Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Jackson Page LIVE: Latest scores and updates from the World Snooker Championship

“To do what I’ve done this season (winning five titles including UK Championship and Masters) in your whole career, you’d go ‘I’ve had a great career’, I’ve been doing that for 30 years.” O’Sullivan replied when asked about his longevity and desire to keep winning.

“I’ve had the greatest career of any other snooker player, how many people can say they’ve been the best and most successful at their job? I have to give myself a pat on the back, because I don’t and I’m hard on myself, but the reality is no-one has achieved what I have achieved on the table.

“Statistically. I’m not a statistics guy, for me I just want to enjoy it and keep playing. What’s possible? I don’t know. It’s great to find out, let’s see what can happen.”

More from O’Sullivan: “I’ve felt as good the last couple of weeks on the practice tables as I have done the last six or seven years. I don’t lie when I say I’m not playing well. I say what I feel and I don’t care if I leave myself vulnerable, I have the confidence to back it up.

“I know the ability is there, it’s just finding the right formula, that’s what I’m trying to do. I’ve already broken the rules for snooker as far as I’m concerned.

“I’m still going at 48, 49 so I’m just seeing what’s possible. How long can you keep going for? Can I win a World Championship at 50? Who knows.

“I’m probably the only player that’s able to do that so let’s see.”

Reaction from Ronnie O’Sullivan:

“I played well, cued well. Jackson is a really good player and I knew I had to be on my game. It was one of the hardest first round draws you could get, but I’m pleased with my performance.

“I just play, the harder the test the more I see it as a challenge. I’ve trained hard all my life, I’m mentally hard, I’m tough and ready to play.

“To be honest with you, I played terrible for two years. I know I’ve won but that’s what I do, I win. That’s something I’ve been blessed with and you never lose that. You can play terrible and win, you just need the mindset of a winner, which I have.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan slots in the green with a long shot down the table and Jackson Page concedes the match! This session ends in around 40 minutes.

O’Sullivan needed just two frames today to reach the second round. That was a classy performance.

O’Sullivan finishes this break off by potting the yellow and moving 31 points ahead with 25 points left. Jackson Page will give it another go in the hopes of finding a snooker.

The next pot will decide this frame.

A great safety shot from O’Sullivan forces Page into an error and allows the Rocket to take control of the frame again. There are just three reds left in play with five points separating the players.

O’Sullivan goes back into the lead but will have a couple of things to think about as the remaining reds are tricky. He takes one out, then the black.

The next red drops and again the black follows to take the break to 28. He comes down the right cushion and gets the last red! That’ll be the match…

Jackson Page takes on a tricky pink, he’s got nothing to lose at 9-1 down, but the color ricochets out of the middle right pocket. O’Sullivan then takes the lead with a break of nine but bobbles the blue around the lip and gives the initiative back to Page.

It’s been an awkward frame this one.

O’Sullivan is chipping away at the reds but can’t get good enough positioning to rack up a huge break. He’s cut the gap to just two points, but once again the players engage in a bit of safety play.

Page leads 18-9 but O’Sullivan nestles a red into the middle left pocket. He puts in the yellow and looks to position the white down the opposite end of the table.

There’s nothing else to go at though and he is forced to play safe. This is a tense frame.

Page is concerned that the cueball is about to drop into the top right and clips a red with his cue as he’s distracted. It’s a surprising foul which brings O’Sullivan back to the table.

He comes down the line and knocks in a wonderful long shot!

He then plays a snooker, hiding the cueball behind the green at the top end of the table. Page then fouls trying to slip the white up to the pack of reds.