Media

Crucible 2017 – Ronnie back to the ES Studio

Monique Eurosport, Media, Snooker , ,

WC2017ROSEurosport-1

Ronnie on twitter:

Back with me old mucca jimmy, fouldsy and col at Eurosport. Live at 6:30

Apparently, going by the reactions on social media the gang is doing a great job, but, like many mainland European I can’t watch the Eurosport UK coverage.

I will try to bring as many snippets as I possibly can though …

This is a first one, with this tweet by Eurosport UK:

is a man of many talents!

And Ronnie reveals what he said to Ding when they embraced

MissingClips 2017 WSC: Ronnie at the studio (Eurosport, 27.04.2017.)

MissingClips 2017 WSC: Ronnie at the studio (Eurosport, 28.04.2017.)

Enjoy!

Ronnie features in itv documentary Paragon

Monique Film, Media ,

Ronnie will feature in itv documentary Paragon, scheduled tomorrow at 10:40 pm (UK time)

He tweeted about it yesterday evening

Andy grant, world record holder 10k amputee. Great documentary on Wednesday. Paragon.

ITV REPORT
25 April 2017 at 10:24am

Running has replaced medication for me, says Ronnie O’Sullivan

O’Sullivan features in the ITV documentary Paragon.Photo: ITV

Ronnie O’Sullivan says he uses running rather than anti-depressants to give him a release from pressure and anxieties in a new ITV documentary.

The snooker legend speaks in PARAGON (ITV, 10.40pm Wednesday) which focuses on the story of Royal Marines Commando Andy Grant, who was on patrol in Afghanistan when he suffered 27 injuries after an IED was detonated.

After undergoing the amputation of his right leg, he sets out on a journey to become the world’s fastest amputee over 10k. In the documentary he takes advice from icons like Ronnie, Jamie Carragher and Scott Quinnell.

Ronnie tells him: “When I got into running, it kind of was like a release from all of the pressure and the anxieties that I was going through.”

Grant
Andy Grant and Ronnie O’Sullivan talk openly on Paragon – this Wednesday on ITV, 10.40pm. Credit: ITV

“And I’d been on medication and bits and pieces to try and control those anxieties… I found with running, and I was never a fan of taking anti-depressants anyway, so to find running and realise that running could take [the] place of a tablet, I just thought, ‘It’s up to me now whether I want the easy route or the one that’s a bit more effort, rather than dishing out pills or tablets.’

“You know, go out for a walk, go out for a run. Find a partner, commitment, and watch your life get better – watch your perspective on life improve. And that’s what running gave me, it gave me that outlet to kind of get rid of those negative thoughts or whatever was going on.”

“A lot of my success on the table is the fact that I found running, and that’s why I say it’s so important to me. Healthy body and healthy mind is what makes champions.”

The programme documents Andy’s story in Afghanistan, the injuries he suffered, meets the surgeon who amputated his leg, Andy talks about his road to recovery, and it shows the advice he takes from friends and icons like Jamie Carragher, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Scott Quinnell, along with the training and the run itself.

  • Watch PARAGON on ITV 10.40pm Wednesday 26th April
Last updated Tue 25 Apr 2017

Check the link for the trailer video

Crucible’s Greatest Matches – a must read

Monique Book, Media ,

Hector Nunns, one of the most dedicated and honest sport journalist you could possibly meet, has finally fulfilled his dream and published a book.

He was interviewed by Worldsnooker:

Tuesday 18 Apr 2017 10:18AM

This year we’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first World Championship in Sheffield, and to mark the occasion, snooker’s leading journalist Hector Nunns has written a book about the Crucible’s greatest matches.

The book throws the spotlight on classic matches involving Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, Jimmy White, the late and much-missed Alex Higgins and Paul Hunter, Cliff Thorburn, Terry Griffiths, Ken Doherty and of course the 1985 black-ball final between Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis.

The book is available to buy now and makes a fantastic souvenir of the 40th anniversary, or a gift for anyone who loves snooker. Click here for more details.

The book is also on sale in the Crucible throughout the Betfred World Championship.

We spoke to Hector to find out about his experience of writing the book…

Hector, how much fun did you have writing The Crucible’s Greatest Matches?

