Chang Crumbles as O’Sullivan Unleashes Genius in Epic Turnaround
Ronnie O’Sullivan battled back from 5-2 down to defeat China’s Chang Bingyu 6-5 and book his place in the quarter-finals of the Saudi Arabia Masters. Chang, returning to competitive action after serving a two-year suspension for involvement in a match-fixing scandal, impressed early with breaks of 63, 67, 64, and 80. He moved within one frame of a famous win over the seven-time world champion, but O’Sullivan’s experience and class ultimately prevailed.
With the pressure mounting, O’Sullivan sparked his comeback with a rapid six-minute break of 103 to narrow the gap to 5-3. He then clawed his way level, taking the next two frames before sealing victory with a commanding 125 in the decider. He now advances to face Kyren Wilson, who overcame Si Jiahui 6-3 in his last-16 clash.
Reflecting on the match, O’Sullivan admitted to a shaky performance despite the win. “I missed so many easy balls. It’s just not good enough to win tournaments,” he told TNT Sports. “But I wasn’t battling out there, I was quite enjoying it. I’ve got Kyren next — if I miss like that, he’ll trounce me.”
Elsewhere in the draw, Mark Williams continued his strong run with a 6-1 demolition of Shaun Murphy. The Welshman, a three-time world champion, will next face Elliot Slessor, who edged Stuart Bingham in a tight 6-5 contest. Williams, who has spoken openly about vision issues and is considering lens replacement surgery, offered insight into his unique technique. “Everything’s a blur and I do it to see how well I am cueing,” he said of occasionally closing his eyes before striking the cue ball. “I’ve got to do all my alignments stood up because when I am down there it’s a guess.”
