O'Sullivan keeps right

Ronnie O'Sullivan produced a crowd-pleasing display at the Embassy World Championship in Sheffield yesterday, without the aid of any left-handed shots.

O'Sullivan was on his best behaviour for the opening session of his second round match against Tony Drago. He opted to play straight after he was criticised for being 'disrespectful' by Alain Robidoux in the previous round.

That was bad news for Drago, who still contributed to an entertaining session at the Crucible lasting just 83 minutes.

O'Sullivan, the world No 3, finished with a 6-2 advantage including back- to-back century breaks to put him on course for the quarter-finals. It took him less than seven minutes to run up exactly 100 in frame seven and under five to knock in a 120 in the eighth.

It was not the big break spectacular that dispirited Drago but a missed pink in frame six. Trailing 3-2 and 62-0, he was clearing up and only required the final two colours for 3-3. Instead, he failed to sink the pink after a 57 clearance and paid the price.

James Wattana had a battling 10-8 first-round victory over Jimmy Michie. Wattana, the world No 5 who had slipped to 13 on the provisional rankings, admitted it had been a struggle.

"I was feeling very nervous and I just wanted to get across the finishing line," said the Thai, who now faces 1995 runner-up Nigel Bond for a place in the last eight.

EMBASSY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (Sheffield): First round: D Morgan (Wal) bt D Henry (Sco) 10-8; J Wattana (Thai) bt J Michey (Eng) 10-8. Second round: R O'Sullivan (Eng) leads T Drago (Malta) 6-2. (Match resumes at 1030 today).