Ronnie O’Sullivan banned from running by Steve Peters to 'give myself a chance' of World Snooker Championship glory
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Updated 22/04/2023 at 18:18 GMT
Ronnie O’Sullivan sped into the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Snooker Championship with a 13-2 demolition of Hossein Vafaei. But he will not be picking up the pace away from the table for the next week or so, as his recent illness has resulted in him being told he cannot go running until the World Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield has concluded.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed he has been banned from running for the duration of the World Championship by his sports psychiatrist Steve Peters.
O’Sullvan revealed after his victory over Pang Junxu in the first round at the Crucible that he had been hit hard by a bug, and was struggling to do much other than play.
Running has been O’Sullivan’s release for years, and he has often said that he prefers being out pounding the ground than playing snooker.
After struggling in his win over Pang, O’Sullivan was far sharper in his demolition of Hossein Vafaei as he booked a meeting with Luca Brecel in the quarter-finals.
The defending champion says he is feeling far better and is itching to put on his running shoes, but Peters has told him that would be unwise.
Asked if he was feeling better, O’Sullivan replied: "Yeah, yeah.
“I can’t run. I want to, but Steve Peters has said you can’t with about 20 exclamation marks on a text message.
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“I listen to him as his advice got me better.
“I feel better but I have to conserve energy. I have only got another nine days.
“But while I am playing I have got to give myself a chance.”
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'Isn't that a nice ending!' - O'Sullivan hugs Vafaei after grudge match
The lead up to O’Sullivan’s clash with Vafaei was dominated by the Iranian’s outspoken criticism of the seven-time world champion.
The contest ended on a positive note, as they shared a hug and exchanged what appeared to be warm words.
O’Sullivan went through a similar thing in the past when he openly criticised Stephen Hendry before their meeting at the World Championship in 2002.
The Rocket memorably said at the time: “The most satisfying thing for me would be to send him home to Scotland as quickly as possible for a nice summer off.”
It backfired as Hendry claimed a 17-13 win. O’Sullivan said he instantly regretted his comments, and it took two years for the pair to patch up their relationship.
“I did the same with Stephen Hendry years ago,” O’Sullivan said. “I totally regretted it.
“I was pumped up by someone else to say it. It wasn’t really what I would have said.
“When I said it I was like 'why did I do that?’ Hendry did not talk to me for two years.
“He was my hero, why would I want to diss my hero? Two years later I apologised, he said it’s done and we are friends again.”
Asked about his feelings towards Vafaei, O’Sullivan said: “There’s no hard feelings from me, I love Hossein. He is a brilliant player, nice guy.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan hugs Hossein Vafaei following the second session of their match on Day Eight of the Cazoo World Snooker Championship 2023 at Crucible Theatre on April 22, 2023 in Sheffield, England
Image credit: Getty Images
“He has not had it easy with his visa issues, it was heart-breaking to see what he had to go through. But he keeps going. He will come back stronger from this. He is well capable of being a top-16 player. He is still young.”
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