UK Championship LIVE – Ronnie O’Sullivan faces Robert Milkins, John Higgins in action against Zhou Yuelong

John Higgins 2-4 Zhou Yuelong

Not quite. A 120 is plenty, though, and Rob fancies this.

For the first time today, it feels like Rob winning is a possibility, and he’ll want to pot all the balls here, I’m sure of it. There’s a 135 out there…

And look at that! He strokes a tight pink to left-middle and he’s potting balls at quite some pace. The speed of frame here has been unbelievable, and by the looks of things, we’re going to get at least one more because everything is there for the Milkman.

From tight on the baulk rail, Rob caresses a starter into right-middle – nicely done, Sir. He quickly sets about the balls, and I think he might now be enjoying the contest.

John Higgins 1-4 Zhou Yuelong

A run of 89 and Ronnie goes one away.

Ronnie is fairly racing around the table now. He is totally devoid of ruth.

And as soon as it gets interesting, Ronnie ups it, stroking down a lovely starter. He then comes up the table off the yellow, he’s right where he needs to be, and it’s hard to see him missing before the frame is secure.

Excellent from Rob, keeping Ronnie on the hook by playing an excellent break; the only response is a roll-up, which of course is measured to perfection. But a few shots later, a fantastic safety from the Rocket, opening reds, hiding reds and leaving the white on the baulk cushion, forces him to take on a difficult pot; he’s not too far away, but it stays out and Ronnie gets in. He can’t, though, work his way into a decent position, so plays safe and this is getting very interesting.

John Higgins 1-3 Zhou Yuelong

Rob clouts down a blue and brings the final red off the rail, but it rolls safe – onto the aformentioned blue.He won’t mind though, he badly needed that frame and he made it his in some style. In nine meetings, this is the first time he’s taken three frames off Ronnie.

This is really good from Rob, who’ll have been feeling very poorly having first ceded an early lead, then had the last frame pilfered from his pocket.

Here we go. Rob runs out of pottable balls, but is looking at a plant; Dom doesn’t like it because balls will go everywhere, but he’s more conservative than the Milkman, who rams it home and keeps his run going. This is a great chance for 4-3.

Aaaargggghhhh! My computer crashes, returning to show me Rob at the table and in the balls. I hate to say it, but the way things go for him against Ronnie, I’d not be surprised to see a 40 and another steal – but let’s hope he can hold it down because he can’t win if he goes 5-2 behind.

John Higgins 1-3 Zhou Yuelong

Ronnie clears to the pink, cementing the steal, then leaves the arena so Rob can marinate in his disappointment.

Ronnie quickly closes the gap and leans over the table to pop in the penultimate red left-handed. But off the brown, he doesn’t get the cannon he wants, right up behind the next ball, so he plays off it to leave the pink between it and the white, now favourite for the frame. Rob, though, is not out of it at all – though you feel he can’t afford to lose this one – and as I type that, he escapes the snooker but leaves the pot. Ronnie drains it, and the colours on or near their spots remain.

Oh, Robbie. I’m afraid he’s facepalming after poking into the knuckle of right-middle and well he might. The frame was almost his, and now that is far from certain. The remaining reds aren’t easy, scattered about the table, but none are inaccessible.

The form Zhou’s in, he’d be a bazzer of a next opponent for Ronnie, should both progress. But in the meantime, a red Rob directs into the green knuckle somehow struggles down and he looks as comfy at the table now as he has all day.

John Higgins 1-3 Zhou Yuelong

A total clearance of 142, and that’s three in a row for the Don.

There’s a 144 out there for Ronnie, and he looks much better now. He can’t keep starting like this – if he wins here, it’s Higgins or Yuelong next, and both of those will believe they can beat him – but I’m sure he’s going to find a way through this one, and there’s a ton in the offing.

Since winning the second frame with a 60, Rob hasn’t made a 30, and he’s not far off falling behind.

Ronnie plays a fine snooker that yields a foul then, when left a starter to left corner, he clacks it down, and Robert will be starting to wonder. He had a two-frame lead, did nothing with it, and this looks ominous.

John Higgins 1-1 Zhou Yuelong

Neither player is playing well, but it’s hard not to suspect that Rob has missed his chance.

