UK Championship Snooker 2021 - Ronnie O’Sullivan digs in to see off Robbie Williams to reach last 32

Updated 27/11/2021 at 16:23 GMT

Ronnie O’Sullivan's bid for an eighth UK Championship title remains on course following a victory over Robbie Williams at the Barbican in York on Saturday. He was not at his scintillating best, but improved as the match progressed to book his place in the last 32. He will need to up his game to win the title but there were positives to take.

‘Never holds back’ – O’Sullivan shows how to perfectly open the reds

Ronnie O’Sullivan shook off a number of uncharacteristic misses to beat Robbie Williams 6-2 and advance to the third round of the UK Championship.

The six-time world champion mixed patches of quality with niggly errors, but his greater class allowed him to book his place in the last 32 at the Barbican.

O’Sullivan is still seeking his first tournament win since the 2020 World Championship, and he will need to improve if he is to get the job done in York.

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O’Sullivan produced patches of brilliance in his win over Michael White, and he set off brightly when knocking in a glorious long red. It came to nothing and Williams had a chance when compiling a break of 38, only to run out of position and miss a red he attempted to force - which allowed the seven-time champion to take the opener.

It was bitty in the first frame and O’Sullivan paid a heavy price for a sloppy safety in the second, as Williams stepped in with the 66th century of his career to get on the board.

The third frame saw O’Sullivan stroke in a brilliant red into the left-middle, but he missed a routine black and Williams pounced to move ahead.

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The black was the sort of shot O’Sullivan would miss about twice in a season, so it was positive that he put it out of his mind so quickly with a break of 91 to level.

The fifth frame saw the first concerted safety battle of the contest. O’Sullivan got the better of it, and within a matter of minutes he had compiled a break of 74 to edge back in front.

O'Sullivan once again got the better of a safety exchange, and survived a horrible kick on a red to take the sixth and open up a two-frame cushion.

O’Sullivan was more like his fluent best in the seventh, as a run of 66 took him to within one frame of victory.

Williams was in the realms of no-miss territory, and the pressure told as a long red stayed above ground. He later ran out of position on a black which allowed O’Sullivan a chance to close out the match and he did so with ruthless efficiency.

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