WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROCKETCAN

Hendry: Ronnie can end his world-title drought..he’s still got the cue ball on a STRING

STEPHEN HENDRY reckons Ronnie O’sullivan can end his seven-year world-title itch at the Crucible.

The Rocket won the last of his five Betfred World Championship crowns back in 2013.

And defeat in the 2014 final to fierce rival Mark Selby signalled for many the end of his chances of matching Hendry’s seven world titles.

But O’sullivan has grabbed several of Hendry’s other landmarks. He has left Hendry’s previous record of 775 century breaks trailing, having racked up 1,047.

O’sullivan has also beaten Hendry’s record of major title successes having now won 19 – and equalled his haul of 36 ranking titles.

In the blue-riband tournament though, the 44-year-old O’sullivan, often branded the greatest player ever, has not even made it past the quarterfinals since 2014.

But after watching O’sullivan win his Championship League group on Friday without dropping a frame Hendry insists he can still win another big one.

Hendry said: “If Ronnie plays to his ability and capacity, of course he can win the world championship.

“There is no doubt about it. He has not won the world title for the last seven years, and not even been in the final for six since he lost to Mark Selby.

“There is maybe a reason why he hasn’t played so well in that event in recent years. But what he has still got is that cue ball – he has it on a string.

“It is like no other player, and I include Judd Trump at his best there.

He remains that little bit above the best in the world when it comes to break-building, and making them from nothing. Nobody does it quite like him. Any player who wants to learn the art of break-building – watch Ronnie O’sullivan.

“What we saw in his group on Friday is what you get with Ronnie these days.

“It doesn’t matter what mood he is in or whether he is looking forward to it or whether he likes the venue, when he gets to the table you get a professional performance. He tries and he plays the game properly and that’s what we saw in his Championship League displays in the first group stage.

“He showed he was leagues ahead of the other opponents in the group, and he took them apart basically – I was impressed.”

O’sullivan’s hat-trick of 3-0 wins despite hardly picking up his cue since February sees him into the last 16 tomorrow and one of four groups of four in the second phase in Milton Keynes.

The Betfred World Championship is due to start at the Crucible in Sheffield on July 31.