O'Sullivan knocked out of International Championship

Ronnie O'Sullivan has never won the International Championship

Ronnie O'Sullivan was knocked out of the International Championship in the third round as he fell to a 6-5 defeat by fellow Englishman Jack Lisowski.

Lisowski won his maiden ranking title at the Northern Ireland Open in October and established a 5-3 lead against O'Sullivan, with a highest break of 113.

O'Sullivan, who turns 50 next month, rallied to level the match at the South New City National Fitness Center in Nanjing, China.

However, Lisowski clinched the deciding 11th frame by potting a tricky final black, after both men squandered earlier match-winning chances, to close out a first win over the seven-time world champion.

Lisowski, 34, has now won nine successive matches on the World Snooker Tour and will face Barry Hawkins in the last 16 after he beat Welshman Jak Jones 6-3.

Elsewhere, England's Zak Surety crafted a 147 break in the third frame of his 6-5 victory over Ireland's Aaron Hill.

It was the second maximum of the 34-year-old's career, following one he made at the 2024 World Open in Yushan.

World champion Zhao Xintong of China survived a scare as he beat compatriot Lei Peifan 6-5, while Stephen Maguire claimed a 6-4 win over world number two Kyren Wilson.

The veteran John Higgins progressed with a 6-3 victory over Hossein Vafaei, and there were wins for Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy and Ding Junhui, as well as former champions Neil Robertson and Mark Selby.

Anthony McGill, Si Jiahui and Wu Yize also booked their places in the fourth round.