¡Cómo nos hizo sufrir ayer The Rocket!O’Sullivan Survives McLeod Charge
Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan held off a bold fight-back from Rory McLeod to score a 9-6 victory and reach the last 16 of the Maplin UK Championship.
The Rocket appeared to be crusing towards a second round meeting with Joe Perry when he led 6-0 after top breaks of 117 and 110.
But McLeod, the world No 44 who has never progressed beyond the last 32 of a ranking event, launched a remarkable recovery, making three consecutive centuries with 108, 102 and 131, then adding the next two frames for 6-5 as he threatened what would have been one of the most surprising comeback wins in snooker history.
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The Wellingborough-based cueman had chances to level the tie, but crucially played a poor positional shot from red to pink at 55-33 in frame 12, and despite potting the pink was left with a difficult long red, which he missed. O'Sullivan cleared with 38, then won the next frame with a 94 clearance for 8-5.
McLeod took the next after world No 1 O'Sullivan failed to convert three chances to win the match, but the Chigwell potter finally sealed it in frame 15 with a calm 70.
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"I hate it when people say I'm a genius and I don't have to work hard at this game, because I do have to battle," said four-times UK Champion O'Sullivan.
"Any win for me at this stage of my career is a result."It was tough. Sometimes you just have to sit it out, and you feel as if it's not going to be your day. It would have been nice to win more easily.
"Credit to Rory because at 6-0 down his head could have gone. In the end I could have been going home because it's all about form and his was stronger than mine."
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Extraído de World Snooker
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