Mark Allen's world title bid opens with commanding lead over Robbie Williams

​Antrim’s Allen is on show at the Crucible aiming to add his name to Dennis Taylor and Alex Higgins as Northern Ireland winners of the showpiece prize.

His first-round challenge against Williams in the fight towards 10 frames left Allen in a strong position before Wednesday afternoon’s session (2.30PM start).

Allen – ranked number three in the world – won the first three frames before Englishman Williams hit back with a break of 86.

Allen won a mammoth fifth frame before stretching his advantage to 6-1.

After his opponent won the next with a century, Allen made it 7-2 to leave himself three frames from victory.

And Ronnie O’Sullivan has shrugged off suggestions of greatness on the eve of his bid to eclipse Stephen Hendry and become the first player to win eight world snooker titles in the modern era.

O’Sullivan is already routinely described as the best player to pick up a cue after a record-breaking career that includes eight Masters and eight UK titles within a total of 41 ranking tournament wins.

“I don’t regard myself as the greatest of all time,” said O’Sullivan, who starts his first-round match on Wednesday against Jackson Page. “Statistically I suppose I am, but I’m just happy to be playing.

“I suppose as a kid I would have been desperate to be up with those guys but when you get there it’s a bit of an anti-climax – it’s not as great as you thought it would be.”