Ronnie O’Sullivan is still one of the snooker players of all time. He took a risk during his match at the 2026 World Championship. He changed his cue. Still won easily beating He Guoqiang 10 to 2.
This win is one of the biggest far in the tournament. It keeps Ronnie O’Sullivan on track to win his title at the Crucible, which would be a record.
Strong Finish with a Backup Cue
Ronnie O’Sullivan was already winning 7 to 2 after the day. The day he used a different cue.. He still played really well and looked confident.
He made some breaks, like 62, 113 and 100 all in under an hour. The crowd loved it. It showed that Ronnie O’Sullivan can handle pressure.
He said that the tip of the cue is more important than the cue itself. That’s why he brought two cues to the tournament. His main cue was not working well so he decided to try something
A Risk That Paid Off
Ronnie O’Sullivan was a little nervous about changing cues in the middle of the match. He knew it might not work out.. He trusted his instincts and it paid off.
He called it a gamble. It made sense to him. In the end it worked perfectly. He played smoothly. It looked easy.
There were some people in the crowd like Paul Scholes and they enjoyed the fast-paced match.
Missed Maximum but Still Impressive
At one point Ronnie O’Sullivan could have made a 147 break. He potted nine reds and eight blacks easily.. He decided to play it safe and went for a blue instead making a 113 break.
Even though he didn’t get the maximum his performance was still one of the parts of the match.
“Rusty Ron” Still Delivering Results
Ronnie O’Sullivan has not played tournaments this year so he calls himself “Rusty Ron.”. He is still doing well.
He has only played a times in 2026. He made it to the final of the World Open in China. Made a record 153 break. Earlier in the year he lost early in some events.
This match was his time playing at the Crucible. It was also his match in the UK since he lost to Zhou Yuelong at the UK Championship.
That loss made him think about his equipment so he decided to bring a cue to the tournament.
Next Challenge: John Higgins
Now Ronnie O’Sullivan will play John Higgins in the round. John Higgins is a four-time world champion so it should be a match.
If Ronnie O’Sullivan keeps playing like this he might get closer, to making history.
