Thepchaiyan Un-Nooh surprises Ronnie O’Sullivan to claim his second ranking in the World Open final on Sunday 22 March 2026.
Snooker GOAT O’Sullivan had started the final quickly, winning the first four frames in a row that included a 124 break, but the Thai 39 seed swept six straight frames, credited with some heavy scoring that included five breaks over 50.
O’Sullivan responded with three consecutive century breaks – 114, 116 and 136 – to regain the lead in a world-class match, only for his Thai opponent to equalize with 77 and then knock on three centuries to take the title.
Un-Nooh’s remarkable scoring run featured breaks of 132 and 131, with either side of a cool 147 in the penultimate frame, to cap off a fitting finale.
For the uninitiated, O’Sullivan posted a historic break of 153 in his quarter-final match against Ryan Day on 20 March 2026 with a crushing 5-0 win.
Excited by the triumph, Un-Nooh said: “I just wanted to try my best because I didn’t know when I could be in another final again,” said Un-Nooh, who had only won his last career Shoot Out title in 2019.
“It’s like a double dream final now. It’s always been my dream to lift the title against Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final. For the rest of my life, this is something I’m not going to forget. And it’s a great honor to get 147 in the final against Ronnie O’Sullivan.”
“It’s the first time I’ve won a major event and this is the biggest prize of my career. It’s a dream come true and a step forward.”
The spectacular performance by the Thai talent earned Un-Nooh a whopping prize worth £175,000, while runner-up O’Sullivan received a £75,000 prize for the highest break.
