Mark Selby explains why Ronnie O'Sullivan brings something uniquely special to snooker - 'You don’t get that with anyone else'
Published 03/12/2025 at 10:17 GMT
Mark Selby says that Ronnie O'Sullivan still brings a unique atmosphere and feeling to snooker tournaments, despite reducing his schedule. 'The Rocket' played his first UK tournament since May, only to crash out in the first round against Zhou Yuelong. Selby would have faced O'Sullivan in the second round had he won, following Selby's 6-2 win over Lei Peifan.
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Mark Selby said that snooker's future is healthy even without Ronnie O'Sullivan, but acknowledged the special atmosphere that 'The Rocket' brings to tournaments.
O'Sullivan saw his chances of a ninth UK Championship title fade away as he was beaten 6-4 by Zhou Yuelong in the opening round on Tuesday.
Despite levelling the match twice, O'Sullivan was punished for some critical mistakes and crashed out of his first tournament on UK soil since the World Championship in May.
The seven-time world champion is turning 50 this week and having reduced his schedule to mainly events in China and the Middle East, snooker is beginning to peer into a future without the sport's greatest star.
"For me, it’s always great when Ronnie is in a tournament," Selby said after beating Lei Peifan 6-2.
"It has that extra vibe. "Even just playing there, being in the same session, with the crowd you get that atmosphere which you don’t really get with any other player."
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Selby - who progressed into the UK Championship round of 16, live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - noted that no other player on the tour can generate attention like O'Sullivan.
"No disrespect to any other players on the tour, even myself, we’re all top players, but you don’t get that atmosphere with anyone else," he added.
"If I’d have been playing with [John] Higgins on the next table or [Mark] Williams or Judd [Trump] or [Zhao] Xintong, even them guys, as good as they are, you still don’t get that atmosphere."
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Talks of O'Sullivan's retirement are echoed every year, but he has given no indication of what his plans are.
In prioritising events outside the UK, he has managed to find a balance late in his career and still has the ability to wow crowds with his performances.
When asked if snooker should be concerned about a future without O'Sullivan, Selby said: "No, because we’ve still got some great players coming through.
"Xintong is still very young (28), Judd (36) is still young, Kyren (33). We’ve still got some great players to watch. [Jack] Lisowski (34) is very, very similar to Ronnie in how he plays.
"The game will still survive when Ronnie goes. It’ll be a shame, of course, because he has given so much to the game and he’s the greatest player to ever play the game.
‘Hopefully he just carries on playing, he seems like he still enjoys it, or else he wouldn’t be playing. As long as he stays healthy, I’m sure he’ll carry on."
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Selby will face Zhou for a place in the quarter-finals, but would have faced O'Sullivan had he prevailed against the Chinese cueist.
"If you play Ronnie, it would have been a great occasion and a tough game," Selby said.
"Zhou’s obviously playing some decent stuff to beat Ronnie as well, he’s a great player himself.
"Whoever I play, it’s going to be a tough game. It would’ve been great to play Ronnie here in York, but not to be.
"It would be nice to have a run in these big ones because it’s been a few years since I’ve had a run in these Triple Crown events.
"I’m playing some decent stuff and I’m fancying the big shots when I’m under it, which is key, because it’s been a little while before I’ve been in that position. I’m playing alright, so let’s see what happens."
Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the UK Championship, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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