Ronnie O’Sullivan is into his 66th ranking event final after edging past China’s Wu Yize 6-5 in a tense deciding frame at the World Open in Yushan.
The 50-year-old was never behind in the match but struggled to pull clear of the world number 11, with Wu keeping the contest tight throughout. In the deciding frame, Wu opened up a decent lead before O’Sullivan punished a poor safety shot, sinking a long red and then clearing with 89 to seal the win.
It caps a remarkable couple of days for O’Sullivan, who the day before produced a stunning break of 153 against Ryan Day in the quarter-finals, the highest ever recorded in professional snooker.
His last ranking final came in January 2024, when he beat Judd Trump to win the World Grand Prix. Should Trump come through his semi-final against Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh on Saturday, the pair could meet again in the final, with O’Sullivan chasing a record-extending 42nd ranking title.
