Ronnie O'Sullivan sets up John Higgins last-16 clash at World Snooker Championship with dominant win over He Guoqiang

O'Sullivan carried a 7-2 lead into Wednesday's second session in Sheffield, where he is eyeing a record eighth world title.

And it took only around 45 minutes for The Rocket to seal his last-16 meeting with 'Class of 92' alumni John Higgins, dominating proceedings with a pair of centuries and looking an imperious force in his quest to return to Crucible glory.

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes took one of the best seats in the house on Wednesday and may well be disappointed he only saw a short flash of the snooker great, who was under no real threat of squandering his lead and avoided expending any energy on his first-round tie.

Both O'Sullivan and He felt their way into the opening frame of the afternoon session, battling for a break-building opportunity, and the Chinese debutant missed his chance when O'Sullivan spurned a long red at 0-12.

He broke down before he could forge a meaningful contribution and O'Sullivan picked up the pieces, making a decisive break of 62 to go within two frames of victory.

And from here, it became the O'Sullivan show. Despite fouling to give his counterpart an early advantage, the 50-year-old wrangled back control and gave the Crucible faithful hope of a maximum break.

However, from the ninth red, O'Sullivan sensibly opted for the blue and charged home a run of 113 to all-but seal the match.

And just shortly after, another century - this time an exact 100 - secured O'Sullivan's passage to the last 16, with Higgins in his sights.

The three-day encounter is one of the most tantalising second-round offerings, with the pair scheduled to play out their first session on Saturday evening - live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

O'Sullivan is hunting his first Crucible crown since 2022, when he beat Judd Trump 18-13 in the final, and reclaiming the title this year would finally see him pull clear of his joint-record of seven with Stephen Hendry.

Higgins himself is a four-time winner of the competition, and came through a tricky opener against Ali Carter to book his spot in the last 16.

Relive Wednesday afternoon's session by clicking here.

You can watch every day of the 2026 World Snooker Championship live on TNT Sports. It is available both live and on-demand on HBO Max.