Ronnie O'Sullivan reveals which World Snooker Championship losses left him 'most gutted' - 'I could have won it'

Updated 18/04/2024 at 09:48 GMT

"Those were probably the two matches when I have been most gutted because I thought if I got through them I fancied it." Ronnie O'Sullivan is a seven-time winner of the World Snooker Championship, but has revealed the toughest matches he has faced at the tournament, as well as when he "felt like the complete player for the first time". The 2024 World Championship starts on April 20.

Ronnie reveals Crucible matches he was 'gutted' to lose - and 'hell' of facing Ebdon in 2005

Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed the two defeats that left him “most gutted” at the World Snooker Championship, as well as his proudest moment at the tournament when "everything clicked".

O’Sullivan has won the world title seven times, putting him level with Stephen Hendry for the most all-time victories.

He also lost in the final in 2014 and has been beaten in the semi-finals on five occasions.

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However, it is two matches from 2017 and 2016 that stick out for O’Sullivan when asked about the toughest contests he has played at the Crucible.

In 2017, O’Sullivan recovered from 3-0 behind to level at 4-4 with Ding Junhui in the quarter-finals, but was beaten 13-10.

Reflecting on the match, O’Sullivan told Eurosport: “He got a good lead, I shouldn’t have let him get that lead as I had chances, but there was someone in the crowd that I didn’t want there and it played on my mind a bit and I thought get him out, once he was out I was fine.

“I came back at him but every time I was two or three frames behind. I thought I was playing well and I’m going to get level and just try to get ahead, but he kept pulling away. I was a bit shocked.

“I thought I haven’t broke him yet, I kept coming at him, I was striking the ball really well and I came out thinking I don’t know really how I’ve lost that other than he just had a lead and played really well and performed really well that day. I came away thinking I could have won that tournament.”

It was a similar feeling for O’Sullivan a year earlier in 2016 when he was beaten 13-12 by Barry Hawkins in the second round.

“I had been playing loads of exhibitions so I had no safety game really, I couldn’t win a close game,” reflected O’Sullivan.

“I must have had 13 or 12 breaks over 70, but I just couldn’t win the close ones. But towards 9-9 I think there was a point where I found my safety shots and I thought if I win this I could win the tournament. My game was coming good at the right time but he won the last frame and I was gutted.

“Those were probably the two matches when I have been most gutted because I thought if I got through them I fancied it. When you start to fancy it that’s when it gets exciting.”

One of O’Sullivan’s more infamous matches at the Crucible was his defeat to Peter Ebdon in 2005.

Ebdon fought back from 8-2 down to win 13-11 and reach the semi-finals, but was criticised for his slow play in the match.

“That was hell,” says O’Sullivan about the contest.

“Not because of him, I just couldn’t pot a ball. If I could have potted a ball I would have got rid of him and maybe beaten him 13-6.

“It was frustrating, it was boring, I was playing badly and getting no enjoyment from my own performance and getting no enjoyment from watching him and the way he is playing.

“f I played well I could have coped with what he was doing, but if I’m not playing well I at least want to enjoy what my opponent is doing and have a bit of respect for the shots they are playing. Then you have a chance to find your form, but there was nothing. It was double pain, pain on pain. That was awful.”

O’Sullivan won the first of his world titles in 2001 and followed up with further successes in 2004 and 2008.

But it is his fourth victory in 2012 that he picks out as his proudest moment at the tournament.

“I think I felt like the complete player for the first time,” he says.

“I know I had won the World Championships three times before that but it felt like everything came right, my game was right, I was hitting form and won it through pure talent and skill.

“There were times when I would get beat because my game wasn’t right but this was the first time where my game was OK all season, didn’t go into the World Championships with much form, and then I got to Sheffield and it just clicked, but I still had these mental skills to fall back on as well so I was using them.

“It was the first time I won a tournament and felt like the complete player. It wasn’t just talent that won it, it was talent and skill, but there were times I had to use my head, not panic, not get stressed, and I was able to think my way out of it.”

O’Sullivan started with victory over Ebdon, then beat Mark Williams, Neil Robertson and Matthew Stevens.

Ronnie O'Sullivan celebrates lifting the 2012 world title

Image credit: Getty Images

In the final he overcame Ali Carter 18-11 to clinch the title.

“It all fell into place and then against Neil Robertson it just clicked,” he says.

“I played great against Williams, I played alright against Ebdon, then against Robertson I had a bit of a sticky session then I remember the last session of that match everything was out of the sweet spot. I just thought ‘wow’, the game was easy.

“I put all the hard work in mentally, I had that there in the bank and it was all coming together. It wasn’t easy, playing Matthew Stevens, who plays well at the Crucible, I thought I had a big lead and he started potting mad balls, but I just kept not panicking and won it by eight or nine.

“Even though I won it by loads of frames there were times when I thought this could get away from me, then Ali in the final, same thing, it’s just tough, but that was my most accomplished performance in Sheffield.”

O’Sullivan will be bidding for a record eighth title when the World Snooker Championship starts on April 20, live on Eurosport and discovery+.

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