Ronnie O’Sullivan reveals when Si Jiahui could become China’s first world champion – ‘Just needs experience’
Ronnie O’Sullivan has joined Shaun Murphy in tipping Si Jiahui to become a future world champion and feels he is on course to achieve his dream within the next four years.
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The attack-minded Si – who turns 21 next month – also enjoyed wins over 2005 world champion Murphy (10-9), Robert Milkins (13-7) and Anthony McGill (13-12) on his Crucible debut to become the first qualifier to reach the last four since Andy Hicks in 1995 and the youngest since O’Sullivan a year later.
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“He was fabulous from start to finish. I think he will be the first Chinese world champion – maybe not this time, but I believe he will be the first,” said Murphy, who compiled breaks of 131, 120, 102, 92, 72 and 66 in defeat.
“I see things in him that some of the other players don’t have. He’s got a bit of swagger, he’s very talented, plays right and left handed, gets on with it and always tries to attack.
“I threw everything at him, I tried my absolute best and I still lost.”
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Seven-time world champion O’Sullivan is predicting a “stronger and stronger” future for China in snooker.
“I’ve seen a lot of Chinese players practice a lot and they want to become the best,” he said. “Some are so strong now, so the future is now and it will only get stronger.”
O’Sullivan, Si, Judd Trump, Jack Lisowski, Marco Fu, Ding Junhui, Kyren Wilson and Mark Williams will compete for the £150,000 first prize in the resort city of Macau.
Williams reached the final of the 2018 Macau Masters which was won 3-2 by Barry Hawkins, but the competition on the south coast of China is not part of the official World Snooker Tour calendar.
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