Ronnie O’Sullivan kicked off his campaign at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters with a commanding 5-1 victory over China’s Lei Peifan. O’Sullivan, known as "The Rocket," showcased his formidable skill with breaks of 59, 103, 93, and 131, making light work of his opponent. This win sets him up for a last 16 clash against Zhang Anda, who impressed with a dominant 5-0 win over Ben Woollaston, including breaks of 138, 128, and 50.
The tournament has seen a series of upsets, with nine of the top 16 seeds falling in their opening matches. Despite the surprises, O’Sullivan expressed no shock at the high number of early exits. He praised the snooker experience in Riyadh, calling the event amazing and the venue fantastic. O’Sullivan noted that the current level of competition means that anyone can excel on their day, putting pressure on higher-seeded players.
World Champion Kyren Wilson continued his strong season with a 5-3 win over Liu Hongyu. After a challenging start to the season with a heavy loss to Zhou Yuelong, Wilson rebounded by winning the Xi’an Grand Prix and now faces Jimmy Robertson in the last 16. Wilson acknowledged the relief of winning his first event as World Champion and is enjoying his snooker with a positive outlook.
In other matches, Robertson secured his third consecutive victory over John Higgins with a 5-2 win, while Mark Williams narrowly defeated Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 5-4, finishing with a decisive 101 break in the final frame. Stuart Bingham also advanced by edging Ding Junhui 5-4 in a dramatic final frame, where Ding’s break was interrupted by a mishap. The last 16 will feature further encounters, including matches between Si Jiahui and Tom Ford, and Pang Junxu against Luca Brecel.
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