O'sullivan Chasing Eighth Crucible Title Aged 50

ByMichael Emons

BBC Sport journalist astatine nan Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

In 2001, Ronnie O'Sullivan won his first World Snooker Championship. Now, a 4th of a period later, he is aiming for a record-breaking eighth title.

The 50-year-old has lifted nan trophy 7 times, a feat only matched by Stephen Hendry successful nan 1990s, pinch no-one successful nan modern era having much success.

O'Sullivan already holds galore snooker records, including being nan oldest Crucible last victor pursuing his astir caller occurrence successful 2022, aged 46.

But moreover aft having reached his ain half-century, nan subordinate dubbed nan Rocket is still blasting to caller heights.

Last period astatine nan World Open successful China he made a break of 153, nan highest ever recorded successful master snooker, aft benefiting from an early snooker that near him a free ball, which past acted for illustration a 16th red.

He reached nan last of that tournament, and Shaun Murphy, who mislaid 5-3 to O'Sullivan successful nan past 16, was impressed pinch really he performed.

"When I played him successful Yushan he seemed beautiful crisp and it was a very high-quality match," said 2005 world champion Murphy. "He has not been astatine his superb champion this season, but erstwhile he gets successful and successful travel he is still arsenic bully arsenic ever.

"It would beryllium awesome for snooker if he did get to 8 and awesome for him - it's a communicative everyone wants to constitute and it would beryllium an unthinkable achievement.

"But he is moving retired of clip truthful he needs to do it sooner aliases later, but it's Ronnie O'Sullivan truthful you wouldn't put thing past him."

The 17-day World Championship starts connected Saturday, pinch nan last opening connected Sunday, 3 May and concluding nan adjacent day.

O'Sullivan, who on pinch world number 1 Judd Trump were nan only 2 of nan 16 seeded players to not beryllium astatine a media time astatine nan Crucible connected Friday, will play Chinese debutant He Guoqiang connected Tuesday and Wednesday successful information one.

But, according to nan bookmakers and immoderate players, China's first world champion and reigning title holder Zhao Xintong starts arsenic favourite having won 4 events this season, including 3 of nan past 5 ranking tournaments.

At nan Tour Championship successful Manchester this month, Zhao sent retired a informing pinch an emphatic 10-3 demolition of Trump successful nan final.

"On shape you would make Xintong favourite to clasp his title," added Murphy. "He is conscionable an unthinkable subordinate to watch and personification nan different players bask watching.

"It's nan first clip successful a agelong clip erstwhile Ronnie is not number 1 favourite for nan tournament.

"Xintong is wonderfully talented and seems a genuinely bully kid who is ace talented astatine snooker, and astatine nan infinitesimal he is nan champion subordinate connected nan planet."

However, that is simply a sentiment 29-year-old Zhao does not work together with.

"I tin still beryllium better. Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson, everyone successful nan apical 16 is amended [than me]," said Zhao, who hit Mark Williams 18-12 successful nan 2025 final.

"There's a large unit and I'm conscionable trying to get amended - I'm still learning. Now I'm tense arsenic I'm backmost astatine nan Crucible, but I will effort to power myself."

There is simply a bigger unit connected Zhao arsenic he tries to flooded nan so-called Crucible Curse, which has not seen immoderate of nan 20 first-time winners spell connected to clasp their title nan pursuing year.

"I cognize a small spot astir it and everyone is talking astir this," added Zhao, 4th successful nan world rankings. "I'm not reasoning astir it. I person pressure, but nan unit is not from this, it's conscionable from myself.

"I consciousness for illustration everyone is looking astatine me. I person felt unit each play but person handled it well."

O'Sullivan is nan third-oldest subordinate successful nan tournament, down different 'Class of 92' members John Higgins, 50, and 51-year-old Williams.

"Ronnie looks successful bully nick and is hitting nan shot good and seems assured truthful he could person a large opportunity successful this tournament," said four-time champion Higgins.

Meanwhile, three-time victor Williams told BBC Radio 5 Live: "In years gone by you'd person O'Sullivan arsenic 7-4 favourite, and Zhao Xintong is favourite, but astatine 4-1 - truthful that shows really difficult it is.

"A fewer weeks agone Ronnie was 12-1 to win, which has not been heard of. He has ne'er been 12-1 to triumph a World Championship since he was 15.

"The older you get, nan much improbable you're going to triumph this title because nan stamina towards nan extremity is wherever it really catches you out, but who knows?

"For nan likes of me, John and Ronnie it's getting a batch harder. But I wouldn't beryllium amazed if John aliases Ronnie did triumph it."

Australian Neil Robertson, nan 2010 world champion, is 3rd successful nan rankings and looking to play for inspiration pursuing Rory McIlroy's back-to-back wins astatine nan Masters aft nan subordinate from Northern Ireland went much than 10 years without winning 1 of golf's 4 majors.

"I thought erstwhile I won nan first one, others would follow," said 44-year-old Robertson. "One of nan things I look astatine is erstwhile Rory won nan Masters and location was specified a agelong clip betwixt majors.

"I'm drafting a spot of inspiration from him, conscionable seeing really he dealt pinch those moments because I tin ne'er debar those questions - 'how travel you've ne'er won different one?'

"A World Championship is beautiful difficult to win. It's astonishing to person won 1 but I'm doing my champion to triumph another."

England's Kyren Wilson, nan world number two, clinched nan astir caller of snooker's Triple Crown titles pinch triumph astatine nan Masters successful January.

He felt this was 1 of nan astir unfastened World Championships successful caller representation and said: "How breathtaking that you could sanction 10 to 16 players that could win.

"It makes it much watchable. There's much entreaty and each of a abrupt a caller champion tin originate truthful it's going to beryllium really breathtaking and competitive.

"I'm correct successful nan mix. Xintong nan measurement he has been playing, Ronnie is going to beryllium gunning for it and he was practising very, very difficult successful China, looked bully and made that 153 break.

"Judd Trump has been very consistent, but besides pinch 11 Chinese players you would not put it past a Chinese subordinate winning again this year."