Ronnie O'Sullivan has low expectations coming into this year's Betfred.com World Championships.
O'Sullivan says confidence remains low despite fresh approach
Ronnie O'Sullivan may be pleased not to be carrying the mantle of defending champion, but he still has low expectations coming into this year's Betfred.com World Championships.
The 34-year-old was at his lowest ebb 12 months ago and duly crashed out in the second round to Mark Allen, yet is the bookmakers' favourite once again.
That is despite his last appearance in the China Open, when he crashed out to wild-card entrant Tian Pengfai, but everyone knows the enigmatic 'Rocket' can fire up at any time.
And with three World Championship titles behind him only the man himself would doubt that a fourth is just around the corner.
"No, because I couldn't see me winning one to be honest with you," O'Sullivan said. "I've done one, two, three, so I've superseded what I thought I was going to do in the game.
"I don't feel pressure to win a fourth but it would be nice to win a fourth. I don't expect it but I'll be trying when I get there and you never know."
Attitude
Despite the shock defeat in China, O'Sullivan believes a new approach to the game sees him enter this week with a more positive mental attitude.
"I was well uncomfortable last year and I feel equally uncomfortable this year," he said. "Sometimes you have better years off the table, and this year I have enjoyed my year off the table, whereas last year I was trying too hard to get it right.
"Then this year I just thought, 'You know what, I'm not even going to try to get it right'. I thought to myself, 'I'll just pitch up, play, and if it's there it's there, and if it ain't, so what?'.
"I don't mean 'so what', what I mean is if it ain't there, there's no point driving yourself mad about it.
"Get in the car and go home, get back to basics, and start enjoying your day-to-day things and then see what happens at the next tournament.
"And that's the kind of way I've approached this year and that's the way I'll be approaching the World Championships, basically not expecting too much."
O'Sullivan takes on Liang Wenbo of China in the opening round.
