World Championship 2025: Ronnie O'Sullivan starts Crucible campaign in style with win over Ali Carter at The Crucible, Pang Junxu up next
Updated 23/04/2025 at 16:36 GMT+1
Ronnie O'Sullivan got the better of old foe Ali Carter to reach the second round of the World Snooker Championship at The Crucible. The seven-time winner led 5-4 overnight and looked good in powering into round two. Up next for O'Sullivan is a clash with Pang Junxu. Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
O'Sullivan pounces on Carter error to extend lead
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ronnie O’Sullivan started his bid for a record eighth World Snooker Championship title with a commanding 10-4 win over Ali Carter.
Doubts surrounded O’Sullivan’s form and general well-being ahead of the tournament after being absent from competitive snooker since January.
There were clear signs of rust as he bedded in his new cue, but having led 5-4 after the first session, he upped his level in Wednesday’s second session to beat his bitter rival and book a meeting with Pang Junxu in round two - which will be live on TNT Sports and discovery+ starting on Saturday.
O'Sullivan held a narrow lead against Carter overnight, after a bitty performance where he showed good control when in the balls but struggled with the pace of the table and his long potting.
The long potting was not really tested on Wednesday, but his control of the white was excellent and Carter wilted under pressure from a rival who he had only beaten once before in his career.
O’Sullivan’s long potting was awry in the first session, but his cue-ball control was largely solid and that was the case in the 10th frame. High-value colours were out of commission, and the white covered some ground, but he picked off a break of 59 and it proved enough to stretch his lead to two frames.
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Carter was kept largely cold in the 10th, having missed a couple of attempted pots by wide margins, and it was the same in the 11th as O’Sullivan picked off 117 - his second century of the match and the 45th of the first round in total which was a new Crucible record - on the back of a poor safety from his opponent.
Carter missed a black off its spot by a distance in the 12th but got in again and looked well set, only to pass up the chance. O’Sullivan came to the table with intent and dealt a hammer blow to his opponent with a break of 74 to move 8-4 to the good and within two of the second round.
It was not perfection from O’Sullivan, and he benefited from a couple of slices of luck following poor shots in the 13th. But the pressure ramped up on Carter and he was found wanting with a mid-range red, and the seven-time winner made him pay with a break of 123 to sweep the mini-session.
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O'Sullivan makes century in 13th frame to sweep mini-session
Video credit: TNT Sports
The interval did not check O’Sullivan’s momentum, and he wrapped up the contest in style.
Carter missed a red by a distance, which was the story of his afternoon, and it proved to be his final shot of the contest, as O’Sullivan raced through his fourth century of the match to sign off in style and put down a marker for the rest of the field.
For two players who have traded barbs in the past, there was a warm handshake as O’Sullivan left the arena to a huge ovation.
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