Blackpool snooker star James Cahill has no interest in Ronnie O'Sullivan's criticism

Blackpool’s James Cahill slammed Ronnie O’Sullivan’s claims that snooker’s next generation lacks talent.
James Cahill defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan at last year's world championshipJames Cahill defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan at last year's world championship
James Cahill defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan at last year's world championship

Cahill, who stunned six-time world champion O’Sullivan in the first round at the Crucible in 2019, lost 4-2 to John Higgins in round one of the English Open last week.

The world number 78 called on World Snooker to conduct ranking event draws in public after that result but also had a message for the Rocket, who claimed he could ‘lose an arm and a leg’ and still remain in the world’s top 50 given the current paucity of young talent.

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Cahill says he couldn’t care less what O’Sullivan says and accused the 37-time ranking event winner of attention-seeking in Sheffield.

“To be honest I don’t really listen,” the 24-year-old said.

“I couldn’t really care who says what, whether it be Ronnie or whoever.

“I know on my day he can say I was terrible, and he could say I’m the best player in the world – I suppose it makes no odds to me.

“Ronnie’s going to do this forever, so in my opinion, I couldn’t really care less.

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“You can’t think about everyone who says something bad – and who’s to say it was even aimed at me? To be honest, I don’t really care.”

Cahill has slipped to a string of early defeats at recent ranking events after reaching the second round of the World Championship in 2019.

He went down to a 13-12 defeat against six-time ranking event winner Stephen Maguire in Sheffield that year, but could only reach the same stage of major tournaments twice during the following season.

Those came at the UK Championship and Scottish Open but the Blackpool potter failed to qualify for this year’s World Championship after losing against Ben Mertens in qualifying.

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Cahill reached the second round of the European Masters in Milton Keynes last month, after receiving a bye in his opening round.

Elliot Slessor had been forced to withdraw after coming into contact with Gary Wilson, who tested positive for coronavirus.

He then lost 5-3 to Maguire in the last 64 to dash his hopes of progression but will be hoping to arrest his recent dip in form with the Northern Ireland Open set to take place in Belfast next month.

Watch the snooker English Open live on Eurosport, Eurosport app and Quest

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