Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and Anthony McGill are locked together at 4-4 after the first session of their last-16 World Championship clash at the Crucible.
O'Sullivan looked to have matters firmly in control when racing into a 4-1 lead and putting himself on course to extend his advantage further, but McGill fought back having been handed a lifeline in frame six and will be mighty relieved to end the afternoon on parity.
A typically fluent run of 81 allowed O'Sullivan to strike first blood, but McGill responded with breaks of 52 and 79 to hit straight back before a missed black off the spot from the Scot in the third frame opened the door for The Rocket to reel off a silky hand of 105. When O'Sullivan added a stunning total clearance of 138 in the next frame, quickly followed by a break of 49 in frame five, he appeared to have taken total control of the match as McGill watched on with concern.
However, O'Sullivan inexplicably went in-off having potted the final red in the sixth frame, allowing McGill to breathe a huge sigh of relief as he stopped the rot and reduced his arrears to 4-2. It was that moment that changed the course of the session, and possibly even the match, and McGill very nearly made a 147 maximum break in the very next frame as he potted 13 reds and 12 blacks before missing the 13th black with the final two reds out in the open.
This time it was O'Sullivan who cut a frustrated figure in his chair and he was unable to stop McGill claiming his third frame on the bounce as the session ended with the two players locked together.
Selby saunters through against Maflin
Three-time champion Mark Selby grabbed the two frames he needed to complete a 10-1 rout of last year’s surprise quarter-finalist Kurt Maflin.
Selby was in merciless form throughout the match, firing two centuries and six further breaks over 50 as he set up a second round meeting with Mark Allen.
Selby said: “I came into the tournament feeling confident about my game and it’s got to be up there – especially doing it in the first round of a World Championship, because it’s always difficult to get over that first hurdle.”
Murphy comes good to deny Davis
Elsewhere, Shaun Murphy came from 5-4 and 6-5 behind to see off the veteran Mark Davis 10-7.
Davis will be left to rue a number of missed opportunities, not least in the first session, but Murphy found his form just at the right time to claim five out of the last six frames, the last courtesy of a sublime, match-sealing break of 131.
Murphy will face Masters champion Yan Bingtao in the second round.
“I stole two frames I had no right to win and that energised me a bit and gave me a kick up the backside,” said Murphy. “Finishing last night’s session with a century gave me good vibes overnight and set the tone.”
Robertson edges ahead of Lisowski
Breaks of 135 and 76 saw Neil Robertson establish a 5-3 advantage over Jack Lisowski at the end of the first session of their second-round clash.
Robertson looked out of sorts for much of the session and Lisowski missed a number of chances to make him pay, before the Australian came good to end the evening on top.
