Ronnie O'Sullivan in cruise control after impressive first session at Crucible

Lewis Henderson
Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:41:24 +0000

Ronnie O'Sullivan is in cruise control against He Guoquing after an impressive first session of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible.

The Rocket took the first five frames and holds a 7-2 advantage over the Chinese debutant.

O'Sullivan, 50, needs only three frames for victory with the match resuming on Wednesday afternoon.

The dominant display saw the Rocket, competing in his 34th season, take control, breaking with 72, 97 and 113 to build a 5-0 lead.

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Guoquing did manage to pull back a couple of frames, but O'Sullivan reestablished his five-frame cushion, with breaks of 52 and 86.

The seven-time world champion pulled out of the Masters in January and has only featured in three of six ranking events in 2026, making the final last month of the World Open in China.

O'Sullivan made a break of 153, the highest ever recorded in professional snooker, after benefiting from an early snooker, leaving him a free ball.

Should the Rocket win tomorrow, he will face Scotsman John Higgins in the next round after defeating O'Sullivan's old nemesis, Ali Carter.

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Upon entering the Crucible today, the Rocket made an embarrassing blunder, heading to the wrong table.

The Englishman made his way in when he was introduced as the "greatest player in history" and headed straight to table two.

But the Rocket was on table one, as he had to make a quick turn past where Lei Peifan and Wu Yize were sitting in their chairs.

Referee Rob Spender, who will oversee the final in early May, gestured to his left to indicate to the seven-time world champion that he had taken a wrong turn.

Fans giggled as O'Sullivan made the error, and the Rocket shared in the humour, chuckling to himself.

The 50-year-old disclosed his Dublin arrangement following his triumph at the inaugural John Virgo Trophy, where he comprehensively defeated Higgins in Sunday's final.

The Rocket currently spends around three months annually in Ireland, having made it a regular residence over the past year.

The seven-time world champion secured his latest silverware with a commanding 6-0 whitewash against his Scottish rival at Goffs in Ireland.

O'Sullivan spoke warmly about his connection to the country after lifting the trophy.

He said: "The crowd here was amazing. Any venue we play in Ireland, but especially here at Goffs, the atmosphere is electric. Amazing.

"I mean I live here quite a lot now. I spend three months a year here. I've always loved coming to Ireland. It has always had a special place in my heart.

"But having lived here the last year or so, it's been great. I wouldn't have it any other way."