Interview

Anthony Hamilton …

Monique Interview, Professional snooker tournament ,

I always liked Anthony Hamilton, because he’s very much his own man. He doesn’t care about “image”, he doesn’t care about fame, he loves his sport and he plays remarkably well. Why this has not translated in a better career record, I’m not sure. Anyway …

Here is an interview that very much show what kind of person he is: simple, intelligent and humble.

He also dispels this myth that Ronnie doesn’t care or doesn’t work hard. Sometimes Ronnie does like to downplay himself in interviews, in an attempt to lower the weight of expectations he always has to carry. But those who do work with him know better than buying it.

Here is Anthony’s Q & A by Worldsnooker

Wednesday 7 Jun 2017 02:23PM

The Sheriff of Pottingham reflects on his German Masters triumph, improved mental strength and Alfie Burden’s cooking skills…

Firstly Anthony how do you reflect on last season, was it the best of your career so far?

It wasn’t the most consistent, but given that I won my first title and won more money than I had done before, yes it has to be my best season. It was pretty good before I went to Berlin, and then obviously winning there was an amazing experience.

You’ve had a few months for that victory to sink in now – to what extend is it still on your mind?

I suppose the memories are starting to fade slightly, which I don’t want to happen. I’ll always be able to look back on it to glean confidence because of what I accomplished. And it’s easy to remember the venue because it’s such a special place. I’m just happy that I won my first one in Germany as I have always loved going there, we get treated so well by the fans. I’m a massive fan of European snooker, it’s the next big thing.

How much difference has that one ranking title made to your career overall? Presumably finishing your career without one would have been a big disappointment.

It makes a difference, but I’m still not overly proud of my career. I’m a slow learner and it took me a long time to realise that what’s going on upstairs is more important than what you’re doing on the practice table. I used to be a great player in practice but I didn’t take that ethos into matches so all that time spent working was worthless. I always used to enjoy practice because I was good at it, and just to enjoy your job is as lucky as winning the lottery. But it was only when I changed my attitude that I started winning matches again, despite that fact that I’m rubbish in practice now.

How did you make that change on the mental side?

I spoke to Terry Griffiths about it about ten years ago and it made a lot of sense, although I didn’t really put that into practice until more recently. It’s about staying in the moment, which sounds simple but it really does work. It doesn’t come easily and you have to practise it just as much as playing snooker. Believe me when I say that every sportsman on the planet has times when he wants to smash the place up with his cue, racket or whatever because he’s so frustrated. It takes a lot of work to learn how to deal with those feelings.

Do you wish you had learned that earlier in your career? In the same way that Ronnie O’Sullivan might have won more if he had met Steve Peters ten years earlier?

It’s very hard to tell. Yes Ronnie might have won more if he had met Steve when he was 25, but he has done pretty well anyway hasn’t he! No one has got more bottle. I used to practise with him and his dedication and work ethic was crazy. He was also always very humble and down to Earth in the club.

What are your targets for this season?

Just to keep the right attitude when I’m playing and drive down the motorway after each match with no regrets. If I do that then I will win matches. And to enjoy snooker and stay healthy. I would love to get to one more final, if I do that I can retire happy. Even when I was losing the final in Berlin I was enjoying the buzz and thinking ‘ I hope I get to another one of these.’ As you get older you can feel flat sometimes and you need the big occasion to get you going.

You’re 25th in the world rankings and – with no money coming off – you have a chance of the top 16. Is that a target?

I don’t look at the rankings. It would be nice to get in the top 16 of course but I wouldn’t take it seriously. All the players know who the top 16 should be and I’m not one of them. I should be about 40th.

You won over £140,000 last season, does that take pressure off you on the financial side?

Yes, though it might also take an edge off my game. Being skint gave me an extra 5-10% because I needed to win. But hopefully I can gain that 5-10% back through being more relaxed. If you can just play snooker and enjoy it then that can help. It’s nice to be able to pay my hotel bill and not be looking at the card reader hoping it goes through. I’m trying to keep a reasonably healthy diet so I’m glad I can order a side portion of vegetables without looking how much it is.

What kind of diet do you follow?

I’m just trying to eat well and avoid too much of the kind of food you usually get in snooker clubs. Alfie Burden and I actually cook our own food at our club in Whetstone. Just things like fish, vegetables and rice. Alfie thinks he’s a great cook, he takes pictures of what he has made and sends them to me, as if he has just invented a new dish. To be fair he does a good lasagne and chicken pie and he makes smoothies. He cooks for his kids so they must eat well.

What have you done with the money you won last season?

It went straight in the bank. I thought about buying a car but I’m not a good enough player to have a flash car so I stuck with the old one. I’ve got a holiday in Barcelona coming up with a few friends which will be great. And I might buy a few little things. But who knows how much longer I’ll be playing snooker for so I‘m careful with money.

What do you think you will do when you finish playing snooker?

I’ve done a little bit of coaching at the club with a few members and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. So I want to do more of that, with anyone from juniors to professionals. I practise with Alife and Aditya Mehta and occasionally give them little pointers because I’ve always been quite technical. In every sport the players want coaches who have played at a high level. That’s why Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker are among the best tennis coaches, and Terry is one of the best in snooker. He hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to play under pressure and how hard the game can be. I enjoy trying to help other players.

German Masters pictures by Oliver Behrendt / Contrast Photo

More about Ronnie and politics …

Monique Interview, Snooker ,

Earlier this week I shared this article, that stated that Ronnie came to be interested in politics somehow because he realised that mental health issues are strongly correlated with poverty and social class. I mentioned that I disagreed with those views.

Coincidentally, Worldsnooker has now published this :

Wednesday 24 May 2017 09:51AM

Ed Miliband talks about his love of snooker and friendship with Ronnie O’Sullivan…

Imagine a world in which the Labour Party had won the 2015 general election. The whole Brexit thing would (probably) never have happened. And even more significantly, we would now (probably) have a Prime Minister who loves snooker.

