Snooker icon Ronnie O'Sullivan admitted he felt 'a bit out of place' after seeing young talents Stan Moody and Liam Pullen at the World Snooker Championship. The 50-year-old joked that the practice room resembled a 'creche' following the arrival of several exciting newcomers.
O'Sullivan Praises Youngsters
O'Sullivan, a seven-time world champion, singled out debutants Moody and Pullen as future stars. 'Stan gave me a little nod the other day. He's a lovely boy and a great player,' O'Sullivan said in a post-match interview. 'He's got a lovely cue action and the way he gets through the ball, I think he's going to be a world champion for sure. Liam Pullen is a lovely guy.'
A New Perspective
Despite his legendary status, O'Sullivan is not among the frontrunners for this year's title. 'I'm quite happy being in this situation,' he explained. 'If you told me I'd be here, not favourite to win but maybe sixth or seventh favourite and enjoying the game, I'd say, yeah, great. It's harder to go in with both feet and put your whole life into it, because you're not sure if you're going to get the wins. That's why I do little stints now. I just want to enjoy myself and not be a slave to the game.'
O'Sullivan advanced to the second round with a 10-2 win over He Guoqiang, using an old cue he found under his bed in Ireland. He will face John Higgins in the last 16.
