• O’Sullivan rattled off five straight frames to beat Ali Carter 10-4 at the Crucible 
  • The seven-time champion is playing in his first tournament for three months 
  • O’Sullivan’s old rival Carter praised his opponent as being ‘a freak’ post-match 

By DAVID COVERDALE

Ronnie O’Sullivan was back to his blistering best at the World Championship as he rattled off five straight frames against Ali Carter to race into the last 16.

The record seven-time champion, using a new cue and playing in his first tournament for three months, held a narrow 5-4 overnight lead in his Crucible opener.

But O’Sullivan crushed Carter in Wednesday’s session, hitting three centuries – including a 131 break – to clinch a 10-4 victory and set up a second-round tie with Chinese qualifier Pang Junxu.

‘I didn’t have any expectations here,’ admitted the Rocket. ‘I didn’t expect to perform well based on the last three or four years. I just wanted to make a game of it.

‘I don’t even have a tip to last me the tournament. I thought if I win three matches and need a new tip, that’s a nice problem to have.

‘I was a bit scared about playing and I thought, “What am I doing coming here and exposing myself and maybe having a meltdown?”.

Ronnie O'Sullivan thanked his psychiatrist Steve Peters after winning his first round match

Ronnie O’Sullivan thanked his psychiatrist Steve Peters after winning his first round match

O'Sullivan rattled off five frames to beat Ali Carter 10-4 in his World Championship opener

O’Sullivan rattled off five frames to beat Ali Carter 10-4 in his World Championship opener

Carter, right, labelled his old rival as 'a freak' after O'Sullivan returned to action in style

Carter, right, labelled his old rival as ‘a freak’ after O’Sullivan returned to action in style

‘But I told (psychiatrist) Steve Peters and he said, “I’ll get you through the first match”. I want to say a massive thank you to him.

‘It was just about getting on the bike again and I’m really happy that I’ve done it. I’ve made the breakthrough now. I loved being out there.’

Carter, who lost to O’Sullivan in the 2008 and 2012 Crucible finals, added: ‘I’m playing the greatest player of all time, so it’s not easy. He could have had 10 years away and still come here – he’s a freak.’

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Ronnie O’Sullivan says ‘a massive thank you’ to his psychiatrist after returning to his blistering best to beat his nemesis Ali Carter at the Crucible

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