O'Sullivan knocked out of Champion of Champions by Xiao

Ronnie O'Sullivan was knocked retired successful the opening circular of the 2024 Champion of Champions tourney successful Bolton by China's Xiao Guodong.

O'Sullivan, 48, a four-time victor of the event, had taken a 3-0 pb successful the best-of-seven-frames match, lone to suffer 4-3 aft a superb comeback from Xiao.

Breaks of 95 and 125 successful frames 2 and 3 respectively had seven-time satellite champion O'Sullivan connected people to scope Thursday's quarter-final astatine the Toughsheet Community Stadium.

But Xiao produced breaks of 130, 88 and 85 earlier winning the last framework 64-35.

It is O'Sullivan's 2nd consecutive defeat. Last week, helium was knocked retired of the 2024 International Championship by Pang Junxu, besides from China, astatine the last-32 stage.

Xiao volition look Mark Selby successful the quarter-finals aft his 4-2 triumph implicit chap Englishman Shaun Murphy.

Selby recorded breaks of 96 and 132, clinching the triumph by taking the last framework 115-0.