Jackson Page has been given a tough challenge at the Crucible as he prepares to face Ronnie O’Sullivan in the World Snooker Championship. Mark Williams, a three-time world champion and mentor to Page, believes that the 22-year-old should approach the match with an aggressive mindset. Page, who is ranked 43rd in the world, successfully navigated the qualifying rounds, defeating Graeme Dott and Noppon Saengkham. However, Williams acknowledges the difficulty of the task ahead, stating that O’Sullivan is the last player anyone would want to face. Despite this, Williams advises Page to enjoy himself and not put too much pressure on his performance. Williams also encourages Page to attack O’Sullivan and play with confidence, as he believes that Page is capable of causing an upset. With his impressive performance in the qualifying rounds, Page has shown that he has the potential to compete at the highest level. Williams urges Page to continue playing aggressively, just as he did in his last frame against Noppon, where he scored a break of 107.
Ronnie O’Sullivan to Face Page at Crucible
In a surprising turn of events, Page has found his stride just in time for the season. After a lackluster campaign, he suddenly burst into life at the World Open, defeating both John Higgins and Mark Selby on his way to the semi-finals. Unfortunately, he was ultimately bested by Judd Trump.
Page’s recent success has left many impressed, including Williams who stated, “Two tournaments ago he was 50-50 to keep his tour card and he got to the semis in China, qualified for this. Next year I wouldn’t be surprised if he pushes up into the top 32 and he’s definitely capable of getting into the top 16.”
Admitting that he had doubts about his future in the sport, Page revealed that before his impressive run at the World Open, he felt stagnant and unsure of his progress. “I’m 22, I thought I’d be a lot further on by now if I’m honest,” he confessed. “If I’m totally honest, before China I didn’t think I was good enough at all. I was losing games left, right and centre. I was down in the dumps, I was terrible. I thought ‘am I good enough?'”
However, a couple of positive results in China helped restore his confidence. “It’s amazing what a week can do. Now I feel like I’m on track again,” Page shared. Despite his initial doubts, he acknowledged the importance of never losing belief in oneself.
While Page questioned his future in the game, he recognizes that he still has time on his side. “I’m only 22 so it sounds a bit stupid. But you look at the greats and they’re doing it from a young age,” he said. “Luke Littler’s a joke in darts. That’s just something else. I know I’m still relatively young so there’s time. But I want a title now.”
The highly anticipated match between O’Sullivan and Page will take place over two sessions on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.
