Ronnie O’Sullivan wields secret weapon to dominate at World Snooker Championship
Ronnie O’Sullivan demolished Chinese rookie He Guoqiang 10-2 in the opening round of the World Snooker Championship, deploying a secret weapon that had spent most of the year hidden beneath his bed in Ireland, reports BritPanorama.
The seven-time world champion, now 50, switched to his backup cue for Wednesday afternoon’s session at the Crucible after his primary cue proved “hopeless” during Tuesday’s play.
The gamble paid off spectacularly, with O’Sullivan rattling off two century breaks in just three frames during a dominant 40-minute display that left his opponent shell-shocked. “It was stuck under my bed in Ireland, basically, for most of the year until I came here,” O’Sullivan revealed.
He explained his decision to bring two cues to Sheffield, having deliberately saved the backup throughout the year because “it had a bit of life in it.” He further stated, “I think the tip’s more important than the cue to be honest,” adding, “I was thinking, if I come here and my main cue’s no good, I’d rather have a cue I like with a good tip on.”
The victory marked O’Sullivan’s 30th progression to the second round from 34 World Championship appearances, where he will now face fellow 50-year-old John Higgins for the seventh time at Sheffield. The pair, both members of snooker’s Class of 92, first met three decades ago, and this encounter could prove their final battle at the Crucible.
O’Sullivan confessed that the influx of young talent has left him feeling out of place. “Hanging around the venue and being in the practice room in this venue, I feel old now. Everyone’s 23. It’s like walking into a crèche,” he remarked.
Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes was among those watching O’Sullivan’s commanding performance, taking a seat in the front row at the Crucible. The 51-year-old football legend opted against accepting any hospitality from the World Snooker Tour, instead purchasing his own ticket to witness O’Sullivan’s 108th World Championship match. O’Sullivan was pleasantly surprised to spot the familiar face in the crowd, saying, “It was good to see him. I went: ‘That’s Paul Scholes here’. He looks really well, fit, healthy, so good to see him come to the snooker.”
This encounter reiterates the point that in snooker, as in sport overall, the past and the present continuously intertwine, highlighting the lineage of talent that shapes every tournament. With both legends on the table, the stage is set for an enthralling clash that may well be a fitting farewell to a bygone era in professional snooker.
