Post a reply

Shaun Murphy discusses Ronnie's non entry

Postby SnookerFan

Shaun Murphy says "genius" Ronnie O'Sullivan's "weird" decision not to defend his UK Championship title will not reduce the event's importance.

Five-time world champion O'Sullivan, 39, has not played a competitive match since the World Championship in April.

World number four Murphy told BBC Sport: "It's a shame for the event and fans who bought tickets way in advance.

"Ronnie is an absolute genius on the table. But we know trying to predict his decisions is a waste of time."

O'Sullivan has not retired and says he still wants a place in the sport when he works out what that is.

Murphy, one of only 10 men to to have won snooker's 'Big Three' of World Championship, UK Championship and Masters, added: "It's a bit weird for a defending champion not to want to defend their title.
'He could win everything left-handed'
Shaun Murphy and Ronnie O'Sullivan look at the table during their World Championship meeting in 2014
Murphy says O'Sullivan is the most naturally gifted player snooker has ever seen

"But as with all geniuses, they walk a very thin line.

"It is very hard to understand some of the decisions he makes. But I am sure he has his reasons, and his reasons are private and personal to him - and who is to say he is wrong?

"He could come back after the new year, play in all the events and win all of them left-handed. Let's hope he makes a return as soon as possible."

But 33-year-old Murphy, who faces local amateur Ashley Hugill in his first-round match on Wednesday, said it was "insulting to the rest of the tour" to say O'Sullivan's absence would have a big impact on the event in York.

"One man doesn't make a game. Snooker is much bigger than Ronnie O'Sullivan," Murphy said. "Certainly when he is in the events it adds a certain sparkle to the tournament because he is the most naturally gifted player we have ever seen.

"It's a bit like when golf doesn't have one of the big names in it. Tiger Woods missed out on a few events a few years ago and they said golf doesn't have the same razzamatazz.

"But golf seems to have gone on and done OK and I think snooker will too."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/34882374

Re: Shaun Murphy discusses Ronnie's non entry

Postby Cloud Strife

SnookerFan wrote:Shaun Murphy says "genius" Ronnie O'Sullivan's "weird" decision not to defend his UK Championship title will not reduce the event's importance.

Five-time world champion O'Sullivan, 39, has not played a competitive match since the World Championship in April.

World number four Murphy told BBC Sport: "It's a shame for the event and fans who bought tickets way in advance.

"Ronnie is an absolute genius on the table. But we know trying to predict his decisions is a waste of time."

O'Sullivan has not retired and says he still wants a place in the sport when he works out what that is.

Murphy, one of only 10 men to to have won snooker's 'Big Three' of World Championship, UK Championship and Masters, added: "It's a bit weird for a defending champion not to want to defend their title.
'He could win everything left-handed'
Shaun Murphy and Ronnie O'Sullivan look at the table during their World Championship meeting in 2014
Murphy says O'Sullivan is the most naturally gifted player snooker has ever seen

"But as with all geniuses, they walk a very thin line.

"It is very hard to understand some of the decisions he makes. But I am sure he has his reasons, and his reasons are private and personal to him - and who is to say he is wrong?

"He could come back after the new year, play in all the events and win all of them left-handed. Let's hope he makes a return as soon as possible."

But 33-year-old Murphy, who faces local amateur Ashley Hugill in his first-round match on Wednesday, said it was "insulting to the rest of the tour" to say O'Sullivan's absence would have a big impact on the event in York.

"One man doesn't make a game. Snooker is much bigger than Ronnie O'Sullivan," Murphy said. "Certainly when he is in the events it adds a certain sparkle to the tournament because he is the most naturally gifted player we have ever seen.

"It's a bit like when golf doesn't have one of the big names in it. Tiger Woods missed out on a few events a few years ago and they said golf doesn't have the same razzamatazz.

"But golf seems to have gone on and done OK and I think snooker will too."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/34882374


Ok.

Re: Shaun Murphy discusses Ronnie's non entry

Postby SnookerFan

Pink Ball wrote:rubbish opinion by Murphy.


Considering Shaun Murphy has a habit of giving his opinion in such a way, that he annoys you with it even if you agree with him, this is fairly innocuous.

