Ronnie O’Sullivan shows up ITV snooker pundit Stephen Hendry after shock Champion of Champions elimination

RONNIE O'SULLIVAN near snooker pundit and erstwhile pro Stephen Hendry red-faced aft his daze exit from the Champion of Champions.

Hendry had described the tourney arsenic "perfect" for O'Sullivan, lone for the Rocket to spell crashing retired successful his archetypal game.

O'Sullivan, 48, collapsed to a 4-3 decision astatine the hands of satellite No.16 Guodong Xiao aft starring 3-0 earlier successful the face-off.

The snooker Goat had adjacent stopped Xiao from registering a azygous constituent successful those archetypal 3 frames, walking distant from the array with breaks of 65, 95 and 125.

But the 35-year-old Chinese potter pulled disconnected an astonishing comeback, stopping O'Sullivan from scoring immoderate points successful the pursuing 3 frames and taking the crippled to a decisive seventh frame.

Xiao topped disconnected his show with a triumph successful the last framework to sound O'Sullivan retired of the tourney and beforehand to the Champion of Champions semi-finals.

The daze defeat, which is surely 1 of the worst collapse's of O'Sullivan's career, near Stephen Hendry's pre-tournament appraisal looking alternatively embarassing.

Hendry had lauded O'Sullivan arsenic 1 of the favourites to assistance the trophy, saying connected ITV4: "It’s the information it’s 1 table, each the attraction is connected you, we ever person large crowds here, that’s what the large players love.

"Inspiration, venues to animate the and marque them play their best. It’s 1 of the reasons the likes of Ronnie has done truthful good here. It’s cleanable for him.

"Ronnie doesn’t travel successful 'til Thursday, truthful basically, this is the benignant of tourney helium loves.

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"He’s got to play 3 days of snooker to prime up the trophy. It’s cleanable for him. That’s wherefore helium has specified a bully grounds successful this event."

However, Hendry adjacent made notation to the information helium had underestimated Xiao portion connected commentary duties for the quarter-final clash.

The seven-time satellite champ said: "I knew helium was good, but I didn’t cognize helium was this good."

O'Sullivan's defeat, as is often the case, has sparked rumours implicit his imaginable status from snooker.

But the 41-time ranking rubric victor has offered up a defiant stance connected his aboriginal astatine the table.

Speaking aft the decision to Xiao, helium said: "I person been connected a rotation for 30 years. It volition extremity erstwhile I determine it ends. I’ve precise seldom had an mean play since turning pro.

"I mightiness person had a mates of years with things going connected disconnected the array which meant I couldn’t truly absorption connected snooker and went missing. I decidedly had six years wherever I was partying a spot much.

"I mightiness person won a fewer tournaments successful that period. But erstwhile I’ve had my caput and absorption close I usually bash each right. I’ll support playing and support enjoying it. That’s the astir important happening for me.”

Xiao surely inactive thinks that O'Sullivan is inactive 1 of snooker's champion players, labelling his triumph implicit The Rocket arsenic his "best win".

He said: "This is my champion win. I was truly excited to play Ronnie. Winning that archetypal lawsuit successful China, successful beforehand of my friends and family, has fixed maine large confidence.”

Xiao volition now look Mark Allen contiguous for a spot successful the final connected Sunday.