World Snooker Championship: Ronnie O'Sullivan on brink of second round after dominant start against Jackson Page
Ronnie O'Sullivan took full control of his first-round match against Jackson Page at the World Snooker Championship as he began his quest for a record eighth title in dominant style on Wednesday.
But Ding Junhui's hopes are already over for another year after the 2016 finalist suffered his fourth successive first-round knockout at the Crucible by losing a final-frame decider against Jack Lisowski.
O'Sullivan though is already on the brink of the second round after dropping just one frame to open up a 8-1 lead over Welshman Page in the best of 19-frame opening round.
The seven-time champion raced into a 6-0 lead before Page, 22, registered his first frame of the match. But it was not enough to check O'Sullivan's momentum as the Rocket immediately replied to win the next two and end the session with a commanding 8-1 advantage.
O'Sullivan will require just two more frames to secure victory when the pair return for the second session at 1pm on Thursday.
While Ding became the seventh seed to fall in this year's first round in his 9-10 defeat to Lisowski, fourth seed Mark Allen secured progression to the second round by coming through 10-6 against Robbie Williams.
Four-time champion John Higgins headlines Wednesday's evening session when he begins his first-round match against Jamie Jones.
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In Wednesday's morning session, Kyren Wilson, the 2020 finalist, missed out on another Crucible maximum but completed a comprehensive win over Dominic Dale to book his place in the second round.
Wilson potted 11 reds and blacks in the final frame but ran short on a mid-range red as he aimed to repeat the 147 he had fashioned against Ryan Day at the same stage last year.
Nevertheless, the 32-year-old won the two frames required on Wednesday morning to wrap up a 10-1 win, the most comprehensive victory at the Crucible since Mark Selby's win over Kurt Maflin by the same score in 2021.
It marked a welcome return to form for Wilson, who has failed to reach a tour final this season and candidly admitted to off-field struggles involving illnesses to his wife and son.
Dale, at 52 the oldest qualifier since Steve Davis in 2010, was no match for the 12th seed, although he did compile an impressive 120 clearance in the fourth frame of the match.
Wilson, who moves on to a second-round meeting with Mark Selby's conqueror Joe O'Connor, compiled half-centuries or better in all but one of his winning frames, including a break of 123 in the fifth frame.
More to follow...
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6 of May 2024
