O’Sullivan Eliminated by Pang Junxu in Nanjing

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, who secured his most recent of seven world titles in 2022, was eliminated from the International Championship in Nanjing following a 6-4 loss to Pang Junxu in the third round. In Nanjing, the match was level at 2-2. Pang, aged 24, then established a 4-2 advantage by achieving breaks of 85 and 73. The 48-year-old O’Sullivan subsequently won the following two frames, equalizing the score once more. However, his Chinese adversary then completed breaks of 120 and 123 to clinch the win. Pang is scheduled to compete against Welsh player Jackson Page in the last 16, after Page defeated Ali Carter 6-4. Elsewhere, John Higgins advanced by decisively beating Matthew Stevens 6-1, and Judd Trump secured a 6-4 victory over Joe O’Connor. Shaun Murphy’s involvement concluded with a 6-3 loss to Chris Wakelin, who compiled breaks of 116, 102, 60, 85, and 63. Former world number one Mark Allen was also eliminated, falling 6-2 to China’s Xiao Guodong. Meanwhile, Guodong’s compatriot Xu Si captivated the local audience by achieving a 147 break – his second ever – en route to a 6-2 triumph against Wales’ Ryan Day. Current world champion Kyren Wilson advanced after a 6-4 victory over Wu Yize, and Barry Hawkins defeated Neil Robertson 6-1. The 2021 champion, Zhao Xintong, is slated to participate in UK Championship qualifying, having resumed play following a ban for his involvement in snooker’s most significant match-fixing scandal. He secured his place in the qualifying rounds, taking place in Leicester from 16 to 21 November, after his victory at the WPBSA Q Tour event in Stockholm last month, which occurred a month after his return from suspension. He represents the first of ten Chinese players banned last year to re-enter the sport, though he was not directly implicated in throwing a match. Zhao received a suspension of one year and eight months, a duration shortened from two and a half years due to his early admissions and guilty plea. He admitted to charges of being involved with another player in fixing two matches and also placing bets on matches himself. The UK Championship is scheduled to commence on Saturday, 23 November, at the York Barbican, with broadcast coverage available via BBC TV, the BBC Sport website, and its app.