‘Some of the O’Sullivan magic has gone’

Ronnie O’Sullivan has lost some of his natural “showboating” flair in his pursuit of potting perfection, according to Alan McManus, but the Eurosport pundit also feels that is not necessarily a bad thing in the snooker GOAT’s ongoing quest to plunder more trophies.

“It’s been a hard year. I’ve drove myself insane really trying to find some form, but I just have to accept it,” said the 41-time ranking event winner, who will next face Zhang Anda or Gary Wilson in Friday’s first semi-final at the prestigious 12-man event.

“I have to accept how I play. That’s life. You can’t be perfect all the time.

“Trying to be perfect all the time is not ideal, so I just have to get my head around it.

“That’s the only option I have left. I’ve driven myself mad for the past two years, and I’ve not enjoyed any of it.”

O’Sullivan’s sense of unhappiness was evident before taking to the table as he said: “I’ve had to work hard for my performances. That’s not my natural style. You win, but you don’t get much satisfaction from it.”

1994 Masters champion McManus said he can appreciate why O’Sullivan is enduring a sense if not season of discontent after victories at the Shanghai Masters, UK Championship, Masters, World Grand Prix and Riyadh World Masters.

The Essex icon has also spent the past two years at the top of the rankings, his most sustained spell at the summit since he turned professional in 1992.

But McManus – who defeated O’Sullivan 10-7 on his Crucible debut in 1993 – feels the adrenaline rush he enjoyed as an attacking teenage prodigy are no longer part of the Rocket’s armoury.

Watch as O’Sullivan clinches glory in final of Riyadh Season World Masters

“I kind of get what he’s getting at when he says he is frustrated. I’ve been saying this for three or four years,” said McManus on ITV.

“I think some of the magic of O’Sullivan has gone. What I mean by that is the showboating long potting. It is all cue ball now.

“When he gets in close, it is 95% positional success in the match. That is very, very high.

“That means you are right in behind the next shot pretty much every time.

“That means he can break build, and he makes it look a bit matter of fact.

“I think some of those extravagant shots have gone from his game, and he doesn’t need them though. Because of his talent, he doesn’t need it.

“Now it’s a systematic dismantling of his opponent.”

McManus’ fellow Scotsman Stephen Hendry agreed with such an assertion, but feels O’Sullivan is a better all-round player than in his formative years because he plays the right shot like an old school “percentage player”.

“He dismantled Ali,” said Hendry. “He wasn’t at his best for the first four or five frames, but he got the job done and as always, is the man to beat.

“His safety was his most potent weapon today because his long game wasn’t really there. But he always scores.

“Sometimes saying somebody is a percentage player is a derogatory term, but he doesn’t take any risks.

“He plays a great safety, gets in and scores what’s there. That’s a powerful weapon.”

The sport’s biggest competition will be staged for a 48th time by the Crucible Theatre between April 20-May 6, live on Eurosport and discovery+.

Stream top snooker action, including the World Snooker Championship, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com