'Ronnie O'Sullivan walked out against me – I didn't speak to him for three years'
The snooker hero was once involved in a long-running dispute with a fellow icon of the sport.
Snooker icon Ronnie O’Sullivan is known for his fiery personality. Just over a year ago, the seven-time world champion was seen bashing his cue against the table moments before withdrawing from a competition. Never one to hide his emotions, O'Sullivan, 50, was even embroiled in a long-running dispute with fellow snooker legend Stephen Hendry.
The fallout even saw the pair avoid contact for three whole years. Their spat ignited after O’Sullivan stormed out of a match at the UK Championship in 2006. The snooker legend was trailing 4-0 to Hendry in their quarter-final match-up before the Wordsley-born star packed up his things and waltzed out of the room.
The moment left the snooker world stunned. Yet it seemed there was nobody more surprised than Hendry himself, who opted to give his opponent the silent treatment thereafter, as explained by O’Sullivan himself.
Speaking back in 2010, O’Sullivan said: "After I walked last time Stephen - who is one of my heroes - fell out with me and didn't talk to me for about three years. But I love the guy, and he's the greatest snooker player of all time.”
The two snooker heroes eventually buried the hatchet and rekindled their relationship. He added: "We're talking again now and text each other a lot, so there's mutual respect.”
Over a decade later, the two even sat down to discuss the incident. During a chat on the Scot’s YouTube channel, Hendry said: "People still ask me about that. Have you ever watched it back and seen my face?"
O’Sullivan replied: “It’s the best! You were absolutely dumbfounded. I had a lot going on off the table at home, and I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to play. I’d nearly done it in a few matches before.
“You were 4-1 up, and I thought, ‘I can’t take this, I need to get out of here’. My head just wasn’t right for playing. I just needed to be out of there. I can’t put it down to anything other than my life being in chaos.”
Showcasing his typical penchant for honesty once again recently, 'The Rocket' declared he's just "not a very good player anymore" amid claims that he could decide to retire his cue sooner rather than later.
The seven-time world champion was in World Grand Prix action this week, but suffered a 5-3 defeat against Xiao Guodong in the last 16.
It’s now over two years since O’Sullivan last won a ranking tournament, with the Rocket having reduced his schedule in order to manage the latter stages of his career.
He told the South China Morning Post: "There was no rustiness, I felt relaxed… I’m just not a very good player anymore. Deep down, I enjoy playing."
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He added: "I have to accept [I’m not as good as I was] and find a way to keep playing without it driving me crazy. I have to manage my frustrations, and hope the snooker gods will be kind and put me to rest when they decide the time is right."
