Ronnie won his opening match at this year UK Championship yesterday, exactly 30 years after he won his first UK Championship, his first ranking tournament, in 1993, beating Stephen Hendry in the Final. He beat Anthony Mc Gill by 6-2, from 0-2 down.
Ronnie O’Sullivan got his 2023 MrQ UK Championship campaign underway with a 6-2 win over Anthony McGill in York and 30 years to the day since he first lifted the title in this event as a 17-year-old, he branded himself as a “born again snooker player”.
O’Sullivan’s maiden UK title back in 1993 came when he defeated Stephen Hendry 10-6 at the Preston Guild Hall. It made him the youngest ever winner of a ranking event and was the first of 39 ranking crowns to date.
The Rocket has established himself as the greatest player in the history of the sport in virtually all statistical categories, including his seven UK Championship victories. He’s off to a strong start in his bid for an eighth and will now await the winner of Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Robert Milkins’ last 32 clash this evening.
World number one O’Sullivan is currently engaged in a three-way battle for the summit of the world rankings. Both World Champion Luca Brecel and player of the season so far Judd Trump are in contention to usurp him. Trump must make at least the semi-finals, while Brecel has to win the event.
Defeat for Scotland’s McGill is a continuation of his unfavourable record against O’Sullivan. He’s now lost eight of their nine meetings, but did beat the Englishman on snooker’s biggest stage at the Crucible back in 2021.
It was McGill who made the fastest start this afternoon, firing in a break of 116 to take the opener. Having trailed in the second, he made a break of 56 to move two frames ahead. The Glaswegian had the first opportunities in the following two frames, but failed to capitalise and two breaks of 89 saw O’Sullivan make it 2-2 at the mid-session. When play resumed, further contributions of 66, 61 and 92 helped the seven-time World Champion make it six on the bounce and run out a 6-2 victor.
“When I was 35, I thought I was probably done and dusted. That is what usually happens. I’ve had my best ten years. I’m at that point where I thought everything Is a bonus and every year I get extra playing I appreciate it more. It is like having a second life in a way. I’m a born again snooker player,” said 47-year-old O’Sullivan.
“Anthony has played two games in qualifying and come here. It is always nice to have a couple of matches under your belt. At 2-0 down it was on me a little bit. I managed to play in and get involved in the game after that.”
On the other table, four-time Crucible king John Higgins scored a 6-3 win over Joe O’Connor to book his place in the last 16.
Victory for Higgins sees him move in front of O’Connor in the head-to-head standings, leading 3-2 having lost his first two matches against the Leicester cueman.
Higgins fired in breaks of 66, 76, 58, 122 and 66 on his way to victory and will now play either Neil Robertson or Zhou Yuelong.
Here is the end of the match …
And Ronnie’s post-match in the ES Studio also explaining why he was wearing trainers
Also some images shared on social media, including Weibo
Ronnie wasn’t at his best but those first round matches are never easy for the seeds who come against an opponent who has already at leat two matches under their belt and has already secured 10000 pounds and ranking points.
China’s Zhou Yuelong scored his first win over Neil Robertson, beating the Australian 6-2 on a night of tremendous entertainment in York at the MrQ UK Championship.
Defeat for Robertson ends an incredible 16-year streak. The 23-time ranking event winner won a professional title in each calendar year between 2006 and 2022, but failed to capture silverware in 2023. He now heads home to Australia for an extended break over the Christmas period.
World number 26 Zhou had lost all three of his previous meetings with the Thunder from Down Under. That included a 6-2 loss in the 2020 UK Championship semi-finals and a 9-0 defeat in the 2020 European Masters final.
Victory for Zhou sets up a last 16 showdown with four-time World Champion John Higgins, who he has previously said he would like to mentor him at some point in the future. The Chengdu cueman will head into that clash with the legendary Scot full of confidence, having already come through two matches in qualifying, including a 6-5 win over Ian Burns on Judgement Day.
Zhou fired in a break of 80 to take the opener this evening, before Robertson claimed a tight second to restore parity at 1-1. A break of 134 from Zhou in the third was bettered when Robertson hammered in a stunning 135 in the fourth to head in for the mid-session level at 2-2.
When play resumed an inspired Zhou burst clear to romp to the finish line. Runs of 67, 99, 136 and 74 saw him rack up four on the bounce to seal an impressive 6-2 victory.
Zhou said: “I felt confident today and I felt comfortable. I know Neil is a very good opponent. He is very strong so I needed to give him pressure and I needed to be perfect. I did that.
“John Higgins is my favourite player and also my idol. I will enjoy playing against him. When I was younger I always watched him and Ronnie and Mark Williams too. For many years he has always been in the top eight. He is a very tough player.”
On the other table, Robert Milkins came through a pulsating encounter with Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 6-5 to book a meeting with world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan in the second round.
Milkins was placed firmly on the back foot in the early stages of this encounter, when Un-Nooh composed breaks of 93, 127 and 85 to move 3-1 ahead at the mid-session interval.
The Gloucester cueman sprang into life after the break, embarking on a brilliant attempt at a 147. However, Milkins missed a tricky last red to end his run on 112. It was soon two on the bounce when he compiled a contribution of 99 in the seventh to make it 4-3. Un-Nooh then moved one from victory at 5-3, but Welsh Open champion Milkins refused to fade and hammered in a 121 to stay in touch at 5-4.
World number 14 Milkins then took a narrow tenth frame on the pink and claimed the decider to score an important victory which moves him to the verge of Masters qualification.
