World number 109 Hammad Miah scored a 4-3 victory over a player ranked 84 places higher, Zhou Yuelong, to reach the final stages of the Cazoo British Open in Cheltenham.
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China’s Zhou is a three-time ranking event finalist but he won’t be at the final stages of this one as he finished second best in the qualifying round despite making a break of 105 in the opening frame then going 2-0 ahead. Miah hit back to win four of the last five frames with a top break of 61.
World number 20 Ricky Walden was another player to lose to a lower-ranked opponent as he went down 4-0 against Xu Si, whose top break was 67.
Highest break of the day was 134, made by Robbie Williams during a 4-0 rout of Pang Junxu. Dominic Dale rattled in runs of 91, 67 and 54 during a 4-1 defeat of Mark Joyce.
Oliver Lines top scored with 71 in a 4-0 win over practice partner Liam Pullen, while Oliver Brown made a 79 clearance in the deciding frame to edge out Himanshu Jain 4-3.
The match between Oliver Brown and Himanshu Jain was as close and as hard-fought as it gets. Neither deserved to lose. They both gave it everything. The match actually over-ran. It’s good that the tournament director allowed them to finish it, and didn’t pull them off.
I didn’t expect Xu Si to beat Ricky Walden by 4-0. Ricky was really poor and Xu played well. Another surprise for me was Robbie Williams trashing Pang Junxu by 4-0. Robbie on his day is a very big scorer. It must have been one of these days: Pang potted just one ball in the last three frames, whilst Robbie scored breaks of 51, 77 and 134.
Once again some matches are missing in the report, this time they are the two that finished late. You will find all the detailed results on snooker.org
Scott Donaldson beat Adam Duffy by 4-1 in a match that featured 5 breaks over 60. It was “one visit” snooker from start to finish. It’s nice to see Scott play well again despite still not being completely over his health issues.
Barry Hearn was on Hendry’s “cuetips”, answering fans’ questions
It’s very interesting, and very funny at times as well. You may need to listen to it several times to absorb everything. Here are the things I picked as important
Confirmation that Eddie Hearn is NOT interested in snooker one bit. Barry insist that he can still be useful on the commercial side but will he want to make the effort if he’s not interested?
Barry Hearn is all about money, but we knew that, and it has benefitted snooker that he has that mentality actually.
The Saudi Arabia contract is not signed yet but the event will almost certainly happen. They won’t be able to put on an extravagant prize money because Barry insists that the World Championship must stay the one offering the biggest prize money. So he capped their acceptable offer at equalling it.
Barry would love to stay at the Crucible, but at the same time he wants a bigger Crucible, some 2500 seats. And it should be a multipurpose venue that Sheffield can use all year long.
Barry praised Ronnie for what he brought to the game but is convinced that once he retires, players will come that will be better than him. Personally I’m not sure about the latter, I can’t see anyone in the current crop with such a potential. I can’t see the next Ronnie, nor can I see the next John Higgins or the next Willo. Not unless the amateur game grows and becomes far more brutal and competitive.
Barry recognises that the game is UK centric, too much so, and he wants to expand it. Europe though doesn’t seem to be on his radar. Probably because that’s not where he sees the money coming from. And his thoughts are about having more events outside UK, but there was no mention of the current organisation with all qualifiers being held in the UK and that’s a huge part of the issue.
In a few hours the 2023 Wine Cellars Women Snooker US Open will enter it’s last day of action as we are currently at the semi-finals stage, where the four highest seeds in the competition will do battle.
Three of the semi-finalists are or have been competing on the main tour: Mink, On Yee and Bex. Jamie Hunter is the defending champion. All four have won their QF match by 3-0.
The best players in the competition so far have been Mink and On Yee. At the time of writing, we had ten breaks over 50 during the competition, three by On Yee, seven by Mink. On Yee still has the highest break, a 121. Mink has a century as well, a 107 … that could have been a 142 had she not missed the last red.
For us in Europe, the action – streamed on YouTube by OXBilliards – will start in the evening and one hour earlier than on the two previous days. The semi-finals and Final are best of 7, and all three matches will be played, and streamed on the main table.
