International Championship LIVE - Ronnie O'Sullivan in first-round action in China with Kyren Wilson to follow

ByDaniel Harris

Updated 03/11/2024 at 22:57 GMT

Ronnie O'Sullivan returns to action in the first round of the International Championship as snooker's GOAT faces Mink Nutcharut in the early hours on Sunday morning. The tournament will see some of snooker's finest players battle it out for a prize of £175,000. Fellow stars Kyren Wilson and Ding Junhui will also be in action later today.

THAT'S US DONE FOR TODAY

Join us again tomorrow at 6am GMT for more!

AROUND THE TABLES

International Championship

'Winning machine' Trump draws O'Sullivan comparison

03/11/2024 at 20:17

Jamie Clarke 3-2 Mark Selby

John Higgins 1-3 Ben Woollaston

Pang Junxu 4-2 Elliot Slessor

Ricky Walden 0-5 Xiao Guodong

Robbie Williams 2-3 Stuart Carrington

Dean Young 3-4 Gary Wilson

DING JUNHUI BEATS REANNE EVANS 6-0!

A big cheer from the crowd as Ding misses the black so has to settle for a 124. He'll meet Martin O'Donnell next, while Reanne needs i find herself - she's much better than she showed here.

DING 5-0 EVANS (101-0)

Yes he can! This has been a typical Ding break, the white on a string and his control of it total.

DING 5-0 EVANS (72-0)

Ding makes the match safe and looks great while so doing. He's not played all that well today but he's done more than enough and we can expect him to improve through the tournament. Can he treat his home crOWd to a closing ton?

DING 5-0 EVANS (41-0)

Ding eliminates balls, and there are plenty still loose. Reanne, the best woman player ever by so far it's silly, hasn't done herself justice today.

DING 5-0 EVANS (19-0)

Ding thinks he can get this finish, sorting a nice starter then taking on an evil tyellow to the middle. He drains it well, works his wa up to the business end, and Reanne will be fearing the worst.

AROUND THE TABLES

Jamie Clarke 2-2 Mark Selby

John Higgins 1-3 Ben Woollaston

Pang Junxu 3-2 Elliot Slessor

Ricky Walden 0-5 Xiao Guodong

Robbie Williams 2-3 Stuart Carrington

Dean Young 3-3 Gary Wilson

DING 5-0 EVANS

Ding smashes a red into left corner and adds the blue. He's one away.

DING 4-0 EVANS (71-19)

Reanne drains red with rest but can't get on to the black so will now need a snooker. Nor can she parlay the run into anything significant, so we're chasing the last two reds - both, at the time of writing, on the side rail just below the baulk line.

DING 4-0 EVANS (71-13)

Ding makes a red harder than it needs to be and can't cut it to the yellow so he leads by 58 with 59 left; Reanne quickly opens what's left of the pack.

DING 4-0 EVANS (48-13)

Lovely from Ding, a double-cannon releasing balls from the pack then another doing the same. He looks good in this run and 5-0 lis surely imminent.

DING 4-0 EVANS (1-13)

Reanne gets in but catches a red thick when playing for the back and it ruins her position. Ding then rolls nicely into right corner and he's away.

WE GO AGAIN

Can Reanne get herself going?

AROUND THE TABLES

Jamie Clarke 1-2 Mark Selby

John Higgins 0-2 Ben Woollaston

Pang Junxu 3-1 Elliot Slessor

Ricky Walden 0-3 Xiao Guodong

Robbie Williams 1-3 Stuart Carrington

Dean Young 2-2 Gary Wilson

DING 4-0 EVANS

A run of 69 secures a 4-0 lead and ding is two away. See you again in 15.

DING 3-0 EVANS (37-1)

Pro that he is, Ding quickly fashions a chance to score into a chance to secure a mini-sess sweep. If he sees it out, I'm not sure Reanne has the form to make it close from 0-4 down.

DING 3-0 EVANS (11-1)

Reanne sinks a starter only to snooker herself; it's not going for her at the moment, I'm afraid. Had Ding not accidentally sent the yellow safe she might've won the last frame, but now she's fighting to stay in the match ... and, as I type, an error from Ding hands a starter to left corner; she leaves it on the lip, so off goes Ding again.

AROUND THE TABLES

Jamie Clarke 1-1 Mark Selby

John Higgins 0-2 Ben Woollaston

Pang Junxu 2-1 Elliot Slessor

Ricky Walden 0-3 Xiao Guodong

Robbie Williams 1-2 Stuart Carrington

Dean Young 2-2 Gary Wilson

DING 3-0 EVANS

Ding is halfway there, though not playing all that well.

