Ronnie O’Sullivan reveals why he craves ‘ultimate pressure’ ahead of UK Championship title bid – ‘I love snooker’
Ronnie O’Sullivan is adamant he needs the sensation of feeling under “extreme pressure” ahead of his quest for a record eighth UK Championship title at the York Barbican.
When asked to sum up why the feeling of playing competitive snooker gives him more satisfaction than media work or exhibitions, O’Sullivan insists the fire continues to burn brightly inside him on the cusp of turning 48 two days after the UK concludes.
“On your own. Under the most extreme pressure. Your back against the wall and you’ve got to go out there and perform.
“That’s the ultimate pressure. I want that high. I love competing. I love playing. I love snooker.”
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The 39-time ranking event winner admits he toiled to regain his passion for the sport after the exacting nature of his run to a seventh victory at the World Championship, 21 years after his first Crucible triumph.
“A lot of the desire went. I just genuinely didn’t want to go near a snooker table,” he said. “I’d achieved something so big. I went 18 months just hating it. For about six, seven, eight months, I didn’t go on a practice table.
“I’d go to a club, look at a table and think, ‘I can’t get my cue out’. I’d never done that in my whole career. I was, ‘F***, maybe I’ve hit my moment’. I thought, ‘There is no forcing it. I want to keep playing for the next 10 years if I can’. So I just walked away.
“Then, come (this) August, I thought, ‘I’ve got to go to Shanghai. If I’m still feeling like I don’t want to go near a table now, probably the game is up’. But then I started to enjoy trying to get my game back into good shape.”
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O’Sullivan emerged victorious in claiming the elite Shanghai Masters and a £210,000 winner’s cheque with an 11-9 final win over Luca Brecel after overcoming old foes Ali Carter (6-3), John Higgins (6-5) and Mark Selby (10-7).
“I’m not surprised to be world No 1,” he said. “If I thought I was getting bashed up and couldn’t do any better, I just wouldn’t play. No chance. But while I’m able to find ways of competing, it’s not a bad life. Gets me out of the house. I’ll pick and choose the tournaments where I’ll dig deep.
“The other ones I’ll play for the fun. I make it work.”
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