Snooker news - Ronnie O'Sullivan's World Grand Prix title defence ends with first-round defeat to Fu

ByEurosport

Updated 05/02/2019 at 07:19 GMT

Ronnie O'Sullivan's World Grand Prix title defence came to a premature end following a 4-2 defeat to Marco Fu on Monday night in Cheltenham.

Ronnie O'Sullivan through to 13th Masters final after superb match with Ding Junhui

Image credit: Eurosport

O'Sullivan was defeated by Fu for the first time since the 2009 Welsh Open last 16 as the former Grand Prix champion became only the third person to beat O'Sullivan this season, following in the footsteps of Mark Davis and Judd Trump.

The UK Championship winner took the opening frame making breaks of 68 and 51 but Fu rallied to take the next two.

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Five-time world champion O'Sullivan levelled with a break of 77 in the fourth frame before world number 25 Fu won the following two frames, with the defending champion failing to pot a single ball in the final frame.

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O'Sullivan will be back in action at the Welsh Open next week in Cardiff where he will look to become the first player to make a milestone 1,000th century break.

Fu, a three-time ranking title winner, faces Barry Hawkins in the last 16 after he beat Ryan Day 4-1.

The Hawk, 39, put together runs of 72, 130 and 143 to come from a frame down against Day, who took the first frame with a break of 127 in a high-quality affair.

Monday also saw Stuart Bingham defeat Zhao Xintong 4-1 in Cheltenham with brilliant century breaks of 131 and 102 in the first two frames.

Mark Allen progressed to the last 16 after beating Gary Wilson 4-2 in the final game of the day.

Monday February 4

7pm

Ronnie O’Sullivan 2-4 Marco Fu
Mark Allen 4-2 Gary Wilson
Barry Hawkins 4-1 Ryan Day
Stuart Bingham 4-1 Zhao Xintong

Tuesday February 5

1pm

Martin O’Donnell v Ali Carter
Jimmy Robertson v Mark Davis
Mark Williams v Yuan Sijun
Neil Robertson v Xiao Guodong

7pm

Joe Perry v Tom Ford
Stephen Maguire v Mark King
Judd Trump v Stuart Carrington
Jack Lisowski v Ding Junhui

Wednesday February 6

1pm

Mark Selby v Shaun Murphy
John Higgins v Noppon Saengkham
David Gilbert v Yan Bingtao
Kyren Wilson v Matthew Stevens

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