From 4-2 and 5-3 down, Ronnie battled very hard today but it was in vain as he was beaten 6-5 by Jack Lisowski in the round of 32 at the International Championship in Nanjing.
It was the first time ever that Jack beat Ronnie and I’m certain that it’s not just “by chance” that it happened now, right after Jack’s first tournament win. It’s been a long time coming, but now that it has happened, I expect Jack to thrive and win many more.
Also, somehow he has always been a bit “in the shadow” of his close friend Judd Trump. Jack is supremely talented and so far has “underachieved”. Of course, there are circumstances that have contributed to that situation. Jack is a cancer survivor. He was only a teenager when he fought the illness. Nobody truly knows how much, and in what ways, that illness and its aftermath has held him back but surely, for him, snooker can’t have been “his everything”.
Jack Lisowski scored his first ever win over Ronnie O’Sullivan, prevailing 6-5 in a thrilling clash at the International Championship in Nanjing.
It’s the latest landmark in a dream two weeks for the Jackpot. After losing his first six ranking finals, he finally achieved his dream last Sunday, beating best friend Judd Trump 9-8 in the Northern Ireland Open final.
He came into today with a torrid record against the Rocket, having suffered 6-1 defeats in three of their four previous meetings. Their most recent meeting was a 6-1 loss at the 2022 Masters.
Lisowski put on an electric display this afternoon and appeared to be coasting home when runs of 72, 75, 113, 88 and 63 had him 5-3 ahead. However, nerves started started to impact and that was further compiled when seven-time World Champion O’Sullivan claimed two on the spin to force a decider.
A remarkable final frame twisted one way and then another, with both players spurning opportunities. Eventually it was Lisowski who found a way over the line, depositing the winning black along the top cushion to topple snooker’s greatest player for a first time. Next up is a last 16 meeting with Barry Hawkins.
“I sort of collapsed over the line. I got lucky when it mattered a few times at the end. I was doing alright to 5-3 up then I started thinking I could beat Ronnie. That is such a big deal. I’ve watched him since being a child. I’ve never gotten close to him. I had all that going through my mind and I lost concentration,” said 34-year-old Lisowski.
“It has been an incredible week. Winning a title was the focus for like 15 years and now to beat Ronnie is a special achievement for any player. I can’t believe I’ve done both.
“I played him in the Masters and that is the only time I’ve felt humiliated as a professional, like I wasn’t in his league. I also played John Higgins once when I never had a shot. They are the only two players who have made me realise the level you can get to. I was scared he’d make me look silly today, but I’m onto something. If I can keep my concentration my game stands up.”
Zak Surety made the second 147 of his career during a dramatic 6-5 win over Aaron Hill to set up a last 16 tie with Australia’s Neil Robertson, who beat Yuan Sijun 6-3.
The Essex cueman enjoyed a fine end to last season, making the semis of the World Open and qualifying for the World Championship final stages. Wins have been harder to come by this term, but he was thrilled to achieve snooker perfection this evening.
Surety said: “I missed a chance for a 147 on eight in qualifying! All the blokes round me in the club have been telling me I’ll have another. I couldn’t see how it was possible as I was bottling it on eight! To do it again in a big tournament is unreal.”
Recent British Open champion Shaun Murphy prevailed 6-4 against Elliot Slessor to set up a blockbuster last 16 clash with home hero Ding Junhui, who beat Liam Highfield 6-4.
World Champion Zhao Xintong beat former European Masters winner Fan Zhengyi 6-3, while world number one Judd Trump overcame Noppon Saengkham 6-3.
Here are two more short videos shared on YouTube by WST and TNT
Ronnie O’Sullivan stays after International Championship defeat to work with snooker wonderkid
Ronnie O’Sullivan has been passing on his wisdom to a player over 30 years younger than him (Picture: Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan was knocked out of the International Championship on Tuesday, but hung around in Nanjing to work with 14-year-old prospect Michal Szubarczyk.
The Rocket was beaten 6-5 by Jack Lisowski in the last 32 in Nanjing, losing a dramatic decider full of errors to the recent Northern Ireland Open winner.
O’Sullivan was chasing Jackpot throughout and managed to force a decider, in which both had a string of chances to win but it was ultimately the 34-year-old who got over the line.
