World Championship 2025: Ronnie O'Sullivan wins first four frames to secure lead over Pang Junxu in second-round clash at the Crucible

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Ronnie O'Sullivan began his second-round match against Pang Junxu still with questions to answer, despite a dominant win in round one, but he produced a power-packed start to secure a lead after the opening session against Pang. Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+

'What about that' - O'Sullivan sinks superb long pot

Video credit: TNT Sports

Ronnie O’Sullivan ran through the opening four frames and resisted a fightback from Pang Junxu to secure a 6-2 lead after the opening session of their second-round clash at the World Championship.

O’Sullivan returned to competitive action for the first time since January with a dominant win over Ali Carter in the opening round at the Crucible.

Jimmy White said on TNT Sports that he expected O’Sullivan to step up again, and that looked the case as he won the first four frames on Saturday afternoon without getting out of second gear.

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Pang took the fifth with a century, but O'Sullivan landed the sixth and eighth to earn himself a four-frame lead after the opening session.

The players return on Sunday afternoon for session two, with the action live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Pang had the first chance, and the second and third, in the opening frame but failed to take them.

Passing up multiple chances against a seven-time world champion is not a wise course of action, and Pang paid the price as O’Sullivan picked off a nerve-steadying break of 58 to take the opener.

'Beautiful' - O'Sullivan produces excellent escape from a snooker

Video credit: TNT Sports

The opening frame was scrappy, but the second was not as O’Sullivan raced through a break of 91 to double his advantage.

Pang again had chances in the third, but did not take them and runs of 50 and 34 saw O'Sullivan increase his advantage to three frames.

O’Sullivan was not blemish-free and missed an easy red in the fourth, but Pang broke down after fluking a red and was made to rue the error as ‘The Rocket’ knocked in a break of 63 to sweep the opening mini-session.

Pang looked like a rabbit in headlights in the opening four frames, but the interval arguably did him some good as he got on the board with a break of 119 to take the fifth.

Pang opens account against O'Sullivan with century break

Video credit: TNT Sports

Pang, who beat O’Sullivan at the International Championship earlier in the season, got in again in the sixth but overcut a red when on a run of 33.

O’Sullivan’s opener was not simple, but he knocked in a red to the right corner before racing through a run of 68 to leave Pang needing snookers.

Pang chased the snookers, and made his opponent make a couple of excellent escapes, but he could never force the error as O'Sullivan took the sixth to guarantee an overnight lead.

There was drama in the seventh frame as Pang was called for a foul by referee Jan Verhaas when he did not nominate a colour when the white was touching the black.

Pang called for a foul after failing to nominate a colour

Video credit: TNT Sports

The youngster looked aghast when Verhaas called foul, but he showed his resolve by returning to the table and picking off a break of 34 and laying a snooker. The snooker crafted a second chance, and he cleared to cut the gap to three ahead of the final frame of the session.

The concluding frame was a scrappy affair. Pang earned himself a chance with a brilliant pot, but missed a routine red and O’Sullivan got the points he required to get over the line and secure a four-frame lead.

O'Sullivan and Pang return for their second session on Sunday afternoon, with the action live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

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