The Rocket was back to his brilliant best as he reeled off three centuries in five frames to complete a 10-4 first-round win
Ronnie O'Sullivan paid a special tribute to long-time psychiatrist Steve Peters after coasting through into the second round of the World Snooker Championship.
The Rocket was in devastating form as he defeated old foe Ali Carter 10-4 in a second session blitz, in which he won five consecutive frames
The World No5 will now play Pang Junxu, and after a spectacular return to the Crucible, thanked Peters for being in his corner. The seven-time world champion hadn't competed since snapping his cue in anger at the Champions League in January after a 3-2 defeat to Robert Milkins.
He then dropped out of the Masters, German Masters, Welsh Open and the World Grand Prix to prioritise his mental health and wellbeing.
But O'Sullivan was back to his brilliant best against Essex rival Carter as he targets another six years in the sport.
He told the BBC: "I had no expectations, so there were no nerves, I didn't expect to perform well based on the last three or four years. I just wanted to make a game of it
"I just think this game has a way of humbling you in so many ways. You might have a year or two where your game is just not there, and a lot of self-doubt creeps in.
"This one is probably the hardest one of all to be fair. I want to play for as long as I can. If everything goes great, then I could probably play for another five or six years.
"If it doesn't, then I'll still commit to two years and just focus on playing and give myself every opportunity to try and finish on a nice feeling. Sport's been good to me, I love the game so that's the plan."
O'Sullivan has worked on and off with renowned psychiatrist Peters since 2011 and the 49-year-old added: "I'll be my own coach over the next two years with the help of Steve Petters.
"I just want to say a massive thanks to Steve because he came down here, my head's okay for life, but as far as getting on a snooker table, it's been really hard.
"He's helped me. I have some mental tools to work with to keep things tight, I will always tinker, but it's about when to let go I suppose.
"I loved being out there. I must admit, if I was struggling that I have been, I wouldn't have enjoyed it.
"It ground me down, this game has a way of humbling you. I just had too long a period of struggling. If I had some good practice form, I would have gone, 'Okay, great. At least my practice is good and I'm just maybe choking a bit in matches'.
"But it was none of that. If anything, my matches were better because you just naturally dig in. I lost the buzz for the game, when you are not able to play the shots, I was having to bail out on a lot, I didn't have any range. I'm just trying to work my way back, rediscover some touch and feel."
Meanwhile Carter admitted he was "embarrassed" after tumbling out of the tournament in Sheffield.
The pair resumed their first-round match with O'Sullivan leading 5-4 on Wednesday afternoon, and Carter lost five frames on the bounce.
He said: "I was always in it at 5-4, but Ronnie got going. I kept finding myself in awkward positions, and it went from bad to worse.
"It begins to get a bit embarrassing, but against the best of all time, it is not easy. He was the much better player today.
"It's not the end [to the season] I wanted, but Ronnie is the hardest first-round draw, the one no one wants to play."
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