Ronnie O’Sullivan picked up an impressive 6-2 win over He Guoqiang at the International Championship on Monday, having lost both games they played beforehand.
The 24-year-old has caused the Rocket problems this season, beating him in the Championship League and English Open since the start of the current campaign.
That defeat in the English Open in Brentwood was O’Sullivan’s last outing before the current tournament, as he pulled out of a string of events.
However, the seven-time world champion looked very sharp in Nanjing in the second round, making a string of big breaks on his way to a comfortable win.
The 48-year-old knocked in efforts of 73, 87, 83, 70, 58, 53 and 72 to book a clash with Pang Junxu in the last 32 on Tuesday, having beaten Mink Nuthcarut in his opener.
O’Sullivan has never won the International Championship before and is looking to put that right and claim his first title of the season in the process.
It is a significant turnaround in form for the Rocket who was extremely down on his performance after losing to He in Brentwood.
‘I’m awful, it’s embarrassing. I miss so many balls. I can’t get away from it, poor, but there’s nothing I can do about it,’ he said after the loss in Septembe.
‘I’ve been missing balls for the last four or five years and every now and then I’ll miss a few less, maybe, and get a couple of results.
‘I don’t even care, I’m just here to fulfil my commitments to my sponsors, get away from home, travel.’
Judd Trump began the tournament as favourite with the bookmakers and he lived up to that billing with a 6-0 rout of Sanderson Lam on Monday morning.
Defending champion Zhang Anda also continued his attempt to keep hold of the trophy with a 6-3 victory over David Grace.
Trump has Joe O’Connor or Anthony McGill next, while Zhang faces Lyu Haotian.
World champion Kyren Wilson also continued his impressive recent form with a 6-3 victory over Liu Hongyu to cement a meeting with Wu Yize next.
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