Ronnie O’Sullivan crashed out in the first round of the UK Championship on Tuesday as he was beaten by qualifier Zhou Yuelong at York Barbican.

The eight-time winner of the competition was defeated 6-4 on his first match at a UK tournament since the semi-finals of the World Championship back in May.

That day at the Crucible, he lost 17-7 to Zhao Xintong .

Now, the 49-year-old O’Sullivan, who celebrates his 50th birthday on Friday, has been ousted at the first hurdle, despite racking up quick-fire breaks of 71, 123, 62, 94, 65 and 65.

He was beaten in four frames on the black, and he threw away a 64-0 lead in the seventh, pipped by a single point.

Zhou’s 125 won him the eighth, where he was in touching victory of securing a seismic upset, but the ‘Rocket’ roared back to keep in clo

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