Snooker | Ronnie O’Sullivan would like to make a surprising change to the game table that would completely change the snooker – and the reason for that is whimsical and selfish.

“Djokovic! ” Snooker superstar Ronnie O’Sullivan exclaims in delight when he hears in a virtual interview that one of the participants is from Serbia.

Next, O’Sullivan glows that Novak Djokovic will win more grand slam tournaments than any other player. He compares himself more to another tennis eternity star Roger Federeriinwhich he considers “more artistic”.

“If Djokovic arrives in town and he wants to hit a few [snooker]balls, we can do it. ”

And how does O’Sullivan succeed in tennis?

“I’m probably better at tennis than Djokovic at snooker.”

Tennis however, there was no reason for the interview in which HS attended. Snooker’s six-time world champion O’Sullivan, 46, is ready for the World Championships starting on Saturday, which will be held in the traditional way at the Crucible Theater in Sheffield, England.

O’Sullivan said he began preparing for the World Cup six weeks before the Games. The exercises last from four to seven hours daily.

“The first week is really numb because I’m not used to playing for so long. When the third week is going, I’m done. I am able to absorb and recover much faster thanks to concentration. It [snookerin pelaaminen] is like any muscle that needs to be exercised, ”says O’Sullivan.

In addition to playing practice, O’Sullivan is known as a passionate runner. She also goes to the gym and lifts weights. Now he has found a new exercise, Pilates.

“It improves muscle management. It is also gentler on the body [kuin muut fyysiset harjoitukset]. ”

O’Sullivan also emphasizes that most of the time in preparation is spent on mental exercises.

“Snooker is really a sport that requires concentration, not so much physical.”

After further thought, O’Sullivan notes that, in fact, the entire season is preparing for the World Cup.

“It’s always on my mind.”

Because O’Sullivan is already the legend of the sport and number one on the world list, everyone wants to beat him. For O’Sullivan, this setup is going well.

“I know what to expect. I always have to give my best because everyone is trying to raise their level against me and make it harder for me to play. But nothing actually works, because if I’m in full swing, I just get more energy from this. It is fun.”

O’Sullivan adds steam: he thinks opponents are allowed to show off any skills as he’s going to play well and send his opponents home.

“That’s not really to be said, because it’s really, really unprofessional and disrespectful, but in my mind I think so.”

O’Sullivan emphasizes that he enjoys the challenges and especially the fact that a lot of new young players have come to the top.

“I learn from them and yes, if someone does something well, I steal it for myself because I incorporate it into my own game and try to do it better,” O’Sullivan says.

“Even the best players in the world don’t know everything. You always have to be open to learning new things. ”

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“Everyone is trying to raise their level against me and make it harder for me to play.”

World Cup tournament Winning, according to O’Sullivan, doesn’t require constant brilliant punches. In his view, the most important thing is consistency.

“[Turnauksessa] there are times when you just have to put the burners on and treat your opponent. And go over the border, but in fact, consistency is the most important ingredient. You just have to be very good or good most of the time. ”

Since it’s about O’Sullivan, who is an exceptional person in snooker, he says, of course, that he doesn’t even particularly enjoy the World Cup.

“The World Cup is hard to enjoy because it lasts so long, and the first feeling [turnauksen jälkeen] it is a relief, but nothing beats the feeling of the day after winning the world championship. ”

O’Sullivan is known for its special snatches during matches. Sometimes he chats with the audience, sometimes even chattering and trying to put it on the referee’s spike.

That’s why HS asked O’Sullivan what his weirdest experience in snooker is. O’Sullivan thought for a moment and in the end the answer was rather long.

“Aah, maybe that’s when I walked out of a snooker game [Britannian mestaruusturnaus vuonna 2006] Stephen Henry against. It was pretty weird. It felt pretty good because I felt like I didn’t want to be there. When I think about it later, it seems to surprise everyone. It was really weird, but there was a reason for it. I didn’t leave because I didn’t want to play snooker. I had a lot of things going out of the game at the time. And my mind wasn’t focused on that job. Yes, it was really weird. ”

Snooker is a traditional sport with little change. So HS asked O’Sullivan what one change he would make to snooker. Now came the end of the star player known by the nickname Rocket.

“I would just like two bags at the snooker table. That would make the species a little harder. Now there are too many options for bagging, ”O’Sullivan said, laughing bluntly.

“If I only had two bags, I’d think I’d win more often.”

The Snooker World Cup kicks off on Saturday, April 16th. The final will be played on May 2nd. Discovery +, Eurosport and Kutonen will broadcast the tournament live.