O'Sullivan back and holds lead but Carter keeps in touch

Ronnie O'Sullivan had to settle for a single-frame overnight advantage as the opening session of his world championship first-round encounter with his old foe Ali Carter failed to live up to its pre-match hype.

- Mark Staniforth Euan Parsons

The seven-time champion, returning to the tour for the first time since dumping his cue after losing a Championship League match in January, appeared to have scraped out a 6-3 lead to take into this afternoon's scheduled conclusion.

However, Carter dug deep after O'Sullivan missed a long red to the top corner in the final frame of the day, gradually reeling in a 51-point deficit and nervelessly clearing the colours to cut his deficit to 5-4.

Before Carter's impressive recovery, respective breaks of 107 from both men had proved the highlights of an error-strewn affair. The sluggish display on the table was mirrored by relative serenity off it as the pair, who have engaged in a long-running and highly publicised feud over the course of their respective careers, shared a warm handshake before the opening frame.