Ronnie O’Sullivan Fears Loss of Instinctiveness Ahead of World Snooker Championship
According to a report by Sky Sports, Ronnie O’Sullivan, the defending champion, has expressed his concerns about his current form, stating that he has lost his "instinctiveness" as a snooker player, which he believes is a "pretty scary" prospect ahead of the World Snooker Championship.
In an interview, O’Sullivan revealed that his attempt to change his playing style six years ago has not yielded the desired results, and he is struggling to regain his form. "I tried a new technique six years ago and I think it’s completely stopped me from playing how I used to, and I don’t know how to get back to somewhere near how I want to play," O’Sullivan said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
The 49-year-old player believes that he may never recover the form that has made him a legend in the sport. "I’m not sure it’s fixable at this stage of my career, but I will give it a couple of years to try and rediscover a way of playing where I feel like I can hit the ball," he added.
O’Sullivan’s concerns are compounded by his recent performances, and he admits that his opponent in the first round, Ali Carter, will start as favourite. "I’ve lost that instinctiveness and what I’m seeing when I’m down on the shot is not good. Everyone has days when they lose their timing but when you compound that over a four-year period it’s quite hard – where do you start to put it right?" Sky Sports quoted O’Sullivan as saying.
The article by Sky Sports also highlighted O’Sullivan’s complicated relationship with Carter, his first-round opponent. The two players have had a rocky history, with O’Sullivan describing Carter as "not a nice person" after their match in last year’s Masters final.
Despite their differences, O’Sullivan acknowledged Carter’s skills, saying, "Ali’s a brilliant player, he’s had a couple of good seasons and he’s found some form again. You probably have to make Ali favourite going into this game, but if I can try to make a game of it that would be great," as reported by Sky Sports.
The World Snooker Championship is set to begin on Saturday, April 19, and O’Sullivan’s match against Carter will take place on Tuesday, April 22. The tournament will feature a record 10 Chinese players, including Lei Peifan, who will face reigning champion Kyren Wilson in the opening match.
In related news, O’Sullivan’s fellow seed and former runner-up Barry Hawkins has expressed his support for the defending champion, helping him to prepare for the tournament. "I was a bit bored a month ago so I got my cue out of my case and I thought, just practice," O’Sullivan said. "Obviously I got to this tournament and Barry gave me a little bit of support. I had a couple of practice sessions with Barry and he gave me a good hiding which I expected. But Barry told me, you’re not playing as bad as you think you are," Sky Sports reported.
The 2025 World Championship draw has pitted O’Sullivan against Carter in the first round, with the winner facing the winner of the match between Zhang Anda and Pang Junxu in the second round. The top half of the draw features Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson, and Mark Allen, while the bottom half includes John Higgins, Mark Williams, and Judd Trump.
As the tournament approaches, O’Sullivan will look to overcome his current form and mount a successful defence of his title. With his concerns about his instinctiveness and his complicated relationship with Carter, it promises to be an interesting and challenging campaign for the defending champion.
