Ronnie O’Sullivan’s World Championship victories came in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2022.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has begun his campaign for a record-breaking eighth World Championship title with a dominant performance in the opening session against He Guoqiang, a Chinese debutant.
O’Sullivan, 50, secured the first five frames and currently holds a 7-2 advantage. He needs only three more frames to secure victory when the match resumes on Wednesday at 14:30 BST.
In other matches, world number one Judd Trump rallied from a 4-1 deficit to defeat Gary Wilson 10-5, while Shaun Murphy emerged victorious in a thrilling 10-9 encounter against China’s Fan Zhengyi.
O’Sullivan withdrew from the Masters in January and has participated in just three of six ranking events in 2026, reaching the final of the World Open in China last month.
During that tournament, he achieved a break of 153, the highest ever recorded in professional snooker.
Playing at the Crucible for his 34th season, O’Sullivan immediately asserted control, with breaks of 72, 97, and 113 propelling him to a 5-0 lead, leaving 25-year-old He, ranked 47th in the world, appearing defeated.
He managed to win two consecutive frames, but O’Sullivan responded by claiming the final two frames of the session, aided by breaks of 52 and 86.
O’Sullivan will aim to swiftly conclude the match on Wednesday, with a victory setting up a compelling last-16 clash against four-time world champion John Higgins.
Shaun Murphy triumphed over Matthew Stevens 18-16 in the 2005 final.
Former champion Shaun Murphy narrowly advanced to the last 16 after defeating China’s Fan Zhengyi 10-9 in a captivating late-night conclusion to their first-round match.
Murphy, the 2005 champion, trailed 53-17 in the deciding frame, but 25-year-old Fan missed a challenging red into the middle pocket, allowing the Englishman to hold his nerve and secure the victory.
It was the first 10-9 result of the tournament, with the match concluding at 23:46 BST in front of an enthusiastic audience at the renowned Sheffield theatre.
Murphy initially led 3-1, but after Fan, ranked 63rd in the world, leveled the score at 3-3, the pair alternated frames, with Fan never taking the lead in the match.
An unusual incident occurred in frame 17 when the light from the adjacent table, which had been turned off following the conclusion of the match between Judd Trump and Gary Wilson, was switched on while Murphy was taking a shot.
Murphy successfully potted the ball, but after a brief pause, he missed his subsequent attempt while using the rest, although he ultimately won the frame.
In the last 16, Murphy will face another Chinese player, Xiao Guodong.
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Shaun Murphy expresses dissatisfaction with the light incident.
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‘I’ve got to try and find a new method’ – Ronnie O’Sullivan
Despite achieving that record-breaking 153 break in March – which followed a fortunate snooker that provided him with a free ball, effectively acting as a 16th red – O’Sullivan had previously stated that he was not in good form.
He was absent from Friday’s media day, but in an interview with BBC Two prior to the match, he commented that his play had been “really not great for three years” and had been “very, very poor”.
O’Sullivan mentioned that he was attempting to modify his snooker technique 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.”
However, O’Sullivan quickly dispelled any notion of “rust” as he established a commanding position, and it would be a significant surprise if He were able to mount a comeback.
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O’Sullivan takes commanding 4-0 lead with superb century.
Ken Doherty, the 1997 world champion and a BBC pundit, remarked: “This has truly been a masterclass from Ronnie O’Sullivan. It’s been like watching a genius at work.”
Stephen Hendry, who, like O’Sullivan, has secured seven Crucible titles – a joint record in the modern era – added: “Ronnie O’Sullivan makes it look 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.”
Judd Trump defeated John Higgins 18-9 in the 2019 World Championship final.
World number one Judd Trump overcame 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, took a 4-1 lead.
However, Trump then claimed the final four frames of the session, including superb breaks of 128 and 77, to establish a 5-4 advantage.
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 level the score at 5-5, but Trump pulled clear by winning five consecutive frames to seal a 10-5 victory.
Trump, 36, has held the top spot in the world rankings since August 2024 and will extend that reign 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 resides in Dubai but, due to the recent conflict in the Middle East, he temporarily relocated.
“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.”
A downbeat Wilson, speaking to BBC Four, said: “It’s just constant disappointment. I am, and always have been since the age of 13, a better player than this.
“It’s a constant struggle. The yips are getting worse and I’m just riding through it.”
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Trump century brings it level.
Liam Pullen and Chris Wakelin will conclude their match on Wednesday.
Liam Pullen was relegated from 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 progressed through four qualifying rounds to reach his Crucible debut.
Prior to the tournament, he recounted how, at the age of 12, he watched the 2018 final between Mark Williams and Higgins and was “starstruck” by a chance encounter with the Scot in a Pizza Express.
Despite any potential nerves, Pullen displayed composure, making breaks of 57, 63, 97, and 58, although he still trails 4-5 against fellow Englishman Chris Wakelin, a quarter-finalist last year.
Wakelin, aided by breaks of 66 and 82, holds a one-frame advantage, with the match scheduled to be played to a finish on Wednesday starting at 10:00.
Pullen can be satisfied with his performance, adding to the positive showing of young English players after 19-year-old Stan Moody gave 2024 champion Kyren Wilson a significant scare before ultimately losing 10-7 on Monday.
China’s Wu Yize, the 22-year-old 10th seed, recorded the largest winning margin of this year’s tournament, defeating compatriot Lei Peifan 10-2.
Wu became the fourth Chinese player to reach the last 16, where he will face 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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