“Pretty evil” Ronnie O’Sullivan carved out a 6-2 overnight lead against old foe John Higgins in the first session of their second round showdown at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.

The seven-time winner blasted a 137 total clearance as he dominated his opponent and edged closer towards his goal of eclipsing Stephen Hendry and clinching a record eighth Crucible title.

O’Sullivan’s performance was hailed by former champion and now BBC pundit John Parrott, who said: “Ronnie was pretty evil there in amongst the balls and was definitely the best of the two players.

“Tomorrow is another day and John knows he is well capable of beating Ronnie 6-2.…