Stephen Hendry says Ronnie O’Sullivan’s snooker is now ‘sublime to the ridiculous’
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s snooker goes ‘from the sublime to the ridiculous’ and has done for a couple of years, believes fellow seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry.
The Rocket played his first matches of the season last week at the Shanghai Masters, seeing off wildcard Liu Linhao 6-1 in the opening round before losing 6-4 to Kyren Wilson in the last 16.
The 50-year-old made three centuries on the spin in that defeat, with the final one a sublime 131.
However, that brilliant burst was not confined to the middle of the match and he struggled for his best form before and after the hat-trick of tons.
Hendry reckons that has been typical of O’Sullivan over the last two seasons, with the Rocket failing to win a tournament in either campaign.
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There have been stunning moments, including two 147s in a match at the Saudi Arabia Masters and a world record break of 153 at the World Open, but inconsistency has been the issue.
Speaking on WST’s Snooker Club podcast, Hendry said: ‘That (match vs Kyren Wilson) has basically been the story of Ronnie’s game over the last year or two.
‘He goes from the sublime to the ridiculous. He can suddenly look absolutely flawless and then go back to really struggling.
‘Ronnie’s game now is flashes of brilliance coupled with inconsistent form.’
O’Sullivan has opportunities to find form ahead of him, with the China Open and Wuhan Open coming up this month, taking on Jackson Page in the former on Sunday.
Ahead of his meeting with Wilson in Shanghai he was speaking positively about his hopes of landing another world title – what would be a record eighth – but only if he can do so in the next two years.
‘I’d love to win another World Championship. I’ve got two attempts at it,’ the world number 14 told WST.
‘Three years previous, I wasn’t cueing well enough, so I feel like if I can find a bit of cueing find some form at Sheffield… if I don’t do it this this season or the next season, then it’ll definitely never happen.
‘But I’m pleased with my career. I’m happy with how things have gone, and I just want to try and enjoy these next two years.
‘I’ll reassess it in 2028 and if things are really going well, and I’ve surprised myself, then maybe you can extend it but you have to be realistic. I’m definitely not going to be playing qualifiers put it that way.’
O’Sullivan went out early in Shanghai and it was Judd Trump who lifted the trophy, beating Wilson in Sunday’s final.
The Englishman is world number one but was picking up his first trophy since February 1 at the German Masters, his only title last season.
Hendry feels Trump is an entirely different animal now compared to a decade ago and can see him getting back on a winning run, if he has cured his equipment woes of last season.
‘Arguably, he’s not as exciting to watch. He doesn’t take the risks or go for the shots that he might have done 10 years ago. But there’s no doubt he’s a far better all-round player than he used to be,’ said the Scot.
‘He doesn’t intimidate players with all-out attack in the same way he used to. The intimidation now comes from the fact that he’s world number one—and he plays like a world number one.
‘Judd used four different cues last season. If he’s now got one that he’s very happy with, it could spell trouble for the rest.
‘Trump is a winning machine. When he gets on a roll, he loves winning. Even when he’s not playing well, he has that habit of winning matches.’
The Shanghai Masters champ also gets his China Open campaign underway on Sunday, facing Noppon Saengkham.
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