Snooker star Shaun Murphy has revealed a deep-seated, three-decade-long rift with the sport's greatest player, Ronnie O'Sullivan, stemming from an incident when Murphy was just a child.
The Origins of a Snooker Feud
In a candid discussion last year, the current Masters champion confessed he still harbours resentment towards Ronnie O'Sullivan for what he describes as "verbal abuse" he suffered at the age of 12. The two players have been acquainted since the 1990s, with O'Sullivan, now 50, being seven years older than the 43-year-old Murphy.
Murphy turned professional towards the end of that decade, by which time O'Sullivan, known as 'the Rocket', was already a dominant force in the game with seven ranking titles to his name by 1999. However, the childhood encounter left an indelible mark on Murphy's perception of the snooker legend.
"We fell out when I was young," Murphy disclosed in an interview with journalist David Hendon for his book, Pots of Gold: A History of Snooker. "Ronnie verbally abused me when I was 12 and I never forgave him. I vividly remember it."
Respect for Talent, Criticism for Ambassadorship
Despite the personal grievance, Murphy was quick to express his profound admiration for O'Sullivan's unparalleled skill on the baize. "I still have immense respect for his levels of play as a snooker player," he stated. "I watch in awe at the things he's able to do, because I know how hard it is. His ability as a player is completely unmatched."
Murphy then shifted his critique to O'Sullivan's role as an ambassador for the sport. He contrasted the snooker icon with tennis greats Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who he believes have actively promoted and grown their sport.
"He's the biggest needle-mover in the sport, the biggest we've ever seen," Murphy declared. "That brings you some forgiveness. When the golden goose lays the golden egg, you get treated differently."
Murphy suggested that O'Sullivan's commercial value has led to leniency from snooker's governing bodies over the years. However, he argued that true greatness extends beyond mere talent.
"One of the reasons I idolised Steve Davis so much was I was brought up in a world where being the greatest meant a lot more than how good you were at playing snooker," Murphy explained. "For all of the good things Ronnie has done in terms of his snooker ability, I think he's done an equal amount of, if not more, damage to the sport from an ambassadorial point of view."
A Missed Opportunity for Snooker
The 2005 World Champion expressed regret over what he sees as a squandered opportunity. He believes O'Sullivan could have transformed the popularity of snooker had he used his platform differently.
"It's such a shame that he hasn't done for snooker what people he says he looks up to have done," Murphy lamented. "If he had used his platform for good, he could have single-handedly dragged snooker into a different stratosphere in terms of popularity. He could have made us much more mainstream."
The timing of these revelations coincides with the start of the prestigious Masters tournament. Shaun Murphy begins his title defence against Wu Yize on Sunday, while Ronnie O'Sullivan faces Neil Robertson on Wednesday, ensuring the spotlight remains firmly on both players and their storied history.
