Robertson is in form but fans can lift O’sullivan to seventh heaven
Just eight months have passed since Ronnie O'sullivan eased away from Kyren Wilson to claim his sixth World Snooker Championship crown in front of a socially distanced crowd at the Crucible.
But O'sullivan's hopes of equalling Stephen Hendry's modern-day mark of seven are severelythreatenedbythetimely resurgence of a man who is taking much longer to make a repeat impression.
When Neil Robertson won his first world title in 2010 it seemed inevitable he would quickly build on his success and become the first overseas player to claim multiple Crucible crowns. But the Australian flattered to deceive in the decade that followed, punctuating dominant phases that have swept him to 20 ranking titles with a swathe of disappointments in Sheffield, where he hasasolitarysemi-finalappearance to his name since.
Robertson's spectacular win over O'sullivan to claim the Tour Championship title late last month – in which he reeled off six frames in a row to deal the Rocket a 10-4 drubbing – has emphatically shifted the dynamic in his favour ahead of the tournament's swift return.
Robertsonsaid:“ihavebeaten Ronnie before, but never over a multiple-session match. If I am to compete at the World Championship, I have to do that.
“I will have to compete in every session and I have done that in all my matches (at the Players'championship).ihavebeen thereineverysessiontopickup
the pieces when someone has made a mistake.”
O'sullivan showered Robertson with compliments after his title-winning performance, describing it as among the best hehaseverseen,andadding:“if this guy keeps playing the way he's playing then I think he'll probably be the man to beat."
O'sullivan remains as unpredictable as ever, winning his sixth title despite confessing to serious doubts about the quality of his game, and just 12
months after his stunning firstround defeat to amateur James Cahill. But there are also gnawingdoubtsoverworldno1judd Trump, who had looked set to ease into the Crucible fortnight as the unbackable favourite after a stellar season that saw him wrap up five more tour titles.
Trumpappearstohavesomewhat lost his way in recent months, culminating in his Tour Championship defeat by Barry Hawkins, and his insistmark
ence that that the Crucible represents “just another title” will not necessarily fill his fans with confidence.
Wishawveteranjohnhiggins remains firmly in the hunt for a fifth crown, not least on the evidence of his extraordinary performances at the Players' Championship in February, including a 10-3 final thumping of O'sullivan.
Last year's vanquished finalist Wilson, emergent Masters champion Yan Bingtao, and
Selby, slowly clawing back to the form that has seen him hold the Crucible trophy aloft on three occasions, can all be considered genuine contenders.
But with crowds set to return under current coronavirus guidelines, Robertson warned that it could play into the hands ofthe“rocket”.robertsonadded: “The crowds add a different dynamic. It is different when he has 90 per cent of the crowd withhimandhehashistailup.”