Ronnie O’Sullivan has known soaring highs and crushing lows but is bracing himself for the moment he launches the defence of his World Championship title today to be a unique experience.

The 37-year-old will begin his 21st Crucible campaign against Marcus Campbell and it will be the first match of significance he has played since last year’s final in Sheffield.

After announcing in November that he would be skipping the season, O’Sullivan found himself weeks later watching the UK Championship on TV. And despite managing to break that habit, he found himself missing the sport.

That led to confirmation in late February that he would be returning to the tour.

O’Sullivan said: “It’s going to be a fantastic moment, going out there as reigning champion and having not played for a year.

“I’m going to be a little more mature, I’ve done what I wanted to do. I’ve got nothing left to prove, I can probably enjoy it a lot more.”

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