Do one Ron!

FORMER world champion Ken Doherty believes Ronnie O’Sullivan should shut up and let his snooker do the talking.

The Rocket kicked off his seventh World Championship final in Sheffield yesterday against young pretender Kyren Wilson.

But O’Sullivan has upset many players at snooker’s premier tournament this year after labelling many of his fellow professionals as “half-decent amateurs”.

The five-time world champion, 44, said so many are bad he “would have to lose an arm and a leg to fall out of the top 50”.

And that has angered Doherty, who has accused O’Sullivan of going too far.

He said: “No other top sportsmen in their sport would disrespect their fellow professionals like Ronnie has. You wouldn’t get Roger Federer or Tiger Woods doing it, or Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.

“I thought he crossed the line there and I didn’t like it.

“That’s completely wrong and that irritated me.

“I want to speak out and defend those guys. I think I have to say something to take a stand for those guys.

“A lot of these lower ranked players don’t have a voice. It’s a duty of care for me to say something as a player and as an ambassador for snooker.”

Mark Selby believes O’Sullivan disrespected him and the game during his semi-final loss.

O’Sullivan hammered a few balls around the table at 16-14 down but produced a stunning comeback to win.

And Doherty, 50, added: “There’s no doubt he’s the greatest player to have ever played the game and I love watching him.

“He’s been disrespectful to the other players. He is an ambassador for the game.

“A lot of those players look up to him.”

FIRING SHOTS: O’Sullivan and, inset, Ken Doherty