Rocket Ronnie Sparks to Stunning 5-0 Victory with New Cue at Saudi Snooker Masters
Ronnie O’Sullivan made a dominant start to his campaign at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Jeddah, racing to a 5-0 victory over Joe O’Connor. The fans’ favorite, who now considers this his “home tournament” due to his residence in Dubai and his academy in Riyadh, looked in fine form as he moved into the last 16. O’Sullivan’s stunning performance delighted the crowd as he sent O’Connor packing with ease, setting up a showdown with China’s Chang Bingyu in the next round.
The match was not without its drama. O’Connor had a golden opportunity to claim the opening frame, but a costly mistake proved to be a turning point. After potting the last red, O’Connor missed the black off its spot while leading 50-42, allowing O’Sullivan to steal the frame and take control. The Rocket capitalized on the momentum, quickly reasserting himself with a string of impressive breaks: 116, 89, 53, and 90, securing a comfortable win.
O’Sullivan was playing with a new cue crafted by fellow professional Sunny Akani, which he praised highly. “This cue is fantastic, so I asked Sunny to make a couple more,” O’Sullivan said. “He’s an incredibly talented guy and makes these cues almost like an engineer with wood. I wouldn’t have a clue about it, but the cues are unbelievable.” With the new cue in hand, O’Sullivan looks poised to return to his best form, a sight snooker fans around the world are eagerly anticipating.
Elsewhere in the tournament, reigning World Champion Zhao Xintong was in ruthless form, storming past Steven Hallworth 5-0 in just 55 minutes. Zhao, in full flow, posted impressive breaks of 92, 132, 97, 94, and 106, leaving Hallworth with little room to breathe. Chris Wakelin, too, produced some brilliant snooker, top-scoring with a 102 in a 5-1 win over Farakh Ajaib.
Meanwhile, Ding Junhui showed his resilience, coming from 2-1 down to defeat Stephen Maguire 5-2, and Si Jiahui continued his strong performance from last year’s semi-finals, securing a 5-3 victory in an all-Chinese clash against Wu Yize. Barry Hawkins rounded out the day’s action, edging past Martin O’Donnell 5-3 with a top break of 83.
With so much talent on display, the tournament promises more thrilling encounters as the competition progresses. O’Sullivan’s commanding victory and the form of other top stars suggest a fascinating path to the final.
