Ronnie O’Sullivan ‘can be a pain in the a***’ admits Barry Hearn as he reveals snooker legend gets special treatment

MATCHROOM snooker main Barry Hearn has admitted that Ronnie O'Sullivan tin beryllium "a symptom successful the a**" - but has earned the close to be.

O'Sullivan, 48, is the World Snooker Tour's biggest professional contempt being its biggest star.

'The Rocket' is regularly blameworthy of calling retired schedules, venues and even referees.

In May, helium told the media that Ally Pally was "disgusting" and made him "fell ill".

But existent President of World Snooker Hearn said helium has travel to presumption with the information "genius" O'Sullivan volition ne'er toed the line.

Speaking connected his podcast, Hearn said: "The 1 happening I've learned arsenic I get older is that geniuses are different.

"They're a antithetic benignant of idiosyncratic than you usually travel crossed and the information is you dainty them the aforesaid arsenic you dainty an mean person. 

"I'm not being disrespectful to the different players, but geniuses are different. Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins was different. You can't cater for them.

"In galore ways, you person to springiness them that enactment due to the fact that they are your amusement factor. They're your wow factor.

"If you got them saying, yes, sir, no, sir, they wouldn't beryllium the aforesaid animal.

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"And by the way, determination is perfectly nary accidental that Ronnie O'Sullivan is ever going to say, yes, sir, no, sir.

"Ronnie tin beryllium a symptom successful the ass for maine and for Snooker, but we'd beryllium truthful overmuch poorer without him.

"You can't disregard the rules per se, but what you tin bash is springiness a small spot of enactment and recognize that he's coming astatine it from a antithetic position than you due to the fact that he's the genius and you're not.

"To my mind, erstwhile I ticker him connected a analyzable break, it's Renoir putting unneurotic a masterpiece."

O'Sullivan is aiming for a historical eighth satellite title adjacent twelvemonth - a triumph that volition solidify his assertion arsenic the top subordinate ever.

He said he'd discontinue snooker if it were to replicate darts with locomotion retired songs oregon if the Crucible is ditched for a venue successful Saudi Arabia.

O'Sullivan joked with talkSPORT: "I'd astir apt decidedly retire! I'd beryllium similar I'm retired of present now."

Meanwhile British Open semi-finalist Mark Allen slammed the conditions astatine the British Open arsenic "absolutely embarrassing".

Hearn is the laminitis and president of Matchroom Sport and has worked successful boxing, snooker, darts and football during his career.

His lad Eddie present manages the boxing broadside of the business.