Yesterday players were invited to join the commentary team. Maryann McConnell was particularly interesting. Maryann, who started playing competitively at the age of 24 whilst at University was runner-up to Mandy Fisher in the 1984 Women Snooker World Championship. She explained how thriving snooker was in Canada when she started, and how important a figure Cliff Thorburn was at the time, and still is. She also explained why, in her opinion, snooker has regressed and pool has thrived instead. She’s a multiple pool champion herself.
Maryann McConnell
If you are interested in the history of snooker and want to understand the challenges this sport faces, it’s worth a listen. The streams are on the OXBilliards YouTube, even those from last year … so no hurry and well worth it.
Ray Reardon, one of snooker’s all-time greats, still plays and watches snooker and retains his love of the sport at the age of 90.
David Hendon travelled to Churston Golf Club in Devon to interview Reardon, and found the six-time World Champion in fine fettle. Here are a few extracts from the interview, which you can watch at the bottom of the page.
On whether he still plays snooker
“Very badly. I think they have moved the pockets actually. Either that or the balls got bigger and the pockets smaller. I still enjoy playing. I can help all of the members a little bit if they need it and there’s no charge. I never charge anybody.
On what still attracts him to the sport
“It is the nature of the game. The unreliability and the uncertainty of it. Some days you can do most things and others you can’t do anything. There is no rhyme or reason for it. Just whether or not you feel in the mood for it. I don’t know what it is. When you are in a little world of your own you can pot everything, get out of everything and you aren’t aware of anything. Nothing distracts you and you just get on doing your job.”
On his dominance of snooker in the 1970s
“I was number one for seven years, how about that? That is something isn’t it? You can only be the best of your day. You can’t compare it with modern times. They are much younger now and conditions seem to be much better than what we had. The tables are nice and warm, the balls are nice and light and the clothes are thinner. I would love to be able to play in these conditions. The table is so fast now and you see them screw the ball effortlessly over long distances. It is fascinating.”
On whether Ronnie O’Sullivan will beat his record as oldest ranking event winner
“I can’t see any reason why not. I wish him well because I’m on his side. It would be wonderful. Good for him. What a wonderful player and the most natural player you will ever see. I was amazed when I worked with him. I saw him play and I’d heard about him and read about him. To stand by him for a practice session is unbelievable. It is magic and I used to call him the magician. He wouldn’t have that, he wanted to be the Rocket.
“He is the greatest player without a doubt and I think most players would agree. I can’t think of anybody who wouldn’t agree. He is so natural and effortless. You would have to see him practising to realise how good he really is. Snooker is one of these games where you have an audience going along and I’m sure they don’t understand what they are seeing. They don’t realise how good this person is. They see a ball go from A to B. The white ball goes here there and everywhere. You can’t understand the skill involved in making this happen.”
On the resurgence of Mark Williams
“Look how dangerous he is. He has a second lease of life hasn’t he? He’s coming back. Mark came down here for a game of golf. What a good golfer he is. He birdied 15, 16, 17 and 18. It was unbelievable. He has a new lease of life on a snooker table and how nice it is to see that.”
Ray also gives his views – enthusiastic views – on the reigning World Champion, Luca Brecel, but no word of that in the above account. Oh well … Luca might be World Champion, he isn’t from the UK , so, who cares he?
The exhibition tournament in Shanghai was played to a conclusion yesterday but I have no clue who won it, neither who played who, nor what the match scores were. It seems that the format was best of 11. I’m not sure if the final was longer.
Anyway…
Here is a short video showing Ronnie thumping in a fantastic final black
From what I understood, reading the comments on that video, this was during Ronnie’s match v Marco Fu, and to avoid going 3-0 down. Marco then won the next two frames to go 4-1 up, only for Ronnie to win five on the bounce for a 6-4 victory.
I also found a few pictures
One of those shows Ronnie being 3-0 up on Judd Rump, and at the table. And it’s nice to see Zhou Ying refereeing. Since she got married, she rarely referees outside China, if ever.
