Amateur has Ronnie on course for a shock exit

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 World Championship, leads Ronnie O’Sullivan 5-4 at the halfway stage of their first-round match, which resumes today in Sheffield. World No 1 O’Sullivan looked out of sorts throughout and Cahill rarely looked in awe of his opponent, who is chasing a sixth world crown. John Higgins, hunting a fifth title, is safely through to round two after beating Mark Davis 10-7, rattling in breaks of 100, 135 and 132 along the way. Shaun Murphy condemned Luo Honghao to a 10-0 defeat, the heaviest in tournament history.