Stephen Hendry predicts which Class of 92 legend will retire first
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As the three Class of 92 legends of snooker approach their 50th birthdays, Stephen Hendry reckons it will be Ronnie O’Sullivan who hangs up his cue first. O’Sullivan, Mark Williams and John Higgins are still competing among the elite of the game, with the trio all still in the top 16 at 49 years old.
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The Rocket is number three in the world, Williams six and Higgins 14, so there is little sign that they are going downhill even as they approach their sixth decades. There will come a time when they do retire, though, and Hendry reckons O’Sullivan will be the first of the three to make the decision.
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‘Who’s going to pull the trigger first and say that’s it, that’s enough?’ Hendry asked Williams on his Cue Tips channel. ‘I think it’ll be Ronnie. ‘Not because of anything to do with standard of play or anything. He’s earning so much money now, I don’t know if the competitive spirit is still there, I don’t know.’.
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Williams has already declared that he does not intend to retire until he drops off the professional tour, and even then he will continue to play amateur tournaments, so he has ruled himself out of the running. ‘It won’t be me because I’m not finishing,’ said the three-time world champion.
‘I think it could be him [O’Sullivan] just because I don’t think he can admit losing all the time. If he’s not winning all the time like he always has.’. Williams added of the Rocket: ‘Even now, if he plays all the time, he’s the best player in the world. Even with what Judd [Trump] is doing now, if he played in every tournament and plays his best he’s the best in the world, no question.’.
