Ronnie O’Sullivan backed to become oldest winner of a snooker ranking event by Ray Reardon

Ray Reardon has backed Ronnie O’Sullivan to break his record and become the oldest winner of a ranking event.

Reardon is still keenly involved in snooker at the age of 90, having dominated the game in the 1970s.

The Welshman’s storied career is tied to O’Sullivan’s, as he coached The Rocket and is credited with improving the world No. 1’s safety game.

He still holds the record of being the oldest winner of a ranking event – when taking the Professional Players Tournament in 1982 at the age of 50.

O’Sullivan is still going strong at the summit of the sport at the age of 47, and Reardon believes “the most natural player you will ever see” will break that record.

“What a wonderful player and the most natural player you will ever see.

“I was amazed when I worked with him. I saw him play and I’d heard about him and read about him. To stand by him for a practice session is unbelievable. It is magic and I used to call him the magician. He wouldn’t have that, he wanted to be The Rocket.”

O’Sullivan is widely viewed as the greatest player to pick up a cue, and that is an opinion endorsed by Reardon.

“He is the greatest player without a doubt, and I think most players would agree,” Reardon said. “I can’t think of anybody who wouldn’t agree.

“He is so natural and effortless. You would have to see him practising to realise how good he really is.

“Snooker is one of these games where you have an audience going along and I’m sure they don’t understand what they are seeing. They don’t realise how good this person is.

“They see a ball go from A to B. The white ball goes here, there and everywhere. You can’t understand the skill involved in making this happen.”

O’Sullivan will be in action this month at the European Masters, with the seven-time world champion scheduled to face Andy Hicks in the opening round in Nuremberg.