Stan Moody is the name on just about everybody’s lips in the world of snooker at present – and Ronnie O’Sullivan is no exception. And ‘The Rocket’ has had only good things to say about the teenager on his path to stardom.
‘The Action’ recently defeated former world champion Graeme Dott to reach the last 32 of the World Open in Yushan, China. He suffered a second-round defeat to world No40 Xu Si but continues to cause waves during his second season on the World Snooker Tour.
It was back in March 2023 when O’Sullivan beat the then-16-year-old at the Six Red World Championship in what remains their only table encounter to date. And the seven-time world champion paid Moody major praise following the 5-2 result in Thailand.
“Stan is going to be good. He has composure and that’s always a sign,” O’Sullivan told reporters at the time. “If they look a little bit vulnerable out there, then you think, can they handle the pressure?
“But he certainly looked really comfortable out there. He just needs some experience. He will win tournaments, I’d imagine, for sure.”
O’Sullivan should know a thing or two about being thrust into the snooker spotlight at a young age. The Londoner was even younger than Moody when he started playing senior competitions and made television appearances on the back of his snooker skills, rising to become the best of all time.
And The Action appears up for the task of following in his footsteps after a heroid start at the World Open. Moody qualified for the tournament by beating world No10 Zhang Anda, then celebrated a break of 123 in his 5-2 triumph over Dott.
“To see him so young, coming here and enjoying his snooker, you can see he really just loves the game and has an amazing temperament for it,” said O’Sullivan of the youngster last year. “You can imagine if he did find it hard he’d still find enjoyment in the game, you just get that impression.”
Moody has spoken in the past of fulfilling his desire to get on the WST as a teenager. His success at such a young age may be a surprise for most, but for the young Yorkshireman, he’s simply living out the goal he always envisioned for himself.
“When it first happened [securing his Tour card], I couldn’t believe it,” he said in 2023 with an assertiveness beyond his years. “But now it’s sunk in, it’s something I’d always planned to do. Back when I was 11 or 12, I always planned to get on this early.
“I wouldn’t like to get on at 20, 21 because the best years of your career are gone then. The experience I’ll gain from getting on so young will be priceless.”
