Jimmy White backs Ronnie O'Sullivan for World Championship glory, Rachel Casey and Barry Hearn disagree

Published 16/04/2022 at 18:00 GMT

The World Championship is underway at the Crucible in Sheffield and there are predictions aplenty as to who will take home the biggest prize in snooker. Eurosport caught up with presenters Jimmy White and Rachel Casey, while the sport's kingpin Barry Hearn also gave us his views on who he thinks will be lifting the title in May.

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Eurosport’s Jimmy White feels Ronnie O’Sullivan is in the sort of form that can carry him to a seventh World Championship title.

O’Sullivan overcame a slow start to take command of his first-round clash with David Gilbert, rallying from 3-0 down to lead 6-3 overnight.

Some of the play in the six-frame burst was of the standard he has produced at times already this season.

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While O'Sullivan has just the one title to his name this term - the World Grand Prix - he has shown excellent form in reaching the final of the European Masters and semi-finals of the English Open, Scottish Open and Tour Championship.

O’Sullivan is well versed in the long format of the Crucible, and White feels it could all fall into place for him to equal Stephen Hendry’s record of seven world crowns.

“My prediction for this year’s World Championship is Ronnie O’Sullivan,” White told Eurosport. “Going into this tournament, Neil Robertson is the form player but Ronnie O’Sullivan to me - he has lost 6-4 and 10-9 the last two times they have played - and Ronnie’s record here is impeccable and he is playing well, so my prediction is Ronnie O'Sullivan.”

Rachel Casey will be in the Eurosport studio alongside White in Sheffield, and she is backing John Higgins to bounce back from his agonising defeat at the Tour Championship.

“I am going for a four-time Crucible king, and that is Scotland’s John Higgins,” Casey said. “He has been incredible this season.

“Yes, he has been in so many finals and he hasn’t managed to lift the trophy, but what has made John such a fantastic player is that through all those disappointments and defeats, he gets back on the horse and I think he is going to do it at the Crucible.

“After the agonising defeat at the Tour Championship, it could be the turnaround he is looking for.”

Barry Hearn revolutionised snooker and is still one of the most respected figures in the sport.

He thinks Robertson will cap a stellar campaign with his second Crucible crown.

“There’s probably 10 players out of the 32 who have made the Crucible that could win, that have the game to win, the mental strength to win,” Hearn said. “Of those 10, the old brigade are there - the class of '92: O’Sullivan, Higgins, Williams.

“The newcomers from the Chinese shores are more and more dangerous.

"But the one player who has shown consistency throughout the season and is coming to form at the right time is Australia’s Neil Robertson.

"To my mind, he is the one to beat, but what do I know?”

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