OK, folks, that's it from me for today. Thanks so much for all your texts and tweets. I'll be back from about 1430 BST tomorrow to bring you the conclusion of Ronnie's match. For now, have a read of Mark Ashenden's match report and switch on your Red Button for the closing stages of Hendry-Perry. It's been a pleasure.
From RichardvGiesen on Twitter: "The snooker in the Hendry-Perry match is so bad it's getting pathetic. Hurts to see Hendry struggle like this. His last match before retirement?"
1747: As we've been saying, Ronnie well and truly went through the gears in that final half-session. The highlight was his near-147 in the seventh frame, which I'm delighted to say you can now watch for yourselves right here.
1743: So, we're almost done here folks, but don't forget you can carry on watching the Hendry-Perry match on the red button. It is currently 8-8 in that one. And later on, the matches between Stephen Maguire-Barry Hawkins and Peter Ebdon-Stuart Bingham will be on BBC Two, the Red Button and online from 1900 BST.
From anonymous via text: "Great to see Ronnie playing in such dominant fashion. Rocket is unbeatable in this form."
1734: So that's it for today in the O'Sullivan-Dale match. They will resume at 1430 BST tomorrow. Just to update you on events elsewhere, Hendry leads Perry 8-7 . It was a long and cagey 15th frame, which ended with Hendry poaching it from under Perry's nose after Perry got an unfortunate kick on the brown as he was hoping to clear up.
BBC Sport's John Virgo: "Sensational from Ronnie O'Sullivan. Dominic Dale played well in that session, but Ronnie was absolutely unbeatable."
O'Sullivan 7-2 Dale: More sizzling snooker from Ronnie as he unleashes another brilliant break of 74. Despite needing four snookers, Dale comes to the table and pots a few balls before putting the Ronster in a spot of bother. No problem for Ronnie though as he get himself out of trouble before clipping in a lovely long red. And there's the handshake. It's 7-2 at the end of the session.
BBC Sport's John Virgo: "At the moment these pockets look like dustbin lids."
From samueljohnbrown on Twitter: "On the edge of my seat for most of the last frame, that's what snooker is all about!!!"
O'Sullivan 6-2 Dale: THE ROCKET HAS BEEN LAUNCHED! O'Sullivan extends his lead to four frames in the blink of an eye with a sensational 113 clearance. Dale was very unlucky at the start of that frame though as he potted a red, only for the white to cannon off the green and trickle into the middle pocket. Ronnie did not need a second invitation.
BBC Sport's Mark Ashenden at the Crucible: "Massive oooohs ring round the Crucible as O'Sullivan blows his second attempt at a maximum in this match. Did you know he racked up 147s at the World Champs in 1997, 2003 and 2008? Not good for the ticker and sweaty palms when that eighth red goes down with a black. First signs of real fireworks though. Dale is on the ropes."
O'Sullivan 5-2 Dale: Wow! I really thought I was going to be talking you through another Ronnie maximum there. The Rocket is in sensational form as he slots 12 reds and 12 blacks but a wayward positional shot leaves him a tough red down the cushion. The ball enters the jaws but is spat straight back out and he has to to settle for 96. Don't quit Ronnie, please.
BBC Sport's Mark Ashenden at the Crucible: "It's getting sweaty out there. A few feet over the screen from O'Sullivan and Dale, seven-time champ Stephen Hendry is getting a heck of a fright with Joe Perry pulling it back to 7-7 . O'Sullivan - eyeing a fourth world crown - looks happy enough. Nice to see him sticking with his sideburns. Dale's hair is a thing of beauty. You can't knock the golden highlighted streak ... can you? And despite him wearing his buckled slippers, he'll be kicking himself having had chances in all the frames apart from frame two."
1657: Three frames to go in this session folks and Ronnie is already right in amongst the balls in this one.
Former world champion John Parrott on BBC Two: "This session has been very bitty. A Ronnie O'Sullivan of the past might have been 4-2 down here but he has applied himself very well."
O'Sullivan 4-2 Dale: Dale will be kicking himself there. He had two or three chances to win that one but you can't keep letting Ronnie back in. The Rocket clears with a 46, potting the black left-handed for good measure.
From Jimmy White on the M6 via text: "What Ronnie needs is a reality check! In ten years he won't be able to compete and his day will be gone. Seize the day!"
I've a feeling that's not the real Jimmy but if it is the Whirlwind, what a privilege to have you involved sir.
1644: This match is being played at a Dale's pace as the Welshman plods his way around the table before missing a black off its spot. Ronnie has a chance to get a two frame lead but runs out of position and misses a red.