Zhou played really well indeed, but all the same this is another disastrous result for Neil Robertson who looked quite upset to me at the end of the match. Robertson confirmed to Eurosport that he will now take a break and travel to Australia to see his family, something he hasn’t done for four years. All this that he will not qualify for the World Grand Prix and, will really need some good results in the second half of the season if he wants to keep his place in the top 16.
Ronnie O’Sullivan: Seven-time world champion says he was asked to ‘consider future’ by governing body
By Steve Sutcliffe – BBC Sport
Ronnie O’Sullivan is currently chasing an eighth UK Championship title in York
Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan says snooker’s governing body asked him “to consider” his future in the sport in a recent letter.
O’Sullivan, 47, is facing disciplinary action for publicly criticising the World Snooker Tour over its stance on five players appearing in an exhibition event in Macau earlier this season.
He has also threatened to quit snooker over the row.
The WST has been asked to respond to O’Sullivan’s latest comments.
“The letter they’ve sent me has not been very nice,” the Englishman said.
“I think I’ve done a lot of good for this game. I’d expect someone to come out and say, ‘you know what, we think you’ve done great for the game, we love what you give‘.
“I never get a ‘well done’ letter. All I get is a letter saying I’ve done this and that wrong. I’ve not spoken to anyone at World Snooker for 10 years and I won’t ever reach out to them again because I know the culture is not for me.“
Disciplinary action against the five players – current world champion Luca Brecel, four-time world champions John Higgins and Mark Selby, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Ali Carter – was averted when the event in Macau, a special administrative region of China, was moved to December, with WST permission.
Current world number one O’Sullivan backed the players in their dispute with the WST in October.
More recently, Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen said he was hoping for a “peaceful resolution” to contract concerns when he and other players meet with snooker bosses during the UK Championship.
Specially organised events in East Asia are a lucrative proposition for stars such as O’Sullivan, who can attract large crowds whenever they play, and he believes that contracts to play on the main professional tour should offer more flexibility to allow that to happen.
“Sharing a slice of cake with 130 players [on the main tour] is difficult,” O’Sullivan said.
“When I go to China, they are paying me 10 to 15 times the amount I can get to play here. At this stage of my career, I have to think of what is right for my family. I want them to have a comfortable life.”
Let me just say that I find the whole situation quite baffling! Ronnie remains a major attraction to the fans, he puts bums on seats more than anyone else. Why not seek a solution that would meet both sides needs and concerns. Of course, a player who will turn 48 in a few days does consider his future and will be focused on securing the best possible future for their family. Everyone with some common sense would do the same. It’s not rocket science! They would do the same if they were in his shoes. He has brought a lot to the sport for over 30 years. It’s not his fault if they failed to market the younger players better and are still relying on veterans to sell their sport. And they really should ask themselves WHY there are no young players, other than from Asia, really coming through to the very top. I have touched that subject a few times in the past and won’t repeat it here … just a hint … ditch the money list, ditch the flat draw.
5 thoughts on “2023 UK Championship – Ronnie wins on Day 4”
It’s not at all clear what “consider your future” actually means – it depends on the context and tone. But we’re been down this route before, it’s hardly stunning.
Zhou’s fine performance was not unexpected. I’ve seen him play this well before, but his problem is usually keeping his level to the end. In the International Championship he had two 6-0 wins, followed by a 6-1 loss to Dan Wells. Also nice to see that he was interviewed by both ES and BBC, as was Yuan Sijun by ES. It does raise the question why they were ignored on Judgement Day.
We have heard many times from players that they were considering their future for various reasons but I can’t remember the governing body ever suggesting anyone they should consider their future. It’s not at all the same thing.
First, good first round for Ronnie: after being 0-2 down he really pulled himself together and stayed that way. it was a bit baffling why McGill kept going for the longpots when they clearly did not work, but maybe he thought after all these misses this one will surely get in… 🙂
Second, Neil Robertson’s lack of form is really baffling, I wonder if it can really be put down to homesickness.
Third, something must have averted me, but if there is no disciplinary action against the players who were supposed to go to Macau (I think, even because of the change of time they did not enter the NI Open), why do they continue it against Ronnie, who in the end just verbally supported them?
exactly my thoughts Csilla. Why?
Also Allen’s abnormal statement?
The board simply want tour players silent when they are about to “carry out” disciplinary actions. (As Ronnie did not withdraw his speech…)
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
It’s not at all clear what “consider your future” actually means – it depends on the context and tone. But we’re been down this route before, it’s hardly stunning.
Zhou’s fine performance was not unexpected. I’ve seen him play this well before, but his problem is usually keeping his level to the end. In the International Championship he had two 6-0 wins, followed by a 6-1 loss to Dan Wells. Also nice to see that he was interviewed by both ES and BBC, as was Yuan Sijun by ES. It does raise the question why they were ignored on Judgement Day.
We have heard many times from players that they were considering their future for various reasons but I can’t remember the governing body ever suggesting anyone they should consider their future. It’s not at all the same thing.
First, good first round for Ronnie: after being 0-2 down he really pulled himself together and stayed that way. it was a bit baffling why McGill kept going for the longpots when they clearly did not work, but maybe he thought after all these misses this one will surely get in… 🙂
Second, Neil Robertson’s lack of form is really baffling, I wonder if it can really be put down to homesickness.
Third, something must have averted me, but if there is no disciplinary action against the players who were supposed to go to Macau (I think, even because of the change of time they did not enter the NI Open), why do they continue it against Ronnie, who in the end just verbally supported them?
exactly my thoughts Csilla. Why?
Also Allen’s abnormal statement?
The board simply want tour players silent when they are about to “carry out” disciplinary actions. (As Ronnie did not withdraw his speech…)