World Grand Prix 2024: 'I don't think age is really an issue' - RonnieO'Sullivan reacts to third title win
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ByOli Gent
Published 21/01/2024 at 22:55 GMT
Ronnie O’Sullivan has said that he feels younger than he actually is when he plays snooker, with age not being an issue when he's at the table. The world No. 1 came back from 4-0 against top seed Judd Trump to win the World Grand Prix final 10-7 at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, and admitted afterwards that he had enjoyed the match with Trump, who he labelled a "warrior".
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Ronnie O’Sullivan has said that he feels younger than he actually is when he plays snooker, with age not being an issue at the table.
The Rocket beat Judd Trump 10-7 in a captivating World Grand Prix final at the Morningside Arena in Leicester to claim his third crown in the competition.
With the win, O’Sullivan has made it three major titles in just 50 days, adding to the UK Championship and Masters titles he won in December and early January.
Speaking to ITV Sport after the final, O’Sullivan said that being at the snooker table was where he felt his 48 years the least.
“When I play snooker, I feel young in my head,” he said. “I know age is a number - 48 - but when I start playing, I feel like I knock about 20 years off.
“I feel quite vibrant. As long as I still feel young at the table, I don't think age is really an issue. With experience, it’s helping me. I’ve got a lot of experience now, won a lot of tournaments and been around a while.
“I’ve learned a lot about the game. I’m probably a better all-round player than I’ve ever been.”
O’Sullivan came back brilliantly in the final to overcome a 4-0 deficit, which had opened up as a result of a fast Trump start and some sloppy misses from the world No. 1.
He was able to snag three frames in the afternoon session, going in 5-3 down at the halfway stage, but it was the evening session where he got into his groove, clawing himself back to six frames apiece before steaming towards victory, via a slight blip in the penultimate frame.
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Having so often been quoted that he has fallen out with the sport, it was refreshing to hear O'Sullivan say that he had enjoyed the battle with the Bristolian “warrior”.
“I enjoyed that. I really did, I enjoyed the game,” the now-three-time champion said.
“At the start of the week, I was feeling a bit rough, but then I bought myself an air fryer and a smoothie maker, I started eating a bit better and I started feeling [better]. I don’t like eating junk food, it puts me in a bit of a funny place.
"I started to feel better as the week went on. I played some of my best snooker ever last night against Ding. It gave me some confidence coming in today because I knew I would have to play well - at least do something well - against Judd.
“[He] blasted me off the table 4-0 and I was thinking that this was going to be an early night; a 10-1 job. I managed to nick a few frames this afternoon. 5-3 gave me a bit of optimism. I came out and thought, just try and see what happens, and enjoy the battle, because you have to battle against Judd because he’s a warrior.
“For me, he’s the favourite for the World Championship this year.”
On the topic of the Sheffield tournament, O’Sullivan emphasised the need for consistency in the three-month run-up.
“I’ve got three months now to try and get some consistency in my game because you need consistency going into Sheffield,” he said.
“You don’t need to play great to win it, you’ve just got to be steady. I’d like to find a little bit of consistency between now and then and then go to Sheffield and try and enjoy it. It’d be nice to enjoy it for a change.”
Trump, now a twice-beaten finalist in this tournament, did not believe he had started the match all that well, despite running up a four-frame lead.
“I didn’t really start well,” he said. "I missed a few, Ronnie missed a few. The standard wasn’t very good, but Ronnie cleaned up when he needed to.
"There were a couple of important frames, important breaks he made, and he made some really good clearances. His safety was a lot better tonight; he was getting in first and scoring a bit heavier.
“There were a lot of ups and downs in that second session. A couple of balls - the black, I think, was a bit of a kick to go 7-7 - and then I rattled the brown there. He scored heavier; his long potting was really good tonight. A well deserved win for him.
“It’s never nice losing, but it was nice to have another final against Ronnie. I always enjoy playing him, it’s always a good game.”
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