BBC Sport's Mark Ashenden at the Crucible: "A reminder. Want ANYTHING filmed at the Crucible? In practice rooms or an exclusive with a ref like this tweet Steve @BBCSnooker "
O'Sullivan 3-2 Dale: Ronnie shows his class with a stunning clean red down the rail at pace and Dale doesn't get another look-in as the Rocket cleans up in style.
1627: Funny old frame this. A re-rack looked on the cards before Ronnie smashed the reds apart. The balls are all over the shop but nobody can get a clean pot away until Dale breaks the deadlock with a sublime shot, cushioning one red off another into the middle pocket. The break that follows is anything but perfect and he runs out of position on 48. Ronnie replies with 26 but he can't clinch it. Still very much in the balance.
Hendry 7-6 Perry: Stephen Hendry comes to the table 55 points behind and with three reds on the cushion. But it doesn't matter as he produces a vintage break of 67 to clinch the frame with just the black to spare. Brilliant stuff from the seven-time champ.
From Lee, Sheffield, via text: "Lived in Sheffield all my life but never been inside the Crucible - had plans to attend today but apparently Ronnie's a bit of a draw, completely sold out. Stood outside watching the big screen isn't the same."
1610: We're under way now and it's a very cagey opening before Ronnie splits the reds and flukes one into the middle pocket. On the other side of the curtain, Perry opens the door to Hendry with a bad miss on a routine black but, after a period of safety shots (and a couple of poor misses by Hendry) Perry sinks the blue and Hendry concedes the frame. That was a massive frame particularly for Perry, who has now won the first three frames of the session and ties the game at 6-6 .
BBC Sport's Mark Ashenden at the Crucible: "It's been a funny 70 minutes of snooker. Hugely tense opening frame. Pressure relived somewhat with a quality 78 from Ronnie (who had been set on the way to a maximum). But the air of tension surrounding the Crucible has returned with the Welshman battling to take the last frames. Dale even walked off complaining of how loud the commentators were. My highlight of the session so far? Staring in utter disbelief at Dale's black shoes with latticed uppers. Does Cinderella know he's nicked her slippers for the afternoon?"
1605: It's still the interval in the Dale-O'Sullivan match in case you were wondering and we've just been watching some of the action from Perry's mini-comeback against Hendry. Hang on, what's this? Dale's giving us a black-and-white walking tour of his hometown of Vienna now, while mouthing the words of "Vienna" by Ultravox. Gold dust.
From theblackwizards on Twitter: "Just tuned in to watch the drama of the Crucible. I'm not sure they've stayed faithful to Arthur Miller's original script."
From Chris, Milford, via text: "Is it just me or are all your Twitterers and Texters called Jack today."
I had noticed that Chris, so have included your entry for the sake of balance. Good work for not being called Jack.
Former champion Ken Doherty on BBC Two: "Dominic Dale has got a lovely touch around the balls and a superb cue action. He's very competitive, very relaxed and plays with a smile on his face."
1552: While Ronnie and Dominic take a breather, Steve Davis is answering your questions over on BBC2 - some very handy tips there from "The Nugget". If you have any questions for our experts, get them in here. Ta very much.
O'Sullivan 2-2 Dale: Dale is right in the groove now as he squares the match with a tidy 56. His cueing action is much smoother and he looks to have relaxed into the match. Needing snookers, Ronnie has a brief think about returning to the baize before striding off to his dressing-room for the mid-session interval. Short break now then folks - get your emails in or tweet us via the hashtag #bbcsnooker
From Jack Orr on Twitter: "Snooker players probably have the worst job being stuck inside whilst the weather's so glorious outside."
Very sweet of you Jack, but I reckon there are worse ways to earn some cash around than slapping on a waistcoat and knocking a few balls around on a piece of slate. Maybe I'm wrong though.
1537: Meanwhile, Joe Perry clears the colours to snatch the 11th frame and closes the gap even further to 6-5 . Perry has the wind in his sails now and Hendry is under pressure to respond with a frame of his own. This one has suddenly become very difficult to call.
1535: Something of a contrast in styles here as this stat illustrates. Ronnie is averaging 17 seconds per shot and Dale a more pedestrian 27. Dale has lived in Vienna for the last three years by the way - lucky man, very nice city from my experience.
O'Sullivan 2-1 Dale: Game on. Dale gets on the board after a bit of a see-saw third frame. Ronnie gets in first with 43 but the Welshman hits back with 47 before a nasty kick on a straight black gives stops him in his tracks. Ronnie looks nailed on to go 3-0 up but runs out of position on the green and Dale cleans up.
