Ronnie O’Sullivan’s bid for the huge £550,000 top prize at the Huacai Billiards World Open in China came to an end in the last 32 after a heavy 17-6 defeat to Heyball specialist Zheng Xiaohuai.
The seven-time world champion had made an encouraging start to his debut appearance in the lucrative tournament, recording victories over Ivan Kakovskiy (15-9) and Suung Kim (15-12). However, he struggled to match Zheng’s expertise in the Chinese billiards discipline, which combines elements of snooker and pool.
Heyball is played on a nine-foot table using standard eight-ball pool balls, but with tighter pockets that resemble those found on a snooker table. Zheng’s experience proved decisive, as he produced four break-and-run frames compared to just one from O’Sullivan. The Chinese player also enjoyed a far superior pot success rate, finishing at 55% while O’Sullivan managed 18%.
Despite the defeat, O’Sullivan appeared to enjoy the challenge of learning a new cue-sport format. The Englishman has previously spoken positively about competing on the smaller table and is expected to return to Heyball events in the future as he continues to develop his understanding of the game’s unique tactical demands.
The loss does little to diminish what has been a productive period for O’Sullivan. Since his narrow 13-12 defeat to John Higgins in the last 16 of the World Championship at the Crucible in April, he has enjoyed success elsewhere. He captured the 2026 World Seniors Championship title with a 10-4 victory over Joe Perry, compiling five centuries during the tournament. He then followed that up by winning the Snooker 900 Global Championship in Reading, defeating Luca Brecel 10-5 in the final after producing another five century breaks.
While his first major Heyball campaign ended earlier than hoped, O’Sullivan’s willingness to embrace a new discipline suggests his adventure in Chinese billiards may be only just beginning.
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