Ronnie O'Sullivan powered into the second round of the World Snooker Championship with a commanding 10-4 victory over Ali Carter.
The seven-time world champion had not played competitively since January, which was evident in Tuesday's opening session.
Both players struggled for form in a closely contested first session.
O'Sullivan held a narrow 5-4 advantage heading into the second day's play.
Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Ali Carter 10-4 after a dominant display on Wednesday
REuters
Carter, who was dealing with a neck problem, continued to perform below his best when play resumed.
Meanwhile, the Rocket found his rhythm overnight and completely dominated the remainder of the match.
The win extends Carter's winless run at the Crucible, with his last victory at the Sheffield venue dating back to 2019.
O'Sullivan's second session performance was nothing short of spectacular.
He rattled off five consecutive frames with remarkable efficiency.
The 49-year-old compiled impressive breaks of 59, 117, 74 and 123 to race to a 9-4 lead before the mid-session interval.
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Upon returning, O'Sullivan wasted no time in sealing victory.
He crafted a magnificent 131 break to complete the rout against his old rival.
The performance marked a dramatic return to form for the Rocket.
After downplaying expectations upon arrival at the Crucible, O'Sullivan's fluent and confident display will have fans believing he can challenge for an eighth world title.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan did not allow his rival to breathe on Wednesday
Reuters
O'Sullivan will now face China's Pang Junxu in the last 16.
Pang secured his place by defeating compatriot Zhang Anda 10-7 in his opening match.
They faced off in the first round of the 2023 World Championship, with O'Sullivan emerging as a 10-7 winner.
However, the 25-year-old Chinese player has proven he can trouble the Rocket, having beaten him twice in the past.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan returns with a dominant 🔟-4️⃣ win over Ali Carter at the Crucible 🚀#WorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/8mKsa1Uzld
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BBC pundit Mark Allen was full of praise for O'Sullivan's performance.
"We can talk all day about some of the mistakes Ali made but you just have to hold your hands up sometimes and say that is ridiculous snooker from Ronnie O'Sullivan," Allen said.
The former Masters champion was particularly impressed by how quickly the match swung in O'Sullivan's favour.
"You can't play any better than that," he added. "What was a close match 90 minutes ago turned into a comfortable win."
O'Sullivan's devastating second session display served notice to his rivals that the Rocket remains a formidable force at the Crucible.
