Rocket's Fall: O'Sullivan's Whitewash Struggle at the Crucible

Ronnie O'Sullivan's hopes for an eighth world snooker title were shattered after a dominant performance by Zhao Xintong. O'Sullivan, trailing 12-4, missed numerous chances in his semi-final at the Crucible Theatre. Zhao, aiming to be the first Chinese champion, impressed with remarkable breaks, further complicating O'Sullivan's journey.

Ronnie O'Sullivan's aspirations for a record-setting eighth world snooker title took a hit on Friday after he suffered an eight-frame whitewash against China's Zhao Xintong. The semi-final, held at the Crucible Theatre, saw O'Sullivan, 49, fall behind 12-4. He started the day evenly matched at 4-4 but failed to capitalize on multiple opportunities, leaving his younger opponent just five frames shy of the final in the best of 33 matches.

In another semi-final match, world number one Judd Trump led three-time champion Mark Williams 5-3. O'Sullivan faced difficulties with his cue, switching tips mid-game, but it did little to halt a fourth career 8-0 session defeat at Sheffield. Scottish players John Higgins and Graeme Dott previously accomplished such feats en route to titles.

Legendary player Ken Doherty observed that O'Sullivan seemed disheartened and was not putting forth his best effort, a worrying sign for fans. Zhao, who returned from a 20-month suspension for match-fixing, seeks to make history by becoming the first Chinese player to claim the championship title, exhibiting his skill with 112 and 115 breaks, garnering applause from the audience.

(With inputs from agencies.)