Masters 2024: Ronnie O’Sullivan’s ‘sixth sense’ for safety play is a huge asset – Alan McManus

Alan McManus lauded Ronnie O’Sullivan’s “sixth sense” with regard to his supreme safety play.

There were aspects of the seven-time Masters winner’s play that were scruffy, but his safety kept putting Murphy in trouble.

O’Sullivan will take on either Ali Carter or Mark Allen in the final on Sunday, and Eurosport expert McManus feels whoever progresses from the second semi-final will be given a stern examination of all aspects of their game.

“He has an inner sense, a sort of sixth sense if you like, that he is able to play that shot that the other guy does not want to face,” McManus said in the Eurosport studio. “He does it time after time.

“It does not work all the time, but it will work probably the majority of the time and you only need to win the majority of frames to win the match.”

Expanding on the art of good safety play, McManus said: “It might not pay off, but the likelihood of safety is the key to it. Put the cue ball in a position where you have two or three good things that can happen. You play it in a position where you might get cover one way, you might get it in another way, you might get this, you might get that. It is a percentage all the time.

“You can teach it, but when you are out there you have to know the moves to make and Ronnie just always seems to know the correct move to make.

“It is a hidden asset that he has had in his game for decades. We look at the tons, that is the easy part. The other part is he just puts his opponents in positions where their shoulders are tight, their arms are tight and they are fearful of letting him in and that puts pressure on your long game and every other aspect of the game as well.”

McManus feels O’Sullivan thrives on the big stage, whereas others wilt in the spotlight.

“When he comes into that arena, a big occasion for normal people, he is able to turn it on when he wants to,” McManus said. “It is not that easy, but he is a different guy in the arena to the one who walked in the building.

“When he gets out, he is able to turn it on when he needs to.”