Ronnie O'Sullivan completed a remarkable comeback from 3-0 down to defeat David Gilbert 10-5 at the World Snooker Championship, but fellow former champion Shaun Murphy was edged out 10-8 by Stephen Maguire in a tense finish.
Murphy led 8-7 but missed a straightforward red into a middle pocket, allowing Maguire to seize control. The Scot gave up a couple of openings, but Murphy, needing a snooker, rattled the final red in the jaws. Maguire potted it and left a snooker; Murphy's escape left the yellow over a pocket, ending the match.
O'Sullivan, world No 1, is chasing a record-equalling seventh title and will face Mark Allen or Scott Donaldson in the second round. After Gilbert raced into a 3-0 lead on Saturday, O'Sullivan reeled off six consecutive frames. Gilbert won the first two frames of Sunday's second session before O'Sullivan eased over the line.
O'Sullivan told the BBC: 'I am out there playing, enjoying it and just trying to compete. It is like Gladiator. Russell Crowe has a hole in his arm and knows he is going to die but you just have to find a way. That is what winners and gladiators do.' He added: 'I probably wasn't born to play snooker but I was born to do something with a ball.'
In other matches, Barry Hawkins lost 10-7 to debutant Jackson Page, who hit a break of 128 to move 9-7 clear. Mark Williams led Michael White 7-1, Anthony McGill held a 6-3 lead over Liam Highfield, and Zhao Xintong beat Jamie Clarke 10-2.