DING 2-0 EVANS (74-50)

The balls aren't now set for snookers so Reanne gets rid of green and brown and hassa go with the blue, getting nowhere near and leaving a cut to the yellow. Ding sees it away well and that'll be 3-0.

DING 2-0 EVANS (69-43)

Reanne bins the yellow but green and brown are now tricky, so on goes the frame, one snooker required.

DING 2-0 EVANS (69-41)

Another snooker laid by Ding forces another error from Reanne, who now needs a snooker. But he can't confirm things by sending yellow to right corner – he's not playing all that well - so on we go.

DING 2-0 EVANS (65-41)

Reanne, though, sinks her starter and drains a nice green with the red; though that's end of break, she's still in this frame, which might just be decided by who pots the yellow.

DING 2-0 EVANS (60-37)

Ding looks to slot pink to left corner, catching the red first; the ref somehow misses it so he calls a foul on himself. It doesn't do Reanne much good though: she's soon snookered on the final red, hits the pink, leaves a free ball ... and is put back. This frame is disappearing rapidly, but she gets it second go and though Ding can't get it down, he does knock the yellow safe.

DING 2-0 EVANS (45-31)

Left with the green blocking her route to the two remaining reds, Reanne comes around the back of one – how often do we see that? – leaving a free ball. That might cost her the frame.

DING 2-0 EVANS (38-31)

Ding misses red to right corner and leaves it on the lip, so Reanne gets rid. Problem she has is that one red is next to the pink near the black spot and the other is on the side, so this frame has legs for a while yet.

DING 2-0 EVANS (35-30)

Another Ding misses offers Reanne another chance, but when she runs out of position she allows him to send a starter long to right corner. And from there, he methodically compiles – though he's work to do wirth the harder remaining reds.

DING 2-0 EVANS (9-23)

Reanne steers home a fine starter and leaves the white up the table – which tells us she was confiedent she'd make the pot. She then works her way on to the black but a poor pot means a red to middle and she can't see it away,. Ding, though, misses a dolly of a broon soon into his response, getting lucky to leave nowt.

AROUND THE TABLES

Jamie Clarke 1-0 Mark Selby

John Higgins 0-2 Ben Woollaston

Pang Junxu 1-1 Elliot Slessor

Ricky Walden 0-1 Xiao Guodong

Robbie Williams 1-0 Stuart Carrington

Dean Young 1-1 Gary Wilson

DING 2-0 EVANS

Ding runs out of position so Reanne returns to the table needing snookers, flukes a red, and, on nowt, concedes.

DING 1-0 EVANS (71-22)

Ding secures the frame. Reanne's had chances, though, so won't feel out of things – though she'll need at least one of the next two to make a contest out of it.

DING 1-0 EVANS (47-22)

Inly to miss a black shortly afterwards. To rub it in, Ding sends a cut spining down right corner, and he should be able to fashion sufficient points from here to go two in freont.

DING 1-0 EVANS (41-22)

Ding does some decent tidying but can't drain a red to left corner; Reanne tickles one in off the top rail. There aren't many easy balls, though, so making anything significant here will require a lot of work ... though as I type, she liberates one off the black.

DING 1-0 EVANS (13-5)

Ding rolls a starter to middle but soon goes in-off himself, leaving nothing, but Reanne soon errs and leaves a chance. The balls aren't easy, but there are enough loose ones so that she's likely to be a fair way behind should she return to the table.

DING 1-0 EVANS (5-0)

Reanne goes in-off and with claret everywhere, she'll be regreting trying to play safe not take on a pot. Against Ronnie, Mink decided she had to attack lest frames disappear without her participating in them and though it didn't work it felt like the only way she could win, rather like how Stan Wawrinka beat Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal in major finals. Anyhow, Ding snookers himself off his starter so plays a decent safety off the brown.

AROUND THE TABLES

Jamie Clarke 0-0 Mark Selby

John Higgins 0-1 Ben Woollaston

Pang Junxu 0-0 Elliot Slessor

Ricky Walden 0-0 Xiao Guodong

Robbie Williams 0-0 Stuart Carrington

Dean Young 0-1 Gary Wilson

DING 1-0 EVANS

Reanne had chances there, but couldn't take them.

DING 0-0 EVANS (65-14)

Ding secures the frame.

