Ronnie O’Sullivan disagrees with the Masters crowd, saying the superstar ‘doesn’t know what to say
Ronnie O’Sullivan reached the quarter-finals of the Masters on Monday when beating Ding Junhui 6-3.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has said he doesn’t feel that he’s in the best form despite beating Ding Junhui in the Masters on Monday afternoon. The Rocket earned a 6-3 win to book his spot in the quarter-finals of the competition at Alexandra Palace, avoiding a scare midway through the match when complacency threatened to derail his chances.
After taking a 4-0 lead in the best-of-11-frames contest, O’Sullivan’s momentum dropped and he threw Ding a lifeline back into the match. The 2011 Masters winner took full advantage, pulling the game back to within touching distance by winning three consecutive frames – which included a maximum break.
O’Sullivan regained composure after Ding’s 147 to put the game to bed and progress to the quarter-finals. However, the 48-year-old has insisted that he does not feel that he is performing at his best as he looks to win his first Masters title since 2017.
Speaking after the match, he was asked about the century that prevented Ding from gaining further momentum, to which O’Sullivan replied: “I just tried, I just tried. My cueing isn’t great.”
His comments were met with laughter from the crowd, with the interviewer at Alexandra Palace replying: “I’m not sure they agree!” which sparked another reaction of laughs. But the support of those in the stands did not alter O’Sullivan’s stance.
He continued: “I’m just trying to manufacture stuff out there. I tried, there’s nothing more you can do. Anyway, I don’t even know what to say, to be honest with you.”
O’Sullivan was full of praise for Ding after the match as well, lauding his 36-year-old Chinese opponent after he managed to hit his eighth career 147. He said: “Yeah, unbelievable 147 from Ding.
“I knew he was going to make it from about the second or third red. His positional player is so good. He wasn’t out of position once. What a magnificent player. Great break and I was pleased to get over the line in the end.”
Ding, who briefly dropped to his knees out of sheer emotion after hitting the 147, said: “After the interval, I didn’t think I’d play that well. To make a maximum is amazing. It’s been a long time since I felt like that. I’m happy. It was so lucky!”
It remains to be seen whether O’Sullivan will be more optimistic with his cueing when he returns to the table for the quarter-finals, where he is set to take on either Neil Robertson or Barry Hawkins.
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