Rocket on the run

Ronnie O’Sullivan is following in the footsteps of Seb Coe during his 888.com World Championship campaign in his bid to become an elite runner.

O’Sullivan admits he devotes more time and energy to his running than his snooker and has linked up with a local athletics club while in Sheffield to keep up his training.

The 32-year-old was a creditable 189th out of 832 finishers in the South of England Cross Country Championships in January and has set himself some ambitious goals away from the table.

“I’m looking to go as far as I can go,” said O’Sullivan, who ended the opening session of his quarter-final with China’s Liang Wenbo level at 4-4.

“I want to become an elite runner, that will give me a two hours, 30 minutes time for a marathon, that’s my goal eventually.

“That’s something I really want to give 100% to but sometimes I have to be careful when I’m at tournaments not to overdo it because I can leave myself feeling a bit tired. I just have to keep ticking over while I’m here.

“I’ve hooked up with the local running club and I just follow them. We’ve been doing the course Seb Coe used to train on.”

O’Sullivan prefers cross country to track running and added: “It’s a bit more blood and guts. I’m not blessed with talent at running, I’m a bit of a workhorse. A few muddy hills is a bit of a leveller.

“I do it so I can eat what I like because I love food, I could eat for England, and you work up a big appetite when you run.

“I probably put more time into running than snooker. I play two hours snooker a day, sometimes only an hour. I don’t really need a lot of practice.

“It’s kind of a self-preservation thing. I heard Steve Davis say the other day, the more you put into it, if you don’t feel you’re getting a certain amount out you feel disappointed with yourself.

“So maybe I’m running away from snooker in a way because it’s hurt me so much over the years and I’ve not really produced what I felt I was capable of. I found something else I get a bit of a buzz out of.”

Less than 24 hours after firing a brilliant 147 maximum break – his third at the Crucible – in his second-round win over Mark Williams, O’Sullivan was back in action on the same table but soon found himself 2-0 down to debutant Liang.

O’Sullivan failed to pot a single ball as Liang, who beat Joe Swail 13-12 in a thrilling clash late last night, compiled breaks of 80, 48 and 49 to keep the two-time world champion sat in his chair.

However, the Rocket hit back with breaks of 109, 58 and 71 to lead 3-2 before a missed red on a break of 24 proved costly, Liang clearing up with 104 to level the scores.

Liang, who accounted for 1997 champion Ken Doherty in the first round, edged back in front with a run of 89 but O’Sullivan took the final frame of the session to ensure the match was evenly poised ahead of tomorrow’s conclusion.

The quarter-finals between Stephen Maguire and Joe Perry and Peter Ebdon and Ali Carter were equally tight, both ending 4-4 after the first session, Maguire fighting back from 4-0 down.

But Stephen Hendry enjoyed a 7-1 lead over Wales’ Ryan Day after coming close to recording the second 147 maximum break in two days.

Just hours after O’Sullivan’s brilliant clearance, Hendry potted 14 reds and 14 blacks in the fourth frame but missed the final red to end his chances of sharing the £147,000 bonus for a maximum and the £10,000 for the highest break of the tournament.

Day had taken the opening frame with a break of 66 but seven-time champion Hendry won the next seven in a row to take a stranglehold on the match.