Thanks to Silvry who found the crucial information on Instagram: Ronnie won the event, beating Judd Trump by 6-5 in the Final.
And some off-math pictures shared by Robbie
And, while Ronnie was at the other side of the world, Stephen Hendry shared a video where Ronnie answers the fan’s questions, and they have a relaxed chat:
It’s really enjoyable.
Meanwhile, in Leicester, the 2023 ranking CLS week 2 is about to start and here is today’s program, as shred by WST:
WST can’t get a thing right at the moment it seems … unless Barry Pinches, who already qualified for stage two, is tasked to replace Alex Ursenbacher in the afternoon session.
PS… they realised their mistake and corrected it. Still … it’s careless 😏
The players invited to the new Macau Snooker Masters are excited for the opportunity to play in the event this December, with Judd Trump saying: ‘Christmas is going to be very special this year.’
There will be £150,000 on offer to the winner, with Trump battling it out with Ronnie O’Sullivan, Ding Junhui, Jack Lisowski, Mark Williams, Kyren Wilson, Marco Fu and Si Jiahui for the big top prize.
The eight-man tournament is to be held at the Wynn Palace in Macau from 25-29 December, an unusual time for a snooker event, but one that slots in when they players won’t be involved in World Snooker Tour competitions.
World Snooker Tour confirmed that the Macau Masters is unsanctioned meaning the players won’t be able to play if it is streamed or broadcast, so don’t expect to watch the action over Christmas dinner.
Nevertheless, it will be a glamorous event at the Wynn Palace hotel, with Trump joking he is looking forward to winning some money back from the place after spending plenty at Wynn in Las Vegas.
‘Whenever I go on a holiday to Vegas, I always spend my money on the Wynn Hotel, so it will be nice to earn some money back here. Christmas is going to be very special this year.’
O’Sullivan added: ‘It’s a fantastic place. So excited to come here and play at such a big event in one of the best hotels in the world. I’m sure it’s going to be a fantastic event with so much support from the people.’
The Rocket enjoyed a trip to Asia for a huge event last year when he won the Hong Kong Masters, beating Marco Fu in the final in front of a world record snooker crowd of 9,000.
‘The whole experience was perfect,’ he told SportsRoad. ‘I also want to say hello to the Hong Kong fans, and I hope to see you all in Macau at Christmas and play exciting games again.’
Ronnie O’Sullivan beatMarco Fu to win the Hong Kong Masters in October 2022 (Picture: Getty Images)
Chinese snooker has obviously been hit hard by the recent match-fixing scandal which has seen 10 players banned, with two for life.
However, O’Sullivan feels recent World Championship semi-finalist Si could win the world title within four years and thinks China is still a serious force at the top level.
‘In another three or four years’ time, he might win the tournament, it’s just experience,’ O’Sullivan said of the 20-year-old.
‘I’ve seen a lot of Chinese players practise a lot and they want to become the best. Some are so strong now, so the future is now and it will only get stronger.’
A couple more videos have emerged, notably one showing how much Ronnie appreciated the gym at the venue!
2023 Macau Masters launch
Ronnie loves the gym…
Whilst Judd loved the piano…
Some of the players have now moved to Shanghai for this exhibition event. It was initially supposed to happened on June, 30, but has now been moved to July 1 and 2, now played over two days.
I haven’t found pictures so far, but I found this video, showing the reception Ronnie got as he was introduced in the arena.
Impressive crowd welcomes Ronnie in the arena.
But that’s not all… Judd Trump and Jack Lisowski were involved in an exhibition mixing Chinese Pool and Snooker (I hope I got that right).
Here are the relevant posts on weibo … (as automatically translated)
This is the poster…
And some pictures from the action…
Ding also announced a “Fashion Show” that actually is not exactly what we expect when we read “Fashion Show”. Here is the explanation found on weibo …
Accompanied by some promotional images …
On a personal note … as you can see after years of deprivation because of covid, things are moving in China and Asia in general and there is a huge appetite for snooker there. WST doesn’t sanction the Macau Masters and maybe there are contractual reasons behind this decision. But it’s a shame. It will be a fantastic promotion for snooker, a sport I feel in under threat, having to compete with pool – actively promoted by Matchroom – and Chines Pool (Heyball) in Asia. Snooker I feel could do with all the exposure it can get.
