Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ali Carter will continue their first-round World Snooker Championship match at the Crucible this afternoon, with The Rocket carrying a narrow lead heading into Wednesday’s action.
There was just one frame to separate the pair following Tuesday’s opening to the match. O’Sullivan led early before a resurgent Carter battled back in the late stages to cut down a 51-point deficit, leaving the score at 5-4 heading into the second day.
The British pair are long-time rivals, and O’Sullivan, considered by many to be the best snooker player of all time, has said he does not feel confident ahead of the match, having taken a three-month break from snooker.
He is yet to play a ranking event in 2025, having forfeited his final Championship League group match after losing to Robert Milkins.
Speaking ahead of the match, O’Sullivan hinted he is low on confidence: “I took time out because my game was pretty awful, so having more time out was probably not the best idea. Ali is a really good match player, and usually plays well at the Crucible.
"It is kind of stacked against me, but I have to start somewhere."
He has won just twice since November, charting 12 losses and withdrawing from four matches since. Carter, chasing a seventh career ranking title, will not offer an easy return to form for seven-time world champion O’Sullivan.
How to watch O’Sullivan vs Carter
TV channel: In the UK, the World Snooker Championship is being broadcast live and free-to-air across the BBC. Coverage of the afternoon session today begins on BBC Two at 1pm BST, with O’Sullivan and Carter set to play at 2:30pm.
The match is also being shown live on TNT Sports 1. Coverage begins from 2:30pm and runs through to 5:30pm.
Live stream: O’Sullivan vs Carter will be shown in full online via BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.
Those with a TNT Sports subscription can also watch the match live online via the Discovery+ website and app.