Like most Brits who grew up during the 1980s, Ed Miliband developed a keen affection for snooker when it was the most popular television sport in the UK. The past 40 years of the World Championship at the Crucible have left him with some lucid memories of watching the green baize game with his family.

“When I was growing up, everyone was interested in snooker,” he recalls. “My heroes were Alex Higgins and Jimmy White and I got hooked around 1982 when Higgins won it. I always rooted against Steve Davis because he seemed so perfect and he won all the time.

“I remember watching Cliff Thorburn’s 147 in 1983. Then I have this incredible memory of sitting with my late father watching the 1985 final until after midnight. It seemed as if snooker was on television all the time back then and the characters in the game were something special – although there are also some great characters among today’s players.

“I played a lot as a teenager although I was never very good. I played pool slightly better than snooker as of course it’s easier for people at my standard.”

After graduating from Oxford in 1992, Miliband decided on a career in politics and progressed quickly through the Labour ranks. After the party’s landslide election victory in 1997 he was made a special adviser to Chancellor Gordon Brown, a position he held for five years.

In 2005, Miliband became Member of Parliament for Doncaster North – a position he still holds – and the following year he joined Tony Blair’s front bench. In 2008, under Gordon Brown, he became Secretary of State. His older brother, David, was also among the cabinet at the time. Following Labour’s defeat in the 2010 election and Brown’s immediate resignation, the two siblings went head-to-head for leadership of the party. And it was Ed who triumphed to become Leader of the Opposition.

His 2015 election campaign against David Cameron’s Conservatives was hard fought, and memorable for a BBC interview with Jeremy Paxman when Miliband was asked if he was tough enough to be Prime Minister. “Hell yes, I’m tough enough,” came the reply. But in the end it was tough luck for Miliband as the election went the Tories’ way and he stepped down from the Labour leadership position.

Nevertheless, he remains an active back-bencher, spreading his views on ways to reduce inequality in British society. And his absence from front line politics may have given Miliband a bit more time to indulge his interest in snooker, as well as his friendship with Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The two met via a mutual friend – the journalist Simon Hattenstone who writes for the Guardian and has also worked with O’Sullivan on his autobiographies.

“Simon was interviewing me and for some reason he asked me if I liked snooker,” said Miliband. “I started going on about it and then he got Ronnie on the phone to speak to me. Since then I have got to know Ronnie and he has come to my constituency. He is a great person. I know some people think he’s controversial, but he’s a great advert for snooker.

“He has an incredible personality and he’s got real depth. When I saw him talking to the young people in my constituency, he had a magical ability to talk about his own problems. He doesn’t try to pretend he’s had an easy life, he’s had ups and downs of all kinds, and that makes him more of a compelling figure.

“I think it was an eye opener for him to come and meet people from a different part of the country. I took him to the working men’s club which has a snooker table in it – the members there still talk about the time he came. That’s his magnetism and his charisma. Ronnie did try to give me some tips on the table, but my game is sadly beyond redemption.”

The admiration between the two is clearly mutual as O’Sullivan has – since meeting Miliband – become increasingly interested in politics, and particularly social inequality.

“With Ed, I went to a mining club for a snooker game,” the Rocket said in a recent interview. “There were proper, working-class people, and I could relate to them. I can’t relate to a bunch of bankers sitting there, drinking wine and splashing money like it’s going out of fashion. It’s obscene, it makes me feel sick. I don’t want to be a part of it. I want to try to do good for people.”

In January, Miliband came to watch live snooker for the first time. He was among the crowd for the Masters final at Alexandra Palace in London when O’Sullivan beat Joe Perry 10-7 to win the title for a record seventh time.

“It was very exciting to see snooker live,” he said. “Getting to know Ronnie has rekindled my own interest in snooker.  I love to watch on TV, especially when Ronnie and Judd Trump are playing.”

O’Sullivan has even mooted the idea of going into politics once his snooker career is over – though Miliband knows better than most the pitfalls of the political world. He added: “I’m not sure I would advise anyone to go into politics! It can be a curse as well as a blessing. But Ronnie is someone who cares about doing good things as well as entertaining people, and he’s certainly an amazing entertainer.”

As you can read, the way Ronnie’s involvement in politics started has absolutely nothing to do with the mental health problems he’s had to tackle. It happened by chance to a very large extend. Of course, it got Ronnie thinking, and of course difficult circumstances don’t help those prone to depression and anxiety, that’s only common sense and something he can relate to, but him getting interest in politics had nothing to do the mental health issues he had to battle.

Crucible 2017 – Ronnie beats Gary Wilson in the last 32 and gives a very emotional press conference.

Monique Interview, Professional snooker tournament ,

Ronnie played an excellent second session to beat Gary Wilson, who played extremely well himself, by 10-7. He will now face either Shaun Murphy or Yan Bingtao in the last 16, starting on Thursday night.

The whole match was very high quality as those stats prove:

WC2017ROSL32MatchStats

There were 16 breaks over 50 in the match, 10 from Ronnie, 6 from Gary, including 4 centuries, 2 from Ronnie, 2 from Gary. At one point in the second session, Gary was on 93% pot success and losing ground in the match because Ronnie was on 98%.

At the end of the match, Ronnie celebrated wildly, something very unusual for him.

Here is the report on Worldsnooker:

Sunday 16 Apr 2017 07:17PM

Ronnie O’Sullivan held off a resolute Gary Wilson to reach the second round of the Betfred World Championship with a 10-7 win.

The Rocket faltered at 5-1 up in the opening session, to end with a 5-4 lead. However, both players produced some high quality snooker this afternoon in a fascinating clash.