A lot of fun. I knew from last summer I wanted to do a book, my first, that was in some way related to the 40th anniversary of the Betfred World Championship taking place at the Crucible in Sheffield. So it was just choosing what to do, and I quickly settled on a book of greatest matches to celebrate at the same time a special venue, a unique tournament, and the game itself. And I knew I wanted the chapters to be long enough to be self-contained stories, taking in some career and season background on the players when we met them for the first time in the book, as well as the blow by blow account of the match. Interviewing is probably my favourite part of journalism, and I wanted to have first-hand recollections from as many of the players involved as possible. Given that some great players featured more than once I also thought I needed to have as a bare minimum Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Jimmy White on board. Luckily that happened, and for those featured sadly no longer with us like Alex Higgins and Paul Hunter, I was able to add quotes from those that knew them well in addition to past interviews and cuttings. Then, armed with all my interviews, Chris Downer’s Crucible almanac, and watching a lot of archive footage, I spent most of November, December and January writing it up, either in the wooden cabin that serves as an office at the end of the garden, and then in my hotel at the Masters.

Which players gave the most fascinating interviews during your research?

The first thing to express is my gratitude and appreciation for all the players who generously gave of their time to talk about the matches selected. Whether they were legends of the game, or players who simply were part of one amazing match at the Crucible, they spoke candidly and honestly, and basically made the book. Of course, it is fascinating to hear Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis talk about the 1985 ‘black-ball’ final, and even though it is hard to get anything really new (given it is one of the most discussed and written-about moments in sporting history) hopefully there is the odd new perspective. But I loved the conversations with both Ronnie O’Sullivan and Peter Ebdon about their incredible 2005 quarter-final, when eventual winner Ebdon slowed the pace down so much that he was accused of doing so deliberately and ‘cheating’ by journalist Matthew Syed in The Times. Ebdon sued over the comments, and lost. My respect for Jimmy White – always high, as one of my favourite players as a kid – only increased as he was able to talk about painful defeats with such a total absence of bitterness. Regret, but no rancour. Ken Doherty and Paul Hunter’s former manager Brandon Parker spoke very well about one of my own favourite matches that I covered as a journalist, the 2003 semi-final that saw the Irishman come back from 15-9 down to win 17-16. And the (costly) transatlantic phone call to Cliff Thorburn was more than worth it as he spoke about the 1980 final against Alex Higgins, and the 1983 match against Terry Griffiths that saw the first Crucible 147. The Canadian remains one of snooker’s great characters, as does Tony Knowles whose recollections of being out nightclubbing until 4am during his 10-1 win over Davis in 1982 had me laughing out loud.

You have been covering the World Championship yourself for over a decade. Do you have a personal favourite moment at the Crucible?

While I had covered the World Championship from the office for a couple of years, and done a few player interviews in London, my first time in Sheffield was in 2004 when Ronnie O’Sullivan won his second title, and the first time will always be special. Of course I will always remember it but the matches that mainly sticks out for me apart from the final was the semi-final and seeing the player I had watched dominate for a decade, Stephen Hendry, absolutely destroyed by O’Sullivan 17-4. Also the last-16 match between Matthew Stevens and the late and still much-missed Paul Hunter; great friends, two players I always enjoyed watching and a cracking match won 13-12 by the Welshman. I would have to say that this year’s 40th anniversary gala celebration in the arena, and seeing all the former Crucible champions, was a great evening. Away from the table and work there are plenty of good memories, not all of which centre around big nights out in Sheffield, a city I have always had a lot of time for having also studied here. There is a camaraderie in the media, and team curries help you through the marathon. I try to get out towards the Peak District and have a walk around Ladybower Reservoir if I can, and sneaking out of the venue to relive my youth at a Happy Mondays gig over the road one year was another major highlight.

In writing the book, did you find yourself immersed in the intensity and emotion of those classic matches – even the ones which happened before you covered snooker?

I would say just about every match in the book I either watched all or most of at the time, or was here covering them at the Crucible. Then in writing the book I spent hours going over any old footage I could find to remind myself of key moments, and sometimes find shots or misses that the players had specifically raised in their interviews. So in that sense yes, you had to immerse yourself, and certainly writing the book brought back many of the feelings from watching the matches live. That said, it is of course far more intense for the players – with the possible exception of Jimmy White. Yes he was very upset, but he thinks (and I agree) there are still fans who were more upset than him he never won a world title, and he regularly has to console people to this day.

