RONNIE O’SULLIVAN kickstarted his 34th season as a professional snooker player – and first as a married man – with a thrilling final-frame success.
The Rocket is still enjoying the martial bliss of getting hitched to long-term partner Laila Rouass, an actress, last month in East London.
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And over in the Far East, he came through a 11th-frame decider with Barry Hawkins to prevail 6-5 in the last 16 of the lucrative Shanghai Masters.
The 49-year-old claimed it was the best he had played since lifting his seventh Crucible crown three years ago in Sheffield.
The sport’s greatest player, who is using a new cue after snapping his favourite one in January, came from 3-2 down to lead 5-3.
But Kent cueist Hawkins, 46, took it to the distance thanks to a 106 break – his 501st career century.
No.6 seed O’Sullivan – who now plays Kyren Wilson in the quarter-finals – scored breaks of 94, 94, 90 and 89 but was unable to get over the line for his first century of the new term.
There was one moment in frame six where he banged the table twice with his fist in anger.
But it was short-lived pain as he progressed a step closer to the £210,000 winner’s jackpot, gaining revenge for his elimination to the Hawk at the UK Championship last November in York.
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O’Sullivan said: “I’m just pleased to have won the match. Barry played pretty good.
“I played probably the best I have played for maybe since I won the world championship in 2022.
“For me that was a good performance. I could have lost it as well
“The table played okay with the humidity. I don’t know how it will be on Thursday, Friday or Saturday but if it stays the same, it’s good.
“Usually it gets harder and harder as the week goes on. Who knows? If it stays like this, it’s okay.”
Zhao Xintong returned to his homeland – as China’s first snooker world champion – and he thrilled the crowds by beating Chris Wakelin 6-2 in his season opener.
The Cyclone, who beat Wakelin at the Crucible en route to that historic triumph, scored breaks of 68, 103, 65, 73 and 59 in his usual, effortless manner.
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The 28-year-old will now face Chinese potting Godfather Ding Junhui in the last eight and there is unlikely to be an empty seat at the Luwan Gymnasium.
The Asian superstar said: “I’m really happy, because I had been looking forward to this match for a long time.
“I knew there would be some pressure but overall I think I played quite well. I stayed calm throughout the match.
“Before the match I thought I’d be nervous but I ended up staying pretty composed throughout. I’m pleased with how I handled it.
“I knew coming into this match that he would be determined to get his revenge, especially with me playing at home.”
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 – with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
- 1969 – John Spencer
- 1970 – Ray Reardon
- 1971 – John Spencer
- 1972 – Alex Higgins
- 1973 – Ray Reardon (2)
- 1974 – Ray Reardon (3)
- 1975 – Ray Reardon (4)
- 1976 – Ray Reardon (5)
- 1977 – John Spencer (2)
- 1978 – Ray Reardon (6)
- 1979 – Terry Griffiths
- 1980 – Cliff Thorburn
- 1981 – Steve Davis
- 1982 – Alex Higgins (2)
- 1983 – Steve Davis (2)
- 1984 – Steve Davis (3)
- 1985 – Dennis Taylor
- 1986 – Joe Johnson
- 1987 – Steve Davis (4)
- 1988 – Steve Davis (5)
- 1989 – Steve Davis (6)
- 1990 – Stephen Hendry
- 1991 – John Parrott
- 1992 – Stephen Hendry (2)
- 1993 – Stephen Hendry (3)
- 1994 – Stephen Hendry (4)
- 1995 – Stephen Hendry (5)
- 1996 – Stephen Hendry (6)
- 1997 – Ken Doherty
- 1998 – John Higgins
- 1999 – Stephen Hendry (7)
- 2000 – Mark Williams
- 2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 2002 – Peter Ebdon
- 2003 – Mark Williams (2)
- 2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
- 2005 – Shaun Murphy
- 2006 – Graeme Dott
- 2007 – John Higgins (2)
- 2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (3)
- 2009 – John Higgins (3)
- 2010 – Neil Robertson
- 2011 – John Higgins (4)
- 2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
- 2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (5)
- 2014 – Mark Selby
- 2015 – Stuart Bingham
- 2016 – Mark Selby (2)
- 2017 – Mark Selby (3)
- 2018 – Mark Williams (3)
- 2019 – Judd Trump
- 2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (6)
- 2021 – Mark Selby (4)
- 2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (7)
- 2023 – Luca Brecel
- 2024 – Kyren Wilson
- 2025 – Zhao Xintong
Most World Titles (modern era)
- 7 – Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 6 – Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
- 4 – John Higgins, Mark Selby
- 3 – John Spencer, Mark Williams
- 2 – Alex Higgins
