Ronnie O'Sullivan reveals when Si Jiahui could become China's first world champion – 'Just needs experience'
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ByEurosport
Published 29/06/2023 at 08:40 GMT
Ronnie O'Sullivan is convinced Si Jiahui could become China's first world champion within the next four years. The world No. 1 was impressed with the qualifier's no-nonsense run to the semi-finals on his Crucible debut that saw him edged out 17-15 by Luca Brecel after leading 14-5. Brecel progressed to claim the title with an 18-15 victory against four-time champion Mark Selby in the final.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan has joined Shaun Murphy in tipping Si Jiahui to become a future world champion and feels he is on course to achieve his dream within the next four years.
Si look destined to reach the final of the 47th Crucible tournament in May after constructing a 14-5 lead over Luca Brecel in the semi-finals, only to witness the Belgian player produce one of the sport's greatest comebacks to win 12 of the next 13 frames in a remarkable 17-15 victory in Sheffield.
"It was the closest thing to perfection, the way he played," . “I said to him at the end ‘you are a superstar’. That is all he needs to hear.”
The attack-minded Si – who turns 21 next month – also enjoyed wins over 2005 world champion Murphy (10-9), Robert Milkins (13-7) and Anthony McGill (13-12) on his Crucible debut to become the first qualifier to reach the last four since Andy Hicks in 1995 and the youngest since O'Sullivan a year later.
It was a case of what might have been for Si who watched Brecel lift the sport's major title with an 18-15 win over Mark Selby two days later, but O'Sullivan believes he has time on his side to end China's long wait for a world champion.
“In another three or four years’ time, he might win the tournament. It’s just experience,” O'Sullivan told reporters during his trip to China to promote the new Macau Masters invitational event which is due to be held over the festive period (December 25-29 at the Wynn Palace Hotel).
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Players and Tour champion Shaun Murphy made a similar prediction after losing a rousing contest with Si in the first round.
"He was fabulous from start to finish. I think he will be the first Chinese world champion – maybe not this time, but I believe he will be the first," said Murphy, who compiled breaks of 131, 120, 102, 92, 72 and 66 in defeat.
"I see things in him that some of the other players don’t have. He’s got a bit of swagger, he’s very talented, plays right and left handed, gets on with it and always tries to attack.
"I threw everything at him, I tried my absolute best and I still lost."
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Seven-time world champion O'Sullivan is predicting a "stronger and stronger" future for China in snooker.
"I’ve seen a lot of Chinese players practice a lot and they want to become the best," he said. "Some are so strong now, so the future is now and it will only get stronger.”
O'Sullivan, Si, Judd Trump, Jack Lisowski, Marco Fu, Ding Junhui, Kyren Wilson and Mark Williams will compete for the £150,000 first prize in the resort city of Macau.
Williams reached the final of the 2018 Macau Masters which was won 3-2 by Barry Hawkins, but the competition on the south coast of China is not part of the official World Snooker Tour calendar.
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