Despite his exit, the potter from Tyneside has enjoyed a memorable World Championship campaign, making his second career 147 in qualifying and reaching the Crucible for the first time.

O’Sullivan clinched a record breaking seventh Masters title earlier this year with victory at Alexandra Palace and if he were to win at the Crucible it would see the 41-year-old draw level with Ray Reardon and Steve Davis on six world titles.

The pair went blow for blow in terms of big breaks this afternoon. At 6-4 down Wilson was the first to notch up a ton with a contribution of 100.  Not to be outdone, the Rocket restored his two frame advantage with a sublime run of 124. Breaks of 74 and 83 then put him on the verge of victory at 9-5.

However, Wilson refused to back down, taking the 15th frame and then compiling a break of 103 to pull back within two. The Rocket wasn’t to be denied his victory and punched the air with delight after a fine break of 90 secured the 10-7 win.

Wilson was clearly disappointed at the defeat, but was pleased to have put on a good showing on his Crucible debut.

“I’m pleased that I’ve got so close and that I put up a bit of a fight. I honestly felt if it got a bit closer that I had a chance of winning,” said the 2015 China Open finalist. “There’s no better feeling than when you’ve got a chance of beating Ronnie O’Sullivan at the World Championship.

“When it’s your first time that little bit of pressure isn’t there, the expectation isn’t there. I was thinking that it doesn’t matter what the scoreline is, just keep enjoying every frame as much as you can. Obviously if I’d been here 10-15 times, I’d have been annoyed at being 5-1 down, but I’m just happy to keep digging in and showing what I’m capable of. I’ve got fighting spirit, I’m not just gonna lie down and let him walk all over me.”

And a few pictures, courtesy of Tai Chegzhe – Thanks Tai

You may have noticed that there is no mention of Ronnie’s quotes in Worldsnooker report. It’s not because Ronnie didn’t do his press conference, or said nothing… in fact, pressed by Georges Riley, he gave a quite emotional one, hitting out at Barry Hearn and his board.

WC2017ROSL32Presser

Here is the report by Shamoon Hafez from BBC Sport

An emotional Ronnie O’Sullivan has attacked World Snooker for using “threatening” language and said he will not be “bullied” by the governing body.

The five-time world champion is angry at a disciplinary letter sent to him.

After beating Gary Wilson 10-7 in the first round of the World Championship, O’Sullivan said: “I phoned [chairman] Barry Hearn four weeks ago and told him I am done with you and your board.

“I don’t think I’ve done a lot wrong,” added O’Sullivan at the Crucible.

“A friend told me to let the lawyers deal with it. I won’t get involved anymore because I am not being bullied.”

Why is O’Sullivan upset?

Since victory at the Masters in January, five-time world champion O’Sullivan has only replied to questions by the media with one or two-word answers, and has also sung an Oasis song in reply, and on another occasion responded as a ‘robot’ in protest at his perceived mistreatment by World Snooker.

That grievance seemingly dates to an incident during his record-breaking seventh Masters triumph at Alexandra Palace, when he publicly criticised a referee and swore at a photographer.

World Snooker ultimately took no action as they accepted his explanation of the incidents.

But O’Sullivan was sent a letter by snooker’s governing body about his behaviour after the Masters row and was warned he could face further sanctions including a fine. He responded by saying that repeated disciplinary action could cause him to reduce his playing time and media commitments, among other things.

In five events since then, O’Sullivan has failed to win consecutive matches.

Explaining his behaviour, the Englishman said: “I have no problems with the press. Sometimes I say things I should not say, I get myself into hot bother, and I get a letter through saying I need to respond in 14 days – a day before a tournament.

“It messed up my last three or four tournaments. I did not really win a match and it is not fair on the fans or those who invested in me.

“I phoned Barry Hearn four weeks ago and told him I am done with you and your board of people. A friend of mine told me to let the lawyers deal with it. I won’t get involved anymore because I am not being bullied. I am not letting people do that to me ever again.

“I just want to play and have fun. I like Barry but I am not being intimidated or bullied anymore. The language can be quite threatening and intimidating in some of these letters. It is very unsettling.

“To go in with all that on my head, having to see lawyers and having to fight off something I feel I should not have to, they pushed me too far.

“If I did not have good lawyers, I would probably have walked away because I am too old to be dealing with things like that.”

World Snooker said it was unwilling to comment.

‘This felt different’ – analysis

BBC Radio 5 live’s George Riley at the Crucible Theatre:

“We had no idea whether Ronnie would show up and, when he did, he was visibly emotional. Given he has chosen not to engage with the media since the Masters other than through robot impressions and Oasis songs, I didn’t feel there was any alternative but to challenge him.

I have heard Ronnie threaten to retire and talk of falling out of love with the game on so many occasions that you no longer bat an eyelid when he does so. But this felt different – his voice was cracking with emotion when he spoke of feeling bullied, intimidated and threatened by the governing body and its leader Barry Hearn. There were nerves among the press too. It felt like a very tense 10 minutes.

Whether you side with O’Sullivan on this or feel – like Hearn does – that his behaviour is becoming embarrassing, there was raw anger here at the guys who run this sport. While some fellow players feel O’Sullivan receives preferential treatment, he himself feels persecuted.

This was a powerful and reasoned explanation as to why he is so upset. If this had come sooner rather than a series of childish media conferences, O’Sullivan might have found far more sympathy. Yet it appears that in his war with World Snooker, his relationship with the media has become a casualty.”

‘Another world title won’t make a difference’

O’Sullivan, though, did not speak about his victory over Wilson, after which he celebrated enthusiastically by punching the air a number of times, hand-slapping a fan in the front row and blowing a kiss to the crowd.

‘The Rocket’ was 5-1 up in the match, before being pegged back in the first session, but a blistering second session with breaks of 124, 90, 83 and 74 saw him advance.

