Date: 17 April-3 May 2010 Venue: The Crucible, Sheffield
Coverage: Live coverage each day on BBC Two, BBC Red Button and BBC Sport website (UK only), updates on BBC Radio 5 Live. Full TV schedule

By Mark Ashenden BBC Sport at the Crucible

Ronnie O'Sullivan (left) took control against China's Liang Wenbo

Ronnie O'Sullivan produced a gritty performance to lead China's Liang Wenbo 7-2 overnight in their World Championship first-round match.

O'Sullivan knocked in breaks of 100 and 108 to make it 3-1 before both began to make sloppy errors.

The 34-year-old O'Sullivan, eyeing a fourth world crown, edged a scrappy 30-minute seventh frame and scored an 86 to extend his lead to four.

Liang's best break was 39 as O'Sullivan won the final frame with a run of 56.

This first-round clash will continue on Tuesday afternoon, with the winner playing two-time champion Mark Williams or Marcus Campbell.

606: DEBATE Ronnie looked comfortable when he got into his stride this afternoon RKW

It was a day the 23-year-old Chinese star, who recently made the top 16 in the provisional rankings, will want to quickly forget as he struggled throughout to string any breaks together.

Neither player provided any spark in the opening two frames, which were shared, but at least O'Sullivan finally woke up to produce some excitement for the packed Crucible crowd.

Liang led 40-0 in the third but after O'Sullivan sank a stunning long red he powered to a 100 break and then grabbed another century in just six minutes in the next.

With the score at 3-1, both players reverted to a battling safety duel and shared the next two with more errors creeping in.

Liang again had chances to hit back and looked in a good position with the score 54-40, but with the gruelling frame lasting nearly half an hour, O'Sullivan stole it at the death.

The 2008 quarter-finalist looked stunned and Chigwell's finest knocked in an 86 and a 56 in the day's final frame to give Liang a mountain to climb on Tuesday.

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