‘I'm so confused.. it's a struggle' – Ronnie O'Sullivan gives worrying interview after World Snooker Championship KO
RONNIE O'SULLIVAN feels dazed and confused and is unsure if he will ever recover from his most crushing Crucible loss.
The Rocket, 49, was hammered 17-7 in the semi-finals by magnificent Zhao Xintong, who won with a session to spare, and is in line to become China's first world snooker champion.
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It is 31 years since O'Sullivan exited the World Snooker Championship in such embarrassing fashion with a spare session left.
Qualifier Xintong, 28, won EIGHT frames in a row over 82 minutes in the second session on Friday – the fourth time O'Sullivan had endured a session whitewash.
O'Sullivan – who changed his cue tip THREE times and ferrule once in the contest – said: 'I'm at a loss to be honest with you.
'I have lost what I used to have. I'm so confused. It feels really a struggle.
'I don't know if it was me, the cue tip or the ferrule. I didn't know where the white ball was going.
'I tried something different with my cue. I tried to go back to the old brass ferrule.
'I wasn't surprised (by the session loss). I've been playing like that in practice. It's hard to get my head around it. I can't even fix it, that's the problem. I don't know if I can fix it.
'I want to give it two years but if you play like that, it's pretty pointless. It's not good.
'I have been like that for four years, trying to grind it out. I didn't have a clue where the cue ball was going. I have been willing it into the hole.
'I don't know how to correct the fault. That's the worrying thing. I'm so far away – I don't even know where to begin.
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 - with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
1969 - John Spencer
1970 - Ray Reardon
1971 - John Spencer
1972 - Alex Higgins
1973 - Ray Reardon (2)
1974 - Ray Reardon (3)
1975 - Ray Reardon (4)
1976 - Ray Reardon (5)
1977 - John Spencer (2)
1978 - Ray Reardon (6)
1979 - Terry Griffiths
1980 - Cliff Thorburn
1981 - Steve Davis
1982 - Alex Higgins (2)
1983 - Steve Davis (2)
1984 - Steve Davis (3)
1985 - Dennis Taylor
1986 - Joe Johnson
1987 - Steve Davis (4)
1988 - Steve Davis (5)
1989 - Steve Davis (6)
1990 - Stephen Hendry
1991 - John Parrott
1992 - Stephen Hendry (2)
1993 - Stephen Hendry (3)
1994 - Stephen Hendry (4)
1995 - Stephen Hendry (5)
1996 - Stephen Hendry (6)
1997 - Ken Doherty
1998 - John Higgins
1999 - Stephen Hendry (7)
2000 - Mark Williams
2001 - Ronnie O'Sullivan
2002 - Peter Ebdon
2003 - Mark Williams (2)
2004 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (2)
2005 - Shaun Murphy
2006 - Graeme Dott
2007 - John Higgins (2)
2008 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)
2009 - John Higgins (3)
2010 - Neil Robertson
2011 - John Higgins (4)
2012 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (4)
2013 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)
2014 - Mark Selby
2015 - Stuart Bingham
2016 - Mark Selby (2)
2017 - Mark Selby (3)
2018 - Mark Williams (3)
2019 - Judd Trump
2020 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (6)
2021 - Mark Selby (4)
2022 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (7)
2023 - Luca Brecel
2024 - Kyren Wilson
Most World Titles (modern era)
7 - Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O'Sullivan
6 - Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
4 - John Higgins, Mark Selby
3 - John Spencer, Mark Williams
2 - Alex Higgins
'I've been awful for quite a while. I never gave him a game and that's disappointing.
'Zhao played good and deserved his victory. He played better than me.'
O'Sullivan, the seven-time world champion, came into the evening session 12-4 down after a horror show and opened up by winning frames 17 and 18.
Yet every time he missed a ball, Xintong invariably punished him, sometimes in one visit, and often with an outstanding long pot.
The fans who cried 'come on, Ronnie' soon fell silent as Xintong claimed the five frames he needed in the evening session to book his spot in a maiden final.
The pair embraced at the end and Xintong, who top scored with a 128, wanted the crowd to clap off O'Sullivan.
Inside Ronnie's colourful career
FROM his lightning breaks to blasts at officials, Ronnie O'Sullivan has fired snooker into the spotlight.
The seven-time world champion makes almost as big an impact away from the table as on it.
O'Sullivan has three children - two daughters and a son.
And the Rocket's on-off relationship with British actress Laila Rouass has also hit the headlines.
He has opened up on battles with his weight and addiction.
While the controversial cueist reckons he wasted NINE YEARS of his career by partying too hard.
Despite being worth £14million, O'Sullivan is renowned for his love of canal boats and snubbing flashy cars.
His rivalry with fellow star Judd Trump has been branded 'snooker's greatest feud'.
And Ali Carter had his nose knocked out of joint by the Rocket in their infamous 'Snotgate' row.
Check out all our latest Ronnie O'Sullivan articles.
But the defeated man 'tried to get off as quick as I could because it was his moment to enjoy'.
He added: 'If Zhao wins the world title, it would be amazing. He would be a mega star. Amazing for snooker and his life as well.'
Stephen Hendry, who was on BBC commentary duties, will be very pleased that his joint record of seven world crowns will remain intact for another 12 months at least.
Amateur Xintong – who returned from a 20-month corruption ban last September – has the advantage of a day off before facing either Judd Trump or Mark Williams over 35 frames on Sunday and Monday.
He said: 'I can't believe this. I want to play like an exhibition. I want to enjoy this.
'Sometimes the crowd are cheering for Ronnie and it was nervous for me. But he deserved that. He's a legend.
'I have to say thank you to Ronnie, he helped me a lot before. I don't want to win at the Crucible like this. Hopefully he can go to No.8 here. He's my idol.
'It's an amazing time for me. I will have a big lunch. Don't think about snooker.'
World Snooker Tour will now stage a Big Break-style exhibition on Saturday afternoon in the session where this match would have been played and are not offering refunds.
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