Ronnie O’Sullivan was full of praise for his snooker rival Kyren Wilson (Image: Eurosport)
has paid the ultimate compliment to one of his snooker rivals by claiming he would be “shocked” if didn’t claim four titles in his career.
As a seven-time world champion and one of the greatest snooker players of all time, O’Sullivan is certainly a voice of authority on the subject.
The 49-year-old, who pulled out of the Masters at the eleventh hour on medical grounds, has clearly been impressed with Wilson’s performances
He beat the world No. 1 Judd Trump 6-3 in their semi-final, despite trailing 3-2 at one point, as he scored six half-century breaks on his way to victory.
Wilson, 33, will face Shaun Murphy in the Masters final today after seeing off Trump to seal his place, while
But beyond his clash with Murphy, O’Sullivan is confident the reigning world champion has the ability to add another three titles to his trophy cabinet.
“A lot of people win the World Championship, like Peter Ebdon, Ken Doherty, Graeme Dott, and that was it, they won it,” O’Sullivan said on Eurosport.
“But I think with Kyren, like certain golfers, they win one big one and all of a sudden they become a great player.
Kyren Wilson already has one World Championship title to his name (Image: Getty)
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
“I think Kyren won that tournament, and he’s now a great player. Not a good player, not a very good player, he’s a great player.
“If he doesn’t win the world title four times, I’ll be shocked. He’s a young man. He’s 33, a baby of the game, he has until he’s 45.
“The way he hits the ball, he’s made for the Crucible. Nobody has ever retained it, and this is probably going to put a bit of pressure on him, but for me, he is the favourite to win that.”
‘The Rocket’s’ complimentary words may ring true given that Wilson has already featured in two World Championship finals in his career.
Kyren Wilson beat Judd Trump to reach the final of the 2025 Masters (Image: Getty)
Ironically, it was O’Sullivan who taught the Kettering-born cueman a harsh lesson in the 2020 final, beating him 18-8 to deny him a second shot at a Triple Crown title.
But as he has matured, Wilson has improved his composure in the testing moments.
He had to hold his nerve when beating Jak Jones after a closely-fought 18-14 victory, which confirmed him as world champion for the first time in his career.
If he can pull off a victory over the in-form Murphy at Ally Pally and secure the title that has so far eluded him, it would go some way to proving O’Sullivan’s prediction may ring true.