Ronnie O'Sullivan takes slender lead after opening session with Ali Carter on snooker return at 2025 World Championship
Updated 22/04/2025 at 23:44 GMT+1
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Ronnie O'Sullivan returned to ranking event snooker with a huge ovation at the Crucible, as his quest for a record eighth World Championship title began against Ali Carter. Having not played at a ranking event since November, The Rocket took some time to find his feet, but was soon back to showcasing his free-flowing potting ability to make for a finely-poised decisive session on Wednesday.
Watch the moment O'Sullivan gets huge ovation in Crucible return
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ronnie O'Sullivan is in pole position to head into the last 16 of the Halo World Championship, taking a narrow 5-4 lead over Ali Carter into Wednesday's decisive session.
The clash between the two historical foes - ignited by the infamous "barge-gate" incident at The Crucible in 2018 - was the pick of the opening round, and marked O'Sullivan's return to ranking event snooker after a five-month absence.
Carter capitalised on some early rustiness by taking the opening frame from The Rocket - who was equipped with a new cue after he snapped his previous apparatus at the Championship League in January.
The first frame saw O'Sullivan afforded little opportunity to form a prolonged run at the baize, but after getting a feel for the table and handing the opener to Carter, the seven-time world champion soon found his feet and levelled the match.
The pair missed several opportunities between them in the frame, but with O'Sullivan 29 points down and one red remaining, he polished off an accomplished clearance which seemed to buoy the 49-year-old into the clash - in which he seemed to be only growing in confidence.
O'Sullivan edged out yet another nervy frame to take a 2-1 lead, before emphatically establishing a two-frame cushion before the interval - notching his 208th century at the Crucible with a 107 clearance.
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'Welcome back Ronnie, we've missed you' - O'Sullivan rattles home excellent century clearance
Video credit: TNT Sports
The break seemed inconveniently placed for O'Sullivan, who was riding the wave of momentum, and Carter pulled within a frame of parity immediately after the break as more mistakes from The Rocket came to the fore.
But, seemingly in a defiant mood, the joint-record holder for World Championship titles did not allow his foe to chalk him back, despite Carter forming a break of 60 in the sixth frame.
- Which Hendry Crucible record is O'Sullivan still chasing?
- Watch the moment O'Sullivan gets huge ovation in Crucible return
Instead, O'Sullivan dealt his opponent the bitter blow of capitalising on a slack red - which was left hanging over the left pocket of the baulk end - to clear once again and take a 4-2 lead.
The Rocket furthered his advantage, this time in more convincing fashion, and guaranteed he would take an overnight lead into Wednesday's crunch session with a stylish break of 85.
Carter, however, ensured he would keep himself within touching distance, and managed the first century of his 2025 World Championship campaign to make it 5-3.
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Carter keeps within touching distance of O'Sullivan with accomplished century
Video credit: TNT Sports
In the final frame of the afternoon session, O'Sullivan looked to be in a spot of trouble after he split the pack of reds off a blue pot with a little too much throttle, sending one into the bottom right pocket and leaving Carter a separated bunch which could have seen him make a dent.
The Captain, however, did not capitalise, sending a routine red cannoning off the jaws of the bottom left - slumping back into his chair with a wry smile.
The responsibility was back on O'Sullivan to close it out, but he could not do so, as Carter retained his composure to clear the table and pull within one frame of his old foe ahead of their Wednesday meeting.
Trump leads Zhou after first session
World No. 1 Judd Trump is in control against Zhou Yuelong after establishing a 6-3 lead in the pair's first session.
The one-time world champion quickly racked up the first two frames and threatened to race clear early-on. But Zhou proved a resilient opponent, winning the third frame to get back in contention.
Trump produced some more high-quality snooker to go 5-1 ahead, before Zhou prevailed in a long, tense frame to again cut the deficit.
The final two frames of the night were shared, but it remains Trump in the driving seat and on track to progress.
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'What a shot' - Trump executes stunning plant in confident early exchanges
Video credit: TNT Sports
In the evening's other match, Si Jiahui beat David Gilbert 10-6, surviving a comeback from the Englishman, who registered back-to-back centuries from 9-4 down.
Si will face either Mark Selby or Ben Woollaston in the last 16.
Stream the 2025 World Championship live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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