‘Class of 1992 will never be replicated,’ says Ronnie O’Sullivan ahead of Saudi Masters opener

Ronnie O’Sullivan opens his Saudi Arabia Masters account against Ben Woollaston on Tuesday and spoke to SportsBoom.com ahead of the match about the trio’s longevity in the game. (AFP/File Photo)
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Updated 02 September 2024
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‘Class of 1992 will never be replicated,’ says Ronnie O’Sullivan ahead of Saudi Masters opener

  • ‘The Rocket’ opens his account in Saudi Arabia against Ben Woollaston on Tuesday

LONDON: Snooker icon Ronnie O’Sullivan has said it is unlikely the sport will again see the likes of the “Class of 1992,” the name given to the trio which includes himself, Mark Williams and John Higgins, once they eventually hang up their cues.

O’Sullivan opens his Saudi Arabia Masters account against Lei Peifan on Tuesday and spoke to SportsBoom.com ahead of the match about the trio’s longevity in the game.

“The Rocket,” Higgins and Williams, who have pocketed 14 world championships between them, have taken the sport to new heights during their three-decade-plus reign in the game and, despite fast approaching their 50s, the status quo remains in place as they fight it out for the £500,000 ($656,879) top prize at this week’s event in Riyadh.

O’Sullivan said: “I don’t think you will see three (players) have that sort of longevity again, certainly not in snooker anyway.

“I think we've pushed each other on in a way. One from Scotland, one from England, one from Wales, so there’s always been that rivalry there; there’s been a three-way rivalry going on.” 

O’Sullivan said he and his rivals looked up to the likes of Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis and Jimmy White as inspiration for their ascent to the top of the game.

“I think obviously Stephen (Hendry) helped us as well because he was a really good yardstick. We grew up watching him, we came to tournaments and saw just how good he was and where we needed to get to,” he said.

“He was the man to beat. It took us a while and then he started declining. But we were already on that treadmill, that hard school of knocks if you like, where we were competing with guys like him, (Steve) Davis, John Parrott and Jimmy (White).

“We started getting in and amongst it when we were like 21 and from that age onwards, we’ve sort of kept that momentum and kept that professionalism and that hunger and desire to win.”

The seven-time world champion said Williams and Higgins were among the best to have ever played snooker and paid tribute to their ability to remain at a high standard for so long.

He said: “I played the best player ever in Hendry. I played Higgins and Williams. For me they’re the three best players I’ve ever played against. For me, I’ve never played against anyone who can play to their level consistently.

“Everyone has good matches or good seasons, but to do it over a 30-year period or even a 10-year period is not easy to do. They’re obviously in a league of their own.”

The top 16 in the world rankings, including O’Sullivan, Higgins and Williams, enter the Saudi event — which boasts a hefty prize pot of £2.3 million — in the last 32 on Tuesday. 

The Englishman has regularly reinvented himself during his illustrious career. His record-breaking CV is a roll call of the game’s biggest records, including most Triple Crown majors (23), most ranking titles (41), and most maximum 147 breaks (15). He is the only man to surpass 1,000 century breaks.

“Any one of us could be No. 1 still; there’s not a lot between us,” he said.

“I’m not surprised in many ways because I know how good those guys are; I grew up with them. You can’t just be good at potting or break building, you need more than that to survive; you need an all-round game.

“Even if things aren’t going great, we have this ability to stay in the game and keep relevant.”


Ronaldo renews Al Nassr contract until 2027

Updated 15 sec ago
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Ronaldo renews Al Nassr contract until 2027

Ronaldo has scored 93 goals in 105 appearances for the club

RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a two-year contract extension with Al Nassr, the Saudi Pro League side announced on Thursday, which will keep the Portuguese forward at the club well past his 42nd birthday.

Ronaldo, who joined the club in 2022 after leaving Manchester United to become a free agent, has scored 93 goals in 105 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Pakistan grouped with Saudi Arabia, Iraq in AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers

Updated 20 min 7 sec ago
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Pakistan grouped with Saudi Arabia, Iraq in AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers

  • Thirty-one international teams to partake in qualifiers from Sept. 20-24
  • AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 will be contested in Jan. 27-Feb. 7

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s football team has been selected in Group D along with Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Chinese Taipei for the qualifiers of the upcoming AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) confirmed on Thursday.

Thirty-one teams have confirmed their participation for the 11th qualifiers, which will take place between September 20 to 24. The draw has divided the teams into eight groups— seven groups of four and one group of three— with each to be played in a centralized league format.

“Our journey to the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 begins in Group D, sharing the pitch with hosts Saudi Arabia,” the PFF wrote on social media platform X.

“An exciting draw that sets the stage for some incredible matches. Time to prepare!“

India are in Group A with Kuwait, Australia and Mongolia while top seeds Thailand will have to contend with Korea Republic, Bahrain and Brunei Darussalam in Group B.

Four-time winners Japan are the top seeds in Group C with hosts Tajikistan, Macau and Cambodia their challengers. Group E will see Vietnam, Lebanon, hosts China and Hong Kong face each other while Group F includes Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic (hosts), Timor-Leste and Palestine.

