On April 26, 2024, Beijing time, the 15th match of the first round of the World Snooker Championship came to an end. World No. 1 O'Sullivan swept Jackson Page 10-1 and successfully advanced to the round of 16 with a single shot of 122 points, 81 points, 79 points, 66 points, 56 points, 54 points, 53 points and six consecutive games.
After this match, O'Sullivan successfully completed a three-game winning streak against Page. Next, O'Sullivan will face Ryan Day to compete for the quarterfinals of this tournament.
At the same time, he will begin to challenge for the single-season Grand Slam records of Davis, Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams, and he is expected to become the fourth man in history. If he can do all of that, then he will retain his world No. 1 ranking and break the record.
O'Sullivan was on fire and beat Page 10-1
In the match between O'Sullivan and Paige, O'Sullivan completely dominated the game. In the first four games between the two sides, O'Sullivan won four consecutive games to take a 4-0 lead with a single stroke of 54 points, 71:10 and a single stroke of 56 points and 81 points.
After entering the second half of the first stage of the game between the two sides, O'Sullivan won two games in a row and led 6-0 with a single stroke of 122 points and 89:27. Although Page then scored 142 points in a single stroke, he fell behind O'Sullivan 1-6 and narrowed the difference. But O'Sullivan then scored 66 and 53 points to win two games in a row and secure an 8-1 lead.
After entering the second stage of the competition, Page still did not break through in the game. O'Sullivan seized the opportunity to win two games in a row with a single stroke of 79 points and 66:32, and defeated Page 10-1 to advance to the round of 16.
O'Sullivan completed a three-game winning streak against Paige
Before meeting Page in the first round of the World Championships, O'Sullivan and Page had already faced each other twice. In the first round of the 2017 British Championships, O'Sullivan defeated Page 6-1. In the second round of the 2023 English Open, O'Sullivan defeated Page 4-1.
finally met in the first round of the 2024 World Championships, and O'Sullivan defeated Page 10-1 to end the latter's dream of moving forward. So far, O'Sullivan has completed a three-game winning streak against Page.
At the same time, he also continued to maintain a 100% win rate against Paige. Before the World Championships, Page had a very good performance, but against the real top players, Page didn't play at the level he should have. For young players, they still need more experience, and they need to polish themselves in the game to become better professional players.
O'Sullivan is expected to become the fourth person in snooker history
So far, only three players on the World Snooker Tour have completed the single-season Grand Slam honor. In the 90s, Stephen Hendry completed two single-season Grand Slams, while Davis and Mark Williams each completed one.
And now, O'Sullivan is working towards this goal. You know, O'Sullivan has won the British Championship and the Masters this season, and if he can complete the championship in the World Championships, then he will become the fourth player in the history of the World Snooker Tour to complete a single-season Grand Slam.
In addition, he will retain his World No. 1 ranking and will also be on track to surpass Stephen Hendry's total number one in the world rankings. Moreover, O'Sullivan has won five titles this season, and if he can take the world championship into his arms, then he will be the player of the year. Therefore, O'Sullivan's performance in this World Championships will be very worth looking forward to.