God. I've watched Ronnie for nearly two decades now, and this one hurt to witness. The Rocket just got absolutely demolished yesterday, crashing out of teh World Snooker Championship after a brutal 7-17 hammering from Zhao Xintong in the semi-finals.

I was there at the Crucible. Row 3, seat 14. Perfect view of the carnage.

What the hell happened to the Rocket?

O'Sullivan, at 49, looked completely lost against Zhao, who - let's remember - is technically an amateur fresh off a 20-month suspension for his involvement in that match-fixing scandal that rocked the sport back in 2023. Remember that whole mess? Ten players caught up in it, careers in tatters.

This defeat means Ronnie's quest to surpass Stephen Hendry's record of seven World Championships continues. My mate Dave texted me during frame 12: "Reckon he'll ever get that 8th?" I honestly don't know anymore.

The swan finally sank

Ronnie's appearance in Sheffield this year surprised everyone. He'd skipped five events in 2025 citing medical reasons (though rumors in the press room suggested burnout was the real culprit).

But he looked rejuvenated knocking out Si Jiahui, Junxu Pang, and then Ali Carter - that victory particularly sweet given their history. Remember that shoulder-barging incident in 2018? Ancient history now.

Ronnie himself had been brutally honest about his form, calling it "awful" and comparing himself to a swan. Pretty apt - graceful on the surface, paddling like mad underneath.

The cue-tip decision that'll haunt him

With the scores tied at 4-4, O'Sullivan made what might go down as one of the most catastrophic equipment decisions in snooker history. He changed his cue tip MID-MATCH.

I've played amateur snooker for 15 years and even I know that's basically snooker suicide. It's like changing your running shoes halfway through a marathon.

What happened next? Zhao absolutely steamrolled him, winning EIGHT frames in a row. The Sheffield crowd was stunned into silence. I spent £120 on my ticket to essentially watch a funeral.

Too little, way too late

The evening session showed glimpses of the Ronnie we know. A few trademark long pots, that silky cue action... but the damage was done. Zhao's lead was insurmountable.

The Chinese Cyclone (terrible nickname, by the way) will now face either Judd Trump or Mark Williams in Sunday's final.

Honestly? I'm backing Trump if he makes it through. His form this season has been ridiculous.

Zhao's redemption arc

Let's talk about Zhao for a second. This guy only returned to the amateur circuit last September after that lengthy suspension. He was punished for betting on results over three years and being involved when another player fixed two matches.

Worth noting he didn't actually fix matches himself, which is why his sentence was lighter than the others. He admitted guilt early.

Still... from banned to World Championship finalist? That's one hell of a comeback story.

I bumped into John Virgo at the bar afterward. His take: "Never seen Ronnie look so defeated." Hard to disagree.

This tournament just got a whole lot more interesting.