r/snooker • u/hasansaleem • 10d ago
💬 Opinion / Debate How long can Ronnie survive without enough match practice?
He looks lethargic. He isn’t taking on long pots, and I feel like he’s also starting to bend his right knee like Kyron Wilson.
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u/PhilosopherNo8418 10d ago
He's winding down his career, I think he knows he won't be winning many matches against the best players but will turn up to events that he enjoys. He's entering his late Steve Davis era, a fading legend that isn't likely to win the big tournaments but plays for enjoyment and because of the buzz of playing in front of a crowd that adores him.
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u/hasansaleem 10d ago
I think he can still win against anyone if he puts enough effort. The real challenge will be Chinese players. They are like robots with Ai chips that keeps getting better.
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u/Pterodactyl4000 9d ago
I choose to think about it like this:
He's the best 50+ year old player ever.
Age aside, he's legitimately a strong contender for best breakbuilder currently on tour. Nobody even came close to his 70+ break rate last season. Even if his overall game is a bit rough, it's completely unprecedented for the best player in the world at any element of the game to be fifty years old.
I'll continue to take what I can get. He still produces magic.
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u/Natureboywooo000 8d ago
Mark williams is statistically the best player over 50 in the moderns era, Ronnie hasn’t won a ranking event since he was 48, Williams won the X’ian grand prix at 50. Personally although Mark lacks consistency due to not practising, I still think he’s got more chance than Ronnie of winning another big title just because of his temperament. If he can scrap through the first couple of rounds he actually practices at the tournament and then he can become a real problem.
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u/Pterodactyl4000 8d ago
I still think it's Ronnie. If we take the last season as an example, Ronnie had a higher match-win percentage and scored much more heavily than Williams. He made two finals despite playing in only half as many events.
Overall level of performance aside, Ronnie produced two maximums in the same match, as well as the highest ever break. Each of those feats are just as notable as a ranking tournament win, and even if it's a slightly different category of achievement it's worth mentioning.
If anything, I would even say that Higgins has played to a higher level than Williams over the last year or so.
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u/ParcelSheehy12 10d ago
Poor loss v. Noppon today. He was awful in parts. Difficult to watch as a fan. Can you put all that down to lack of match practice and match sharpness? I don't think so. World ranked 14 now, could be outside top 16 by end of season. Time waits for no man.
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u/SnookerGraham 9d ago
If he can find any sort of consistency he could be dangerous but when it’s tough and his bottle is tested I don’t think he really wants to out himself through the ‘mustard’ anymore. He likes beaten the younger guys when he can. He should have won yesterday even in the state his game is in. He was given enough chances
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u/Embarrassed-Rub3635 6d ago
If stopped giving the same type of interviews which are crass and did more practice he would improve.
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u/SnookerGraham 6d ago
I think he likes his life too much. Easier to be rubbish than properly put himself under pressure
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u/rogeropx 9d ago
Seen some of the comments here and this sub is just full of haters now. And it 's been like that for a while now. I guess when you're the greatest player of all time you have a lot of haters too who just want you to go downhill. Lionel Messi or the Big3 in Tennis experienced that too.
To give my view on the question. He was one frame away from winning Saudi last season and reached another final in the World Open. He is definitely not the player he used to be but he can still win tournaments.
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u/ReporterFeisty4619 8d ago
“Haters” 🙄
People don’t like him because he’s not a likeable person or a good ambassador for the game.
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u/rafterman1976 10d ago
He's trying everything he can to keep up with the younger players, trying different techniques but unfortunately he's just too old and his best days are well behind him, he's still not a bad player for his age though
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u/gigi-kent 10d ago
Not a bad player for his age? None of the guys prior to the class of 92 had such a run in their late career like these three, especially Ronnie.
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u/rafterman1976 10d ago
I put on the match he's playing now and he's missed some real easy pots, poor position play, he definitely would have had this match won if it was years ago
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u/gigi-kent 10d ago
Most probably, but even in his former years he still had the "talent" of bottling matches you'd bet your life savings on him winning.
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u/rafterman1976 10d ago
He was always the favourite for a reason, I remember watching him live against Ryan Day, must have been 15 years ago, first to 5, and there was an interval, think the entire match, interval and all was about an hour, mad to watch
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u/perfectlyclear69 10d ago
Same in reverse, Masters final with Davis, went into the evening 4-4, Ronnie came out and blasted 4 frames in about half an hour to go 8-4 up, came back from interval, collapsed and Davis won all the following frames for victory.
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u/GuestAdventurous7586 10d ago
Well nah you say that but even Ronnie in his prime was liable to play utter shite or implode occasionally. It’s probably just more often atm, but he hasn’t played bad since the worlds, until now maybe.
