Western Daily Press (Saturday)
O’Sullivan: I was awful out there
RONNIE O’Sullivan was again critical of his own game despite remaining on course for a record-extending eighth UK Championship title in York.
The world number one defeated China’s Zhou Yuelong 6-5 in a tense quarter-final match.
The Rocket led 4-1 but the went 5-4 down, before winning the final two frames for a comeback win.
“I felt a bit embarrassed at times – it was just desperation, I started to play all right,” O’Sullivan told the BBC. “I was just going through the motions and plodding away. I was just so frustrated with how poorly I played, there really was no pressure.
“I was awful. Technically I’m all over the gaff.”
O’Sullivan started with a superb break of 125 – the 1,267th century of his career. A break of 68 followed as Zhou failed to pot a ball in the first two frames.
The Englishman, appearing in his 20th UK quarter-final in 30 appearances at the tournament, used sandpaper to rectify a problem with his cue tip in the fourth frame. His brief loss of concentration allowed Zhou to pull a frame back, but a composed 60 break looked to have put the seven-time world champion back on course for victory.
Zhou, though, rallied to win four frames in a row, but O’Sullivan made his vast experience count and held his nerve to close the match out in style with breaks of 77 and 122 to reach a 12th UK semi-final.
O’Sullivan will play Hossein Vafaei today in the first of the semi-finals.
Iran’s Vafaei battled back from 4-3 down to beat Zhang Anda 6-4 courtesy of three century breaks.
Bristol’s Judd Trump was in quarter-final action against Mark Selby last night.
FORMULA ONE: Williams have confirmed that American rookie Logan Sargeant will remain with the team next season.
The British outfit’s move to retain Sargeant, 22, for a second campaign completes the 20-driver grid for the 2024 campaign.
Sargeant, who scored just one point during a difficult first season, will race alongside Alex Albon after the London-born Thai’s seat had already been confirmed.