“I can’t compete with these guys” – O’Sullivan on how he adapted his game
Ronnie O’Sullivan decided to change his technique to make him competitive with younger players, admitting that even the sport’s greats like Roger Federer have to adapt their games. The Rocket added that while winning is a welcome addition to the competition, just playing – as Federer attests – may be enough.
The six-time world champion struggled early this season but has looked much sharper in recent weeks and won his first three Welsh Open matches by a total of 12-0.
O’Sullivan claims to have reverted to a technique that had served him so well earlier in his career and is happy with the changes.
“It was cool,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport. “I changed my technique a bit because I wasn’t able to maneuver white.
“Was I happy to take on playing solid stuff that I didn’t think was good enough to win events?” So I went back to how I played from 2011 to 2017 – a little inconsistent but when it was good it was okay.
“I spent seven years hitting hard, scoring big points and winning many tournaments.”
O’Sullivan is happy with the balance between snooker and his off-table activities at the moment, but he admitted it was an adaptation or disappearance case – and cited Serena Williams as examples. , Rafael Nadal and Federer.
“Run first, eat next and throw and play a little pool,” he said. “If I can’t enjoy it now, then I don’t know why I would play.
“I can’t compete with the young players. They pot too well and have a lot of spotting power.
“It’s like tennis, a lot of older players like Serena Williams, Federer, Nadal. You have these young guys coming in, so they’re not going to have it their way, so you have to adapt.
While winning is a welcome addition to the competition, O’Sullivan cites Federer as an example of a smug game.
O’Sullivan said: “Does Federer need to play? Probably not, but he probably likes to get out of the house.
The 2021 Welsh Open is live on Eurosport. Watch it on eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app. You can now download the Eurosport app for iOS and Android.
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