Ronnie O’Sullivan has signed up to play an exhibition match against reigning world champion Zhao Xintong. The event is due to be held in Macau, China, on the final day of October.
O’Sullivan and Zhao have already gone head-to-head this year in a huge match at the Crucible. The two players faced each other in the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship, with the Chinese star romping to a shock 17-7 victory. The Rocket struggled with a new cue throughout the tournament and was far from his best in Sheffield as Zhao cemented his place in the final, where he defeated Mark Williams.
O’Sullivan and Zhao will play against each other in the King of Snooker vs 2025 World Champion event at the Wynn Macau Grand Ballroom.
Organisers haven’t revealed how many frames will be played, but the Wynn Macau website says the event will take place between 8pm and 9.15pm local time.
And the website states that people should be prepared for a “dazzling exhibition game full of speed and precision.”
O’Sullivan’s trip to China shouldn’t take as long as it might have done in the past as the 49-year-old is now living in Dubai after spending most of his life living in Essex.
After losing at the World Championship, the veteran explained: “I think I am going to be moving out of the UK this year.
“I’ll be moving away to the Middle East. We’ll see how it goes – I might be back in six months.”
O’Sullivan ultimately decided to settle in the United Arab Emirates after marrying his long-term partner and EastEnders star Laila Rouass.
And he told The Sun last month: “It’s really good. I’ve got a great practice facility there, which was one of the main reasons for going.
“I was struggling to find somewhere to play. It was either get a train up to Sheffield or try to move to Sheffield.
“But my wife wasn’t too keen on Sheffield, so she said we either go Spain or Dubai. And I thought, well, Dubai is nearer China. Obviously it’s in the Middle East. All the tournaments that I play and all the work that I do is there. It just made sense to go to Dubai.
“Really enjoying it out there. Great gyms. I’m enjoying that side of it. I had some friends over there before that played snooker and they’ve helped me get into Dubai life. I’ve met some really nice friends and fitted in really well. So yeah, it’s great.”