Ronnie O'Sullivan was forced to recover from a slow and uncertain start to secure victory in his opening match at the China Open, navigating a tense contest that quickly became one of the early talking points of the tournament.
The seven-time world champion struggled to find rhythm in the opening frames, with missed pots and positional errors disrupting his usually fluent style. His opponent capitalised on those lapses, building confidence with each opportunity. For a player known for fast starts and clinical finishing, O'Sullivan's early performance stood in sharp contrast to expectations.
