Jolly good show from Ronnie
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN is treating the World Championship as a “jolly day out” and says boxing now competes with snooker for a place in his heart.
O’Sullivan is the favourite at the Crucible and eased into the second round yesterday with a 10- 3 win over debutant qualifi er Craig Steadman after trying several pairs of shoes and playing in his socks.
He said: “If there are any top shoemakers, send your boys down. I’ve got these old battered things on I’ve had for 10 years .”
At one point O’Sullivan borrowed tournament director Mike Ganley’s shoes. “I thought, ‘ what the hell?” said O’Sullivan. “But they were like heaven. I had the last ones for 10 years but I left them in a hotel.
“So I had to buy a new pair but they were the wrong ones and were bashing my feet.
“Mike Ganley said, ‘ You can’t play in your socks’. I got a pair of his stinky old shoes but they felt great.
“Everyone knows about me and snooker but I have my other obsessions now – running, cooking and I have started boxing. I know snooker can’t and won’t go on for ever. You have to embrace it and treat it as a jolly day out.
“It’s like leaving school. There is no point leaving here with no skills, it’s been great doing things like the TV show and presenting on Eurosport.”
O’Sullivan will face Matthew Stevens for a quarter- fi nal place.