'So be it' – Ronnie O'Sullivan claim made as snooker legend gears up for UK Championship

Ronnie O'Sullivan is bidding to triumph a record-extending ninth UK Championship, with snooker fable Steve Davis admitting that antithetic rules use to the Rocket

Steve Davis has dismissed immoderate doubts implicit Ronnie O'Sullivan's thrust and determination arsenic helium aims for a ninth UK Championship crown.

The Rocket has skipped respective tournaments this season, including the Wuhan Open, the British Open and the Northern Ireland Open, each owed to aesculapian reasons. He's since returned to the baize astatine the International Open and the Champion of Champions, up of his latest quality astatine the Barbican.

Davis isn't the slightest spot disquieted astir O'Sullivan's hunger arsenic helium looks to adhd different UK Championship trophy to his collection, 2 decades connected from his first. And he's suggested the Essex potter, who takes connected Barry Hawkins successful the archetypal circular successful York, is successful a league of his ain erstwhile it comes to managing his tourney schedule.

"I deliberation it's worked good for Ronnie the past mates of years he's been doing it," Davis revealed successful our UK Championship snooker preview, retired now. "He doesn't person thing to prove, truthful helium doesn't request to play successful each event. There is simply a occupation with getting capable ranking points truthful that helium stays astatine the apical extremity of the game."

"I don't deliberation Ronnie would privation to beryllium successful a concern wherever helium has to suffice for the Crucible. He has to play successful events to enactment successful the apical 16 if that's inactive a motivating force. But antithetic rules use to Ronnie, he's perfectly paid his dues wrong the game," reports the Express.

"It's not that helium doesn't emotion the game. He's been playing for truthful agelong and it's unthinkable what he's done, but if helium doesn't privation to play successful events due to the fact that he's got different things to bash oregon that makes him stronger successful the main events past truthful beryllium it."

Davis continued: "I deliberation that's great. The worst happening is if you're playing events due to the fact that you consciousness similar you person to and you're conscionable going done the motions. That's not the close intelligence authorities to beryllium turning up successful a tourney for, you're improbable to get the champion retired of yourself."

Although the World Championship isn't until good into 2025, the speech inevitably shifts to O'Sullivan's pursuit of an eighth snooker title. Davis doesn't deliberation that surpassing Stephen Hendry's grounds is O'Sullivan's superior driving force, contempt however overmuch he'd emotion to execute the milestone.

"I bash consciousness that he'd emotion to get an eighth, that would beryllium thing that would springiness him a buzz," Davis concedes. "But successful bid to bash that you've got to stay applicable and competitive. If it is the lawsuit that it's the lone happening connected his mind, it would beryllium hard to play for the remainder of the season."

"It's impervious that he's inactive entering tournaments that helium inactive loves the game."

Follow the UK Snooker Championship crossed BBC TV, BBC Radio 5 Live and online from 23rd November.

Join our caller WhatsApp community and person your regular dose of Mirror Football content. We besides dainty our assemblage members to peculiar offers, promotions, and adverts from america and our partners. If you don't similar our community, you tin cheque retired immoderate clip you like. If you're curious, you tin work our Privacy Notice.