GLOBE-TROTTER Ronnie O’Sullivan met Jackie Chan for the first time on his latest trip to Asia – despite the pair sharing several FaceTime chats.
The Rocket, 48, was presented with a bouquet of flowers by the Kung Fu icon, 70, last Friday while in gambling city Macau.
For the cameras, the pair hit a few balls on the baize along with Jak Jones, who was the runner-up at the last World Snooker Championship at the Crucible.
It was the first time O’Sullivan and Chan had come face-to-face even though they had spoken before on the telephone through mutual pals based in Hong Kong.
The seven-time world champion explained: “We have spoken a few times on the phone, on Facetime.
“We have friends. Jackie has friends in Hong Kong, who are friends of mine.
“So, we have been in touch. But that was the first time we had met. A lovely guy.”
Chan, star of the Rush Hour films, is a legend of cinema, having appeared in more than 150 domestic and international movies.
And as someone who does their own stunts, he is one of the most influential people in the history of martial arts on film.
This is not his first meeting with a snooker star because in 2019 he went for a night out with Ireland’s former world champion Ken Doherty.
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After performing trick shots together, the duo went out for dinner, smoked some cigars, downed a few drinks and even sang karaoke together.
O’Sullivan is in Nanjing this week for the International Championship – a ranking tournament in China that he has yet to win.
He progressed comfortably to the last 32 – where he will meet Northern Ireland Open semi-finalist Pang Junxu – following a 6-2 victory over He Guoqiang on Monday.
There were no safety concerns with the crowd like there had been for his win over Thai cueist Mink Nutcharut on Sunday.
In his post-match press conference, O’Sullivan sounded like someone from the local tourist board as he spoke about his love and admiration for China and how he is “blown away” every time he goes out there.
The former world No.1 – who has been granted residency in Hong Kong – said: “I went out this morning to this lake, an amazing lake. It was beautiful.
“I just recommend anybody to come to China – it blows me away.
That was the first time we had met. A lovely guy.
Ronnie O'Sullivan
“Every city I come to, they always take me somewhere and I just go ‘wow’. It’s like you’re in another world, it’s an amazing place.
“So we’re probably going to go to the river on Tuesday evening because obviously there is going to be another experience.
“For me, it’s the best place in the world. There is no other place like China. Every city just has something amazing about it.
“Nanjing has a lot of history but I’d just say listen, forget going on holiday anywhere else, just come to China.
“Visit some of their most important cities, where all their dynasties were.
“You’ve been here yourself, I imagine you go home and you tell people how wonderful it is, and they’re like ‘really?’
“I always tell people you have to come to China. For me, it’s the greatest place on Earth.”
