Ronnie O’Sullivan endured a miserable night at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship as he was brushed aside by Shaun Murphy in a ruthless whitewash that has stunned the event.
The seven-time world champion arrived in Saudi Arabia eyeing an extraordinary payday, yet was instead sent home without winning a single frame.
O’Sullivan, widely regarded as the greatest natural talent the sport has produced, had hoped to take on the challenge of potting the rare 167 break, a feat that would have delivered a staggering $1million reward.
Instead, the 49-year-old cut a frustrated figure at the table and could do little to stop Murphy, who dismantled him 4-0 and barely looked troubled.
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Murphy’s sharpness was the defining contrast.
He produced breaks of 93 and 53 and capitalised on every error while O’Sullivan slumped to a potting success rate of just 79 per cent, a number well below his typically high standards.
Such was his struggle that even those in the commentary box appeared taken aback by how uncertain he seemed during routine shots.
Ronnie O’Sullivan endured a miserable night at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship as he was brushed aside by Shaun Murphy in a ruthless whitewash that has stunned the event
|PA
It was a second whitewash of the day for Murphy, who had already eased through his meeting with Saudi player Ziyad Alqabbani.
The Magician will now face Zhao Xintong in Thursday’s quarter finals and made no attempt to hide the satisfaction of beating his long standing rival.
It had been eight years since he last defeated O’Sullivan, with his previous victory coming in the 2017 Champion of Champions final.
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Shaun Murphy was too strong for Ronnie O'Sullivan in their snooker showdown
|PA
Murphy admitted: “Very, very happy. It’s a long time since I tasted victory against Ronnie and they’re special any time they come up.
"I was pleased with how I played and delighted to get through.
"I just tried to go out and play snooker tonight as I have done all season and thankfully most of those long reds went in.”
The win brings to an end a six-match losing streak against O’Sullivan, who walked away knowing he had also missed out on the unique golden ball opportunity that had tempted players with the $1m jackpot.
For a competitor who thrives on pressure, this was an unusually subdued performance, and the timing only adds weight to an already emotionally charged week for the snooker icon.
Away from the table, O’Sullivan has been in the headlines for reasons far removed from sport.
Five quirky facts about snooker | PAEarlier in the week he spoke for the first time in years about his fractured relationship with his daughter Taylor-Ann, who has been estranged from him for most of her life.
She previously claimed their ties had broken beyond repair, stating: “He might be world champion to some but he’s not fit to be called ‘Dad’ let alone ‘Grandad’ as far as I’m concerned.”
The Rocket, who rarely comments on the subject, told The Times that he now wishes to mend the relationship despite not knowing where to begin.
Asked whether he feared the estrangement could last forever, he responded, “I hope not. I think I’ve got to make some sort of amends. I don’t know how it’s going to work out.
"Hopefully, at some point, it might sort itself out. Who knows? I don’t know.”
As his hopes of Saudi glory disappeared without a single frame to show for it, his disappointment at the table seemed to echo a far deeper story unfolding beyond the arena.