Hong Kong Masters: biggest ever crowd turn up volume for Ronnie O’Sullivan, after Mark Williams struggles to stay awake

Local favourite Ng On-yee beaten but supreme O’Sullivan puts on a show for the Hong Kong Coliseum

Williams ‘just trying to keep eyes open’ as he tests Neil Robertson within hours of landing as Zhao Xintong’s Covid stand-in

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Ng On-yee looks on as Ronnie O’ Sullivan pots his way to victory. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 4:46pm, 7 Oct 2022Updated: 12:39am, 8 Oct 2022

After the warm-up acts, the main event. Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ng On-yee got the Hong Kong Masters into full swing on Friday evening, drawing a crowd of over 5,000 to set the world record that had been forecast.

O’Sullivan had begun the week tentatively trying beginner-level Cantonese at Ng’s direction in their hotel, but was far more assertive as he gave a snooker demonstration for the Hong Kong Coliseum to progress to a semi-final with Neil Robertson.

If the previous day, with its sparser audience and players’ complaints of feeling cold, resembled a party that had yet to get going, there was more riding on this last quarter-final between the home contender and the best there’s ever been.

The women’s world No 2 threatened to run away with the first frame when O’Sullivan potted the white from his break-off. It was an insect on the table, rather than “the Rocket”, that broke her focus, a missed red offering O’Sullivan a way in. He fluffed a pink, but barely missed again all night.