Ronnie O’Sullivan v Ali Carter LIVE: Score and updates from World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre

O’Sullivan started to find his rhythm towards the end of that first mini-session and he’s in control of this match in the early going

This is ominous for Ali Carter. Ronnie is getting in stroke here and it’s a clean win in frame four for the seven-time world champion as he triumphs in one visit.

In fact, he goes on to make the century as he notches a total clearance of 107. Vintage O’Sullivan that – he’s starting to look right at home.

Ronnie O’Sullivan wins frame four and leads 3-1 at the mid-session interval

In frame three, both men have plenty of chances but eventually Carter makes a fatal mistake and O’Sullivan is able to get over the line.

O’Sullivan wins frame three 83-28 to take the lead at 2-1.

Carter makes a few and takes his lead to 55-26 with one red left on the table. A 29-point difference with 35 points remaining when he runs out of position and is forced to play safe. Who can get a chance at this final red first?

O’Sullivan does! Long pot into the bottom right corner and the pink is waiting for him. He’ll need all the colours to nick this and the yellow is tricky along the top cushion.

Great shot from the pink, arcing the white between black and blue to land perfectly on the yellow and the clearance is set up here.

He does the business, slots in the final black and Ronnie O’Sullivan wins frame two 60-55 to make it 1-1. A steal from the Rocket and he’ll feel much better now.

Carter is making heavy weather of his chances so far this match and he can only make 14. The Rocket back in but he misses a pink to left middle early on. Frustrating for both players.

O’Sullivan leads 26-14 with plenty of reds left.

Right, here’s O’Sullivan’s first real scoring chance in frame two. Left a fairly straightforward red to get in and this will be a good test of how he’s feeling.

The cue ball isn’t exactly on a string and he leaves himself a tricky black along the bottom cushion when on 25. And it misses! Rattles the jaws and stays out. Frustration for the Rocket. Leaves Carter in with a good chance to score some points.

Again, Carter can’t quite get over the line as he breaks down on 35. A clearance here from O’Sullivan could snatch this opening frame.

But he misses a red when on 17 and Carter can clear up to finally get over the line.

Ali Carter wins the opening frame to lead 1-0.

Carter goes for another long red but misses by quite a distance and O’Sullivan has the chance to crunch in his pot of the day. No position to speak of though, so it’s just the single point.

Neither man has truly settled in the early going yet.

That’s good cueing by Carter though – digs out a red to the left corner and he’s got a third chance on this opening frame to score heavily.

Interestingly, O’Sullivan shook hands with Carter at the chair rather than the normal fist bump. Good to see.

After an initial safety exchange, Carter is in first with a nice long red but only gets eight points before running out of position. He then gets another opportunity that looks really good but pots the cueball when on just 18. Nervy start.

Carter leads 26-4 as they enter another safety exchange.

MC Rob Walker – a human Energizer Bunny if ever there was one – has introduced the players to a raucous Crucible crowd.

It’s Ding Junhui vs Zak Surety to a finish on the other table, where Ding leads 6-3. But we’re focussing on O’Sullivan vs Carter.

Ronnie looks straight ahead as he walks into the arena to Drops of Jupiter by Train. Does he look a shade nervous or am I reading too much into it? Carter looks pretty relaxed as he walks into The Zephyr Song by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

O’Sullivan breaks off in frame one. Let’s do this.