As it happened: Ronnie O'Sullivan decimates He Guoqiang to earn dominant lead after first session at Halo World Championship

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World Snooker Championship 2026 live comments and streaming details. TNT Sports brings you frame-by-frame updates as Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump, Johns Higgins, Mark Williams, Mark Selby and other modern greats set their sights on wrestling the World Championship title from Zhao Xintong at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The afternoon session begins at 14:30, with a further session at 19:00.

Which World Championship records can O’Sullivan break this year?

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O'Sullivan takes control against He

A Crucible debut is daunting enough, but a debut at the iconic venue against the greatest player we've ever seen? It's no wonder it took He Guoqiang a while to get going, and, consequently, he trails Ronnie O'Sullivan 7-2 overnight, the match to be finished off tomorrow afternoon. Most notable was O'Sullivan's long game, generally not as reliable as it was a decade or two ago, but today back to its coruscating best and helping him race to a 5-0 lead. He's single-ball potting was also impressive, but he struggled to play well enough for long enough to get on the board. He did, though, close to 5-2, O'Sullivan, previously dialled-in, perhaps relaxing. But under slight pressure, he rediscovered his better form, taking the final two frames of the session to finish just three away from a second-round meeting with John Higgins.

'Unbelievable' He fluke leaves O'Sullivan in peculiar snooker

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World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 7-2

Another three frames for Ronnie tomorrow, and he will meet John Higgins in a blockbusting second-round tussle.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 6-2 He (75-0)

Ronnie secures the frame, and He needs eight of 11 tomorrow. This has been a textbook break too, all the nudges and flicks that make him the greatest of all time.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 6-2 He (49-0)

He sagged a little in the middle, but this has been impressive stuff from TMNTPETPUAC, who's played well while still having plenty of room to grow into the tournament.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 6-2 He (14-0)

For all the good it does him. Ronnie gets in again via fluke double and gets to work removing balls.

'Sharp' O'Sullivan benefits from unusual fluke before clearing table

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World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 6-2 He (1-0)

Ronnie flows home another long starter, then it's in behind the green; He escapes well.

O'Sullivan flaunts 'full repertoire' with stupendous century against He

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World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 6-2 He

A run of 52 secures the frame and He must surely take the next to have any chance tomorrow afternoon.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-2 He (45-14)

He flukes a bizarre snooker and Ronnie's escape hands him a scoring opportunity, but he can't take it, so Ronnie now has a chance to move back to four in front. The table isn't easy, but a delightful swerve around the brown opens everything, and now it's just about rolling them in.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-2 He (32-2)

Just as he seems ensconced, Ronnie tries to force one, potting red to corner and screwing back for black; he jumps the white, misses the pot ... and He sinks a red but gets no position. He's allowed so many let-offs this afternoon – more composure and this is close.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-2 He (1-1)

Lovely starter from He, banged to middle, and it's now half an hour since Ronnie potted a ball. But just as we're wondering if this might get close, a pretty simple blue, missed to middle with claret all over, makes us think 6-2 is imminent.

Drama as phone rings, He commits push shot and O'Sullivan clears brilliantly

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World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-2 He (0-0)

A tactical start to frame eight, both players playing pleasant safety.

O'Sullivan 'thunders' in long red with masterful cueing

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Watch the amusing moment O'Sullivan walks to wrong table in rare Crucible mistep

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World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-2 He

Another one to He, and with two frames still to play this afternoon, he can make a contest of this yet.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-1 He (7-62)

He's not played badly this afternoon, and he might finally have relaxed – he's more than good enough to have taken a frame or two before the last, so pressure of debut feels the likeliest reason he didn't. He's almost there in this frame, though Ronnie will be ruing the red he missed to corner that would probably have given him 6-0.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-1 He (7-41)

He goes at it off the blue, it's good enough, and this should be another frame back.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-1 He (7-21)

A foul-miss gives Ronnie seven, but it's He in first – though he'll soon need to open the pack.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-1 He

We've only had two whitewashes in crucible history – John Parrott beat Eddie Charlton 10-0 in 1992 and Shaun Murphy did likewise to Luo Honghao in 2019.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-0 He (33-60)

He gets in again ... then out again ... then in again with a glorious yellow followed by a singing green, and he's on the board. Ronnie will be ruing that missed red.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-0 He (33-43)

Looking to force an angle that sends red to middle, He is miles away, the frame still in the balance. So Ronnie develops a red, leaves it ... and the pot is missed.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-0 He (33-28)

Oooh, Ronnie misses to corner, and He plays two decent shots to get in. Can he make something of an opportunity that is far from easy?

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-0 He (33-13)

Bridging awkwardly, He slides to middle ... but hits the jaw. He's had chances, but hasn't been precise enough when in the balls, and it'd be no shock were this to be 6-0.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-0 He (2-5)

An overcut red, a groan in the audience ... but Ronnie rams his first black into the jaws of corner. That should cost him.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-0 He (1-5)

He bumps a ball over right corner but the area is so congested Ronnie can't get at it, playing safe. The Chinese, though, fancies his chances, hammering it down via plant, and it's fair to say his single-ball potting has been pretty good today – he just hasn't been able to play well enough for long enough to exploit it. And sure enough, on a table that isn't easy, he runs out of position so plays safe.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 5-0 He

Two mid-rangers, two into the center of the bag. He is in all sorts.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 4-0 He (56-59)

He gets in behind it but it's not an easy pot, cueing away towards the yellow bag ... but he forces it in off the jaw ... only to miss the blue! That wasn't anywhere near as hard, but he unloaded the suitcase when he might've played the shot more softly, so Ronnie needs it ans the pink for 5-0.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 4-0 He (56-50)

A lax positional shot means the next one must be with the rest ... nicely done ... but He then misses the next ball. So off goes Ronnie but, leaving himself a cut-back down the side, he can't quite drop it in. Chance to clear for the younger man, but the brown isn't that far off the side rail.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 4-0 He (42-1)

Oooh, a surprising miss to left corner means a reprieve for He, though he's left nowt, and shortly afterwards he steers in a delicate one, lovely touch. But what can he make of it? The balls are there....

