WEIGH TO GO, RON
Rocket’s on health drive
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN believes a new diet could see him live to 200 but he used up a life against Stephen Maguire yesterday.
The Rocket produced a stunning comeback to win 10-7 after trailing 6-3 in his Betfred World Championship first-round clash at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.
Snatching seven of the last eight frames, O’Sullivan, 42, kept his hopes of a sixth world title alive.
And he looked fresh as a daisy in the tense final stages after making diet as big a priority as his running.
Nutrition
O’Sullivan said: “I am passionate about nutrition and diet now and think I might live to 200. Maybe I should change my walk-on music to Live Forever.
“It is the biggest thing for me at the moment, how I have tackled the way I eat.
“I have lost about two stone, not through exercise but through changing what I eat and how I eat.
“I have got a book coming out with my nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert and I am amazed how good I feel and how healthy I am. I have got really super-excited by it all.
“There are so many people who have problems with their weight and want to feel better about themselves. I have been in that situation and there is an answer. A lot of people in Britain are massively obese, a bit like America.”
Speaking of the match, he said: “I was embarrassed by the way I played in that first session and I felt like I wanted to give the crowd their money back.
“At least Stephen gave them something to watch, I was all over the gaff.
“I was lucky to get through, that is good for me and disappointing for Stephen. It can be a toss of a coin, these matches.”
World No.18 Maguire, 37, was left to rue a series of missed chances.
The Scot said: “He will feel he got out of jail and I felt the match was there for the taking.
“I could have won the match in the first session. I had the lead because he was so bad on Saturday, I was under no illusions and I knew he would improve. He did and I stayed the same.
“But I have accepted that I will be floating around the edge of the top 16 and in the top 32 for the next few years.
“I’m not sure I have declined just stayed the same. When the (top) boys play well, they are awesome. I haven’t got that and it shows.”
O”Sullivan now plays Ali Carter, who will be seeking to avenge his 2008 and 2012 final defeats at the hands of the Rocket.
Carter came from 6-2 down to beat 2006 champion Graeme Dott 10-8.
Masters champion Mark Allen leads Liam Highfield 6-3. The winner would have expected to face world No.1 Mark Selby in the last 16 but the defending champion exited 10-4 to Joe Perry in a huge Saturday shock.