Iran, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and Bangladesh are part of Group G while Afghanistan, Myanmar and Maldives are part of Group H.

The AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 will be contested from January 27-February 7.


Mbappe files harassment complaint against PSG and judicial officials are investigating

Updated 17 min 11 sec ago
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Mbappe files harassment complaint against PSG and judicial officials are investigating

  • The Real Madrid star is at odds with his former club, arguing PSG owes him $61 million in unpaid wages
  • Mbappe stunned PSG in June 2023 by informing the club he would not take the option for an extra year

PARIS: Kylian Mbappe has accused Paris Saint-Germain of moral harassment in a legal filing, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed on Thursday.

The Real Madrid star is at odds with his former club, arguing PSG owes him €55 million ($61 million) in unpaid wages.

Mbappe is also unhappy with the way he was treated by the Ligue 1 club when the France captain was sidelined before the 2023-24 season, following his decision not to extend his club contract.

The prosecutor’s office said Mbappe is “denouncing the ‘lofting’ he claimed to have been subjected to at Paris Saint-Germain.” The word lofting is used in France to describe a practice that involves isolating a player from the main squad for sporting, administrative, or disciplinary reasons.

Mbappe joined Real Madrid last summer on a free transfer after scoring a club-record 256 goals in seven years at PSG, which won the Champions League without him this year.

Mbappe’s relationship with PSG ended amid deep tensions, and some fans booed him in his last home game at Parc des Princes. PSG felt let down by Mbappe after offering him the most lucrative contract in club history when he signed a new contract in 2022.

But Mbappe was frustrated because he felt promises to sign key players were not kept. When he signed that deal, he was paraded in front of fans holding up a jersey with 2025 on it. Mbappe was reportedly annoyed because the contract was until 2024 — with a player’s option for an extra season.

Mbappe stunned PSG in June 2023 by informing the club he would not take the option for an extra year. With his contract effectively into its final year, it put PSG in the position of needing to sell Mbappe to avoid losing him for nothing when the contract expired.

His PSG career could have ended that summer amid a tense transfer standoff.

After telling the club he would not extend, Mbappe was left off a preseason tour to Japan and South Korea and forced to train with fringe players. PSG said it would rather sell him than let the player leave for free in 2024, but he rejected a €300 million move to Saudi Arabia team Al-Hilal.

PSG left Mbappe out of the opening league game of that season but he soon returned to the lineup following talks.

Mbappe’s legal team said in April it would start an action against PSG for harassment because of the way he was treated at the time.


Krejcikova suffers injury scare ahead of Wimbledon defense

Updated 26 min 47 sec ago
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Krejcikova suffers injury scare ahead of Wimbledon defense

  • The world number 17 suffered the problem on Wednesday during her second-round victory over Britain’s Jodie Burrage
  • The injury worsened overnight and the 29-year-old opted not to risk aggravating it

EASTBOPURNE, UK: Barbora Krejcikova faces a race to prove her fitness in time to defend the Wimbledon title after the Czech pulled out of the Eastbourne Open with a thigh injury on Thursday.

Krejcikova was due to face France’s Varvara Gracheva in the quarter-finals at Devonshire Park, but announced her withdrawal just hours before the match.

The world number 17 suffered the problem on Wednesday during her second-round victory over Britain’s Jodie Burrage.

The injury worsened overnight and, with her Wimbledon first-round tie scheduled for Tuesday, the 29-year-old opted not to risk aggravating it.

Krejcikova is awaiting the outcome of a scan before deciding if she will be fit to chase a second successive title at the All England Club.

“I’m very sorry to have to withdraw from my quarter-final today in Eastbourne as I’m having some soreness in my right thigh,” Krejcikova said.

“Overnight it just didn’t get any better, it actually got worse. I think it’s better with Wimbledon in the next couple of days just to rest it and to see what’s going on and to resolve that.”

Krejcikova has endured a difficult time since defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the women’s singles final at Wimbledon last year.

She lost in the second round of the recent French Open and also missed January’s Australian Open with a back injury, which kept her sidelined until May.

Krejcikova made a poor start to the grass-court season with a shock loss against Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova in the first round at Queen’s Club earlier this month.

The two-time Grand Slam champion had to save two match points before beating Britain’s Harriet Dart in the Eastbourne first round.

The second seed saved three more match points against Burrage.


Jofra Archer joins England squad for 2nd test against India

Updated 34 min 40 sec ago
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Jofra Archer joins England squad for 2nd test against India

  • If made part of playing XI, Archer will play his first Test in 4 years
  • Archer, 30, played last of his 13 Tests in February 2021 in India

LONDON: Fast bowler Jofra Archer could play his first test in four years after he was added to England’s squad on Thursday.

Archer joined up for the second test against India next week at Edgbaston. England leads the five-test series 1-0.

The 30-year-old played the last of his 13 tests in February 2021 in India.

Following his right thumb injury during the Indian Premier League, Archer played his first red-ball game in more than four years this week for Sussex in the English County Championship. He took 1-32 in 18 overs in his only bowling innings. He also batted once for 31 runs.