Ronnie O’Sullivan is firmly in charge of his opening-round clash with He Guoqiang at the 2026 World Snooker Championship, held at the Crucible Theatre.
The seven-time world champion built a commanding 7–2 lead after Tuesday’s first session, leaving him needing just three more frames in Wednesday’s resumption to progress. Victory would set up a highly anticipated last-16 meeting with fellow ‘Class of 92’ member John Higgins.
Chasing a historic eighth world title which would move him ahead of Stephen Hendry, O’Sullivan showed sharp form early on. He opened with a 72 break and followed it up with a 97, later adding a century (113) to establish a dominant 4–0 advantage at the mid-session interval.
Although He briefly responded with contributions including a 77, O’Sullivan maintained control throughout. He edged key frames on the colors and finished the session strongly with an 86 break, placing himself on the verge of reaching the second round at the Crucible for the 30th time.
This marks O’Sullivan’s record-extending 34th appearance at the venue, having competed there every year since his debut in 1993.
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