DING 0-0 EVANS (40-14)

Er yeah, as I was saying, Ding overcuts pink to right corner ... then Evans can't send an early red down left. That will surely cost her the frame.

DING 0-0 EVANS (26-1)

Ding sends a nice starter into right corner and looks to remove reds from around the black spot - the ball in question currently resides on the pink. He's so lovely to watch in the balls, precise with the white and clever with cannons. Slowly slowly, he's taking control of this frame.

DING 0-0 EVANS (0-1)

Reanme rolls into the yellow to get going, but there's nothing more there for her, so we're back playing safety.

AND OFF WE GO

‘Look at the scenes here!’ - O’Sullivan dazzles with 132 clearance to complete win over Nutcharut

Video credit: TNT Sports

OUR PLAYERS ARRIVE INTO THE ARENA

With a big cheer for Ding.

WE GO AGAIN

THAT'S US DONE FOR NOW

Join us again in just under two hours from now at 11.30am GMT for Ding Junhui v Reanne Evans.

AROUND THE TABLES

Noppon Saengkham 5-2 Wang Xinbo

Ronnie o'sulliVan beats mink nutcharut 6-3!

A total clearance of 132 does the job and Ronnie encourages the crownd to applaud his opponent – lovely stuff, Mink's contributed plenty to an entertaining match. He meets Pang Junxu or Elliot Slessor next.

O'SULLIVAN 5-3 NUTCHARUT (67-0)

It is o-v-e-r, Mink wiped as soon as she made it close. Ronnie is moving on and we can be certain he'll play better next time out.

O'SULLIVAN 5-3 NUTCHARUT (39-0)

The second it got tight, Ronnie got got going. There's work to do, but as I type he spanks a blue to the yellow, and this looks o-v-e-r.

O'SULLIVAN 5-3 NUTCHARUT (13-0)

Mink misses a longun to left corner, Ronnie drops in, breaks the pack, and this could be curtains.

AROUND THE TABLES

Noppon Saengkham 4-2 Wang Xinbo

O'SULLIVAN 5-3 NUTCHARUT

Ronnie runs out of position but takes himself one away in a what seems like a matter of seconds.

O'SULLIVAN 4-3 NUTCHARUT (66-0)

Ronnie quickly secures the frame. I daresay he'll fancy a ton.

O'SULLIVAN 4-3 NUTCHARUT (32-0)

Lovely starter from Ronnie off Mink's to get away and you expect this really, the genius clicking into gear now the match is close. He breaks the pack and already the frame looks at his mercy.

AROUND THE TABLES

Ali Carter 6-1 Cai Wei

Noppon Saengkham 4-2 Wang Xinbo

Kyren Wilson 6-0 Mitchell Mann

O'SULLIVAN 4-3 NUTCHARUT

Mink bins green and brown ... and a lovely blue to the yellow! Pink follows, and we got ourselves a ball-game!

O'SULLIVAN 4-2 NUTCHARUT (39-63)

All Mink had to do was sink that last red but instead, she somehow goes around the back of the yellow, missing it by a fraction. So all the balls and Ronnie takes the frame; he begins by sinking the aforementioned yellow, but not on the green, he plays safe, and when when Mink flukes a snooker he escapes superbly. You just get the sese that whatever he needs to do to win this match, he'll do.

O'SULLIVAN 4-2 NUTCHARUT (33-63)

Ronnie hits the pink again to go 38 behind with 35 left, but Mink misses the final red along black cush and leaves it, so Ronnie bins it and goes in behind the blue, yellow sent up the table and behind the pink. This is a stinker.

O'SULLIVAN 4-2 NUTCHARUT (25-57)

Mink gets away to left corner and forges well ahead in the frame then, with two difficutl reds left plays safe. But she flukes one with a flick off the pink and nuzzles in behind the green; Ronnie hits pink first, meaning any subsequent foul will leve him needing a snooker.

O'SULLIVAN 4-2 NUTCHARUT (25-10)

Now then. Ronniue misses another pink he shouldn't to right corner and this is a proper chance for Mink to close to within one! Or not! She can't drain the black, and that'll surely mean the frame given the whereabouts of the balls ... except Ronnie flicks thesame ball with his attempted starter! This has gone scrappy.

O'SULLIVAN 4-2 NUTCHARUT (8-9)

Mink slides a nice starter to left corner and when she runs out of position, plays a decent safety. A match that looked five to over suddenly has legs ... but then she almost flukes a red, instead leaving it in the jaws. The black follows, and there's claret all over.

