Ronnie O’Sullivan begins his bid for a record eighth World Championship on Saturday with a resounding victory over the debutante, setting up a ‘Class of 92’ rematch with John Higgins at Sheffield’s Crucible on Sunday, to be decided on Monday.
Last updated: 22/04/26 16:24
Ronnie O’Sullivan defeats debutant Heguo Qiang, setting up blockbuster second round fight with John Higgins
Ronnie O’Sullivan wasted little time in securing a comprehensive 10-2 victory over He Guangzhou to set up a blockbuster showdown with John Higgins in the second round of the Snooker World Championship.
O’Sullivan cruised to a record eighth world title with a lightning victory over the Chinese debutant in front of Manchester United and England legend Paul Scholes.
Leading 7-2 overnight, the 50-year-old smashed three centuries, including a maximum of one attempt, to finish the job and reach the last 16.
Former footballer Paul Scholes was in the front row at the Crucible for O’Sullivan’s match.
Just walking into the practice room and wandering around this venue makes me feel like I’m getting older. Everyone is 22, 23 years old and it’s like going into nursery school. We’re still hanging around and still trying.
Ronnie O’Sullivan of the world
“Ron is still rusty,” O’Sullivan told BBC Sport. “Honestly, I think tips are more important than cues, so I brought two cues.
“This one had a little bit of life to it, so I saved it all year. I figured if you come here and your main cue doesn’t work, it’s better to have a favorite cue with a good tip because you can get used to anything quickly.”
“Yesterday’s chips weren’t great, so I did a good job considering that. It was a bit of a roll of the dice, a gamble. I was a little nervous because I thought it might look a little silly, but I have to pull myself back together.
“I make some crazy decisions in other people’s eyes, but I tend to listen to my own advice because it makes perfect sense to me and it seems to have worked for me over the years.”
O’Sullivan faces John Higgins in ‘Class of ’92’ rematch
“The Rocket” will next face Higgins, a four-time world champion, in a “Class of ’92” meeting, referring to O’Sullivan, Higgins and Mark Williams, who turned pro during the 1992-92 season.
This will be the seventh time O’Sullivan and Higgins will meet at the Crucible. In five of the past six meetings, the winner has gone on to hoist the famous trophy.
“There were some oldies,” O’Sullivan said of meeting the Scot, whose first session will take place at 7pm on Saturday. “Everyone has said they feel a little old just wandering around this venue because they’re all 22, 23 years old, but it’s like going into nursery school, but we’re still hanging out and having fun.
“I’m not the player I used to be and probably never will be, but as long as I can enjoy the game.
“I’m starting to have fun again. I’m getting better at getting over the ball, but it’s still not good enough to win these events. I have to rely on luck a little bit.”
“John loves playing against me. I think he plays better than me playing against him. I haven’t played much in the last three years compared to John, so in some ways I’ll be at a bit of a disadvantage. He’s probably the favorite, but it’s a different kind of pressure.”
O’Sullivan famously won his first world title in 2001 by defeating Higgins at the age of 18-14.
