October 12th 2024.
Ronnie O'Sullivan is gearing up for a potentially groundbreaking snooker match. After taking a break from the sport following his surprise loss to China's He Guoqiang at the English Open last month, the seven-time World Champion is making his highly anticipated return. And it seems like he'll be facing off against none other than the world's top female player in China.
Since his defeat, O'Sullivan has withdrawn from the British Open and Wuhan Open, and even hinted at skipping the Northern Irish Open to reduce his busy schedule. But his next scheduled event is the International Championship in Nanjing next month, and he's already been dealt an exciting first-round match against Mink Nutcharut, the women's world No1.
Nutcharut, who made history as the first female to achieve a 147 maximum break, has been making waves in the snooker world. She even won the World Mixed Doubles alongside Neil Robertson in 2022 and reached the final of the World Women's Snooker Championship earlier this year. And now, she'll have a chance to face off against O'Sullivan, marking his first match against her and the first time he's played against a female in a professional event.
In an interview with The Agency in 2022, Nutcharut shared her dream of playing against O'Sullivan in a major televised match. "A dream is to play with Ronnie in competition," she said. "I want to know how I feel and if I can play well against him or not." She also mentioned her admiration for O'Sullivan, calling him "the best" and her favorite player.
However, O'Sullivan's appearance in the Chinese tournament is still uncertain as he continues to struggle with his game. In an interview with The Independent, the 48-year-old expressed his frustration with his current form. "If you go by other people, you can see that gradually they lose whatever they had," he said. "That's been happening for quite a while for me. The thing that frustrates me is I'm not playing great. Once that zip isn't there, I don't know... there's not much fun in it at the moment."
Despite this, O'Sullivan is keeping his options open and may still participate in the upcoming event in November. "I'll see - if I'm still enjoying not playing, then I won't play. I'll delay it until I feel like it," he said. It's clear that O'Sullivan is taking his time and making sure he truly wants to return to the sport before jumping back into the competitive scene.
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