Ronnie O'Sullivan begins 2026 World Open campaign with impressive victory over Ross Muir to set up Matthew Selt clash
Published 16/03/2026 at 10:13 GMT
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It was an almost perfect start to the World Open in China for Ronnie O'Sullivan, who produced a dominant display to get the better of Ross Muir in his first-round clash. The Rocket hit two superb century breaks in the final two frames to seal victory and set up a clash with Matthew Selt in the next round. O'Sullivan is looking to win the tournament for the first time since 2004.
Watch: O'Sullivan walks out of arena after unexpected issue
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ronnie O'Sullivan looked in top form as he eased to a 5-1 win over Ross Muir in the first round of the World Open.
The Rocket was exceptional in the latter stages of the match as he rattled off two consecutive century breaks to set up a clash with Matthew Selt on Wednesday.
It was always likely to be a difficult task for Scot Muir, ranked 109th in the world, but O'Sullivan headed to Yushan, China still searching for his first win of 2026.
The opening frame started well for The Rocket as he hit a break of 31 after Muir missed an early red. He was disrupted slightly by an issue with his waistcoat, and Muir then spent some time at the table.
But O'Sullivan soon found his rhythm to take the first frame 98-27.
While there were some signs of promise for Muir in the early stages, the second frame provided less to be optimistic about.
O'Sullivan put together a typically precise break of 83 to quickly wrap things up and establish a 2-0 lead.
Muir had the chance to build a break of his own in the third frame but could only manage 29, and his ruthless opponent capitalised again.
At 3-0 down, it seemed the end was nigh for the 30-year-old.
But he battled on and remained in contention in a more cagey fourth frame. O'Sullivan threatened to pull away again but missed a red on 35, before Muir registered some points of his own.
Neither player could build up a significant break, and a clever snooker from Muir proved the decisive shot. O'Sullivan twice missed the green, allowing Muir to pot and then clear the table to take his first frame of the match.
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There was a sense of frustration for The Rocket at the interval, having missed an opportunity to go 4-0 up.
Muir, meanwhile, had given himself a glimmer of hope, but that was soon wiped away as O'Sullivan produced two immaculate centuries.
The first, to take the fifth frame, was a break of 113, with all the reds dispatched until he inadvertently potted the cueball along with the black to end any chance of what might have been a maximum.
And the sixth and final frame was similar: Muir could do no more than sit and watch as O'Sullivan potted with unerring accuracy for another century.
Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the World Championship, live on TNT Sports.
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