Rocket launches campaign in style

Ronnie O'Sullivan served up a reminder of why the Betfred.com World Championship needs him around as he twice threatened to plunder a maximum 147 break in his Crucible opener.

At times on Monday he played kamikaze snooker, taking on shots which were laced with danger, but mostly the three-time champion was brilliant as he developed a 7-2 lead over Dominic Dale.

In the process he made his 100th century at the Betfred.com World Championship, a 113 break in the eighth frame.

But it was the runs he went on in the second and seventh frames which threatened to bring the packed crowd to its feet.

He rattled in eight reds and blacks in the second frame, but luck deserted the 35-year-old off the ninth red. He sent the white through baulk and back before it flicked a middle knuckle. The black was unavailable, and O'Sullivan finished on 78.

The second opportunity looked certain to bring about O'Sullivan's 11th career 147, and his fourth at the Crucible. The balls could hardly have been more ideally placed, but after reaching 96 he ran slightly out of position and jarred the 13th red in the far corner, the ball wriggling away from the pocket.

World number 33 Dale, despite being troubled by the match commentary which was audible in the arena, was on level terms at 2-2 by the mid-session interval thanks to breaks of 47 and 56 and opportunities squandered by O'Sullivan.

But the plot soon changed, with O'Sullivan following his second maximum close call with a landmark ton and a 73 break to bring an end to the session.

Stephen Hendry held his nerve to win a final-frame decider for the second successive year.

The 42-year-old edged past Zhang Anda in 2010 and on Monday beat Joe Perry 10-9 in a tense finish.