The 41-year-old goes in search of his sixth world crown, as he looks to equal Stephen Hendry’s record of 18 ‘Triple Crown’ event wins.

“I like to play for the fans, I get a kick out of it,” he added. “It is about entertaining and put in good performances. That is the most important thing.

“I do not need to prove anything to anybody, I have won five worlds, seven Masters and five UK titles and I’m only one behind Hendry on the majors list. Another world title will not make a massive difference.

“I would love to win another world title but it is about working with people I enjoy working with and getting some satisfaction by playing with freedom.”

Here it is in full:

Where this will lead us I don’t know, but maybe getting his emotions out of his system will help Ronnie focus on the job better. After Ronnie’s victory today, Stephen Hendry, who had been writing him off, admitted that this was the best he had seen for a very long time and declared “He’s here to win.”

Now, of course, we should expect some statement by WS.

The match

First session:

Second Session:

Post-match:

2017 WSC: The Two Ronnie O’Sullivan (BBC)

MissingClip 2017 WSC: Ronnie O’Sullivan Statement (BBC)

 

Ronnie’s thoughts about this year’s World Championship favorites

Monique Eurosport, Interview ,

Ronnie gave Germany’s “Mr Snooker” and Eurosport commentator, Rolf Kalb, his thoughts about the favorites in this World Championship. The article is in German .

Ronnie O’Sullivans Favoritencheck für die Weltmeisterschaft 2017

Ronnie O’Sullivan

Vom 15. April bis 1. Mai findet im Crucible Theatre in Sheffield die Snooker-Weltmeisterschaft 2017. Snooker-Legende Ronnie O’Sullivan hat das prestigeträchtige Turnier bereits fünfmal gewonnen. Für Eurosport gibt der Engländer seine Favoritentipps ab. Titelverteidiger Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Stuart Bingham oder jemand anderer – wer trägt sich dieses Jahr in die Siegerliste ein?

Warum Titelverteidiger Mark Selby der Favorit ist, Judd Trump der unberechenbarste Spieler und Ding Junhui den WM-Titel längst verdient hätte – Ronnie O’Sullivan macht den Favoritencheck vor der Snooker-WM 2017.

Mark Selby (Titelverteidiger & Nr. 1 der Welt): “Keine Schwächen”

Ronnie O’Sullivan: “Er hat keine echten Schwächen, was wohl das größte Kompliment ist, das man ihm machen kann. Er ist der einzige Spieler, der selbst mit einer für ihn drittklassigen Leistung noch Turniere gewinnen kann. Wenn es über ‘Best-of-19’ geht, und es steht 8:8, kann man sein Geld auf Selby wetten. Er kann abliefern, wenn es zählt. Darum ist er wohl der Favorit.”

Judd Trump (Nr. 2 der Welt): “Manchmal zu selbstbewusst”

O’Sullivan: “Dieses Jahr ist er endgültig erwachsen geworden. Er hat sich sehr verändert und noch mehr investiert, um der beste Spieler zu werden. Seine Stärke ist sein Umgang mit dem Queue. Er kann die Kugel so gut kontrollieren wie kein anderer. Ich bin mir sicher, er rechnet damit, dass es sein Jahr wird. Judd ist manchmal zu selbstbewusst und glaubt, dass er das göttliche Recht hat, einige Spieler zu schlagen. Wenn das nicht passiert, lässt er sich aus dem Rhythmus bringen. Diese mentale Hürde muss er überwinden. Es gibt keinen, der ein größeres Talent hat als Judd.”

Stuart Bingham (Nr. 3 der Welt): “Kann jeden schlagen”

O’Sullivan: “Es war eine kleine Überraschung, als er 2015 Weltmeister wurde, aber seitdem hat er viele Turniere gewonnen. Eine seiner größten Stärken ist die Fähigkeit, große Breaks zu spielen. Er gewinnt manche Frames in einem Durchgang, und wenn er in der Form ist, kann er jeden schlagen. Er hat bei der WM auch schon bewiesen, dass er mit Druck gut zurecht kommt. Wenn er eine Schwäche hat, dann die, dass er schwächere Frames nicht nach Hause bringt. Wenn er nicht in allerbester Form ist, kann er etwas ins Schwimmen kommen. Er ist ein glänzender Scorer und hat ein sehr druckvolles, modernes Spiel. Er gewinnt Frames oftmals mit einem aggressiven Stoß.”

Ding Junhui (Nr. 4 der Welt): “Müsste schon Weltmeister sein”

O’Sullivan: “Ding hätte den WM-Titel schon gewinnen müssen. Er beherrscht das komplette Spiel. Er ist ein guter Scorer, kann aber auch auf Sicherheit spielen. Er hat eine unglaubliche Technik und ist ein echtes Snooker-Brain. Wenn es einen Bereich gibt, wo er sich noch etwas verbessern könnte, dann ist es das Auftreten rund um den Tisch. Würde man nur etwas von Stephen Maguire in Ding Junhui hineinstecken, hätte er jetzt sieben WM-Titel gewonnen. Es sind 17 Tage, und man muss seine Emotionen im Zaum halten. Ding ist in der Hinsicht ein bisschen wie ich. Wenn er sich nicht perfekt fühlt, kann er schnell draußen sein.”

John Higgins (Nr. 6 der Welt): “Nicht mehr so stabil wie früher”

O’Sullivan: “Das größte Kompliment, dass ich ihm machen kann, ist zu sagen, dass er schon etwas mehr hätte gewinnen müssen. Er beherrscht das Safety-Spiel unglaublich gut, hat eine großartige Technik und ist ein ausgezeichneter Scorer. Außerdem hat er ein echtes Snooker-Hirn und ist ein starker Wettkämpfer. Manchmal spielt er so gut, dass er dich wie einen Amateur aussehen lässt. Er ist jetzt in den Vierzigern, und seine größte Schwäche ist, dass er nicht mehr so stabil ist, wie er einmal war. Und er ist, genau wie ich ein Spieler, der mit sich selbst sehr hart ins Gericht geht, wenn es einmal nicht klappt. Und dafür ist in diesem Sport kein Platz.”

