Ronnie O’Sullivan Remains Optimistic Despite World Open Final Loss to Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Ronnie O’Sullivan expressed confidence despite losing the World Open final in Yushan, China, to Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh. The Rocket initially led 4-0 but ultimately fell to a 10-7 defeat.
The loss hasn’t dampened O’Sullivan’s spirits, and he now feels more certain about participating in the World Championship. “10 days ago I wasn’t even thinking about participating because I was too scared. I felt like I was going to make a fool of myself. But now I think I’ll probably proceed because I feel like I can at least pocket some balls,” he stated according to TotallySnookered.com.
Record-Breaking 153 Break
O’Sullivan’s performance included a spectacular break of 153, a record in professional snooker as reported by the BBC. “I haven’t been playing for a reason. It’s simply because I haven’t had a good enough game to compete,” commented the seven-time World Champion.
World Championship Plans
O’Sullivan will miss the Tour Championship, which begins next week in Manchester. His first competition on British soil this year will be the World Championship, held from April 18 to May 4 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England .
Self-Assessment and Future Outlook
The British player believes he isn’t currently playing at the level required to consistently win titles. “Thepchaiya was incredible, he deserved the victory. My game is not good enough to reach that level. I simply cannot reach the necessary embouchure angle for certain shots. I can comfortably execute between 60 and 70% of the shots, but there are others that I simply do not master,” O’Sullivan analyzed according to Sky Sports.
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh’s Historic Victory
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh secured his victory with a stunning performance, including a maximum 147 break in the penultimate frame, ultimately winning 10-7 as SnookerHQ reports. He is the first player from Thailand to claim a ‘full format’ ranking event since James Wattana’s success in 1995 .