RONNIE O’SULLIVAN REVEALED he felt “horrendous” and struggled to stay awake as he crashed out of the World Championship to amateur James Cahill.
World number one and five-time champion O’Sullivan went down 10-8 on Tuesday in one of the Crucible’s great upsets.
The defeat was particularly surprising given O’Sullivan’s sterling season, with wins at the UK Championship, Players Championship and Tour Championship taking him back to the top of the rankings.
Yet the 43-year-old said that he felt lethargic over two days against Cahill, explaining a sloppy performance.
“I’m alright, all my limbs just feel really heavy – legs, arms,” O’Sullivan told BBC Sport. “I’m absolutely shattered, just drained really, had no energy.
“I was struggling, struggling to stay awake. I haven’t got any visual stuff. I just feel horrendous, to be honest with you.
“You have to come here physically, mentally feeling good. Mentally I was up for it – I’ve had a good season.
“I didn’t expect to do well here, you just try to do your best. If you’re physically not 100 per cent, then it’s going to make it even harder.
“I tried to hang in there, tried to do as much as I could and see if I could get through this match and then have a few days off to feel a little bit better.”
Cahill almost let O’Sullivan back into the contest at 8-8 and admitted that he found it difficult to adapt to facing a modern great who was so out of shape.
“It was hard to play against, because you don’t expect him to miss so many balls,” he said. “I was quite happy with it at 2-2, 3-3, when I was potting and he was potting and it seemed normal.
“Then when he starts missing a few, you come to the table and think, ‘I’ve got a chance now’. Then it happens again and you miss a couple and it sort of catches on.
“I’ve gone out there today and tried to be professional and not take on too many things. I’ve tried play my own game really — it’s easy to get dragged into other people’s games.”
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Delighted. They have been playing excellent rugby all season, and fully deserve to be in the champions cup, not to mention in the playoffs!
@Joe Vlogs: Agree great for Italian rugby and the league overall.
No one calling to have the Italians removed form the league anymore. Hopefully this works out well and Italian rugby gets more exposure and Benetton can build a larger fanbase.
@Kingshu: agreed but in the same breath everyone will be hoping for them in their group in the champions cup. Delighted for them and they have earned it.
Great news for Conor O’Shea too. Fair play to all of them, refusing to give up on themselves.
Well done, Benetton. Delighted for them.
Conor O Shea’s handy work
@Fred McHugh: Does he actually have any input as how Benetton are coached though? He’s not listed on their coaching ticket. I’ve seen a few plaudits thrown his way this year when they’ve done well and tbh they read a little like the ‘Lancaster’s Leinster’ headlines you see in the English papers.
@Pete McEvoy:
Interesting point !!
@Pete McEvoy: o Sheas job is a top down rebuild of Italian rugby. He is over everything rugby in Italy.
That’s class. Well done!
Would be some scalp if the beat Munster in Quarter final
@BMJF: and as leinster well know, they’re tricky opponents