DailySun
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has been eliminated from the World Snooker Championship in the semi-finals following a 7-17 loss to Zhao Xintong.
O’Sullivan will not reach yet another Crucible final and must wait longer to surpass Stephen Hendry’s record of seven World Snooker titles.
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The Rocket, aged 49, suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of amateur Zhao, who recently returned to the sport after a 20-month suspension for a match-fixing scandal.
O’Sullivan’s entry into the tournament caught many off guard, especially after missing five events in 2025 due to health concerns.
However, he appeared to regain his form, defeating Si Jiahui, Junxu Pang, and rival Ali Carter to reach the semi-finals for an unprecedented 33rd consecutive year at the World Championships.
No one was more surprised than O’Sullivan himself, who, after using a new cue, described his performance as “awful,” likening himself to a swan.
This mindset may have affected him against Zhao, who took control during Friday’s sessions, clinching victory with a session to spare.
With the score tied at four frames each, O’Sullivan made the unexpected choice to change the tip of his cue MID MATCH.
When he returned to the table, Zhao won ALL EIGHT frames, leaving the audience at the Crucible in Sheffield stunned.
The evening session saw a more balanced match, but Zhao’s early lead was insurmountable for O’Sullivan.
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Now, the 28-year-old will face the winner of Judd Trump vs. Mark Williams in the final on Sunday.
The Chinese Cyclone made his comeback to the amateur circuit last September following a 20-month suspension related to a match-fixing scandal.
Ronnie O’Sullivan gives concerning interview despite World Snooker Championship victory
Zhao was adjudicated for betting on match outcomes over a three-year period and was involved in fixing two snooker matches.
Though he did not directly fix a match, his early admissions and guilty plea led to a lighter sentence compared to others.
World Snooker Championship 2025
WE are BACK at the Crucible for another exciting fortnight of snooker action!
A new champion will emerge this year as reigning champion Kyren Wilson was ousted in the first round by a formidable performance from Lei Peifan.
Ronnie O’Sullivan is pursuing a record EIGHTH World Snooker Championship title, while World No. 1 Judd Trump remains the tournament favorite.
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