SNOOKER:RONNIE O'Sullivan dug deep to beat Marcus Campbell 5-4 in a deciding frame and reach the second round of the China Open yesterday.

The “Rocket” was nowhere near his best form in Beijing and looked unfocused as he slipped 3-0 behind, but a reprieve in the final frame before the mid-session interval allowed him to embark on a comeback.

The Scot came back from needing four snookers in the next only to miss a routine pink, allowing O’Sullivan to get himself on the scoreboard before the interval.

And it proved the turning point as a series of good pots on the colours cut the arrears to one, an unfussy 65 break levelled matters and the two-time champion moved ahead for the first time with a 48.

Campbell set up a decider, in which he went 41 ahead, but O’Sullivan made a magnificent 77 to snatch victory and set up a clash with Mark Williams, who hammered home player Jin Long 5-1.

The 18-year-old qualifier Lu Ning gave the home fans something to cheer about when he beat Shaun Murphy 5-2.