O’Sullivan insists he fully deserves the mantle of ‘greatest ever’
O’Sullivan aims to break million-pound barrier as he homes in on Hendry haul
SNOOKER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP:
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN believes it is hard to argue that he is not the best player of all time.
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 magnificent haul of seven world crowns still eludes the Chigwell potter.
‘It would be hard to argue against me being the greatest ever,’ said O’Sullivan.
‘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?
‘Hendry’s got seven world titles and I have five, but I seem to have every other record. My record speaks for itself. Having every record barring the seven world titles.
‘It’s like saying: “Is (Lionel) Messi not the greatest 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 Ronaldo.
‘He hasn’t won the World Cup but that doesn’t change my view that he’s the best. It’s difficult to satisfy some people, but it’s nice to have your hat thrown in and to be in the discussion.’
O’Sullivan, who has drawn James Cahill — the first amateur to qualify for the Crucible — in the first round tomorrow, has blown away all before him this season by winning a staggering five titles and having reached two other finals.
And, at 43, the Rocket shows no signs of slowing down as he chases Hendry’s long-standing record.
Earlier this season, O’Sullivan went level with Hendry with 36 ranking tournament wins, a record which he will surely break.
He has also become 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 then he would also become 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 in prize earnings this season. ‘I think getting results and records playing that style isn’t easy because players try to stall you and mess the game up. ‘Over 25 years as a pro I’ve had an answer for almost every opponent I’ve ever played. I can reflect on my career now and be satisfied with it. ‘Every season there seems to be someone else playing well, but I seem to always be there.
‘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 opener, O’Sullivan predicted: ‘You have to throw my hat in the ring, because I’ve had such a good season, but the World Championship is one of my least favourite tournaments.
‘You sort of want to win in Sheffield or go out in the first round. You don’t want to get to the inbetween bit. Making the semis or the final and coming up short is tough, it’s hard work. John Higgins has had that, losing in the final the past two years.
‘He’s had 34 days of really hard graft but nothing to show for it.
‘Getting so far but not closing it out, no one really remembers anyone who comes second.’
There are five Scots playing this year, with former UK Championship winner Stephen Maguire and qualifiers Graeme Dott, Anthony McGill and Scott Donaldson all having earned the right to compete at snooker’s spiritual home along with four-time winner John Higgins.
Maguire began his first-round clash with China’s Tian Pengfei last night and trails 5-4 going into this evening’s concluding session.
McGill is 6-3 adrift of Ding Junhui overnight, while Australian Neil Robertson, champion at the Crucible in 2010, leads Cypriot Michael Georgiou by a whopping 9-0 and Luca Brecel has a 5-4 advantage over Gary Wilson.
Reigning champion Williams, meanwhile, is into round two after easing past Martin Gould 10-7.
The Welshman hit out at organisers for failing to allow his 12-year-old son Kian to visit him in his dressing room before beginning the defence of his title.
‘My boy tried to get in to say good luck and I couldn’t get him in because I’d used my two passes,’ he said. ‘It’s pathetic in my eyes.’
Williams looked to be cruising at 9-4 but Gould hit back strongly before succumbing in the 17th frame.
The Englishman backed Williams to make his mark in the tournament again, saying: ‘As long as he stays off the booze, the kebabs and the Minstrels, I think he’ll be all right.’
Would you say Messi isn’t the best ever just because he’s not won the World Cup?