‘Ignore the bad, ignore the good’: Ronnie O’Sullivan talks resilience, calls Ding Junhui ‘Godfather’ of snooker in China

Ronnie O’Sullivan said snooker is a game of “resilience” after his win over Ken Doherty at the Wuhan Open and praised “Godfather of Snooker in China” Ding Junhui.

The world No. 1 came close to scoring a century on a couple of occasions but fell short each time, and speaking after his win, he cut a stoic figure.

He explained: “I don’t really judge my performance, snooker’s like a game of resilience. You just have to keep going, just ignore the bad, ignore the good, ignore the average.

“Just ignore as much as you can, just get your head down and pot the next ball that’s in front of you, and keep doing that for as long as you can ‘til the wheels come off.”

Asked about his beaten opponent, he had some praise, saying: “Ken, I played a lot with him as a kid. I was a kid and he was an adult. I learned a lot from Ken.”

On the table next to him, Ding Junhui was battling to a 5-3 win against Ashley Hugill, and the home favourite received plenty of backing from those in the crowd.

O’Sullivan was pleased to see the 36-year-old getting some recognition from his compatriots.

“I think it’s great, Ding’s the Godfather of snooker in China,” he added. “He put snooker on the map in China. He came along at an early age, winning tournaments. He’s been a great player, a constant for 20 years in the game.

“Ding’s a legend in China, everybody loves him, he’s a credit to himself, to his family and to China. To share a venue with Ding was nice, he got an amazing cheer which is nice to see.”