World Championship 2025: Jimmy White feels Ronnie O'Sullivan building into Crucible challenge after opening up lead over Pang Junxu
By Alex Livie
Updated 27/04/2025 at 13:39 GMT+1
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Ronnie O'Sullivan began the World Championship as an unknown quantity, which was a surprise for a seven-time winner of the event. But he opened his Crucible challenge with a 10-4 win over Ali Carter, and he built a 6-2 lead over Pang Junxu after their first session. Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
O'Sullivan leaves Pang in trouble by laying 'horrible' snooker
Video credit: TNT Sports
Jimmy White feels Ronnie O’Sullivan is trending in the right direction at the World Championship.
‘The Rocket’ opened his tournament with a 10-4 win over Ali Carter, and he followed that up to take a 6-2 lead over Pang Junxu after the first session of their second-round clash.
O’Sullivan’s level was below what he produced in his win over Carter, but White feels the seven-time winner is easing into the tournament.
"Pang had a few chances, but Ronnie is 6-2 in front and his day’s work is done," White said on TNT Sports. "If he was 5-3 or 6-2 up, he would go to dinner tonight and may have thought about missing one or two balls, but is 6-2 in front.
"The motivation is to get to 13 before the other guy.
"If you are getting ready for a tournament it is perfect, he’s going through the gears nicely."
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Plenty of column inches have been taken up on the fact that O’Sullivan arrived at the Crucible with a new cue in hand.
Alan McManus feels it is something O’Sullivan will have to deal with for the rest of the event.
"It was a slight downgrade [on his win over Carter]," McManus said. "There was some good stuff, but inconsistency is the problem with Ronnie.
"He is still not totally comfortable with his equipment, and that is going to be an ongoing problem that he has got to deal with."
'I have never seen anything like it'
Also in second-round action on Saturday was Zhao Xintong, who eased into a 10-6 lead over Lei Peifan, and McManus was in awe of his long potting.
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Xintong downs red from tightest of angles - ‘Hardly any pocket there!’
Video credit: TNT Sports
"This is the guy who is playing the best snooker overall in the championship," McManus said of Zhao.
"His long game, we know about. I was in the practice room yesterday fielding balls for another player, but I was casting my eye to another table and his long game, I can promise you, is the best that has ever existed.
"I have never seen anything like it. I was looking over and it was bang, in the middle, leather, leather. It was relentless.
"That does not mean he is going to produce it out there, but in the main he is 10-6 up; he is looking good."
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Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
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