, with the Chinese playing leading 5-4, on the BBC iPlayer.

You can also watch the action on the BBC Sport website.

Three-time world champion Mark Williams has just been talking in the news conference and said: "I didn't play well all the way through the match, but I was playing well at the end. That's one of the best breaks you will see under pressure and if he can do that more regularly then he is a future world champion.

"He definitely has the potential to win the world championship. Whether it's this year, who knows, it will be tough."

Williams wondered if he would play in the Crucible again, although said he had no plans to retire.

He added: "I'm 50 next year and I was looking around. I've loved every minute. I don't know if I will be back here again. I'm not considering my future but it's a tough game so to keep getting to these venues is hard so you have to treat it as if you're not going to get back.

"Fingers crossed you will see me playing next year but I'm 50 [next year] and can't keep going on forever."

World number three Mark Allen finishes the afternoon session 7-2 up on Robbie Williams. He'll be happy with that.

Paul Curran: Gutted Williams is out but fair play to Si, cracking player.

Daniel Puddicombe: What a session of snooker that was. Utterly brilliant by Si to knock out MJW; how cool and collected was he during the final break? A privilege to be in the arena and the standing ovation was well deserved.

Here's the top 16 seeds - and six of them are out already

1. Luca Brecel, 2. Ronnie O'Sullivan, 3. Judd Trump, 4. Mark Allen, 5. Mark Selby, 6. Mark Williams, 7. Ding Junhui, 8. Shaun Murphy

9. Ali Carter,10. Gary Wilson, 11. Zhang Anda, 12. Kyren Wilson, 13. John Higgins, 14. Tom Ford, 15. Barry Hawkins, 16. Robert Milkins

He's got that ability to stay calm under pressure and hit the ball as if he's in the practice room when it matters it the most.

He did it last year against me and others - and he's done it again against Mark.

Mark threw everything at him this afternoon but Si has that star quality.

Mark was not at his best but you can't take anything away from Si Jiahui.

It's been a very entertaining match. He's a very modest boy but he's played brilliantly.

What a performance from Si Jiahui.

A simply fantastic 77 break in the deciding frame and the Chinese 21-year-old knocks out three-time Crucible champion Mark Williams.

The Welshman becomes the sixth seed to fall at the first hurdle so far this year.

This has been a stunning, world-class visit to the table from Si Jiahui, considering the pressure he has been put under in the last hour and a half.

Breathe! A big sigh of relief from Si Jiahui. There was a lot of pressure on that.

Look at his face! That was a big pot he took on.

Si is 55 ahead with 67 on. He has a tough pink to leave Mark Williams with snookers required.... and it's in!

That should be that.

Over on the other table, a 110 break gives Robbie Williams the penultimate frame of the day.

A very testing red to the middle pocket, with cue ball close to object ball, goes in. Just.

The black follows and Si Jiahui only needs a couple more reds.

A fourth world title might be out of reach though for Mark Williams - at least this year.

Si's lead is up to 46.