Ronnie O’Sullivan suffers session whitewash as Zhao Xintong lights up Crucible

Former UK Championship winner John Virgo, commentating for the BBC, was full of praise for Zhao’s performance. “Scintillating snooker,” he said.

Ronnie O’Sullivan lost all eight frames in the second session to fall 12-4 behind Zhao Xintong in their World Championship semi-final (Richard Sellers/PA)

Ronnie O’Sullivan’s mid-match change of tip backfired spectacularly as he was whitewashed by Zhao Xintong in the second session of their World Snooker Championship semi-final.

O’Sullivan had the tip and ferrule on his cue changed overnight, having labelled it as “awful” ahead of the last-four clash with Zhao at the Crucible.