Welsh Open 2022 - Ronnie O’Sullivan works hard for win over Lukas Kleckers to set up Ding Junhui clash

Ronnie O’Sullivan married excellent break-building and hard snooker to see off Lukas Kleckers 4-2 and reach the last-32 of the Welsh Open. Kleckers caused the Rocket problems in Newport, as he held a lead at one stage and threatened to move within one frame of victory, but O’Sullivan took a chance that presented itself in the fifth and it set him on the way to victory and a meeting with Ding Junhui. Ad/> After taking a mere 43 minutes to dispose of James Cahill in the previous round, it was rather different against Kleckers.

Welsh OpenWill 'open to offers' O'Sullivan miss the World Championship?AN HOUR AGO The opening frame was a scrappy affair, which eventually went O’Sullivan’s way after 28 minutes. After some wayward pots, he sealed the opener with an excellent long red into the bottom right. The second frame produced the first passage of fluent play, but it came from the methodical game of Kleckers rather than the quicksilver arm of O’Sullivan.

He was fortunate to get in, as a lucky flick left O’Sullivan snookered behind the brown. He escaped, but left Kleckers a chance and the German killed off the frame in a single visit with a confident run of 73. O'Sullivan on the dangers of facing young players Trump: Unless I win five or six events they say I'm playing badly Kleckers is not fazed by taking on big names, having secured wins over the likes of Neil Robertson and Mark Selby, and he pounced on an O’Sullivan error to move ahead.