AROUND THE TABLES

Ali Carter 5-1 Cai Wei

Noppon Saengkham 3-2 Wang Xinbo

Kyren Wilson 5-0 Mitchell Mann

O'SULLIVAN 4-2 NUTCHARUT

Mink ought really to have won the fourth frame too; we could easilty be level here.

O'SULLIVAN 4-1 NUTCHARUT (21-67)

Out of naewhere, Ronnie misses a simple blue to right corner and Mink will clich the frame now.

O'SULLIVAN 4-1 NUTCHARUT (6-45)

Oh Mink. She's cueing downwards but still, you don't expect her to miss to right corner, never mind but as much as she does. The balls are nicely set for the steal.

O'SULLIVAN 4-1 NUTCHARUT (5-17)

Mink's single-ball potting has been good today and she chips in another nice cut. But the reds, all towards the left side of the table, are blocking each other, so will need to be addressed in precise order.

O'SULLIVAN 4-1 NUTCHARUT (5-3)

Ronnie has plasters on his bridging hand and has been tucking fingers in when potting – I'm not sure what his issue is. But he leaves a cut to left corner and Mink sends it down, but soon runs out of position.

O'SULLIVAN 4-1 NUTCHARUT (5-0)

Cheers and gasps – chasps – from the crowd as Ronnie swerves around the green to drop in a starter. He can't make much of it, but still, what a shot.

‘This is what they’ve come to see’ – O’Sullivan treats Nanjing crowd to stylish century

Video credit: TNT Sports

AROUND THE TABLES

Ali Carter 4-1 Cai Wei

Noppon Saengkham 2-2 Wang Xinbo

Kyren Wilson 4-0 Mitchell Mann

O'SULLIVAN 4-1 NUTCHARUT

Ronnie removes the remaining balls. Of course he does.

O'SULLIVAN 3-1 NUTCHARUT (69-12)

Ronnie soon gets back in and secures the frame. This match is disappearing quickly now and Mink will be disppointed; she's had chances to make this much closer.

O'SULLIVAN 3-1 NUTCHARUT (61-12)

Frame not quite secure, Ronnie misses red to right corner; Mink returns to the table 49 behind with 59 left.

O'SULLIVAN 3-1 NUTCHARUT (38-12)

Lovely from Ronnie, despatching a Mark J rest-shot, pole in the air. The crowd love that, and this ooks for all the world like 4-1.

O'SULLIVAN 3-1 NUTCHARUT (0-12)

Mink cues beautifully to send down a starter but then botches a cut-back, catching it thick, and that's going to cost her.

WE GO AGAIN

AROUND THE TABLES

Ali Carter 3-1 Cai Wei

Noppon Saengkham 2-1 Wang Xinbo

Kyren Wilson 3-0 Mitchell Mann

O'SULLIVAN 3-1 NUTCHARUT

Ronnie goes in-off trying to get from blue to pink so has to make do with a 95. At the halfway stage, he's halfway there.

O'SULLIVAN 2-1 NUTCHARUT (58-7)

Ronnie loves playing in China and he looks very comfy at the table, jabbing a tricky red to middle. But he'll need one more and the remaininf three are close together ... but he gets on the borttom one, and mink will know she's had chances here.

O'SULLIVAN 2-1 NUTCHARUT (22-7)

For all the good it does her. She soon misses to left corner and this time, there's plenty at whch Ronnie can go and he's well set for a 3-1 mid-session lead.

O'SULLIVAN 2-1 NUTCHARUT (1-7)

Ach, Mink misses a blue to middle and by miles. She doesn't, though, leave anything.

O'SULLIVAN 2-1 NUTCHARUT (1-6)

Mink drops a nice starter into right-middle but then misses the black; Ronnie sinks a starter then misses the blue, weleasing weds in the process. Mink can't really afford to lose this frame, so must make something of this opportunity.

AROUND THE TABLES

Ali Carter 3-0 Cai Wei

Noppon Saengkham 2-1 Wang Xinbo

Kyren Wilson 2-0 Mitchell Mann

O'SULLIVAN 2-1 NUTCHARUT

Ronnie does the necessary; Mink must be spewing.

O'SULLIVAN 1-1 NUTCHARUT (49-33)

Oh Mink. Oh mate. She misses a black off its spot, and that'll coast her the frame. Eeesh, she'll be feeling very poorly.

