November 5th 2024.
Ronnie O'Sullivan, the seven-time world champion, has been facing a frustrating season so far. This was made apparent once again as he suffered a shocking defeat in the last 32 of the International Championship. The loss came at the hands of rising Chinese star, Pang Junxu, who put on an impressive performance to secure the victory with a score of 6-4.
Despite his defeat, O'Sullivan did not play poorly. In fact, he was in top form, making breaks of 83, 81, and 59. However, it was Pang who truly shone on the table, with breaks of 85, 73, and a stunning final-frame effort of 123. He even managed to pot all 15 reds and blacks in the penultimate frame before his maximum attempt ended on 120.
It was a disappointing outing for O'Sullivan in Nanjing, especially after pulling out of several events leading up to this one. His wait for a title this season continues, despite managing semi-final runs at the Shanghai Masters and Xi'an Grand Prix. Although his performance has not been disastrous, it has not been up to his usual high standards.
Pang's victory over O'Sullivan was a huge step up from their previous match in the Championship League, where the Chinese player emerged victorious. He will now face Jackson Page in the last 16, after the Welshman secured a solid 6-4 win over Ali Carter in the previous round, following his victory over Dave Gilbert.
Meanwhile, Pang Junxu continues to make great progress in the game, proving himself as a formidable opponent for even the most experienced players. This was evident in his triumph over O'Sullivan, and it will be interesting to see how far he can go in the tournament.
In other matches, John Higgins secured his spot in the last 16 with a dominant 6-1 victory over Matthew Stevens, including a high break of 133. However, there was an upset in store for former world champion, Shaun Murphy, who lost 6-3 to Chris Wakelin. The latter made two centuries on his way to defeating Murphy, proving that he is a force to be reckoned with on the table.
With more matches to be played, the International Championship promises to be an exciting tournament filled with surprises and impressive performances. We can't wait to see what unfolds next.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
