Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵
O’Sullivan Dominates Carter in World Snooker Championship Opener
Ronnie O’Sullivan dismissed concerns about his recent inactivity by crafting three centuries in five frames, securing a decisive 10-4 victory over Ali Carter in the opening round of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield. The win sets up a last-16 encounter with Pang Junxu. Despite the dominant performance, O’Sullivan revealed lingering self-doubt.
Doubts Despite Decisive Victory
The seven-time champion, absent from the professional tour since January’s Championship League exit, displayed flashes of brilliance. However, O’Sullivan admitted to internal struggles after committing to the tournament last week.
“I thought: ‘What am I doing, coming here and exposing myself, imploding out there, having a meltdown?’ All that went through my head,” said O’Sullivan, 49.
“I was a bit scared about playing. It is a daunting venue to play at anyway, but it’s just about getting on the bike again and playing. I’m really happy that I’ve done it, even if I’d lost it didn’t matter – I’ve made the breakthrough now.”
Match Highlights
Carter, who had closed the gap to a single frame by the end of Tuesday’s initial session, failed to score in the first two frames of the resumption. O’Sullivan constructed breaks of 59 and 117 to extend his advantage to 7-4.
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Carter faltered in the 12th frame, losing position on 28, and O’Sullivan capitalised with a clearance of 74, followed by his second century of the day.
This performance marked a stark contrast to the uneven opening session, where O’Sullivan benefited from Carter’s errors to establish a somewhat shaky lead.
O’Sullivan sealed his progression in the fifth frame of the day, completing a 131 total clearance to wrap up a conclusive victory.
O’Sullivan’s Expectations
Following his triumph, O’Sullivan’s odds of winning the title shortened, but he remained cautious about his prospects.
“My expectation levels were to maybe get a few frames and see where I go from there. I feel like I’ve had a victory by just winning a match, and it is all part of the rebuilding process.”
Pang Junxu Advances
Pang Junxu became the sixth Chinese competitor to reach the last 16, prevailing 10-7 against compatriot Zhang Anda. The 25-year-old previously lost to O’Sullivan 10-7 in his Crucible debut two years ago. Since then, he reached his second ranking semi-final at the Northern Ireland Open in October.
Pang’s Perspective
“The pressure was huge at the start and I didn’t perform well in the first session,” Pang stated. “But after falling behind, I relaxed and managed to play better. I think I have a chance to win. You learn everything from playing [against top players]. Their shot selection, their response, and how to handle pressure – there’s so much I can learn from them.”