Neil Robertson (Nr. 9 der Welt): “Man muss ihn attackieren”

O’Sullivan: “Man muss ihn um jeden Preis attackieren. Wenn man diese Art von nicht vorhersehbarem Snooker mit ihm spielt, kann man ihn verwirren. Und das mag er nicht. Er spielt lieber gegen jemanden wie John Higgins, bei dem man genau weiß, was einen erwartet. Wenn er gegen jemanden wie Trump spielt, regt es ihn auf und bringt ihn aus dem Rhythmus.”

I have tried to edit the automatic  google traduction because it’s not great and some sentences seem to go lost entirely in the process, but when I do it messes up the text layout to such an extend that it becomes unmanageable.

BUT wait… here is a translation by Kathrin Poser, a fellow snooker fan.

THANK YOU KATHRIN!

The crucible theatre in Sheffield is hosting the World Snooker Championship 2017 from 15 April to 1 May.

Ronnie O’Sullivan has won the tournament 5 times already.

He’s talking about his favourites for the title exclusively for Eurosport.

Current champion Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Stuart Bingham or somebody else – who will be on the list of champions?
———

Mark Selby (current champion and No. 1) – “no weaknesses”

Ros: He doesn’t have weaknesses, which is probably the biggest compliment you can give to him. He’s the only player who can win tournaments with a mediocre performance. If it’s a best of 19 and the score is 8:8 you can certainly but a bet on him. He can deliver when it’s crucial. That’s why he’s the favourite.

Judd Trump (number 2) – “too confident sometimes”

Ros: this year he has matured a lot. He has changed a lot and invested time and effort to become the best player. His strength is his cue action. He can control the white ball better than anyone else. I’m certain that he thinks that this is his year. Judd is too confident at times and it seems that he thinks he has the godgiven right to beat some players. If this doesn’t happen he gets out of rhythm. He needs to overcome this mental obstacle. There’s no one else with a bigger talent than Judd.

Stuart Bingham (number 3) – “can beat anyone”

Ros: it came as a surprise when he won in 2015 but since then he’s won many tournaments. One of his biggest strengths is his ability to get big breaks. He can win frames in one visit to the table and if he’s in good shape he can beat anyone. He’s proven that he can handle pressure well. He can get in trouble if he’s not showing up in his best form. He’s a brillIant scorer and and has a very powerful modern game. He often wins frames with one aggressive shot.

Ding Junhui (number 4) – should be world champ by now

Ros: He should’ve been world champ by now. He’s mastering the whole game. He’s a good scorer and he can play good safeties. He’s got an incredible technique and is a real Snooker brain. If there’s one thing he would have to improve then it would be his behaviour at the table. If you’d put a bit of Stephen Maguire into Ding junhui he would have won the worlds 7 times by now. It’s 17 days and you have to control your emotions. Ding is a bit like me when it comes to that. If he doesn’t feel perfect he can be out very quickly.

John Higgins (number 6) – not as consistent as he used to be

Ros: the biggest compliment I can give him is by saying he should’ve won more. He’s brilliant at safeties, is a great scorer and has a great technique. He has a real Snooker brain and is a strong competitor. Sometimes he plays so good that it makes you look like you’re an amateur. He’s in his forties now and his biggest weakness is that he’s not as consistent as he used to be. Like me he’s criticising himself too much/hard if something goes wrong and there’s no place for that in this sport.

Neil Robertson (number 9) – you need to attack him

Ros: you need to attack him at every opportunity. You can confuse him by playing an unpredictable style of Snooker. He doesn’t like that. He likes playing someone like John Higgins where you know what to expect. If he plays the likes of Trump he gets annoyed and that breakss his rhythm.

Here are the videos:

 

2017 WSC: Ronnie on Bingham

2017 WSC: Ronnie on Fu

2017 WSC: Ronnie on Ding

2017 WSC: Ronnie on Higgins

2017 WSC: Ronnie on Kyren Wilson

2017 WSC: Ronnie on Murphy

2017 WSC: Ronnie on Selby

Two nice interviews with Ronnie in the middle of the media soap

Monique Interview, Media ,

There have been a lot of reports in the press about Barry Hearn urging Ronnie to “grow up” and stop his protest regarding his press conferences. They are all pretty similar and here is a link to one of them:

John Skilbeck

April 10 2017 9:40 AM

Ronnie O’Sullivan has been told to “grow up” by World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn as he prepares to head to the Crucible.

The five-time world champion has staged a two-month protest against what he feels is unfair treatment by the sport’s authorities.

It has seen him deliberately and repeatedly give one-word answers to questions he has faced after matches, while in an ITV interview at the World Grand Prix in February he was marginally more expansive but gave a series of responses in a robotic voice.

At the Welsh Open in March, the 41-year-old began to sing the Oasis hit Wonderwall when taking questions from a BBC radio reporter.

O’Sullivan has been working for Eurosport this season and explained his stance in a blog for the broadcaster. The 41-year-old was aggrieved at receiving a disciplinary letter following his criticism of referee Terry Camilleri at the Masters in January, and for swearing at a cameraman he felt had not observed the correct etiquette.

But Hearn is mindful of the situation persisting into the Betfred World Championship, which begins on Saturday and is the sport’s biggest showcase.

Hearn told Press Association Sport: “I’m going to be having a word. Ronnie’s monosyllabic remarks are not a breach of the rules but certainly they are a breach of the spirit of how those rules are interpreted.

