Just like in Shanghai a couple of weeks ago, Ronnie exited the tournament in round 2 (last 16), and also just like in Shanghai, he had a 3-1 lead at the interval… 😞. He also made the highest break of the match, a 95. But it’s irrelevant of course … only the final score matters.
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 29-month title drought continued as he was left Thai and dry by a 6-4 defeat to Noppon Saengkham in the last 16 of the China Open.
O’Sullivan described himself as “just a very poor snooker player at the moment” as he let slip a 3-1 lead, losing five of the last six frames. The 50-year-old has not lifted a trophy since the 2024 Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker.
World number 45 Saengkham has knocked out world number one Judd Trump and all-time greatest O’Sullivan this week and is into the quarter-finals to face Shaun Murphy on Friday. The 34-year-old from Thailand has never won a ranking title but dreams of going all the way to the £250,000 top prize this week in Taiyuan.
After sharing the first two frames, O’Sullivan took the third on a respotted black and the fourth with a break of 95. After the interval the tide turned as Saengkham reeled off four in a row with a top break of 88 to lead 5-3. A run of 77 gave O’Sullivan frame nine and he had an early chance in the tenth but was unlucky to see the cue ball go in-off when he potted the blue and went into the pack on a break of 10. Saengkham made 47 though the frame was put back in the balance when O’Sullivan got the three snookers he needed. However he missed a difficult final pink and his opponent slotted it into a baulk corner.
“I feel very happy to beat Ronnie,” said Saengkham. “I have to say many thanks to my coach Peter Ebdon, he helps me when I play the top players or have a lot of pressure. He helps me to control myself. When I was 3-1 down I had made a couple of mistakes and usually when I’m struggling I can’t come back from that. But Peter has helped me on how to talk to myself when I do something wrong. When I potted the last pink I thought ‘I’m still here!’ I have a lot of confidence, I am just enjoying it and staying relaxed. Anything can happen.“
O’Sullivan said: “I’m just very poor. Too many bad shots, bad frames and silly mistakes. I have been like this for four years so I’m used to it but it’s frustrating. I don’t want to take anything away from Noppon, he played a really good match, he is cueing strong. I’m just a very poor snooker player at the moment, it’s as simple as that.”
I can’t add much for the time being, as Internet issues prevented me to see the match. I will update this post in due time, after watching it.
I don’t want to “sound” pessimistic but I’m not sure Ronnie will ever win a ranking event again. He had lean spells before, and he has come back to win after such lean spells … but he’s 50 years old now and has absolutely nothing to prove and, somehow what happens this season feels different. Is the hunger still there? I think it is. But is he still able to concentrate for the duration of a long match? Maybe not. Is his eyesight still as good as it used to be? Maybe not. Ronnie never was one to look for excuses. Even if he faces difficulties, he’s unlikely to speak about them. Not while he’s still playing.
These were shared on YouTube:
And, to me, there is nothing “shocking” in Noppon’s win. He’s a very good player, he has a great temperament and years of experience.
8 thoughts on “2026 China Open – Ronnie exits the tournament in round 2 – Last 16”
Ronnie is already a significant outlier and trailblazer with respect to success at a late age. As I said before, he already holds the record for oldest UK/Masters/World champions, and consider that he won a Triple Crown event as recently as 2024, compared to 2018 for Mark Williams and 2011 for John Higgins.
Maybe it’s just not really possible or feasible (in today’s snooker world) to continue winning big events at age 50+.
Obviously we don’t know what to change. Get more fit. Practice more. Play more (he just pulled out of the English Open, although playing more might lead to just more disappointment). Or just accept that this is it and look for the dignified exit. What certainly should not be an option is what he said after the Worlds last year: to ask for money to show up at tournaments, when it’s such a meager appearance.
