Ronnie O’Sullivan needed barely half an hour on Wednesday to complete a 10-2 victory over Chinese debutant He Guoqiang in the first round of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre. The seven-time world champion, now 50, had built a commanding 7-2 lead in the opening session on Tuesday and wasted no time in claiming the first three frames of the conclusion, including two centuries.
O’Sullivan’s win sets up a blockbuster last-16 encounter with old rival John Higgins, who overcame Ali Carter in his first-round match. The best-of-25 contest will be played over three sessions starting on Saturday 25 April at 7pm, continuing on Sunday at 7pm, and concluding on Monday 27 April at 1pm. It marks 30 years since the pair first met at the Crucible in the 1996 quarter-finals.
Speaking to the BBC after the match, O’Sullivan acknowledged his age and form: “We’re a couple of oldies! I feel kind of old now because everyone is 22, 23… I am not the player I was and probably never will be. John loves playing me. I think he plays better against me than I do against him.” He added that he had used a different cue, saying the tip was more important, and that he had saved it all year in case his main cue was not good.
