Ronnie O’Sullivan overcomes more tip problems in dominant win over Rod Lawler at Welsh Open

ByNigel Chiu

Updated 15/02/2023 at 21:20 GMT

World No. 1 Ronnie O’Sullivan overcame a third flying tip of the week at the Welsh Open during his victory against Rod Lawler in the third round of the Welsh Open. A frustrated O’Sullivan couldn’t believe his luck but he came back out after a repair job and sealed the match in style. Stream top snooker action, including the Welsh Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.co.uk

Ronnie O’Sullivan overcame more tip problems at the Welsh Open during his dominant 4-0 win over Rod Lawler to reach the last 16 in Llandudno.

All was looking smooth for O’Sullivan before his tip flew off for a third time this week, having come off twice against Ross Muir in the second round.

Nevertheless, he went on to whitewash Lawler and will play David Gilbert or Ben Mertens in the next round.

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“I don’t really want to talk about it [the tip] because I don’t know what I’m talking about,” said O'Sullivan in the Eurosport studio.

“I’ll get it sent to John Parris, get a bit of work done, a new feral and hopefully it will be ready for Thailand and the other tournaments, the important ones.

He added: “I’ve always been a player, if I play well I enjoy it. If I don’t play well, I can dig in better. I like to play well because then my mind follows my game. I want to start getting my mind right rather than my game a bit more.

“I feel fantastic. Just running every morning, relaxing, doing some work. Just busy doing a couple of bits and pieces.”

'Wow!' - O'Sullivan smashes into reds and pots another to make a century

The opening frame was a scrappy affair as the scores were locked at 29-29 with four reds remaining. Lawler went in-off which proved to be the key moment as O’Sullivan made 24 and put his opponent in a tough snooker.

Lawler got out of it so a safety exchange followed, before O’Sullivan knocked in the final red to seal the frame.

The misses continued at the start of the second, then O’Sullivan played an exhibition shot by smashing into the reds to make the cue ball spin off the pack and into another one over the corner which set him up for a century.

‘What happens if it happens in the final?’ – Foulds on O'Sullivan tip woes

All was plain-sailing for O’Sullivan when he was on a break of 35 and potted a routine black, only for his tip to come off.

He was clearly frustrated and seemed to want to not change his tip because of the feeling he had with it.

However, it was changed, by tournament director Paul Collier and it didn’t stop O’Sullivan from closing out the final two frames.

Elsewhere, defending champion Joe Perry is out after he lost 4-1 to Robbie Williams, whilst Joe O’Connor whitewashed Stuart Carrington.

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Stream top snooker action, including the Welsh Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.co.uk

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