<prompt> Bhala ukuqhubeka kwalesi sigaba - U-OSullivan waqala isizini ka-2016-17 sekwephuzile, eShanghai Masters. Emzuliswaneni wokuqala, wanqoba uLiang Wenbo 54 ngemuva kokululama kusuka ku-14 phansi. Kwakuwumdlalo wakhe wokuqala womqhudelwano wezinyanga ezinhlanu. Kodwa-ke, lokhu kwaba lapho athuthuka khona, njengoba emzuliswaneni wesibili wahlulwa ngu-25 kuMichael Holt. Ukuncintisana emqhudelwaneni wokuqala we-European Masters  <response>: U-OSullivan unqobe uDavid Gilbert ngo-4-1 emzuliswaneni wokuqala, uMark Allen ngo-4-2 emzuliswaneni wesibili, uMark Davis ngo-4-1 kuma-quarter-finals wabe esehlula uNeil Robertson ngo-6-0 kuma-semi-finals. Ebhekene noJudd Trump emdlalweni wokugcina, u-OSullivan uhole ngo-5-3 ngemuva kweseshini yokuqala. Esigabeni sesibili, u-OSullivan waqhubeka nokuhola ngo-86 ngaphambi kokuthi ekugcineni alahlekelwe ngu-89. Emqhudelwaneni wokuqala we-Home Nations series, emqhudelwaneni wokuqala we-English Open, u-OSullivan wanqoba uJimmy Robertson ngo-4-0 emzuliswaneni wokuqala, uZhao Xintong ngo-4-3 emzuliswaneni wesibili, kodwa wabe esehlulwa nguChris Wakelin emzuliswaneni wesithathu ngo-3-4. Emqhudelwaneni wamazwe omhlaba, u-OSullivan wanqoba uXiao Guodong ngo-64 emzuliswaneni wokuqala noKurt Maflin ngo-64 emzuliswaneni wesibili ukuze afinyelele emidlalweni eyishumi nesithupha. Kodwa-ke, wabe esehlulwa nguMichael Holt 46, okwenza lokhu kube ukulahlekelwa kwesithathu okulandelanayo kuHolt ngo-2016. 