Nope. He’s never taken three frames off Ronnie … and he’s not going to here, at least yet. Having accidentally left a tight cut to the middle, he misses, Ronnie absolutely creams home, and this is going to be 2-2 at the interval.

Ronnie drifts a red towards left corner but it stays out and Rob sends it down. The table is a little easier now, just one red close to the side cushion, and this is a proper chance to steal…

Or not! Out of naewhere, Ronnie drills a black into the knuckle and Rob gets away to left-middle easily. There are, though, no easy loose reds – four are under the pink and two near the side rail – and he misses the cluster leaving a pot … which Ronnie can’t despatch! So Rob goes again, digs into the bunch off blue and side … but it yields nowt.

Left one to right corner, Ronnie gets away again, and Robert will be fearing the worst.

John Higgins 1-1 Zhou Yuelong

Time’s up? Er, quite possibly. Ronnie is in to the match now, and I’d not be totally surprised if he wins it 6-2. But Rob is more than capable of pinching the last of the mini-sesh if offered an opportunity.

Is Ronnie settling? He builds a nice lead and the way the balls are, you fully expect this to be a frame back.

Robert will be staggered to be two-up having played as he has, and as I type that, bridging awkwardly over the pink, he misses a diagonal one to left corner you expected him to sort easy. However, he is in now, Rob shaking his head at the potting error that allowed it – he’ll know he’ll not be allowed to win this if he doesn’t up his level.

John Higgins 0-1 Zhou Yuelong

…and down it goes! Neither man is playing well, but it’s the underdog with the lead!

Robert clears to the brown, and it’s a simple blue for 2-0…

Now then! Ronnie misses a brown then, when Robert can’t capitalise, misses a pink to middle! Can Robert make it count this time? He’s away…

Ooooh yeah! Ronnie power-strokes a starter into right corner – that’s a gorgeous strike – and he’s in the balls, black available to both corners.

John Higgins 0-1 Zhou Yuelong

Ronnie gets a double-kiss and Rob drains green and brown … then blue and pink. Now he’s in the match.

But left a cut to the green, Ronnie misses, but Rob – with the brown on the lip of the yellow – can’t see it away and doesn’t even get close.

Rob wobbles in the green but he doesn’t get away with his next imprecision, leaving the final red in the jaws of left corner. he’s lucky, though, getting cover from the yeller … except Ronnie pots it with the rest, off the side! That’s tremendous work, and though he soon has to play safe, he bins the aforementioned yeller then lays a snooker on the green; Rob escapes first go. He needs green and brown for the frame, Ronnie needs everything.

Oooh, playing away from the brown, Ronnie leaves it in the yellow jaws,and Rob now has a chance to polish off the frame.

You get the sense Ronnie doesn’t really believe Rob can beat him, and he’s soon ushered back to the table thanks to a loose safety. The balls aren’t perfectly spread, but they’re spread well enough.

Well, sort of, because he’s just left a simple starter to the yellow having caught a safety far too thickly – nerves, pressure – and that could well cost him the frame. But a poor positional shot from Ronnie means he’s soon playing safe.

Landing low on a red, Rob has to bash the pack, and he sends balls all over but doesn’t land on a colour. He’ll have wanted more from that opportunity, but he’s in the match.

Robert has never beaten Ronnie, losing eight times with an aggregate frame-score of 46-7. And he starts poorly here, leaving a red … but Ronnie misses it, leaving it for him! He’ll know he needs to get going early because no chance he’s beating the greatest from behind.

But Ronnie played his way into form last round, despatching Anthony McGill after a difficult start. Rob, meanwhile, is enjoying a terrific Indian summer to his career, but he’ll have to play better than he’s ever played before to even have a chance this afternoon – and I say that not because I don’t respect his ability, just that his particular attacking style plays to Ronnie’s strengths.

Hossein Vafaei v Matt Selt

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Robert Milkins and John Higgins v Zhou Yuelong

And welcome to the UK Championships 2023 – day six!

“He’s just relentless,” White told Eurosport. “You know, he’s just like this winning machine, full of confidence.

“When he’s got his opponent in trouble, he’s keeping them on the back foot.”