Ronnie O’Sullivan stays after International Championship defeat to work with snooker wonderkid

Ronnie O’Sullivan was knocked out of the International Championship on Tuesday, but hung around in Nanjing to work with 14-year-old prospect Michal Szubarczyk.

The Rocket was beaten 6-5 by Jack Lisowski in the last 32 in Nanjing, losing a dramatic decider full of errors to the recent Northern Ireland Open winner.

O’Sullivan was chasing Jackpot throughout and managed to force a decider, in which both had a string of chances to win but it was ultimately the 34-year-old who got over the line.

It felt a big win for Lisowski who had lost all of his previous meetings with the Rocket, losing 6-1 in all three of their clashes over this distance.

The seven-time world champion seemed frustrated with some of his own mistakes in the eleventh and final frame, but he was good enough to pass on some wisdom to the youngest professional on the World Snooker Tour despite the defeat.

14-year-old Polish prospect Szubarczyk is competing in his first season as a pro and has already started making an impact, winning four matches, which is some feat at his age.

Victoria Shi of Sheffield’s Victoria’s Snooker Academy posted a clip of O’Sullivan picking balls out for the teenager, writing: ‘A few hours after his defeat in the International Championship Ronnie O’Sullivan spent some time with the youngest player on tour, 14 year old Michał Szubarczyk from Poland.

‘Some valuable advice from the greatest player of all time 🤩🤩🤩.’

Szubarczyk won the European Under-16 and Under-18 Championships earlier this year, and reached the final of the open age event, winning his place on the pro tour as a result.

In attendance at those events in Turkey was three-time world champion Mark Williams who was blown away by the Pole’s talent.

‘I was in Turkey watching the Europeans, I watched a young boy there and came back and told everyone in the club that this is one of the best 14-year-olds I’ve ever seen in my life,’ Williams told Metro in March. ‘Up there with O’Sullivan. Maybe not as good, but not far away.

‘Every time I watched him he was knocking in 80s, 90s, 100s. It was frightening.

‘I was speaking to John Higgins up in Telford and said: “Watch out for this kid, it’s something I haven’t seen for donkey’s!”‘

Speaking last month, O’Sullivan said how he is always happy to help players, especially young players although he is not exactly fighting off approaches.

‘I’d love to help out and try and get some of the grassroots in the UK going and take some players under my wing,’ the Rocket told Metro. ‘Try and re-establish ourselves as a top snooker nation.’

Asked if any player has approached him for some guidance, he said: ‘No, no one, really. Yeah…no one, really.

‘Victoria [Shi] reached out to me, she always does to help a player. You need to spend time on a table with someone to really be able to help them properly.

‘So no one’s come, but I always offer advice to some of the players, not mentioning any names, but because I like them and I want to see them do well.

‘And I just think it’s always handy to have someone that’s been there done it and can pass on a bit of good advice, you know?’

Szubarczyk was beaten in his opening contest at the International Championship, while another 14-year-old grabbed a lot of attention in Nanjing.

Wang Xinzhong beat women’s world champion Bai Yulu and then Robbie Williams before a narrow 6-5 defeat to Shaun Murphy in his third outing.

Lisowski reacts to first ever Rocket win

Lisowski admitted that the achievement of beating O’Sullivan for the first time got to him when he went 5-3 ahead, but perhaps the positive feelings of his win in Belfast last month got him through the match.

‘I just sort of collapsed over the line, got lucky when it mattered,’ he told WST. ‘I was doing alright to 5-3 up and was thinking, “Cor, I might beat Ronnie here.”

‘It’s such a big deal, since I was a child I’ve watched him. We’ve had some games but I’ve never got close to him. I had all those things going through my mind. I completely lost my concentration. My cueing went. But I’ve got momentum, a bit of luck and somehow managed to win.’

On his previous heavy defeats to O’Sullivan, he said: ‘I played him once in the Masters and that’s the only time I’ve felt humiliated as a professional. I wasn’t in his league. And I played John Higgins once and his safety was incredible, I never had a shot. They’re the only two players that have made me realise the level they can get to and I’m nowhere near.

‘I was scared today that maybe he was going to make me look silly. But I’m on to something and if I focus on myself and keep my own concentration, my game stands up.

‘But I didn’t do that at the end, lost my concentration and I can play like a right muppet.’

ANOTHER 147

Tuesday was also a great day for Zak Surety as he beat Aaron Hill in the last 32 and made a 147 on his way to that victory.

It is the second of his career and the 14th of the season on the professional tour as the record of 15 for a campaign is set to be smashed.