Ronnie O’Sullivan says he would “love” to win an eighth World Snooker Championship title when the tournament begins on April 20.
The world number one last lifted the title in Sheffield two years ago and has been in good form at the World Open, producing breaks of 129 and 106 in his second-round win and surviving a scare when opponent Michael White levelled the match at 3-3 before the 48-year-old prevailed 5-3.
“I’d love to try to win at the Crucible,” O’Sullivan said afterwards. “It’s a hard tournament; a long time, 17 days, so a lot can happen there.
“I’d love to win that another time to make it eight but there are so many good players around.
“You have to get a little bit of luck and play good snooker at the right times. I’ll be down there trying my best.”
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In the first edition of the World Open held since the Covid pandemic began, reigning champion Judd Trump also went through at the tournament in China.
The world number two’s highest break was 73 as he beat Sanderson Lam 5-2 to set up a meeting with home player Fan Zhengyi.
O’Sullivan vs White ending 👌#worldopen | @ronnieo147 pic.twitter.com/ztikeE4MQN
— WST (@WeAreWST) March 19, 2024
World Open snooker results: Brecel wins
Four-time world champion John Higgins was beaten 5-3 by Jackson Page and current world champion Luca Brecel saw off Oliver Brown 5-2.
Ali Carter, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy and Ding Junhui were among the other seeds to go through.
O’Sullivan will face 29th seed Lyu Haotian in the last 32 of a showpiece the Englishman won for the only time in his career in 2004.
He has reached the final four times, last doing so when he lost to Robertson in Glasgow in 2010 – the final edition before the tournament moved to China.
Brecel is the holder of the World Snooker Championship, which will take place at the Crucible for a 48th successive year in 2024.
