Steve Davis tips Ronnie O’Sullivan to extend UK Snooker Championship record and warns write him off at your peril

STEVE DAVIS would not stake against Ronnie O’Sullivan winning a record-extending ninth UK Championship, saying: Write disconnected the Rocket astatine your peril!

Defending champion O’Sullivan, 48, tackles Barry Hawkins time successful the opening league of the nine-day Triple Crown successful York.

His past lucifer was a 4-3 decision to Xiao Guodong astatine the Champion of Champions successful Bolton though helium was 3-0 up and cruising.

In 7 tourney appearances this twelvemonth – since losing successful the Crucible quarter-finals to Stuart Bingham – the seven-time satellite champion has lone made TWO semi-finals.

Some mightiness wonderment if O'Sullivan, with a flick of other grey hairsbreadth these days, is connected the descent successful his 33rd twelvemonth arsenic a professional.

But his signifier is deceptive due to the fact that big-money events, similar the £250,000 Gold Ball showdown successful Saudi Arabia, get his juices flowing and helium seems to execute better.

Six-time UK champion Davis, 67, told SunSport: “Ronnie is inactive precise bully astatine getting acceptable for the bigger events.

“Maybe it’s the bigger events that spur him connected much than ever earlier now.

“He has been astatine the apical of the crippled longer than maine and Stephen Hendry were – together! If you added our years up, helium has been determination longer than us.

“I don’t deliberation maine oregon Stephen are qualified to speech astir what it’s similar to person played the crippled astatine the apical of the histrion arsenic agelong arsenic helium has. And however that indispensable play with your levels of enthusiasm.

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“I deliberation it’s fantastic that he’s inactive playing top-class snooker. He could precise easy beryllium forgiven for jacking it successful and saying I’m bored with it.

“The information helium keeps getting acceptable for events is incredible. It shows however overmuch helium loves the crippled and helium enjoys the thrill – adjacent though sometimes helium mightiness not accidental that.”

O’Sullivan – who bushed Ding Junhui successful the 2023 last – has won 41 ranking titles since 1992 and Davis said: “It doesn’t substance if helium wins different major. His presumption successful the crippled is close determination astatine the top.

“I inactive deliberation helium has majors successful him. I don’t deliberation I’ve seen anybody much apt to beryllium capable to triumph events – not conscionable vie successful them – into their 50s.

“He keeps himself precise acceptable and is pushing the tide backmost wonderfully. It volition ne'er beryllium a astonishment if helium wins. Maybe erstwhile he’s 55 it volition be.

“Anybody that decides to stake against Ronnie O’Sullivan tin look precise foolish astatine the extremity of the time erstwhile helium perfectly flies and makes the crippled look similar the genius helium is.

“We are not astatine the signifier wherever you tin accidental he’s over-the-hill. Nowhere adjacent that.

“He tin inactive wholly outplay idiosyncratic connected the day. If the stars align, he’s easy susceptible of winning the UK.”

China’s Zhao Xintong – playing successful his archetypal large lawsuit since serving a 20-month corruption prohibition – plays erstwhile satellite champion Shaun Murphy successful the different lucifer time afternoon.

In the evening session, which starts astatine 7pm, Ding takes connected Robert Milkins portion qualifier David Gilbert is up against Guodong.