SELBY CALLS RON’S BLUFF
SNOOKER Rocket will be Crucible ratings hit
MARK SELBY has dismissed Ronnie O’Sullivan’s threats to snub this year’s World Championship.
A rejuvenated ‘Rocket’ has been in brilliant form this season – winning three ranking titles and reaching two further finals.
But five-time world champion O’Sullivan, 42, has dropped hints he could swerve the Crucible Theatre this year in favour of making a new TV show.
O’Sullivan’s American Hustle programme, about pool in the USA, was a hit and a planned follow-up in Australia could clash with snooker’s blue riband tournament.
Motivate
Selby and world No.2 O’Sullivan, with 10 titles between them, are among the favourites at this week’s prestigious Masters event at Alexandra Palace.
Defending Masters champion O’Sullivan is going for a hat-trick of successes this year and a record eighth title in all.
And reigning and three-time world champion Selby, 34, is sure the pair will both be in the line-up in the World Championships in April.
He said: “Ronnie will be there. With what he has achieved this season and how well he has played, he will want to try and win more titles and get another world title. The way he has been playing, he is more than capable of doing it and pulling it off.
“I honestly think, if he stays focused, that Stephen Hendry record of seven is within reach.
“It seems to me he definitely has another two world titles in him. He keeps himself fit, which helps both during the season and at the worlds itself, and is playing as well as ever.
“So when he says he might give it a miss or go and film a TV series instead… that is just Ronnie’s style.
“It is almost to motivate himself a bit! I am sure he will be at the Crucible and, not only that, he will be the man to beat there. I want him there and in the field.
“When I won my first world title, the fact it was Ronnie I beat in the final made it even more special.
“He was my perfect opponent, I wanted to beat the best.
“You work hard to play the best on the biggest stages and test yourself against them. If he knocks me out, so be it, but I’d rather he was in it.”
O’Sullivan plays Hong Kong’s Marco Fu in his opening Masters match on Tuesday, while Selby takes on Mark Williams in tomorrow’s curtain-raiser.