Having been involved in Sunday's Champion of Champions final in Coventry, where he lost to Shaun Murphy, O'Sullivan was playing his first game of the tournament on Wednesday morning and made light of Gary Wilson with a 5-2 victory which included a superb break of 144 in the fifth frame.
The Rocket returned to the baize later in the evening for his second-round clash with Joe Perry and although he lost the opening frame, he responded with a high break of 127 as he powered to a 5-1 win.
O'Sullivan is Sky Bet's Price Boosted 9/2 (from 7/2) favourite for the title and he will next play Barry Hawkins, who managed runs of 121, 91 and 87 in a 5-3 triumph over Michael White, on Thursday for a place in the quarter-finals later that evening.
World champion Mark Selby (4/1) was taken to a decider for the second time in as many days as he battled past veteran Scotsman Alan McManus 5-4 with a highest break of 98.
He'll need to up his game if he's to justify favourtism against Mark Williams, who looked in great form during a 5-0 whitewash of Gerard Greene, making a splendid 133 break in the opening frame.
Judd Trump (4/1) also laid down a marker with a 5-0 victory over Ben Woollaston while John Higgins (11/2) managed to century breaks (125 and 104) in a 5-1 demolition of Zhou Yuelong.
Trump next plays Stephen Maguire - a 5-4 winner over Ali Carter, whose 143 break was in vain - while Higgins takes on Liang Wenbo following the Chinese player's 5-0 triumph against David Gilbert.
Rising Belgian star Luca Brecel thrashed Jamie Jones 5-0 and next plays Graeme Dott, who beat Robbie Williams 5-2 thanks to a closing 101 break in the seventh frame while Jack Lisowski's reward for edging a 5-4 battle against Cao Yupeng is a clash with Mark Allen.
The Northern Irishman impressively beat Fergal O'Brien with breaks of 133, 104 and 85.
Marco Fu also managed two century breaks (124 and 107) in a 5-3 defeat of Robert Milkins and he comes up against a player who managed the same feat (102 and 100) in a 5-0 thumping of Akani Songsermsawad - Martin Gould.
The last third-round game will see Kurt Maflin, who made breaks of 135 and 119 in a 5-3 win over Yu De Lu, take on Mei Xi Wen following the latter's 5-4 triumph over Adam Duffy.
Wednesday's results & Thursday schedule
Morning Session (0100 GMT)
First Round (best of 9 frames)
- Ronnie O'Sullivan 5-2 Gary Wilson (Match 37)
Afternoon Session (0630 GMT)
Second Round (best of 9 frames)
- Kurt Maflin 5-3 Yu De Lu (Match 44)
- Fergal O'Brien 0-5 Mark Allen (Match 45)
- Cao Yupeng 4-5 Jack Lisowski (Match 46)
- Robbie Williams 2-5 Graeme Dott (Match 47)
- Ben Woollaston 0-5 Judd Trump (Match 50)
- Liang Wenbo 5-0 David Gilbert (Match 52)
- Barry Hawkins 5-3 Michael White (Match 55)
- Alan McManus 4-5 Mark Selby (Match 58)
Evening Session (1130 GMT)
Second Round (best of 9 frames)
- Mei Xi Wen 5-3 Jimmy Robertson (Match 43)
- Luca Brecel 5-0 Jamie Jones (Match 48)
- Stephen Maguire 5-4 Ali Carter (Match 49)
- John Higgins 5-1 Zhou Yuelong (Match 51)
- Martin Gould 5-0 Akani Songsermsawad (Match 53)
- Robert Milkins 3-5 Marco Fu (Match 54)
- Ronnie O'Sullivan 5-1 Joe Perry (Match 56)
- Mark Williams 5-0 Gerard Greene (Match 57)
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 16
Afternoon Session (0630 GMT)
Third Round (best of 9 frames)
TV Coverage: Eurosport 1
- Mei Xi Wen v Kurt Maflin (Match 59)
- Mark Allen v Jack Lisowski (Match 60)
- Graeme Dott v Luca Brecel (Match 61)
- Stephen Maguire v Judd Trump (Match 62)
- John Higgins v Liang Wenbo (Match 63)
- Martin Gould v Marco Fu (Match 64)
- Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sullivan (Match 65)
- Mark Williams v Mark Selby (Match 66)
Evening Session (1130 GMT)
Quarter-Finals (best of 9 frames)
TV Coverage: Eurosport 1
- Winner Match 59 v Winner Match 60 (QF 1)
- Winner Match 61 v Winner Match 62 (QF 2)
- Winner Match 63 v Winner Match 64 (QF 3)
- Winner Match 65 v Winner Match 66 (QF 4)
CLICK HERE FOR FULL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE & RESULTS
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