'o'sullivan Definitely A Contender'

Stephen Hendry is convinced Ronnie O'Sullivan is showing nan shape that could bring him a record-breaking eighth World Championship title successful Sheffield.

Scottish awesome Hendry was nan Crucible king successful nan 1990s, and he and Englishman O'Sullivan jointly clasp nan grounds of triumphing 7 times astatine nan celebrated venue.

But that could alteration successful nan adjacent 10 days arsenic O'Sullivan chases nan eighth world title of his career.

A brisk 10-4 triumph against Ali Carter successful information 1 allowed O'Sullivan to brushwood disconnected nan cobwebs, having not played successful master title since snapping his cue successful vexation astatine nan authorities of his crippled successful January. He has besides been struggling pinch what he termed "stage fright".

On Saturday, O'Sullivan originates his second-round lucifer against 25-year-old Chinese subordinate Pang Junxu, who hit Zhang Anda successful his opener.

The title originates astatine 14:30 BST and spans 3 sessions crossed 3 days, finishing connected Monday evening.

As agelong arsenic O'Sullivan's attraction holds, his prospects look progressively bully because his crippled appeared successful decent style against Carter.

It does his trophy chances nary harm that Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby and Mark Allen person each been knocked retired of his half of nan draw.

Hendry already likes O'Sullivan's chances.

He told World Snooker Tour's Snooker Club podcast: "Even though he will deflect distant from his chances of winning this thing, I deliberation nan measurement he played [against Carter] decidedly shows he is simply a contender.

"So I'm really looking guardant to seeing really he plays nan remainder of nan championship."

Six-time champion Steve Davis considers snooker's 17-day 'marathon of nan mind' an altogether caller situation now nan first-round shape has been navigated.

Speaking connected BBC Four, Davis said those who person passed that introspection of their credentials should beryllium capable to compete without emotion overly worried now nan matches person shifted from best-of-19 to best-of-25-frame contests.

There is greater scope for recovering from a dip successful shape complete nan longer matches.

"I don't deliberation you attack it differently, but you are much relaxed from not having nan panic of nan first round," Davis said.

"You cognize you've sewage to person an overnight slumber connected a lead aliases a shortage and that tin sometimes play its part.

"But conscionable to beryllium much relaxed, successful arsenic overmuch arsenic you've sewage a longer match, is handy, because you don't person anyplace adjacent arsenic overmuch of a panic if you person a bad mini-session aliases session."

At nan property of 49, O'Sullivan would beryllium snooker's oldest world champion if he takes nan title connected 5 May. He already holds that grounds pursuing his triumph against Judd Trump 3 years ago.

The 'Rocket' has been readying for a early beyond his playing profession for respective years, taking connected lucrative activity successful nan media and pinch academy projects.

O'Sullivan says he wants to find caller champions successful nan sport's biggest heartlands.

"I thief retired pinch nan academy successful Saudi Arabia and I'm enjoying nan activity I do there. Hopefully I tin do thing akin pinch immoderate young kids successful nan UK and China," he said.

"That's wherever my existent emotion is, to thief people, thief snooker players.

"I'm really enjoying it and that's not a distraction for me. It's practising and playing,

"We request to put immoderate academies successful spot here. How do we get funding? I would emotion to spot 1 successful Wales pinch Mark Williams, 1 successful Scotland pinch John Higgins, 1 successful [England] pinch maine and 1 successful Ireland pinch Ken Doherty, get nan kids from arsenic young arsenic 7 aliases 8 and nonstop them to nan academies, put successful 9 aliases 10 Star tables successful location and get nan kids playing.

"I don't cognize really backing works, I'm judge location are ways. Even if I was not playing I would still beryllium successful snooker, coming present arsenic support for a apical subordinate to thief him triumph a World Championship."