Ronnie O'Sullivan has taken a vital 10-7 lead over Ali Carter at the end of the second session tonight in the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship final at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.

Betfred.com World Snooker Championship Final 2012 - O'Sullivan Leads Carter Overnight

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PHOTOS FROM THE FINAL

Finalists Ronnie O'Sullivan & Ali Carter (pic - Monique Limbos)

Ronnie O'Sullivan & Ali Carter have played some fantastic snooker to reach this year's Betfred.com World Snooker Championship final, the highlight being Carter coming from 12-9 behind to beat bookies favourite Judd Trump 13-12. However both players will be disappointed with their performance in the second session today, but fourtunately for O'Sullivan he came out on top to finish 10-7 overnight.

The first session was of a higher quality with O'Sullivan knocking in centuries of 117 and 141 (the highest break in a Crucible final since 2001) and in the 7th frame a fantastic 92 break with reds all over the place for the Rocket to finish 5-3.

Going in to the evening session however it was a much more scrappier affair with both players falling way below their usual high standard in this tournament and at one point Carter found himself 9-5 down after missing a black off the spot. However he managed to win the last frame of the night with the help of an outrageous fluke on a red to reduce the deficit behind O'Sullivan at only 10-7.

18 frames is the target to take home the famous World Snooker Championship trophy which O'Sullivan has had three times before. Carter came the closest in 2008 when he lost 18-8 to the same opponent but this final looks to be going closer. Play resumes at 2.30pm tomorrow.