Exclusive: Ronnie O’Sullivan Still Has Something to Prove, says Stephen Hendry

Snooker legend Stephen Hendry is excited to see whether superstar Ronnie O’Sullivan can produce the goods this season.

Seven-time world champion O’Sullivan barely played last season until a shock return at the World Championship in Sheffield.

And even though he was lacking match practice, the Rocket still reached the quarter-finals of snooker’s premier tournament at the Crucible.

Hendry, himself a seven-time world champion, is a big admirer of his long-term rival and hopes the 49-year-old has the appetite to shine this season.

“It’s the elephant in the room to be honest, is he [Ronnie] going to come back and apply himself like we all know he can?” said Hendry. 

“I’m excited to see if he can come back because, at his best, he’s still close to being the best."

“I think Ronnie’s got something to prove this season."

“He took most of last season off and didn’t really play well at the World Championship."

“He had problems with his cue and tip at the Crucible, but I think that masked his struggles, his technique wasn’t great."

“He was decelerating on shots a lot and his long game was all over the place, so it will be interesting to see if he has worked during the summer.”

ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER

For the first time in an illustrious career which has seen him win an impressive 41 ranking crowns, O’Sullivan failed to win a single title last season.

And as he approaches the 34th season as a professional, questions remain whether he still as the hunger to win the green baize game’s top titles.

O’Sullivan returns to action at the Shanghai Masters, the opening ranking event of the season, which starts on Sunday and runs until 3rd August at the Luwan Gymnasium.

It’s a happy hunting ground for the Chigwell potter who has won the tournament four times in the past five seasons.

“He’s got two nice tournaments to start the season with, the Shanghai Masters and then the Saudi Arabia Masters,” Hendry told SportsBoom.com. 

“Both of them are not in the UK and two tournaments I think he enjoys going too and he’s had success before.”

O’Sullivan got married this summer to long-term partner Laila Rouass, the former Footballer Wives actress, and has left his London roots to live in Dubai.

REVITALISE CAREER

And Hendry believes the change could just be what the Rocket needs to revitalise his career.

“He’s made some big changes in his life,” reflected former world number one Hendry.

“He’s a married man now, but he’s been with Laila a long time, so I don’t think that will change things much in terms of his career." 

“But he’s moved to Dubai, which is obviously a big thing. Judd Trump lives there as well, so I’m sure they’ll be practice facilities to put the work in he needs.”

The world’s top 16 players are all in action in Shanghai with a total prize pot of £825,000 on offer.

World number one Judd Trump beat Shaun Murphy 11-5 in last year’s final and is gunning to defend his crown and pocket the £210,000 first prize.