O’Sullivan retirement hint as legend texts other world champ | Other | Sport

Former world pool champion Chris Melling has revealed that Ronnie O’Sullivan texted him asking for a game, as speculation continues to swirl about the snooker legend’s future in the sport. O’Sullivan recently won the World Seniors Snooker Championship at the Crucible just a few days after the main competition concluded.

The seven-time world champion reached the second round of the World Championship before being knocked out by eventual semi-finalist John Higgins in Sheffield. There has been speculation about O’Sullivan’s future in snooker for some time, and Melling has revealed that the 50-year-old has approached him to have a game of pool.

Melling – a two-time world pool champion – competes in eight-ball and nine-ball pool, as well as snooker, and has spoken about the challenges that players face when competing in both sports.

“I’ll give you a prime example – Ronnie O’Sullivan actually texted me quite a while ago,” Melling told The Sun.

“Probably about four or five months ago, asking me to have a game with him, and play the Chinese pool and the American pool.

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“He obviously knows that there’s more to it than just potting balls, it’s the jump shots, it’s the break, it’s the kick shots, it’s the tactical side.

“The potting the balls, they’re all going to be as good as anyone, but the other parts of the game they’re not going to be as good, just because of lack of experience. The more that they play, obviously, I think they’re going to become really dangerous.”

O’Sullivan spoke honestly about his future in snooker after being knocked out of the World Championship last month, where he admitted that cash dictates which tournaments he chooses to compete in.

“Any tournament I go to, they all know they have to get the cheque book out, so where ever I go that’s standard. If that stops then I stop,” O’Sullivan told The Mirror in April.

“Wherever it is, Saudi, Qatar, China, here, whatever it is, I always make sure I’ve got some sort of fee coming because otherwise people know that I won’t turn up.”

He added: “I’m just grateful to be playing, and enjoying my playing and that’s it. And if I don’t enjoy it, I’ll take time out. We’ll see. It’s too hard to start speculating about next year.

“I’m just enjoying myself I’m having good fun, I’m just enjoying life and whatever I’m doing, so win, lose, draw, there’s always a safety net below. I’m not two feet in. I try my nuts off when I’m out there, but I also appreciate that I’m not a slave to the game.”