Ronnie O'Sullivan came from 4-2 down to beat Allan Taylor 6-5 in the first round of the International Championship in China.
13:00, 03 Nov 2025Updated 13:00, 03 Nov 2025
Despite progressing to the second round of the International Championship in China, snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan has voiced concerns about his cue tip. The seven-time World Champion managed to edge out Allan Taylor 6-5, after being two frames down earlier in the match.
O'Sullivan made a stunning comeback from 4-2 down with breaks of 100, 119 and 129. That victory secured his place in the next round where he will face Sanderson Lam.
However, following his first round victory, O'Sullivan admitted: "My tip wasn't great. I couldn't get any reaction out of it. Certain shots I had no confidence on.
"I'm cueing good but making too many mistakes. I have to put that down to the tip.
"You can't really hit every ball perfectly. But with that tip, you have to. If I can shape it down, get it a bit lower, maybe gain some more feeling, that would be great."
Despite these issues, O'Sullivan remains positive about his performance. "I'm enjoying playing. It never feels like a grind when you are cueing well," he said.
"I always think that if I am cueing good, then results don't really matter.
"I'm enjoying playing more than I have done for maybe over a decade now."
He added: "I would have been disappointed if I lost today. Not because Allan didn't deserve to win, just more that I'm enjoying playing.
"I think when I play alright the crowd appreciate the shots and the break building.
"When I click into gear that raises the temperature in there a little bit."
O'Sullivan might be keeping tabs on a fascinating story unfolding at the championship, with 14-year-old Wang Xinzhong reaching the same stage. The young prodigy triumphed over women's world champion Bai Yulu 6-4 in the pre-qualifier match.
The match saw Yulu set a new record for the highest break by a female player in a ranking event, scoring an impressive 145 in the seventh frame. However, Xinzhong rallied from 4-3 down to clinch the next three frames and secure his spot in the first round.
In his second match of the day, he sailed past Robbie Williams with a 6-1 victory. The Chinese youngster is now set to face off against Masters champion Shaun Murphy in the second round on Monday.