World Snooker Championship 2024: Ronnie O'Sullivan opens up commanding lead over Jackson Page to close inon second round
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Updated 24/04/2024 at 22:26 GMT
Ronnie O'Sullivan took a giant step towards booking his spot in the second round of the World Snooker Championship after opening up a commanding advantage over Jackson Page in the first session of their round-one encounter. The seven-time champion raced into a 6-0 lead before Page finally got on the board, but O'Sullivan took the final two frames to pull within two of victory.
'Nowhere near right!' - O'Sullivan and ref in re-spot confusion over correct mark
Ronnie O’Sullivan raced into an 8-1 lead over Jackson Page to begin his quest for a record eighth World Snooker Championship in style.
Breaks of 54, 56 and 81 saw ‘The Rocket’ take a 4-0 lead in at the mid-session interval and he returned to make his 204th Crucible century and further assert his dominance.
Page finally got on the board in the seventh frame with a wonderful break of 142 but O’Sullivan ensured that was just a minor blip.
The 48-year-old clinched the final two frames to put himself on the verge of victory and a meeting with Ryan Day in the second round.
The match will conclude on Thursday, with the second and final session getting under way at 13:00 UK time.
After emerging to rapturous applause, O'Sullivan immediately set about calming any early jitters, using two visits to the table to put himself far enough ahead that his opponent needed snookers.
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'Flying up in the air!' - O'Sullivan somehow still pots with bizarre shot
Page came to the baize - perhaps for some table time as much as anything - but he couldn't get back into it and O'Sullivan took the early lead in the best-of-19 encounter.
It was more of the same in frame two as The Rocket once again stepped in when Page erred, looking fluid and marching into a healthy advantage.
He needed two chances in the third but a break of 56 got O’Sullivan over the line and he made it 4-0 going in for the mid-session interval with a composed 81.
Any hopes of a Page revival when play resumed didn’t last long as O’Sullivan reached another incredible milestone, his 122 break marking 30 years in a row he’s made a century in the World Championship.
It wasn’t vintage O’Sullivan but there were more glimpses that his A-game isn’t far away in the sixth frame. A trademark opener and a host of other standout pots saw him move 6-0 ahead as Page cut a forlorn figure in his chair.
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‘That’s a pity’ – O’Sullivan wins frame but misses out on century
The 22-year-old finally showed what he is capable of in the seventh. A fizzing opener paved the way for a lightning century break in little over six minutes before a brilliant final red with the rest helped him complete the total clearance of 142.
There was drama in the next frame, too. Page needed two snookers after O’Sullivan made a break of 66 and was gifted an opportunity to take it all the way to a respotted black when The Rocket coughed up a seven-point foul.
But Page missed the final yellow to spare O’Sullivan’s blushes and then fell 8-1 behind after a scrappy last frame, leaving him with a mountain to climb when the match resumes on Thursday.
Allen marches into round two
Mark Allen safely moved into the second round after completing a comfortable 10-6 victory over Robbie Williams.
The Northern Irishman wasn’t at his fluent best but resuming 7-2 ahead, he did what he had to do to keep his dream of a maiden world crown alive.
He will take on the winner of John Higgins or Jamie Jones next in a best-of-25 match which will begin on Saturday at 14:30 BST.
With a five-frame deficit, Williams needed a quick start and briefly threatened to get himself back into the contest when he took the first two frames of the session.
But Allen responded to reel off the next two and move within one of the winning line at 9-4.
Williams was up for the challenge and made breaks of 53 and 86 when play resumed to reduce his arrears to three frames at 9-6 but Allen closed out the match in style.
A 114 break, his first century of this year’s tournament, saw him advance past the first round for the fourth year in a row.
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