After a quarter-final defeat to Stuart Bingham, Ronnie O’Sullivan says he didn’t intend to play at the World Snooker Championship this year but had his arm twisted by a new sponsor.
Bingham picked up a brilliant 13-10 win over the Rocket at the Crucible, the second time he has beaten him at this stage of a World Championship.
O’Sullivan’s chances of a record eighth world title are over for another year, while he also loses his world number one spot, but he says he was only in Sheffield at all to meet the request of a sponsor adorning his waistcoat.
‘I’m contracted to do certain events in China, contracted to do my own shows in China, contracted to go to Saudi Arabia. Obviously they’ve got first dibs. Then it’s like spending time at home with the family,’ O’Sullivan said of his schedule.
‘I wasn’t actually going to be playing in this one until a new sponsor came along. I went, alright cool.
‘I wasn’t going to be playing Manchester [Tour Championship] or this because of how I was feeling about playing but they twisted my arm.’
The Rocket says he will be sticking to a reduced schedule next season, only likely to increase his workload if he does terribly in the few he plays in.
‘Like I said, it’s first come first served, I’m already signed up for 8 or 9 events,’ he said.
‘If I do really bad in them I suppose I might have to dip my toe in and play in a couple of tournaments over here, but otherwise probably not because I just want to be at home.
‘There’s only so many days I allow myself to be away from home. You can’t do it all, really.
‘I don’t just turn up wily nily to events. There’s a tax to be paid. If people are prepared to pay it then I’ll get me cue out me case, if they’re not I’m quite content to never ever play again and move on and do other stuff.’
The 48-year-old said he will not be looking back at his defeat to Bingham, but will be watching the rest of the World Championship as he remains a fan of his sport.
‘It’s pretty much gone,’ he said of the loss. ‘There’s still a good tournament to go, I’ll probably be watching a bit of it because I’m still a snooker fan as well as a snooker player.
‘For me it’s done, over, just move on and look forward to what I have to do with my snooker.’
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