And yes, I’m back on weibo as China has eventually discovered that both Belgium and Greece are countries where people have phones… 😎 … but I still can’t post. I need to register my phone for verification purposes. I tried to use the same (Belgium) phone, I used to successfully resuscitate my account … no joy. I’m told to use a “local” phone. So I tried to use our Greek mobile, as I’m living in Greece … same result. Any clue anyone?
Mandy Fisher: Women’s snooker president predicts narrowing of gender gap
Last updated on 12 June 202312 June 2023.From the section Snooker
World Women’s Snooker president Mandy Fisher (right) presenting the 2022 Scottish Open runner-up prize to Mink Nutcharut
Women’s snooker head Mandy Fisher says the “new generation” of female players will be able to compete with men.
The former world champion is now the president of World Women’s Snooker, the organisation she founded in 1981.
From the days when some clubs had signs reading ‘No women allowed’, Fisher believes the sport is now close to having a level playing field.
In the BBC snooker podcast Framed, Fisher spoke of the great strides the women’s game has taken in recent years.
The introduction of two-year tour cards for women on the World Snooker Tour in 2021 has been key to elevating the sport to the point where women players are “role models” to girls coming through, and where Ng On-yee – who last year beat former world champion Ken Doherty in a qualifying event – is a “superstar” in Hong Kong, she says.
“It’s absolutely huge. It’s a platform. It’s a learning curve,” said Fisher.
“It has brought more players to the game because they’re realizing that, like [19-year-old British Open champion] Bai Yulu – she probably would have remained in China and just played from there had it not been for the fact that we were given the tour cards. So she came to the Women’s World Championship for the first time ever this year to try and win that tour card.
“So it just gives fantastic opportunities, not just for women, but for minority countries that don’t play snooker. It just builds snooker in each of those countries – for women as well as for men.”
World number one Reanne Evans, Rebecca Kenna, 2022 women’s world champion Mink Nutcharut and reigning world champion Baipat Siripaporn have all been offered tour cards.
Evans made history in January by becoming the first woman to beat a man in a televised ranking snooker event, when she beat Stuart Bingham in the Snooker Shoot Out.
Fisher predicts that such wins will become more commonplace.
“Yes, they haven’t won many matches. They have won frames, which is a stepping stone,” she said.
Ng On-yee is a “superstar” in Hong Kong, says Mandy Fisher
“But you have to bear in mind that that they’ve never played until recent years on the Star tables.
“You can’t explain to people there is so much difference from playing on club tables, and unless you’ve got your own Star table installed, you are not going to go to a tournament and play your best because they are just so different from anything else that most people have ever played on.
“But you can see the standard improving all the time. The women have won matches, they’re not at the bottom of the ranking list and they’re doing really well.
“You’ve got to give people a chance. Whether you’re male or female, coming on the tour you’re probably going to struggle. It’s like anything, to get used to the surroundings, the environment.
“To play your best it can take players years and years. And we know that because there are players coming through now, who have been playing for 20 years and not done anything, but in these last few years they’re doing really well.”
Fisher added that the women’s game has come a long way since the dark days when she was world champion, in 1984.
“Most women don’t go in snooker clubs,” she added. “They go in pubs, and in pubs there are pool tables. I’m not saying pool isn’t skilful, because I know it is skilful. I’m just saying that the leap from being good at pool to being good at snooker is a very difficult one to take.
“I was not able to play in all the snooker clubs, or I was the first woman ever to go and play in these clubs because you would have signs saying ‘No women allowed’, so it takes generations to get over that.
“Now there are academies and more snooker centres that make women more welcome, and you are seeing more people playing.
“It will take some time, but I just can’t see any physical reason why women should not be as good as men.”