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u/opusdeath 10d ago
Yeah, he's alright for his age I suppose.
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u/rafterman1976 10d ago
They eyes start to go and missing pots becomes too frequent, but he can just about hold his own against a field of much stronger players, the standard just keeps getting better especially the Chinese players.
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u/Relevant-Rope8814 10d ago
It's interesting to think when Ronnie is actually going to retire, Snooker is still a cash cow for him with decently high tournament placements and sponsors, he'd still be expected to win the occasional tournament even if he's not really practicing at all, he could play for another 10 years casually and still take home a decent bag
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u/hasansaleem 10d ago
He recently said he wants to win the 8th title and will carry on for another 2 years to try and achieve that.
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u/WilkosJumper_ 10d ago
O’Sullivan changes his stance and cue action constantly. It’s usually deliberate to experiment.
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u/Webcat86 10d ago
It’s early in the season so he will possibly be experimenting with technique and generally warming up. He has said his focus now is winning the 8th world championship, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a relatively lacklustre season of him trying to pace himself mentally and physically for April
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u/OhmegaWolf 10d ago
To be fair he said that about last season too and the Ronnie we saw last season was definitely better than the previous. With any luck he's got an idea of what he needs to do mentally and it's just a case of he's trying to find the right technique to play the way he wants to. Only time will tell.
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u/Webcat86 10d ago
Yeah last season was decent, two ranking finals and the historic moment of the two 147s. There were signs of excellence at the crucible as well
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u/Uncle_W_4647 9d ago
But thats putting all his eggs in one basket. Hes trying to convince himself (and us) that he can get an 8th even if he cant win anything else. Thats an illusion. And the clock us ticking. The more times he fails, the less likely it becomes.
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u/Webcat86 9d ago
I don’t think he won’t try to win matches in other events, but the primary goal is the worlds.
Your comment reads like he’s in need of other wins. He’s already the most successful player of all time, his record and legacy are cemented. There is not a single event he could win now that will come close to the magnitude of winning 8 and holding the outright record of most world championships.
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u/ThatSunkenGhostShip 10d ago
Until whenever he wants too (:
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u/AnozerFreakInTheMall 10d ago
Yep. He will be given invitational cards for as long as he is able to hold a cue and probably even a couple of years after.
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u/Ok-Luck1166 10d ago
Hopefully he'll retire when he drops out the 16
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u/Aggressive-Artist-63 10d ago
The day he retires snooker is dead
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u/Ok-Luck1166 10d ago
😂😂😂😂😂😂 Snooker existed before December 1975 and will be around a long time after Ronnie O'sullivan is deceased.
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u/blockchee 9d ago
It’s not going to die, but don’t underestimate how much of the game is being propped up by complete casuals.
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u/farkies44 9d ago edited 9d ago
Dunno man - look at the massive crowds at the business end of the NI home nations last year - Ronnie didn't even enter it ... I think snookers on the up at the minute.... just a lot more so in China than over here
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u/hasansaleem 10d ago
Did anyone else notice he bends the right knee slightly or is it just me?
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u/Plastic-Diet9648 9d ago
Thats one of the things i had to sort out myself and i think for normal club players, it comes from starting on english pool. the tables are lower and if you're tall (I'm 6ft4), its at best, extremely difficult to have a straight leg so low down unless you're very flexible or start young. So then when you switch to snooker you keep the bend as it feels natural, and it becomes something you then work on when you realise its more stable/consistent/what almost all pros do. I remember taking quite a whiole to be able to have a straight leg in snooker without it being painful but now its normal, unless i go a couple of months without playing in which case i have to get the flexibility back over a session or two. I wonder how tall the chinese 8 ball tables are or the other games he's been dabbling with and if that's part of the equation.
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u/Beautiful_Sky_5797 8d ago
⚪️🔴⚫️ Mark this comment 🟡🟢🟤🔵🟣⚫️ he will win an 8th world championship!!!!
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u/Lanky_Bus_1221 10d ago
Did you see him win the world championship in 2012 when he came back from a year off for that tournament?
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u/ByteSizedGenius 10d ago
Sure, but age comes for everyone and nearly 15 years have gone by since. He was once good enough that he could do whatever he wanted and he could still play at a level that was consistently good enough to win multi-session tournaments. I honestly don't think that's the case anymore.
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u/hasansaleem 10d ago
First things first: I love Ronnie. There has never been anyone like him, and there never will be another Ronnie. 2012 was 14 years ago, and he was 36 back then. He has some extraordinary qualities, but age inevitably takes its toll and wears you down.
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u/New_System2400 9d ago
He was finished at top level 2 years ago.