World Snooker Championships – Ronnie O’Sullivan on emotional hug with Judd Trump after final: “Blown me away”

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“The Rocket” made history at the Crucible Theater in Sheffield on Monday night. 18:13 Ronnie O’Sullivan won the final against Judd Trump and was crowned world champion in snooker for the seventh time – which is equivalent to Stephen Hendry’s record. “I was so emotional,” the 46-year-old Englishman admitted after the triumph, explaining: “Finally crossed the finish line – I thought it would never happen.”
Emotions rarely seen in this form from the world number one. Australian Neil Robertson, who lost to Jack Lisowski in the quarterfinals, was also surprised by the emotionally charged reaction. “Wow, I’ve never seen Ronnie like this. Unbelievable – and you can see what it means for him to equal Hendry’s record,” the 40-year-old Melbourne native wrote on Twitter.

Trump’s words particularly touched on O’Sullivan, as he said after the finale in Eurosport-Studio explained. “I gave him a big hug and sobbed in his arms. He had beautiful words,” the 46-year-old revealed. “It just blew my mind,” he admitted, explaining his tears, “I love Judd. He’s a great guy. I did not understand how he felt about me until now.”

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Prior to the duel in the legendary theater that has served as the venue for the World Snooker Championships since 1977, O’Sullivan and Trump had shown each other respect. The 32-year-old world champion from 2019 explained the great influence “The Rocket” had on his development. “He has always been a role model. I looked up to him. I have always wanted to play like him. It has always been my dream,” said the Englishman.

“An incredible player!” O’Sullivan and Trump show respect for each other

O’Sullivan: “I did not know how Trump perceived me”

After the finale, he hailed him in the arena as “the best ever” and thanked O’Sullivan again. “He’s always been so good to me in his career. He trained with me when I was young to learn things from him,” said the March Turkish Masters winner, making it an honor for him to be able to play this. finale with the legend of snooker.

O’Sullivan could barely contain his emotions. The knot at the end of the match was “without a doubt” his most emotional moment at the Crucible Theater, he said with tears in his eyes in the studio Eurosport.

“It’s a different kind of respect. I did not know how he perceived me and what role I played in his development,” O’Sullivan admitted, returning the praise to Trump: “He is already one of the greats before. for snooker because he plays. the right way. Snooker can be proud and lucky to have him. “

The (now) seven-time world champion is therefore not worried about the future of the sport. “It’s great for snooker that we have Judd,” O’Sullivan said, adding, “Some come like a Zhao Xintong. It’s going to be brilliant.”

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He also described the final against his countryman as similarly difficult. “I know he lost today. But he’s an incredible player, an incredible opponent. He never gave up,” O’Sullivan said. Especially in the third session, the challenger tensed his muscles, got six frames on Monday afternoon and again reduced the lead to 11:14.

“I was just like, ‘I do not know if I can do this.’ I was so tired and I said to myself, ‘I have to pull myself together because small mistakes can cost you three or four pictures. ‘, “I explained. O’Sullivan. But the 46-year-old kept his nerves. “If I had not pulled myself together, I would not have won the battle. So it was very hard. Very hard,” he admitted.

O’Sullivan had already stated before the final that he would take a break from snooker after the tournament. The stress of five games in just over two weeks is “very hard”, “The Rocket” explained on Monday, announcing: “I need a detox.” The 46-year-old from Wordsley was all the more relaxed after the Sheffield triumph. “It’s a big relief. It’s a really tough tournament, a long journey. I do not know what to say,” O’Sullivan stammered. Eurosport-Studio.

The new champion also described his seventh world title as the “best result” of his career. An impressive career that reached a new high point in the evening at Sheffield. And yet: O’Sullivan was rarely seen as emotionally as Monday night. When asked about the best moment at the Crucible Theater, he said honestly, “Without a doubt. What Judd said to me blew me away.”

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