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 4-0 He (14-0)

A nudge here, a bump there, and suddenly the table opens out; there's no one remotely in Ronnie's class when it comes to that precise aspect, nor has there ever been.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 4-0 He (14-0)

Oh dear. He cannons a stray red playing safe, and boom, Ronnie's in again.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 4-0 He

We go again...

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 4-0 He

Yeah, about that. A lovely shot develops one, and this is no more than the break deserves, a master at work, and a run of 113 earns him a 4-0 lead in just 56 minutes.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 3-0 He (75-0)

Ronnie secures a mini-sesh sweep. There are two reds on the top rail, so a to might be tricky...

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 3-0 He (52-0)

In comms, Nealf rhapsodises how nicely Ronnie's hitting the ball, and he'll be relieved to learn I concur. His long game has been excellent this afternoon, and my sense is he's been practising hard.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 3-0 He (1-0)

Missed pot from He, potted pot from Ronnie, and he's in again.

World Championship LIVE - on table two

Wu Yize 10-2 Le Peifan

Wu is amazing. Next for him: Mark Selby or Jak Jones.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 3-0 He

He had plenty of chances in that frame. If he's not careful, he could get buried.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 2-0 He (51-46)

Ronnie develops the pink off ther brown, and this is going to be another frame to him.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 2-0 He (39-46)

Ronnie closes the gap and plays safe, but for the third time in the frame, He snaps a lovely long starter into left corner, adds the yellow then another yellow before playing safe, unable to pot the green he put on the cushion. Oh, and he's then penalised for a push-shot, disaster! And worse still, he leaves a free ball too, and this frame has legs in it yet; I'd go as far as to say we've a new favourite for it.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 2-0 He (18-41)

Opener to He but will he take on a brown to middle? Yes he will, and he slots it beautifully. Can he hold it down to get on the board? Well, again he runs out of position, so sends the green to the side ... except another banging long pot get Ronnie in, then a black nudges along the top rail is followed by a similar red. He will be concerned.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 2-0 He (1-35)

He does not make this count, missing to corner, and after Ronnie takes a red he plays a decent safety.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 2-0 He (0-35)

I'm afraid he cannot, running out of position ... but the next visit after his safety, he unleashes an even better shot,the angle more acute, the ball again spanked into left corner. He must make this count.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 2-0 He (0-19)

Needing to make something happen, He unloads the suitcase at a diagonal longun ... and that's a screamer. But can he build on it?

World Championship LIVE - on table two

Wu Yize 8-2 Le Peifan

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 2-0 He (68-0)

Ronnie clears the table, a 72 followed by a 97. He has a problem.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 1-0 He (68-0)

What'll be nagging at He is that he's lost two frames quickly and Ronnie hasn't got going yet.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 1-0 He (36-0)

Oh, but then a missed red to left corner presents He with a chance to right ... that he can't take. And though Ronnie again can't convert opportunity into actuality, when he knocks in the brown, rather than have him replaced he annihilates another long beauty. And though a kiss on the blue soon ends the run, the failure to tidy leaves a chance you can't see hm spurning.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 1-0 He (14-0)

A long diag to right corner ... creamed into the leather. Ronnie looks dialled-in here, adding the blue then another red, and I very much like that which I'm seeing; his potting about the black spot is always great, so you know if he's at it when he's sinking shots like that opener.

World Championship LIVE - on table two

Wu Yize 8-1 Le Peifan

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 1-0 He

A run of 72 and Ronnie leads.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 0-0 He (64-14)

Yup, Ronnie makes the frame safe. He will have known in advance he needs to play lights-out to win here, and now he really knows it.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 0-0 He (17-14)

He, though, cannot impose them, undercutting to right corner and, with nearly all the reds available as well as the black passingto both corners, this should really be 1-0.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 0-0 He (8-6)

Ronnie's safety forces He to take on a long opener; he misses it and, very quickly, a red-black and open pack suggest punishment will be severe. But bridging awkwardly, he directs the next ball into the far jaw of left-middle, and now it's he who'll be fearing reprisals.

World Championship LIVE - What a welcome for The Rocket

Enjoy him, people – we never know when it might end.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan v He

Can he do it? Ronnie hasn't competed much lately, but he's played well when he has and seems both focused and relaxed. as ever, he might not win the tournament, but it'll take a good performance to beat him.

He, meantime, is making his Crucible debut, and what a match to open. Can he handle the pressure?

I can't wait to find out.

Ronnie O'Sullivan begins his run at the World Snooker Championship when he takes on He Guoqiang at the Crucible on Tuesday.

The Rocket arrives in Sheffield looking for a record eighth world title and begins his campaign against the Chinese player making his first appearance at the famous venue.

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