Snooker news - 'I look like El Chapo or Freddie Mercury' Moustachioed Ronnie O'Sullivan wins group

The five-times world champion was never tested against the Welsh world number 93 Hirani, who was punished for a series of unforced errors as O'Sullivan set about dominating the main table all day at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.

O'Sullivan had not played in a competitive match since the Snooker Shoot Out in late February, but wasted little time in finishing matters off with classy runs of 112, 52 and 65 enough to give him three points from the opening action of the day.

The Chigwell player - who appeared to look at a mobile phone during the day's play - continued to impress throughout Friday as he then dismantled a misfiring Michael Georgiou, the world number 63, 3-0 with sharp knocks of 116, 82 and 80 to move to two wins out of two.

His final opponent world number 49 Chris Wakelin required an unlikely victory to win the section after his earlier 2-2 draw with Hirani, but was also swept aside 3-0 with O'Sullivan pouncing on any errors to knock in 97 and 93 as he booked his spot in the last 16 with considerable ease.

Under strict health guidelines for staging the event, O'Sullivan had to be tested for COVID-19 on Thursday and was forced to wait a day in his hotel room before being cleared to play.

"I have struggled," he said. "I was in the room for 24 hours so I have had a bit of a headache and started to get a bit of a cough and can't even get the window open.

"You want to be in good health at the moment so this bubble is not ideal. If the facilities improve, if you have to stay on site at the hotel and can use the gym, then it would be better.

"At the moment there is none of that so it is tough. I like my own company, but it is tough being cooped up. It is not easy for me, I must admit.

"It is just about having the freedom to go out for a walk, get a bit of fresh air and a coffee."

The matches will get harder from this juncture onwards, but it is fair to say O'Sullivan's level of play was at least as impressive as his rapidly developing moustache as he prepares for his latest assault at winning a sixth world title next month.

"I set myself a challenge. As soon as we were in lockdown I was going to grow a beard but that got itchy so my partner said, 'why not grow a moustache?' It was a bit of a giggle really," he said.

"I might keep it. I’m like a new Willie Thorne – but with hair. I hope he is doing okay.

O'Sullivan lifted his last ranking event at the Tour Championship in March 2019, but has dropped to 18 on the game's one-year list and failed to qualify for his defence of this year's tournament which begins on June 20 at the same Milton Keynes venue.

It means his next competitive action will come when the delayed World Championship begins behind closed doors at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on July 31.

But he could yet head there as Championship League winner if he replicates this level of form when the tournament, marking snooker's return from enforced coronavirus shutdown, is played to a finale on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Group 15 winner Tom Ford fired a 130 break in a 3-0 win over Mike Dunn. He also enjoyed a 3-0 victory over Ian Burns and a 3-1 success against Robert Milkins.