MacSporran
24-04-2012, 08:11
Ronnie O'Sullivan turned the most keenly-anticipated first-round match at the Betfred.com World Championship into a procession as he surged 7-2 ahead of Peter Ebdon.
Seven years have passed since Ebdon came from 8-2 behind to defeat O'Sullivan 13-11 in the quarter-finals, staging his fightback on a famous night when his slow play drew criticism.
Neither man is likely to ever forget that match, but Ebdon might be eager to put their current battle behind him after being comprehensively outplayed.
Ebdon came to Sheffield as an in-form player, having won the China Open at the start of April and then qualified for the World Championship with a 10-0 win over Alfie Burden.
He has lost weight on a strict vegan diet, and is physically fit to last the distance in Sheffield, but his game was no match for a hungry O'Sullivan, who was watched by his friend, the artist Damien Hirst.
The drama in the session came in the opening frame. Ebdon took 40 seconds deliberating over his first shot, offering a reminder of how pedestrian his play was in their 2005 clash.
The frame could have gone either way, but O'Sullivan had a clear opening when he potted pink and could have added the black, although it was awkward. Playing it left-handed, O'Sullivan missed it, and Ebdon potted it to force a 64-64 tie, meaning it went down to a re-spotted black.
Ebdon almost missed the ball entirely. O'Sullivan missed what was a gift of a chance.
Eventually O'Sullivan sank the black, but Ebdon soon levelled up at 1-1.
It was Ebdon's last success until the final frame of the session, with O'Sullivan at times ruthless, at other times doing just enough to surge comfortably clear of an opponent who was struggling to live up to his own pre-match expectations of himself. There was a century from O'Sullivan in barely five minutes in frame three. In 2005 it took Ebdon as long to make a run of 12.
Ebdon gave himself a glimmer of hope with a break of 90, but will return on Tuesday afternoon needing a comeback on a familiar scale.
Seven years have passed since Ebdon came from 8-2 behind to defeat O'Sullivan 13-11 in the quarter-finals, staging his fightback on a famous night when his slow play drew criticism.
Neither man is likely to ever forget that match, but Ebdon might be eager to put their current battle behind him after being comprehensively outplayed.
Ebdon came to Sheffield as an in-form player, having won the China Open at the start of April and then qualified for the World Championship with a 10-0 win over Alfie Burden.
He has lost weight on a strict vegan diet, and is physically fit to last the distance in Sheffield, but his game was no match for a hungry O'Sullivan, who was watched by his friend, the artist Damien Hirst.
The drama in the session came in the opening frame. Ebdon took 40 seconds deliberating over his first shot, offering a reminder of how pedestrian his play was in their 2005 clash.
The frame could have gone either way, but O'Sullivan had a clear opening when he potted pink and could have added the black, although it was awkward. Playing it left-handed, O'Sullivan missed it, and Ebdon potted it to force a 64-64 tie, meaning it went down to a re-spotted black.
Ebdon almost missed the ball entirely. O'Sullivan missed what was a gift of a chance.
Eventually O'Sullivan sank the black, but Ebdon soon levelled up at 1-1.
It was Ebdon's last success until the final frame of the session, with O'Sullivan at times ruthless, at other times doing just enough to surge comfortably clear of an opponent who was struggling to live up to his own pre-match expectations of himself. There was a century from O'Sullivan in barely five minutes in frame three. In 2005 it took Ebdon as long to make a run of 12.
Ebdon gave himself a glimmer of hope with a break of 90, but will return on Tuesday afternoon needing a comeback on a familiar scale.