Ronnie O’Sullivan: Players can’t avoid rivals in snooker like they can in boxing

The Rocket faces four-time winner John Higgins in Sheffield this weekend.

Ronnie O’Sullivan is ready to go head to head with John Higgins once again. Pic: Richard Sellers/PA

Ronnie O’Sullivan wishes he could pick and choose his path to a record eighth World Snooker Championship at the Crucible as he prepares to exchange blows with arguably his greatest rival in round two.

Snooker’s closest thing to the Ali-Frazier epics will get under way on Saturday when O’Sullivan faces four-time winner John Higgins in Sheffield, and as he homes in on eclipsing the mark he shares with Stephen Hendry he is resigned to doing things the hard way.