Ronnie O’Sullivan Willing To Pull Out Of Tournaments ‘to Make Sure Dog Is Alright’ – Snooker Freaks

Snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan has admitted that he would be willing to pull out of a snooker tournament to make sure his new dog is okay.

The charismatic 46-year-old won the Hong Kong Masters earlier this month and on his return to the UK chose to spend time with his four-legged friends and leave his cue in its box. O’Sullivan is playing at this week’s Northern Ireland Open and won his first round match against Lukas Kleckers 4-0.

‘The Rocket’ said that he and his partner had recently added a second dog to their home and he would pull out of any snooker tournament to make sure his new pet is okay.

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“I’ve come home and had a nice week with the dogs, just chilling out,” said O’Sullivan talking to Eurosport. “We had a dog, now we have got dogs. They are the best thing. They have restored my faith in life. They give you so much love.

“I just like spending all day at home with him. I’d rather spend all day with him rather than any other person on the planet. He wags his tail, is happy to see you. He’s the best.”

“If I had to pull out of any tournament to make sure he’s all right, I would. It changed me a lot. He is just an amazing little thing.”

Despite being reigning world champion O’Sullivan says he ‘checked out eight years ago’ from the game and now plays snooker for fun. His seventh world championship title earlier this year matched the record of Stephen Hendry and an eighth crown would see him hold the record outright.

“I am still competitive because I am a competitive person, but I had to dial it down a lot just to enjoy it more for longevity reasons,” O’Sullivan told Breakdown Podcast hosts Orla Channahoui and Greg Rutherford.

O’Sullivan will face David Grace in Northern Ireland Open second round on Wednesday.

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