O'SULLIVAN 1-1 NUTCHARUT (48-33)

Mink runs out of position but flukes a starter next go. She'll have to go some to make something telling here given a red stuck to the side, but better at the table than not. AND HAVE A LOOK! She promotes it off the penultimate one, and the frame is now at her mercy.

O'SULLIVAN 1-1 NUTCHARUT (48-1)

He breaks the pack but finds himself blocked off when the black returns to its spot, so again it's a safety that's too good for Mink. She goes for a pot that's not on – that's the pressure of facing the Rocket - leaves a tight cut-back along the side - but as I type, Ronnie bangs the table, missing a red and leaving it in th jaws. Chance for Mink!

O'SULLIVAN 1-1 NUTCHARUT (21-0)

Ronnie gets away again, keeping the run going with a pink stroked to middle. He's got all the momentum now.

AROUND THE TABLES

Ali Carter 2-0 Cai Wei

Noppon Saengkham 2-0 Wang Xinbo

Kyren Wilson 1-0 Mitchell Mann

O'SULLIVAN 1-1 NUTCHARUT

A run of 124 secures the frame.

O'SULLIVAN 0-1 NUTCHARUT (110-0)

Whooping and hollering from the crowd as Ronnie raises his ton by bagging the final red, an exhibition brown, doubled into right-middle, keeps him going, and he's into the match now.

O'SULLIVAN 0-1 NUTCHARUT (47-0)

I should say, these matches are first to six and Ronnie looks to be settling in, accumulating then breaking the pack. He should level us up from here.

O'SULLIVAN 0-1 NUTCHARUT (7-0)

Mink misses and Ronnie sinks, but he plays safe rather than risk a nasty blue and the move works out, earning him a much better opportunity.

AROUND THE TABLES

Ali Carter 2-0 Cai Wei

Noppon Saengkham 1-0 Wang Xinbo

Kyren Wilson 1-0 Mitchell Mann

O'SULLIVAN 0-1 NUTCHARUT

Mink gets it down and clears!

O'SULLIVAN 0-0 NUTCHARUT (32-57)

A poor safety from Ronnie allows Mink to sink the red but she then makes the yellow harder than it needs to be, jawses it ... and so does Ronnie. It's tense out there: Mink will know she's unlikely to win this from behind, while the Rocket is rusty.

O'SULLIVAN 0-0 NUTCHARUT (32-49)

Trying to develop that final red, Mink misses pink to left corner, Ronnie can't sink it via double, and the chase is on.

O'SULLIVAN 0-0 NUTCHARUT (32-40)

Mink looks ready for this, but wobbling a pink into the same right corner bag, she hampers herself on the next ball; no matter, she slides it down, but will need the red that's just off black cush.

O'SULLIVAN 0-0 NUTCHARUT (32-11)

There's no one better at removing balls in the right order than TMNTPETPUAC, but as I type he misses a simple pink to right corner. Can Mink punish? She's got plenty of scope so to do...

O'SULLIVAN 0-0 NUTCHARUT (13-5)

Ronnie hasn't played since the English Open in September so might be rusty; Mink won the women's worlds the year before last and is current world No 1. And she's in first, but after quickly losing position, she's sitting down because Ronnie flukes a starter, balls spread. Just what you need.

OUR PLAYERS BAIZE

And off we go.

AS PER THE WST

"Further delay to afternoon start time,

 Due to amount of spectators, for safety reasons we are delaying the start until 2:50pm."

NOW DELAYED UNTIL

6.50am.

NOW DELAYED UNTIL

6.30am.

THE DELAY IS BECAUSE

We've so many spectators. I love this game. And they love Ronnie O'Sullivan.

OUR FIRST FEAUTRE MATCH

Is Ronnie O'Sullivan v Mink Nutcharut. It's been delayed 15 minutes.

Good Morning

Hello and welcome to our coverage from the morning session starting at 6:00 GMT.

Sunday's Schedule

Round 1

1:30am

Si Jiahui 6-4 Andrew Pagett

David Grace 6-2 Jinhao Zhou

Hossein Vafaei 6-4 Dian Zheng

Zhang Anda 6-5 Ishpreet Singh Chadha

6:00am

Ali Carter 6-1 Wei Cai

Noppon Saengkham 6-3 Xinbo Wang

Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-3 Mink Nutcharut

Kyren Wilson 6-0 Mitchell Mann

11:30am

Ding Junhui 6-0 Reanne Evans

- - -

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03/11/2024 at 14:44