Snooker World Championship: Stephen Hendry Backs Ronnie O’Sullivan for Eighth Title
According to a report by the BBC, Stephen Hendry believes Ronnie O’Sullivan has the form to win a record-breaking eighth World Championship title in Sheffield. The Scottish great Hendry, who dominated the Crucible in the 1990s, shares the record of seven World Championship titles with O’Sullivan, but that could change in the next 10 days as O’Sullivan chases an eighth world title.
O’Sullivan began his campaign with a convincing 10-4 victory against Ali Carter in round one, which allowed him to brush off the cobwebs after a difficult few months. The Englishman had not played in professional competition since snapping his cue in frustration at the state of his game in January, and had also been struggling with what he termed "stage fright". As reported by the BBC, O’Sullivan’s win over Carter was a significant one, and could be a sign of things to come.
As the competition progresses, O’Sullivan’s prospects look increasingly good, with Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby, and Mark Allen all being knocked out of his half of the draw. This development certainly does his trophy chances no harm, and Hendry already likes O’Sullivan’s chances. In an interview with World Snooker Tour’s Snooker Club podcast, Hendry said: "Even though he will deflect away from his chances of winning this thing, I think the way he played [against Carter] definitely shows he is a contender. So I’m really looking forward to seeing how he plays the rest of the championship."
The BBC reports that O’Sullivan’s next match is against 25-year-old Chinese player Pang Junxu, who beat Zhang Anda in his opener. The contest begins at 14:30 BST and spans three sessions across three days, finishing on Monday evening. As long as O’Sullivan’s focus holds, his chances look good, given the current state of his game.
Six-time champion Steve Davis, speaking on BBC Four, considers snooker’s 17-day ‘marathon of the mind’ an altogether fresh challenge now the first-round stage has been navigated. According to Davis, those who have passed that examination of their credentials should be able to compete without feeling overly worried now the matches have shifted from best-of-19 to best-of-25-frame contests. There is greater scope for recovering from a dip in form over the longer matches.
Davis said: "I don’t think you approach it differently, but you are more relaxed from not having the panic of the first round. You know you’ve got to have an overnight sleep on a lead or a deficit and that can sometimes play its part. But just to be more relaxed, in as much as you’ve got a longer match, is handy, because you don’t have anywhere near as much of a panic if you have a bad mini-session or session." The BBC notes that at the age of 49, O’Sullivan would be snooker’s oldest world champion if he takes the title on 5 May, a record he already holds following his victory against Judd Trump three years ago.
As the World Snooker Championship continues, fans will be eagerly watching O’Sullivan’s progress, and the BBC will be providing comprehensive coverage of all the action from the Crucible. With experts like Hendry and Davis providing analysis, it’s clear that O’Sullivan is a strong contender for the title. Will he be able to overcome the challenges ahead and claim an eighth World Championship title? Only time will tell, but as the BBC reports, he’s certainly showing the form to make it a possibility.
The World Snooker Championship is one of the most prestigious events in the sport, and the BBC is the leading provider of coverage and analysis. For the latest news, updates, and expert commentary, fans can tune into the BBC’s comprehensive coverage of the event. With in-depth analysis from experts like Hendry and Davis, fans can stay up-to-date with all the latest developments from the Crucible.
