Ronnie O’Sullivan made it to the finals ranked 66th, overcoming a 43-0 deficit against Wu Yize in the deciding match and earning a chance for a record-extending 42nd ranking title after scoring a sensational clearance.
Last updated: 21/03/26 13:17
Ronnie O’Sullivan advances to World Open final with sensational finish
Ronnie O’Sullivan scored a deciding-frame thriller against Wu Yize to reach the World Open final.
With O’Sullivan and Wu locked at 5-5 in the race through six frames, ‘The Rocket’ came from 43-0 down to produce an impressive counter-clear of 89 for a dramatic 6-5 victory.
The seven-time world champion has reached the final at No. 66 in the rankings and will face Judd Trump or Thepchaiya Unnu in Sunday’s final in a best-of-19 match with a chance to clinch a record-extending 42nd place ranking title.
🏆 7-time world champion
🏆 8x British Champion
🏆 Win the Masters 8 times
🏆 41 ranking titles
⭐️ 1,320 century break
⭐️Up to 17 breaks
⭐️Highest break: 153
⏳ Fastest maximum break of 5’08”, undefeated for 29 years
🐐 Best ever
Essex’s Cuman will reach his first ranking final since defeating Judd Trump to win the World Grand Prix in January 2024.
“I like the bottle when it’s flowing. I just really like my bottle,” O’Sullivan said. With victory in Sunday’s title match, he was able to enjoy another breakthrough moment. He becomes the first player in history to win ranking events in the teens, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. “When he missed at 5-5, I had a chance on the red and I had to go for it. The ball went in unbelievably and I made a great clearance.
“I knew that if I got the red I expected, I would clear the race. Before, I would beg my opponent not to miss because I didn’t want to embarrass myself. It’s different now. I feel much happier because I can stay in that mindset. Even if I miss, at least that’s what I want.”
“His cue power and snooker brain are great. He has a lot to learn, but all he has to learn is the easy parts. He’s like me before I met Ray Reardon. He can pot the ball and score really well. I tell him he needs to learn the other side of the game.”
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On Friday, O’Sullivan smashed 153 in the tournament, the highest in professional snooker.
The 50-year-old achieved the feat after leaving his quarter-final opponent Ryan Day snookered at the start of the opening frame, with the Welshman failing in his attempt to break out of it, giving O’Sullivan a free ball.
This allowed the seven-time world champion to start the break from the green and then earn eight points before going into the red in the opening black.
O’Sullivan then rolled out 15 reds, along with 13 blacks and two pinks, clearing each color for a record-breaking 153 on his way to a resounding 5-0 victory.
O’Sullivan, currently ranked 12th in the world, has signed up to compete in the World Senior Championships for the first time this year.
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O’Sullivan’s road to the World Open final
Round 1: Ronnie O’Sullivan 5-1 Ross Muir Round 2: Ishpreet Singh Chadda 0-5 Ronnie O’Sullivan (bye)Round 3: Ronnie O’Sullivan 5-0 Matthew SeltoRound 4: Ronnie O’Sullivan 5-3 Sean Murphy Quarter-final: Ronnie O’Sullivan 5-0 Ryan Day Semi-final: Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-5 Wu Eze
