Seven-time world snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan made an impressive start to his competitive heyball career, defeating Ivan Kakovskiy 15-9 to advance to the winners’ qualification round of the 2026 Huacai World Open in Deqing, China.
The prestigious tournament, sanctioned by the World Pool Association, features a prize fund topped by more than £500,000 (5 million yuan) for the champion. Entering at the last-64 stage, O’Sullivan now has two opportunities to secure a place in the next phase before the event switches to a straight knockout format.
Heyball, also known as Chinese eight-ball, combines elements of snooker and pool. It is played on a snooker-style table with American pool balls, while retaining pocket dimensions similar to those used in professional snooker.
O’Sullivan has previously expressed an interest in competing regularly on the heyball circuit and took part in exhibition events in China last year. However, this tournament marks his first major competitive appearance in the discipline against elite opponents.
Having reportedly spent considerable time preparing for the challenge, the 50-year-old adapted quickly. He established an early advantage against Kakovskiy and maintained control throughout the contest. Although the Russian mounted a late comeback, O’Sullivan comfortably closed out a 15-9 victory and is expected to face women’s heyball star Chen Siming in the next round.
Before the event, O’Sullivan played down his chances of lifting the trophy, saying he would be satisfied simply to win a few matches and gain experience competing against China’s leading players. He stressed that success in heyball requires dedicated practice and that transitioning from snooker to pool is far from straightforward.
The victory continues a busy period for O’Sullivan. After narrowly losing to John Higgins in the last 16 of the 2026 World Snooker Championship, he returned to the Crucible to win the World Seniors Snooker Championship on debut and later added another title at the inaugural Global Snooker 900 Championship.
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