Do you feel snooker has a unique capacity – among all sports – to create that kind of drama?

Without any doubt snooker has the power and the capacity to create huge drama in an almost unique way. World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn was kind enough to pen the foreword for the book, and as usual he puts it better than most: “Unlike a lot of sports snooker can be a slow burner, the tension builds minute by minute, frame by frame, hour by hour and especially at the Crucible where the matches are the longest we see. It is like reading a long book with a series of plot twists, and you are gripped but don’t know until the final page what will happen.”

There are so many tournaments around the world now but do you feel the World Championship still stands alone in terms of the atmosphere and attention it generates?

There are some great tournaments around the world, and I have been fortunate enough to cover snooker from many of them including events in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Mumbai and Berlin – the German Masters for many years one of my favourite events in an incredible city. Could any of these one day stage a successful World Championship? Probably they could. But could they stage a World Championship with the same atmosphere, buzz and unique appeal that we have now at the Crucible and in Sheffield? It is very hard to believe that would be possible, and the question is now redundant for 10 years at least. I have included in the book a quote from Paul Hunter from an interview I did with him in April 2003, just before his run to the semi-finals at the Crucible. In it he said: “I just like going down the M1 and seeing the signs to Sheffield, it gives me a huge buzz.” I think he spoke for everyone.

I will just add that I’m  well into the process of reading this book, and I’m loving it. The psychological insight into the matches, and into the players mindset, before, during and after the actual action adds something really unique and invaluable. It has changed my view and opened my mind about things I had witnessed, lived through, but only understood from “outside”. Thank you Hector, and thanks also to all the players who gave you their time, and spoke candidly about their feelings and how they were changed, as players and men, by what they went through, in victory as well as in defeat.

A must read.

Froth off the media soap …

Monique Media

Following Ronnie’s emotional press conference the media soap continued in full force producing foam and froth … I’m sure to the delight of most editors!

So, where do we stand now?

This article by Hector Nunns somehow summarises the situation:

The Rocket accused Hearn and the sport’s governing bodies of “bullying” and “intimidation” following his 10-7 win over Gary Wilson at the World Championships in Sheffield on Sunday night.

O’Sullivan’s astonishing outburst stemmed from a letter he received after the Masters warning of possible disciplinary action for fiercely criticising referee Terry Camilleri and swearing at a photographer.

No action was taken but O’Sullivan sees himself as the victim of unfair treatment for his comments in recent years and warned he may contact the lawyers of artist pal Damien Hirst.

Now Hearn has hit back threatening legal action of his own.

He said: “I personally take any accusation of bullying and intimidation by me or World Snooker very seriously.

“Unfounded accusations such as these are damaging to World Snooker’s global reputation, as well as my own.

“And we will take whatever action is required to protect this reputation from such inaccurate comments.

“I hope all parties can move on from this position and concentrate on the brilliant entertainment provided by players at the Betfred World Championship.

“Neither World Snooker nor myself have received any communication from Ronnie O’Sullivan’s lawyers in regard to his responsibilities or concerns in relation to his signed players’ contract.”

Snooker’s governing body, the WPBSA, says it will take no action over O’Sullivan’s latest blast.

But WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson added: “In terms of bullying and intimidation – we don’t accept that at all.

“I’m more than happy to sit down with Ronnie and discuss the issues.”

Speaking after yesterday 10-5 first round win over Peter Ebdon at the Crucible former world champion Stuart Bingham said: “You hear there are no characters in the game but we feel we are doing interviews like this with tape over our mouth.”

Bold was added by me.

So in short:

  • Ronnie opened up about his feelings, saying he felt bullied by the way the authorities reacted to some of the things he said, whilst admitting at the same time that what he says isn’t always right.
  • Barry Hearn issued a statement, refuting what Ronnie claimed and hinting at the fact that he might take legal action.
  • Jason Ferguson, who is actually in charge of WPBSA, the body that deals with disciplinary matters, said that Ronnie’s comments were not acceptable, but that no action will be taken and offered to discuss the situation with Ronnie.
  • Stuart Bingham, in his own press conference, strongly hinted that in fact he sympathises with Ronnie, insofar he feels that the players are constantly under threat to be punished should they speak openly to the press whilst at the same time there are ongoing complaints that they should show more “character”.

