Ronnie O’Sullivan admits he will need to improve his game after reaching the second round of the UK Championship after beating 16-year-old Jackson Page on Thursday. The Rocket, 14/5 to win the tournament, started the match in fine form and breaks of 80 and 117 allowed him to race into a 2-0 lead. Page bounced back to level the match before O’Sullivan pulled away once again to move into a 5-2 lead.
Although Page managed to show some heart to win another frame, he was eventually beaten 6-3 in York. O’Sullivan admitted he must play better but he was also quick to praise his opponent after the Welshman impressed on the big stage. He told World Snooker: “He’s by far the best British player I’ve seen in his age group. He’s a raw talent and there are things he has to work on, like his positional play, but they are things which are easy to improve. He’s got a great temperament and he enjoys it out there. Some of his safety was fantastic. “I played ok, nothing special. I just go out there and do a job and try to be clinical in my thinking. Hopefully I’ll play a bit better in the next round.”
O’Sullivan is not in action again until Sunday but he will be keeping an eye on Saturday’s evening matches at the Barbican Centre in York. Judd Trump takes on Chris Wakelin in an-all English clash, while Scotland’s Graeme Dott faces Wales’ Dominic Dale. Stephen Maguire is expected to come through his tie with Jak Jones, while Joe Perry will need to be at his best to overcome fellow Englishman Jack Lisowski.
UK Championship odds available at Dafabet.