Ronnie played a solid match to beat Mark King by 6-3 in the last 32 round of the UK Championship. As I expected, it wasn’t a particularly easy match. Those two have history and it goes way back in time. Ahead of this match, Mark was leading 5-4 in their head-to-head. At the 2017 German Masters, Ronnie had lost by 5-4 to Mark, having been 4-1 in front. That was their most recent match before their yesterday encounter.
Seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is still going strong as he scored a 6-3 win over Mark King.
…
O’Sullivan is into the last 16 of this event for the 21st time
O’Sullivan, who won this title in 1993, 1997, 2001, 2007, 2014, 2017 and 2018, scored breaks of 108, 70, 84, 52, 63 and 53 as he got the better of King. The Rocket now faces Noppon Saengkham or Stuart Bingham.
Ronnie will actually face Noppon Saengkham who beat Stuart Bingham by 6-5 in yesterday’s evening session.
UK Snooker Championship 2021: Ronnie O’Sullivan reaches last 16, John Higgins out
By Shamoon Hafez BBC Sport
Ronnie O’Sullivan won the last of his seven UK titles in 2018
Record seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan cruised past Mark King 6-3 to reach the last 16 of the UK Championship in York.
O’Sullivan left King scoreless in the first two frames with breaks of 108 and 70 – and led 3-0.
O’Sullivan faces Noppon Saengkham next after the Thailand player edged Stuart Bingham 6-5 in an incredible contest.
…
‘Lovely, beautiful’ seeing big names going out
Since winning the World Championship last year, O’Sullivan has had a disappointing 15 months by his own high standards, reaching just one semi-final this season on the back of losing five ranking finals last term.
And, although the 46-year-old opened with a century break and compiled five further breaks of 50 or more, he remained patient and was made to work for his opportunities.
O’Sullivan told BBC Two: “I am pleased to be through, Mark is a tough player so I just had to focus. I am trying, I have been playing exhibition snooker since the World Championship and that is not good enough for the nitty gritty.
“I haven’t got long now and this is one last effort to see how it goes. I am trying to take one ball at at a time. The result is irrelevant, I just want to apply myself.
“I never look at the draw, I have no interest in it. I don’t care who I play, but do I enjoy everything I do. I have fathomed a way that works for me. I enjoy how I have life at the moment.”
Asked about the big names that have exited early from the tournament, O’Sullivan replied: “I have a little chuckle to myself when I see them all getting bombed out. Lovely, beautiful.”
Analysis
1991 world champion John Parrott on BBC Two
“There has never been anyone better finishing games off, it is not an easy thing to have in your armoury. You can get embroiled in battles, but O’Sullivan gets the chance and finishes it off.”
1997 world champion Ken Doherty
“O’Sullivan looks very good, stroking the ball in nicely, some good breaks and great long pots. He matched King in the safety department and was very patient.”
“His concentration looked good, it can waver when you are looking at other matches, but he finished the match off. He never baulks at the winning line, he gets over it very easily.”
One thought on “The 2021 UK Championship – Ronnie beats Mark King by 6-3 in the last 32”
It’s great that he applies himself and in the last two matches the break- offs were quite good actually, which was great to see. Lovely sight that the usually protruding red heads back towards the pack instead of offering an easy starter
O’Sullivan is into the last 16 of this event for the 21st time
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
It’s great that he applies himself and in the last two matches the break- offs were quite good actually, which was great to see. Lovely sight that the usually protruding red heads back towards the pack instead of offering an easy starter