Ronnie O’Sullivan revealed he ‘doesn’t give a monkeys’ following a bizarre interview during his World Championship semi-final clash with John Higgins. O’Sullivan is well in contention to reach another final, but Higgins still stands in his way following a tight semi-final affair so far.
The pair are currently tied at four frames apiece, however the Rocket was playing catch-up throughout on Thursday after a quick start from the Scot. Higgins looked to be running away with the match early on after taking the opening three frames to go 3-0 ahead.
However, in typical O’Sullivan fashion he hit back to win three on the bounce, before the pair traded another frame each to leave the score at 4-4 heading into Friday’s action.
In such a tight affair with so much on the line the two snooker legends could be forgiven for feeling a little nervous, but O’Sullivan was quick to show he was feeling rather relaxed during an interview after the day’s play. Speaking post-session he told Eurosport: “I don’t actually care to be honest.
“I am actually here to enjoy myself. I am just going to have fun, enjoy it, and that is my motto. Life has to be good, life has to be fun and it is just a game of snooker and I am delighted to be here, there isn’t much more I can say to that.”
The Rocket went on to add that competing on the tour, and more specifically at the event, feels ‘like holiday’. He added: “Even if it is absolutely horrendous I’m still having fun, because basically I am just on a holiday 365 days a year, seven days a week, whatever it is.
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“Just every day of the year, it is great. When you can treat everything like a holiday it is a fantastic thing you know, so the holiday continues. I'm enjoying it and having fun and I don’t actually want it to end if I’m honest with you. The seniors are on next week so I’m thinking of coming back down to that… I just don’t want to go home, I’m actually quite frustrated. I looked at the calendar and there aren't enough tournaments.”
It remains to be seen if O’Sullivan’s blasé approach is all a front or not, as the Englishman went on to add he "doesn’t give a monkeys" when asked about being concerned about winning the match. He commented: “The last seven years, I’ve not actually cared about - in a nice way - I am just here to play, have fun like when I was a 10-year-old.
“If I win great, if I lose I can get over it. There is so much good stuff going on. It is a little dent whereas it used to be a right off, the car would be in the menders for six months… Life is great, life is just fantastic so I am just happy to be here playing John, fantastic.”
One man who isn’t convinced by O’Sullivan’s relaxed approach is fellow snooker great Jimmy White, who believes the Rocket was ‘caught at the wrong time’. He told Eurosport: “That's not the truth. He is trying his heart out. He would love to equal Hendry's record and beat it in the next few years, so I don't buy into that.
"He said after the second match he has a good team around him and is seeing Steve Peters, so he is trying to win the competition. We love Ronnie O'Sullivan, he has the biggest heart we have ever seen. I don't buy into that at all, as he has put every effort he can and given himself the best chance he can of winning this World Championship."