1525: Over on the other table, Joe "The Gentleman" Perry has closed the gap to 6-4 against seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry . A scrappy frame but Perry won't mind as he looks to make things uncomfortable for the Scot. First to 10 in both of these first-round matches remember.
1523: Jack Massey on Twitter has suggested Dominic Dale is a dead ringer for former Spurs, Leicester and England goalkeeper Ian Walker . What do you reckon?
O'Sullivan 2-0 Dale: Ronnie is up for this one, that's for sure! Dale fluffs an early red and lets his opponent in. The Rocket slots in nine reds and eight blacks to get us all excited about a 147 but a nasty collision with the jaws of the middle pocket sees him lose position. He hangs on for a 78 though and that's 2-0.
From Jack Rampling on Twitter: "Is Dominic Dale a real person or is he a character? He looks like he is a normal person in a costume..." Touch harsh that Jack but I can see where you are coming from.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Dale: Crisis, what crisis? After a cagey start, Ronnie slams in a long red and gets among the balls to establish a healthy lead. An error on the penultimate red gives Dale a second chance but the Welshman misses a straight blue and Ronnie is not in the mood to miss out again. He clears to the pink, treating the crowd to a couple of showy left-handed shots as he seals the opening frame.
From Mike, Croydon, via text: "Ronnie threatens to quit all the time. And always plays badly when he's not in the mood. Why are people suddenly acting surprised?."
John Parrott on BBC Two: "I spoke to Ronnie on Sunday in the players' lounge and he seemed in great form, he's been practising well and was in fine fettle. The fact that he's hardly won this season might just mean he's fresh and he's right up for it."
1455: It's a scrappy opener so far folks - 20 points apiece - but in the meantime if you want to get involved in our Pulse poll, the question is "Will Ronnie O'Sullivan win another world title?" At the moment 69% of you think he will. You can also suggest your own question for the next debate.
From therealpents on Twitter: "Me thinks the tortured genius is about to create his masterpiece."
From Jack, Leeds, via text: "It wouldn't surprise me if Ronnie won the tournament. It equally wouldn't surprise me if he walked out mid-frame in an hour or so."
1441: "Let's get the boys on the baize," yells Rob Walker and the players step out into the famous Sheffield theatre. First Perry and Hendry and then Dale, followed by a pensive looking O'Sullivan. Dale breaks off and we're underway...
Ken Doherty on Dale: "Dale is going to go out with a big smile on his face and enjoy the moment. He is a very, very good player and has won a couple of ranking events. He is no pushover by any stretch of this imagination."
Mark Williams on Ronnie O'Sullivan: "If he wants to pull out or retire, then just do it, because he's talked about it so many times... Just do it if you want to."
1436 The boys should be on the baize very soon but in the meantime here are a couple of factoids about Dale, who has lost all 12 of his previous meetings with Ronnie. Dale is 39, and came through qualifying to reach the World Championship for the first time since 2004. His best performance at the Crucible came in 2000, when he reached the quarter-finals.
1433 I'm going to lay it on the line: I need your help. Snooker's a funny ol' game and frames can last anything from five minutes to two hours, so we are going to need some banter to keep this here live text commentary singing. Send me a text on 81111 (UK) with SNOOKER before your message, or a tweet us via the hashtag #bbcsnooker to get involved. Don't forget you can also take part in our online poll via the Pulse page on the BBC website.
BBC Sport's Mark Ashenden on Twitter: "The sun's gone and the clouds are gathering over the Crucible. No snooker metaphor-that's a FACT! Been chatting to fans - 7/13 think Ronnie will win."
1427 Here's what you need to know in terms of watching this afternoon's showdown. You can watch BBC TV's live coverage now on BBC Two or on this website (UK only) or, alternatively, you can follow Ronnie's match on the Red Button from 1430 BST. If you're a Stephen Hendry fan, you can keep up to date with his match against Joe Perry on the Red Button and online.
1424: Now, poor old Ronnie has not even won a match since November, so this contest against the world number 33 from Wales is no gimme. Incidentally, if you want to know more about Rocket Ronnie's struggles, let me point you in the direction of Mark Ashenden's excellent feature about the troubled star. Ash is our man at the Crucible by the way so we'll be hearing plenty more from him this afternoon.
1420: Could this be the beginning of the end for Ronnie O'Sullivan? Out of form and out of love with snooker, the Rocket even tried to pull out of the World Championships on the eve of the tournament only to change his mind the following day. This afternoon, the three-time champion takes on Welshman Dominic Dale in the first round at the Crucible and you can follow it live right here. If O'Sullivan loses, who knows what the future holds?
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