Ssb - o'sullivan to play in championship league

[MySockPuppet]

Ronnie O'Sullivan will compete in this season's Championship League regardless of whether or not he wins the Premier League.

The world no.1 will enter the event in group 2 next January. It is played down the road from his Chigwell home at Crondon Park Golf Club in Essex and shown free on the internet through various betting websites.

The first group sees world champion John Higgins, last season's CLS winner Judd Trump, Stephen Maguire, Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby, Ryan Day and Ali Carter do battle.

O'Sullivan joins the fray in the following group alongside Neil Robertson and Marco Fu.

Stephen Hendry, Mark Allen, Ding Junhui, Liang Wenbo and Steve Davis are among the players entering in the later groups.

The players will compete for a £200,000 total prize fund with a place in the Premier League up for grabs for the ultimate winner.

Unlike the last two years, all matches will be best of five frames so this time around a draw is not possible.

The action starts on January 4.


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[contact300]

I don't bealive this

[RocketRoy1983]

I don't bealive this

I didnt either when I read the title but hey we'll have to wait and see.

[Templeton Peck]

I suspect he will just play in the second group and the second group only. If he doesn't qualify he will withdraw. I think the main motivator is that he can commute from home.

[Monique]

I really wonder why...

- some "don't believe this"
- some imply he will withdraw after first group

There is a lot of rubbish written about ROS on forums by people who don't know him and by people who go by hearsay relayed by a certain press or other people just knowing no more.

One of this rubbish is that "he doesn't care". That's completely untrue. He cares and he certainly has his pride. This is well paid practice, not far from home and he will most certainly take full advantage of it.

[contact300]

Ronnie O'Sullivan doesn't like to lose.
And this league doesn't make him stronger.
I wonder why he is playing in this event and
why he is not playing in Jiangsu Classic.

[Monique]

Very simple...

This league is round-robin. Several matches against the top. Not like if you lose your first match you're out. So good practice guaranteed just before the Masters.
It's played on his doorstep. Come, play, go home. No planes, no hanging around in venues, not jetlag, no sleepless nights.

Makes sense don't you think?

[contact300]

whot about money? He likes money.
And this tournoment will not give him so much money like Masters or Premier League.

And he always say that he want to play in big tournoments.

[Monique]

whot about money? He likes money.
And this tournoment will not give him so much money like Masters or Premier League.

And he always say that he want to play in big tournoments.

It's better paid than practising in the club, and against stronger opposition. Top opposition. Yes he likes money, don't be kidding yourself they all do.
ROS likes to play in big tournaments, yes. That does not mean he plays only there. He does exhibitions also, quite a lot.
What he doesn't like is to have to hang around in a shabby venue, with a gloomy atmosphere and away from home for a week. Matchroom events are usually very well run, with a relaxed atmosphere and good attention to the players wellbeing.