Just a few months ago, Ronnie O’Sullivan, the best snooker player in the world, made a nasty comment on young snooker players. The Rocket, as he is nicknamed, after entering the quarterfinals of the Snooker World Championship in Sheffield said that the young players and those who come are too weak.
When it comes to snooker betting, the community always favours O’Sullivan for a reason. However, maybe it is time for a change. Some new player should emerge from the crowd and shake the scene.
You have got to lose an arm and leg to fall outside of the Top 50
“People like me, John Higgins and Mark Williams, if you look at the younger players coming through, they are not that good really. Most of them would do well as half-decent amateurs, not even amateurs. They are so bad. A lot of them you see now, you look at them and think, ‘I would have to lose an arm and a leg to fall out of the top 50’. That is why we are still hovering around, because of how poor it is down that end.”, O’Sullivan said.
The five-time world champion (at the time) managed to defeat old rival Mark Williams 13:10 after losing 7:2 in the quarterfinals. After their match, Williams commented on Ronnie’s comment about the youth.
‘It was probably a little bit harsh, a bit disrespectful to the lower-ranked players, They’re still trying their hardest every time they go out there. Fair enough, they’re probably not as naturally gifted as Ronnie, not many people are, but obviously, they’re trying their hardest. A lot of what he says is total nonsense – about other players. It’s a bit disrespectful, really. I think there are some promising youngsters coming through, we’re all trying our best and we can’t all be as good as him. My cue action is all over the gaff. I’m 44 with no cue action – there’s no way I should be here”, he said.
Karma Caught Him
O’Sullivan won the snooker tournament and became six-time world champion. However, just a few months after that, in the 2nd round of the European Masters ranking tournament, young 18-year-old Aaron Hill defeated the current world champion with a result of 5:4 in frames.
From the very beginning of the match, it was clear that O’Sullivan was not in the mood, and when that is the case, every half-decent player has a chance to defeat him, no matter where he is in the rankings.
Young Hill “smelled blood” and took a 2-0 lead, but Ronnie managed to turn the score in his favour and took a 4-3 lead and even got to the frame ball.
But the 108-player of the world did not give up, first equalizing to 4:4, and then got the deciding frame for the final 5:4 and the biggest win of his career. This win surely boosted his moral and it is exactly what this young player needed. Maybe he is the one to emerge from the crowd. Who knows? Only time will tell.
