Snooker news: 'I've done prison time with better food' - Ronnie O'Sullivan on hotel room blues
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ByEurosport
Updated 09/06/2020 at 12:57 GMT
Ronnie O'Sullivan has admitted his biggest challenge at the Championship League is a mental battle against himself confined to a Milton Keynes hotel room.
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Image credit: Twitter
The moustachioed Rocket will resume his quest for a first tournament victory on UK soil since his Tour Championship title in March 2019 in Group C of snooker's competitive return after the coronavirus lockdown.
He will meet 2015 world champion Stuart Bingham, Harvey Chandler and Sam Craigie, who won Group 6 on Monday night in style to secure his progress, for a place in Thursday's final group at the behind-closed-doors event.
The five-times world champion breezed through the opening group stage on Friday with three 3-0 wins over Kishan Hirani, Michael Georgiou and Chris Wakelin.
He admits having to self-isolate in a hotel room under strict health guidelines at the Marshall Arena complex after enduring a COVID-19 swab test a day earlier is as tough as potting balls.
"Got to be off me head coming here, haven't I? I've been sat in my room for 24 hours," said O'Sullivan, who said he turned to cornflakes to keep himself ticking over in his hotel room.
"I done 16 hours in a cell once, and it was better cause I got to choose my own food.
"But listen it gets you out of the house, but I've enjoyed being at home. It's good fun.
"I played the semi-finals of the Welsh Open, and a couple of exhibitions, but other than that I've only played for four or five hours. Just shows you that you maybe don't need the practice."
World number 62 Craigie produced brilliant runs of 131 and 123 against Dominic Dale on his way to a 3-0 win and completing victory in Group 6 after a 3-0 win over Matthew Selt and a 2-2 draw with Ali Carter.
Martin O'Donnell edged out former Masters winner Mark Allen on frame difference after both men finished Group 11 on seven points, a 62 break in the fourth frame from world number 33 O'Donnell enough to earn a 2-2 draw to progress.
Allen is concerned about the World Championship going ahead without a crowd inside the Crucible next month.
“It wouldn’t be nice walking into the Crucible if it was like this," he said.
“There’s so much on the line and the crowd normally gets involved in the matches and it can get on top of you, and I think that’s part of the game that we will miss.
“I was very surprised that they staged this tournament because I didn’t think they’d be anywhere near ready on June 1, and it just shows what a good job Barry Hearn and the team at World Snooker have done
Monday June 8
Table One Group 11
- Match 1 Mark Allen 3-1 Nigel Bond
- Match 2 Martin O’Donnell 3-0 Michael White
- Match 3 Martin O’Donnell 3-1 Nigel Bond
- Match 4 Mark Allen 3-1 Michael White
- Match 5 Michael White 3-0 Nigel Bond
- Match 6 Mark Allen 2-2 Martin O’Donnell
Group winner: Martin O'Donnell (Eng)
Table Two Group 6
- Match 1 Matt Selt 0-3 Sam Craigie
- Match 2 Ali Carter 1-3 Dominic Dale
- Match 3 Ali Carter 2-2 Sam Craigie
- Match 4 Matt Selt 2-2 Dominic Dale
- Match 5 Ali Carter 3-1 Matt Selt
- Match 6 Sam Craigie 3-0 Dominic Dale
Group winner: Sam Craigie (Eng)
Group Winners’ Stage
Tuesday June 9
Group C
- Winner of Group 10 – Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng)
- Winner of Group 6 – Sam Craigie (Eng)
- Winner of Group 1 – Stuart Bingham (Eng)
- Winner of Group 4 – Harvey Chandler (Eng)
Group D
- Winner of Group 15 – Tom Ford (Eng)
- Winner of Group 11 – Martin O'Donnell (Eng)
- Winner of Group 8 – Ben Woollaston (Eng)
- Winner of Group 5 – Liang Wenbo (Chn)
Wednesday June 10
Group B
- Winner of Group 12 – Ryan Day (Wal)
- Winner of Group 2 – Judd Trump (Eng)
- Winner of Group 7 – Barry Hawkins (Eng)
- Winner of Group 13 – David Gilbert (Eng)
Group A
- Winner of Group 14 – Gary Wilson (Eng)
- Winner of Group 3 – Mark Joyce (Eng)
- Winner of Group 9 – Luca Brecel (Bel)
- Winner of Group 16 – Ashley Carty (Eng)
Tournament finals
Thursday June 11
- Winner of Group C
- Winner of Group D
- Winner of Group B
- Winner of Group A
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