SUNDAY SERVICE

Ronnie O’Sullivan should be satisfied with his overall level of performance in becoming the first player into the last 16 of the Betfair World Championship last night.

O’Sullivan beat Marcus Campbell 10-4. Campbell had chances before the first interval to exploit the defending champion’s rustiness but O’Sullivan made a couple of good clearances and after that the match felt like a procession.

Ronnie has always talked from the heart and afterwards expressed regret that he had not signed the players' contract at the start of the season, claiming he had been badly advised.

O’Sullivan doesn’t play again until Saturday so it would be nice for the media and everyone else  in the meantime to turn their attention to the 30 remaining players.

Among them is debutant Michael White, who provided evidence last night that he could cause an upset against his more celebrated fellow Welshman, two times world champion Mark Williams.

White leads 5-4. Will this afternoon see a passing of the Welsh flag from one generation to another or will experience tell?

Jack Lisowski, of whom much was expected, potted some really terrific balls but still ended his first session with Barry Hawkins trailing 6-3.

We’ll see plenty more of Lisowski at the Crucible in the future but possibly not this year. Hawkins didn’t seem in the least affected by the stylish potting on view.

Ricky Walden has already set a good target for the highest break prize with his 140 total clearance against Michael Holt. Walden’s handsome 8-1 overnight lead will surely be converted into victory.

But Shaun Murphy may have to cut out the unforced errors if he is to hold off Martin Gould, whom he leads 5-4 after their opening session. The big frame here was the third, which Murphy won after needing a snooker to prevent himself going 3-0 down.

This morning, Graeme Dott and Peter Ebdon lock cues. Their 2006 world final was absorbing and gripping or turgid and boring depending on who you listen to. Personally I like to see a variety of styles and hope there will always be room for the sport’s unremitting hard men.

Ebdon deserves praise for securing a 22^nd straight Crucible appearance, bettered only by Stephen Hendry’s 27.

Dott was simply dreadful against Joe Perry last year but has good memories of playing Ebdon here and will surely be up for the challenge.

John Higgins, his form patchy of late, could be vulnerable against Mark Davis, who held his nerve to beat him in the UK Championship last December.

It was an interesting first day but this is a long tournament. It’s hard to judge the field until they have all played.

Two weeks today the final will begin...but there’s a lot of snooker to be played before then.