Ronnie O’Sullivan, Martin O’Donnell on gaining ‘perspective’ from time away from ‘mentally draining game’

Martin O’Donnell said his year off the World Snooker Tour handed him perspective, which Ronnie O’Sullivan said was a vital part of the game.

O’Donnell lost his tour card at the end of the 2022 season, meaning he had to play the following campaign with amateur status.

He earned a two-year card for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, and had some promising results in the first half of the current campaign.

O’Donnell has backed up his quarter-final at the English Open and run to the third round of the Scottish Open in superb fashion Wales.

O’Donnell said he is relishing the prospect of facing Elliot Slessor at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Saturday, aided by his new-found perspective on the game.

“I have been open before, when I dropped off the tour it kind of felt like the world is just going to end,” O’Donnell said in the Eurosport studio. “Actually I thought I needed the 12 months away.

“It is a mentally draining game. I promised myself if I got back on I would try and play where it was not a pint of blood every time. Life goes on.

“I have got two lovely kids and fiancee at home and they will still love you if you miss 15 blacks off the spot, it does not matter.

“It’s just about having a bit of perspective.”

Seven-time world champion O’Sullivan has often spoken about the importance of balance between snooker and interests away from 12 feet of baize.

Sitting alongside O’Donnell, the world No. 1 spoke about the importance of perspective.

“Perspective is big, you have to have perspective,” O’Sullivan said. “When you have got a good perspective, you realise it is just a game.

“It is easier said than done but there are ways to get yourself to think like that and just play.”

As well as finding balance, O’Donnell has admitted to changing his technique to be more expansive at the table.

He said: “I am generally a bit of a roller of the ball and have rolled too many over the hole nervously, so I have started to punch them a bit and hit the ball a bit crisper.

“I have tried to quicken up in the balls as well. In the past I’ve tried to be a bit too composed and maybe got in my own way. I just wanted to pick the pace up and go for it.”