Ronnie O’Sullivan admits he is going to have carefully manage his schedule before Christmas to avoid burnout and injury. The Rocket claimed a fourth Shanghai Masters title and fifth in total in brilliant style at the weekend with an 11-9 victory over reigning world champion Luca Brecel.
It was the world No 1’s first competitive tournament for five months since he lost to Brecel at the Crucible in April, seeing the Belgian deny him the chance of a record eighth world title. O’Sullivan, 47, has been fiercely self-critical of his own form over the past 18 months but the break seemed to have done him a power of good as he made it 18 wins on the spin in Shanghai.
However, once more suffering from tennis elbow, O’Sullivan now faces the prospect of seven tournaments in just over two months, culminating in November’s UK Championships in York. Before that there are the British Open, English Open, the Wuhan Open and International Championship in China, the Northern Ireland Open and the Champion of Champions.
And also lurking in the background is the possibility after a poor 2022-23 that O’Sullivan could even fall out of the top 16, which would mean missing elite events he does enjoy. O’Sullivan said: “The idea is to play big events, I am going to try and miss all the little events. There are big events in China so I have told my agent I want to play here and to make it happen.
“There is a tournament in Macau at Christmas that I am targeting, and all the others will be like if I feel like playing, then I will. I will play it by ear. I am not contracted with Eurosport to play in the Home Nations events, just do the punditry.
“They are not my favourite tournaments. The crowds are not good, not really well run, lots of players, lots of whatever so they will be last on my list really. I am at the stage where I don’t really need the money, events, victories. I will do my punditry work as that is contractual, but that doesn’t involve playing.
“I just want to play enough. I will make the effort to go to China 15-20 times a year if I can for some short trips. My elbow has been killing me again – it is a nightmare, and I have had injections. I am going to have to get more treatment on it, it can hurt to pick up a cup of tea or a frying pan.
“I am due to play in the English Open in Brentwood in October, but I will be flying back from Hong Kong Monday morning, landing at 7am and due to play 1pm that day in Essex. So I’ll give it a go.” Around the same time O’Sullivan’s ‘Rocket Method’ will be released – a full online course sharing everything the sport’s GOAT has learned in 40 years.
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O’Sullivan added: “Look, it’s for everyone – not just amateurs and club players. I’m sharing everything that I know. I will say this for intermediate and this is for advanced. This game is all about small margins and improvements that can transform your fortunes and get you going. Will professionals watch it too to pick up tips?
“Look, if Steve Davis or Stephen Hendry or John Higgins had done one of these, I’d have watched it to see if there was good advice there. I’d watch another top player I respected and could learn from. But I am sharing everything that I have learned along the way, so hopefully there is something any cue sports player can benefit from, even the professionals.
“In some ways I would rather be sat on a beach doing nothing, but you have to work. So when the work comes along and if it is interesting and I think I can add value, then I’ll do it.”
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