Mark Allen says 'a happy Ronnie O'Sullivan' is great for snooker and his next title is 'just around the corner' - 'He defies belief'
Updated 19/11/2025 at 23:19 GMT
Mark Allen has said Ronnie O'Sullivan "defies belief" and that it is "great" for snooker to have the seven-time world champion playing well and enjoying the game once again. After expressing frustration over his form in recent seasons, the 49-year-old is feeling more positive this season and Allen believes a first tournament win since March of last year is "just around the corner".
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Mark Allen has said it is "great" for snooker if Ronnie O’Sullivan is playing well and enjoying the game, labelling the seven-time world champion as "a joy to watch".
O’Sullivan was ultimately whitewashed during his last-16 clash against Shaun Murphy at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship on Wednesday night.
However, it was just the fifth tournament he had played in this season, and he had shown signs of promise in the four previous events, reaching the quarter-final stage twice and making two maximum breaks in one match during his run to the final of the Saudi Arabia Masters.
The 49-year-old, who is still ranked fifth in the world despite his selective approach to the last couple of seasons, recently told The Times that he is "hitting the ball so well" at the moment, "after playing s*** for two years".
Speaking ahead of O’Sullivan’s meeting with Murphy, Allen was clearly pleased to see The Rocket enjoying his snooker in previous tournaments.
Commentating on TNT Sports, the Northern Irishman said: "I think it’s great for the sport if you can get a happy Ronnie O’Sullivan and a Ronnie O’Sullivan playing well.
"He’s a joy to watch, and it’s ridiculous what he is able to do at his age. He defies belief."
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Allen added: "He had that match in Saudi where he had the two 147s - he just missed that tournament win, I think.
"There have been a lot of outstanding individual performances, but he hasn’t turned it into a victory just yet. But I’m sure it’s just around the corner."
O'Sullivan's last tournament victory came at the World Masters of Snooker in March 2024.
The 49-year-old took a three-month break last season after smashing his cue at the Championship League in January.
He returned for the World Championship in April but, having reached the semi-finals, was thrashed by Zhao Xintong with a session to spare.
However, O'Sullivan had arrived at the Crucible with a replacement cue and was not entirely happy with the new equipment, putting on a new tip before the semi-final began and changing his ferrule after the first session.
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But O’Sullivan changed cues once again for the start of the new campaign, this time armed with one made by fellow professional Sunny Akani, and he is delighted with the outcome.
Talking to SunSport, he said: "I was like, this is amazing, this is incredible. It’s phenomenal. He’s a genius at what he does."
Despite the turmoil faced by O’Sullivan in January, Allen believes the situation may have ultimately benefited The Rocket.
He said: "You don’t want to be going through frustrations and breaking your cue, but it’s maybe worked out in his favour.
"He has a new cue and a bit of extra time on the practice table to get used to that. It’s no coincidence he is starting to hit the ball lovely again."
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O’Sullivan faced Murphy on Wednesday night, with The Magician having already beaten 15-year-old wildcard Ziyad Alqabbani earlier in the day.
Allen predicted that the extra fixture for Murphy would give him an early edge coming into the last-16 contest, having been able to adjust to conditions, and so it proved.
"It’s definitely an advantage," Allen said. "Getting the pace of the table and how the cushions are playing. It’s a huge advantage. Ronnie will be going in cold.
"If Shaun makes mistakes early, it will make no difference, but it’s a double-edged sword; you want to be seeded through like the top players, but you wouldn’t mind a match on the table, especially in this format, where you are playing a wildcard and are expected to win."
How to watch the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship
All the action from the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship will be live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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