Ronnie O'Sullivan has addressed his renewed enthusiasm for snooker after being seen practising hard on live television at the Crucible. The seven-time world champion has made a strong start to the World Championship, defeating He Guoqiang in the first round and building a 6-2 lead over John Higgins in their second-round clash.
Following his victory over He, O'Sullivan was spotted on the practice table behind the BBC presenting area at 10.30pm. Presenter Seema Jaswal noted the unusual sight, while fans were encouraged by the Rocket's dedication.
In an interview after the match, O'Sullivan explained that a breakthrough at March's Yushan Open, where he made a record 153 break and reached the final, reignited his passion. He said, 'I was getting nowhere. At one point, I was practising for six or seven hours a day. Then I rested for two days. I was in Yushan and lying in bed, thinking about technique and decided to try something. I went back to the practice room and it worked.'
The Rocket added that he now feels excited to play, in contrast to his earlier fear of poor performances. 'Now I get excited about playing because I think I'm going to hit some nice shots, and that's all I want to do,' he said. 'My game's still not anywhere near where it needs to be, but that's not important at this stage of my career.'
O'Sullivan carried that form into his 73rd meeting with Higgins, compiling breaks of 86, 82, 137, 95 and 76 in the first session. The best-of-25 match resumes on Sunday at 7pm and is due to conclude on Monday. Meanwhile, fellow 'Class of 92' member Mark Williams is out after losing 13-9 to Barry Hawkins.
