Ronnie O’Sullivan announced himself on this year’s World Championship despite fears he could “implode” in the Crucible cauldron. The Rocket, 49, admitted he was “scared” of playing on the game’s grandest stage. Tentative O’Sullivan was understandably rusty in the first session of his grudge clash with nemesis Ali Carter on Tuesday after a three-month hiatus from the baize.
But the sport’s greatest ever player showed the old magic is well and truly alive as he won all five frames yesterday, in just 67 minutes, to blow away Carter 10-4. It was O’Sullivan’s first competitive match since he “lost the plot” and snapped his cue in anger back in January. The fifth seed has been plagued by his pursuit of perfection over the years and bouts of “stage fright” left him feeling unable to pick up his cue in recent months.
And after he booked a record 29th appearance in the last 16, O’Sullivan admitted: “[At times] I’ve wondered what I’m doing coming here, exposing myself to imploding out there, having a meltdown. That’s been in my head. I told Steve Peters that and he said he was coming and would get me through my first match.
“I was a bit scared about coming and playing. It’s a daunting venue to play at anyway. It was about getting on the bike again and playing. I’m really happy that I’ve done it.
“This game can humble you. That’s where I’ve been. It’s a nice feeling to have one good session. I feel like I’ve had a victory just winning the match.
“The result didn’t matter. I’ve made the breakthrough of coming out and playing. It’s a work in progress and I’ll keep working hard at it.”
O’Sullivan famously won the 2013 World Championship despite taking a year off. The Rocket has played down expectations in the build-up to his bid to win a record eighth crown.
But snooker’s virtuoso was back to his breathtaking best as he fired a warning shot to his title rivals with a vintage spell of break-building.
The former world No.1 opened the day with breaks of 50 and 59 to lead 6-4. But then he was in full flow and finished with a flourish with runs of 117, 74, 124 and 131.
Former world champion John Parrott labelled him a “genius at work” after he launched his title bid in style.
And defeated Carter, who has lost in two world finals to O’Sullivan, said: “It went from bad to worse. It started to get embarrassing out there. But you can’t do anything when he plays like that. He’s always been a freak natural talent.
“No-one can live with him if he plays like that. It looks like his head’s on, it looks like he’s in a good place so I think he’s the man to beat.”
