Rocket: I am the all-time greatest RONNIE RECKONS HE’S A MESSI ON GREEN BAIZE
SNOOKER
The Rocket heads to this year’s World Championship in Sheffield – which started yesterday and runs until May 6 – gunning for a sixth world title.
But, despite having broken every major record during a glittering career, Stephen Hendry’s haul of seven world crowns still eludes him.
“It would be hard to argue against me being the greatest ever,” said O’sullivan (below).
“But I guess you’ve got to go by the records really when you’re talking about the greatest ever.
“There’s the debate whether it’s me or Hendry?
“He’s got seven world titles and I have five, but I seem to have just about everything else. My record speaks for itself. I have all the records bar the seven world titles. “It’s like saying, ‘Is [Lionel] Messi not the best footballer who’s ever lived because he hasn’t won the World Cup?’ “You can go on and on with the argument. For me, Messi is the greatest player I’ve ever seen, including [Diego] Maradona, [Zinedine] Zidane and [Cristiano] Ronaldo. “He hasn’t won the World Cup, but that doesn’t change my view that he’s the best.” O’sullivan, who has drawn James Cahill (above) – the first amateur to qualify for the Crucible – in the first round tomorrow, has blown away all before him this season by winning five titles and having reached two other finals. And, at 43, the Rocket shows no signs of slowing down as he chases Hendry’s final long-standing record. Earlier this season, O’sullivan went level with Hendry’s 36 ranking tournament wins.
He has also became the first player to make 1,000 career centuries, bettered Hendry’s record of 18 Triple Crown major titles and made more maximum 147 breaks than any other player.
If he wins this year’s world title and pockets the increased £500,000 first prize, he would also be the first player to win £1million in a season.
“The thing for me is I’ve played it in an attacking, aggressive, flamboyant kind of way,” stressed O’sullivan, who has already pocketed £904,000 this term.
“I’ve had [Mark] Selby, then Neil Robertson, Judd Trump, John Higgins, Mark Williams – but I seem to always be there battling it out with them.”
Looking ahead to his opening match, O’sullivan added: “I have had such a good season, but the World Championship is one of my least favourite tournaments.”