Exclusive: Ronnie O'Sullivan is a mix of Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Novak Djokovic and me - Jimmy White
:focal(145x121:147x119)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2022/07/15/3411067-69701524-310-310.jpg)
Updated 12/01/2023 at 10:44 GMT
Jimmy White believes the key to Ronnie O’Sullivan’s success in snooker has been mixing the styles of himself, Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry into one. O’Sullivan is widely regarded as the greatest snooker player of all time, having won seven World Championships, 21 Triple Crown events and 39 ranking tournament titles. Stream the 2023 Masters and more top snooker action on Eurosport and discovery+.
Top 10 shots from Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2022
Jimmy White believes a combination of three snooker legends has made Ronnie O’Sullivan the greatest player of all time.
O’Sullivan burst onto the scene in 1992, winning the UK Championship at 17 years old in just his second season as a professional. It made him the youngest-ever ranking tournament winner, a record he still holds.
That moment arrived just as the Steve Davis era came to an end, while White was still playing at a high level and a young Stephen Hendry was making a name for himself.
The aforementioned players had different characteristics which O’Sullivan has rolled into one according to The Whirlwind.
“What makes him so good for me is, when he came onto the scene, he took a bit of Steve Davis, a bit of Jimmy White and a bit Stephen Hendry,” White told Eurosport.
“He took all of those styles so he can play any shot and he's got that natural instinct. Plus, he works extremely hard and he wants to win every time he plays.”
In tennis, Novak Djokovic broke up the duopoly of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal by winning the Australian Open in 2008.
Although tennis' Big Three have contrasting styles, Djokovic has gone on to break records across the sport and could have the most Grand Slams by the end of his career.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2023/01/09/3521634-71779853-2560-1440.jpg)
O’Sullivan: 'I’m not as good as I used to be, but I’m still okay!'
White referenced the Serb when discussing the qualities of O’Sullivan, who plays in the quarter-finals of The Masters on Thursday.
“For me, O'Sullivan is like Djokovic,” continued White. “He will do everything he can to improve your game.
“I think a lot of it is playing under pressure, keeping your mindset straight, not panicking."
On a personal level, White feels that he was born in the wrong era due to the more attacking nature of snooker as time has gone on.
Asked which current player he sees himself in, the 60-year-old said: “Jack Lisowski. He’s got fabulous natural touch and is a great, natural striker of the ball.
“Ronnie O’Sullivan, Zhao Xintong and Lisowski hit the ball like nobody else. They have that pure strike but they have to be timing the ball.”
Lisowski beat John Higgins 6-3 with an impressive performance on Monday. He will play Hossein Vafaei on Thursday, after the Iranian triumphed over Mark Selby 6-2.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2023/01/09/3521799-71783153-2560-1440.jpg)
'A mental thing' - Lisowski on his Masters improvement after win over Higgins
White is a big fan of Lisowski’s game and believes the help of Peter Ebdon over the last 12 months could make him one of the top players.
“With Lisowski, he’s coming through now and is becoming an all-round player,” the 10-time ranking tournament winner said.
“His concentration, his safety game and when he’s in the balls, he’s as good as anyone in the game, he knows exactly where the white is going.
“If you have Jack’s scoring and long-pot ability, it puts a lot of pressure on your opponent’s safety. He beat one of the greatest safety players in John Higgins, outplayed him with safety battles. That’s a big combination of a winning machine if he produces.”
- - -
Stream the 2023 Masters and more top snooker action live and on-demand on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement