Seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, 48, told Sky Sports ahead of the start of the World Snooker Championship on Saturday. Snooker table, age is just a number.”
18:53, UK, Thursday 18 April 2024
Ronnie O'Sullivan said ahead of Saturday's tournament start that a record eighth World Snooker Championship win would seal his best season in the sport.
O'Sullivan won both the British Championship and the Masters for the eighth time in December and January respectively, and is now looking to repeat that feat at the Crucible to complete snooker's 'treble crown'.
The 48-year-old feels his game is in good shape ahead of Wednesday's first match against Welsh qualifier Jackson Page, but the first round defeat means he will lift the trophy for a record-breaking eighth time. He added that it's just as likely as he currently shares with Stephen Hendry.
“In the last few days I've been playing well and I'm starting to get interested in the job,” O'Sullivan said. sky sports.
“I wouldn't be surprised if we won, but equally I wouldn't be surprised if we lost in the first round. Snooker doesn't make sense sometimes.
“I still think I have one or two more world titles to go. As long as I feel young around the snooker table, age is just a number.
“I thought it was over when I was 35, but I'm still going at 48. I've still won a lot, and there's still more to come.” [world] 1st place, which is a bit of a miracle in itself.
“I've been working on this for a long time and I feel like I still have five, six, seven more good years ahead of me. As long as I'm still having fun and having fun, you never know.”
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Asked if winning the Triple Crown would be the best season in snooker, O'Sullivan said: “Absolutely.
“I won the British Championship and the Masters. The Triple Crown is what all snooker fans and players measure things by, so it would be great to win all three at once.”
“And I won in Shanghai, which is one of my favorite events.
“We've won quite a few big events this year. We've had a great season and Sheffield will be the perfect way to cap it off.”
Is it possible that the Word Snooker Championship leaves The Crucible?
Mr O'Sullivan has criticized the Crucible in the past and this week sparked speculation the world championship could move to the Middle East after signing a three-year ambassadorial deal to help grow snooker in Saudi Arabia. is flowing.
In March, Saudi Arabia hosted the first non-ranking World Masters of Snooker event, which will return in the 2024/25 season, and in August the first ranking tournament will be held in the form of the Saudi Snooker Masters. Ru. The prize pool is £2 million, the highest of any tournament other than the World Championship.
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“The Crucible is a great venue, don't get me wrong,” O'Sullivan declared. “We have a great history and some great memories, but as a snooker player you thrive when you are in an environment where everything is right for you.
“It's hard to get in and out, it's hard to allocate practice time properly, it's a busy place and the World Championships are a huge event.
“I think Saudi Arabia can take this tournament and grab it by the scruff of the neck and turn it into a Wimbledon, a French Open, a US Open and really make it a super event.”
He added: “Listen, Sheffield has a history and that will never change.
“A lot of people say, “What's the history like over there?'' No, history is really being rewritten every day.
“I think it would be Eddie.” [Hearn] and barry [Hearn] And World Snooker decided it was right to take it to Saudi Arabia, so why not? ”
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