Stephen Hendry says Ronnie O’Sullivan’s snooker is now ‘sublime to the ridiculous’

Ronnie O’Sullivan is searching for his first title in over two years (Picture: Getty Images) Ronnie O’Sullivan’s snooker goes ‘from the sublime to the ridiculous’ and has done for a couple of years, believes fellow seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry. The Rocket played his first matches of the season last week at the Shanghai Masters, seeing off wildcard Liu Linhao 6-1 in the opening round before losing 6-4 to Kyren Wilson in the last 16. The 50-year-old made three centuries on the spin in that defeat, with the final one a sublime 131. However, that brilliant burst was not confined to the middle of the match and he struggled for his best form before and after the hat-trick of tons. Hendry reckons that has been typical of O’Sullivan over the last two seasons, with the Rocket failing to win a tournament in either campaign. There have been stunning moments, including two 147s in a match at the Saudi Arabia Masters and a world record break of 153 at the World Open, but inconsistency has been the issue. ## Are you snooker loopy? You're in the right place. I'm Phil Haigh, and I cover the game we all love for **Metro**. In my newsletter, The Table, I analyse the biggest talking points, pull back the curtain on the sport and crown the biggest winners and losers every week. Sign up here. Phil has been reporting on snooker for over a decade Speaking on WST’s Snooker Club podcast, Hendry said: ‘That (match vs Kyren Wilson) has basically been the story of Ronnie’s game over the last year or two. O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry share the record of seven world titles (Picture: Getty Images) ‘He goes from the sublime to the ridiculous. He can suddenly look absolutely flawless and then go back to really struggling. ‘Ronnie’s game now is flashes of brilliance coupled with inconsistent form.’ O’Sullivan has opportunities to find form ahead of him, with the China Open and Wuhan Open coming up this month, taking on Jackson Page in the former on Sunday. Ahead of his meeting with Wilson in Shanghai he was speaking positively about his hopes of landing another world title – what would be a record eighth – but only if he can do so in the next two years. ‘I’d love to win another World Championship. I’ve got two attempts at it,’ the world number 14 told WST. O’Sullivan remains focussed on more World Championship glory (Picture: Getty Images) ‘Three years previous, I wasn’t cueing well enough, so I feel like if I can find a bit of cueing find some form at Sheffield… if I don’t do it this this season or the next season, then it’ll definitely never happen. ‘But I’m pleased with my career. I’m happy with how things have gone, and I just want to try and enjoy these next two years. ‘I’ll reassess it in 2028 and if things are really going well, and I’ve surprised myself, then maybe you can extend it but you have to be realistic. I’m definitely not going to be playing qualifiers put it that way.’ O’Sullivan went out early in Shanghai and it was Judd Trump who lifted the trophy, beating Wilson in Sunday’s final. Judd Trump won the Shanghai Masters for a second time (Picture: Getty Images) The Englishman is world number one but was picking up his first trophy since February 1 at the German Masters, his only title last season. Hendry feels Trump is an entirely different animal now compared to a decade ago and can see him getting back on a winning run, if he has cured his equipment woes of last season. ‘Arguably, he’s not as exciting to watch. He doesn’t take the risks or go for the shots that he might have done 10 years ago. But there’s no doubt he’s a far better all-round player than he used to be,’ said the Scot. ‘He doesn’t intimidate players with all-out attack in the same way he used to. The intimidation now comes from the fact that he’s world number one—and he plays like a world number one. ‘Judd used four different cues last season. If he’s now got one that he’s very happy with, it could spell trouble for the rest. ‘Trump is a winning machine. When he gets on a roll, he loves winning. Even when he’s not playing well, he has that habit of winning matches.’ The Shanghai Masters champ also gets his China Open campaign underway on Sunday, facing Noppon Saengkham. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

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Snooker's Asian swing continues as revived China Open offers record-breaking riches

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Snooker star bedbound after nightmare injury on fairground ride

