Ronnie O'Sullivan established a commanding 6-2 lead over John Higgins in the first session of their second-round match at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield. The seven-time champion, aiming for a record eighth Crucible title, produced a stunning 137 total clearance as he dominated his long-time rival.
Former champion and BBC pundit John Parrott described O'Sullivan's performance as 'pretty evil,' adding that Higgins would need to find his top game to mount a comeback. O'Sullivan started with a break of 86 but missed a pink in the second frame, allowing Higgins to level. However, the Rocket then fired breaks of 82, 137, and 92 to win three consecutive frames.
Higgins took the sixth frame at the second attempt, but O'Sullivan closed the session by winning the final two frames, putting himself firmly in control ahead of Sunday evening's resumption.
In other matches, Mark Allen defeated Kyren Wilson 13-9 to reach the quarter-finals, despite letting slip a 5-0 lead. Allen will face Barry Hawkins, who beat Mark Williams 13-9. After his win, Allen criticised Stephen Hendry for 'talking rubbish' about his shot selection.
Judd Trump and Hossein Vafaei are level at 4-4 after the first session of their second-round clash, while defending champion Zhao Xintong leads Ding Junhui 9-7. Neil Robertson squandered a 4-1 lead to Chris Wakelin, ending the first session tied at 4-4.
