O'Sullivan starts well as Murphy squeezes through

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Ronnie O'Sullivan won the World Championship in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2022

245 CommentsRonnie O'Sullivan began his quest for a record-breaking eighth World Championship title with a dominant opening session against Chinese debutant He Guoqiang.

O'Sullivan, 50, took the first five frames and holds a 7-2 advantage, needing only three frames for victory when the match resumes on Wednesday (14:30 BST).

Elsewhere, world number one Judd Trump fought back from 4-1 behind to beat Gary Wilson 10-5 and Shaun Murphy won 10-9 in a thrilling encounter against China's Fan Zhengyi.

O'Sullivan pulled out of the Masters in January and has only played in three of six ranking events in 2026, reaching the final of the World Open in China last month.

During that tournament he made a break of 153, the highest ever recorded in professional snooker.

O'Sullivan was playing at the Crucible for a 34th season and instantly took control as breaks of 72, 97 and 113 helped him into a 5-0 lead, with 25-year-old He, the world number 47, already looking defeated.

He did manage to win two frames in a row, but O'Sullivan claimed the last two frames of the session, helped by breaks of 52 and 86.

O'Sullivan will be looking to quickly wrap up the match on Wednesday and a victory would set up a thrilling last-16 tie against four-time world champion John Higgins.

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Shaun Murphy defeated Matthew Stevens 18-16 in the 2005 final

Former winner Shaun Murphy scraped through to the last 16 after beating China's Fan Zhengyi 10-9 in a thrilling late-night finish to their first-round tie.

Murphy, the 2005 champion, trailed 53-17 in the deciding frame, but 25-year-old Fan missed a tough red into the middle pocket, with the Englishman holding his nerve to gain the victory.

It was the first 10-9 result of the tournament, with the match finishing at 23:46 BST in front of a packed and enthralled crowd at the famous Sheffield theatre.

Murphy had led 3-1, but after Fan, the world number 63, pulled it back to 3-3, the pair alternated frames, with Fan never leading in the match.

There had been a bizarre incident in frame 17 when Murphy was taking a shot and the light from the other table, which had been turned off as the match between Judd Trump and Gary Wilson had finished, was switched on.

Murphy made the pot, but after a brief delay, then missed his next effort while using the rest, although he still won the frame.

In the last 16, Murphy will face another Chinese player, Xiao Guodong.

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Shaun Murphy not happy with the light turning on

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'I've got to try and find a new method' - Ronnie O'Sullivan

Despite making that record-breaking 153 break in March - which came after he benefited from a snooker that left him a free ball, which then acted like a 16th red - O'Sullivan had claimed he was not in good form.

O'Sullivan said he was trying to change his method of snooker and added: "A lot of people will say I'm rusty, that's why I said 'Rusty Ron', I'm quite happy being called that.

"It doesn't take me a lot of practice and I don't need to play a lot of tournaments to win and play well."

But O'Sullivan quickly shook off any "rust" as he moved into a controlling position and it would be a huge shock if He was able to fight back.

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O'Sullivan takes commanding 4-0 lead with superb century

Stephen Hendry, who like O'Sullivan has won seven Crucible titles - a joint record in the modern era - added: "Ronnie O'Sullivan makes it looks easy but it's bread and butter stuff for him.

"He always dominated the players he should, it's one of the strengths of his career. You just know what you're there to do, you're there to win the match."

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Judd Trump beat John Higgins 18-9 in the 2019 World Championship final

World number one Judd Trump recovered from a slow start to defeat Gary Wilson in their first-round match.

Trump, the 2019 champion, lost four of the first five frames as Wilson, ranked 27th, moved into a 4-1 lead.

But Trump then claimed the final four frames of the session, including superb breaks of 128 and 77, to hold a 5-4 advantage.

However, Wilson, a three-time ranking event winner, made the highest break of the session with a superb 139 clearance in frame five.

In the second session later on Tuesday, Wilson made a break of 58 to make it 5-5, but Trump pulled clear by winning five in a row to seal a 10-5 success.

Trump, 36, has been top of the world rankings since August 2024 and will extend that run if he reaches the quarter-finals.

"I like being number one, it's going to be difficult to keep it unless I do really well in the next season but I take a lot of pride in it," he said.

Trump lives in Dubai but, because of the recent conflict in the Middle East, he left the area temporarily.

"I had to stay in Thailand for a month, and I managed to practice for the World Championship, but it has been more back to normal now," he said.

"Dubai is still my base, I've been back there in the last couple of weeks and everything is normal."

"It's a constant struggle. The yips are getting worse and I'm just riding through it."

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Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Liam Pullen and Chris Wakelin finish their match on Wednesday

Liam Pullen dropped off the World Snooker Tour at the end of last season, only to regain his tour card weeks later at Q School.

The 20-year-old from York is ranked 86th in the world and had to battle through four qualifying rounds to make his Crucible debut.

Before the tournament started, he spoke of how, aged 12, he had watched the 2018 final between Mark Williams and Higgins and was left "starstruck" by a chance encounter with the Scot in a Pizza Express.

But if he was feeling any nerves, Pullen did not show it as he made breaks of 57, 63, 97 and 58, although he still finds himself 4-5 behind against fellow Englishman Chris Wakelin, a quarter-finalist last year.

Wakelin, helped by breaks of 66 and 82, holds a one-frame advantage with the match set to be played to a finish on Wednesday from 10:00.

But Pullen can be pleased with how he performed and it was another bright spot for young English players after 19-year-old Stan Moody gave 2024 champion Kyren Wilson a real scare before losing 10-7 on Monday.

China's Wu Yize, the 22-year-old 10th seed, recorded the biggest winning margin of this year's tournament as he thrashed compatriot Lei Peifan 10-2.

Wu became the fourth Chinese player into the last 16, where he will play either four-time winner Mark Selby or 2024 runner-up Jak Jones.

Watch: World Snooker Championship - Trump level with Wilson; Wakelin leads Pullen

'Odds-on' - Hearn tips 2029 Worlds to stay in UK

O'Sullivan to play China's He in Crucible round one

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