Reanne Evans battled through cue and health issues at last month’s Women’s British Open to retain her professional status and secure another two years on the World Snooker Tour, now she hopes to showcase her best game on the sport’s grandest stages.
The 12-time Women’s World Champion has struggled to find her best form in recent times. However, she has been hindered by an undiagnosed tremor which has impacted her game.
Despite this and last minute cue damage, she managed to outperform rival Ng On Yee to reach the British Open final and remain at the top of the Women’s world rankings. Evans lost the title match 4-3 to 19-year-old Chinese sensation Bai Yulu, who was runner-up to Thailand’s Baipat Siripaporn at the Women’s World Championship.
We’ve caught up with Evans to reflect on the British Open and discuss the current global trend of women’s snooker.
Reanne, first of all congratulations on retaining your tour card. How pleased were you to achieve that feat?
“I think everyone wanted a showdown with me against On Yee. It didn’t happen in the end. I wasn’t really thinking anything heading into that tournament. I didn’t think I could win it or play any good. I had a lot of issues going on and my cue was damaged. I actually played quite well in the end. Snooker is a random sport, I didn’t expect it. When I got to the final, I thought I was going to win but I was just so drained. Bai is half my age so she could probably have played another whole day of snooker. She deserved it in the end and she outlasted me. She is great for the game, has a good following and is a good young talent.”
How did your cue become damaged?
“I went to watch the World Seniors at the Crucible and Jason Francis said I could take my cue to have a hit on the practice table. I went to see everyone and enjoyed a couple of days there. As I was walking back from the venue to the hotel, it absolutely poured down with rain. I never thought anything of it. I got back home a day or two later and went for a practice. My daughter picked up my cue and said it felt funny. I said it was probably nothing and told her to go and wash her hands. When I chalked my cue, the chalk was damp and I looked and saw the wood was actually over the ferule. I was panicking and had to go up to the loft to find my old cue. The ferrule of that was black and mouldy so I had to clean it up and put on a new tip. My two cues are now with John Parris and he has done a refurb on them both.”
You have been dealing with a tremor recently. How hard has that been to contend with?
“At the moment it isn’t as bad, maybe because I’m not playing as much. There are just things in day to day life which trigger it. I have a couple of more scans to go to and will speak to neurologists to try and get it sorted.
“When it first started it was quite bad. There was a lot of publicity around women playing on the main tour, with the tour cards coming in. Matches were on TV and I was under the microscope. Most of last season, I had no feeling in my arm whatsoever. I was questioning whether I play quick, whether I play jabby or slowly. Nothing seemed to work. I didn’t know if I was coming or going. All the way down the right side of my body was shaking. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of it. I think not knowing what it is or what has caused it has been the main problem. Once you know you can start dealing with it.
“I probably shouldn’t have played last season when it was at its worst. However, we have been given this opportunity and it is something you think you can’t not turn up or withdraw. Hopefully it can be controlled a bit more.”
Now you have managed to get back on, what are the targets for the next two seasons?
“Since getting on the main tour I’ve been looking to win a few matches. It hasn’t been like on the Women’s Tour when I am looking to win events. That is a strange feeling. When I enter something, I want to win it. I know that’s not going to happen. It is a weird situation. It isn’t just not winning matches, I want to win the event. Changing the mentality is hard, but maybe I need to find a different approach. I love a challenge and I need to go out there and do my best. I have nothing to prove now. That is all on the young players like Bai, Baipat, Mink and the rest of them. I am older now. It is good that there is some youth and experience. They inspire me and hopefully I still inspire them sometimes. I have no real targets. I just want to see what happens. I still enjoy it and especially when I play well. If you enjoy a challenge, then you will always enjoy snooker because it is such a hard sport.”
How important do you think the tour cards have been for the women’s game?
“I think it is great for players like Baipat and Bai. They have no scars and just want to go out and enjoy it. I read Bai saying something about just wanting to play for herself. I thought that was great as it was what I used to think like. It got to the point when for a few years the limelight was just on me and I started trying to play for everyone. You get more pressure then and you have more people watching you. Everything is on your shoulders. I think it is fantastic for those young players coming on that there are a few of them.
