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| Ronnie O’Sullivan fell short against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in an epic World Open final (Picture: Getty Images) |
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh made a 147 on his way to beating Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-7 in an incredible final of the World Open on Sunday.
The Rocket was hot favourite to beat the 40-year-old, who had only won one ranking event previously and that was at the one-frame Shoot Out.
However, the Thai star has proved unstoppable this week in Yushan, having beaten world number one Judd Trump 6-4 in the semi-finals.
Even falling 4-0 behind to O’Sullivan on Sunday did not faze Un-Nooh, who responded by reeling off the next six frames on the spin.
The seven-time world champion did look rattled, showing obvious signs of frustration, but settled down and showed his own immense talent once again.
O’Sullivan knocked in three centuries on the bounce to regain the lead, moving 7-6 ahead and looking incredibly strong again.
However, that was as good as it got for the Englishman, with Un-Nooh making a 77 to level up and then a 132 to go ahead again.
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| Thepchaiya Un-Nooh lands the £175,000 top prize (Picture:Getty Images) |
Then came a stunning 147, which rarely looked likely and came amid huge pressure, but he knocked it in seemingly without nerves.
It was the seventh maximum of the Thai’s career, but will not see him claim the high break prize after O’Sullivan’s record-breaking 153 in the quarter-finals against Ryan Day.
That will not bother him, though, and he continued his rampant form by winning the match in the next frame, knocking in a break of 131 to win 10-7.
O’Sullivan looked on course to become the first player in history to win a ranking event in his teens, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, but will have to wait to try and achieve that feat.
The 50-year-old was brilliant over the event, most notably when he made that highest ever break of 153, but just could not do anything to stop the man known as F1 for his rapid pace of play.
Former world number three Neal Foulds said on TNT Sports commentary of Thepchaiya’s final three tons, including the 147: ‘I just think it’s one of the best displays of break-building under pressure that I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s just incredible.
‘If he’d have done that in any match it would have been out of this world, but to do it to win his first title is just something off the scale for me.’
O’Sullivan has chosen not to play in that event, despite qualifying, and will pick up £75,000 for finishing runner-up in Yushan.
The former Shoot Out champion had been having a quiet season so far and had not been to a ranking quarter-final since the 2022 Scottish Open.
In that regard this run came out of nowhere, but his only previous ranking final outside of the Shoot Out came at this event in 2019, when he was beaten by Trump.
- Phil Haigh