“And I would hope that common sense comes back, because what started off as being quite amusing has now become in my view embarrassing for everyone, including Ronnie.

“I’m a fan of the relationship between the players and the press. It’s time for Ronnie to grow up a little bit now.”

O’Sullivan won his fifth world title in 2013, since when he has been runner-up to Mark Selby in 2014, a beaten quarter-finalist in 2015 and a second-round loser last year.

He and all the world’s top 16 players are due to appear at an eve-of-tournament press conference in Sheffield on Friday.

What those articles are telling me though is that Hearn is actually pretty desperate for Ronnie’s collaboration because he knows only too well that he remains the main one the press wants quotes from. One reason for this is precisely that, over the years, Ronnie has not just given the media a lot of time, as Hector Nunns highlights here, but he has also spoken from the heart and given answers an views that were different from the standard, pretty predictable, stuff they are served most of the time. When you do that, and allow yourself to be genuine, you will slip up sometimes and say something that is maybe not so appropriate, like, for instance, criticising the referee publicly right after the match instead of discussing the matter privately with him – which Ronnie offered to do BTW, but only after speaking out on ES –  but you will also deliver great value more often that not. Ronniehas done that and he  isn’t happy about the way the authorities have tried to discipline him over some of his recent quotes; if his twitter is anything to go by, he does not intend to change his stance.

And if you need any evidence how keen/desperate the media are to publish anything about Ronnie because it sells, just have a look at this in the mirror. The editors want things that sell, and Ronnie sells.

That does not mean that he’s not talking to the media, as these two interviews prove

This one is from today in the East London and West Essex Guardian

Chigwell based Ronnie O’Sullivan is hoping to win World Championship title

15 hrs ago / Shona Duthie, Sports reporter

Five-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed he has been hitting the practice tables hard over the last six weeks as he looks to chalk up yet another World Championship in Sheffield next week.

The Chigwell based player won his last world title in 2013, since when he has been runner-up to Mark Selby in 2014, a beaten quarter-finalist in 2015 and a second-round loser last year.

World No.1 Selby is certainly the man to beat in Yorkshire this month – he landed the China Open just two weeks ago – but O’Sullivan feels he is starting to find his rhythm and his form when it matters most. “I don’t read too much into what’s gone on in the past few weeks, form is very fickle and you can’t play well 12 months of the year every year, so you will go through those peaks and troughs,” he said.

“But I feel like I could be coming to one of those peaks, in the last six weeks I’ve put in a real sustained effort in practice, at least 12 hours a week which doesn’t sound a lot but is a good two-three hours a day.

“When you add that all up it’s important and that’s not something I’ve done for more than a year.

“You’re away doing other stuff, but I’ve had a couple of months at home and I feel like I’m playing better than I was six weeks ago.

“Whether that’s going to be good enough to win a World title, I don’t really know.

“You need the motivation to be there, and I’m a competitor so that is not an issue for me, I’m working hard and to win these competitions you have to work hard, talent can only take you so far.

“It’s hard to know what keeps you going, but I suppose I haven’t really got a choice!

“I enjoy being on the road, I enjoy travelling and meeting up with the lads, so it’s something to do and you always find ways to enjoy it.

“You make breakthroughs; whether they’re big ones or little ones, and that spurs you on to keep playing.”

O’Sullivan has hit the headlines off the table in recent months having suffered a breakdown in relations with World Snooker.

The 41-year-old was aggrieved at receiving a disciplinary letter following his criticism of referee Terry Camilleri at the Masters in January, and for swearing at a cameraman he felt had not observed the correct etiquette.

The former champion has given a series of one-word interviews since the issue, prompting World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn to demand an improvement from him ahead of the showcase event in Sheffield. O’Sullivan is far from concerned with the ongoing issue and instead is concentrating on landing his sixth world title next week in Sheffield.

“Preparations for the World Championship are going well and I’m really looking forward to it – I’m excited to get going as much as anything,” he added.

“We haven’t got long to go and I’m going to enjoy it, each moment, each match and each session that I play there and see what happens from there.

The other one is from the London and Evening Standard

Ronnie O’Sullivan: I don’t feel trapped by snooker anymore

The Rocket talks to Standard Sport about his new take on life

Ronnie O’Sullivan has an unlikely inspiration in his quest to be world champion for a sixth time… Jeremy Vine.

The Rocket has not won the title since 2012 — just after turning to the sports psychiatrist Professor Steve Peters, to whom he credited that triumph.

But should he prove victorious at the championship, which starts at the Crucible on Saturday, he will have the Radio 2 DJ to thank.

“I didn’t think I could play snooker for another 10 years and that’s simply because of the practice,” says O’Sullivan. “I’d been going down the same academy for five years and there’s just no atmosphere as it’s so quiet. But now I’ve got myself a radio in and I’m loving it.

“It’s Radio 2 and the best is Jeremy Vine. There’s music and a bit of chit chat. Now I find I’m having to pull myself away from the table.”

O’Sullivan is playing and talking with new-found freedom. In the build-up to his 25th consecutive World Championship appearance, another source of inspiration has been Roger Federer.

Aged 35, Federer has been resurgent this season and O’Sullivan, who won the Masters in January just after his 41st birthday, draws parallels.

“There were three or four years when Federer didn’t win anything,” says O’Sullivan. “He’s accepted he probably won’t be No1 as he’s not playing enough tournaments but wants to be around a lot longer and has to have that approach to do that for his health. Federer’s quite similar to me also in that I need to have fire in my belly. I can’t perform unless I’m fired up.”

During the interview, O’Sullivan also references Mel Gibson in Braveheart as he explains taking control of his life both in and out of snooker.

“It’s about getting to a point where you let go of everything,” he says. “Don’t let material things take hold of you anymore. As long as I’m running, boxing and playing snooker, I’m fine.