“I still get messages now saying they didn’t realise women played. That is frustrating after all these years. To see what it is like in Thailand and see how many young girls play is just brilliant. We all get on really well and we want to do the best for ourselves and the best for the sport. There is a lot of talent out there now.”
How impressed have you been with how Bai Yulu performed at the British Open and at Q School?
“Because she is so young and just wants to pot balls she doesn’t think too much. She has a great game and is very confident. Her long potting is amazing. The other parts of her game will come with more experience. People were impressed with the pink she potted against Josh Thomond in the decider at Q School, but I was more impressed with the black. She just got down and didn’t even think about it. You need to do the right things at the right times and I think she did.”
Before you continue to read this piece I want you to know that I have the uttermost respect for Mandy, who, for decades, has fought to develop the Women’s game, even when it was at its lowest. She fought through discrimination, contempt, derision, lack of support and lack of money. She never lost her love for her sport and she kept hope against all hopes. She’s a snooker hero and doesn’t get enough recognition for what she did, and still does. Thank you Mandy!
The first thing I will say – admit actually – is that I have been disappointed overall with the results of the women on the main tour. I expected better. That said I had no idea that Reanne was suffering with physical issues. I thought that she looked flat and demotivated at times, but, of course, if she was struggling physically whilst, at the same time, being acutely aware of the fans expectations, it can’t have been easy. I do wish Reanne the best and I hope that the doctors will be able to identify the cause of the problem, and cure it.
On Yee has been quite disappointing as well. Of course she also has her own issues. With the “Elite Sport” status of snooker under threat in Hong Kong, and with it, its future funding uncertain, she had her own concerns and additional pressure to deal with. She also traveled a lot back and forth between the UK and Hong Kong. That said, her last main tour match was encouraging: she lost to Michael Holt by 10-8 at the 2023 World qualifiers: She had five breaks over 50 in that match, including a 115, Michael had eight breaks over 50. It was a very high standard match and she certainly didn’t disgrace herself. She can score, she showed it again in the Asian Q-School, but IMO she would benefit from playing a bit faster and more aggressively.
Mink lacks cuepower. She is petite. Whenever she needs to apply cuepower, her accuracy suffers. We have seen the same with some of the men who are handicapped by a very short stature, like, for instance, Zhang Anda. There is nothing they can do about it. Some of the shots tall players – like Judd Trump or Neil Robertson for instance – can play, elevating the cue and creating a lot of spin, are simply not available to them (unless the step up on a crate 😉) … you can’t beat physics.
I’m afraid that those poor results have only reinforced the prejudices of those who believe that women are useless at snooker, should not be allowed on the main tour and will never be able to reach the Crucible. Unfortunately there are quite a few around on social media.
It will be interesting to see what Baipat will be able to do.
Bai Yulu has really impressed in the Q-School. No disrespect to Mandy, but I’m not convinced that Bai came to the UK because of the Women’s tour. She’s used to play the men in China and she entered the Q-School where she gave a really good account of herself. I do hope that she will be able to play on the Q-Tour.
Mandy says that there has been increased interest in the Women’s tour events since women are seen on TV playing on the main tour, more girls and women wanting to play. That’s obviously a positive. But to really progress to their full potential, I feel that the best of them, once they reach a certain level, need to play the men as well.
Finally, I’m not entirely convinced that there are “no physical reasons”, why women can’t compete with men. Strength and height are factors but maybe not prohibitive obstacles. However denying that there are physical differences is stupid and unhelpful.
We, women are, on average, shorter, we have less physical strength and we are built differently. We have narrower shoulders, boobs, wider hips, and the shape of our legs – because of the wider hips – is different too. All of these elements have an impact on our stance. I ‘m pretty useless at snooker, but I tried to work with a coach for a short while. Johnny was very patient and he tried his best to teach me the “perfect stance”, the “Hendry like” stuff. It was almost impossible, extremely uncomfortable, notably with boobs coming in the way of the cue.
