Ronnie O’Sullivan’s World Snooker Championship Progress Eases, Warns Jimmy White
According to a report by talksport.com, Ronnie O’Sullivan has reached the quarter-finals of the World Snooker Championship, but Jimmy White believes he hasn’t been tested yet. O’Sullivan defeated Pang Junxu 13-4 on Monday evening to advance to the next stage of the tournament.
As per the talksport.com report, White, a six-time finalist at the Crucible, thinks O’Sullivan’s path to the quarter-finals has been relatively easy. "You remember when he had a year off, and he came back and won the World Championship [in 2013]?" he told Drive. "His first session with Marcus Campbell, he was all over the place, a little bit like he was with Ali Carter. Ali Carter was 1-0 up, should’ve gone 2-0 up. O’Sullivan went 3-1 up and in the evening, he looked really composed and I think he played really well."
The source further states that White believes O’Sullivan’s fitness could be a key factor in his bid for an eighth world title. "This is why O’Sullivan’s got such a big edge because we know how super fit he is. Ok, he hasn’t played a lot of match snooker, but he hasn’t been tested yet. A few times Ronnie O’Sullivan’s won the World Championship, no one’s even got close to him but he has to improve, he’ll tell you that himself."
As quoted in the talksport.com article, O’Sullivan reflected on his last 16 win against Junxu, saying: "It was hard [to come back after three months off] because I thought it could be a complete disaster, I was happy to make a game of it, win two or three frames maybe. If either of the opponents I’ve played had played well, I’d have got beaten but they’ve played poorly, let me off the hook and I’ve managed to score a few."
According to the talksport.com report, O’Sullivan is in a record-extending 23rd World Championship quarter-final and faces Sia Jiahui. The source also mentions that White agreed that the mental and physical demands of the tournament could take their toll on players.
In his article, talksport.com also reported that O’Sullivan has been on a break from snooker for three months, and it took him some time to get back into the rhythm of the game. Despite this, he seems to be playing some of his best snooker, and his confidence is growing with each match.
The talksport.com source states that O’Sullivan’s quarter-final match against Sia Jiahui will be a crucial test of his skills and mental toughness.
White’s comments, as reported by talksport.com, serve as a warning to O’Sullivan that he needs to be at his best if he wants to win the championship.
For more information on Ronnie O’Sullivan and the World Snooker Championship, visit: talksport.com.
