Ronnie O’Sullivan has hailed Ding Junhui as possessing the very best cue ball management within the historical past of snooker and a greater participant than him technically, regardless of getting the higher of the Chinese language famous person at The Masters on Monday.
The Rocket and the Dragon performed out a wonderful opening spherical match at Alexandra Palace, with an immense 147 from Ding the spotlight.
O’Sullivan raced right into a 4-0 lead earlier than a fightback from the underdog, which noticed him make simply the fourth most break in Masters historical past to make the scoreline 4-3.
The world primary was not fazed by the show of brilliance, successful the subsequent two frames and claiming the match 6-3, however he was totally impressed, but once more, by Ding.
‘What a powerful participant. His cue ball management is healthier than anyone ever, nobody has ever managed the cue ball like Ding in amongst the balls,’ O’Sullivan advised the BBC. ‘It’s only a delight to look at.
‘I’m envious of that sport, should you can play snooker like that, with that positional play it’s only a beautiful sport to play.’
The Rocket added on Eurosport: ‘I fancied he was going to do it from the second or third crimson. You’ve nonetheless obtained to get excellent on each ball however that’s the place Ding is healthier than anyone else that’s ever performed the sport, it’s getting excellent on the subsequent ball. His positional play is unbelievable, it’s pinpoint.’
Talking earlier than the event O’Sullivan mentioned Ding is technically a greater participant than he’s, placing the him alongside John Higgins and Neil Robertson within the elite bracket on the subject of method.
‘Technically he’s higher than me,’ mentioned O’Sullivan of Ding. ‘Technically he’s in all probability the very best participant on the circuit together with perhaps John Higgins and Neil Robertson.
‘After I’m enjoying somebody like Ding I all the time surprise how he doesn’t beat me each time. If I had his technical capacity I’d fancy successful 6-0, it’s a achieved deal.
‘However I’ve realised snooker”s not all about that and sport’s not about that on a regular basis. Generally it’s about simply getting the ball within the gap and getting a consequence.’
O’Sullivan strikes into the quarter-finals the place he’ll face both Robertson or Barry Hawkins and Ding believes he’s very motivated to carry the Grasp title for an eighth time.
‘I feel he nonetheless needs to win the whole lot,’ mentioned Ding. ‘Generally there’s an excessive amount of stress however he is aware of learn how to do it.
‘The highest gamers like him all the time know learn how to play with the stress, learn how to play with the dangerous days, that’s how particular he’s.’
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