Ronnie O'Sullivan claims Shaun Murphy's scathing criticism is 'water off his back' - after he was blasted as a bad ambassador for snooker.
World No.1 O'Sullivan brushed off Murphy's blistering rant after whitewashing Zhou Yuelong 6-0 in York to remain on course for his eighth UK Championship crown. Murphy had described O'Sullivan's apparent ambivalent attitude towards the sport that has made him a multi-millionaire as 'extremely irritating.'
O'Sullivan is still considered the man to beat as he approaches his 47th birthday, and is red-hot favourite for another Triple Crown title at the Barbican Centre after breezing through his opening two matches.
Murphy is also in the draw while mixing punditry duties, and was clearly irked by O'Sullivan's lack of enthusiasm for his game. O'Sullivan had insisted that he felt flat in an interview after beating Matthew Stevens in the first round and that he 'didn't really want to play snooker at the moment'.
World no.13 Murphy interjected and quizzed O'Sullivan: "If you don't like it as much as you say you don't, why do you keep coming?" The Rocket simply replied: "I think I’d get bored". That exchange followed O'Sullivan's claim that he is not 'here to give advice' after Murphy had asked him if he would pass on wisdom to younger players in how to cope with pressure.
Murphy is exasperated by O'Sullivan's stance that snooker is 'insignificant' in his life, and embarked on an astonishing attack on his attitude towards the sport after his own first round victory over Dave Gilbert.
“It is very frustrating hearing Ronnie and others say it’s just one of the things they do with their life… and that the game means so little to them,” Murphy said. “For players like myself…I don’t have the CV of O’Sullivan, I don’t have what I assume must be an incredible amount of wealth.
“He comes from an incredibly wealthy background and grew up in incredible wealth. Most of the tour don’t come from that world. It’s okay for him and people like him that have cabinet after cabinet of trophies to say how little the game means to them, but for the rest of us it means an awful lot.
"But I am only 40 and I remember the village I grew up in and I know the life I would have had but for this game that saved me from a life of complete anonymity. I will never, ever forget that. It is extremely irritating. Ronnie in particular has one of the biggest platforms in the world. I just wish he would use it to help make the game better. “
O'Sullivan, however, was completely unfazed at the latest criticism aimed towards him. The seven-time world champion insisted he does not care about the opinions of his rivals.
"See that water just rolling off my back?” a nonchalant O’Sullivan said. “I won’t be replying. I don’t read newspapers, I’m not interested in what anybody’s got to say about me. Absolutely vacated a long time ago."
He added: "If people want to choose to come and watch me play then great, if they don’t want to choose to come and watch me play then that’s also great. Better that they come and watch you I suppose, then not coming to watch you.
"I am just doing my own business, and I don’t care what they say about the game. I just don’t care and I cut off for a long time. I love what I am doing, I enjoy where I am and that’s it.
