Ronnie O’Sullivan has claimed he has ‘already broken the rules of snooker’ after his first round win over Jackson Page at the 2024 World Championship. Despite his convincing display, the ‘Rocket’ said afterwards he was still searching for his best form.
Six-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan raced into an 8-1 lead over Jackson Page at the World Snooker Championship on Wednesday, but was accused of not being at his best by former world champion Ken Doherty. “I wouldn’t say it was his best performance but he did what he had to do, accelerated through the gears when he had to,” said Doherty. “It wasn’t his fluent best because we’re used to seeing exceptional performances. But what he did do was, any time he had the chance, he put his opponent under pressure and didn’t give him a sniff.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan established a commanding 8-1 advantage over Jackson Page in the opening round of the World Snooker Championship, but former champion Ken Doherty expressed reservations about O’Sullivan’s performance, stating that he fell short of his top form. O’Sullivan showcased his exceptional break-building skills, amassing impressive breaks of 54, 56, 81, 122, 66, and 53. Despite his early dominance, Doherty observed that O’Sullivan did not exhibit the same level of fluency and precision that had characterized his previous performances.
Ronnie O’Sullivan dominated the first session of his first round match at the Crucible, building an 8-1 lead over Jackson Page. O’Sullivan fired four half-centuries and a break of 122, leaving Page with little chance of rescuing the situation when they resume on Thursday. Kyren Wilson also had a strong start to his match, completing a comprehensive 10-1 win over Dominic Dale. Mark Allen made hard work of grinding out a 10-6 win over Robbie Williams, while Jack Lisowski held his nerve to sink Ding Junhui in a deciding frame.
Ronnie O’Sullivan starts his World Snooker Championship campaign today as he takes on Welshman Jackson Page in the first round. The Rocket is a seven-time world champion, level at the top with Stephen Hendry, and will hope to stand alone in the Crucible history books by claiming an unprecedented eighth title. O’Sullivan has entered this year’s tournament shrouded in controversy, having urged snooker chiefs to move the tournament to either Saudi Arabia or China to better accommodate players.
