Ronnie O’Sullivan says a pen was reason for huge Mark Selby win

Ronnie O’Sullivan is into the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open after a fine win over Mark Selby and has credited the addition of a pen to his arsenal.

The Rocket has not been at his best for much of the campaign in Wuhan, but bounced back from losing the first two frames to beat the Jester from Leicester 5-3.

There were encouraging signs for O’Sullivan after a poor start, finishing the match with breaks of 80 and 129.

This came after some very harsh reviews of his own performances as he made his way to the quarter-finals as the seven-time world champion bemoaned serious technical issues in his game.

Apparently in an attempt to combat those problems, the 50-year-old has taken to holding a pen in his hand while in his seat and while wandering round Wuhan in between matches.

Speaking on his new RosUnplanned Instagram with wife Laila Rouass after beating Selby, O’Sullivan said: ‘I feel really good. The pen, my little comfort blanket when it was all going a bit pear-shaped.

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‘At 2-0 down I was bang in trouble. Then the pen came into action, it’s all down to the pen. It’s nothing to do with me, it’s this little pen’

The Rocket beat Stephen Maguire in the last 16 and talked up the power of the pen before taking on Selby.

‘When I’m holding that pen it actually feels good,’ he said.

‘I had that pen in my hand and it makes me feel alright. So when I’m sitting in that chair I’m not thinking, “oh my arm’s this or that,” it puts you in half a decent frame of mind.’

O’Sullivan has spoken regularly about how uncomfortable he has felt with his game for three or four years, feeling that he changed his technique to his detriment.

Even far from his best he is capable of winning matches and he believes that if he can rediscover his old technique, or at least a different technique which feels better, then he can lift silverware again.

‘I don’t ever get involved in personalities when I’m playing the game, I’m always focused on how I’m hitting the ball,’ he told WST.

‘Am I playing well enough to play every shot that I need to play? And I haven’t been, so I’m worried whoever I play at the moment. It didn’t matter if it’s Mark Selby or number 128 in the world, I’m playing with zero confidence.

‘But I’m working hard on my game. I’m on the practise table a lot. I’m trying to figure out how to get out of this. I call it the disease, because it feels like the method that I took on, it’s ruined me really.

‘I’ve got no cue power, I’ve got no sense of direction, I don’t know where the balls are going. As a player you always have some anchors to hang on to. I used to have four or five. One wasn’t working, I’d try another one and then that would get me going.

‘But at the moment I just have nothing and I haven’t had for four years, so it’s just been a nightmare. But I’m going to give it a really good go to try and cure the disease, if you like.

‘It’s easier to call it a disease, I suppose, and if I can that would be great. But I think 18 months is a fair amount of time to try and unlearn it, and maybe try and find some flow.

‘Because if I play alright, I cue alright, I know I can still win tournaments. I don’t think the competition is that good and I don’t think I’ve got that bad. It’s just that I’m not cueing the ball well, so the balls are just not doing what I know they should be doing, or what I used to be capable of doing.’

Next up for the Rocket in Wuhan is rising Chinese star Chang Bingyu who demolished Judd Trump 5-1 in the quarter-finals and ended Trump’s two-year reign as world number one.

The winner of Zhao Xintong and Neil Robertson will take Trump’s place at the top of the rankings.

O’Sullivan expects a tough test from Chang, who is yet to win his first ranking event, but looks to have the game to win plenty in future.

‘Obviously, you’ve got Xintong and Wu Yize, but this kid is up there with him, without a doubt,’ said O’Sullivan.

‘It’s just a matter of time before he starts winning a lot of tournaments.’

Chang will be hoping he can win his first ranking title this week while O’Sullivan is looking for his 42nd, but first since January 2024.

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