Ronnie O’Sullivan looks invincible at World Championship

Vintage performance in building 7-1 lead over Stuart Bingham

Stuart Bingham and Ronnie O’Sullivan during yesterday’s action at the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. Photograph: Getty Images
Stuart Bingham and Ronnie O’Sullivan during yesterday’s action at the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. Photograph: Getty Images

Ronnie O'Sullivan looked invincible as he produced one of snooker's great sessions in building a 7-1 lead over Stuart Bingham at the Betfair World Championship.

He had complained of feeling “tired and jaded” after seeing off Ali Carter in the second round, despite this being his first major tournament for a year. However, the weary 37-year-old still managed to dig out a vintage performance that saw Bingham almost whitewashed in this afternoon’s session.

The defending world champion ploughed in two centuries and five more breaks of over 50 as he took charge of the Crucible quarter-final against a shell-shocked Bingham. He led 7-0 but Bingham avoided absolute annihilation by pinching the final frame of the session.