IN THE RUNNNING: RONNIE O’SULLIVAN: HOW SNOOKER ‘MORGUE’ HAS BRINGED LIFE INTO WORLD TITLE BID.
After making it to his first semi-final since 2014, Ronnie O’Sullivan will never have a better opportunity to win a sixth global title behind closed doors at the Crucible Theatre, according to Desmond Kane.
Something stirs far away from the throng of people. As smoothly as his velvety cue motion, which he has called the “world’s worst,” Ronnie O’Sullivan’s attempt to reclaim his position at the top of the snooker world has proceeded. O’Sullivan, a dedicated jogger, finds himself firmly in the lead at the Crucible Theatre as a result of his campaign being as soundproof as going for an early run in Epping Forest.
O’Sullivan enjoys attention, but he also prefers to carefully select when to put his cue above the fray.
He has made millions of dollars over the previous 28 years by making outrageous, and some may say disparaging, remarks about the sport. However, when it comes to really sinking balls, he disconnects himself from social media and reality.
It is turning out to be beneficial.
A favorite among the fans may find his chances of winning the trophy when this UK summer of snooker comes to an end on Sunday night greatly impacted by the absence of spectators.
World Snooker Championship: Up to date draw, itinerary, and outcomes
Ronnie O’Sullivan defeats Mark Williams with a brilliant comeback.
Top 10 all-time: What are the most notable accomplishments of Ronnie O’Sullivan?
Additionally, he prefers it that way since it spares him from dealing with the low-level renown that comes with being a famous snooker player, particularly when he has to travel between his Sheffield accommodations and the Crucible Theatre, which turns into a sideshow that O’Sullivan finds boring. For him, the city’s Tudor Square commands the same amount of attention as the Tudors in the hotbed of public confrontation.
I don’t like this competition because of this. The process of entering and leaving the venue is a major pain. “I basically run away from people all the time,” declared O’Sullivan, the 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2013 winner.
18th place in the world After his 13-10 victory over Mark Williams in the quarterfinals, O’Sullivan made the comment that he would have struggled against any player in the rankings from “Ali Carter and above” because he feels he has “had no consistency for six or seven years” at the World Championship. Carter, his former Essex opponent from two world finals, was mentioned.
Unexpectedly, “The Captain” was unable to advance to the sport’s elite competition, but he did make the most insightful observation while assessing the chances of his former rival.
This scenario without crowds, in my opinion, really favors the rocket,” Carter tweeted. “This year, I believe, he wins, and it will be his last. To be honest, I think that the no-crowd is a huge leveler.
The pandemic’s effect on fan base has freed O’Sullivan to concentrate on the sharp sound of a well-struck black. With the exception of a lout behind the scenes hitting a programmed applause button everytime a good shot is made, a century is accumulated, or a frame is won, the background noise has been muffled.
It is Marc Jacobs, not Mark Selby, who could have created environments stylish enough to accommodate such significant whims and mood swings. He frequently eases the pressure on his own hopes and anxieties in an attempt to divert the attention of the tabloids from genuine pressure. On Tuesday, he made the useless comparison between himself and the “fat” Diego Maradona.
At the Crucible, O’Sullivan takes on Selby, the greatest test for a professional snooker player. However, he is better prepared to face Selby without 900 fans yelling “C’mon Ronnie” each time his opponent misses a shot.
That carries with it a certain amount of pressure, which Jimmy “Whirlwind” White was unable to handle when he painfully missed six finals in the 1980s and 1990s.
That carries with it a certain amount of pressure, which Jimmy “Whirlwind” White was unable to handle when he painfully missed six finals in the 1980s and 1990s.
Damien Hirst, O’Sullivan’s friend, might use a Crucible Theatre without the spectators as an example of modern art being shown in what the Chigwell long-distance runner refers to as “a morgue”. But for O’Sullivan, who has dug a potting trench to the final four, it has been bursting at the seams with nine centuries and thirty-one half-centuries.
On the other hand, after Kyren Wilson defeated him 13–9 in the quarterfinals, former world champion and unquestionably the number one player in the world Judd Trump appeared to lose the spark that gave his game life. Without supporters, it is simple to go flat, but for O’Sullivan, stalking the table alone with only a referee and a few TV cameramen is akin to a meditation experience.
O’Sullivan can start daydreaming about the possibilities if he can outsmart Selby over the extended 33-frame distance.
Even after we defeated Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 10-1 and defeated Ding Junhui and Williams 13-10, the potting jamboree is still just halfway through. So far, 36 frames have been won; the remaining four contenders need to win 35 more.
In the 2014 final, O’Sullivan led Selby 10–5, but they lost 18–14 as a result of O’Sullivan’s better strategy. Because of how difficult that loss was, he has not advanced to the semifinals again.
In terms of a Triple Crown, which most purists will contest due to its lack of legitimacy, the World Championship is at the front of the pack if you include the UK and Masters. As the only legitimate major in the game, it defines the sport. If not, O’Sullivan’s innate talent would have yielded more than five victories, but prizes for beauty are not given out.
Selby is probably going to put his focus, consistency, and eventually his desire to the test. Having scored five tons in twenty-five plus fifty runs in the event, he is no slouch in the scoring department either, having surpassed Jordan Brown (10-6), Noppon Saengkham (13-12), and most notably Neil Robertson (13-7).
It is available to O’Sullivan if he truly wants it. Of course the scoring is set in stone, but over a distance like this, is he prepared to give up at certain points?
Snooker players who just make one visit are unaware that winning more frames requires more visits. Champion in 2014, 2016, and 2017, Selby is content to visit a snooker table more times during a game than Michelangelo did in the Sistine Chapel, provided he gets the right shade.
Over the course of three days of Test match snooker, O’Sullivan will eventually need to adjust to this mindset in order to get beyond the last major obstacle before the final. In the relentless world of cue, it is still the ultimate test.
