Rocket launches in style

Ronnie O'Sullivan twice threatened a 147 break on the way to a 7-2 lead over Dominic Dale after the opening session of their World Championship first round match, while Stephen Hendry came through a final-frame thriller with Joe Perry.

O'Sullivan, a three-time winner, had informed organisers 11 days ago of his decision to pull out of the tournament, only to change his mind 24 hours later.

At times he played kamikaze snooker, taking on shots which were laced with danger, but mostly the Englishman was in brilliant form and notched his 100th century at the Crucible Theatre, a 113 break in the eighth frame.

But it was the runs he went on in the second and seventh frames which sent ripples of excitement through a packed crowd.

He rattled in eight reds and blacks in the second frame, but luck deserted the 35-year-old off the ninth red. He sent the white through baulk and back before it flicked a middle knuckle. The black was unavailable, and O'Sullivan finished on 78.

The second opportunity looked certain to bring about O'Sullivan's 11th career 147, and his fourth at the Crucible. The balls could hardly have been more ideally placed, but after reaching 96 he ran slightly out of position and jarred the 13th red in the far corner, the ball wriggling away from the pocket.

Cost saving

While in previous years a maximum would have been worth £157,000, this year there is only a £10,000 high-break prize on offer, with the bonus for a 147 having been scrapped in a cost-saving move.

The presence of O'Sullivan had brought a buzz to the Crucible. This year, however, the anticipation was generated more by the warning he might stay away than by any semblance of form.

Four successive first-round exits from major tournaments have sent O'Sullivan sliding to 10th in the world rankings, and led to renewed speculation about his future in the sport.

World Snooker chief Barry Hearn was in the building and was thankful the sport's most exhilarating talent had joined him.

"I'd miss Ronnie. I want to see the real Ronnie. He's special, he's a special person," Hearn said.

"I love the boy to death. He's a fabulous snooker player. Rather than people say to me 'Do you have a problem with Ronnie O'Sullivan?', I wish I had 10 Ronnie O'Sullivans."

But Hearn was as unsure as anyone about what to expect from the sport's most charismatic character, who was watched, as he often is, by the artist Damien Hirst.

"I don't know what Ronnie O'Sullivan is going to do and I'm not sure Ronnie O'Sullivan knows what Ronnie O'Sullivan is going to do," Hearn said.

"Did he think about pulling out? Yeah, I think so. But he's here and he's playing and I welcome him."

O'Sullivan's first-round opponent was an entirely different sort of character, with Vienna-based Welshman Dale renowned as a joker of the tour.

World number 33 Dale, despite being troubled by the match commentary which was audible in the arena, was on level terms at 2-2 by the mid-session interval thanks to breaks of 47 and 56 and opportunities squandered by O'Sullivan.

But the plot soon changed, with O'Sullivan following his second maximum close call with a landmark ton and a 73 break to bring an end to the session.

Hendry survives

Meanwhile, Hendry held his nerve to win a final-frame decider for the second successive year.

The 42-year-old edged past Zhang Anda in 2010 and on Monday beat Joe Perry 10-9 in a tense finish.

Hendry headed into the match knowing that defeat would knock him out of the top 16 for the first time since 1988.

The prospect of that and therefore having to play qualifying rounds for the ranking events, has never appealed to the seven-time world champion.

He led 6-3 after the opening session but that advantage was wiped out after Perry won the first three frames this afternoon. Hendry edged ahead with a 67 break, but Perry came back to 7-7 with an 80.

Hendry inched 8-7 and 9-8 in front, but Perry kept coming back at him.

At 53-1 up in the decider, Hendry seemed home and dry. Perry came back to 53-34, but missed a critical brown and got no closer.

"I thought Joe was going to clear up," said Hendry. "I didn't expect to get back to the table so I was very relieved.

"I got out of jail a bit today and that puts you in a good frame of mind for the rest of the tournament."

Hendry has the advantage of experience over every opponent he faces at the Crucible, having known triumph after triumph at the venue, and with his knack of getting over the winning line.

It served him well again as the world number 12 took advantage of Perry leaving the final brown over a corner pocket. It was match ball, and Hendry seized on the chance to earn a second-round match against Mark Selby or Jimmy Robertson.

"I love it out there. My pipe and slippers are out still there. I walk past them every time when I walk in," added Hendry.

"I'm as familiar out there as I am in my front room. It's the best place in the world to play snooker."

Meanwhile, world number seven Stephen Maguire suffered a shock 10-9 defeat to qualifier Barry Hawkins.

The Glaswegian never fully recovered from falling behind 4-0 and 6-3 despite a final session fightback.

Hawkins held his nerve to knock in a break of 92 in the deciding frame to earn a second round match with Mark Allen or Matthew Stevens.

"It feels like I've won the World Championship to be honest," said Hawkins, who had lost his five previous first round matches. "I've finally done it. I don't want to get too carried away...I'm just excited to be in the next round."