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Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan has already admitted that his time remaining in the sport is dwindling after Stephen Hendry opened up on his fear for the game once the Rocket hangs up his cue. O’Sullivan is currently in action at the Shanghai Masters as he looks to defend his title, but how snooker will cope after the icon retires remains to be seen.
Hendry has admitted that O’Sullivan’s retirement is “a worry” having been the face of snooker for several decades. The Rocket jointly with Hendry holds the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles – the pair have seven each. But at 47, O’Sullivan has been clear that he could quit the game in the near future, to Hendry’s worry.
“If he’s not in a tournament it’s not the same,” Hendry said on Up Front With Simon Jordan. “His truly great performances are going to be fewer and further between now than they were because he’s getting older, he’s doing other things. Getting himself up to play a tournament is going to be harder and harder. On his day he’s still the best player by a mile. If he plays his best he wins.
“He is the superstar of snooker. He’s the only player who won’t go to China unless he’s getting appearance money, and he’ll get it. As far as I know, no other players are charging appearance money. He is the lone, true star in snooker.
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“So that’s a worry. Although there are other players playing an unbelievable standard of snooker. [Neil] Robertson, [Judd] Trump, [Mark] Williams, [Mark] Selby, they’re all unbelievable snooker players. But unfortunately, and I think they know this, he is the one that brings that bit of stardust to the tournament.”
Earlier this year, O’Sullivan opened up on how he only has a maximum of a few years left in the game, having already admitted that another sport takes priority over snooker as the Rocket is an avid runner.
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“I think I’ve got three or four years left to do, but you have to be dedicated,” he said last year. “I’ve always been open to learning and becoming a better player.
“I think I’m a better player than I ever have been because I don’t rely on just one thing. Over the years I’ve had to learn to improve in a lot of areas and now I can call upon them.”
O’Sullivan is competing at this year’s Shanghai Masters, as snooker returns to China for the first time since 2019 due to COVID-19, having won the three previous editions but how many more he could return for in the future remains to be seen.
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