“Sometimes you listen to stuff on the radio and think ‘what kind of world do we live in?’ It’s kind of like at the end of Braveheart…freedom!

“If you can’t live in freedom, what’s the point? I just want to live my life, I don’t harm anyone. I’m not even scared of dying anymore. I’ll die one day, I just want to live like a free person until that point rather than feel guarded the whole time.”

His new-found freedom has partly put him at loggerheads with snooker’s rule makers.

After a threat of disciplinary action, which was then withdrawn, he took the bizarre approach of doing one interview in a robot voice, in another he broke into a cover of Oasis’ Wonderwall.

“No one wins but it makes people go ‘why is he doing that?’ and the reason I’m doing that is to not get fined,” he says. “But it makes me smile too and I won’t be scared to do more things like that.”

In conversation, the Federer-esque fire appears to be simmering at just the right time.

Part of that fire is down to being less obsessive about the sport. From a young age, he lived and breathed snooker but that has changed, for which he credits his girlfriend of five years, the actress Laila Rouass, and pursuing other interests away from the baize.

There is O’Sullivan the studio analyst with Eurosport, O’Sullivan the author — his first crime novel Framed set to be followed by a second — and O’Sullivan the television presenter following his series American Hustle. He admits: “In some ways, I don’t care as much anymore. Before, I had all my eggs in one basket. I don’t feel trapped by snooker anymore. Before, all I did was that.

“The most important thing is that I enjoy life off the table, and sometimes that can be hard. But I’ve taken control and doing more work with Eurosport makes me realise I love snooker, watching it and talking about it.”

But for all the insistence that he now cares less, he admits to being driven to beat the Major wins of Stephen Hendry, who boasts 18 Masters and World Championship titles. O’Sullivan is one adrift but victory alone is not enough for snooker’s showman.

“I want to win but win with style,” he says. “You want that feeling when you’re so dominant no one on the planet can break you. When you’re in the zone, there’s no better feeling in the world.

“I’ve always had self-doubt but I remember at the Worlds in 2012 I’d just started working with Steve Peters and said ‘I’m done, I can’t get past the last 16’. He told me to be patient and I won the whole thing and I was like ‘where did that come from?’ I feel good and I like to think that this 41-year-old can still surprise a few people.”

Despite a couple of inaccuracies – for instance Ronnie’s 2012 World title wasn’t his last to date – it’s a good interview

 

About “those interviews”: Ronnie’s latest ES blog and Barry Hearn’s view

Monique Eurosport, Interview, Media , ,

In his latest Eurosport blog with Desmond Kane, Ronnie once again explains why he’s done those strange interviews and tells us about life, snooker, the Crucible and his future.

In an interview with the BBC, Barry Hearn states that Ronnie isn’t breaking any rules, that himself finds the whole thing hilarious and that the game needs him.

Ronnie

Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Wonderwall: There are many things I’d like to say to you, but I don’t know how

Ronnie O’Sullivan

In his latest blog, Ronnie O’Sullivan explains to Desmond Kane why singing Oasis songs, impersonating a robot and discussing weight loss with the media is better than landing a heavy fine by sharing his opinions on snooker ahead of next month’s World Championship in Sheffield.

‘HUGE DISTRACTION’

I’ll keep this brief on why I’ve continued to avoid getting involved in discussing snooker to the media. It is not to be awkward, have a laugh or make headlines. As I pointed out in my last blog, I’ve kept it deliberately short in my interviews due to the nature of the disciplinary letter I received via email from World Snooker before the German Masters in Berlin.

 It was a huge distraction, was poor in tone and timing, and it unquestionably had a negative effect on my performance/results at the World Grand Prix, German Masters and Welsh Open.

At the end of the day, I owe it to the fans of the sport to give my best on the table. Win or lose, the snooker public deserves the best from me at all times.

I gain nothing really from speaking from the heart in my press conferences after matches, but I do stand to lose a lot if I say something that brings the game into disrepute.

As I said in my previous blog, as soon as the topic goes onto snooker, it can land me in hot water with a heavy fine. So I’m giving that a swerve because I don’t need the stress. I have to attend press conferences as part of my duties, but why open up when it is not welcomed?

I felt it was important to explain my reasons for recent happenings so the snooker fans will understand why I’ve had some peculiar moments on TV, and in media conferences recently.

Or maybe people won’t understand. Either way, I’m being transparent about the whole situation which I believe is the best way to be.

The snooker fans deserve to know the truth, and understand I’m certainly not doing this to be awkward.

‘CRUCIBLE CAN BE GREATEST OR WORST’

On the whole, my season has been great. I’ve been in four finals and enjoyed a record seventh victory at the Masters in January. I’ll take that in this era.

I’m really looking forward to the World Championship next month. As we all know, it is the greatest snooker event on earth.

The Crucible in Sheffield can be the greatest place to play, but it can also be the worst if things aren’t going well for you. There is nowhere to hide in that venue.

I hear a lot about my performances not being as good as they used to be. Well, I tend to disagree. I think the standard in depth of the sport is as high as it’s ever been. I’m not too doing too badly if you take into consideration my age compared to others, and also my reputation.

I accept that will always be the case because sometimes a player will beat me then not reproduce the same level of form in the next round.

I know this happens to all the great players who have had great careers. You are there to be shot at.

In many ways, it is a compliment, but it doesn’t make it any easier to win matches.

‘FEARFUL, MOODY, NERVOUS AND ANXIOUS’

I’ve taken on other work that has probably helped in taking my eye off playing snooker. I don’t practice as much as I used to, but I’m the happiest I’ve been in my life.

I love doing my punditry, I love doing my books and I’ve loved doing my exhibitions. I loved doing my TV show American Hustle playing pool in the USA. I’ve loved doing my charity work. I’ve loved being able to give back to people who work selflessly to help others.

