Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed he at times “can’t be bothered” to play in certain snooker’s tournaments – including the Scottish Open.
The seven-time world champion admitted his doubts after snubbing last week’s tournament in Edinburgh. It was the 12th competition the Rocket has decided to stay at home instead over the past two seasons with his priorities lying with more illustrious events in China and Saudi Arabia. The world number three has laid into UK venues for a lack of practice tables and cramped backstage as well as the long journeys from his home in Essex to north of the border.
He said: “I’m not being harsh. It’s really difficult when you go to a leisure centre and you’ve got 50-100 people all standing outside, you’ve got to get through that, play a best of seven, then you’re not sure when you’re going to be on. They say you could be on at 8.30 but you get on at 11. It’s a nine-hour journey from my house to Edinburgh. You weight it all up and think you can’t be bothered. 10-15 years ago I’d probably have been fine but I can’t play every tournament or every week. I try and play a minimum of 10 and I pick the best 10 to play in and then after that if I feel like I need to play in a few more I will.”
O’Sullivan’s star status allows him to travel to China for lucrative exhibitions and he has his own academy out in Saudi Arabia as well. He added: “In Saudi Arabia, the events we’ve had here, it’s been brilliant. Food, dressing rooms, shower rooms, loads of practice tables, courtesy cards, it was amazing. Same in China. It’s so much easier if you’ve got 128 players and only three or four practice tables you can’t even get a knock.
“With these tournaments they have 8-10 practice tables. Some of the events in the UK there’s 3-4 practice tables in a leisure centre, its not the easiest. They have bigger budgets in China and here, maybe in the UK not so much. They do the best they can with what they’ve got. It is what it is.”