O'Sullivan 'Not Scared' After Extending Record

Ronnie O'Sullivan, at ease with his technique and competing with enthusiasm, reached a record-extending 22nd Crucible quarter-final by rounding off a 13-7 success against Ryan Day in the second round of the Cazoo World Championship.

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Looking relaxed and confident, O'Sullivan even engaged in a friendly exchange with a woman in the crowd who was clapping eagerly during the 17th frame. "She got a bit excited, maybe she had never been to a snooker match before!" he later joked. "I said she should calm down a bit. But then I felt a bit bad, I didn't want her to think I was telling her off."

O'Sullivan has dropped just eight frames in the tournament so far and will meet Stuart Bingham or Jack Lisowski on Tuesday and Wednesday. He needs three more wins to land an eighth world title, which would put him one ahead of Stephen Hendry. The world's number one has already won five trophies this season and his prize money tally for 2023/24 is now £1,265,500.

Working with coach Nic Barrow, O'Sullivan is, for once, content with his game in matches and practice. "It feels like I want to play," he told BBC. "It feels like I want to get my cue out of the case. I'm not scared of the table, not scared of the balls. I'm scared of some other things but not that, which is the most important thing. When you're confident in your ability to do something when you get the chance, then you feel alright.

"It's early days for me, trying this new way of playing, a different style of cueing. It's been hard work for two years. I decided I couldn't continue playing like that. I had to make some changes and it's the body and the mind trying to catch up with each other. I've got some of it right, I'm just trying to work out the puzzle at the moment. I've had a bit of excitement for the last couple of weeks, getting through the ball better. There were some good bits there today. When I find this game hard my life gets harder.  When I find it easy, life becomes a pleasant place again." 

O'Sullivan led 10-6 after two sessions, having made breaks of 123, 84, 83, 51, 92, 82, 65, 89, 56 and 96. The opening frame of today's concluding session came down to a battle on the yellow and Day, leading 57-35, got an unwanted double kiss attempting safety, handing his opponent an opening to make a fine clearance to extend his lead.

A run of 85 brought him to the brink of victory, and though Day pulled one back, O'Sullivan finished the job in frame 20 with 67 and 53.

Day said: "I created lots of chances, but I struggled to settle all game. I missed too many balls and you can’t do that no matter who you play. If I'd managed to settle I could have given him more of a game and put him under pressure. I wasn't able to do that."