O'Sullivan takes charge at World Championship

Ronnie O’Sullivan today edged closer to a place in the second round of the 888.com World Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield.

Resuming against Chinese teenager Liu Chuang with just a slender 5-4 lead, O’Sullivan won three of the afternoon’s first four frames to lead 8-5 at the mid-session interval.

The two-time world champion now needs just two more frames to book his place in the last 16 and a clash with another former champion, Welshman Mark Williams.

O’Sullivan was in a relaxed mood, playing a number of shots left-handed and then deliberately fouling on the last red with the 11th frame already secure by sprawling across the table with both feet off the floor.

Liu, 17, was first among the balls in the next frame and a run of 53 ultimately proved enough to take it after O’Sullivan missed the brown when attempting to clear up.

The 32-year-old then took the 13th frame with a break of 65 and looks to have ended Liu’s hopes of creating arguably the sport’s biggest upset.

O'Sullivan took the next frame as well, despite breaking down on a break of 56 as he attempted an outrageous positional shot to keep alive his chance of a 147 maximum.

And the Rocket duly completed a 10-5 victory in the next, clearing up the last red and the colours to take the frame 70-59.

The second round was already under way on the other table, Mark King and Peter Ebdon locked at 2-2 at the mid-session interval.

King, who defeated last year’s beaten finalist Mark Selby in the first round, took the opening frame with a break of 81 and also led 2-1 – but Ebdon battled back to level in what was already shaping up to be a tight affair.