ANTRIM’S JORDAN BROWN sealed one of snooker’s greatest upsets as he beat six-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in a final-frame decider to clinch the Welsh Open title at Celtic Manor.
The world number 81, who started the tournament as a 750-1 outsider, held his nerve to clinch a 9-8 win and become the lowest ranked winner of a ranking title in over a quarter of a century.
A brilliant break of 74 in the decider completed victory for the Antrim 33-year-old and completed a spectacular change in fortunes for a player who almost fell off the tour last year after a string of poor results.
He’s done it… what a moment for Jordan Brown!
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) February 21, 2021
The Northern Irishman has caused a massive upset to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in the Welsh Open final at Celtic Manor
He was a 750/1 outsider at the start of the tournament
📺 BBC Two Wales
💻 https://t.co/GYlulM8Ech pic.twitter.com/rQJxhyIUtQ
Brown had shown a glimpse of the form that would sweep him to the final when he reached his first career quarter-final at the German Masters last month.
But few could have anticipated his week at Celtic Manor, in which he won four consecutive matches in final-frame deciders, culminating in seeing off Mark Selby in the quarter-finals, before sweeping aside Stephen Maguire 6-1 in the last four.
Seemingly impervious to nerves, Brown built a 4-1 lead against O’Sullivan, who only managed to haul back the first session deficit to 5-3 on the back of two consecutive centuries.
Brown, who had scored a century of his own earlier in the match, came under inevitable pressure from the favourite at the start of the concluding session, and breaks of 68 and 61 sent O’Sullivan into the lead for the first time in the match at 6-5.
Unruffled, Brown took the next two to move two frames from victory at 7-6, and although O’Sullivan levelled again, the world champion showed frustration when over-cutting a simple pink in the next, and Brown’s brilliant 56 clearance to blue took him within one frame of the title.
Typically, O’Sullivan responded with a 119 clearance to force a decider, but a long red from Brown gave him the first chance in the decider and he brilliantly executed his opportunity to earn the £70,000 winner’s cheque.
Individual players get between €300 and €900 per year depending on how far they progress. Your average player will probably get about €400 on this grant scheme. In fairness it takes some commitment to be an Intercounty player.