Ronnie O’Sullivan LOSES from 3-0 up to exit Champion of Champions Snooker leaving commentators shocked
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN suffered one of his biggest collapses in recent memory as he bombed out of the Champion of Champions in Bolton.
Underdog Xiao Guodong completed a stunning comeback from 3-0 down to beat Rocket 4-3 in the last-16.
O’Sullivan sensationally collapsed in his bid to win a fifth Champion of Champions title.
He looked in brilliant form as he won the opening three frames in short order, with Xiao not scoring a SINGLE POINT as O’Sullivan scored 318.
But Xiao stormed back from the jaws of defeat to somehow win FOUR straight frames.
O’Sullivan had made breaks of 95 and 125 to go 3-0 up, before Xiao responded with efforts of 130, 88 and 85 to take the match to a decider, with the Rocket not scoring a point in those three.
In a nervy final-frame decider, Guodong missed a red to the middle pocket, which was essentially match ball.
But a fuming O’Sullivan accidentally nudged the green over the pocket and conceded the clash.
While it got nervy at the end, Stephen Hendry on commentary described Xiao’s trio of breaks to force a decider as “world class”.
Hendry said: “I knew he was good, but I didn’t know he was this good.”
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The seven-time world champ quickly congratulated Xiao before grabbing his belongings and heading out of the arena in Bolton.
It comes after O’Sullivan suffered an early exit in China last week.
The Rocket lost 6-4 to Pang Junxu in the third round of the International Championship.
World No.16 Xiao faces the winner of Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy in the group final tonight.
Xiao qualified for the Champion of Champions are winning the Wuhan Open.
O’Sullivan heads to the UK Championship – where he is the defending champion – in poor form.
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