He said it was a shame, but Ronnie isn't bigger than the sport. Nothing technically wrong with that.

Maybe the comment about buying tickets well in advance was a bit duff, because if you buy them before matches are announced, you know the risk is you can't tell who you'll see. And maybe, calling Ronnie's decision weird, then saying; "Oh, I'm sure he had his reasons" seems a bit pointless.

At the end of the day, it's just the BBC's way of apologising for Ronnie not being that way. ITV just got Clive and Neal to mentiob it 1,247 times on the opening day of Champion of Champions. The BBC is getting their Ronnie mentions in, before the tournament starts. <laugh>

Re: Shaun Murphy discusses Ronnie's non entry

Postby Smart

Cloud Strife wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:Shaun Murphy says "genius" Ronnie O'Sullivan's "weird" decision not to defend his UK Championship title will not reduce the event's importance.

Five-time world champion O'Sullivan, 39, has not played a competitive match since the World Championship in April.

World number four Murphy told BBC Sport: "It's a shame for the event and fans who bought tickets way in advance.

"Ronnie is an absolute genius on the table. But we know trying to predict his decisions is a waste of time."

O'Sullivan has not retired and says he still wants a place in the sport when he works out what that is.

Murphy, one of only 10 men to to have won snooker's 'Big Three' of World Championship, UK Championship and Masters, added: "It's a bit weird for a defending champion not to want to defend their title.
'He could win everything left-handed'
Shaun Murphy and Ronnie O'Sullivan look at the table during their World Championship meeting in 2014
Murphy says O'Sullivan is the most naturally gifted player snooker has ever seen

"But as with all geniuses, they walk a very thin line.

"It is very hard to understand some of the decisions he makes. But I am sure he has his reasons, and his reasons are private and personal to him - and who is to say he is wrong?

"He could come back after the new year, play in all the events and win all of them left-handed. Let's hope he makes a return as soon as possible."

But 33-year-old Murphy, who faces local amateur Ashley Hugill in his first-round match on Wednesday, said it was "insulting to the rest of the tour" to say O'Sullivan's absence would have a big impact on the event in York.

"One man doesn't make a game. Snooker is much bigger than Ronnie O'Sullivan," Murphy said. "Certainly when he is in the events it adds a certain sparkle to the tournament because he is the most naturally gifted player we have ever seen.

"It's a bit like when golf doesn't have one of the big names in it. Tiger Woods missed out on a few events a few years ago and they said golf doesn't have the same razzamatazz.

"But golf seems to have gone on and done OK and I think snooker will too."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/34882374


Ok.

:chin:

Re: Shaun Murphy discusses Ronnie's non entry

Postby PLtheRef

Though I think Murphy has got a point here, part of me wonders whether if this was someone other than Ronnie involved who hadn't entered the tournament day Selby or Trump would Murphy be passing a comment.

I appreciate that Ronnie does invite speculation and comments like this, but it does seem to be that Murphy does pass comment on Ronnie moreso than the others.

Re: Shaun Murphy discusses Ronnie's non entry

Postby SnookerFan

PLtheRef wrote:Though I think Murphy has got a point here, part of me wonders whether if this was someone other than Ronnie involved who hadn't entered the tournament day Selby or Trump would Murphy be passing a comment.

I appreciate that Ronnie does invite speculation and comments like this, but it does seem to be that Murphy does pass comment on Ronnie moreso than the others.


In answer to your first question, the answer is no. If any other player refused entry, it wouldn't get a quarter of the discussion as Ronnie's non-entry. There wouldn't have been a thread on this forum that ran to a dozen pages on this forum with people going; "Waaah! Where's Neil Robertson?"

I also agree that other players can't have a bowel movement, without Murphy having an opinion on it, but part of me also wonders if he's been slightly put up to this by the BBC as well. ITV4 spent most of the first day of the CoC apologising for Ronnie's non-entry. I suspect the BBC will be the same.

I wouldn't be surprised if the BBC deliberately went looking for somebody to give their opinion on Ronnie, because they believed most fans need to be told that the tournament is still worth watching without him in it.

It's also not surprising that Shaun "Have I Told You My Opinion Yet?" Murphy volunteered his services.