It felt a big win for Lisowski who had lost all of his previous meetings with the Rocket, losing 6-1 in all three of their clashes over this distance.
The seven-time world champion seemed frustrated with some of his own mistakes in the eleventh and final frame, but he was good enough to pass on some wisdom to the youngest professional on the World Snooker Tour despite the defeat.
14-year-old Polish prospect Szubarczyk is competing in his first season as a pro and has already started making an impact, winning four matches, which is some feat at his age.
Victoria Shi of Sheffield’s Victoria’s Snooker Academy posted a clip of O’Sullivan picking balls out for the teenager, writing: ‘A few hours after his defeat in the International Championship Ronnie O’Sullivan spent some time with the youngest player on tour, 14 year old Michał Szubarczyk from Poland, as reported by Victoria on twitter: “A few hours after his defeat in the International Championship Ronnie O’Sullivan spent some time with the youngest player on tour, 14 year old Michał Szubarczyk from Poland. Some valuable advice from the greatest player of all time 🤩🤩🤩 “
Szubarczyk won the European Under-16 and Under-18 Championships earlier this year, and reached the final of the open age event, winning his place on the pro tour as a result.
In attendance at those events in Turkey was three-time world champion Mark Williams who was blown away by the Pole’s talent. ‘I was in Turkey watching the Europeans, I watched a young boy there and came back and told everyone in the club that this is one of the best 14-year-olds I’ve ever seen in my life,’ Williams told Metro in March. ‘Up there with O’Sullivan. Maybe not as good, but not far away’.
Michal Szubarczyk is at the very start of his professional career (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Every time I watched him he was knocking in 80s, 90s, 100s. It was frightening.
‘I was speaking to John Higgins up in Telford and said: “Watch out for this kid, it’s something I haven’t seen for donkey’s!”‘
Speaking last month, O’Sullivan said how he is always happy to help players, especially young players although he is not exactly fighting off approaches.
‘I’d love to help out and try and get some of the grassroots in the UK going and take some players under my wing,’ the Rocket told Metro. ‘Try and re-establish ourselves as a top snooker nation.’
O’Sullivan is open to mentoring young players (Picture: Getty Images)
Asked if any player has approached him for some guidance, he said: ‘No, no one, really. Yeah…no one, really.
‘Victoria [Shi] reached out to me, she always does to help a player. You need to spend time on a table with someone to really be able to help them properly.
‘So no one’s come, but I always offer advice to some of the players, not mentioning any names, but because I like them and I want to see them do well.
‘And I just think it’s always handy to have someone that’s been there done it and can pass on a bit of good advice, you know?’
Szubarczyk was beaten in his opening contest at the International Championship, while another 14-year-old grabbed a lot of attention in Nanjing.
Wang Xinzhong beat women’s world champion Bai Yulu and then Robbie Williams before a narrow 6-5 defeat to Shaun Murphy in his third outing.
Jack Lisowski is into the last 16 in Nanjing (Picture: Getty Images)
Lisowski reacts to first ever Rocket win
Lisowski admitted that the achievement of beating O’Sullivan for the first time got to him when he went 5-3 ahead, but perhaps the positive feelings of his win in Belfast last month got him through the match.
‘I just sort of collapsed over the line, got lucky when it mattered,’ he told WST. ‘I was doing alright to 5-3 up and was thinking, “Cor, I might beat Ronnie here.”
‘It’s such a big deal, since I was a child I’ve watched him. We’ve had some games but I’ve never got close to him. I had all those things going through my mind. I completely lost my concentration. My cueing went. But I’ve got momentum, a bit of luck and somehow managed to win.’
On his previous heavy defeats to O’Sullivan, he said: ‘I played him once in the Masters and that’s the only time I’ve felt humiliated as a professional. I wasn’t in his league. And I played John Higgins once and his safety was incredible, I never had a shot. They’re the only two players that have made me realise the level they can get to and I’m nowhere near.
‘I was scared today that maybe he was going to make me look silly. But I’m on to something and if I focus on myself and keep my own concentration, my game stands up.
‘But I didn’t do that at the end, lost my concentration and I can play like a right muppet.’
And that’s it for today … tomorrow we have some cracking matches in prospect. In the morning, I will watch Judd Trump v Wu Yize – Go Wu! – and in the afternoon Ding Junhui v Shaun Murphy.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 