DAMP ROCKET
Ronnie O’Sullivan may drench himself again if he wins the UK Champs
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN might end up feeling DRENCHED if he wins a hat-trick of Betway UK Championships.
That’s because snooker’s greatest showman may copy last year’s celebrations and pour a glass of water over his head.
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The Rocket defended his crown nearly 12 months ago by battering Mark Allen 10-6 in the final in York for a record 19th Triple Crown tournament.
Bizarrely, he then decided to empty the contents of his water bottle over himself.
O’Sullivan admits he did the unusual gesture because he was fed-up with barracking from some members of the audience.
O’Sullivan, 43, said: “I was being riled up by the crowd.
“Obviously, it was an important match and sometimes your emotions overspill. I took quite a bit of stick during the game, which I thought was a bit uncalled for.
"It became more emotional for me than usual. But there was more to it than that.
“I just thought: ‘Two fingers up to you. You’re going to have to watch me celebrate 19 major titles.’”
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O’Sullivan begins his defence against unranked Irishman Ross Bullman in the first round.
The five-time snooker world champion loves his time up in and around the Barbican Centre, saying: “There are some lovely coffee bars up there and a couple of fantastic restaurants.”
Judd Trump, the world champion and world No1, is the man of the moment and is favourite with the bookies to lift the Betway UK Championship.
If he does, then he will be the first man in 16 years to hold all three snooker majors at the same time.
The Juddernaut opens his campaign against Moroccan Amine Amiri today.
O’Sullivan, considered by many to be the game’s greatest player, says Trump needs to dominate for the next decade to cement his place in the legends logbook.
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He said: “We’re best off having this conversation in 10 years’ time. To be an all-time great you’ve got to do it over 10 to 12 to 15 years.
“He’s had one good season, and great sportsmen do it for far longer than that.
“He’s a fantastic player and a fantastic talent, but talent will only take you so far. There are a few more ingredients involved.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan will defend his Betway UK Championship crown today. For details visit
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