Sports · Other Sports · 56 mins ago
Ronnie O’Sullivan loses 4-3 to Ka Wai Cheung at Northern Ireland Open
Ronnie O’Sullivan lost 4-3 to Ka Wai Cheung in the first round of the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast on Monday.
Cheung, a 27-year-old qualifier from Hong Kong ranked 110th in the world, beat the 50-year-old seven-time world champion.
O’Sullivan led 3-1 but lost the final three frames, as Cheung recovered and won the deciding frame.
O’Sullivan was playing in the UK for the first time since losing to John Higgins at the World Championship in April.
The result is a notable upset, and Cheung said beating a snooker legend was satisfying.
Cheung will next face the winner of Stuart Bingham’s match against Yao Pengcheng, with a place in the last 16 at stake.
Ka Wai Cheung beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-3 in the first round of the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.
O’Sullivan led 3-1 but Cheung won the final three frames to reach the deciding frame and secure the match.
Cheung, a Hong Kong player ranked 110th in the world, will face the winner of Stuart Bingham’s match with Yao Pengcheng.
The loss was O’Sullivan’s first match in the United Kingdom since his World Championship defeat by John Higgins in April.
- Who
- Ka Wai Cheung beat Ronnie O’Sullivan.
- What
- Cheung won their Northern Ireland Open first-round match 4-3.
- When
- Monday, 19 October 2026.
- Where
- Belfast, at the Northern Ireland Open.
- Why
- Cheung won the final three frames after trailing 3-1.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Cheung claimed the first frame.
O’Sullivan won three frames in a row to lead 3-1, with breaks of 56, 138 and 72.
O’Sullivan missed a chance on a red and Cheung took the frame with a run of 88.
Cheung won with a break of 77 to force a deciding frame.
O’Sullivan missed a chance, and Cheung advanced with a break of 61.
- Final score
- Cheung 4-3 O’Sullivan
- O’Sullivan’s lead
- 3-1
- Cheung’s world ranking
- 110
- Cheung’s age
- 27
- Next opponent
- Winner of Stuart Bingham’s match with Yao Pengcheng
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What people are saying
I'm very happy that I can still play well under pressure
To play the legend of the game and to win, this is very satisfying for me