Ronnie O’Sullivan Wins Hong Kong Masters In Front Of World Record Crowd Of 9,000

Ronnie O’Sullivan insisted the Hong Kong Masters was the greatest tournament he had ever played in – after taking the title in front of a world-record crowd of 9,000. 

The reigning and seven-time world champion beat home favourite Marco Fu 6-4 at the vast Coliseum on Sunday to lift his first trophy of the season. 

But even the Rocket, who has won it all and done it all in snooker, was astonished at the level of support as the game returned to Asia for the first time since Covid. 

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The previous record for a live match of 3,000 – also set in Hong Kong five years ago – has been broken in each of the four days of competition this year. 

And despite the setback of Chinese star Zhao Xintong testing positive for Covid at the start, snooker bosses hope this event will help persuade mainland China to resume their lucrative tournaments. 

O’Sullivan, who held off a Fu fightback from 5-2 down before closing out the match with a 114 total clearance flourish, said: “It feels fantastic to be taking home the trophy. 

“And I want to say this is the best tournament I have ever played in. We have never played in front of more than 3,000 fans, and that was also here at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium. 

“So to have 9,000 fans watching a snooker match – unheard of. Hopefully we can come back year on year because the fans have been absolutely fantastic. 

“The team have been unbelievable to us, you pick the phone up and things are sorted, and it has been the best week to be a snooker player at this special tournament. 

“But forget winning the tournament, to play in front of that many was just unbelievable. I have been to watch the ATP Tour finals tennis when it was in London at the O2 Arena – and it was like that. 

“I have never experienced anything like it before in my life, and I didn’t think I would experience it in snooker. It is a different type of nerves as a player to the Crucible. That is evil, and so on top of you and intense. 

“But here you had the fans, but also more space. They were nice nerves, you could enjoy playing and the occasion and I just wanted it to carry on. I am disappointed it is over.” 

The sheer numbers take snooker into a different stratosphere in terms of tickets sold. There are Championship football clubs whose average attendance is much the same. 

And it will inevitably add fuel to the debate over the Crucible – the home of the blue-riband World Championship, with its capacity of just 980. 

World Snooker are torn between the tradition and history of the Sheffield venue, and the desire to get more people when demand is high for the highest-profile clashes. 

There are plans to try and develop a site across the road from the theatre to help with this, though nothing concrete has yet been agreed or announced.  

Fu enjoyed a fairytale run to the final of his home event performing in front of his adoring public.  

The 44-year-old is a huge star in his home country, with millions of followers on social media – and he has even had his own TV chat show series. 

The world No100, who fully justified his invite, beat Mark Selby in the quarter-finals and then John Higgins with a magnificent maximum 147 in the decider of the semi-final. 

And it meant a huge amount to him not only because of the location, but also due to five tough years that saw him have eye surgery, and then be isolated for two years due to Covid. 

O’Sullivan added: “We are like a family on tour, we play every week and see each other all the time. But to play Marco in front of the Hong Kong fans is like a dream. 

“He is the No1 Hong Kong player ever, and it was a fantastic experience for me. It’s so great to see him back, he was off the tour for a couple of years. 

“His health is good and you can the class is always there. I am sure he will be winning tournaments very soon, he is too good a player not to.” 

Fu said: “I will go back to the UK at the end of October now, and play until Christmas including the UK Championship and the English Open.  

“But this week has been a really valuable experience for me to try and get my form back to where it was a few years ago before I had the eye problems. 

“I know I can compete against the best players in the world, and know where my game is at. I lost to the best player in the world in the final, and the 147 in the semi-final was probably the best moment of my career.”