Ronnie O’Sullivan’s recent performances have raised questions about whether he still possesses the intimidating presence that once made opponents crumble under pressure.
Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry believes O’Sullivan has been caught in a pattern of brilliant spells followed by disappointing lapses. The Rocket demonstrated his extraordinary ability again at the Shanghai Masters, producing three centuries against Kyren Wilson, but Wilson recovered to win three consecutive frames and eliminate him in the last 16.
That result reflects a wider trend in O’Sullivan’s recent career. He has continued to produce extraordinary moments, including a record 153 break at the World Open in March and two maximum 147 breaks in the same match at last year’s Saudi Arabia Masters. However, those flashes of brilliance have increasingly been accompanied by inconsistency when it matters most.
At the World Championship in April, for example, O’Sullivan established a five-frame advantage over John Higgins but could not maintain his level and eventually lost in the second round.
Hendry described O’Sullivan’s current game as a mixture of spectacular snooker and periods when he struggles badly. He noted that O’Sullivan can suddenly look virtually unbeatable before slipping back into poor form and allowing matches to get away from him.
Former professional Steven Hallworth went further, suggesting that O’Sullivan may no longer have the same psychological advantage over his opponents. According to Hallworth, players have become accustomed to surviving O’Sullivan’s devastating scoring spells rather than mentally collapsing when he produces a run of centuries.
The Shanghai Masters semi-finals also marked a rare occasion without any member of snooker’s famous Class of ’92. Higgins was whitewashed 6-0 by eventual champion Judd Trump in the quarter-finals, while Mark Williams narrowly lost 6-5 to Wilson.
Hendry believes O’Sullivan’s comments about becoming bored with practice could also apply to Higgins and Williams. He suggested that, at their age, the veteran stars may no longer be willing to spend four or five hours practising every day away from tournaments. Instead, they are more likely to put in significant preparation once they arrive at an event.
O’Sullivan is now set to return at the China Open, where he will face Jackson Page in the opening round. The tournament begins on Saturday, with the final scheduled for August 16.
The challenge for O’Sullivan will be to combine his trademark brilliance with the consistency and ruthlessness required to win deep into the tournament.If you want, I can also turn this into a shorter sports-news paraphrase suitable for posting or publishing.
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