A highly amused Ronnie O’Sullivan admitted he loved every minute of sharing ‘Planet Poomjaeng’ for the first time with the eccentric world No130 from Thailand.
The Rocket had breaks of 61, 69, 104 and 76 from 2-0 down to run out a comfortable 4-2 winner against the 44-year-old Dechawat Poomjaeng at the English Open in Essex on Wednesday.
World No1 and record and reigning seven-time world champion O’Sullivan, 47, trailed after an extraordinary first two frames that saw crazy exchanges of flukes, unorthodox shots and facial expressions.
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It was the first ever meeting for the two players, with Poomjaeng - with a long-established reputation for wearing his heart on his sleeve in the arena and extravagant gestures - just having regained his place on tour last summer after five years away from the professional circuit.
Despite the heavy recent snow dump on the Brentwood Centre, Poomjaeng has been sporting sunglasses around the building including at the practice table – but he found a kindred soul in O’Sullivan, another free spirit who has never observed conventional norms.
O’Sullivan, who praised ‘The Boomerang’ for finding his way back onto the tour, said: “It was brilliant and I loved playing him – it was fantastic and great fun. Poomy is off his head! And I think I need to be like that more.
“I was trying to be a bit more crazy than Poomjaeng out there, and I think I just about did it today. Hooray!
“With the re-spotted black that I lost at the end of frame two I must have tried about eight doubles on it. With his first go at it…I have no idea what he was going for. But it doesn’t matter, it was brilliant.
“He’s like a Mr Bean type character with all his facial expressions and mannerisms…it is just really funny and he should probably go into comedy.
Dechawat Poomjaeng surprises to take the opening frame - and benefits from an 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 fluke 🤯✨
#EnglishOpen | @WeAreWST
“It was amazing. I tried to pot it in the bottom right hand corner off about two cushions, and he is just on another planet. And I want to be on that planet.
“Take me there Elon Musk – take me to Planet Poomjaeng! I got well and truly Poomjaeng-ed in the first two frames, I was all over the gaff and didn’t know what was going on.
“There was a lot of smiling out there but you have got to enjoy yourself and have a laugh, haven’t you? I don’t know what it is about Poomy that makes me smile – wasn’t he making everyone smile?
“And I ended up trying to out-Poomjaeng Poomjaeng, and just about got there. I was even more reckless than he was.
“I fancy a go on Planet Poomjaeng, he looks to be having a great time – very happy. He is living the dream.
“He was having visa issues earlier this season having got back on tour, that is always tough to deal with so I am glad he has got those sorted.
“But I played all right after the start, and enjoyed the match. I am just Poom-ed now, man. I might have briefly been on a 147 in the last frame, but my days of making maximums are over.
“I’d rather win the frame and play the right shot…don’t take the game for granted! I’ll keep kicking at the door this week and maybe it will open.
“It is nice to play a few matches, though I am practising loads, I don’t stop – I am like a machine. You don’t win what I have without practising, don’t worry about that.”
Next up for O’Sullivan on Thursday will be Londoner Martin Gould who has found some form in earlier rounds after a patchy couple of seasons.
Jack Lisowski cruised through to the last 32 with a 4-0 whitewash win over Stuart Carrington, while former UK Championship winner Zhao Xintong shrugged of the suspension issues affecting several of his compatriots as well as a heavy cold to claim a 4-0 victory over Estonia’s Andres Petrov.
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