Now, for those who have the patience, here is my analysis of the various elements of this soap…

Justified or not, Ronnie’s feelings are genuine and have been bothering him for months. This is something I know first hand. He chose to speak out, and maybe this might help him focus on his snooker, now that he has it out of his system.

Are those feelings justified?

Well, I believe they are at least to an extend. Clearly Stuart Bingham also feels that the players are being excessively controlled and threatened with fines when talking openly to the press. We live in an era where “politically correctness” seems to rule the way we interact with each others. Personally I don’t think this is healthy at all and maybe there is food for thoughts here for the people in charge of the sport, of any sport. We, every one of us, as persons, are imperfect. We fail, we do and say things we shouldn’t. It happens, often enough, and it’s part of being human. I find it very hard to relate to “perfect people”. I can’t believe that they are genuine, honest, real. As hard as we try, none of us can be that way in real life, always “perfect”, always nice, always controlled. If you look at the sportsmen/women who endeared the fans most, they aren’t the perfect guys. They are the Alex Higgins, the George Best, the Jimmy White, the Paul Gascoigne. Some of those would be nightmares in real life if they were close to you, but people can relate to their imperfections, whilst they can’t relate to the perfect images they know can’t be genuine. So maybe indeed, the authorities, and not just in snooker, should be a bit more relaxed about the occasional slip of the tongue or ill-timed reaction in the heat of a moment.

Another aspect is touched in this post by Snookerbacker, who has never been shy in criticising players, including Ronnie, and authorities:

here is an excerpt:

Having had time to reflect and watch it again in the cold light of day away from the Crucible bubble I’d say a couple of things to Ronnie. Firstly, if that’s how you feel then that’s absolutely fine with me, I just wish you’d have said all this earlier before all the one word nonsense and singing, but that wouldn’t have generated headlines at the biggest event of the lot would it? His point about giving enough to the sport over 25 years is of course 100% correct, whether meaning to or not, nobody has created more column inches for snooker since Alex Higgins and for that snooker and in particular Barry Hearn owe him a debt of gratitude, but not a license to behave however he likes.

I’d also make a further point that I have seen one of the letters he refers to, not his, but one to another player and I have indeed (quite deservedly by the way) in the past been sent one and I would agree that the language is threatening in tone, perhaps in my view excessively so, but wholly legal. However, if someone is very sensitive to such things, which Ronnie professes to be, it could quite easily cause a great deal of stress and anxiety.

However this leads me on to my final point. It’s only snooker. At this event in particular you could be forgiven for thinking that the world has stopped and that we are the new focus of it. I haven’t watched the news for a few days which I have to say has made me feel a lot happier, but in the great scheme of things we are just a group of people watching skilled sportsmen knocking balls around with a stick, this isn’t The People versus OJ Simpson. This is an arguably over-bearing world governing body being perceived to be bullying their best asset. That’s all.

I don’t alway agree with SB, but I totally second this.

I’m also glad that Jason Ferguson took the stance he took. Jason is a man I respect greatly. He’s a former player, he knows what it is like to be in the players position. He loves his sport and wants the best for all involved. And he’s open and understanding to human frailties. I hope that Ronnie takes his offer to discuss the issues with him, not as an “authority”, but as a person. There is only good that can come out of it, for both sides.

And finally, here is Barry Hearn statement:

Statement from Barry Hearn, Chairman of World Snooker

In view of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s comments yesterday regarding ‘bullying and intimidation’ by Barry Hearn and World Snooker, I find it necessary to respond as follows:

  1. All players have contracts with World Snooker Limited by way of a players’ contract which was written in conjunction with WPBSA and agreed with the players’ governing body. This sets out the obligations of the players and applies to all participants on the World Snooker Tour. There are no exceptions. Ronnie O’Sullivan has signed this contract and is therefore eligible to play in any World Snooker events as he wishes.

