Ronnie O’Sullivan crashed out of the Northern Ireland Open as part-time artist David Grace produced a career masterpiece.
World No 1 and reigning and seven-time world champion O’Sullivan was sensationally beaten 4-3 in Belfast by world No 49 Grace. The Rocket had led 2-0 and looked to be cruising through to the last 32 – but Grace produced a superb comeback and held his nerve in a tense decider.
It was one of the biggest wins in the 37-year-old Grace’s career, with the player twice having fallen off the professional tour. His only previous meeting with O’Sullivan saw him thrashed 4-0 in the 2018 Welsh Open, a contest that saw him score just 13 points in total.
