| Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Dates: 16 April-2 May |
| Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV and Red Button with uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app |
Mark Allen is in bullish mood for his second-round match against six-time winner Ronnie O’Sullivan at the World Championship.
The former Masters champion defeated the unpredictable O’Sullivan at the same stage in 2009.
“Ronnie looks in a good place, but we know it can turn very quickly,” said Allen.
“It’s up to me to play well, get under his skin a little bit and see if that changes.”
Northern Irishman Allen, who is chasing a first Crucible title, beat Scotland’s Scott Donaldson 10-6 in his opener, while the top-ranked O’Sullivan fought back from 3-0 down to secure a 10-5 victory over David Gilbert.
The pair will meet on Friday morning in the first session of their best-of-19 frame match, with the second session on Friday evening and the contest due to be concluded on Saturday afternoon.
Allen praises O’Sullivan for raising the profile of the game, but he is not overawed by a showdown with the Rocket, winner of the most ranking tournaments in the sport.
“A day in the life of Ronnie O’Sullivan – I’m not sure I would want to be in it,” said Allen.
“Ronnie’s Ronnie – he’ll always bring a lot of off-table stuff with him, but that’s part and parcel of what he brings to the sport and how big a draw he has become.
“He’s not just a genius on the table. Some of the stuff he does off the table gets people talking. He’s probably the only one in our game that can create column inches off the table.
“You want to play against the best on the biggest stages. It’s what we play the game for. But Ronnie’s just another opponent for me – you have to play very well, but you could say that about a number of people in round two.
“The only time we’ve played at Sheffield I beat him so I have to try and keep those sort of memories going forward.
“I appreciate how tough the task is but I think Ronnie’s been coming here 30 years maybe and he’s won six so that means he’s lost 24, so I just want to be one of those.
“It’s just a game of snooker. I’ll go out there, hopefully play well and control myself.”