In his latest book, in the chapter about practice, Ronnie speaks about the importance of the hips when it comes to the stance and alignment. You would expect that he knows his stuff. Well that’s an area where the anatomical difference between men and women is massive.
Also, speaking of strength, of course, on average women are not as strong as men. But that’s not all: the “repartition” of strength – if that makes sense – is different. Whilst males usually have a lot stronger shoulders and arms, women feel strong around the waist and hips. Ask a man to carry a 18 months baby around for half an hour, he will likely sit the kid on his shoulders, ask a women and she will probably carry it around her waist, sitting on one hip, or strapped on her lower back.
Yes we are anatomically different. I wonder if any coach ever did put some real effort into looking at the anatomy of both genders and maybe find a stance, or stances, that can be recommended depending on gender or body types. And of course then, there is another challenge. Those anatomical differences mainly develop with puberty. Some kids start very young, which is good, but then coaches need be able and prepared to guide them through the anatomical changes.
Stephen Hendry may not have put the efforts many of his fans expected into his “comeback” but he still loves his snooker, still wants to be involved and help grow it.
Six months ago , he set up a YouTube channel named Hendry’s Cue Tips. Really, it’s a “must subscribe” for any serious snooker fan. Hendry may no more be the player he was, but his knowledge and understanding of the game at its highest level is immense. His conversations with fellow top players are always interesting and, at times, challenging.
Yesterday he published his latest “cue tips” instalment and his guest was Ronnie…
Ronnie O’Sullivan sounds highly motivated ahead of next season (Picture: Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan was left ‘really gutted’ by how he played at the Crucible this year and intends to ‘come back a different player’ next season.
The Rocket was looking good at the World Championship this year, beating Pang Junxu in the opening round before thrashing Hossein Vafaei in the last 16.
The seven-time world champion was still looking strong at 10-6 ahead against Luca Brecel in the quarter-finals, before the Belgian reeled off seven frames on the spin to win the match and continue his incredible run all the way to the title.
While it was brilliance from the Belgian Bullet in that final session, O’Sullivan certainly played poorly and he admits that his performance hurt him in the aftermath of the sport’s biggest event.
The 47-year-old believes he still has a significant amount of time at the top of snooker, if he is prepared to dedicate his life to the sport, something he intends to do next season as he warns his rivals that he intends to put his recent Crucible performance right.
‘I think, if I want it, I’ve got three really good years,’ O’Sullivan told the BBC’s Desert Island Discs. ‘But that depends on whether I’m fully devoted to it and say snooker’s all I’m going to do for three years, which I can do but it’s hard if you want to do some days with Jimmy White as a pundit, a few exhibitions, because they’re fun.
‘I can still perform, still be a top eight player doing that. But to really give yourself the best opportunity it’s about being totally on it and it’s whether I’m prepared to do that and I think I will this year.
‘The last World Championships wasn’t a good tournament for me. I was really gutted with how I played. I wasn’t disappointed I lost, you lose you know, but the way I played, I wasn’t happy with that.
‘I want to try and put that right and try and come back a different player next year.’
Still world number one, O’Sullivan has no doubt he can still perform at the very highest level, saying he is probably a better player now than he has ever been due to constantly developing a more rounded game over the years.
‘For me, it’s always been about being open to learn and becoming a better player,’ he said. ‘I think now I’m a better player than I’ve ever been, because I don’t rely on one thing, I’ve got three or four different options of surviving within a game and at any point I can switch.
‘It’s taken time, because I was never really the best at anything, I wasn’t the best long-potter, I wasn’t the best safety player.
‘I was always good at making breaks and scoring quickly, which is an amazing asset to have, but without the other stuff it became a bit one-dimensional.
‘Over the years I’ve had to improve in a lot of them areas and now I can call upon them. But I always know at the back of my mind I need to be firing on all cylinders, which is scoring breaks at a rapid speed. When I’m doing that I’m a dangerous opponent.
‘It’s learning, leaning to be a better player. That’s what excites me. I spent a lot of time struggling, trying to work it out. I’m at the point now that I’ve improved, but how long can I keep it going for now? I’ve worked so hard to get there and now I want to make as much hay as I can and [get] enjoyment. Because I suffered a lot with it and I’ve learned to not suffer. It’s about more pleasure now.’
