- German Masters
| Tweet |
|
Struggling O'Sullivan beats Lee
ESPN staff
February 4, 2012
« Rio 'couldn't care less' if Terry played against United
| Barton tweets catch eye of Attorney General »
Ronnie O'Sullivan is in the hunt for a title in Germany
© Getty Images
Enlarge
Ronnie O'Sullivan booked his place in the final of the German Masters when battling glandular fever and a spirited fightback from Stephen Lee to prevail 6-4.
A packed crowd at the Tempodrom in Berlin turned out to see the biggest draw card in snooker, but they were treated to a patchy display from O'Sullivan who looked like cruising through at one stage only to fall over the winning line.
O'Sullivan looked in prime form as he raced into a 2-0 lead, but he failed to fully kick into gear as Lee kept in touch. O'Sullivan eased to within one frame of victory at 5-2, but promptly started missing balls.
Lee took the opportunities that were presented to him and he cut the deficit to 5-4. O'Sullivan was clearly feeling the tension as he passed up a couple of easy chances, including a simple black off its spot. But Lee was also guilty of errors and O'Sullivan took out blue and pink to advance to the final.
O'Sullivan revealed after the game that glandular fever, which first reared its head six years, has been causing him problems all week.
"I'm just relieved to get though because I've really been struggling with glandular fever this week," O'Sullivan told worldsnooker.com. "I didn't think I was going to get through the match. It's not an excuse for missing balls but sometimes I feel dead on my feet. I was wiped out even before the game, I just had to try to get through it.
"I've had it since early December. I was playing a lot of matches and travelling from event to event with a lot of late nights, and I was exhausted. I knew it was building, but I was doing well in a couple of tournaments and there wasn't time to rest.
"Before the UK Championship I was ill for a week. After that I had three weeks off and was able to get some rest, but then it came back again about ten days ago. I've had some tests done because it was important to find out what it was. I had it before about six years ago and the symptoms were the same. It can just knock me out. The doctors say I have to take it easy but at times this week I have been exhausted. I haven't even been running or hit the gym for the past two weeks, which is not like me.
"There's a lot expected of us as players but my health comes first and I'm not prepared to compromise. I can't push myself over the edge. There's no cure for glandular fever, it's a virus which stays in your body. There's nothing you can do except rest so I'll go back to the hotel now and sleep.
"I have to listen to my body. Both the doctors I have been to told me it is a serious illness and I need to be careful, because if it gets worse then it can take years to recover. I want to enjoy my life."
O'Sullivan's reward for battling past Stephen Lee is a meeting with Stephen Maguire who crushed Shaun Murphy 6-0.
© ESPN EMEA Ltd
