If Ronnie O’Sullivan pulls off an achievement he says would rank alongside his greatest in snooker, in returning to the sport after a year away to retain his world championship title, then his Chinese takeaway delivery driver will be entitled to an extra tip.

Claiming to have played “probably 10 days in nine months”, he did admit the man who delivers his dinner had been roped in for some practice sessions, during which he realised he was hitting breaks of 80 or 90 and thought: “Wow, I’m playing okay”.

He said: “It was only practice and I wasn’t playing anyone any good, just my mate who is a Chinese takeaway delivery driver. He delivers, that’s all he does, he’s not a snooker player. He comes round and plays me in the day, and then delivers Chinese food in the evening. His name is Alex and he’s a good lad.” His food, incidentally, is also “very good”.

Lacklustre defeat

The 37-year-old has played only one competitive match since lifting the world championship in May – a lacklustre defeat to the lowly Simon Bedford in September. In November he announced plans for a year-long sabbatical, sparking renewed speculation the most gifted player of his generation would retire altogether. But his decision to defend his title, ensuring he retains his ranking points and does not have to return to the qualifiers for major tournaments, marks another eye-catching U-turn from a career littered with them.

Ever the contrarian, O’Sullivan said he realised he could not live without the game. More than anything, he says, he was “bored” of rising in mid-morning and spending his days out to lunch.

“Boredom was a big factor. I missed travelling. I didn’t realise how much a part of my life it was. I missed the playing.”

O’Sullivan, whose rollercoaster career has included depression, illness and fits of pique alongside a brilliance and charisma that left the game yearning for his return, also said his time away from snooker had left him with a better perspective on the part it played in his life.

“I had a nice year out. I had a lot of fun and I needed the rest. I just thought it was time to get back to doing what I’ve done for a lot of my life. I have a different perspective on it now,” said the four-time world champion.

Which is not to say he did not enjoy his time off. Asked what he had been up to, he smiled and drew a discrete veil: “You don’t want to know, mate. Trust me. It has been good, though. Very good.”

Personal issues

“Personal issues” that played a part in his sabbatical remain unresolved and undiscussed publicly. He deflected all questions about his private life, pointing instead to his new book that will come out in the autumn and would, he said, allow him to explain the saga “in context”.

“I’m all right. I am here to talk about snooker, not my private life. I need to grow some shoulders, roll my sleeves up and have a go.”

O’Sullivan was surrounded by paraphernalia from his new sponsors – a company whose portfolio appears to range from vodka to water purification systems and will soon launch an energy drink called “Roket Fuel”. He was flanked by his friend Jimmy White, who is a “global ambassador” for the company.

Afterwards White, who reckoned O’Sullivan may have been hustling in playing down the extent to which he had been practising, said he would be training with him in the six weeks they had left before they got to Sheffield.

The defending champion will return to the Crucible on April 20th as the number one seed and as such should be able to play his way into the tournament.

Guardian Service