Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry in disagreement on BBC immediately after win

Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan clashed with longtime competitor Stephen Hendry shortly after securing his World Championship quarter-final victory over Si Junhai. Despite an inconsistent display, O’Sullivan emerged triumphant with a 13-9 win after his Chinese opponent staged a late rally, setting up a semi-final showdown with Zhao Xintong.

Quest for History

The renowned ‘Rocket’ is now just two victories away from claiming a historic eighth world title, which would surpass the joint record of seven titles he currently shares with Hendry. The retired Scot has often predicted that O’Sullivan will achieve this milestone, despite the Englishman’s modest assessment of his own form during the ongoing event in Sheffield.

Post-Match Analysis

O’Sullivan maintained his self-critical stance following the win over Si. In the BBC studio, he rebuffed Hendry’s attempt to commend him for a pivotal long pot that swung the 21st frame in his favor, after Junhai had narrowed the deficit to 11-9.

Details from the Match:

• The replay was shown to O’Sullivan, with Hendry insisting, “I was saying if you had a safety shot on you would have played it. You have to cue well to hit it.”
• O’Sullivan, however, remained unwilling to accept the praise, admitting that Si “had plenty of opportunities”and hinted that he had experimented throughout the match to find his form, asserting, “I was just experimenting with different cues and stances to try and regain a feel for the game. It’s tough out there but you’ve got to give it a go, you know?”

Road to the Semifinals

Prior to the encounter with Si, O’Sullivan had defeated Ali Carter and Junxu Pang to reach the final eight. A victory over Zhao will pave the way for a final against either Judd Trump or Mark Williams. O’Sullivan acknowledged that he cannot depend on his rivals’ errors from this point onward.

O’Sullivan’s reflecting on his performance:

“I’ve been relying on others to falter, and that doesn’t sit well with me. It feels much better when you’ve outplayed your opponent rather than just waiting for them to lose. Look at Judd, Mark Williams, and Zhao – I won’t be able to get away with the level of play I’ve shown in the last three matches.”