Ronnie O’Sullivan admitted that he wishes he could play another sport rather than snooker.

That’s down to the mental toll that snooker takes on the Rocket, who compared it to chess and would rather play football instead.

He told TNT Sports: “I can’t switch off, no. It’s with you all the time. Even when I’m at home practising. If I’ve had a dodgy day, I go home and I’m sitting there and I’m like quiet, moody.

“Sort of like in my own head and the missus is looking at me, thinking, ‘come on, liven up’. I say snooker’s like chess with balls. It’s one of them sports.

“You see chess players. There’s a lot going on in their heads. But with footballers, you just have a laugh and a joke. I envy it. I wish I could have been a footballer. They look like you’re having a great time.”

Arsenal are expected to reignite their interest in a stunning swoop for wantaway Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku this summer, according to reports. Nkunku looks primed to seek a Stamford Bridge escape at the end of the season, and a cross-London switch could be one of the options on the table.

The Frenchman joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig in a £52million deal in 2023 but suffered an early long-term injury and has struggled to establish himself since. Nkunku is the Blues’ joint-top goalscorer this season, netting 14 times in all competitions, but Enzo Maresca often uses him on the wing rather than his favoured central position. And that’s when he actually gets minute, having grown accustomed to starting games as a substitute.

According to RMC Sport, Nkunku is increasingly considering a Chelsea exit this summer, and several European heavyweights are showing interest.

The 27-year-old was linked with an exit in the January transfer window, with Manchester United touted as suitors to bolster Ruben Amorim‘s attacking firepower.

Arsenal were also reportedly in the frame as Mikel Arteta navigated an attacking injury crisis, which stifled the Gunners’ Premier League title challenge.

It’s claimed that the Emirates Stadium giants are set to join Bayern Munich in returning to the table this summer, and Nkunku wants a club playing in the Champions League.

Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has urged the club to part ways with Nkunku in the coming months, insisting the exciting transfer hasn’t worked out.

He said: “I think they need to cut their losses and go their separate ways. It’s best for the club but also the future of the player. Careers are pretty short so you have to react quickly if it doesn’t work.

“And it can happen like this; sometimes, the chemistry doesn’t work. I was very happy to see him come to Chelsea, but it’s never worked.

“He’s never been able to settle down, maybe because the position he’s been offered wasn’t the right one.

“It’s never worked for him, but he’s still a good player. He will have to rebound, but we’ve seen that before with players like Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah when they left.”

Nkunku’s future at Chelsea has also descended into further uncertainty amid reports that Maresca is eyeing more attacking firepower in the transfer market.

The Blues reportedly plan to sign a winger and striker as part of their summer recruitment drive, which would make minutes even more difficult to come by.

John Virgo was left seething after the opening frame of the night between Mark Williams and Hossein Vafaei required a re-rack. The pair started the evening session locked at 4-4, with the Iranian taking an early 20-10 lead.

Earlier in the frame, Williams scattered the reds, leaving some in unfavourable potting positions. A dour period of safety play followed, with the stalemate continuing for almost an hour. Eventually, both players then agreed to restart the frame, prompting groans from some spectators.

Virgo was left distinctly unimpressed. It was the fifth re-rack of the match, and the 79-year-old argued that fans were being denied seeing proper action.

“I know it’s the World Championship and every frame is important but that’s a little farcical,” he said. “The players were reintroduced at 7:08pm, and now it’s nearly 8pm and we still haven’t seen a frame of snooker. That’s the bottom line.”

It was three-time world champion Williams who eventually took a 5-4 lead. When play did get back underway, there was no repeat of the dour first hour as he racked up a superb break of 122.

It could have been better had he not potted the cue ball on the pink as he eyed a big clearance, but his effort was met with healthy applause from the patient crowd.

By the time Williams produced his ton break, Virgo had calmed down, saying: “Mark Williams will take great stock out of that opening frame with a good century to boot.”

The match got underway at the same time that Mark Allen and Chris Wakelin resumed their battle. With Allen trailing 12-4 from this morning, the Northern Irishman had already won two frames, and was deep into the third, when Williams got on the board.