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‘Leather-soled shoes batter my feet to pieces’ – O’Sullivan on why he wears trainers

Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed that he won his first-round match at the 2023 UK Championship while nursing a case of plantar fasciitis.

It is normally what ‘The Rocket’ does on the table that grabs the headlines, but as he began his quest for a record-extending eighth UK crown, it was his choice of footwear that captured the attention of many.

Missing were the traditional dress shoes that snooker players are required to wear, and in their place a pair of black trainers were preferred.

Some eagle-eyed viewers were quick to notice the change, and O’Sullivan explained the reason behind them after winning six frames on the bounce to beat Anthony McGill 6-2 in York’s iconic Barbican Centre.

“I’ve got plantar fasciitis which is, the easiest way to explain it is, it’s like a bruise on your heel,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport.

“So when you put your foot down, it’s really sore. Leather-soled shoes just absolutely batter my feet to pieces.

“So I’ve had to resort to getting some really big old soles on them, just to sort of give my foot a rest, basically.”

Read the full interview with O’Sullivan here.

Neil Robertson confirms rest after disappointing exit from UK Championship

Neil Robertson is set to sit out the World Grand Prix next month after a nightmare start to the season continued at the UK Championship.

The world No. 6 is heading home to Australia for a month’s break to “reset” after departing the tournament he won in 2013, 2015 and 2020 in the first round in a 6-2 defeat to Zhou Yuelong at the York Barbican, his latest early exit from a ranking event.

Robertson has failed to win a major trophy this year for the first time since 2005 as red-hot Zhou produced breaks of 136, 134, 99, 80, 74, 67 and 50 on Tuesday to secure a last-16 meeting with John Higgins on Thursday afternoon.

“I need people to not play like that, which they’ve been doing all season,” said a rueful Robertson on Eurosport after rolling in a classy 135 of his own to level at 2-2.

“It is very frustrating. If I could hit them over the head with my cue I’d love to, but I’d lose the match,” he joked.

Read the full interview here.