## Ronnie O’Sullivan Suffers Dramatic Whitewash as Zhao Xintong Surges to World Snooker Final
Ronnie O’Sullivan, a name synonymous with snooker excellence, endured a stunning and unexpected collapse at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield yesterday, as he was whitewashed 8-0 by China’s Zhao Xintong during the second session of their World Snooker Championship semi-final encounter.
The match had begun with all the hallmarks of a classic showdown. The opening session saw both players share the spoils, finishing all square at 4-4, sparking anticipation for a tightly-contested semi-final. However, the balance of play shifted dramatically when O’Sullivan made the surprising decision to change the tip and ferrule on his cue between sessions, describing the previous one as “awful”. This mid-match alteration, far from providing an edge, appeared to contribute to a downward spiral in his usually imperious game.
O’Sullivan’s difficulties became increasingly apparent as the morning session unfolded. The seven-time world champion—long revered for his mental strength and supreme potting—simply could not find his rhythm. In stark contrast, Zhao Xintong, at just 28 years old and exuding composure beyond his years, seized every opportunity. He produced clinical breaks of 57 (twice), 112, and 82, ruthlessly capitalising on every error from his legendary opponent.
By the end of the gruelling session, the scoreboard made painful reading for O’Sullivan and his fans: not a single frame claimed, with Zhao racing to a 12-4 aggregate lead and edging tantalisingly close to his maiden appearance in the World Championship final. O’Sullivan, who has previously only endured four session whitewashes in his lengthy career, was left visibly shaken and struggling to process the turn of events.
The statistics of this session told their own story. O’Sullivan managed a paltry 50 points across the eight frames, his highest break a meagre 23—an astonishing statistic for a player renowned for his big-scoring prowess. Meanwhile, Zhao’s relentless focus and precise cueing simply offered no respite. Notably, after the mid-session interval, Zhao further tightened his grip with additional breaks of 67 and 115, extending his advantage and all but extinguishing any hopes of a comeback for ‘The Rocket’.
One of the pivotal moments came after a rare slip from O’Sullivan, who missed a straightforward yellow, leaving the door wide open for Zhao. Although it took him two attempts, the Chinese star closed out yet another frame before finishing the session with an authoritative run of 87, punctuated by another easily avoidable O’Sullivan miss on a routine blue.
The display left BBC pundits and former world champions in awe of Zhao’s performance, but also concerned by O’Sullivan’s apparent loss of fight. John Virgo, renowned BBC commentator, described the performance as “scintillating snooker”, hailing Zhao’s supreme control and suggesting the snooker world may be witnessing a “changing of the guard.” His remarks encapsulated a sense of history potentially being made at the Crucible.
Meanwhile, Ken Doherty, himself a 1997 world champion, told BBC viewers that Zhao “almost looks born for this stage,” lamenting O’Sullivan’s increasing vulnerability. Doherty observed, “Ronnie is probably a little bit embarrassed about what’s happening out there. He’s not fighting.” He added that O’Sullivan’s failure to dig in or even attempt snookers suggested a worrying lack of resistance—highly uncharacteristic for the Rocket.
John Parrott, another former champion, echoed the astonishment at Zhao’s dominance, stating: “We are used to giving the man sat in the chair the plaudits, but this has been absolutely fabulous from Zhao. Ronnie has not been at the races but boy has Zhao played well.”
As the snooker world reflects on this dramatic turn of events, attention turns to whether Zhao can close out one of the most famous victories in recent memory, and book his place in the final against either Judd Trump or Mark Williams. Regardless of the outcome, Zhao Xintong’s clinical demolition of a snooker legend will be remembered as a pivotal moment in Crucible history, and a stark reminder that even the greatest can falter under the unique pressures of the game’s biggest stage.