News Beat
‘I’ll be gone tonight’ – Ronnie O’Sullivan coy on future after 50th birthday is ruined by UK Championship first-round KO
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN will spend his “boring” 50th birthday running in Ireland after being knocked out of the UK Championship.
The Rocket will reach his half century on Friday but he will not be involved in the quarter-finals of this Triple Crown event.
That is because he was shocked 6-4 by party-pooper Zhou Yuelong on Tuesday afternoon in the first round in York.
It was the first time O’Sullivan – playing in the UK for the first occasion since the Crucible Worlds in May – had lost to Zhou, 27, in eight attempts.
Though he is based in Dubai these days, having emigrated there with his new wife, he has a base in Southern Ireland where he can hang out with pals.
The seven-time world champion has not committed to when he will be next in England and could miss the Masters in January.
He said: “My plans now? I’ll be gone tonight.
“I’ll definitely watch the tournament, absolutely. I’ll get to Ireland (on Wednesday) and sit and watch it on the telly. I do enjoy watching it.
“On my birthday, I’ll probably go for a run, eat some nice food, watch some snooker. Go to the gym. Pretty boring, really.
“It feels all right to lose. It feels good in some ways and not so good in other ways.
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“As you get older, you probably worry a bit less about the stuff you used to worry about. Now, you just try and enjoy your life.
“I’m still disappointed if I lose. If I play well and lose, I get even more disappointed, but if I don’t feel well and lose, I just accept it wasn’t my day.
“I’m just here to play snooker and try my best and try to enjoy life.
“I missed quite a lot of balls. I didn’t deserve to win. I don’t think the tables are nippy but if you don’t hit them right, they won’t go in.
“That was a bit of a ropey performance, I’m not going to shy away from that.”
O’Sullivan, using a new cue for this season, hit a 123 break in frame four and played well in patches.
But he got caught out by Zhou, who pinched two frames on the final black and also hit a magnificent 125 in the eighth frame.
Zhou defied the nerves he was feeling to sink the colours required to win from 58-46 down in the 10th frame.
The world No29 said: “I lost a deciding frame to Ronnie two years ago.
“I’ve practised every day coming into this event. I’m really proud. I wasn’t that nervous.”
