UK Championship 2021 - 'Anybody hurt?' - Ronnie O'Sullivan smashes cue ball to scatter reds

ByIbrahim Mustapha

Updated 24/11/2021 at 23:02 GMT

The Rocket, aiming for his eighth title in York, did not have it all his own way against White after seeing his early two-frame lead slip before eventually securing the win. While he produced some moments of sublime snooker, he also found himself having to battle hard for the win. Stream the UK Championship and much more top snooker action live and on demand on discovery+

Ronnie O’Sullivan almost seemed to allow his frustrations to get the better of him during his UK Championship first round match with Michael White.

The Rocket, gunning for his eighth title in York, saw a two-frame lead slip twice at 2-0 and 3-1 to allow White to level at 3-3 before restoring his advantage in the seventh.

Looking to go 5-3 up in the eighth, O’Sullivan found himself amid a cluster of reds and played an aggressive shot to scatter them, sending balls all over the table.

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“Anybody hurt?” quizzed Joe Johnson on commentary. “He had no idea what was happening to the cue ball there”

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“Very un-O’Sullivan like break this with the cue ball hurtling around the table," Phil Studd added.

O’Sullivan eventually went on to take the frame and closed out the match 6-3 to progress to the second round.

Earlier in the match, O’Sullivan raced into an early lead with an impressive 139 total break before another century in the second.

White battled back with a century of his own but in the end proved now match for the world number three.

O’Sullivan will face Robbie Williams in the second round after he won 6-4 against Nigel Bond.

'Blistering start' - O'Sullivan seals first frame against White with 139 clearance

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