Mark Allen says that snooker benefits when Ronnie O’Sullivan is in good form and enjoying himself, calling the seven-time world champion “a joy to watch” who “defies belief.” Despite O’Sullivan’s 4–0 loss to Shaun Murphy in the last 16 at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, Allen believes O’Sullivan’s first title since March 2024 is close.
Although it was only O’Sullivan’s fifth event of the season, he had shown encouraging signs making two maximums in one match at the Saudi Arabia Masters and reaching two quarter-finals. O’Sullivan recently told The Times he is striking the ball brilliantly again after two poor years, and Allen agreed, praising what the 49-year-old is still capable of.
Allen highlighted O’Sullivan’s remarkable performance in Saudi Arabia, saying he narrowly missed out on winning the event. According to Allen, outstanding moments haven’t yet turned into a trophy, but a victory feels imminent.
O’Sullivan’s last success came at the World Masters in March 2024. After breaking his cue at the Championship League in January, he took a three-month break. At the World Championship he reached the semi-finals but was heavily defeated by Zhao Xintong while still adjusting to a replacement cue. He even changed his tip before the semi-final and swapped ferrules mid-match.
At the start of the new season, O’Sullivan switched to a cue made by professional player Sunny Akani and said he was amazed by how good it felt. Allen suggested that the earlier frustrations may have actually helped O’Sullivan, giving him time to adjust to new equipment and rediscover his rhythm.
Ahead of the Murphy match, Allen predicted Murphy might have an advantage after an earlier game that day, having already adapted to the table conditions, something that proved true. Still, he believes a strong and happy O’Sullivan is “great for the sport.”
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