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Ronnie O'Sullivan: "Zhao Xintong is the only player who has the potential to break my record with Hendry"

Ronnie O'Sullivan: "Zhao Xintong is the only player who has the potential to break my record with Hendry"

As far as this players' tournament is concerned, O'Sullivan believes that both he and Trump's performances are behind Zhao Xintong.

文/Hector Nunns,《The Sportsman》

Zhao Xintong, a 24-year-old Chinese player, will be the top seed in this tournament, winning his first title at the British Championships last December and then winning the German Masters in January after two months.

Zhao Xintong defeated former Masters champion and good friend Yan Bingtao 9-0 in the final of the German Masters. They are opponents on the field, but in life, Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao both practice at Sheffield's club and are very good friends, even the final of the German Masters has not affected their friendship.

And O'Sullivan, 46, will be back in the world if he can beat Trump in tonight's game and win the Players' Championship. O'Sullivan also expressed his appreciation and love for Zhao Xintong's courageous playing style and smooth and sharp style of play in the interview.

O'Sullivan said: "The last time I was so pleasantly surprised by a player was when I was nine years old watching Stephen Hendry play and I was thinking 'Who is this guy?' I remember watching Stephen's game at an event at Hastings and you know he was special. And for me, Zhao Xintong is the only one who makes me think, 'Wow, he may be a special person'. ”

Ronnie O'Sullivan: "Zhao Xintong is the only player who has the potential to break my record with Hendry"

"Of course, you have to say 'maybe', it's still early and he has a lot to learn and master in order to be a more well-rounded player. He's super good now, but if he can improve in some way, he can be a great player who can't be matched. And it's up to him, whether he's willing to do it with an open mind. ”

"Because Zhao Xintong has the ability to achieve super high self-expectations, he has mastered the game. As he progresses, he will handle countermeasures in the face of stress better than he does now. Although his current technical tactics are a bit monolithic, focusing on precise goals and consecutive scoring ability, his defense can improve, which will take him to the next level. ”

"For others, the scary thing is that he (Zhao Xintong) eliminated all other possibilities in only half a game, and I think that's where his potential lies. He can still win a player one-sidedly, he has such talent and ability. But he could become more difficult to deal with and control the game from the start. ”

"Few people have the ability to break Hendry's seven World Championship records, my Masters and British Championship nine-crown records, and 20 'three major competitions' record, and I think Zhao Xintong is the only player who has the opportunity to impact the above records." I watched his victory at the German Masters and was watching what was happening to him. I really appreciate Zhao Xintong. ”

"In many ways, he reminds me of my son — I look at Zhao Xintong as if he were a shadow of little Ronnie, and they were all handsome, dashing boys. But of course I'm most concerned about his talent and the way he plays. Watching his game will make you feel very excited, and seeing Zhao Xintong himself will also bring you unexpected passion. ”

Ronnie O'Sullivan: "Zhao Xintong is the only player who has the potential to break my record with Hendry"

Of course, as far as O'Sullivan himself is concerned, the first round of the Players' Championship is quite difficult. Due to Trump's poor performance in the ranking match this season, he faced O'Sullivan, who was ranked 14th in a single season, in accordance with the pick, which also led to the emergence of the strongest dialogue in the first round of the players' championship.

Since the 2017 Players Tour Championship was renamed the format for the top 16 players in a single season, O'Sullivan and Trump have each won two titles in the past five years. Trump defeated Fu Jiajun in the final of 2017 and Yan Bingtao in the final of 2020, while O'Sullivan won Murphy in 2018 and Robertson in 2019 to defend his title. The final scene of last year's Players Tournament is still fresh in the picture, with O'Sullivan swept 10-3 by his old rival Higgins.

Trump is one of the few players to maintain a career record of playing against O'Sullivan, winning eight of their total 11 final encounters and maintaining a winning streak in their last six final encounters.

O'Sullivan said: "Listen, I'm just happy to be at the top with my previous performances. I haven't been very good lately, so I'm looking forward to this race. If it's not a round, it would be better to have the opportunity to play a few more rounds. ”

"So I want to stay in the game. I'm already planning my run in Wolverhampton. I'll be playing against Judd in the first round... It would be great if fans and TV viewers could expect this showdown! For me, I will try to enjoy the game and fight hard. ”

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