Relentless Ronnie: O’Sullivan Crushes Pang to Stand One Frame from Historic 23rd Crucible Quarter-Final

Ronnie O’Sullivan moved within touching distance of a record-extending 23rd quarter-final appearance at the World Snooker Championship, producing a clinical display to dominate Pang Junxu in their second-round clash at the Crucible. Holding a 6-2 overnight lead, O’Sullivan remained largely untroubled throughout the second session, extending his advantage to 12-4 and leaving himself just one frame away from sealing his place in the last eight when they resume on Monday evening.

Despite not appearing entirely satisfied with his performance — his first tournament appearance since January — the seven-time world champion showed glimpses of brilliance, notably firing consecutive century breaks to assert his authority. Pang, who was facing an uphill battle, briefly sparked hope by claiming the first two frames of the session. His early fightback evoked memories of his first-round heroics in 2023, where he recovered from a 9-4 deficit to win three frames in a row.

However, Pang’s resistance was short-lived. Costly mistakes and a lack of scoring opportunities allowed O’Sullivan to quickly reassert control. After producing a pair of composed half-centuries, the veteran headed into the mid-session interval 8-4 ahead. Upon resumption, Pang’s struggles deepened, failing to register a single point in the next two frames as O’Sullivan compiled back-to-back centuries. Two more frames swiftly followed, putting O’Sullivan on the brink of another milestone and making Monday’s concluding session all but a formality.