{"id":2472,"date":"2024-04-12T06:33:16","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T06:33:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internationalpulse.net\/?p=2472"},"modified":"2024-04-12T06:33:16","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T06:33:16","slug":"john-virgo-dismisses-ronnie-osullivan-theory-thats-so-far-from-the-truth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internationalpulse.net\/?p=2472","title":{"rendered":"John Virgo dismisses Ronnie O’Sullivan theory that’s ‘so far from the truth’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ronnie O\u2019Sullivan may be Crucible favourite but is no foregone conclusion (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

John Virgo has dismissed the idea that Ronnie O\u2019Sullivan only has to turn up and put his mind to the World Championship to win it, saying the Rocket will need to be at his best to triumph at the Crucible.<\/p>\n

The world number one has had a superb season, winning five titles including the UK Championship and Masters, arriving at the Crucible hoping to win all three Triple Crown events in the same season for the first time in his career.<\/p>\n

The 48-year-old is the bookmakers\u2019 favourite to lift the world title for an eighth time, and while Virgo agrees with that assessment, he knows the Rocket can be shot down.<\/p>\n

Mark Williams beat O\u2019Sullivan in last Sunday\u2019s Tour Championship final, winning seven frames on the spin to do so, just as Luca Brecel did to the Rocket in last year\u2019s Crucible quarter-final.<\/p>\n

The iconic commentator and former UK champion points out that just one bad session is enough to end your hopes at this level and O\u2019Sullivan cannot afford to produce one.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s hard to look past Ronnie, as he\u2019s proved in the UK and the Masters, on the big occasion he does really produce,\u2019 Virgo told Metro<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

\u2018He\u2019ll be a little bit disappointed after his Tour Championship defeat. Very reminiscent of when he lost to Luca Brecel in last year\u2019s World Championship. <\/p>\n

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\"Cazoo\n<\/div>

Luca Brecel caused a huge shock to beat Ronnie O\u2019Sullivan from 10-6 behind last year (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018He lost seven frames on the trot and never made any sizeable breaks, which is amazing. He did the same against Mark Williams in the final of the Tour Championship, with no sign of that coming at all. <\/p>\n

\u2018So for those people who think Ronnie\u2019s only got to turn up and if he puts his mind to it he wins, that\u2019s so far from the truth. He\u2019s got to be at his best. Ronnie will know that, but it\u2019ll be a shock to the system, losing as he did.\u2019<\/p>\n

Virgo was on commentary for the BBC in the session which saw O\u2019Sullivan lose seven frames on the bounce to Brecel last year and he still cannot put his finger on what happened to the Rocket, despite asking the man himself.<\/p>\n

\u2018Funnily enough he came over to see me in the summer and I asked him what happened against Luca Brecel in that match,\u2019 explained the 78-year-old. <\/p>\n

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\"Cazoo\n<\/div>

John Virgo remains one of the most popular voices in snooker (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018He said, \u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about it!\u201d So it still wrangles with him. For the greatest player we\u2019ve ever seen to play seven frames and not make a 30 break, nobody could have foreseen that.<\/p>\n