O’Sullivan hanging by a thread
SHEFFIELD: Amateur James Cahill is five frames away from producing one of the all time sporting shocks at the Crucible.
Cahill, the first amateur to play at the snooker world championship, leads Ronnie O’Sullivan 54 at the halfway stage of their firstround match in Sheffield.
World No 1 O’Sullivan looked out of sorts throughout, while Cahill, from Blackpool, rarely looked in awe of his fancied opponent, who is chasing a sixth world crown, and came back after trailing 21, 32 and 43 before winning frame nine.
Shaun Murphy condemned Luo Honghao to the heaviest defeat in tournament history.
In winning 100, Murphy became just the second man to record a Crucible whitewash, while Luo’s 89 points were a record low.
Murphy now faces Australia’s Neil Robertson and hopes he can make the most of his lateseason form.
‘‘After the season I have had, never in my wildest dreams did I think I could come here and win 100,’’ Murphy told World Snooker’s official website.
David Gilbert, competing as a seed for the first time, is 63 up against Joe Perry.
John Higgins, hunting a fifth title, is safely through to round two after beating Mark Davis 107, rattling in breaks of 100, 135 and 132 along the way.
Threetime champion Mark Selby hit back from 51 down in the morning session to finally triumph 107 against Zhao Xintong.
The Jester from Leicester had battled back to be 53 down and continued to recover, eventually hitting three century breaks and five over 50 in his victory.