Ronnie O’Sullivan and Liang Wenbo: ‘We are the best snooker playing friends in the world’

Liang Wenbo and Ronnie O’Sullivan meet in the semi-finals of the European Masters on Saturday, and it will be a match played in a tremendous spirit as the Chinese star describes the pair as ‘the best snooker playing friends in the world’.

The two first played back at the 2008 World Championship when O’Sullivan progressed with a 13-7 win, but they became good friends after hours of practicing together in Essex.

Liang joined The Grove team and got on well with the Rocket, thanking him for his help when he won his first ranking title five years later at the 2016 English Open.

‘I have to say thank you to Ronnie because I practise with him every day,’ Liang said after the memorable win over Judd Trump in the Manchester final.

‘I have learned a lot from him over the past two years and he’s my best friend.

‘He told me to look back at my UK Championship final last year and see what I could learn from it. I knew I needed to be more calm and controlled this time.

‘Snooker is a very difficult game but if you don’t enjoy it you don’t play well. I’m going to forget about this victory now and move on to the next one. I always learn from every experience.’

After booking his place in Saturday’s semi-final with a 5-4 win over Anthony McGill, Liang spoke of his friendship with O’Sullivan again, remembering a trip to his home town of Huizhou for an exhibition together in 2018.

‘Ronnie and I are very good friends,’ the 34-year-old told WST. ‘We have been to China together and been to my home town and played exhibitions.

‘I think we are the best snooker playing friends in the world.

‘Tomorrow I will just enjoy it. I want to win but it will be very tough.’

'He will be a world champion' — O'Sullivan adores duo who play snooker 'the right way'

Ronnie