Doherty: Snooker will miss Rocket Ronnie

Former world champion Ken Doherty has revealed his sadness after Ronnie O’Sullivan threatened to take a break from the game.

O’Sullivan revealed his intention to take a year out of snooker after relinquishing an 8-2 lead on the way to defeat by Peter Ebdon in the Embassy World Championship in Sheffield this week.

The 29-year-old said the “physical and mental pain” of playing snooker was a prime reason for wanting a break and revealed he had been considering such a possibility for a while.

Doherty, however, insisted O’Sullivan’s absence – albeit temporary – would be a major loss for the game.

He told BBC Radio Five Live: “He is our best player – he is our probably our Chelsea or Real Madrid. We will miss him – we all love him, the public love him.

“He is so unpredictable and is a great talent. He has taken over the mantle of the people’s world champion. It would be a terrible shame to lose him – even just for a year.”