'Support Them' - Ronnie O'Sullivan Breaks Silence On Match-Fixing Investigation

The Rocket cruised through to the quarter-finals of the Masters but raised eyebrows with his comments
20:00, 09 Jan 2023

Ronnie O’Sullivan broke his silence on Monday on the match-fixing investigation rocking snooker. The Rocket cruised through to the quarter-finals of the Masters at Alexandra Palace with a 6-1 win over Belgium’s Luca Brecel. 

And afterwards the record seven-time winner, also the world No1 and reigning world champion, spoke about the probe that saw Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao side-lined for this event. 

The pair are among 10 Chinese players waiting to see if they will be charged this month, and there have been reports that even organised crime and bullying of young players are involved. 

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O’Sullivan, 47, urged caution about jumping to conclusions but believes even if the worst happens with multiple convictions and bans that the game can survive. 

Amid the biggest investigation of its kind the game has seen, he said: “I don’t know what’s going on if I’m honest. I can’t really say because I don’t know.  

“But before you start criticising the guys involved you have to put yourself in other people’s shoes. It can only be one of two things, they either have an addiction and if that’s a case then they need help, or they are struggling to make ends meet. 

“Maybe they are forced into desperation and that’s not a good situation either. World Snooker could help support them rather than being hard on them and maybe change their structure and not put these players in that situation. 

“I’m not one for being hard on them because I know it’s not easy for the bottom ranked players. I’m sure it’s happened in football and it hasn’t harmed football. I’m sure it’s happened in tennis and it hasn’t done tennis any harm. 

“I’m sure some golfer down the line has done something, it doesn’t seem to have effected that sport. I think it will get sorted and get done.” 

Snooker’s governing bodies were quick to hit back at O’Sullivan’s claims. A statement read: “WST and WPBSA provide support both in guaranteed income and the opportunity to earn significant sums of prize money, available on the World Snooker Tour. 

“Our structure includes a Players’ Board, and providing welfare and support to our players is extremely important to us.” 

Away from the crisis, O’Sullivan – who made breaks of 134 and 104 - admitted he often lays it on too thick about ‘not caring’. 

“I might say I don’t care sometimes but actually there is a very good competitor there – what I mean is just that I have got life in perspective and got the balance right with my life. 

“I have had quite a lot of stick for saying I don’t care – so I feel I have to clarify that. I am just trying not to be disappointed by a game that has disappointed me. And that has freed me up. 

“I am very competitive, like Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis. If I play you, I want to beat you. If I took up anything, I would want to better. 

“It’s natural, I’ll never lose that and the other players can expect me to keep coming for more because I ain’t going away just yet. 

“It was okay, the match – I just enjoy playing. With a big crowd it is not always easy playing under pressure but you have to try. 

“ I sensed that Luca felt a little uncomfortable today so I tried to make the most of that and punish every mistake. I smelt he was under pressure, and if I do that I’m going to on you like a rash. 

“By the age of 47 you gain a lot of experience and you draw on that stuff. I am not as good as I used to be, but I am still okay. 

“It is an amazing feeling playing here with 2,000 people expecting you to play well – and it is nerve-wracking. But at my age and this stage of my career, I am enjoying every moment.” 

O’Sullivan, with the two century breaks, took his overall total made at the Masters to 82 – and incredibly that is 36 clear of Hendry in second place, who has 46 to his name. 

Brecel, a three-time ranking event winner, is an enigma on a snooker table – brilliant one day, and then below-par the next. And this was one of the off-days for the 27-year-old world No10 up against the partisan support. 

He said: “It was not intimidating – just a lot of fun. I didn’t feel more pressure, and the crowd great if you play well – I just didn’t do that today. I did a good pot and then missed the next one, it was like that all game. That is just sharpness and I can work on that.” 

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