Ronnie O’Sullivan sends defiant message to snooker critics after disastrous run and two devastating collapses
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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. 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.
![[Ronnie O'Sullivan is still enjoying his snooker]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ronnie-osullivan-england-chalks-cue-957913528.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
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. BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS. “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.
