How O'Sullivan sparked golden season with unlikely Shanghai Masters victory

Ronnie O’Sullivan loved one of many best seasons of his gilded 32-year snooker profession final 12 months as he claimed 5 main titles throughout a memorable 2023/24 marketing campaign.

The snooker GOAT received the Shanghai Masters, UK Championship, Masters, World Grand Prix and the Riyadh Season World Masters in Saudi Arabia and likewise reached the ultimate of the Tour Championship.

However O’Sullivan can maybe look again on his win over previous rival John Higgins within the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals because the victory which sparked his wonderful silverware splurge.

Trailing 5-2 and struggling for type, Higgins had the possibility to see out the win within the eighth body.

However breaking down on 52 main 58-0 proved so expensive as O’Sullivan instantly got here roaring again to pinch the body on the pink earlier than finishing a memorable 6-5 success, ending with breaks of 100 and 130 earlier than a bewitched crowd of locals within the Chinese language metropolis.

The lengthy purple he potted to get the ball rolling on his match-winning clearance was a chic pot beneath intense stress.

“He ought to have put me away actually,” mentioned O’Sullivan. “He had sufficient possibilities, he was 5-2 up and answerable for the sport and uncharacteristically for John, he did not end it off and I feel from there he acquired a bit bit disenchanted with himself, however I did not anticipate to do something as a result of I used to be actually terrible.”

O’Sullivan progressed to beat Mark Selby 10-7 within the semi-finals and Luca Brecel 11-9 within the ultimate as he added to victories on the occasion in 2009, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

It was an indication of issues to come back for the remainder of the 12 months with O’Sullivan extending his unbeaten run in Shanghai to 18 matches since 2017.

He’s line to face Worldwide Championship winner Zhang Anda in his event opener within the final 16.