Ronnie O’Sullivan groomed to rule

– Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan compares the expectation placed on him at an early age to that of Prince William being groomed to be king one day.

The mercurial quintuple world champion, 44, who faces Chinese star Ding Junhui in an eye-catching second round world championship tussle, has certainly delivered since winning his first world ranking tournament, aged 17.

“I have had that expectation level from the age of 10 or 11, that I was going to be champion one day,” he told the BBC.

“In many ways it is like Prince William groomed to be king one day.

“If you said to me, ‘do you want Prince William’s role?’ I would not know where to begin. He has had it since childhood and it has become natural. For me, it is the same metaphor for snooker.”

– AFP