Welsh Open: ‘They don’t know what patience is’ – Ronnie O’Sullivan on the dangers of facing young players

ByPete Sharland

Published 02/03/2022 at 10:46 GMT

Speaking alongside fellow Class of 92 member John Higgins, The Rocket pondered what it is like for the older players to be facing some of the young rising stars coming through. O’Sullivan admits that he and the rest of the old guard used to be like that too, but it does not necessarily make it any easier to face the younger players.

Six-time champion of the world Ronnie O’Sullivan has said the danger when facing younger players is that they take on the riskier shots that the older players will not.

O’Sullivan, sitting alongside fellow Class of 92 member John Higgins, has been vocal in his praise for various members of the younger generation in the past few weeks.

And talking about some of the players on tour O’Sullivan said “They don’t miss, it is tough.”

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To which Higgins laughed and said “It was easier 30 years ago wasn’t it?”

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O’Sullivan continued by admitting that he and Higgins were riskier when they were younger but at the moment it’s remarkable how attacking young players are.

The former world champion went on to say that sometimes the best you can hope for is that they aren’t having one of those days where everything goes in.

“I think as you get older you get a bit wiser and you don’t take on so many riskier shots. When you’re playing guys who are coming in and getting experience, the player they are today won’t be the player they are in 15 years.

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“But you just happen to get them on a good day and they start potting them off the lampshades. You’re like ‘wow what do I do with this?’ but that’s what we were like 30 years ago. We’d just go for shots.

“If you watch old videos, if John was to watch old videos you’d think ‘cor I wouldn’t fancy that shot’ because you’ve had a lot more battle scars so you think it’s best to sit tight and maybe be a bit more patient.

These young kids they don’t know what patience is at the moment. It’s just attack, attack, attack and more attack.

“You’re facing them round after round and you hope that they aren’t flying."

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