A major upset occurred in the first round of the Northern Ireland Open on Oct. 19 local time. Seven-time world champion "The Rocket" Ronnie O'Sullivan, returning to the tournament after four years, made his comeback debut but, despite leading 3-1, was pegged back by Hong Kong qualifier Cheung Ka-wai, ranked 110th in the world, who won three straight frames to complete a 4-3 comeback and advance to the last 32. Notably, this is Cheung's first career win in a ranking event main draw knockout match, and the most important victory since he turned professional.
O'Sullivan quickly found his rhythm at the start, firing breaks of 56, 138 (a clearance), and 72, leaving Cheung trailing 1-3. Then the tide turned. In the fifth frame, Cheung seized an opportunity left by his opponent and made a break of 88. In the sixth frame, he added a break of 77 to level the match at 3-3. In the decisive frame, O'Sullivan made a mistake, and Cheung capitalised with a break of 60 to seal the victory.
An emotional Cheung said afterwards that it was the best moment of his snooker career. He admitted that he was genuinely a little afraid facing O'Sullivan, but his coach encouraged him to gain the best possible experience regardless of the result.
(Video source: Facebook)
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