11 hours ago
3
Ronnie O'Sullivan made his return to snooker and secured a one-frame lead over Ali Carter after the opening session of their World Championship first-round match.
O'Sullivan, 49, had not played competitively since January when he snapped his cue and threw it in the bin following four losses in five matches at the Championship League event.
He subsequently withdrew from a number of tournaments, including the Masters, the Welsh Open and the Grand Prix, saying he "needed to prioritise his health and wellbeing".
But the seven-time world champion recovered from losing the opening frame to take a 5-4 advantage, needing five more frames for victory when the match resumes on Wednesday afternoon (14:30 BST).
He hit a break of 107 to move 3-1 in front with the 1,283rd century break of his career and his 208th at the Crucible. He had a chance for another century, only to falter at 85 after missing a red into the middle pocket.
O'Sullivan looked on course to gain a 6-3 advantage, but missed a long red when 46-5 ahead, with Carter recovering to take the last frame of the session.
Before the tournament, O'Sullivan told BBC Sport "to come here is an achievement in itself for me" as he documented his mental health struggles.
No player has won the world title on eight occasions, with O'Sullivan aiming to move clear of Stephen Hendry's seven successes.
Former world champion Shaun Murphy eased into a commanding 7-2 lead after the first session of his World Championship first round match against Crucible debutant Daniel Wells.
In a high-quality session in Sheffield, 42-year-old Murphy, aiming to win a second world title 20 years after his first success, won four frames in a row to take control.
He needs to win only three more frames when the match resumes on Wednesday morning (10:00 BST).
Murphy won the Masters in January and is looking to become the first player since Judd Trump in 2018-19 to win that tournament and then the World Championship in the same season.
He made a fine start with a break of 64 but Welshman Wells, who had to battle through three qualifying rounds to secure his place at the annual 17-day event, showed his break-building ability with a clearance of 131.
But Murphy showed his class with breaks of 63, 100, 57 and 138 to move into a dominant 5-1 advantage.
Wells, 36, made his second century with an effort of 109 in frame seven, only for Murphy to instantly restore his four-frame lead with a run of 76.
A missed black off the spot cost Wells the chance to reduce his arrears in the final frame of the session, with Murphy taking advantage with a break of 89.
Also on Tuesday, world number one Judd Trump begins his campaign against China's Zhou Yuelong (19:00 BST).
Two matches will be played to a finish. China's Si Jiahui and Ding Junhui hold 6-3 leads against David Gilbert and Zak Surety respectively.
In the morning session, China's 10th seed Zhang Anda gained a 5-3 lead over compatriot Pang Junxu, although only eight of a scheduled nine frames could be played, with that match being completed on Wednesday morning (10:00 BST).