Ian Burns is out of action with a freak injury (Picture: WST/Tai Chengzhe) Ian Burns has been stuck in bed for two weeks and has missed a string of crucial matches after suffering a back injury on a fairground ride. The world number 74 had some encouraging results early in the season, including topping his Championship League group with three wins from three. Then an unexpected problem arose after a trip to a local fair that has done serious damage to his back and his season. He played through the pain in his second Championship League group but after aggravating the injury further he was stuck in bed while qualifiers for three events were played. The 41-year-old was forced out of his games in the Shenzhen Open, British Open and English Open, wrecking an early part of the season. ‘It’s been a tough one,’ Burns told **Metro**. ‘I’ve had back injuries before but this has been the worst. ## Are you snooker loopy? You're in the right place. I'm Phil Haigh, and I cover the game we all love for **Metro**. In my newsletter, The Table, I analyse the biggest talking points, pull back the curtain on the sport and crown the biggest winners and losers every week. Sign up here. Phil has been reporting on snooker for over a decade ‘I went on a fairground ride and the carriage just jolted and I felt something in the bottom of my back. Burns was enjoying some encouraging results (Picture: WST) ‘It’s in my local village, every year they have a carnival day, so we always take the kids. I just went on a ride with them, it was called The Sizzler. ‘Like I said, I’ve had back injuries before, a slipped disc or a bulging disc in the bottom of your spine, and I felt something go.’ If the fairground ride wasn’t innocuous enough to cause serious pain, the way Burns aggravated the problem was even more so. ‘It was slowly getting better. It was during the World Cup, so I went to a beer garden to watch England play Argentina,’ said the Preston cueman. ‘I was sat on a wooden bench and my back just didn’t feel very good at all. The day after all the muscles had clamped around my spine, and I literally couldn’t walk. Any movement was excruciating pain. ‘I tried to sort of walk leaning over to one side, but I saw a physio and he told me to stay in bed. It’s been two weeks today that I’ve just been in bed. It’s been a nightmare. Honestly, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. ‘I’m sure anyone doesn’t mind a day lying in bed. But when you’ve had 14 days, there’s only so much you can take, there’s only so many things you can watch. That first week, I literally couldn’t even sit up. I was just constantly lying down for a week. ‘I’m slowly getting better every day. I’ve been downstairs this morning, so I’ve had 15 minutes on my feet, and then it starts aching again, so I’m laying on the bed again.’ Alongside the physical pain and boredom there is the mental anguish that he is losing out on prize money and ranking points while being laid up. The professional calendar has changed this season and there are more blocks of qualifying events together, which Burns feels should not be the case, given what he is going through. ‘It’s frustrating missing three qualifiers. Every pound, every point counts on the rankings. It’s going to make a massive difference towards the end of the season,’ he said, as he fights to retain his professional status this season. Burns hopes to be back playing next month but remains in a lot of pain (Picture: WST) ‘Maybe I’m only saying this because of what has happened this week, but you can’t have block qualifiers. You can’t. ‘If they’re not in a block, then I’ve probably only missed one event, then you can stomach it. But I’ve now missed the new China event, the British Open and English Open.’ Alongside playing, Burns works as a coach, but that sideline has also had to take a backseat due to his injury. ‘I’ve had to cancel so much coaching,’ he said. ‘I’ve no idea when I’m going to be available. So that’s been another frustrating thing.’ On a more positive note, Burns has been doing impressive work on his social media accounts and boosting his coaching business. Somewhat unexpectedly, that has led to a snooker store with a global reach and online coaching with similarly far-flung clients. ‘I’ve got my YouTube channel and I post a lot on Instagram and it really has generated a lot more coaching. Everything has progressed from there,’ he explained. ‘I think you have to get to so many subscribers and watch hours on YouTube and then you’re eligible for different perks. I was eligible to have an online shop and you can link your products in your videos ‘I started talking to suppliers about where to get cues and cases and things and it built from there. ‘I’ve sent cues and cases all around the world. You can’t believe where people have bought things from. I’ve sent cues to somebody in Fiji and in the Bahamas. ‘I’m doing online coaching sessions with a chap who lives in Mauritius. He has a table in his house. But obviously I’ve not been able to get on to him recently just because of this issue, it’s all taken a backseat. The whole thing has just been so frustrating.’ Burns hopes to be back in action for the next block of qualifiers in mid-September for the Northern Ireland Open, International Championship and Scottish Open. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

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Trump und Jones holen erste Titel der Saison

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Shanghai champ Judd Trump hoping history repeats in world number one race

Judd Trump got his new professional snooker season off to the perfect start as he won the 2026 Shanghai Masters.

