‘Everything was a struggle’ – Ronnie O’Sullivan reflects on ‘frightening’ Shanghai Masters triumph over Luca Brecel

Ronnie O’Sullivan said that he struggled on his way to claiming a fourth consecutive Shanghai Masters title.

But the 47-year-old was too hot for the Belgian to handle as he claimed the title for the fifth time, and after the match O’Sullivan talked about the mental battles he had to overcome.

“I tried not to lose it out of frustration. It was one of those tournaments. I was well below par, but in moments I played alright when I had to. I wasn’t on autopilot, everything was a bit of a struggle from start to finish.

“When you are in the sweet spot and hitting the ball well it feels like an easy game. It feels like you can do what you want on the table. When you aren’t, you get scared of even coming to the table. It is frightening.

“This game can be so difficult some days and others it can be so easy. I’ve gone two or three years without feeling that I’d missed a ball. I was flying.

“There were some balls out there that I was missing and I was laughing to myself.”

Brecel’s excellence made it harder for O’Sullivan, and he pushed him all the way in an exciting showdown.

“I’m not surprised Luca has done as well as he has,” O’Sullivan said about Brecel. “He’s not a surprise world champion. He’s got an amazing gift to play this game.

“The performance he put on in Sheffield was unbelievable. He has improved a lot as a player and he loves the game.

“He has his girlfriend here with him and they seem to be having a great time. I wish I was at his stage of his career. He is a young man with a lot of years ahead of him.

“Snooker is getting bigger in China so it is a good time to be a professional snooker player.”