Ronnie O'Sullivan set up a mouthwatering last-16 World Championship clash with John Higgins by defeating He Guoqiang 10-2 at the Crucible.
Resuming with a commanding 7-2 overnight lead, O'Sullivan wasted little time in putting the match to bed, beginning with a run of 62 and then treating his legion of fans to two centuries to finish the job.
Up next is old rival Higgins, another hailing from the famed Class of 92 and himself in the midst of a strong campaign that has included reaching the finals of the Masters and Players Championship.
A rivalry that goes back over three decades, including in the World Championship final of 2001, will now be reignited on Saturday night after Higgins got the better of Ali Carter in round one.
A century moves Ronnie O'Sullivan one frame away from victory at the Crucible! 💯 pic.twitter.com/r0ALNVapGJ
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) April 22, 2026
O'Sullivan told BBC Sport: "It's still rusty Ron.
"I think the tip is more important than the cue to be honest. That's why I brought two cues.
"I have been saving this all year because it had a bit of life in it and I thought if I come here and my main cue is no good then I'd rather have a cue I like with a good tip on because I can get used to anything pretty quickly.
"The tip wasn't good yesterday. I did a good job considering.
"A bit of a roll of the dice, a gamble. I was a bit nervous because I thought I could look a bit silly, but you have to back yourself.
"I make some crazy decisions in everyone else's eyes, but they make complete sense to me and it's seemed to work over the years, so I tend to listen to my own advice.
O'Sullivan braced for Higgins clash
On locking horns with Higgins again: "A couple of oldies!
"I was saying just hanging around this venue I feel kind of old now because everyone is 22, 23.
"It's like walking into a creche, but we are still hanging around and having a go.
"I am not the player I was and probably never will be, but as long as I can enjoy the game. I am starting to enjoy it again.
"I am getting through the ball but still not good enough to win these events, I have to rely on a bit of luck.
"John loves playing me. I think he plays better than me than I play against him.
"I think in a way I will be a bit of an underdog because I've hardly played over the last three years compared to John.
"He's probably favourite, but it's a different type of pressure."
Wakelin through; Selby starts strong
Four-time world champion Mark Selby recorded a statement win over Jak Jones, beating the Welshman 10-2.
The match was as good as done when Selby won the first session 7-2 and he returned in the evening to chalk off the remaining three frames he needed with the minimum of fuss.
Elsewhere, Chris Wakelin completed a 10-6 win over Crucible debutant Liam Pullen, while Hossein Vafaei moved 6-3 ahead of Si Jiahui.
