Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan believes Sam Craigie can win a snooker tournament in the next 18 months. Craigie made a breakthrough at the UK Championship by reaching the quarter-finals and was ranked 37 in the world prior to this week’s Scottish Open. Stream the 2022 Scottish Open and more top snooker action live and on-demand on discovery+.
Sam Craigie is Ronnie O’Sullivan’s “new favourite” snooker player, and he believes he will win a tournament before 2024 is out.
After making it to the UK Championship quarterfinals, where he was defeated by eventual winner Mark Allen, Craigie achieved a breakthrough.
Before he left the circuit and came back in 2016, it was by far his best week since going professional in 2011.
After making it to the UK Championship quarterfinals, where he was defeated by eventual winner Mark Allen, Craigie achieved a breakthrough.
Before he left the circuit and came back in 2016, it was by far his best week since going professional in 2011.
“He’s my new favourite player,” O’Sullivan said in the Eurosport studio.
“I was looking down the ranking list the other day and there’s about five or six players who are 27 to 32 [years old], that are new, good players. He’s definitely one of them.
“I think he’s going to win a tournament in the next year or 18 months. He’s got a great cue action. I like his game a lot.”
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Craigie defended O’Sullivan earlier this month after the seven-time world champion received criticism from some players for his attitude to snooker.
Shaun Murphy thinks O’Sullivan “owes the game more” and “isn’t bigger than snooker”.
“He has to remember that he’s not just representing himself out there, he is representing the game as a whole and when he damages the game, he damages it for everybody,” said Murphy.
“He is the game’s biggest draw, he moves the needle when he plays, they used to say that for Tiger Woods, you could see the viewing figures change when he was playing golf. Ronnie is exactly the same, there’s no question about that at all.
“[But] when he took that year off nearly 10 years ago, World Snooker attained their biggest level of tickets sales and viewing figures were on a par, if not better, than the year before.
“So in every measurably way snooker seemed to do OK without Ronnie O’Sullivan. He isn’t bigger than snooker.”
Prior to these comments, Murphy insisted O’Sullivan grew up in “incredible wealth” but Craigie has backed The Rocket.
“He [O’Sullivan] is on his own level, you can’t even describe it,” he told The Mirror. “You play some of the other top players and they just don’t put you under that sort of pressure. I don’t know how it does it – he’s just got something and gives off his energy that puts you bang under it.
“When it comes to doing things for the sport he’s the one that sells the tickets, he’s the one that brings the money in really.
“Maybe he could do more but he can do what he wants. He’s the man that everyone wants to beat and if it wasn’t for him who knows how many tickets venues would sell.
“I’m the same so I get it. There’s so many times snooker gets you, he’s been through it in the past when he was younger so when you’re winning it’s hard to be really happy. The other side of it is really bad so you just have to take it in your stride.”
