Ronnie O'Sullivan's 'three years' admission in first snooker win since wedding says it all
Ronnie O'Sullivan believes he just delivered his best snooker performance in three years at the Shanghai Masters.
The Rocket this week beat Barry Hawkins 6-5 in the last 16 of the tournament. He overcame a nervy start to the match to take a 5-3 lead before Hawkins recovered to level at 5-5, only for the seven-time world champion to clinch the final frame.
O'Sullivan claimed afterwards that it was the best he has played since his 2022 world title win. And it is no coincidence that, for a player whose biggest competition in snooker has often been himself, he is playing so well when things are going well away from the sport.
Last month, the 49-year-old married long-term partner Laila Rouass in east London. The couple had announced their separation last September, ending their 13-year on-off relationship before rekindling their romance.
Footballers' Wives star Laila, 54, took to Instagram to share a picture of her and the snooker legend smiling outside St George's Town Hall in Shadwell, east London, with confetti being thrown on them.
It is clear to see the psychological boost O'Sullivan has received as a result, having taken a three-month absence from snooker earlier this year due to concerns over his health and wellbeing, and frustrations with his game, which infamously led him to snap his favourite cue in January.
O'Sullivan said after beating Hawkins in what was his first win since his wedding: 'I'm just pleased to have won the match. Barry played pretty good.
'I played probably the best I have played for maybe since I won the World Championship in 2022. That was a good performance. I could have lost it as well.
'The table played OK with the humidity. I don't know how it will be on Thursday, Friday or Saturday but if it stays the same, it's good.
'Usually it gets harder and harder as the week goes on. Who knows? If it stays like this, it's OK.' No. 6 seed O'Sullivan will now play Kyren Wilson in the quarter-finals.
His resurgence comes despite him expressing doubts in April over whether he could rediscover his best form. O'Sullivan very much appeared to have fallen out of love with the sport ahead of this year's World Championship, where he suffered a 17-7 semi-final defeat to Zhao Xintong.
Despite that, he insisted he was not ready to quit snooker just yet, giving himself a timeframe of between two to four more years 'to try and figure it out'. He said: "I have to try and repair myself and just try and find how I used to play snooker.
'It's a massive rebuilding process and probably the last one I'll ever have to do as a snooker player. Do I think I can do it? Probably not if I'm being honest."
Fans of the Rocket will hope he has put that all behind him now, with O'Sullivan appearing re-energised and seemingly benefitting from a healthy romantic life.
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