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Snooker great O’Sullivan loses to Zhou in UK Championship first round

Snooker great Ronnie O’Sullivan was knocked out in the first round of the UK Championship on Tuesday following a 6-4 defeat by China’s Zhou Yuelong.

O’Sullivan, who turns 50 on Friday, missed a chance to force a decider and Zhou cleared the colours to claim his first win over the record eight-time champion in snooker’s second most prestigious event.

Tuesday’s match in York, northern England, was the first time O’Sullivan, who now resides in Dubai, has played in Britain since his loss to Zhao Xintong, another Chinese player, in the World Championship semi-final in May.

O’Sullivan, a seven-time world champion—a modern-era record he shares with Stephen Hendry—said he had no plans to mark his landmark birthday as he left York for his temporary base in southern Ireland.

“I’ll probably go for a run, eat some nice food, and watch some snooker,” said O’Sullivan, who insisted he was not especially sad despite a hard-fought defeat.

O’Sullivan, asked how he felt about turning 50, said: “It feels all right. It feels good in some ways and not so good in others. You probably worry less about some of the stuff you used to worry about, and try to enjoy your life.

“I think since the start of the tournament I’ve enjoyed playing. (But) that was a bit of a ropey performance. I missed a lot of balls and I didn’t deserve to win.”

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