Ronnie O'Sullivan says feud is over with 'good lad' Ali Carter, picks Judd Trump as 'favourite' for World Snooker Championship title
Updated 23/04/2025 at 22:43 GMT+1
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Ali Carter and Ronnie O'Sullivan appeared to put their differences aside during their World Snooker Championship first-round clash at The Crucible. O'Sullivan came out on top to progress, and he later told TNT Sports that his dispute with Carter was "heat of the moment stuff". Seven-time world champion O'Sullivan also gave his verdict on tournament favourite Judd Trump.
‘It was heat of the moment stuff’ – O’Sullivan ends feud with ‘good lad’ Carter
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ronnie O'Sullivan said that his feud with Ali Carter is over following their World Snooker Championship first-round clash.
The Rocket won 10-4 to advance at The Crucible as he started his bid to win an eighth world title in impressive fashion.
O'Sullivan was involved in a war of words with Carter after the 2024 Masters final, but he has now dismissed any suggestion of an ongoing feud.
"Me and Ali are fine," O'Sullivan told TNT Sports' Watchalong programme.
"I was probably going through a bad time myself, he was probably going through a bit of a bad time, and you just sort of say things that you think, 'why did I say that?' It's just heat of the moment stuff.
"I practised with Ali when he was a kid, 13 or 14, and I thought this kid's going to be special. I spent a lot of time playing, picking balls out for him. He's a good lad."
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‘His only danger was Kyren’ – O’Sullivan tips Trump as Crucible favourite after Wilson exit
Video credit: TNT Sports
Trump 'definitely the favourite'
O'Sullivan is amongst the contenders to win the World Championship, but he has admitted that world No. 1 Judd Trump is the clear favourite.
Trump made five centuries in his first-round win over Zhou Yuelong and may also benefit from the early exit of defending champion Kyren Wilson, who has won their last two meetings.
"Million percent," O'Sullivan said when asked if Trump is the player to beat.
"For me his only danger was Kyren Wilson, because Kyren matches up well with Judd. He enjoys that match play, he's one of the only top players who relishes playing Judd. That makes it a really good game.
"There's still loads of other players that can give Judd a game but he's definitely the favourite."
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O'Sullivan spoke openly about the difficulty of performing on the biggest stages prior to his return to The Crucible.
Asked whether he could go all the way after his victory over Carter, he highlighted the need for "consistency".
"It's very hard when you're not looking in at what's going on," he said. "It's okay playing one good session, you've got to play at least 10 good ones, you can have five mediocre ones.
"That's been my battle, finding some good consistency, so if I can find a bit of that it'll give me some more belief."
Up next for O'Sullivan is a clash with Pang Junxu, starting on Saturday.
How to watch and stream the World Championship
You can watch every day of the 2025 World Championship live on TV on TNT Sports, with all the action also available both live and on-demand on discovery+.
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