Ronnie O’Sullivan staged a remarkable comeback to overcome a 3-0 deficit and defeat Zhang Anda 6-5, securing his place in the quarter-finals of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters. O’Sullivan, known as "The Rocket," had previously lost both of his matches against Zhang, who had won their encounters at the English Open and the International Championship last season.
Zhang entered the match in impressive form, having achieved a record-breaking 5-0 victory over Ben Woollaston in the previous round, where he became the first player to complete four total clearances in a best-of-nine match. He maintained his strong performance by quickly establishing a 3-0 lead with breaks of 67, 77, and 66. However, a missed opportunity in the fourth frame allowed O’Sullivan to score 64 and reduce the deficit to 3-1 at the mid-session interval.
Upon resuming play, O’Sullivan leveled the match with back-to-back century breaks of 109. The match continued to be closely contested, with Zhang initially taking a 5-4 lead. O’Sullivan forced a decider with a break of 87 and then clinched victory with a break of 78 after potting a crucial long red. Despite his triumph, O’Sullivan expressed dissatisfaction with his current form, citing frequent unforced errors and a perceived decline in his game.
In other results, Mark Williams secured a place in his 113th ranking quarter-final by defeating Stuart Bingham 6-2. Williams, who made breaks of 71, 77, and 64, will now face Jimmy Robertson in the last eight. Robertson, the former European Masters winner, advanced by overcoming World Champion Kyren Wilson 6-4, having previously defeated John Higgins. Williams reflected on his achievement, noting his goal to remain in the top 16 at age 50 and expressing pride in his performance.
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