London: World No.1 Ronnie O’Sullivan’s chances of an eighth title, which would move him one ahead of Stephen Hendry’s total, are over for another year, as he lost to Stuart Bingham 10-13 in the quarterfinal of the World Championship.
The seven-time world champion O’Sullivan had been on course for a career-best season, having won five titles including the UK Championship and the Masters. But his hopes of landing all three events in the same season for the first time are over.
He also lost the world number one ranking which he had held since April 2022, world snooker reports.
Mark Allen will climb to the top of the official list for the first time in his career and become the 12th player ever to hold that status.
In a high-quality start to the concluding session, O’Sullivan took the first frame with a break of 136 to go 9-8 ahead, then Bingham levelled with a 63. In frame 19, O’Sullivan missed a difficult red to a centre pocket on 39, and his opponent punished him with a fine 67 clearance.
Bingham had first chance in frame 20 and made 35 before rattling a tough red in the jaws of a baulk corner. O’Sullivan replied with 62 before missing the final yellow, but later converted a long brown for 10-10. Leading 39-18 in frame 21, Bingham failed to pot a difficult pink to a top corner, but O’Sullivan’s attempted clearance ended when he missed the last red along the side cushion, and his opponent capitalised to edge ahead.
Another error from 48-year-old O’Sullivan, missing the black when trying to split the pack on 23, let Bingham in for a superb 104, his third century of the match and fourth of the tournament, for 12-10. At 52-0 in frame 23, Bingham missed the pink to a centre pocket, and O’Sullivan’s response ended on 48 when he failed to pot an awkward yellow. This time there was no mistake from Bingham as he took the colours to beat O’Sullivan for only the fourth time in 22 career meetings.
“I enjoyed it, and the number one thing for me is to enjoy the game. For the first time in two years I feel like I want to play. I look forward to getting my cue out and the sound of the balls. That’s nothing to do with winning titles. You can’t win them all,” O’Sullivan said.
Bingham is through to his third Crucible semifinal and is aiming to become only the seventh player to lift the trophy in Sheffield more than once, following Steve Davis, Hendry, Mark Williams, O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Selby, according to world snooker stats.
(IANS)