These are the things that have made me so happy, and my life feels fulfilling.

Snooker was always a self-indulgent pursuit. It was done with such tunnel vision, I never got to really do the things that really made me happy, and it’s only now that I’m realising that there is more to life than potting balls.

But I’m not resentful about that, I’m just regretful I didn’t do it earlier.

It feels as if my life has come alive, the only thing that makes me kind of unhappy is practice and playing in big snooker events.

For the simple reason I become out of touch with life and its joys. When I’m in snooker mode, I suffer from anxiety, I get fearful. I get nervous, I get moody and I isolate myself.

I can manage these emotions much better then I used to, but it still chips away at me.

‘LIFE A THOUSAND TIMES BETTER’

I read a great article about former track cyclist Victoria Pendleton last week.

She went through the same thought process as I did, and thanks to (sports psychiatrist) Doctor Steve Peters, we were both able to reach the heights we were capable of. I truly believe this, and I know that without him working to improve my mental attitude, I would never have been the player I have been over these past five years in winning the world title another few times.

I still feel I can compete on the table, and I will continue to compete for as long as I can. There’s a part of me that will always want the buzz from playing even though it comes with its stresses and anxieties.

I feel I owe it to the real snooker fans to continue. I don’t want to bail out early when I still feel I have something to offer to the public who enjoy the game.

What has become apparent, is that my snooker and my life in general is a thousand times better with all the variety I have.

When we do our punditry work for Eurosport, we have the best time. We have become like a family now. We all meet up at 8am in the morning and go for a 5-8k run which sets the day up nicely. I then get to watch snooker up close which is so much better than watching it on TV.

So the conclusion is that my game might not be as sharp as it could be, but I can still blag it and win a few matches to stay in the top 16.

Of course, losing still hurts, but not nearly as much as it used to. And even if I did drop out of the top 16, who cares? I can still play, and hit a few balls for fun.

‘ENOUGH TALKING’

Snooker is so much better when it’s played with a fun attitude. Some snooker is better than no snooker, that’s how I see it.

To be honest, does it really matter if it says five world titles on my gravestone as opposed to seven? History will judge you how it judges you.

I think life should be about having fun. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve even had fun when things have been bad for me. But when you hit your 40s, you realise it’s not everything in life.

Anyway, enough talking for now. I’m looking forward to Sheffield, the World Championship and all the mixed bag of pleasure it brings.

Speak to you again soon snooker fans.

Barry Hearn:

Ronnie O’Sullivan: Barry Hearn says interviews break no rules

World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn says Ronnie O’Sullivan is doing nothing wrong with his unorthodox interviews.

O’Sullivan has talked in a robotic voice and sung an Oasis song in protest at being the subject of disciplinary hearings for several previous comments.

Hearn described the five-time world champion’s antics as “hilarious” but added: “I’m not sure he’s doing himself any favours.

“There’s a players’ contract and Ronnie O’Sullivan’s breaking no rules at all.”

O’Sullivan, 41, publicly criticised a referee and a photographer at the Masters in January, when he won a record seventh title, but his explanation was accepted and no action was taken.

“Ronnie never upsets me with what he says,” Hearn said. “Sometimes he goes too far, and when he goes too far, he’s reported to the disciplinary.

“There is no singling out of Ronnie O’Sullivan, for sure, because we need him in the game.

“Will I talk to him? I talk to him all the time. I am very happy to have a cup of tea, and I told him I think it’s hilarious.

“He’s operating under exactly the same rules as every other player. And he has every right to make any comment through the appropriate channels and they will be listened to. But the appropriate channels are not in the public media.”

Players Championship 2017 – An interview… sort of.

Video Monique Interview, Media ,

Yesterday BBC Wales published an interview with Ronnie after his defeat to Judd Trump in Llandudno. To most questions he answers just with one word, except for the one where he choses to sing … which, frankly, he’s not exactly gifted for.

This is it:

Most people who saw this had a good laugh…

However not everyone did. One blogger in particular argued that it is silly, childish, driven by the hurt of defeat and attention seeking.

Yes, defeat hurts, and players try to deal with it the best they can, each in their own way. One thing though that is common to all of them is that giving an interview right after a defeat is NOT something they want to do, they usually just want to be left alone and out of the venue as soon as possible. The last thing they want after losing is attention.

I may be wrong but I have not seen any other interview with the losers this week, only Ronnie. Why? Because he is box office and THE MEDIA wants this, not him, and as Hector Nunns stated in this article, Ronnie has probably given more time to the media than all the others together. He’s an emotional person who sometimes says the wrong thing in the heat of the moment, sure, and, make no mistake, the media love it, it sells. He’s been fined  for expressing opinions that WPBSA deemed potentially damaging to the sport or disrespectful and he has decided to take a minimalist, and humoristic, stance regarding interviews. As Mark Williams tweeted this morning:

at least he ain’t gunna fined this way

I have heard some weird interviews after defeats. I have heard a player answering every question with the same two words sentence, before storming out of the room, I have heard a player being very rude in a personal way towards his opponent, I have seen a player growing really aggressive towards a journalist who, in fairness, was doing everything in their power to get the said player in that state. Those were top 16 players. I have seen right sour losers rants, excuses and tears. Most of the time it’s not reported at all and probably it shouldn’t be indeed. However when it comes to Ronnie it usually makes the headlines. Also, when reported it should at least be done, fairly, in context, which is not always the case.

Players are human beings, not robots. True, they have duties towards their sport, talking to the press is one of them, but maybe not just minutes after a defeat for instance. The authorities also have a duty to protect their players when exposed to stressful situations. It would probably work to both sides advantage.

This is just my personal opinion and nodody else’s.