Ronnie O’Sullivan shows true colours with message to Ding Junhui after UK Championship win…..
Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated Ding Junhui in the UK Championship final and had a special message for his opponent.
Following his 10-7 victory over Ding Junhui in the UK Championship final, Ronnie O’Sullivan sent a sophisticated message to the Chinese snooker player. After a hard test at the York Barbican, the Rocket had nothing but praise for his opponent, whom he called the “godfather of Chinese snooker”.
At the Triple Crown event, Ding pushed O’Sullivan all the way, coming back from a 4-1 deficit to square the match at 4-4 during the mid-session break and then going frame-for-frame on Sunday night. The eight-time champion needed the final three frames to secure his triumph.
But O’Sullivan talked about his personal win as much as he did complimenting Ding after the game. With three titles of his own, Ding has established himself as a specialist in the UK Championship and has rightfully gained the respect of the greatest snooker player in history.
“He’s played fantastic all week,” O’Sullivan told the BBC. “I’ve been watching all his games and his cue ball control is the best ever – he’s never out of position, it’s like watching a computer.
“It’s a pleasure to play Ding, he’s such a good man – he was a boy when I first started playing him but he’s a man now, a father, a credit to China, I call him the Godfather of Chinese snooker, he paved the way for everybody else to believe they could come here and do it.
“I’m a huge fan of his and it’s an honor to play him in the final. He’s an incredible inspiration to all snooker players.” The atmosphere has been amazing all week, and I enjoy playing here. I know there are probably millions and millions of people watching in China. For me, it’s a tremendous experience.”
