Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Ricky Walden but loses to Martin Gould, Kyren Wilson and John Higgins in Championship League

ByEurosport

Updated 01/02/2022 at 22:41 GMT

Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Ricky Walden but suffered three defeats in his Championship League group. O'Sullivan had been easily swept aside by defending champion Kyren Wilson and John Higgins earlier in the day at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes. O'Sullivan is in a seven-man group (Group 7) and is playing in four best-of-five-frame matches on Tuesday.

Ronnie O'Sullivan

Image credit: Getty Images

Ronnie O’Sullivan suffered three defeats and claimed just one win in the opening four matches of his Championship League group.

O'Sullivan suffered heavy defeats to both Kyren Wilson and John Higgins on Tuesday, and while he fought back to beat Ricky Walden, the Rocket threw away a two-frame lead against Martin Gould.

A break of 116 gave O'Sullivan a 2-0 lead of Gould but the underdog fought back and a clearance of 86 saw him level the match.

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And Gould needed just one visit in the decider as a break of 101 won him the match.

Earlier, Walden had looked set to consign O'Sullivan to a third straight defeat of the day, taking a 2-0 lead as O'Sullivan made it eight frames lost in a row.

But a break of 95 in the third saw the Rocket on the scoreboard, before levelling after a mammoth frame in which Walden squandered multiple chances to win the match.

O'Sullivan then punished Walden in the decider with a break of 106, stopping the rot.

WILSON AND HIGGINS SWEEP O'SULLIVAN ASIDE

Wilson made a 60 in the first frame to get off to a bright start.

It looked like O’Sullivan could have made a good break early in the second, but he split into the reds which left him behind the green. As he went to lay behind the green it rolled off.

The frame was blown wide open and Wilson capitalised when O’Sullivan played a poor safety shot which allowed the defending champion to clean up the colours.

Another poor safety shot from O’Sullivan allowed Wilson straight into the third frame and he sealed it with a break of 118.

O'Sullivan was straight on the table again for his second group match against Higgins, but again failed to register even a frame as the Wizard of Wishaw won it 3-0.

Higgins took the opening frame with a century and continued to be in complete control, taking the second on 68 points.

O'Sullivan looked as though he might pull it back in the third, but a tough red down the cushion wobbled the pocket to end his break at 43 and Higgins swept up with 62.

Ali Carter and Ding Junhui are also in group 7.

The top-four finishers in the group advance to the group play-offs, with the overall winner securing a spot in the Winners' Group on February 3-4.

Wilson currently leads the pack after winning all four of his matches on Tuesday, with Higgins, Ding and Carter winning two each. O'Sullivan and Gould have one win apiece, while Walden has lost all four of his matches so far.

Graeme Dott, Stuart Bingham, Yan Bingtao, Zhao Xintong, Liang Wenbo and Scott Donaldson have already qualified.