By Elliott West
“I’d like to finish my career off in Asia. This is where snooker is more popular – like in China, Thailand and Hong Kong”.
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Introduction
Sometimes it is good to look forwards and imagine what the snooker scene might look like in years to come. Although Ronnie O’Sullivan is probably not the powerhouse he once was, he is still highly popular amongst the fans and draws in a large audience wherever he goes and generates high ticket sales. Time may be running out for him this season to qualify for the Tour Championship and he would have to win the WST Classic to achieve this target as the cut-off point falls after this tournament. Admittedly he has played well in the World Six Red Championship but bear in mind this is non-ranking.
The snooker world that O’Sullivan first started off in as a professional in 1992 has largely disappeared and rather than one player dominating the season, it is now very hard to tell where the next champion will come from. Snooker has turned into a sport where so many players hunger for glory and just because you are a topped ranking player, doesn’t guarantee glory, only in the fantasy world of the bookmakers. Ronnie has adopted an approach where he picks and chooses his events and is far more relaxed when he loses. Of course, he can because he has won everything and the only real goal is increasing his number of World Championship titles. Even his closest contenders such as Judd Trump, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson have faded away somewhat this season, allowing Mark Allen to surge and Shaun Murphy to perform well.
The End?
It seems reckless to write off Ronnie O’Sullivan quite yet and he has won the Hong Kong Masters and the Champion of Champions this season, no mean feat as it is hard enough to win just one tournament. I wouldn’t rule out him winning this year’s World Championship just a few weeks away as he always prepares well for Triple Crown events, especially the big one at the Crucible in Sheffield. A snooker marathon that he detests being backstage, the media attention and the long slog of 17 days, having to remain mentally focused for so long. He does it though because he doesn’t want to disappoint his fans and knows how many eyes are watching worldwide.
Ronnie probably has another 20 years of snooker in him and at 47 is probably not quite ready to throw in the towel and retire despite how many times he threatens to. He is a snooker force that is unique and is definitely the best player that has ever picked up a snooker cue. Yes he is cocky and outspoken and his media statements drive me crazy but to the few that actually know him, not that I am saying I am one, he is actually a kind and generous person who takes friendship very seriously.
Without him, snooker would probably be a strange place and may cause some of the diehard Ronnie fans to stop watching snooker but it certainly wouldn’t be the end of the game. At the moment, you are seeing what this world could look like and it would definitely have a larger number of newer players who perform well and are one course for titles. Just look at players such as Joe O’Connor and Stan Moody. They are the fearless future of snooker, unruffled and ready to take on anyone the draw throws at them.
When the Asian market does eventually open and the match-fixing saga has been dealt with, the floodgates will open in China and you will probably see more budding Chinese players, outside the ones bedded in at academies in the UK, predominantly in Sheffield. This may take time and has taken a lot longer than most predicted. The futures of Yan Bingtao, Liang Wenbo and Zhao Xintong remain in the balance but the sport will always seek out new contenders and I will praise Ronnie for congratulating any player that he sees as having a great future in the game as he did most recently with Stan Moody and Joe O’Connor. These are English but imagine if an equivalent could be found in the Chinese or Thai field.
Afterthoughts
Ronnie O’Sullivan is here to stay for some time. He may not perform well in every tournament and hoover up every trophy like he once did but he still remains a constant danger for the other players on the tour. He is a target that you want to beat, playing well or badly, a scalp that you can boast you have beaten. His escape is always running or the Eurosport studio. He feels much more comfortable running with the elements or the small Eurosport family than the trudge of the tour. He plays and gets out, he doesn’t hang around and mingle. A champion who just wants to get the job done because after all being a professional snooker player is a job and few have actually had a job outside snooker. This especially applies to Ronnie who has been playing since he was a little boy. O’Sullivan remains the benchmark of excellence in snooker and even when he finally does decide to retire, his legacy will always be present. He is the one snooker player that even a non-snooker fan can name. A force that can sell practically anything when his name is put to it and enthuses an audience to fever-pitch levels. A great who will always remain so and even if you don’t like him, you can’t help warming to him.
