RONNIE O’SULLIVAN is seeking divine inspiration as he chases a first snooker ranking title for 21 months.
The Rocket – an undisputed snooker God – needed just 90 minutes to dispatch Stephen Maguire from the last 32 of the Xi’an Grand Prix.
GettyRonnie O’Sullivan is hoping for help from the heavens in the Xi’an Grand Prix last 16[/caption]
GettyThe Rocket will face Jak Jones for a spot in the quarter-finals[/caption]
His 5-0 thrashing – which included breaks of 134, 70, 63 and 85 – means he has won 15 out of 16 frames so far in the draw.
The vanquished Scottish star, 44, only potted 25 points across the five frames during another O’Sullivan masterclass.
O’Sullivan last lifted a trophy that carried ranking points when he beat Judd Trump in the final of the World Grand Prix in Leicester – a record 41st success – in January 2024.
The Dubai-based potter, 49, was asked about his longstanding “gift” for the sport, given the fact he often skips events and yet still performs, and he said it was all down to a higher power.
O’Sullivan, who had a Catholic upbringing, said: “My snooker, I’d say it’s a combination of a gift from God and hard work.
“Also blessed from God, to give me the discipline to work hard.
“So everything is all down to the strength of God. Maybe. I just have to try, do my best and that’s it.”
World No.4 O’Sullivan now faces Welshman Jak Jones, a former Crucible finalist, for a spot in the quarter-finals this weekend.
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He added: “I feel like I’ve played great all season. Every match has been a good match.
“But like I always say, this game has a way of humbling you. So far, I’m very, very happy with my game.
“Maybe talk to me in two, three or four weeks, maybe even two months, and I’ll be saying the game is really hard and really difficult.
“You can’t take this game for granted. You have to enjoy it while it’s good and when it’s not so good, you have to suck it up and get through those periods.
“I’m enjoying the game, I’m enjoying playing, and long may it continue.”
O’Sullivan wasn’t happy with the conditions of the table at the Xi’an Gran Prix this week as he claimed they were “probably the hardest” he has encountered in his career.
Speaking after his 5-1 demolition of China’s Yao Pengcheng earlier in the week, he said: “The conditions were so hard. Probably the hardest conditions I’ve ever had to play in.
“The balls won’t open up, you can’t screw back. The white just runs on forever. Cushions are bouncing.
“If they want to see some good snooker this week, I’d suggest they change the cloth every day because it’s so damp.
“Virtually impossible to move the white around and open the balls up.”
Meanwhile, former world champion Stuart Bingham ended the run of 19-year-old Stan Moody with a 5-0 humbling while world No.3 Neil Robertson lost 5-4 to Chinese cueist He Guoqiang.
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