Ronnie O’Sullivan will start his bid for a record-equalling seventh world title towards David Gilbert on Saturday in Sheffield.
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s season to date
O’Sullivan enters the 2022 World Championship because the world primary, having just lately reclaimed high spot within the rankings.
Relatively than powering his solution to the summit in model, O’Sullivan kind of stumbled there and took benefit of a interval of poor type from Mark Selby.
O’Sullivan can have the £500,000 he earned from his 2020 Crucible success coming off his tally subsequent month, so his newest spell in pole place could also be short-lived.
All of that can rely, after all, on how he fares in what’s his thirtieth look in Sheffield.
O’Sullivan is making a second try at capturing a seventh world crown that may take him alongside the good Stephen Hendry as probably the most prolific winner of the fashionable period.
It has been a strong season for the Rocket, with a number of respectable performances together with a come-from-behind victory over Neil Robertson to land the World Grand Prix in December.
Robertson has been a thorn in O’Sullivan’s facet since then, although, and the pair may face off once more in what could be a mouthwatering semi-final conflict.
At 46, it continues to be exceptional how O’Sullivan can characteristic so persistently on the enterprise finish of competitions – even when he’s not producing his final finest.
David Gilbert’s season to date
When David Gilbert ended his lengthy look ahead to a maiden rating title on the season-opening Championship League, a fast return to the highest 16 appeared inevitable.
Subsequent runs to the quarter-finals of each the British Open and the Northern Eire Open solely served to substantiate that likelihood.
But it has transpired to be a comparatively quiet season for the Indignant Farmer, and early defeats in each the Welsh Open and the Turkish Masters left his aspirations of an computerized spot in Sheffield in tatters.
Gilbert coasted by way of the preliminary part, nevertheless, shedding solely 4 frames in complete towards Rory McLeod and Anthony Hamilton.
The 40 year-old memorably reached the semi-finals of the World Championship three years in the past – a run that led to tears following a deciding-frame defeat to John Higgins within the final 4.
Head-to-head
There have been many individuals professing this fixture to be one of many ties of the first-round draw, and it does undoubtedly pit two massive names collectively.
However the actuality is that O’Sullivan dominates their head-to-head, successful all seven of their prior clashes with each other.
That features a showdown on the similar stage of the 2016 World Championship, when O’Sullivan prevailed with a 10-7 scoreline.
The Verdict
All streaks have a tendency to finish eventually, so it will be silly to fully write off Gilbert’s possibilities.
He unquestionably has the expertise to ruffle O’Sullivan’s feathers, however the same final result to their assembly six years in the past is extra more likely to be on the playing cards.
O’Sullivan is in a tough part of the draw, however in some respects which may sharpen his focus forward of what could also be a landmark yr.
Prediction: Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-7 David Gilbert
Saturday, April sixteenth – 2:30pm
Sunday, April seventeenth – 2:30pm
Extra previews and predictions:
Mark Selby vs Jamie Jones
Barry Hawkins vs Jackson Web page
Zhao Xintong vs Jamie Clarke
Featured photograph credit score: WST
