World Snooker Championship - Anthony McGill on shock win over Ronnie O'Sullivan - 'It felt so easy'
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Published 24/04/2021 at 09:00 GMT
After sealing one of the greatest shocks of the World Snooker Championship, Anthony McGill has told Eurosport that beating reigning champion Ronnie O'Sullivan was actually easier than he thought at times given the way he was playing at the Crucible. McGill was in inspired form and dominated the morning session to establish what proved to be a key advantage.
'It was just so easy' - McGill on excellent opening session
Anthony McGill has given his reaction to his shock win over reigning champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the second round of the World Snooker Championship.
McGill withstood a barrage from O’Sullivan to knock the defending champion out in a quite incredible final-frame decider at the Crucible.
The six-time winner had his back against the wall after losing the second session 6-2 to trail 10-4. He produced sublime snooker to edge his way into a lead at 11-10 and 12-11, but McGill forced a decider before producing a nerveless break of 85 to reach the quarter finals.
Speaking to Eurosport about his stunning win, McGill was frank in saying that he could not quite believe how comfortable it was at times when he was playing at his very best.
"It just means a hell of a lot," McGill said. "I put a lot of effort into snooker, I practise a lot and I just keep going to tournaments and getting beaten. It just demoralises you.
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'It means a hell of a lot' - McGill reflects on shock win over O'Sullivan
"Obviously when you win a big match and play like that... it just came out [the emotional reaction] and I didn't mean to do it. It just means a hell of a lot.
"It's going to be great to play in front of as many people as possible. 50 per cent [of fans] playing against Ronnie is like 100 per cent playing against someone else because the crowd are double as loud. It was quality.
I just played really well. It just felt so easy. I don't even remember missing a pot, actually. Every time I got in I seemed to make a break. It felt so easy.
"But then Ronnie came back at me and it didn't feel so easy! I was just trying to play one frame at a time and not get carried away. I felt good and I managed to produce at the end.
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Watch: Emotional final moments as McGill beats O’Sullivan
"Even when it was going bad and I was losing frames I still felt good and I just felt if I got a chance amongst the balls I would win the frame.
"I just put so much practice in and sometimes it feels as though I don't get any reward. It was obviously sickening to lose last year and to win a big match just feels so good.
"I just wanted to not make any daft mistakes. I just loved it. It was so good to play in front of a crowd - it was so cool and so good.
"It's just awful playing with no one there. I don't get a lot of TV tables - I'm always playing in front of no one and I hate it. But it's so nice to play at the Crucible with fans - it's such a buzz."
McGill, who lost to Kyren Wilson in a deciding frame in the famously dramatic semi-finals in 2020, will now await the winner of the second-round clash between former world champion Stuart Bingham and Jamie Jones.
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You can watch every match of the World Snooker Championship live and ad-free on the Eurosport App and eurosport.co.uk. Download the Eurosport app now for iOS and Android.
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