World Snooker Championship 2023 results: Ronnie O'Sullivan takes charge against Luca Brecel
Last updated on .From the section Snooker
| Cazoo World Championship |
|---|
| Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Dates: 15 April-1 May |
| Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV and Red Button with uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app |
Seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan moved into a 6-2 lead over Luca Brecel in a high-quality start to their World Championship quarter-final.
Belgium's Brecel made breaks of 93 and 68, while O'Sullivan responded with two half-centuries of his own as the duo traded the opening four frames.
However, 'the Rocket' then pulled clear with runs of 59, a superb 128, 58 and 85 as Brecel faltered.
The winner will play either Anthony McGill or Si Jiahui in the semi-finals.
Brecel, 28, has lost three of his previous four meetings with O'Sullivan, including a 6-1 thrashing at the Masters in January.
But he made the perfect start and was unfortunate not to open with a century after capitalising when O'Sullivan missed a green to the corner.
Brecel also knocked in a brilliant long yellow when under pressure in the third frame to help him move 2-1 ahead.
However, after that it was a case of what might have been for the man nicknamed 'the Belgian Bullet'.
Brecel was guilty of playing several loose safety shots and attempting some inadvisable long pots that handed the initiative to his opponent, with O'Sullivan, 47, needing little more encouragement in his 100th match at the Crucible.
A missed red to the middle allowed the Englishman among the balls in the fifth frame and he punished a wild attempt on a red into the bottom left corner with his first century of the match in the sixth.
O'Sullivan also took an eventful seventh frame in which he fluked a red to the middle but then fouled and brushed the black to allow Brecel an opportunity to pinch it.
However, the Belgian was unable to drop a difficult pink into the bottom left corner, allowing O'Sullivan to clinch that frame and then assume complete control with an assured 85 in the next.
The match resumes at 19:00 BST.
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