Ronnie O’Sullivan made to work for victory over teenager Jackson Page in York
The 41-year-old is looking for his sixth UK Championship crown
Ronnie O’Sullivan fended off Welsh teenager Jackson Page to make it safely through to the second round of the Betway UK Championship.
The 30-time ranking event winner was given a run for his money before clinching a 6-3 victory at the York Barbican, finishing off with a 105 break.
Early runs of 80 and 117 from O’Sullivan suggested he would cruise through, before Page took advantage of the five-time champion easing off to level up at 2-2 by the interval.
If Page had a scent of an upset though, it did not linger for long. O’Sullivan was not at his sharpest but chances kept presenting themselves and he capitalised often enough to put daylight between himself and Page.
The 16-year-old from Ebbw Vale, whose bushy beard disguises his youth, is widely tipped for a bright future in the sport and pinched another frame but his involvement in York was unsurprisingly short-lived.
O’Sullivan, who won his first UK title aged 17 in 1993, said of Page: “I think he’s a fantastic talent. That was the first time I’d ever seen him play and he’s by far the best British junior I’ve seen.
“Some youngsters could have come out and frozen but he didn’t. He’s got a good temperament and a big future.”
Amateur Page was a late addition to the draw, replacing Scotland’s Rhys Clark who pulled out for medical reasons.
The youngster said of his big-stage appearance: “I played OK. It’s Ronnie though, he’s different class.
“It was great to play Ronnie. I suppose I’d have taken 6-3 – you want to win but you don’t want to get hammered.”
Jimmy White rolled back the years with a 6-2 victory over Ali Carter.
White is ranked a lowly 115th, fully 101 places behind Carter, and the ever-popular 55-year-old needed a tour wild card in the summer to extend his career.
But the Whirlwind turned on the style, finishing off his fellow Crucible nearly man with breaks of 128 and 61 in the final two frames. While White has lost in six World Championship finals, Carter was beaten in two by O’Sullivan.
White, the 1992 UK champion, said: “These tournaments are the ones you want to excel in, the absolute big ones. I know if my game’s on I can beat anybody, and I’ve proved that to myself.”
Mark Williams saw off North Yorkshire’s Paul Davison 6-0 but the Welshman, who has won this event twice, could withdraw from the tournament.
His wife, Jo, is in hospital and Williams, who won the Northern Ireland Open on Sunday, is considering forfeiting his place to return home.
Former world champions Graeme Dott and Ken Doherty were also winners on day three of the event.
