The Rocket

I was spot on with the TV last night.

Turned on the TV once I reached home and they were showing the reply of this year’s 888.com World Snooker Championship where Ronnie O’Sullivan was playing Mark Williams.

It was the 20th frame and Ronnie was leading 12-7 in a best of 25 match.

I always watch with enthusiasm whenever Ronnie plays. I do watch other players, but Ronnie is simply a genius when it comes to . Even those who know nuts about will love watching him because he pots balls after balls, effortlessly.

They don’t call him The Rocket, the most naturally talented and genius player for no reason.

You can read yourself for more about him here.

The first time I saw him on TV 8 years ago, he was playing well with his left hand for the entire match. So, I thought he was left handed. The next time I saw him play, he was playing with his right hand. And when I asked others about it only did I realized he was right handed and he could beat any top 16 players with his left hand as well.

Here’s a video where Ronnie made a century, left handed.

O’Sullivan is right-handed, but can play to a high standard with his left hand. While not quite possessing the same power in his left arm, being ambidextrous enables him to attempt shots with his left hand that would otherwise require awkward cueing with a rest or spider. O’Sullivan sometimes plays with a variety of bridge hands.

When he first displayed this left-handed ability in the 1996 World Championship against Alain Robidoux, the Canadian accused him of disrespect. O’Sullivan responded that he played better with his left hand than Robidoux could with his right. O’Sullivan was summoned to a disciplinary hearing in response to Robidoux’s formal complaint, where he had to prove that he could play to a high level with his left hand. He played three frames of against former world championship runner-up Rex Williams, winning all three. The charge of bringing the game into disrepute was subsequently dropped.

Here are all 8 videos of his 9 147’s.

  1. 2008 World Championship Last 16 vs Mark Williams
  2. 2007 Northern Ireland Trophy vs Ali Carter
  3. 2003 World Championship Round 2 vs Marco Fu
  4. 2001 LG Cup vs Drew Henry
  5. 2000 Scottish Open vs Quinten Hann
  6. 1999 Grand Prix vs Graeme Dott
  7. 1999 Welsh Open vs James Wattana
  8. 1997 World Championship vs Mick Price (fastest 147)

Couldn’t find the 9th one. That happened when playing Stephen Hendry in 1997.

July 29, 2008 | Filed Under Sports 

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