'He reminds me of young Stephen Hendry...and my son' – Ronnie O'Sullivan on how Zhao Xintong can dominate snooker
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ByEurosport
Published 08/02/2022 at 08:29 GMT
Ronnie O'Sullivan has praised Zhao Xintong after following up his UK title triumph with victory in the German Masters. Zhao whitewashed friend and fellow Chinese player Yan Bingtao 9-0 in Berlin to claim his second ranking title of the season in supreme style. The snooker GOAT has compared Zhao to Stephen Hendry, but feels there is plenty of work still to be done to achieve his potential.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan believes rising prodigy Zhao Xintong can become the dominant force in snooker if he can make good on his potting potential, but has also warned the young Chinese player he is only half as good as he could be.
Zhao followed up his maiden ranking event victory, a 10-5 success against Luca Brecel in the UK Championship final in December, with an incredible 9-0 whitewash of close friend Yan Bingtao in the German Masters final a month later.
Ahead of top seed Zhao's opening match at the 16-man Players Championship against Masters finalist Barry Hawkins in Wolverhampton on Tuesday afternoon, O'Sullivan has explained what the 24-year-old requires to realise a burgeoning potential he compares to a young Stephen Hendry, the seven-time world champion.
World Grand Prix winner O'Sullivan faces Judd Trump in his tournament opener on Tuesday night and feels Zhao can learn from how Trump has adapted his all-round game to become more than just an outrageous all-out potter in lifting 22 ranking titles and the Masters since 2011.
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“The last time I was this excited about a player was when I saw Stephen Hendry play when I was only about nine years old, and I was thinking ‘Who is this fella?," O'Sullivan told reporters.
"I remember watching Stephen play in some festival in Hastings and you knew he was special. And for me Zhao is the only one since that made me think ‘Wow, he could be something special’.
And in many ways he reminds me of my son – I look at him and it is like he is a reflection of my little Ronnie – a couple of handsome, good-looking boys! But of course the main thing is his talent, and the way he can play the game. It is exciting to watch, and exciting to see someone that emerge.
“Of course, you have to say ‘could be’ at the moment, it is still early, he has got quite a bit to learn and master to be the full article. He is super-good now, but could be an unplayable great if he were to brush up on certain things. And that is up to him, does he want to be open to that, and do the work.
“Because Zhao can be as good as he wants to be, he has got the game in his hands. As he develops he will handle the pressure situations even better than now. Even though he is a little bit one-dimensional now with all the potting and fantastic break-building, his defensive game can improve and that will make him better again."
Zhao was born in the same month O'Sullivan made his timeless world record 147 break in five minutes and eight seconds at the World Championship in 1997.
“What is scary for the rest is what he is doing with only half a game – because I think that is what he has, half a game, compared to his potential," added the world No 2.
He still manages to brush other players aside, but that is only because he is so talented. But he can become even more difficult to play against and boss games from the start.
“There aren’t that many players that have a chance of threatening the important records – Hendry’s seven world titles, my seven Masters and UKs, the 20 majors.
"He is maybe the only one out there who could topple some of those. I watched his win at the German Masters, and was following what was going on. I have a real soft spot for Zhao."
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