Ronnie O'Sullivan crashed out of the UK Championship as Zhou Yuelong downed the Rocket for the first time in his career.
Zhou had lost all seven previous meetings with O'Sullivan but put that to bed this time with a 6-4 victory despite his opponent showing flashes of his customary brilliance throughout the match.
Indeed O'Sullivan scored more points and potted at a higher success rate, but there were five tight frames and each of them went the way of his opponent.
The timbre of the match was set right from the off as Zhou edged frames one and two, each by a margin of just 13 points, before O'Sullivan rattled off breaks of 71 and 123 to level at the interval.
Given the pair's history, many would've expected O'Sullivan to press on thereafter but a heavy contact in frame five allowed Zhou in to steal, O'Sullivan responding with a rattling 94 to level again at 3-3.
Another massive steal and BIG DRAMA! 🤯
— WST (@WeAreWST) December 2, 2025
Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Zhou Yuelong has been box office so far...#UKChampionship | @Victorianplumb pic.twitter.com/eDsmViQjze
He could never get ahead, though, with frame seven proving vital as he lost it on the black, before Zhou produced a magnificent 125 break, the highest of the match, to move within one of victory.
O'Sullivan finally won a tight frame to halve the deficit but despite another half-century in the next it again went the way of Zhou, this time decisively. Not for the first time on a light schedule this year, O'Sullivan mixed brilliance with apparent rust and his opponent made him pay.
On the adjacent table, Mark Selby appeared at the top of his game in a dominant 6-2 victory over Lei Peifan, the highlight a 133 clearance in frame five. He will await Zhou in the next round.
Zhou said: "I am so excited. He is a legendary snooker player and best in history. He is the king of the Barbican. If you can beat Ronnie it has to give you confidence. This is a big victory for my career.
"I’ve played Mark Selby many times. He is another legendary player. I need to prepare and play well tomorrow."
O'Sullivan, who turns 50 this week, said: "He played better. I didn’t give him much of a fight and had a lot of bad mistakes really. He deserved his victory today.
"Defeat is defeat. You have to accept it is part and parcel of being a professional sportsman."
