The Chronicle (UK)

The best? Give me a break, says champ Ronnie

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RONNIE O’sullivan has dismissed the accolades which poured in after his Crucible victory on Monday night and insisted no amount of world titles will convince him he is the greatest.

Most observers agree O’sullivan’s 18-13 triumph over Judd Trump, which matched Stephen Hendry’s record of seven world crowns, brought an end to any lingering arguments over the identity of the sport’s all-time number one.

However, the 46-year-old shrugged off any question of comparison­s and maintained there are still many elements of the game in which his rivals remain far superior.

O’sullivan, who held off a valiant fightback by Trump having started the day with a seven-frame advantage, said: “I don’t consider myself the greatest ever.

“There are a lot of players out there whom I wish I had elements of their game in my game.

“I don’t want to be considered the greatest. I want to be known as someone who loves snooker and loves playing.”

O’sullivan cut a figure of contentmen­t for most of the 17 days of the tournament and believes he has now struck a balance which will enable him to continue to enjoy competing for a number of years.

It marks a significan­t change in attitude for the Londoner, who has frequently threatened to walk away from the game in the past.

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Ronnie O’sullivan

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