September 5th 2024.
According to Ronnie O'Sullivan, he has been experiencing a slow decline in his performance. The snooker legend predicts that he will no longer be among the top 16 players in the world within the next two or three years. Despite this, he managed to make a stunning comeback in the Saudi Arabia Masters, defeating Zhang Anda 6-5 after initially trailing 3-0. O'Sullivan will now face Si Jiahui in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
However, despite his recent success, the seven-time world champion admits that he is not satisfied with his game. In an interview with Eurosport, O'Sullivan confessed that he still feels frustrated with his performance. Although he played better than he has in a while, he made too many mistakes and unforced errors. He knows that this is not good enough, but he has come to accept that this is the reality of his current state.
O'Sullivan acknowledges that he has been on a downward trend for the past five years, and it seems to be getting worse. However, he also understands that this is something that happens to every athlete at some point in their career. It's not something that can be easily corrected, so he has learned to accept it. He explains that he used to put a lot of pressure on his opponents, but now he struggles to maintain control of the game.
He reflects on his career and realizes that he was always in control of his matches, but he never fully appreciated it until now. Not being in control has been difficult for O'Sullivan, and it has led him to try new things, like playing left-handed, in an attempt to regain some control. He now wants to focus on enjoying the game, as he knows that his time at the top may be limited. He jokes that he will be lucky if he remains in the top 16 within the next few years.
O'Sullivan also recognizes that this decline is a natural part of every athlete's journey. He mentions other snooker legends like John Higgins, Steve Davis, Jimmy White, and Stephen Hendry, who have all experienced a similar decline in their careers. As much as he wishes he could stop it from happening, he knows that it's inevitable. He has learned to accept it, even though it's not easy. O'Sullivan knows that if he wants to continue playing the game he loves, he will have to learn to accept this reality.
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