O'Sullivan knocked out of Shenzhen Open

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan suffered a surprise early exit at the Shenzhen Open, losing 5‑2 to China’s Jiang Jun in the second round. Jiang, ranked 64th globally, claimed the first two frames before O’Sullivan equalised with breaks of 92 and 52, only for Jiang to dominate the next three frames, sealing the win with a 108 break and setting up a quarter‑final clash with fellow Englishman Zak Surety. The opening day also saw world number one Zhao Xintong and defending champion Mark Williams knocked out, while Judd Trump advanced unchallenged after his opponent Anthony McGill withdrew on medical grounds.

The upsets underscored the depth of competition in the tournament, with lower‑ranked players delivering decisive performances. Scotland’s Scott Donaldson, sitting 65 places below Zhao in the rankings, overturned a 3‑2 deficit to defeat the 2025 world champion 5‑4, compiling breaks of 77, 105, 50 and 62 in the deciding frame. Similarly, Welshman Mark Williams fell 5‑4 to China’s Fan Zhengyi after a crucial foul on the final pink, and Zhao’s loss to Donaldson highlighted the volatility of form among top‑seeded players in the early rounds.

Other notable results included Neil Robertson’s 5‑2 victory over Liu Hongyu, Chris Wakelin’s 5‑3 win against Liam Davies, and Si Jiahui’s 5‑1 sweep of Oliver Lines, while Ben Mertens progressed after Mark Allen withdrew for personal reasons. The first‑round matches also saw Jamie Clarke, Andrew Higginson, Marco Fu and Sam Craigie move forward, setting up a diverse field for the last‑16 stage of the Shenzhen Open.

⚡ Effects Interpreter