Ronnie O’Sullivan reprimanded himself, “Argh, go home,” after misfiring on the cue ball during Friday’s UK Championship. Zhou Yuelong quickly won the frame and turned a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead, giving the impression that the miss would prove crucial. However, O’Sullivan proved his mettle by winning the next two frames to secure a semi-final matchup with Hossein Vafaei.
During his quarterfinal match at the UK Championship against Zhou Yuelong, Ronnie O’Sullivan appeared uneasy and made the mistake of telling himself to “go home” after a poor shot.
O’Sullivan was leading 4-2 in the match on Friday afternoon when he ran out of position after potting a straightforward yellow. O’Sullivan has not been the most pleased with his performances in York on his run to the final eight.
Alan McManus said on Eurosport commentary, “That’s an awful shot,” as the cue ball sank into a mass of reds, stopping O’Sullivan from extending his break.
O’Sullivan reacted with, “Argh, go home,” as he tried to think of a way out.
Even though he bounced back, the error cost him the frame as Zhou stormed back to take a 5-4 lead in the best-of-11 match.
Even so, O’Sullivan has won 21 Triple Crown titles without displaying some bottle, and he dutifully steadied himself to win the final two frames and secure a spot in the semifinals against Hossein Vafaei.
Higgins stuns commentators by leaving the game over lights, saying, “He’s just walked out!”
“It is going to happen,” says Vafaei, predicting a Middle Eastern snooker revolution.
O’Sullivan said in an interview in the Eurosport studio following the victory that he was still content to be competing, despite the fact that his performance fell short of his high expectations.
“Well, I was wondering what else I could be doing. It’s a great place, and even though I lost 6-0, it was still a fun way to spend a Friday afternoon, he remarked.
“I’m constantly wondering what else I could be doing on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night when I’m out and about, most likely not having fun and having trouble.
“I compare it to something like X Factor because if it weren’t for that, I would be watching that. Sometimes the outside world might be frustrating, so learn to accept that “it’s actually okay to be here.”
On Saturday, O’Sullivan and Vafaei will resume their rivalry. The two last faced off in a heated match at the World Championship in April, which The Rocket won 13-2.
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