'Rocket' focus personified at Crucible

Snooker:  Ronnie O'Sullivan was focus personified today when beating Dave Harold 10-4 in the World Championship at Sheffield…

Snooker:  Ronnie O'Sullivan was focus personified today when beating Dave Harold 10-4 in the World Championship at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre.

'The Rocket' added breaks of 100 and 88 to the 139 and 106 he compiled yesterday.

"It's nice to get the first round out of the way," the 30-year-old said. "I got out of the blocks early, got into my stride and put some pressure on Dave. It's nice to be involved in the tournament.

"I feel like I'm enjoying playing snooker at the moment and hopefully I can have a good run here. I'm pleased with my performance and all I can do now is concentrate on my own game."

There is no doubt the world number one was helped to settle by the 106 break he made in the first

On the other table, 2002 champion Peter Ebdon made the perfect start to his campaign by opening a 4-0 lead over Michael Holt.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter