Ronnie O'Sullivan reveals key dislike in professional snooker - 'I find it quite revolting'
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ByEurosport
Published 23/11/2023 at 07:43 GMT
World No. 1 Ronnie O'Sullivan has admitted he has a strong dislike for mediocrity in modern snooker. The seven-time world, UK and Masters champion is set to chase a record eighth UK Championship title at the York Barbican between November 25 and December 3. "I find it quite revolting in some ways," he said. Stream top snooker action live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
'Shot of the match!' – O’Sullivan dispatches long red to display confidence
Ronnie O'Sullivan has admitted that he finds the sight of fellow players accepting mediocrity in the sport as "quite revolting".
Speaking ahead of his quest for a record eighth UK Championship title in York, the world No. 1 reiterated his belief that too many players do not have the drive or determination to reach the summit of the game.
During his run to a sixth world title at the Crucible three years ago, O'Sullivan was scathing about the standard of the younger generation of green baize hopefuls when asked why he was still competing for trophies alongside his fellow 'Class of '92' members John Higgins and Mark Williams.
"If you look at the younger players coming through, they’re not that good really," he said. "Most of them, they would probably do well as half-decent amateurs, not even amateurs they’re so bad.
"A lot of them you see now, you think ‘I’d probably have to lose an arm and a leg to fall outside the top 50'.
"So that’s really why we’re still hovering around, because of just how poor it is."
O'Sullivan – UK champion in 1993, 1997, 2001, 2007, 2014, 2017 and 2018 – revisited the theme when he was asked about the health of snooker compared to the golden televised era of the 1980s in the UK.
He admits the opportunity to increase his earnings by playing in Asia could see him forced to leave the World Snooker Tour.
"I don't think there's enough good matches," said O'Sullivan speaking to the BBC.
"I think there's a lot of players that people don't know that don't play the game in the right way.
"It's not difficult. I could even extend it to the top 16. I don't think it's very hard to be a top-16 snooker player.
"I could probably get away with playing once a week for two or three hours a day.
"I have high standards. It's difficult. I need to try and put myself in their shoes.
"But I find it hard to put myself in their shoes because I was in their shoes and I didn't accept top 50 as okay.
"So I'm not a great lover of mediocrity. I'm not a fan of it. I find it quite revolting in some ways when I see people accepting that.
"That's why I don't hang around snooker people at venues because I just don't like seeing it."
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