ROCKING CHAIR RONNIE

Trump reckons O’sullivan is still improving and can play at the top until he’s 60

WORLD No.1 Judd Trump reckons main Crucible rival Ronnie O’sullivan is still improving – and can play until he is 60.

The Rocket walks out at the iconic Sheffield theatre this morning to face debutant Mark Joyce as the defending and six-time world champion.

World No.2 O’sullivan, 45, can equal Stephen Hendry’s record of seven world titles with another success this year.

The Juddernaut has never been frightened of O’sullivan, and has won five of their last six meetings, including four finals. And 2019 champion Trump, 31, is the tournament favourite this time having won a record six ranking events last season and five more this term.

But th e respect from Trump for O’sullivan is even stronger now than it was even as a stargazing teenager plotting a career in the sport. Trump said: “I have been professional for 16 years now and you do get people sat at home saying Ronnie is not as good as he used to be. But I played Ronnie when I first turned pro and he was nowhere the standard that he has reached now.

“Players would get on top of him and he’d throw his toys out of the pram, he wasn’t anywhere near the consistent level he is now.

“The will to win he has, never giving up, has survived the years and he knows himself much better.

“Fitness is important as you get older, and he is running 40 miles a week.

“I genuinely think he could play until 60, or even older.

“I’d like to just be doing what he is doing at 45! I am starting to get some longevity and have been in the top eight now for 10 years. The next 10 years for me will define my career.

“Ronnie has already done what he needs to do. The same with John Higgins and Mark Williams.

“It’s about me, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson over the next five to 10 years trying to break into that category of being one of the greats of all time.”

Trump’s wizardry with a cue ball will once more get fans off their seats at the Crucible, with an allowed capacity ranging from around 325 today to the full 980 for the final.

But he reckons that even if Higgins has claims for being the best player, no one will ever replace O’sullivan as top dog in the affections of the public. He added: “Everyone will always say Ronnie is the greatest, no matter if I beat every record he has got, just because of his style of play.

“If you swap John Higgins’ style around with Ronnie, would people still say the same? Probably not.”