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Well … It’s not that simple. He does bring “bums on seats”, doesn’t he? Which means that only by turning up he makes money for WST. He wants some of it. Why wouldn’t he? It won’t last forever, and maybe he knows it won’t last for much longer. That’s economy for you. I once started following a course in economy. TBH, it didn’t catch my interest much. But there is one thing I remember from it, the very first sentence by the teacher: “The goal of the economy is to satisfy effective demand — that is, the demand from those who can pay.”. Not “to satisfy the people needs” … “to satisfy effective demand”. Ronnie knows that he “sells” more than anyone else. That, for now, is (still) a fact. He wants a share of it. Why wouldn’t he? He hates flying, he struggles with time difference and insomnia. Should he lose in the first round he gets no ranking points … so, at least, he’s trying to make sure he’s not out of pocket. Why do you think Jimmy White keeps getting invitational tour cards? Because, even now, “he sells”. Nothing else. Should he refuse it?
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said it before, will say it again, move back to the UK and stop dodging taxes, simple as (and get back to the gym)
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What would going back to the UK do for him and his snooker? Nothing. That’s NOT the issue. And who tells you he’s not going to the gym? Yes, he did put weight on. Like many when getting older, as metabolism slows down. I agree he may need to seek help for that but the answer may not be the gym. When menopause came for me, I started to gain weight, a lot of weight. To lose it, I went to the gym, basically every day … and gained 15 more kilos… Medical advice from a good endocrinologist with a holistic approach is probably what he needs first and foremost.
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Given that he’s 50 years old, it’s hard to reasonably expect too much from Ronnie these days.
He already holds the records for oldest UK champion at 47 years old, oldest Masters champ at 48, and oldest World champion at 46, so winning any one of those again would require him to break the record by anywhere from 2 to 4 years. That’s a lot to ask.
Ronnie is already a significant outlier and trailblazer with respect to success at a late age. As I said before, he already holds the record for oldest UK/Masters/World champions, and consider that he won a Triple Crown event as recently as 2024, compared to 2018 for Mark Williams and 2011 for John Higgins.
Maybe it’s just not really possible or feasible (in today’s snooker world) to continue winning big events at age 50+.
needs to change something big time, this is becoming cringe it’s like watching Frank Sinatra when he started forgetting the lyrics
And change what exactly Santino? Going back in time isn’t an option, right?
Obviously we don’t know what to change. Get more fit. Practice more. Play more (he just pulled out of the English Open, although playing more might lead to just more disappointment). Or just accept that this is it and look for the dignified exit. What certainly should not be an option is what he said after the Worlds last year: to ask for money to show up at tournaments, when it’s such a meager appearance.
Well … It’s not that simple. He does bring “bums on seats”, doesn’t he? Which means that only by turning up he makes money for WST. He wants some of it. Why wouldn’t he? It won’t last forever, and maybe he knows it won’t last for much longer. That’s economy for you. I once started following a course in economy. TBH, it didn’t catch my interest much. But there is one thing I remember from it, the very first sentence by the teacher: “The goal of the economy is to satisfy effective demand — that is, the demand from those who can pay.”. Not “to satisfy the people needs” … “to satisfy effective demand”. Ronnie knows that he “sells” more than anyone else. That, for now, is (still) a fact. He wants a share of it. Why wouldn’t he? He hates flying, he struggles with time difference and insomnia. Should he lose in the first round he gets no ranking points … so, at least, he’s trying to make sure he’s not out of pocket. Why do you think Jimmy White keeps getting invitational tour cards? Because, even now, “he sells”. Nothing else. Should he refuse it?
said it before, will say it again, move back to the UK and stop dodging taxes, simple as (and get back to the gym)
What would going back to the UK do for him and his snooker? Nothing. That’s NOT the issue. And who tells you he’s not going to the gym? Yes, he did put weight on. Like many when getting older, as metabolism slows down. I agree he may need to seek help for that but the answer may not be the gym. When menopause came for me, I started to gain weight, a lot of weight. To lose it, I went to the gym, basically every day … and gained 15 more kilos… Medical advice from a good endocrinologist with a holistic approach is probably what he needs first and foremost.
Given that he’s 50 years old, it’s hard to reasonably expect too much from Ronnie these days.
He already holds the records for oldest UK champion at 47 years old, oldest Masters champ at 48, and oldest World champion at 46, so winning any one of those again would require him to break the record by anywhere from 2 to 4 years. That’s a lot to ask.