Ronnie O’Sullivan sends defiant message to snooker critics after disastrous run and two devastating collapses

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has not enjoyed playing snooker this much since he was 14.

And the 49-year-old insists he is not thinking about hanging up his cue.

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Ronnie O’Sullivan is still enjoying his snooker[/caption]

O’Sullivan remains the sport’s biggest attraction but has not been wielding the same power or influence recently — with eight defeats in 21 matches this season.

His last two outings saw him collapse from winnable positions.

This calendar year, he has won only one ranking tournament — the World Grand Prix — with Judd Trump and Kyren Wilson emerging as the dominant potters.

Yet when it was put to the Rocket that fans might be seeing him on a slow slide to retirement, he claimed his excitement for the game was still there.

O’Sullivan said: “I wouldn’t say it’s the end. I’m definitely going to keep playing.

“The last time I enjoyed playing snooker like I have done the last couple of months was when I was 14.

“I won’t go into details but I’m loving playing. It’s quite weird.

“I played awful last year and pretty terrible at the start of the year. I won five tournaments last year, a couple of semis but did not enjoy playing. I was done, mate. I just couldn’t face playing.

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“I was getting stage fright, I was jabby through the ball, stabbing at shots. Then I took a couple of months off, figured out a couple  of things and really enjoyed it.

“The last three tournaments I’ve played pretty well. Maybe just a little bit too open. It’s just winning some of them safety battles.

“You’ve got to make your opponents work for it and I haven’t been doing that.

“I never panic, I never worry. I’m not really bothered either. If I was bothered I might be worried.

“I know I’m on the back-end of my career so it’s less important now.”

O’Sullivan appears tonight in the last eight of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.

It is the return of the 20-point Gold Ball and the prospect of compiling a 167 — which this time carries a $1million (£790,000) bonus.

Saudi bosses have paid a lot of money to set up an academy in the desert city in O’Sullivan’s name but there is little chance a similar venue will be established in the UK for British talent.

O’Sullivan laughed: “If you have to fund it yourself it’s not easy.

“You’ve got rent, tables, staff… on snooker player’s prize money, I’d end up skint!”