Ronnie O’Sullivan cut a frustrated figure despite coming from 3-1 down to end the opening session of his World Championship quarter-final level at 4-4 with Stuart Bingham.
The seven-time world champion missed several uncharacteristic pots and rapped his cue against the table in the seventh frame.
Bingham the winner in 2015, made four half-century breaks, while ‘The Rocket’ knocked in two and the only century of the match in the fifth frame.
Meanwhile, four-time champion John Higgins recovered from a 4-0 deficit to trail Kyren Wilson 5-3.
Earlier on Tuesday, Judd Trump and Jak Jones finished a hard-fought opening session to their last-eight contest at 4-4 and David Gilbert established a commanding 7-1 lead over Stephen Maguire.
O’Sullivan struggles to settle early on
Bingham memorably defeated O’Sullivan at the same stage on the way to his own triumph at the Crucible nine years ago.
And he appeared to settle quicker with breaks of 55, 75 and 79, enabling him to take three of the first four frames against a misfiring O’Sullivan.
But having suggested that he would have to be close “to perfect” to defeat the current world number one and 41-time ranking event winner, Bingham was unable to maintain that early pressure.
A wonderful break of 116 helped O’Sullivan reel off three consecutive frames before Bingham was able to take the final frame of the afternoon.
Wilson & Higgins in high-quality contest
Wilson was 8-0 down to Higgins after the opening session of their second-round meeting 12 months ago and was eventually thrashed 13-2.
However, the Englishman who has lost all three of his previous meetings with the Scot at the Crucible, initially dominated.
The 2020 finalist Wilson dominated the tactical exchanges – with Higgins appearing jaded from his dramatic late-night victory over Mark Allen – and scored heavily enjoying runs of 70, 95, 93 and 71 to establish a 4-0 advantage.
However, Higgins responded in fine fashion by compiling his 994th career century immediately after the break with a sublime 129.
Wilson demonstrated his excellent cueing with a 121 of his own in the sixth frame but Higgins then enjoyed runs of 73 and 102 to boost his hopes when play resumes on Wednesday at 10:00 BST.
Trump yet to fire as Gilbert maintains impressive form
World number two Trump opened his match in style with a 110 break but Wales’ Jones, appearing in his second consecutive quarter-final, constructed a 69 and 94 as he went 3-1 up.
Trump took the first two after the break and doubled the final black in the eighth frame to leave the match delicately poised when play resumes at 19:00 BST.
Meanwhile, Gilbert compiled breaks of 83, 110 and 130 as his impressive form at the Crucible continued.
The Englishman was also able to capitalise on several wayward pots from former UK champion Maguire, who was well below the levels he displayed in his victory over Shaun Murphy.
Source Agencies
