Rocket gets off to flying start
Ronnie O’Sullivan kick-started 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, actress Laila Rouass, last month in East London.
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.
No6 seed O’Sullivan – who now plays Kyren Wilson in the quarter-finals – hit 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.
