NANCHANG -- Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh produced a historic comeback to claim the biggest title of his career, beating Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-7 in the final of snooker's 2026 Yushan World Open on Sunday, headlined by a 147 maximum break in the penultimate frame of the best-of-19 showdown.
The 41-year-old Thai, famed for his fearless attacking style and rapid break-building, pulled off a remarkable turnaround, reeling off four consecutive frames to seal the title, having already stunned the sport by eliminating world number one Judd Trump in the semifinals 24 hours earlier.
O'Sullivan made a blistering start in Sunday's final, racing to a 4-0 lead in the afternoon session with a top break of 124 in the third frame. Un-Nooh refused to fold, turning the contest around to lead 6-4.
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The seven-time world champion regained control in the second session, firing three consecutive century breaks -- 114, 102 and a clinical 136 total clearance -- to move 7-4 ahead and within touching distance of the trophy. Un-Nooh then unleashed an unstoppable run of scoring to turn the match on its head.
The Thai then wrote himself into the tournament's history books with the seventh official 147 maximum break of his career in frame 16, before closing out the match with a 131 total clearance in the 17th frame, leaving O'Sullivan without a chance to respond in the closing stages.
Speaking after the defeat, O'Sullivan admitted his technical limitations left him unable to match Un-Nooh's level, despite his improved form over the past two weeks.
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"I knew there's only so many shots that I'm able to play at the moment. I'm playing better than I was for the last three years, but it's still not good enough to play against someone who plays like that," the 50-year-old said.
For Un-Nooh, the title marks a career-defining triumph, especially coming against his childhood hero O'Sullivan.
"Everyone knows Ronnie is the greatest of all time, not just in this world, in this galaxy. He was my snooker idol when I was young -- I learned his game, his style," he said in his post-match press conference.
The Thai star joked he was "so sad" there was no bonus prize for his 147 maximum, but added that making the perfect break against O'Sullivan in a ranking final was "a dream come true and a fantastic night". He also expressed hope that his title win would help revitalize snooker in Thailand, calling for more support to inspire a new generation of young players in his home country.
