O’Sullivan’s on song at the Crucible
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN likened himself to “cool dude” James Blunt after proving he remains top of the pots at the Crucible.
But the 41-year-old said he was “really not bothered” about being No 1 in Sheffield where he reached the quarter-finals of the Betfred World Championship yesterday.
The five-time champion marched on with a resounding 13-7 victory over Shaun Murphy.
O’Sullivan fired two centuries and nine further breaks over 50, showing no sense of a hangover from the controversy he sparked with criticism of Barry Hearn and snooker’s governing authorities last Sunday.
He has refused to answer further questions on the dispute over disciplinary issues, leaving it in the hands of lawyers, after accusing Hearn and World Snooker of “bullying” him.
O’Sullivan wants to let his snooker do the talking and he was on song against Murphy, before comparing his lifestyle, which now involves television work and snooker exhibitions across Europe, to that of a touring rock star.
“I look at myself like a band or a singer nowadays. But I’m not confident of writing brilliant albums every year,” he said.
“I haven’t had the greatest of seasons — I haven’t written a great album this year — but it hasn’t been a bad year.
“I don’t see that I need to write a great album any more, I just need to be a supporting act. I don’t mind letting the other guys write the good albums.”
Asked if he had become the Rolling Stones of the snooker circuit, O’Sullivan said: “The Rolling Stones are still the big act, they don’t support anybody. Maybe I’m a bit like James Blunt. He seems a pretty cool dude.”
Balladeer Blunt, best known for his 2005 hit single You’re Beautiful, has found new admirers after emerging as a Twitter dry wit.
O’Sullivan has drummed up his own legion of fans over a 25-year career and he again dazzled the crowds, and his opponent, in Sheffield.
Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen saw a 5-3 overnight lead over John Higgins swiftly wiped out on Saturday and finished their morning session 9-7 in arrears of Scotland’s four-time world champion.