Ronnie O’Sullivan explains why class of ’92 are struggling with consistency after John Higgins loses in Saudi Arabia
Published 03/09/2024 at 21:53 GMT+1
Ronnie O'Sullivan believes he and his class of '92 counterparts John Higgins and Mark Williams are making too many "silly mistakes," and that is why they are not winning as many matches as they used to. 'The Rocket' reached the last 16 of the Saudi Arabia Masters with a clinical 5-1 defeat of Lei Peifan in Riyadh but was also critical of his own performance.
‘Not pretty, not good, not flowing’ – O’Sullivan not happy despite earning big win over Lei
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ronnie O'Sullivan believes he and his fellow class of '92 graduates are making too many "silly mistakes".
It comes after John Higgins lost 5-2 to Jimmy Robertson at the Saudi Arabia Masters and is now dangerously close to losing the top-16 spot that he has held for over 30 years.
'The Rocket' - who was also critical of his own performance as he recorded a 5-1 victory over Lei Peifan in Riyadh - thinks he can explain why he and his old rivals are perhaps inconsistent at times.
"When he’s on his game, he’s unplayable," O'Sullivan said of four-time world champion Higgins.
"His safety’s good, he scores well, but he’s just not performing like how he used to. I think we’re all the same.
- 'I'm not flowing' - O'Sullivan wants more despite reaching last 16 in Riyadh
- Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters 2024: Latest scores, results, order of play as top stars eye title
- 'One of my best wins' - Inspired Trump completes remarkable comeback, Robertson beats Selby
"I’ve probably made more, and John and Mark (Williams) included, mistakes in one tournament than we used to make in a whole season. I think that’s probably the difference.
"We’ll get on a roll, but then we’ll miss a few easy ones, and then you give the momentum back to your opponent. That’s what I think.
"I watch my games now and think ‘corr, I’m absolutely useless,’ and then I watch them from 10 years ago and I was actually quite a good player!
"It’s just silly mistakes. You’re not as clinical as you used to be. These guys, they don’t care what you’ve done in the past. They’re out there and they’re good enough to beat you."
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/09/03/4035874-81855133-2560-1440.jpg)
'O’Sullivan’s repertoire never gets stale!’ – Rocket lights up Saudi Masters with ‘magic’ century
Video credit: TNT Sports
'The tables play good' in Saudi - O'Sullivan
Despite being unsatisfied with how he played, O'Sullivan beat Lei in double-quick time, registering a pair of centuries in the process.
It continues his strong start to the season, and means he is through to the last 16 to face Zhang Anda.
And The Rocket believes his style of play is being aided by the weather in Saudi Arabia, which he says provides ideal table conditions.
"I’m having a great time," he continued. "I’ve been on the road now for four weeks.
"It’s great to be here in Saudi. It’s an amazing event. The venue’s great. It’s just fantastic. A great tournament to be a part of.
“It’s hot, very, very hot, but I like it. It’s dry heat, so the tables play good.
"When we play in China, it’s quite damp, so they can play heavy. It’s hard to screw back, so you need a lot of cue power.
"That’s probably why Judd wins a lot of tournaments out there, because he’s got so much more cue power than everybody else. Very, very different conditions."
Stream the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters 2024 and other top snooker action live on discovery+
Related Topics
Thoughts?
Advertisement
Advertisement