We love competing – Ronnie O’Sullivan explains success of Class of ’92

By Mark Staniforth, PA

Hard competition and enduring happiness are the reasons why snooker’s ‘Class of ’92’ have continued to hold the sport’s new generations at bay, according to seven-times world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The 49-year-old eased into a 6-2 lead after the first session of his Crucible quarter-final against Si Jiahui on Tuesday while John Higgins slugged out a 5-3 advantage over Mark Williams.

The trio boast 14 world titles between them and and few would dare bet against that number increasing as they continue to cut a swathe through the draw in Sheffield.

“There was a big element of (competition) in the early part of our careers,” said O’Sullivan. “If one did well the others wanted to do better.

“John was the first to win a World Championship, then it was Mark, then me. You’re always wanting to keep up with them.

“I think that stopped a long time ago. We keep going as it is. I’m not sure how much longer we can keep going on for, though. There are so many young players coming through.

“I think we just love the game. We love playing, we love competing. Without it, you think, what would I do with my time? A lot of it is that as well.”

O’Sullivan found it all too easy to build up a commanding lead over Si, who showed few signs of the form that had swept him to the semi-finals on his Crucible debut two years ago.

Si did fashion a century to pull level at 2-2 and rallied again from 4-1 down, but a missed black off its spot when he stood on the verge of reducing the deficit to a single frame cost him dear, as O’Sullivan cleared up and finished the session with a quickfire 121 to put himself firmly in control.

Former champion Luca Brecel clung onto Judd Trump’s coat-tails by winning the last two frames of the opening session – including a break of 128 – to reduce the deficit to 5-3 in a match set to resume on Wednesday.

Trump fired consecutive breaks of 106 and 110 in the fourth and fifth frames, moving him within one of matching Neil Robertson’s record of 102 centuries in a single season.

Higgins was also pegged back as Williams won the last two frames to make it 5-3, with their eagerly-anticipated match set to resume on Tuesday evening.

Higgins and Williams, who number seven world titles between them, are taking part in the oldest last-eight clash since Eddie Charlton beat a 65-year-old Fred Davis in 1979.

Higgins, who will celebrate his 50th birthday two weeks after this year’s final, nudged into a 2-0 lead and regained his two-frame advantage in the fourth after Williams paid the price for missing a relatively simple brown.

A break of 80 looked set to earn the Scot an almost unassailable lead but Williams drew on all his experience to win the final two frames of the session, including a break of 104.

Zhao Xintong produced a dazzling display of long potting as he built a 6-2 lead over fellow qualifier Chris Wakelin.

The Chinese player, who is playing as an amateur as he continues his comeback from a 20-month ban for involvement in a betting scandal, lost the opening frame but hit back by taking the next six in succession.