Ronnie O'Sullivan had to settle for a one-point lead after the first session of his World Championship opening round clash against long-time rival Ali Carter failed to live up to expectations.
The seven-time champions, who are back on tour for the first time since withdrawing from a Champions League match in January, look to have taken a 6-3 lead heading into Wednesday's final.
However, Carter struck a devastating blow after O'Sullivan hit a long red into the top corner in the final frame of the day to gradually close the 51-point deficit and calmly convert to reduce his deficit to 5-4.
Before Carter's impressive recovery, 107 breaks from both players marked the highlight of an error-strewn encounter.
The calm atmosphere at the table was also matched by the relative calm outside it, as the pair, who have been locked in a highly publicised rivalry throughout their careers, shook hands before the first break.
O'Sullivan and Carter famously clashed during Carter's 13-9 second-round win in 2018, and after O'Sullivan's 2023 Masters final victory, there was a back-and-forth between the two, with Carter accusing his opponent of “crying” all over the floor and O'Sullivan responding by saying Carter “needed to get a life.”
After sharing the first two frames, O'Sullivan netted a third when Carter failed to punish him for a left red to give the 100-year-old a 3-1 lead.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