Neil Robertson beat Wu Yize, the 19 years old debutant, by 13-3 and it wasn’t a case of Wu playing badly as he had two great centuries of his own. Neil though was scarily good and scored very heavily fron start to finish. Making a 146 is a rare feat, making two in one match … well I don’t think it ever happened before. This is, of course, the current HB of the tournament. Ryan Day, who has made a 146 in the qualifiers must feel sick! Neil is now the only player to have made 147, 146 and 145 at the Crucible. In his post-match interview he asked if he has now got the complete “140+ collection” and he was devastated to learn that the 144 is missing… I’m sure that he will try to put that right ASAP.
Neil’s 146 in frame 11, shared by Eurosport on their YouTube channel.
Stuart Bingham beat David Gilbert by 10-4 from 3-1 down. I didn’t watch the match but I didn’t expect it to be that one-sided, especially considering that Gilbert had breaks of 60, 90 and 121 to lead 3-1 at the first MSI. It seems though that Gilbert is going through very difficult times both on and off the table. This is what he had to say to “the Sportsman” after the match, and it’s pretty worrying:
“It is what I deserve really. I have to go and sort my life out, I have been far too big a mess for far too long. I will never be able to play snooker again the way I am. I need to go away and do a lot.
“Stuart probably thinks he played really well but it was like a club player versus a decent player, I was making it far too easy for him. Unless I get into my rhythm and get going, then I am alright. If I don’t, I haven’t got it in me to pot a tricky ball or play a safety. My confidence and belief isn’t there.
“I don’t know, I don’t know what is going to happen when I walk out of it, I have no idea. I miss being able to play snooker to go a good level and compete with the big boys, it is disappointing, but who knows.
“I don’t even know if I will bother again, I don’t know. I don’t mean that in a bad manner, or sound arsey, I have just got far too much going on.
“I don’t know when I will look at my cue again .Who knows? I might put everything back into it. I might never play again. No idea. A pivotal time in my career? No, my life. I have bigger things than snooker to think about.”
Luca Brecel beat Ricky Walden by 10-9. Luca, who in 2012 had become the youngest player to play at the Crucible, had played in the famous theatre 5 times in previous years and had never won a match. He put that right yesterday by beating Ricky Walden by 10-9 in a hard-fought contest. Ricky had trailed by 6-9 but came back to force a decider scoring breaks of 93 and 71 in the process. Luca took the match with one winning visit in the decider, a good 84. This was a difficult match for me to watch, as I know both of them personally. Luca, of course, is Belgian like me, and I want snooker to further develop in mainland Europe, but Ricky and his manager, Lee Gorton, have done a lot for me when I started taking pictures on the tour some 13 years ago.
Jak Jones beat Ali Carter by 10-6. Lewis had predicted that no debutant would win this year but Jak Jones had other ideas. Of course, Jak is not a kid, he’s 29. He’s a bit of a late developer but he’s a very, very solid player with a good temperament. This is what is needed at the Crucible. Still it’s a bit of a surprise given Ali’s experience – he’s reached the final at the Crucible twice before – and the kind of season he had, winning the German Masters and getting to the final of the Players Championship. Well done Jak!
A very honest interview here by Ronnie
This was shared by Sporting Life on their YouTube channel. Ronnie is speaking to Hector Nunns here. Hector is one of the good guys in the media room, a hard worker, a true snooker fan and someone Ronnie trusts.
In this interview, Ronnie speaks about the Netflix documentary that he should be able to watch today for the first time but will be different from what initially planned, about his life and snooker’s place in it , about his love for his sport, about his new book, Steve Peters and finding the right balance.
It’s truly endearing interview and one that didn’t and won’t get much publicity probably, unlike those given in moments when frustration and negativity took the better of him. We all have such moments, we should remember that. We all have those moments when, no matter how much we love our kids/partner/pet/job, we had enough and just want to forget about it all and flee to Mars.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 