Before a tournament, Ronnie O’Sullivan has acknowledged that he minimizes his prospects in order to save face. The Rocket maintains that in order to avoid having his remarks backfire, it is preferable to downplay his potential performance at an event.
The 48-year-old claims that his stage fright is caused by nervousness, which is why he is missing the Welsh Open right now. Despite maintaining that he is aware of his abilities, he talked candidly about “undercooking” his own expectations prior to competing at a tournament when doing punditry for Eurosport.
Underplaying it is preferable, according to O’Sullivan. We all know our own abilities, but you shouldn’t hold yourself above water by declaring your greatness and then falling short.
O’Sullivan had just seen Anthony McGill, who had defeated Mark Williams handily in Wales, give a dejected interview. It was an unexpected reflection of his victory that McGill had claimed he “hates the way I play snooker”.
However, O’Sullivan thinks that kind of response is typical and advised celebrities to consult with reliable friends. He advises against thinking that you have performed poorly and instead to find out what a friend thought of your performance.
