Eight-time winner Ronnie O’Sullivan was knocked out of the UK Championship as he fell to a shock 6-4 first-round defeat by China’s Zhou Yuelong on Tuesday at York Barbican.
O’Sullivan, who turns 50 on Friday, was playing his first match in a UK tournament since his 17-7 loss to Zhao Xintong in the semi-finals of the World Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield in May.
Despite making rapid and entertaining breaks of 71, 123, 62, 94, 65 and 56 against Zhou, O’Sullivan lost four frames on the black, including the seventh when he had led 64-0, only to lose it 65-64.
Zhou, 29th in the world rankings, was never behind and an excellent clearance of 125 took him one frame from victory at 5-3.
He led early in the ninth frame but could not seal the win. However, another chance soon came along.
O’Sullivan was 58-46 ahead in frame 10 but lost position when going from yellow to green and that enabled Zhou to clinch a superb victory.
Regarded by many as snooker’s greatest ever player, Englishman O’Sullivan now lives in Dubai with his family and is far more selective about the events he plays in.
He had beaten 27-year-old Zhou in each of their previous seven meetings, but this result continues a great competition for China, with seven Chinese players in the last 16.
On table two, two-time UK champion Mark Selby was in superb form as he secured a 6-2 victory over Chinese qualifier Lei Peifan.
Selby made breaks of 51, 82, 75 and 133 to move 5-0 ahead, before Lei won two frames in a row to keep his hopes alive, but the Englishman took the eighth frame to advance.
More to follow.