O’Sullivan, who turns 50 next month, is selective about the tournaments he competes in.
He has reached the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters and Xi’an Grand Prix and the final of the Saudi Arabia Masters this season – but was in danger of an early exit in Nanjing.
Taylor looked poised for a 4-1 lead but, having potted a red to leave O’Sullivan needing a snooker, he went in-off when potting the black with his next shot.
World number five O’Sullivan made a clearance of 48 to cut the deficit to 3-2, before Taylor won a nervy sixth frame in which both players missed chances.
From 4-2 behind, O’Sullivan knocked in breaks of 100, 119 and 129 to move in front for the first time.
Taylor’s 53 in the 10th frame then forced a decider, which O’Sullivan clinched with a 128 break to set up a second-round meeting with England’s Sanderson Lam.
O’Sullivan told the WST website: “It never feels like a grind when you’re cueing well.
“I’m enjoying playing more than I have done for maybe over a decade.
“When I play alright, the crowd appreciate the shots and the break-building. When I click into gear, that raises the temperature in there a little bit.”
