Perry hits back to set up O’Sullivan showdown

World number 15 Joe Perry overturned a 6-3 overnight deficit to beat Jamie Burnett 10-7 to set up a clash with Ronnie O’Sullivan in the second round of the Dafabet World Championship in Sheffield.

Burnett beat Cao Yupeng and Ben Woollaston to qualify for the Crucible and looked set to take a notable scalp after a superb first session book-ended by breaks of 84 and 94.

Perry needed a flying start yesterday and he got that, with breaks of 87 in the first frame and 55 and 70 in the second. He took the two remaining frames before the interval to take the lead in the match and the first two after it to move within one frame of victory.