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Ronnie O’Sullivan has performed down his achievement of equalling Stephen Hendry’s modern-era document of seven world titles.
O’Sullivan beat Judd Trump 18-13 because the World Championship closing in Sheffield concluded on Monday.
“I believe it meant extra to him [Hendry] than me to have seven world titles however we are going to share it,” O’Sullivan stated.
“Hendry is an absolute legend of the sport. It’s only a quantity – I don’t get too caught up in that.”
The world primary, 46, has gained 4 of the 5 finals he has performed on the Crucible since he thought of retirement in 2011. It was at that time he started working with psychiatrist Steve Peters to assist flip his kind round.
“I believed at 35 I used to be completed,” O’Sullivan added.
“Once I went to see Steve Peters in 2011, I used to be able to stop. No different snooker participant was profitable something by that kind of age. The Hendrys and [Steve] Davises had been on the best way down by that age and I had accepted that was the development.”
O’Sullivan was watched by his household as he defeated fellow Englishman Trump.
He stated: “I wasn’t certain if I used to be going to get to a different massive closing like this once more. I needed them to come back in the event that they needed to. It was implausible to have them right here. It is magic.
“I’m not all in with snooker and that was an issue this week. I received emotionally concerned and it’s exhausting to not at this match. For 11 months, it was kind of vacation time, win or lose, it didn’t matter. This was a distinct beast.”
O’Sullivan units the usual
Hendry stays snooker’s youngest-ever world champion, profitable in 1990 on the age of 21, and dominated the game throughout that decade as he claimed an unprecedented 5 world titles in a row.
Nevertheless, the Scot, who was additionally the world primary for 9 years, says O’Sullivan has “taken the sport to new ranges”.
“The century breaks, cue-ball management, security recreation, temperament, the killer intuition, he is received all of it,” Hendry stated on BBC Two.
“It is an honour to be at seven world titles with Ronnie. He is an artist. He is a profitable machine. He says he isn’t bothered about information however he’ll need eight. It has been an astounding efficiency, the best way he is dominated this match.”
O’Sullivan’s victory makes him the oldest world champion in Crucible historical past – he’s round 10 months older than Ray Reardon was when defeating Perrie Mans in 1978. The Englishman’s seventh victory in Sheffield has come 21 years after he defeated John Higgins to win his first title in 2001.
Thought of the game’s most gifted participant, O’Sullivan turned skilled in 1992 and his outstanding longevity has additionally helped him win a document 39 rating titles.
And there seem like few indicators that he’s passing his finest, together with his potential to attain closely nearly as good as ever, underlined by his tally of 15 centuries, a brand new private finest on the match.
O’Sullivan has now additionally gained an unsurpassed 21 titles throughout snooker’s prestigious ‘Triple Crown’ occasions – the World Championship, the UK Championship and the invitational Masters – three greater than Hendry’s 18 and 6 greater than Davis achieved.
‘Now I’ve to be a minimum of at 90%’
The £500,000 high prize from this 12 months’s World Championship equals his biggest-ever payday and takes his Crucible earnings to round £3.5m.
He has matched Davis’ document of 30 appearances on the Crucible this 12 months, which he seems set to interrupt in 2023, having focused a minimum of two extra journeys to the World Championship.
And that has are available in a interval during which he believes it has turn into more durable than ever to remain on the high as a result of the extent of competitors is so excessive.
“I felt like there’s a lot much less margin for error now,” O’Sullivan added.
“Whereas earlier than, I may get away with enjoying at 70% and win tournaments, now I’ve to be a minimum of at 90%.
“In my thoughts, I’ve to be a bit extra foot to the metallic and be nearly as good as I can in all areas to have an opportunity of profitable. So it type of places extra stress on you.”
O’Sullivan, main 12-5 in a single day after Sunday’s play, was beneath stress in Monday’s afternoon session as Trump, 32, gained six frames to chop the result in 14-11.
“This afternoon is the toughest session since I performed John Higgins within the closing session right here in 2001,” the champion stated. “I froze and it was a mad expertise. However I nonetheless preserve preventing and looking for methods to compete with these youthful guys.”
‘That is Tiger Woods degree’- evaluation
John Parrott, 1991 world champion
I believe he is essentially the most proficient sportsman in Britain – once you see the best way he can play left-handed, in addition to together with his proper hand, his contact, the whole lot about the best way he performs the sport.
That is Tiger Woods degree. He has 21 majors, seven in every of the three massive ones, and performs to a degree a whole lot of gamers can by no means aspire to.
He is the most effective participant I’ve ever seen. He is on one other degree to anybody who has performed this recreation. He is additionally received the appliance and the urge for food. Do not hearken to him saying he would not practise. He’s within the membership grafting. He places the hours in and he desires to win.
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