Ronnie O’Sullivan beats women’s world number one Mink Nutcharut after safety delays

Ronnie O’Sullivan eventually overcame women’s world number one Mink Nutcharut 6-3 after their match was delayed several times because of safety concerns.

The 48-year-old hit two centuries – including a final frame break of 132 – to see off Thailand’s Nutcharut in the first round of the International Championship in Nanjing, China.

But the start of the match had to be delayed by over 50 minutes as spectators crammed into the arena, forcing the morning session between Zhang Anda and Ishpreet Singh Chadha to end early.

“Due to the amount of spectators, for safety reasons the afternoon session has been delayed until 2.50pm,” read a World Snooker Tour social media post.

When play did start, it was Nutcharut who took the first frame as O’Sullivan, who had not played since the English Open in September, struggled to find his rhythm.

The seven-time world champion won four frames in a row from there, but let two slip as Nutcharut made it 4-3.

O’Sullivan regained his composure, playing his best frames of the session to claim victory.

“An absolute privilege to play such a talented opponent. Thank you for the game and good luck in the future,” said O’Sullivan.

He will face He Guoqiang in the next round.