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Judd Trump sees worrying signs for his rivals with Shanghai Masters win

Judd Trump landed the Shanghai Masters title for a second time (Picture: Getty Images) Judd Trump can see a return to his relentless winning ways after starting the season in perfect fashion with the Shanghai Masters title. The world number one produced a great run to the final, beating Barry Hawkins 6-4, hammering John Higgins 6-0 and downing world champion Wu Yize 10-6. That set up a showpiece against Kyren Wilson on Sunday where he rode his luck a little at times, but overcame trickier conditions than the rest of the week to win 11-6. Trump has now already matched his title tally from last season, when his one piece of silverware came at the German Masters, in a relatively quiet campaign by his very high standards. The 36-year-old won the Shanghai Masters once before, in 2024 when he went on to land two huge titles at the UK Championship and Saudi Arabia Masters. He reckons this is the perfect way to boost his confidence after an underwhelming end to the last season and the ideal platform for a better campaign to come. ## Are you snooker loopy? You're in the right place. I'm Phil Haigh, and I cover the game we all love for **Metro**. In my newsletter, The Table, I analyse the biggest talking points, pull back the curtain on the sport and crown the biggest winners and losers every week. Sign up here. Phil has been reporting on snooker for over a decade ‘I think the last time I won Shanghai I had a great season after that,’ he told WST. ‘You need to be winning events like this to test yourself against the best but it also gives you the most confidence as well. Trump wins the £210,000 top prize in Shanghai (Picture: Getty Images) ‘I think if I am to have a great season it was important I got off to a good start. I’ve done that now I just need to do the rest.’ Trump’s battering of Higgins in the last 16 will live long in the memory as he made breaks of 97, 60, 53, 152, 128 and 102 and the legendary Scot failed to score a point in five of the six frames. The final wasn’t that kind of performance as Trump managed six half-centuries and a high break of 82, but he was pleased that he could win in other ways than just blasting his opponent off the table. He was also thrilled to beat his rival Wilson, who enjoyed his 2024/25 season against Trump, beating him in three finals and a Masters semi. ‘It was a good win, it was a tough game compared to the other ones,’ said Trump. ‘The other ones I was in full flow. The table played a bit more difficult in the final and that’s why the standard maybe wasn’t quite as good. ‘Any win against him is good for me because he’s beaten me in the last few finals. So it was nice to start the season in that kind of manner and get one over him.’ Next up for Trump will be the China Open which starts on Saturday, with the world number one starting his campaign on Sunday against Noppon Saengkham. He is using slightly different equipment this season and feels it has already had the impact he desired. ‘I’ve put a lot of work in on the practice table, with new tips that I’m trying to get used to. Vortex Tips,’ he said. ‘I’ve been spending the off-season trying to get more spin because when you come to Shanghai it’s a bit heavier and trickier to get the feel of the table. ‘It seemed to be paying off, in the first few games. I played as good as I have done for a while.’ Kyren Wilson had to settle for runner-up this year in Shanghai (Picture: Getty Images) As for Wilson, he made a great effort at defending the title he won last year, beating Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams and Zhao Xintong before falling short against Trump. The sixth frame will probably still be bothering him as he missed an easy ball on 66 to go 3-3, allowing Trump to step in and make 67 to pinch the frame, before opening up a 7-3 lead after the first session. ‘It should really have been 5-5 after the first session,’ he said. That is how good Judd Trump is. If you give him a chance he will punish you and when he smells blood he goes for the kill. ‘I made it too difficult tonight, but I kept fighting.’ > Judd Trump: Punisher! > > The #ShanghaiMasters final is heating up. > > LIVE on @tntsports | HBO Max | WST PLAY > > Full broadcast details: https://t.co/LOWEnAROgn pic.twitter.com/aajaHmKnjv > > — WST (@WeAreWST) August 2, 2026 Wilson takes on Irish talent Aaron Hill on Monday in Taiyuan, where the China Open is now held. The Shanghai Masters title in 2025 was not the sign of good things to come for Wilson that Trump hopes it will be for him this time round. The Warrior did go on to win the Masters last season, but struggled in ranking tournaments, failing to go beyond a quarter-final. This early season form suggests that he is unlikely to repeat that kind of frustrating campaign though. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

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Judd Trump triumphs to take second Shanghai Masters crown

Judd Trump has won the first big stage tournament of the new professional snooker season at the 2026 Shanghai Masters.

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Judd Trump secures 2026 Shanghai Masters triumph | SnookerHQ.com

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