Ronnie O'Sullivan made a humorous blunder immediately after securing his place in the World Seniors Championship final, forgetting the name of his opponent just moments after his semi-final triumph.
Forgetful Moment
The snooker icon, competing in the tournament for the first time, defeated Robert Milkins 7-5 in the semi-finals. This victory set up a final clash with Joe Perry, with O'Sullivan currently leading the best-of-19-frame match 5-3.
Following his semi-final win, O'Sullivan sat down for a post-match interview with Channel 5, where he inadvertently forgot who he had just played. "Conditions were really tough," he said. "None of the players were really making excuses and we're not making excuses. I thought me and…er…Milkins. My brain's gone! I thought we were cueing well, we were cueing alright, but it is just sometimes you can fall out of position and keep chasing the balls."
Debut at the Seniors
At 50 years old, O'Sullivan is making his debut in the World Seniors Championship following a rule change that now allows players over 40 to participate. His path to the final included victories over Ken Doherty (4-1) and Peter Lines (4-2).
This year marks the first time since 2019 that the championship has been held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Conditions and Preparation
The conditions have been a talking point throughout the tournament. Earlier in the week, a fault with Table Two caused play to be suspended for the evening, forcing the match between Matthew Stevens and Dominic Dale to be concluded on Table One.
O'Sullivan acknowledged the challenges: "It is hard, especially under pressure in front of a big crowd. So I think we've done really well considering the conditions. I'm messing about with different types of cue actions so it was a good experience to play under pressure, try and lose it and get it back. It is all new for me, so I'm enjoying that process."
The seven-time World Champion entered the tournament as the favorite to lift the title. His run to the final comes shortly after he exited the World Championship at the second round stage, losing to John Higgins.
