Ronnie O’Sullivan misses golden ball attempt in agonising fashion | Other | Sport
Ronnie O’Sullivan failed to pot the unique golden ball in practice ahead of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship. ‘The Rocket’ will hope history does not repeat itself during the tournament as he aims to win the title for a second time.
The event features the added golden ball, worth an extra 20 points, that remains on the table as long as a 147 break is possible. If a player achieves a maximum, they have the opportunity to pot the lucrative golden ball for a record 167 break. There is plenty of incentive as the player who achieves the feat will receive a huge £760,000 ($1million) bonus, which is more than triple the £250,000 awarded to the tournament winner. However, O’Sullivan demonstrated in practice that potting the golden ball is not a straightforward task.
In a video shared on social media, the World Snooker Tour filmed nine of the tournament’s 12 competitors potting a black on the practice table before lining up the golden ball. O’Sullivan was the first player to step up and saw his effort bounce off the cushion.
Fortunately for O’Sullivan, he was not the only star to miss. Neil Robertson, Zhao Xintong, Shaun Murphy and Ding Junhui will also hope for better luck, should the opportunity arise again during their matches.
Meanwhile, Mark Williams, Mark Allen and John Higgins will be among those wanting their practice to pay off after potting the golden ball. Kyren Wilson went one step further, showing his confidence with a no-look pot.
O’Sullivan will play his first match of the competition on Wednesday evening. He will face the winner of the first round match between Masters champion Murphy and Saudi Arabian teenager Ziyad Alqabbani.
The 49-year-old won the inaugural edition of the tournament in March 2024, defeating Luca Brecel in the final. While O’Sullivan will be aiming to add another title to his name, the snooker icon has admitted that he would prefer to be the first player to make a 167 break.
Ahead of the tournament, O’Sullivan said: “I’d rather get the big break. I mean, I won the tournament before and it’s great to win the tournament, but to get the 167 I think that’d be amazing. An amazing achievement if anybody could do it.
“Someone said there’s been 14 147s this year. So that’s a hell of a lot. But to get that golden ball, that’s the true test. I don’t think anyone will do it, if that’s my personal opinion. I’d be happy to be wrong.”
Mark Allen arrives as the reigning champion, having also defeated Brecel in the final last December. The Riyadh Season Snooker Championship consists of the world’s top 10 players plus two Saudi Arabian wildcards.
The tournament takes place across three days, with the semi-finals and final being held on Friday, November 21.
