Ronnie O’Sullivan appeared to have a momentary lapse when he forgot his opponent’s name straight after securing his spot in the World Seniors Championship final. O’Sullivan emerged as the 7-5 victor in his semi-final clash against Robert Milkins.
That victory set up a showdown with Joe Perry in the final of the competition. O’Sullivan is currently holding a 5-3 advantage in the best-of-19-frame encounter.
It marks the 50-year-old’s maiden appearance in the tournament, following a recent rule change that permits any players aged over 40 to compete. On his journey to the final, he defeated Ken Doherty 4-1 and Peter Lines 4-2 before his semi-final meeting with Milkins.
Following his triumph in that match, the Rocket made a comical slip during his post-match interview with Channel 5, temporarily forgetting the name of his opponent.
“Conditions were really tough,” he said. “None of the players were really making excuses and we’re not making excuses.
“I thought me and…er…Milkins. My brain’s gone! I thought we were cueing well, we were cueing alright, but it is just sometimes you can fall out of position and keep chasing the balls.”
The mistake prompted a laugh from the Crucible crowd.
The playing conditions have proved problematic; earlier this week, a fault with Table Two resulted in play being suspended for the evening. The match between Matthew Stevens and Dominic Dale was instead completed on Table One.
This year marks the first occasion since 2019 that the championship has taken place at the Crucible. “It is hard, especially under pressure in front of a big crowd,” O’Sullivan added. “So I think we’ve done really well considering the conditions.
“I’m messing about with different types of cue actions so it was a good experience to play under pressure, try and lose it and get it back. It is all new for me, so I’m enjoying that process.”
The seven-time World Champion had been installed as the favourite to claim the World Seniors Championship title even before a single ball had been potted. His march to the final comes just days after he made an early exit from the World Championship at the second round stage, falling to John Higgins.