HE’S RON COURSE
O’Sullivan racks up 10-6 overnight lead over Shaun Murphy
RONNIE O’Sullivan struck late to keep bitter rival Shaun Murphy at bay yesterday. The Rocket will carry a 10-6 lead into the final session of his Betfred World Championship last-16 clash at the Crucible – needing three frames for victory.
Five-time world champion O’Sullivan, 41, looked at one stage as if he would inflict another embarrassing session-tospare defeat over Murphy.
In what is always a grudge clash between players with little time for each other, Murphy trailed 9-3 – fearing another 13-3 drubbing as in Sheffield in 2014. With his back to the wall the 34-year-old Murphy, the champion in 2005, mounted a stirring comeback helped by breaks of 84, 73 and 87. But O’Sullivan snatched a vital last frame of the day on the black after Murphy blew a chance to close up by missing the final green. O’Sullivan shrugged off more distractions yesterday, after he was embroiled in a ‘bullying’ row with supremo Barry Hearn last week. And yesterday it was random happy clappers in the crowd that caused O’Sullivan to ask referee Olivier Marteel to intervene. O’Sullivan, chasing a sixth title to equal boyhood hero Steve Davis, was irritated by spectators clapping over-enthusiastically over even his most basic shots. And bizarrely there seemed also to be fans watching O’Sullivan – but listening to earpiece commentary of the John Higgins v Mark Allen match on the other side of the curtain.
Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen got off to a flying and high-scoring start against four-time world champion John Higgins. The 31year-old pulled out one of the best Crucible sessions of his life to move into a 5-3 lead after the first session.
But perhaps crucially Higgins somehow hung on to win the last frame of the day for some important damage limitation.
Allen has a winning career record over Higgins, with big wins at the Masters over his more illustrious friend and rival in recent years.
Meanwhile, defending champion and world No1 Mark Selby knows he has a chance to hog the Leicester limelight this year.
The 33-year-old is chasing a third world title in four seasons after soaring clear of the rest at the top of the world rankings this year.
Selby is a huge Foxes fan and celebrated their successes as much as anyone – but with their Champions League dream over he knows sporting glory for the city is down to him.
The first year he tasted Crucible success Leicester won the Championship, and last year it was the Premier League – on the same night.
Selby joked: ‘Leicester couldn’t retain the title – so now it’s time to see what I can do about my side of things.’