  2. World Snooker owns the worldwide commercial rights for professional snooker. WPBSA is the governing body and represents the professional players on the World Snooker Tour. The WPBSA is exclusively responsible for all disciplinary matters pertaining to snooker, its players and their responsibilities outlined in the players’ contract. Neither World Snooker nor myself have any involvement whatsoever in disciplinary matters.

  3. Neither World Snooker nor myself have received any communication from Ronnie O’Sullivan’s lawyers in regard to his responsibilities or concerns in relation to his signed players’ contract.

  4. I personally take any accusation of ‘bullying and intimidation’ by me or World Snooker very seriously. Unfounded accusations such as these are damaging to World Snooker’s global reputation, as well as my own, and we will take whatever action is required to protect this reputation from such inaccurate comments. I hope all parties can move on from this position and concentrate on the brilliant entertainment provided by players at the Betfred World Championship.

I will just add this comment: basically what Hearn says there is “You are barking at the wrong tree, me and WS have nothing to do with disciplinary matters and we haven’t heard from your lawyers”. Isn’t that a bit hypocrite? Just a bit? Because everyone since years is used to say “World Snooker”, as Ronnie did in his presser, when indeed we should say “WPBSA” if we were being accurate, but it’s been that way for years, it’s a legacy of the past history of the game. So, this for me, is a “non answer”, a denial of an issue that is real and needs solving for the sake of the sport AND the human persons involved, a denial coupled with threats. Me, I wouldn’t be proud of this … well I wouldn’t do this in the first place, not this way.

Players are the game biggest asset, it takes years of hard work and dedication, countless hours of practice, sweat and tears to become of good snooker player, not even mentioning to become a great in the sport. Maybe, sometimes, it should be acknowledged: they are not just disposable items in a commercial game of power.

Update (Tuesday 18 April 19h15)

Now John Higgins has expressed his sympathy with Ronnie as well and raised another point, the players contract. It’s been reported by various media, here is an excerpt of an article by SportingLife

Four-time champion Higgins addressed the issue after booking his own place in the second round with a 10-6 victory over Martin Gould.

“I have a degree of sympathy for him,” he told BBC Radio Five Live.

“If I am led to believe what I have heard about how he was reprimanded, it is out of order.

“He has a lot to take on his shoulders in this sport because he is the biggest name – along with Ding (Junhui), the biggest name in the Far East.

“The game would be a lot poorer without him.”

In a television interview with BBC Two, Higgins elaborated on the subject of player contracts and the requirements placed on them.

“There are things in the players’ contracts that are too severe but the only way we can change that is if all the top players got together and stood together, tried to get things taken out,” he said.

“But I don’t think every top player is going to stand together.”

And that’s unfortunately very true. Too many players seem to think that they have just to accept whatever Barry Hearn decides to come up with. But he can’t do anything without them and, if they were united, they would have the power to make their voice and concerns heard and taken into account… IF …

40 Years at the Crucible

Video Monique Media, Snooker ,

Yesterday we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the World Championship at the Crucible. It has to be said, World Snooker made a magnificent job of it.

The day started with the top 16 players meeting the press before all players walked through the Green Carpet, a novelty in Britain. In the evening, the Crucible theatre hosted a great night where all living and past World Champions were invited and celebrated. Mark Williams went missing …

Barry Hearn signed a new agreement with the Sheffield authorities to keep the World Championship at the Crucible until 2027. He also made a very popular announcement: Jimmy White and Ken Doherty were offered a two years “wild card” … for a start said Barry. This came apparently to a surprise to both recently relegated players who were absolutely over the moon.

Here are some pictures of the press day shared on social media by various sources (WS, BBC, Jason Francis and more) and courtesy of Tai Chengzhe (Thanks Tai!)

World Snooker were live on Facebook to share the evening celebration and here it is:

Enjoy!

I will not do a preview, but I want to say a few words about Ronnie’s opening match. Gary Wilson, his opponent, is no push over. He played extremely well in Ponds Forge, he made 8 centuries in his three matches there. He has reached the QF in the 2015 Welsh Open and was runner-up in the 2015 China Open, so don’t underestimate him. He’s dangerous and the first match at the Crucible is always hard for the seeds: they get nothing if they lose and all expectations is on them.

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